Excerpted from Elena’s report prepared for the Eye of Elicia, Her Excellency Lady Nhaka Mezalune…

Rubble. Ashes. Smoke. Corpses. These accursed things, my Lady, as far as the eye can see.

They call this place off the shores of Ebondrake’s dominion, the Isle of Serenity. It’s a prison camp for the Black Legion, a penal settlement where they’d send the worst of their worst, those who would’ve otherwise served as cannon fodder, to work in the mines and on the farms. Been that way, now that there aren’t any wars to fight.

That’s what the boatman told me, my Lady. Found him at the lighthouse on the mainland, hiding by the jetty from whatever happened here. He was nice enough to ferry me on that little boat of his when I offered him the choice of a handful of gold coins or a dagger’s edge.

Funny how that works, eh? Don’t think he’s coming back to give me a return trip, though. Whatever. I’ll figure it out later, my Lady, when I’m done here.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

There’s blood in the air, freshly spilled on the snow. Bloodied and burnt axes, pickaxes, sickles, and hoes. On closer inspection, the corpses I’ve mentioned, look like they’ve been hacked apart limb from limb by those tools. Rather brutally too, I’ll add. But only some of them. Others reek strongly of eldritch taint and burning, like they’ve been set on fire and crushed to pulp.

Really, it looks like hell itself spilled over this place, fiery guts and all. The farms the boatman spoke of, are clearly no more. Crops and livestock, all gone and razed. Now, what remains is a killing field, a battle fought that the Black Legion lost.

But how, my Lady? Far as I know, the Black Legion is in control of their Hellbourne servants. Surely, something or someone must’ve switched things up. Probably. How else, otherwise?

There’s a huge trail of smoke up ahead, far in the distance where the mines ought to be. The answers I want also ought to be there, Elicia willing. But I don’t think I’m alone in this. The Black Legion will be here soon, to reclaim this place for their Lord General.

I’d better hurry.