Liir begins his trek to the eastern side of Kumbricia’s Pass, a major geographical landmark named for the mysterious mythical figure of magic who supposedly helped shape Oz. When he arrives, Liir begins searching for the Birds and eventually finds what is left of the Conference in a cluster of trees. He speaks with the Conference’s President, a Cliff Eagle named General Kynot. When he reveals the demise of the princess of the Swans, the swans present grieve. Liir then listens as Kynot explains the Birds’ predicament. They have convened to discuss the threat of the dragons, but the dragons have trapped them on the ground.

Kynot and the other birds are wary of Liir but still ask for his help. Liir initially refuses, and Kynot accuses him of not caring, but when Liir offers his help in exchange for any information they can collect about Nor, Kynot is the one to refuse. A small Wren tries to change Liir’s mind by saying that the threat of the dragons impacts all the people of Oz, not just the Birds.

In his frustration, Kynot challenges Liir’s perception of current events in Oz, explaining that the Emperor, in the name of the Unnamed God, is using the dragons to stir unrest. He is keeping the Birds out of the sky, and he was also the one who ordered the grisly “scrapings” as a means of fomenting conflict between the Yunamata and Scrow. The two tribes were nearly at peace, and if they had succeeded entirely, it would have been harder for the Emperor to manipulate them.

Despite Liir’s resistance, the Wren pressures him to help, but Liir tells them that he can do nothing without his broom.

Liir returns to the farm to find Candle waiting for him. She feeds him and lets him rest. Later, she reveals that she is pregnant, but Liir refuses to accept that he is the father, given that he has been gone for weeks and has no memory of having sex with Candle. As Liir argues with her, Candle assures him that the baby is his.

When Liir calms down, he tells Candle about the Conference of Birds and the threat of dragons. She is undaunted by the thought of dragons and reveals her knowledge of a dragon attack in Qhoyre years ago. She tells Liir that it was rumored to have begun as a tax revolt; when the Quadlings overran the local forces, the Emerald City deployed the dragons.

The next day, Candle asks whether Liir will remain at the farm or continue to help the Birds. She admits that she knows of his guilt over the Quadling girl who was flung off the bridge, but she explicitly tells him that she is not that girl and cannot be a proxy for his attempts to atone for his actions. Candle encourages Liir to leave, promising that she has enough resources to last the winter. The baby is due in spring, and Candle knows that Liir will be back by then.

Liir grudgingly agrees, and before he leaves, he begins making a broom for Candle so that she can sweep the snow. When he throws hay on the ground, he perceives the same letter that he saw in the burning debris at the bridge in Quadling Country. He still cannot read it.

When Liir returns to the Emerald City, he is astonished to see its changes. It is glamorous and cleaner than ever before. He also sees a poster showing the Emperor’s foot stepping across the land, with new cities popping up in each footprint that he leaves. Liir realizes that Emerald City is no longer merely the capital of Oz, but the nation of Oz itself.

He decides to visit Glinda’s home again but stops at the door, which is now guarded by a Tiger who is chained to the building. The Tiger informs Liir that Glinda is away from the city, mourning the recent death of her husband, Lord Chuffrey. The Tiger roars, scaring Liir away.

Next, Liir returns to the barracks field of the Home Guard, where he encounters Trism bon Cavalish. As the two get reacquainted, Liir remembers that Trism works in dragon husbandry. Trism surmises that Liir is a deserter, but rather than turning Liir in, he invites him out for a drink.

At a tavern called the Cherry and Cucumber, Liir begins questioning Trism about his job, but Trism deflects. They listen to Sillipede, an old entertainer who begins a meandering rant about the state of Oz; however, her speech is so convoluted that no one can decide who she means to criticize. When Sillipede mentions Elphaba, Liir feels a thrill and finds some closure over her death.

After the show, Liir and Trism walk along the quay. When Trism insists that everyone loves the Emperor, Liir is skeptical. When Trism informs him that they both met the Emperor outside a tavern years ago, Liir learns that the Emperor is Shell. Trism explains that Shell had a religious revelation; he believes that there is no better person to lead Oz than a sinner who found redemption.

When Liir questions why Oz needs Shell at all, Trism pins Liir’s arm behind his back and asks if Oz needed to attack an unarmed town in Quadling Country. Trism reveals that in the aftermath of the attack that Liir led, Trism was forced to send the dragons to quell the uprising. He feels responsible for the bloodshed, which haunts him. He blames Liir, promising to kill him as retribution. Liir assures Trism that he was only following Commander Cherrystone’s orders; he offers to allow Trism to kill him in order to erase the damage that Liir did that day. Trism sobs but eventually lets go of Liir.

As they continue to walk together, Trism admits that the scrapings are a strategic attack on the maunteries, which have been resisting the Emperor Apostle’s rule. The dragons, which have been trained to kill the young, were sent to send a message. Trism reveals that during the next military parade, the faces of those scraped will be put on display as a warning. Trism also reveals that the dragons are fed human flesh, which comes from Southstairs.

Trism believes that war is coming, as Shell means to attack Munchkinland. Trism hates his involvement with the dragons, but he genuinely believes that Shell is a more authentic ruler than those who came before him. Liir suggests that they end the dragon program, at least temporarily. Trism is hesitant, not wanting to endanger his family, but Liir promises to leave a note claiming that he kidnapped Trism, taking all the blame. Trism suggests poisoning the dragons, as one dragon recently died after drinking cleaning supplies.

When they reach the basilica, a guard recognizes Trism and admits them to the stables underneath. They soak body parts in the cleaning fluid and toss the meat into the stalls, where the dragons devour the poisoned food. Liir looks over the top of one of their pens, and one dragon, which attacked him before, recognizes him and begins screaming. Just then, the dragons start dying.

Trism wants to escape, but Liir refuses to leave without reclaiming Elphaba’s broom and the cape the dragons stole. Trism leads him to a room, and as Liir grabs Liir’s possessions, he glimpses the preserved, “scraped” faces on the shelves. Horrified, he convinces Trism to help him steal these too. Before fleeing, Liir writes a note, claiming responsibility for the havoc and declaring that he is the son of Elphaba.

They wait until dawn to leave the city, walking all day before finally stopping at an inn. The innkeeper rents them a small attic room and feeds them. As they head upstairs, a group of soldiers arrives on horseback, so Liir and Trism draw the curtains and remain quiet. 

They barely sleep, embracing each other and exploring each other’s bodies. For the first time, Liir feels an authentic attachment and realizes that he has grown closer to Trism than to anyone else. In the middle of the night, they sneak out of the inn, steal two of the soldiers’ horses, and ride towards the mauntery.