The Ssleestak Etchings by Ramenking1985 | World Anvil Manuscripts | World Anvil

Soldiers Letters

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The streets were empty my dear, I've never seen a ghost before, but I'd not be surprised to see one today! We'd been here before, you and I, we bought beadworks from the Serpents shop in the square. The square was a disaster. Carts turned over, the produce rotten and fetid. What happened here happened long before our arrival. 

I can still smell the blood, even though we've razed the village. Like rust in my nostrils, the buildings were painted in it. The dirt was a half-dried mud from it beneath our boots. It had not rained in this area for weeks, the mud was from their blood. Boarded windows torn open, doors ripped off hinges. Something took this town by force. There are tracks in the mud, something with claws took this village.

I can't tell if it’s the ghosts watching, or if something is still here. I'm lucky, I care for the horses, so I am not in harms way often. Since we've brought so many extra horses for such a small Purge Squadron, I'm busy. Curious why we brought them. It is not an urgent matter, as we brought enough food to feed a Purge Squadron twice our size too! Although, imagine if we'd come upon a village of this size with our small garrison? 20 men is nary enough to take a village of Serpents to cull of this size! The extra food and horses would have meant nothing, 

Worry not, I will be home soon and in your embrace! This is my final tour, so our children will have their father again! Tend the farm a bit longer for me!

The captain is angry now as well as the men. We're lucky that this village was already razed by some demon, why would the Monarchy send a scouting party of 4 men and 20 horses? Were we to trade the village the horses for the Serpents? It would have been chaos and anarchy. We pull out tonight, returning home soon.

 

We've found documents and etchings. The villagers were a lot of crazed Serpents. The tale it weaves is unbelievable to say the least. Either way, were a scouting party, we've observed, we return to our keep soon. The commander has ordered us to leave the horses, the razing party can use them to demolish the buildings once they arrive.

 

I will see you soon. I'm glad this is my last campaign, I was conscripted to fight as a soldier, not scout ruined villages for Serpents to cull. 

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