Boril and Germanos redoubled their efforts to get revenge on Isaakios and Alexios Komnenos by having them blinded or exiled. This would also deprive Konstantinos Doukas, son of Maria of Alania, of his protector. Alexios intercepted the decrees of the two Scythian slaves and carried them to Nikephoros III, who took his side: the Scythians were reprimanded. However they still pressured Nikephoros to change his mind. At one stage he seems to have decided to blind Alexios: but he subsequently chose to send him instead on perilous missions, hoping that he would either be killed or disobey so that he might be punished