Based on their experience with the so-called "Master," Beatriss and Tetsukichi realized their own adopted homeland was in danger. Without believing that the Master could pose a serious threat to the Imperial Khan, he could bring misery and destruction to the people of the Zhou Empire, very likely beginning with the Happy Valley. They asked their proteges Bayan and Timur to accompany Al-Fitar in his efforts to rally defense of his father's lands to the best. But Beatriss, Tetsukichi, along Hyamsam, Bangqiu, and Bo Jing collectively decided to go east.
On this occasion, the journey home was nearly as trying as the journey out. The Master's armies seemed to attract strange and terrible monsters-- a multi-headed lizard buried in a pit, a lizard made of flames that emerged from their own campfire. But they were truly horrified when they reached the Asada River and the ruined village of Pramayama. A huge contingent of the Master's army was encamped along the banks. The river was the only thing blocking them from the most peaceful region of Zhou. And that army, was busy building a bridge to bring their supplies and siege engines across the river.
Thanks to the magic of Hyamsam, Bangqiu,a nd Mustapha, evading the army was easy enough, but as they pressed on they encountered a horrifying advance party of giants, trolls, harpies, gnolls, a fire sorceress, and bloodthirsty barbarians. The defenders of Zhou determined that this was not just a raiding party, but scouts, seeking the pass by which the army would invade. In a first skirmish, several of Kafka's archers were killed and the most powerful raiders escaped.
The homelanders regrouped. Bangqiu took to the sky and found a short cut; the defenders pushed ahead, and sought a place where they wanted to stage a battle. They chose a high hill on the edge of a plain where they expected the raiders to pass. Bangqiu approached the raiders invisibly. The archers started the attack, firing from the top of the hill. Most of their arrows fell harmlessly among the well-protected raiders who responded by charging the hill. Mustapha created a troop of illusionary skeletons at the bottom of the hill, giving the raiders what looked like an easy target. The fire sorceress made the mistake of identifying herself. Before she could cause any damage the defenders on the hill, Bangqiu blasted her with a barrage of magic missiles. He then reverted to bird form to escape the giants and flew back to the hill.
As the raiders reached the hill, the defenders created a wall of fire, trapping them at the base. As the harpies approached, the archers shot them down from the sky. The raider's ground troops were divided, with half trapped by flames as the trolls and barbarians circled around the hill. The powerful fire giant happily waded through the fire and bounded up the hill. Hyamsam blasted him with a cloud of steam and Kafka finished him off. Meanwhile, Bo Jing singlehandedly killed one of the trolls with his fiery sword. As the raiders fell victim to their own homicidal urges at the hands of the calm, well-organized defenders, Tetsukichi noticed that the human leaders of the band were hanging back. He and Bangqiu led a group down the hill to make sure none of the raiders escaped. They were successful.
The defenders pressed on toward the Happy Valley, stopping periodically to ensure that they weren't being followed. There were no raiders in sight. They reached the Happy Valley and quietly prepared their troops for a possible attack. None came. Invisible Victory.
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