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Summary:The Way of Kings (edit)

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→‎Prelude to the Stormlight Archive
{{anchor|Prelude}}
== Prelude to the Stormlight Archive ==
[[Kalak]], one of the Tenten [[Herald]]s of [[the Almighty|Heralds]], iswanders walkingthrough a torn landscapelandsacpe afterlittered onewith ofdead thehumans, thunderclasts, and [[Desolation]]sother beasts. He is on his waytraveling to meet with any of the Heralds' whopreordained havemeeting survivedplace the(a battle.rocky Hespire) contemplatesfor simplythose walkingwho away in order to avoidsurvived the torture the Heralds are forced to endure between Desolations[[Desolation]].
 
Upon arrival, he finds only their leader, [[Jezrien]], waiting for him. At first, Kalak assumes that the other eight must have died, for the battle was "furious". However, he notices that seven [[Honorblade|Honorblades]] had been driven point-first into the ground at the base of spire. Jezrien then informs Kalak that the other Heralds have departed, abandoing the [[Oathpact]]. Kalak then admits to Jezrien that he can't return to "the place of nightmares", the waiting place of the Heralds between Desolations. Jezrein then tells Kalak to relinquish his blade as well, for "...it is time for the Oathpact to end." This effectively leaves Talenel (Taln), the only Herald who was killed in the battle, alone to uphold the Oathpact and the sole sufferer of the pain and torture in the waiting realm.
Instead of the other nine Heralds, Kalak finds only [[Jezrien]] waiting for him. Jezrien tells him that only one of the Heralds, [[Talenel]], was killed. The other nine have decided that they will walk away, leaving Talenel to uphold the [[Oathpact]] alone.
 
Kalak is horrified and disturbed that both Jezrien and himself have been broken by the cycle of Desolations and that they are too weak to face their suffering. They plan to lie and tell the people that they finally won against the "enemy", and hopes that it might even turn out to be true. Their abandonment of mankind is somewhat diluted by the fact that Ishar, another Herald, believes that "...so long as there is one of us still bound to the Oathpact ([[Talenel]]), it may be enough". There is a chance we might end the cycle of Desolations." Jezrien points out that man also has the Radiants.
The Heralds abandon mankind, leaving them in the care of the [[Knights Radiant]]. They tell the men who fought with them that they have won the last battle against [[Voidbringer]]s, and leave Talenel and mankind to their respective fates.
 
Finally, both Jezrien and Kalak summon their Blades and slam the into the ground along with the other seven. They depart following opposite directions along the barren lanscape, vowing to go their own ways and to not seek one another, or any other of the Heralds. As Kalak is leaving the ring of swords, he looks back and notices a single open spot, "The place where the tenth sword should have gone." Kalak feels a deep sorrow and shame for Taln's exclusion and thinks, "Forgive us...", then leaves.
 
{{anchor|Prologue}}
 
== Prologue: To Kill ==
{{epigraph|The love of men is a frigid thing, a mountain stream only three steps from the ice. We are his. Oh Stormfather...we are his. It is but a thousand days, and the Everstorm comes.}}
Zinfandale
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