The Rancour of Thefis
Thefis gazed down from the heights of his obsidian palace. Sunlight blazed down on the inky black surface of the lake. The dark green of the ancient pine forest loomed around it, like an ancient beast, protecting its young.
“Incredible that something so toxic could look so beautiful,” he mused, as he watched his minions gathering the black shells from its shore. One by one they trudged back towards his palace; what they called home.