Darkness.

  Silence.

  Then, a voice.

  “So we have failed?”

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  Anguish.

  Feeling becomes sound, “This time, my king.”

  Wood on iron. Iron on rock. Burdens do not fade. “My army lies dead in a field. As does my enemy’s. What now?”

  “Talah will find her allies. We will let her. Then, one of us must surrender.”

  Laughter. Mirthless. Harsh, “You’ve surrendered before.”

  “Aye. And I won.”