The work didn't end the next day, or even abate. Dain did manage to wake up more thoroughly in the morning, and though I could tell he was still physically exhausted, he joined in on the task of dealing with the wreckage the war had left in its wake. He'd seen war before, and he knew how to talk to soldiers and organize armies. Alluin rejoined the world in the afternoon, as did Zhiolas, and by the time night had fallen again, the armies had been mobilized to bury the dead and sweep for iron. The First Army was mainly fae, but the Second Army and the small Third Army had a significant number of humans, and those humans were more than relieved to be on iron duty rather than body duty. Slowly, the graves and barrels filled.

Since Lyraniorn would be buried in mass graves, and so many of their bodies had been lost forever, we decided to turn the ghost city into a memorial for them. We dispatched people to empty the coffers and storehouses of the city, and to close the homes and shops. If the crown of the Vicereine of Lyraniorn could not be found, another would be put on her throne in its place. The names of every citizen in the census were to be carved into the walls of the city and enchanted against wear, with a stele raised in the central square of the city proclaiming what had happened to them. A city betrayed by its own Queen, massacred for revenge.

It took weeks to bury the dead. We held services for them each night, under the light of the moon, their King sending them to their final rest. The son of a god of death stood at each grave and sang the litanies, his voice rough and full of emotion, and we all bore witness.

The armies dispersed, back to their homes and garrisons, and we kept collecting what seemed like an endless amount of nails. There seemed to be an ever-growing amount of things to do. How should we plan on reforesting the burned, denuded region behind the palace? What did we need to do to prevent erosion on the slope in front of the palace, and how would we refresh the topsoil so things could grow in it again? What supplies needed to be purchased for the palace and the armies, and when, and from whom? How should we support the towns and communities whose landscapes had been burned and blasted?