After seeing Barow’s Coca-Cola bottle, Mark insists on seeing any other relics in the town. He is shown a number of Earthen relics, such as a steel piece from a car, a glass bowl, and a doorknob. Mark becomes convinced that he is still on Earth, albeit a future version of Earth changed by a catastrophic event. He is more determined than ever to see the shaman.

On their way to the shaman, Sarbo tells Mark that he once met someone who looked like him. Suddenly, Sarbo’s mount is pierced with arrows; the Merkon’s guard are under attack. Sarbo directs Mark to the woods to hide. The pair inspect the bodies on the road when it becomes quiet. Sarbo believes the arrows that killed the men in the Merkon’s guard are designed to look like Rawhaz weapons, but that they were actually attacked by another party.

Mark and Sarbo decide to continue toward Trisad by themselves. Sarbo suspects that their attackers were Samatin, a repressed group of half-Tsook people who are considered “racially lesser.” He also tells Mark that the Merkon shares his Earthen features.