Kingdom of Ash

How soon would its power be unleashed?
He prayed, for the sake of his soldiers, that
it would be quick, and relatively painless.
That they would not know much fear before
they were blasted into ashes.
The Bane didn’t clash their swords on their
shields this time.
There was only the marching of Morath,
and the drums.
Had they gone to Orynth when Darrow
demanded, they would have made it. Had time
to cross the bridge, or take the northern route.
This defeat, these deaths, rested upon his
shoulders alone.
Down the line, motion caught his eye—just
as a fuzzy, massive head poked between
Prince Galan and one of his remaining
soldiers. A ghost leopard.
Green eyes slid toward him, drained and
bleak.