A Meeting With Death

His world swirled into darkness as he was killed in that field. The laughs of the henchmen could be heard around him fading away. He jolted awake standing in the twilight of the dunes. A line of ethereal people walked towards a distant place. Colors faded in favor of various shades of grey. He shouted for his family noticing they were not near him, while remembering the events leading up to this place. Some tall creatures in armor prodded him along the path in response. “Move along!” they barked at him. He continued walking. He began his walk. It seemed like hour or days. No one knew the time. The light if you could call it that stood still. It was only a semi luminescent source like the moon yet not in the sight for any being. Then he saw a being that towered over all the others. One of the guards walked up to it and began speaking. “Lord Utu, we will soon be having an influx of citizens from the east. A battle has broken out.” The being nodded at the guard. With this a flash appeared next to Utu. An old man on a floating discus made from some form of metal floated next to him. He stood about nine feet tall, but was not close to the size of Utu. In one hand, he held a staff with an ornate hourglass attached to it and on his other side a tome was chained to his belt. There was no reaction from Utu at first. They both stood there looking at the line passing before them. “What brings you to my realm, Chronos? Just passing some time?” Utu finished with a chuckle. Chronos looked over the crowd and his eyes landed upon the one traveling the line. “Yes, I just wanted to see the god of death myself.” He smirked unseen by Utu who had not laid his gaze upon Chronos yet. He continued, “Have you heard the rumors of the ones the light will be summoning? It will be many years still, but you will be seeing many from both sides.” Utu smiled at this and turned to face Chronos, “Good let those fools squabble. Light and dark….pffft…. They are no different from each other. Maybe that would be a good time for the other pantheons to take them both out.” Chronos looked at Utu’s face, “Do not even try. You know I cannot tell you the outcome.” Utu shrugs. A flash of light bursts in front of the one in the line and the person in front of him disappears. “Do you ever stop them from bringing people back?” Chronos inquired with sincerity. Utu laughs, “No, one way or another they all end up here eventually.” The one in the line notices that these flashes do appear occasionally in the distance. He sees people’s faces look hopeful then sadden for they know no one will bring them back. He just pushes forward at this. “Want me to predict the next one?” Chronos asks with a smile. Utu laughs and agrees. He knows that it would pointless to wager. Chronos looks directly at the man in the line. Points his staff as it seems to extend within inches from his face. The man is surprised. “That one!” Chronos exclaims as he laughs maniacally. Utu seems surprised knowing that the man’s entire family is dead. No sooner a burst of light filled the man in the lines eyes. He felt rain pouring down on him as he laid in a puddle in the field he was buried. An old face looks down upon him a hand outstretched replacing the previous staff. “Rise and get your vengeance.”

Picture from Until Dawn .