In this short scene, the commander of the western army, Master Merlyn, tells his men that his forces have suffered heavy losses in the battle at Trigontium, and that he cannot believe that they are trying to annihilate his forces with their "stagnant soldiers" . Merlyn tells the men that the eastern forces have come to meet up with the western forces and that they will be surrounded if he does not kill them all. He tells them that the conflict cannot be resolved through treaty, as neither the eastern nor the western empire can annex each other, but only through a final treaty. He says that the only way to get rid of the eastern army is through treaty and that this treaty will create an "age of peace" between the two nations