Balthazar wakes in the burning common room after the attack and finds Princess Alexia cornered by Eudoxia's pyromancer. The Papal binding forces Balthazar to protect Alexia even though Balthazar would rather save himself. Balthazar briefly holds off the flames with a crude prayer-sheet, then stalls the sorceress with flattery while secretly preparing necromancy. When the pyromancer attacks again, Balthazar raises the charred corpses around the room and uses them to overwhelm her, finally crushing her skull with a beer barrel.

Outside at the gate, Jakob of Thorn fights Eudoxia's beast-like warriors as the inn's defense collapses. Jakob kills a goat giant and a hound-man, then is nearly finished by a ram-man until Baptiste throws knives and saves him. Looking across the yard, Jakob sees the guards dying, the walls breached, the stables burning, and Brother Diaz praying helplessly. Realizing the position is lost, Jakob demands Baptiste's key so he can open the locked wagon that has been traveling with them.

Jakob reaches the wagon, but a hare-eared archer shoots Jakob in the side and then through the lung. At the same time Duke Marcian, youngest son of Empress Eudoxia, enters the yard with more beast-warriors and mocks the weakness of the party sent to escort Alexia. Marcian forbids the killing of Brother Diaz, but the attackers beat the monk down. Even mortally wounded, Jakob tries to honor his oaths and attack, yet Marcian casually avoids the blow and runs Jakob through the chest, leaving Jakob to collapse in the mud.

Alexia escapes the inn only to see the slaughter outside and Marcian standing over Jakob. Marcian reveals that he knows exactly who Alexia is because he has a copy of the Papal bull naming her the lost Princess Alexia Pyrogennetos, rightful heir to Troy. Alexia first begs for her life and insists she is only a thief, but when Marcian forces her up to die with dignity, Alexia finally spits at him. Before Marcian can kill Alexia, Brother Diaz steps between them to buy time. Sunny appears from invisibility, takes the dropped key, unlocks the wagon, and opens it. Something monstrous bursts from the darkness inside and instantly tears a bull-man apart, abruptly changing the battle.