Author's notes: This is my first fanfic that i am making public, so let me know what you think. Also, be nice.

Since the dawn of time, the armies of Heaven and Hell have waged an endless war. Drawn to the conflict was the Charred Council, an entity bound by ancient laws to preserve order and balance. It held that any great power, unchecked, threatened the very fabric of the universe.

Amid the turmoil, the first humans emerged. The Council foretold a prophecy in which four of these creatures would be chosen to become their greatest warriors - a fearsome brotherhood known as the Four Horsemen. Thus a third kingdom was named - the Kingdom of Man.

By order of the Council, a truce was forged between Heaven and Hell. The great pact was bound by Seven Seals, to be broken at the appointed time - when Man's kingdom stood ready for the Endwar - a battle that would bring balance, and determine the ultimate fate of the three kingdoms...

The Council watched the Third Kingdom as the humans rushed through their busy lives, unaware of the Council's existence. The three stone heads' eyes blazed as they observed the chaos of humans.

"The Law is clear!" the middle head roared. "When the Seventh Seal is broken, Four Horsemen shall ride fourth to punish the wicked!"

"The War draws near!" the left head declared. "Yet the Horsemen have not been chosen!"

"The Horsemen should have been chosen years ago!"

"That is why we shall choose!" the right head bellowed.

Four stones floated in front of the Council. Each had a rotating outer ring with runes around it. In the middle was a horse's head carved into it.

"This is not within our power!" The left head sighed. "We cannot change destiny"

The middle head looked at the stones as they hurtled down to earth like comets. "Perhaps this is destiny!"

50 years later….

Friday, June 13th, 2014

The final bell rang, signaling the last day before Summer Vacation, the day very kid looks forward to. Every kid in their classes got up to leave. The halls filled with teenagers who had no work to do for a long time.

"Summer Vacation! Just what I need!" a blonde haired boy sang. "Finally out of this Hell-hole!"

The boy's name was Samuel Steel, or just "Sam" to everyone else. He was a pale, short, undersized boy with a round face and dimples. He was naïve, shy, and somewhat of a geek to others. He got sarcastic when angry or afraid, and it often got him into trouble.

Sam burst through the front doors of the school and began to walk home. Summer had indeed come. The sun shone brightly, there wasn't a cloud in the sky, and the sweet smells of summer greeted his nose.

But Sam had other priorities. His grandfather, Lawrence Steel, used to be an archeologist and had left Sam a particular item. It was a round stone with an outer ring that rotated. The ring had mysterious runes on it, and the middle stone had a mark that looked like a horse's head. Or a sword's blade, Sam wasn't sure.

Sam planned on taking it to the local cemetery, where he saw similar markings in a crypt. He had gotten in a lot of trouble for going there last winter, but now Sam was determined to find out what was going on with the relic.

Sam was snapped out of his thoughts when a strong hand pulled him off of the sidewalk, and against the metal fence. He looked into the angry eyes of his attacker. It was a boy named Xavier, Sam wasn't sure of his last name, and his gang.

Ah Hell! Sam thought. He looks pissed.

"Hey there Sam the Sicko!" Xavier grinned.

Sam the Sicko was the nickname he had given Sam on the first day of school.

"What do you want?" Sam tried to sound tough.

"Who said you could hug my girlfriend like that?"

Oh here we go! Sam mentally groaned. "We're just friends! And lab partners!"

"Don't think I don't see you staring at her tits when she's not looking!" Xavier snarled. "I know you want her! But she wouldn't date a loser if her life depended on it!"

"Well she's dating you, and who's a bigger loser than that?" Sam quipped.

"Oooooh!" Xavier's friend Todd howled. "Burn!"

Xavier shoved his friend and stared daggers at Sam.

"Too much?" Sam smiled nervously.

Sam knew that Xavier and his cronies were about to beat the shit out of him, so he reacted to his first instinct. He kicked Xavier in the stomach, and while the boy was down he ran. He knew where he had to go, right to his father's work. So off he ran towards town.

Meanwhile he could hear the angry shouts and cussing behind him. Sam jumped over a wall and landed smoothly.

"I'm getting good at parkour!" Sam panted.

Sam may have been short, but he was an exceptionally fast runner. He was already way ahead of the angry teenagers behind him, and had the advantage of parkour.

Sam rolled a nearby shopping cart backwards, which made contact with the gang behind him.

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Xavier called after Sam.

"Don't think so!" Sam panted.

Finally Sam made it to "Oregon Grill", where his father worked as a food server. He rushed inside so fast you'd think the Hounds of Hades were after him.

"Yeah go hide behind Mr. Waiter for a Dad!" Xavier taunted as Sam ran inside.

The employees knew Sam well, so he could come and go as he pleased. Sam walked around to the kitchen and spotted his father.

"Dad! Could you give me a ride home?" Sam asked.

"Why did you come all the way here?" Mr. Steel asked. "It would have been faster to just walk home."

"Well I kind of ran into a situation out there,"

Sam jerked his thumb towards the window to the gang waiting outside for him.

"Those guys again?" Mr. Steel groaned. "How can you let them do this to you?"

"How can I stop them?" Sam protested. "Anyway can you drive me?"

"Sorry Bud," Mr. Steel sighed. "I've got two more shifts to work."

"But this time they want to murder me!"

Mr. Steel pointed out the window. "Look, they're not even there anymore."

"Okay, bye Dad," Sam walked toward the door. "Love you."

"Love you too."

Sam stepped out into the parking lot and turned to go home. But before he could make it to the sidewalk, Xavier and his cronies jumped him and resumed to give him the worst beating of his life.

Xavier punched Sam in the jaw, and then kicked him in the groin. The gang then proceeded to repeatedly punch, kick, and violate him. When it was over, they took his wallet and left.

Sam stumbled to his feet, spat the blood out of his mouth, and screamed at them "FUCK YOU!" All this got him was a rock thrown at his forehead which knocked him down again. Sam then got up, and continued to walk home.