Intel Earned the Hard Way.

After failing multiple attempts to thin the camp, I abandoned reckless combat and focused on the real objective. Using stealth and patience, I freed the prisoner and escaped by water. His intel led me to Hotephres, who turned out to be alive, armed, and fully capable on his own.

I returned to the camp and spotted the Captain resting inside an open tent, flanked by one of his big guards. He looked like he was trying to recover after my last assault, clearly shaken by my presence.

I attempted to move in for a quick strike, but their senses were sharp; they spotted me before I could close the distance, forcing me to escape.

To escape their wrath, I dove into the nearby water, using the depths to hide until the heat died down. I waited patiently for the guards to lose interest and return to their posts. Once the camp settled back into its routine, I began my slow trek back toward the perimeter.

I tried a different tactic by picking off soldiers stationed on the outskirts, thinking it would be easier to thin the herd. However, I clearly underestimated them.

After several attempts, a single soldier managed to take me down. It was a humbling reminder of how dangerous even a lone guard can be.

Frustrated by the repeated deaths, I decided to stop focusing on the body count and prioritize the objective. My goal was the prisoner. I shifted my focus entirely toward freeing the target and getting him out of that cursed camp as quickly as possible.

I spotted a guard standing watch right beside the prisoner's cage. I drew my bow and tagged him with an arrow to draw him out. As he climbed up to investigate the shot, I found an opening to take him down silently, clearing the immediate path to the cage.

I leaped into the camp and opened the cage doors. The prisoner was in no condition to run, so I had to carry him onto my shoulders. Carrying the extra weight made me a slow target, but I navigated through the shadows and managed to sneak him out to the water's edge, away from the enemy's sight.

I rowed a boat to transport the man to safety. Once we were a safe distance from the camp, he expressed his gratitude and gave me the intel I needed, which was the location of Hotephres. With a clear heading, I set off into the deep water.

As I reached the general area, I sent Senu into the sky. From her vantage point, I scanned the horizon and quickly detected the specific boat where Hotephres was supposed to be.

I got close and decided to swim the final stretch to avoid being spotted by any stray patrols. I didn't know what kind of state I would find him in, but as I climbed aboard, I found Hotephres himself. He was resting, surrounded by the bodies of enemies he had clearly just slain. It looks like he was doing just fine on his own.

I'll show more of my photographic journey of the games soon, so stay tuned to my blog if you liked them.