Dawn of Chaos Pt 3
#3 of For the love of Chaos
I drifted, awash in a sea of memories that weren't my own; I fought to maintain my identity as I plunged into the swirling sea of memories and lived a second life, one that had lasted for eons. In the beginning there was darkness, and from that darkness came thought and imagination, as primitive tribes huddled together and tried to see into the darkness beyond their campfires and began praying to the darkness to be spared from the things that dwelt within the night. From these prayers came the small gods, with each tribe having their own totems for the night.
These memories were fragmented, like viewing through an insects compound eyes. Then the tribes met, and warred, and died, and thus thought progressed to contemplation of death and gods combined or were forgotten, the compound memories shrank as the tribes gathered together and the ones who remained became self aware. It's a strange feeling, becoming self aware, the compound memories fell away and I was left inside the mind of Kazath as he changed throughout ages and fallen empires being adopted by some cultures and crushing gods who oppose him. Some memories flashed by in a blur while I lived some segments out fully.
I watched as Kazath eventually became the supreme God of the Dark, and no I don't mean Evil, but things related to the dark, granted that this attracted the worship of most of the seedier elements of the world, assassins and thieves and doers of deeds best done unseen. Then there was the flip side to that, he became the God of passion and hidden knowledge, privy to the secrets whispered in darkened shadows and things hidden in dark places. He also became the God of the non-humans of the world whom the God of Light shunned as "monstrosities". I also saw his rival grow as well, the God of Light, the embodiment for purity and 'holiness'. One thing about holiness though, it tends to corrupt more than any temptation. He took the form of a man like a marble statue, and generally became a bigot as many holy figures do. For obvious reasons the two didn't get along and followers of the faiths clashed quite regularly although usually quietly. I sank into another memory as it flashed before my eyes.
The gutters ran red with blood, white clad soldiers stained with blood tore open home after home, dragging out and slaughtering my worshippers in the streets. Men, women and even children were cut down by the rampaging crusaders, temples were destroyed, holy places burned, and madness engulfed the world. Madness that I was powerless to stop. I was chained with bonds of light in the grand marble temple of the Light unable to do so much as warn my followers. This massacre had been in the makings for over a century now, the White Priests preached the superiority of their worshippers, and the followers of The Dark responded with open hostility towards the Whites. Many were the White Priests who suddenly wound up with a chamber pot landing on his head or any other long list of indignities. Unfortunately this only served to anger the vain Whites. Things finally came to a head after the High Priest woke after a particularly derogatory speech about the non-human races and found that his chambers had been looted and graffiti carved into the walls. Now they were being hunted down and slaughtered everywhere, pockets of resistance had popped up in places but without the training of the Legions they didn't stand a chance. I turned my head away from the bloodbath below and shifted to face my captor, the chains binding my hands and feet together rattled along the floor as I looked into the marble face of my opposite.
"One day you will pay for this."
Lightbringer smiled down at me coldly. "And who's going to see to that?" he gestured to the ravaged world. "By the end of the week the entire world will be purified!" His eyes glowed with a fanatical gleam tinged with madness. The madness of a God is a terrible thing to behold. I tested the properties of the shackles binding me; they were fashioned from light and prevented me from affecting the world in any way, however, they did not prevent me from affecting things outside it. I smiled a bit as I released my will into the sky. However, that seemed to enrage Lightbringer more than anything I could possibly have done to him. He swung a backhand blow across my face throwing me to the floor, and then lifted my face to his.
"What's so funny worm," he snarled at me, his eyes wild, "does what's happening amuse you somehow!"
And I laughed in his face. If I could distract him for another eight minutes then I would have my vengeance. He proceeded to brutally beat me in return for my defiance, one punch drove the breath from my body, cutting my laughter off and another thundered into the side of my head. After a few minutes he drew up my face to his again.
"Not laughing now are you, you disgusting little piece of shit."
I felt a little blood trickle into my mouth where one of my teeth had punctured my inner cheek and smiled at him again, then spat a steaming gob of my acidic blood into his face.
Lightbringer shrieked as the acid burnt into his perfect face and dropped me to the floor so he could bat at his face with both hands. He rushed over to a bowl of water and splashed it over his face washing off the acid. Then he saw his face in the reflection of the remaining water. The scream this time caused the White Soldiers to falter in their attack, breaking their momentum and allowing my worshippers to escape, hiding and firing at the soldiers from the shadows.
Lightbringer turned towards me, intent clear in his maddened eyes, his previously perfect face marred by streaks of flesh that had melted like candle wax. I knew I was about to die so I couldn't resist one last jibe.
"Now you've got something to remember me by, every time you look in the mirror you'll be thinking of me."
He let out a scream of pure hatred and a sword of fire materialized in his hand as he charged towards me. I staggered to my feet, refusing to die huddled on the ground and stared straight up into the sky to watch the sun dim on the world people stopped everywhere to look up into the sky. Then the fiery sword crashed through my guts sending lances of agony through my body and pinning me to a marble pillar behind me, but I refused to give him the satisfaction of hearing me scream.
"What did you do!?" Lightbringer screamed into my face, flecks of foam dotting the corners of his mouth. The sky had begun to go black and stars were visible even though it was the middle of the day.
"You really should have been more careful old boy." I chuckled and then winced at the pain in my guts, "I leave you now with my legacy, eternal night, and a face like a melted candle, and I wish you all the joy of it." I seized hold of the swords handle and pulled it from my chest, then I sank to my knees and the world went black.