Arslan and his subjects seek refuge in the Kashan Fortress, governed by Lord Hodir, but it does not take long for the party to realize Hodir's true intentions for sheltering them.

With Rajendra now firmly on the throne of Sindhura, it is time for Arslan to put his affairs in order and prepare to return to Pars to deal with Lusitania.

The Kingdom of Turan decides to take advantage of Pars's moment of weakness to invade, forcing Arslan to abandon his plan to retake Ecbatana in order to secure the border at Peshawar.

With the arrival of Étoile and Merlane, Arslan learns of the situation in Ecbatana. And while he is still far short of amassing an army of 50 thousand, he must decide whether to act upon this information or not.