The Chaos of Estia : Prologue

Prologue

         “It’s coming!”

         “…You know what to do.”

         “RUN!”

         “It’s Chaos!” It had been a tranquil summer day in Eaidon, the capital city of Enyon, when suddenly, the sky darkened into an eerie shade of purple and green, and silent lightning struck the tiny, straw huts on the edge of the city. People scattered in all directions. Some hid in their homes, waiting for the inevitable; some just stared off deep into Chaos, wondering whether the stories were true.  Others cursed at the top of their lungs of their terrible luck. Still others wept. Few tried to run. They knew from tales that whenever Chaos showed its hideous face, nothing ever survived.

         “Hera! Get into the hut. Hurry child!” Hera was a rather short teenager that was going to be thirteen in just three days, but she was only likely to be alive for a few more minutes. Hera took one last glance back toward the outside world, a world she may never set eyes on again, and saw what nobody had ever lived to tell. There was what appeared to be a great grey creature similar to a bear-sized snail speeding through the city. Out of its figure came great balls of fire, terrible bolts of lightning, head-sized balls of hail, and all varieties of destruction. There was a mass of men, women, and children fleeing from the carnage, fleeing toward Hera’s home. They closed in around her house, tearing down the walls in their frightened search for shelter. Suddenly, a huge fireball sped across the horizon and engulfed the crowd of people there. The people that had destroyed Hera’s house fled. As would happen to most after such a shocking sight, Hera fainted amidst the screams of the dying masses.

         “NO!” Hera woke with a start. It was so dark she could not see. Maybe this was a dream. Yes, it had to be a dream. She tried to move, but couldn’t.  After a while, she gave up. It wasn’t a dream. Then maybe she was in hell. Her eternal punishment was to be unable to move for all eternity in utter darkness. Suddenly, a brilliantly bright light appeared amongst the darkness. “A bright light… oh how very pretty,” whispered Hera. “If I could just reach it everything will be ok!” but the light faded away.

         “HERA! Get out and run! Chaos is coming for our home!”

         “Mother…? I’m alive?!”

         “You won’t be for long if you don’t move! RUN! Away from Chaos or be damned!” Hera ran, although she didn’t get very far. Soon, she was knocked down again.

        It was so dark she couldn’t see, nor could she speak or move. There’s that light again! she thought. Save me, light! Save me! But the light faded away once again and Hera was thrust back into reality.

        “GET UP! RUN! RUN! RUN!”

        Okay, I’ll run away from that big snail, Hera thought. Maybe if I run fast enough I’ll live. She turned for a moment to see if she was making any progress, but she wasn’t. She saw her house hit with the full force of Chaos, its remains were completely obliterated. Shortly after that, her mother, father, and baby brother were engulfed by the white flames jutting from Chaos. She kept running, but to no avail. She fell into a well a few feet in front of her, and darkness closed in once more.

        “Oh it’s that light again. Hello light!”

        Hera. whispered the light.

        “Did you just talk to me? Light can’t talk!”

        Yes we can, you just don’t usually listen closely enough to hear us.

        “No! What are you!”

        I have come to bring you home, Hera, the light started. You see, Chaos has destroyed your home, your family, and your friends. You have nothing left. It’s time for you to go.

        “No! You aren’t taking me anywhere! BAD LIGHT!” As soon as Hera said this she was thrust back into reality once more. Somehow, she was lying on the streets of Eaidon, and Chaos seemed to have moved on. The sky was no longer blackened or lit with the fire and lightning that Chaos caused. Hera looked around her, gasped, and fainted once more.