Life

Do I believe? Of course I do. I’ve seen them. Well, at least some of them.

The thing you need to understand about the Chaotic Ones is that they’re never what you expect them to be. Kind of obvious, right?

Let me tell you about the time I met Life.

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I was in the military. Nothing fancy, just a regular foot soldier, but I was there.

Anyway. So, we were camped outside of Arleges, right? We’d been there for maybe a week, trying to break through when this massive storm rolled in and just wrecked everything. We had to just stop until it passed.

There was something… strange about that storm. As it raged outside my tent, I could’ve sworn I heard someone talking. Not loud, and I certainly shouldn’t have heard it above the storm, but I did. I couldn’t make out what was being said, but the voice was so melodic it drew me out of my tent.

There were no stars and no moon, obviously, but I could still see clearly. I’ve never seen a storm so bright. I looked toward the city, and through the driving rain, I saw her.

Even at distance, she dominated the view. She was at least seven feet tall, dressed in a simple white robe that seemed to glow in the storm, her blond hair flying wildly behind her. The personification of the storm itself.

She was looking at the ground at her feet. It shifted. One of the many corpses strewn about that field rose to face her, looked at her with its dead, glass eyes. She spoke to it. I don’t know what was said but the music of her voice floated down to me. The corpse responded, its voice like the creaking of old boards.

She nodded, solemn, and placed a hand on its shoulder. Then, she drew a sword. I don’t know from where she drew it as I hadn’t seen anything on her that could hold a sword before that, but it was long, nearly six feet, and so bright I had to shield my eyes. She struck the corpse and it was gone.

That’s when she saw me.

Slowly, she turned toward my encampment and our eyes locked from across the field. Then she was in front of me. I don’t mean she ran to me. One second she was in the field, yards away, and the next she was right there, so close I could’ve touched her.

She smiled at me. A terrifying thing, too many teeth, all pointed and sharp. She spoke to me in her musical voice, but this time it was discordant, ringing in my ears and making me dizzy. “You are here for killing.” It wasn’t a question.

I nodded, unable to do anything else.

“Your superiors intend far more slaughter than you know.” Again, not a question.

I looked into her eyes. Why was she telling me this?

Those eyes were as deep as the ocean and as strong as a mountain. “That will not happen.”

She could’ve been saying anything, I can already see you thinking, but I knew exactly what she was saying. I knew. I stumbled back as I understood the gravity of what she was saying. I’m not ashamed to admit that I ran. Luckily, I had enough presence of mind to grab my pack, but I was out of there in seconds. She watched me, impassive. Didn’t even try to stop me. I ran for most of the night, until I collapsed in the grass. I don’t know where.

I woke up to the sun high overhead, the sky clear and bright. Off in the distance though, thunderheads loomed. I thought it could be in the direction of Arleges.

Eventually, I made it back to civilization, barely. I had been out of food for two days and water for one before I found a town. Still, it was better than staying.

It wasn’t long before I head the news that the siege had failed.

Some say there was a fire, circled all the way around to each camp. Other say the big storm did them in. One thing is for certain, though. There were no survivors among the camps. The city was untouched. A miracle, some say.

I say Chaos.