Story 196: The Inferno of the Black Vulture

Captain Dorian Black stood motionless at the edge of the rocky shore, his dark silhouette outlined by the flickering flames that consumed his beloved ship, the *Black Vulture*. The towering masts crackled as the fire devoured the sails, sending embers soaring into the night sky. The sea itself seemed ablaze as the fiery reflection danced across the water’s surface. Every wave that crashed against the rocks brought with it the echo of destruction.

For years, the *Black Vulture* had been the terror of the seas. Dorian's reputation as a ruthless pirate had spread across every coastal town, and his crew had plundered merchant ships from the Eastern Archipelagos to the frozen Northern Isles. But now, as he watched his ship burn, he knew the end had come.