Bringing Chaos

Oh the way it grows

Roarke took me to a rather nice shack. Yeah ok, it wasn’t the ritz but hey it was dry, warm, and had a kitchen. Which in turn meant food. Being the moron I am I skipped my boring breakfast seeing as one can only make eggs and bacon ( though I do love bacon) so many ways and over my many lifetimes I’ve had them all.

So I was hungry and I could feel the power stirring inside me. It felt like a hug from an old friend. Gone a while but always near. It felt good maybe better than s*x but it was hard to tell. Now you’re wondering what my power returning and being hungry have to do with each other right? Well, my power coming back used more energy than anything else, and the best way to get energy back other than taking it from another living thing is to eat. This is kind of the same basic thing but usually, the living thing you eat is already dead whereas stealing its energy can cause it to die.

I’m a lot of things not all of them nice but I don’t like I cause death and don’t pull vegan on me. I tried it for many lifetimes and let me tell you it’s hard and expensive.

So back to the story! We’re not here for my ramblings we’re here to tell a story.

Roarke set me down in the middle of the shack. ( it was indeed a funky old shack) The room had a large wood-burning stove in the corner and a good prep area next to it. Somehow I wondered if this world had indoor plumbing. But that was a problem soon forgotten. The vampire, cause let’s face it he was either vampire or a werewolf with teeth like that, smiled at me. “Hungry?” He asked and my stomach growled in response. He laughed and went about making a stew. Well, it was already on the stove but he added this and that to it. It smelled so good. But there was something else around that smelled too good too. Bergamot or Earl Grey tea-like smell that was rich, mixed with the smell of an old book. It was heavenly. I closed my eyes and let it wash over me.

My eyes snapped open. “Where am I?”I blurted out.

“The Mire.” The small voice was a small well-toned man of undetermined age. His eyes were faceted like stones of multicolor each bright and memorizing. I couldn’t help but stare. He cleared his throat and I quickly glanced away. “Here we are a small band tryin’ to save our Mire from the overlord.” I rolled my eyes.

An overlord? Really? How overdone but it’s not the world I was in and it had magic. That was all that mattered that there was magic. I could feel the itch of feathers in my skin. Soon my lovely wings would break free.

“So I’m supposed to overthrow the overlord and do what after?” I asked accepting a bowl of stew from Roarke with a nod of thanks.

“We hadn’t thought about that.” The multicolored-eyed man said.

“You have to have some idea of what sort of government you want after the Overlord,” I said spooning the warm stew into my mouth. Gods this was good.

“We kinda figured we take it one step at a time.” He of the many-colored eyes said.

“Good idea. Uh, what’s your name?” I asked.

“Rory.” He said. Good to know. Roarke and Rory. What a pair I thought as I sat in one of the chairs around the room. “You think you can save us?”

I smiled. “I don’t know but I’ll try and all I ask is you don’t send me back.”

Rory gave me a quizzical look. “You don’t want to go home? All them others sure did.”

“Home is not where I belong.” I took a spoonful of the stew again. I didn’t know what the meat was but I didn’t ask either some things are better left unknown but it tasted like beef so I just assumed and let it go. “Good stew Roarke.” He grunted in my direction. I notice that he doesn’t take a bowl for himself but Rory goes back for seconds. I wonder what their deal is but I keep it to myself. I honestly don’t care.

Roarke glances, no the big bastard stares right at me. “Can I help you?” I ask pointing the spoon at him. “I know I’m good-looking but it’s still rude to stare.” He smiles at me flashing those pointy teeth again. I think I have him pegged as a vampire and I’m guessing Rory is his good food. Maybe that’s why he doesn’t bark at Rory taking another bowl.

“Always wondered what sort of person we’d get. I never thought the savior of the Mire would be a squishy thing like you.” Roarke says still staring holes in my head.

“Looks can be misleading.” I shoot back. I’m not human, I’ve known that for all of my lifetimes but now I’m starting to feel it. The magic of this world is working on me and in me. I can’t wait to be free of this mortal shell with its too full body and painful joints. I’m not ugly by any means in this body. I’m plump and I’m ok with that. My eyes are hazel green or sometimes when I’ve caught a little bit of magic they change to the green and gold that I used to have before the splitting. My hair is a dark brown and I don’t mind it even if I do bleach it to dye it all colors of the rainbow. It gives me a little pleasure to see pearl-clutching old women stare and gawk at me cause of it. I do however miss what I know is who or what I really am. I’m supposed to be this winged goddess with flaming hair and mismatched eyes and my skin is sun-kissed. It’s like if you gained weight after high school and wished to be that person again but no matter how hard you try you just can’t seem to fit comfortably back into your prom dress. You know what you had and you know what you were and it’s hard sometimes to remember what was. So you push it down and try to be the healthiest you. you can be even if you're a little heavier or fuller than you were as a nearly grown child. We all grown and give up on some things, sadly that’s life, and if any of us had the chance to be the best versions of ourselves, let’s face it we’d all take it no matter what the cost. The cost for me might be another war. But that’s something future me can deal with.

“So this world needs me to overthrow the Overlord?” I say setting the bowl aside. I cross my ankles and look at Roarke, who nods. “And let me guess here in The Mire there are vampires werewolves and other darker nastiest out there that want to stop me?” Again Roarke nods though his eyes are wide like I just guessed something I shouldn’t have. “And this Lord lives in some highly defended castle or keep and IF I know my Earth lore is probably the strongest vampire or werewolf around right?”

“How the f**k does she know all that?!” Rory asked shocked.

“She guessed. Our world is the basis for myths in hers, So she must have read it somewhere.” Roarke replies still looking at me.

“So what I’m a bookworm?” I ask flipping my hair. It was already longer than when I first arrived here. “Besides the trope is so overdone. I’ve read my fair share of books where the Mary Sue hero has to overthrow the BBG and save the world. Usually tho the Mary Sue is just that a normal human who learns that the power of friendship is magic or that they had it in them all along.” I sit back in the old armchair I claimed. “It makes for a good read and the lesson of you have the power inside you is a good one and people like it.”

Roarke laughed long and deep rattling the shack. “If he doesn’t take her from a bride he might just meet his end!” He slapped his knee. “All kidding aside you’re something else, Savior. I can feel the magic around you getting sucked up, like a new vampire getting their first kill.” He keeps my eyes with his for a moment. “It may be a good thing. You’ll need all the help you can get.”

Yeah, right some overpowered vamp has no chance against me when I’m at my full power and I have no idea how long it will take to get to full power. That may mean I need to fight like a girl and one that’s out of shape too. I sigh this might not be the great break I was hoping for.

“Let’s rest here tonight and at first light, we’ll head to my stronghold. It will be safer there and you can learn how to fight, Savior.” Roarke says.

“My name is Metia,” I comment. The large man rolls his eyes and shrugs.

“Never bothered learning the others names cause they didn’t survive. Kill that rat bastard and I’ll bother to remember yours.”

Alright he’s an ass but he’s got a point and he said I’m not the first. Great now I have a legacy to tear down. I yawn and stretch. Roarke shuffles off and comes back with blankets. Thick ones that look like they could keep a body very warm. He hands one to me and I take the offering. “We sleep in here on the floor. It’s safer that way.” I shrug. Not the first time I slept on the floor won’t be the last. So after putting another log in the stove we all settle in for some sleep.

I feel my eyes getting heavy as howl rings across the forest.