"Dead man walking!" is heard through the streets of Hydlaa as the guards escort Djoti Jelkaf. He is to be taken to the Bronze Doors Fortress, where he will be executed. Citizens quickly gather around the prisoner and the guards explain he was found guilty of several charges that included murder, necromancy, and conspiracy to murder government officials.
As the group heads towards the North Gate, the gate guards give the alarm: Ulbernauts. Some of the guards quickly assume their positions along the wall, while others secure the prisoner. As guards head out to repel the invaders they see Kawad, an enchanter bold enough to attack the city in broad daylight, perhaps confident of the strength of his minions. He, however, did not anticipate the people of Hydlaa would answer the call to arms and overrun his beasts. The battle was fierce and there were several casualties but the monsters were slain and the wizard had to flee to avoid getting caught.
After the battle, the wounded were tended to, the damages measured, and the bodies of the dead beasts removed from the path. The citizens commented on the attack. Some worried that the prisoner was being sentenced to death unjustly, believing the lies he told them while the guards were containing the situation. They approached the guards to express their concerns.
Kawad, however, realizing that he had lost, that it would only be a matter of time before his own arrest and trial, and that by being an outlaw he'd lose his last chance to see his brother alive, turned himself in. With several citizens as witnesses, he admitted to committing the crimes along with his brother and was placed under arrest.
In the light of this new evidence the prisoners were taken to jail and the execution postponed so that the competent authorities could evaluate it and determine each of the brothers' responsibility in the crimes. Word of a new trial quickly spreads among the town's folk...
