The panicked crowd surged into the camp like a tide, as though an unseen terror were chasing them.
Fortunately, the warriors patrolling the camp had not neglected their duties. Some struggled to keep order among the fleeing people, while others swiftly formed a squad and pushed against the flow.
The warriors were clearly prepared for trouble. If the newcomers meant harm, they would step forward without hesitation and block their path.
But the human tide was too powerful. Even the well-equipped, disciplined squad could barely make headway. Jostled from side to side, the warriors nearly lost their footing.
Just as panic gripped everyone, the watchtower bell changed. Its sharp, urgent peals gave way to long, measured tones.
Hearing the change, the crowd gradually calmed. By convention, that particular bell signal meant the approaching force was not an enemy and was likely friendly.
Sure enough, while people were still uncertain, a small band of mounted scouts charged in from outside the camp, shouting, "Don't panic! My lord has returned!
"Our Warrior Corps has come back victorious!"
At the news, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and soon headed back the way they had come. Some needed to resume their work outside the camp, while others wanted to see the returning Warrior Corps.
Just then, another column of soldiers filed out from deep within the camp. At a glance, their number appeared to be close to a thousand.
They carried military banners that fluttered in the wind and bore colorful, oddly shaped Barbarian instruments on their shoulders. Playing as they marched, they had clearly prepared a grand welcome for the returning warriors.
Before long, the crowd followed the soldiers out of the camp. Looking up, they saw a great plume of dust rising in the distance like signal smoke and drawing steadily