The winds of change blew across the plains of Starscorch, sweeping the remnants of the battle away. The northern clans had already begun to rebuild, but there was a storm brewing—a storm Isabel could feel in her bones. The kingdom was still fractured. The victory they had won was hard-earned, but it wasn't complete. Vorstag had been defeated, yes, but the forces loyal to him were still out there, hiding in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike.
Isabel stood atop a rise overlooking the stronghold, the wind tousling her hair, the weight of the crown that she had yet to claim pressing heavily upon her. She could feel the land beneath her feet, the pulse of the kingdom calling to her, but there was still so much to be done. The battle had been won, but the war was far from over.
