The heavy, oppressive silence within the Amber Kingdom throne room was finally broken by King Orion's sputtering, utterly bewildered gasp. Through the magically amplified brass speaker resting in the Emerald Kingdom study, the young leaders could hear the distinct sound of the King slumping heavily back onto his golden throne.
"Destroyed?" King Orion repeated, his voice completely devoid of its previous roaring authority. It now sounded weak, terrified, and incredibly old. "What do you mean destroyed, Liam? I assigned three entire battalions of my most elite royal guards to secure the valleys leading up to those mines. How could anyone possibly bypass them?"
Liam's response was a harsh, grating sound that barely resembled a human laugh. It sounded like dry bones grinding together inside a hollow cavern.
