Trent struck the jagged obsidian glass with a sickening crunch. Captain Alden released his grip on the ruined velvet cloak and let the defeated king fall flat into the dirt. The heavy iron cuffs binding Trent's wrists clanked loudly against the volcanic rock. The sound echoed across the silent arena floor and marked the definitive end of the Valorian empire.
The battlefield was devoid of active combat. The Ashguard infantry moved with quiet efficiency across the Serpent Pass. They gathered the discarded weapons of the Valorian conscripts and organized the thousands of prisoners into neat marching columns. There was no cheering or boasting from the victorious soldiers. They treated the aftermath of the war like a routine harvest.
Trent pushed himself up onto his knees. He ignored the shar
