The+Destruction+of+Utaea

One would never expect a day to be the end of their lives. Death is roguish, in that way. It sneaks up on the unexpecting, and captures them with no warning. They are defenseless against it, once it sinks it’s teeth into the victim. Death is cruel in that one never knows it’s coming, but, death is also secure, in that it will come to collect everyone, at one point or another. It came upon Utaea on a day like any other. The people, who were recovering from the Marsh Wars, were visited first by demons. They came down like locusts, tearing through homes, stealing children away from their families, who could do nothing about it. The people had no warning, and could not fight back against the horrific beings. Babies were torn from mother’s arms, and crying children from behind their father’s. Not one child was spared and left on the world. Rich of poor, Scyllacha or Panolatti, not one was able to avoid the fate. All of those remaining were disturbed by this event. Some Panolatti thought the Scyllacha had planned this attack, and wished to rehash the war, while some Scyllacha thought the same of the Panolatti. Most, however, did not have time to think about what might have caused this, for there was far more destruction left to come. Within the waters of the rivers, and upon the solid land, volcanoes erupted, poisoning the air and water, and destroying both villages. Most under the waters could not escape, but those few who could fled onto land, only to discover a sickeningly similar setting Those remaining attempted to regroup, and banded together, still fighting to survive what this cruel world was throwing upon them. They held fast for two days and a nights, in which the people tried to scavenge food from the areas the lava had no touched, but all looked bleak. The people who had suffered through hunger and poverty were now being forced to endure the loss of children and family, and the hard task of surviving in their destroyed land. On the sunset of the second day, acid rain began to fall from the sky, scaring the people, forcing them to try and take cover. The flora and fauna suffered, withering, dying. The people were beginning to become desperate, praying that their suffering would end. They prayed to the gods that someone would come, and help them. But that help never came. It rained for the entirety of the third day, only stopping long into the night. The people were not given a chance to relax, however. A rumble in the earth awoke them on the fourth morning, and it suddenly became hard to breathe. The people, along with any other life, were suffocating. A limnic eruption had occurred from deep within the waters of Utaea, releasing carbon dioxide into the air. The trees that would have been there to protect them were either dead, or so damaged that they could do nothing. And with that, the rest of the suffering people were put of their misery. Some never awoke from their sleeps, and those who had awoken before the air had become toxic did not feel any pain. It simply...//ended//. And so, the story of Utaea came to a close. Death claimed its victims. Any who wanted to visit the land could not, for it was dangerous, the toxic substances still hanging in the air. The first who came paid for the discovery with their lives. The land was uninhabitable, and would be for quite some time. A question hung in the back of all who heard of the story though; Who could have done such a thing?