An End of Gods & Dust: ACT I
A Vocal Original Fantasy Series by Amanda Starks
Together, they were the dust and the storm and the wind and the waves.
The gods were a pair - particles in a vast sea of mire and endless potential. Here, they were more than just divine. They were a place, a state of being; the space that existed before time.
Through them came reality, matter - existence. All the skies and all the earth was theirs to mold.
Together, they were everything and nothing.
They encompassed this existence without suffocating it, and yet the breaths of mortals were limited, for behind their cosmic bearing lay the chaos of all creation.
And creation, like all else, was a balance; a dance with a beginning and an end.
Their dance was the swirl of galaxies, the clash of celestial bodies, the pull of the tides, and the quaking of the earth. Together they were one magnificent symbiotic system that kept everything moving, changing, and thriving.
Together, annihilation was a chance to start again.
But then, the dance was torn asunder. All logic, order, and rhythm was disrupted - ceasing to exist.
Together, no more.
Within that sudden emptiness, the surviving god raged and grasped the infinite void that could consume all that they had created. Within her heart she cradled the finality of the universe that could sweep over the endless oceans and towering peaks, spawning unspeakable horrors to ravish the land.
All that was once there's’ - meaningless.
Now, without a partner with which to annihilate, to create, to dance with - every mortal became aware that to grow beyond the natural boundaries, to test this god’s will and her mercy…was to call down the end of worlds.
But maybe it was for the best to wipe the slate clean.
____ . . . _____
Welcome to An End of Gods & Dust!
Act I serves as a prologue to the series. Future acts will stick to a typical storytelling structure with some fun surprises. (:
ACT II
New here? Check out these pieces below!
About the Creator
Amanda Starks
Fantasy writer, poet, and hopefully soon-to-be novelist who wants to create safe spaces to talk about mental health. Subscribe to my free newsletter at www.amandastarks.com for updates!
RE:SURGENCE now available for download!
Keep reading
More stories from Amanda Starks and writers in Chapters and other communities.
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Comments (4)
I love how poetic this is. It makes me want to read more. It’s quite a bit unconventional on its own, but I can definitely see it as a prologue to something bigger. Great job!
I will always appreciate your use of custom graphics to create cohesion of brand and theme. Great way to give readers on your profile a clear visual indicator that each of these pieces is part of a series, especially when other articles might be mixed in between. Also, like the use of two gods and the absence of one being what (presumably) sets the events of the rest of the story into being. We have enough monotheism in the world as is. Having the universe's creation tied to polytheism is refreshing on its own.
Oooh, this sounds really good! Love all the world-building here!
Just dropping in from your poem "DoN't ToUch mE" where you asked for any thoughts we might have on this. As I was reading this brief prologue, I sensed the epic grandeur of Genesis 1, John 1, Gilgamesh & every other creation story mixed in with the Big Bang Theory & finally Revelation, posing for us the question: Should we simply continue with what we have left, wipe the slate clean & begin again, or simply be done? For me, that's a compelling reason to read or watch & listen on to see how I would answer, how you would answer, & on what answer if any the story settles. The other question left dangling in such a tantalizing way is: who/what/where/how/why are these two gods & what is it that has been lost? How are we to describe the ineffable & how will you proceed to describe these things knowing that you ultimately cannot but will still try to do? What will you have us discovering in the pages that follow & what questions will remain for us to continue pondering. All of this suggests to me that you have the beginning of something that isn't simply to be read & then placed on a shelf, but rather to be pondered & discussed, continuing to push us beyond the boundaries of what we know not only within the pages (ever deepening understandings) but outside of them as well. The language & imagery you use is lofty & inspiring, lifting our hearts & minds into something unknown & transcendent yet eagerly anticipated. Whether what follows lives up to such potential, of course, remains to be seen. You have set before yourself a dream worthy of Don Quixote himself, seemingly impossible yet perpetually deemed worthy of the pursuit. I would say without reserve that you certainly have an opening filled with wondrous potential. I eagerly await what you bring to us next.