Vitae et Mors

Vitae et Mors is a short, fable-like story about two deities, Vitae, the being of Life, and Mors, the incarnation of death.

Vitae et Mors
When Life was created in the world, it was followed by Death. Without the other, neither could exist. These forces were so strong in the world, they personified into two eternal beings. Vitae, born from Life, took the form of a beautiful woman, with ivory skin and hair like light. Mors, born of Death, took the shape of a striking man. His skin was gray, and he was clothed in darkness. His eyes were empty, and his teeth jagged and threatening. He bore deadly claws, which killed nearly everything he touched.

Man saw Vitae as a goddess, and held her with great adoration. They held festivals in her name, and accepted her into their towns with joy and celebration. But Mors was an outcast. They saw him as a demon, a monster there to end their joy. They saw him as ugly, horrendous, and chased him from every home. They pushed him to loathe himself and the world.

Man believed that Vitae and Mors hated each other, that they were locked in an eternal war. At first, Vitae believed as they did, that Mors was created to destroy her beautiful creations. But Mors knew that without life, there is no death, and without death, life would be painful. He loved Vitae, not because of her beauty, but because she allowed him to exist.

One day, Vitae tried to kill Mors. But Mors refused to defend himself. He told her he would rather spend an eternity in pain than bring harm to her. Vitae realized that Mors loved her, and stopped her attack. She took Mors as her lover, and defended him from man.

But man thought Mors had corrupted Vitae. They locked the two away, as they couldn't kill them. But they refused to harm man and escape. So man took them deep beneath the earth and buried them in a tomb, where they remain forever, focusing not on man's foolishness and wrath, but on their love.