The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

Book I: War

Before their eyes in sudden view appear

The secrets of the hoarly deep, a dark

Illimitable ocean without bound,

Without dimension, where length, breadth, and highth,

And time and place are lost; where eldest Night

And Chaos, ancestors of Nature, hold

Eternal anarchy, amist the noise

Of endless wars, and by confusion stand.

John Milton, Paradise Lost: Book II

One foot after the other Tanneth walked. It was midday he knew, but it was too far north top see the sun high in the sky. The entire land around him was flat and frozen. An icy tundra of lifeless soil. In the open the wind blew faster than any horse or wolf that Argon had sent to follow him. It was what he'd hoped for. The visibility was no more than ten feet. The wind made sure his sent was carried far from there. He had the advantage now. Despite the poor light and the wind storm he knew precisely were to step. He had walked this road many times he knew how to handle himself in these situations. He had to, many times. It wasn't preferred though.

It grew colder as the day began to change to dusk. It did not bother him much despite that he was lightly dressed. Tanneth was conditioned by countless campaigns for this. He held his soldier from time. It stung a bit from the extreme temperature. The wound Sincion had given was not serious but deep enough to give him discomfort. He slipped his fingers bellow his shoulder plating and applied pressure to the side of the cut. The pain subsided briefly but as soon as he released it came back in a stronger sting. I can't let it slow me down. It was true while Argon would be thrown by the storm he would soon realize were to go. Tanneth guessed he had two days at most. More than triple the maximum time needed.

He took his hand from his shoulder and held the sack lashed to his belt. He had taken a great risk to take it. To steal something like this from anyone was insane but from Sincion it was madness. He regretted having to do it. He knew it would cause him some trouble, but there was no other way at that time. He leaving was not enough he told himself over and again before.

Argon had told him, "Sincion is going to spread it soon. He will need your help in that."

"Of course," he had said.

"Tanneth, I see your displeasure in this. Sincion may be wrong let. If he is I will help to convince him otherwise, but now he is right that it is our greatest leverage. We must support him now….perhaps later…."

"You fear him now Argon? You never use to…."

"Much has happened…true, but he is still Sincion!"

He is still Sincion, he repeated to himself. He thought back when Sincion and himself were "friend" in a loose sort. When they both fought the Master and him…. Maybe If I had waited…no it would have worsened. He hoped that was true. He held the sack tighter, feeling the sphere stone inside. The past had been rough for him and them. He began to wonder, if the worlds were beyond them now.

Deep in his thoughts he might have not heard the high pitched hum in the distance, but his experience kept from that. He stopped and listened. Sure enough he heard it once more. He drew his knife and began scanning the horizon. He could barely see anything. The wind had grown in strength. He heard it again, it was getting closer. He looked over his shoulder and made out a large bird flying toward him. He immediately relaxed. So he did hear me. It swooped quickly down in a dive passing feet away from him. It then stopped and hovered in front of him. It was not a bird. It had wings and a tail, but wasa featherless blue color like that of the surface of water. It shined bright even that far north. It eyes where of a lighter blue and on its chest was a gold amulet. It floated there beating its wings and spoke to Tanneth.

"I never wanted to see you out here."

"I have to avoid detection this place is perfect."

A sigh came from the creature and again it emitted a high pitched hum. "They are around two days away from you. I have never seen Argon send more hunters to find any one person. You must have done something drastic."

"You could say that." He unlashed the sack from his belt and removed the sphere stone and held up to the creature. "I stole this."

The bird-like creature beat it wings and leaned its shining head up the stone. "Do you have a death wish Tanneth? I hope you know what you're holding in your right hand."

"Don't mock me Tabr."

"What are going to do. This Sincion you are trying to elude."

"I know..."

"What do you have planned? Sincion will never give up on finding you. It seems you've made an enemy of Argon as well. They will find you soon."

"They won't. I will long gone before they suspect I'm here." Tabr flew over his head as Tanneth walked.

"You where never this reckless before...why are you taking such risks?"

"Do you not trust me anymore? I appreciate your concern but I can't handle myself."

"I know. Master Tanneth, I've you do incredible feats. Defy all the odds and conquer your enemies. "I don't want to see you brought down by something like this."

"I owe you much for what you did for me Tabr. Oh, and thanks for the cover."

"Were will you go?"

"Somewhere that Sincion can't hunt me." Tanneth began to walked faster toward the southwest.

"Where in all of Makai is this place?"

"It's not Makai." It was too obvious to Tabr now.

"The human world?! How…do.."

"I don't know. When I get there I'll lay low Sincion won't be able to find me easily there. At least not as easy as here." The cut began to ting again this time more force. Tanneth winced as he, again, applied pressure. Tabr studied this. He is wounded? By....

"Did Si…"

"Don't!" Tabr fell silent at once. Tanneth looked at him in pain this confirmed it. "I know what I'm doing okay? Just trust me on this. Forget about me when I leave."

Tabr hummed softly again in sorrow for his old ally. He hovered close to the ground with his head low. "Sincion might suspect me helping you. He could seek me out…"

"He won't." Tanneth spoke with a calm confidence. "He owes you just as much as I do. He will respect you. That is the only thing I can be sure of now."

"I wish you well Master Tanneth." Tabr accelerated upward with unbelievable speed. With a screech like that of a hawk flew towards the long sun. Tanneth looked a head of him. He was near to his destination. He truly did not know what to do after he got to the human world.

He's right. I waited to long for this. It could be my last mistake if I don't be cautious. A year I would think this plan suicide. With that thought he vanished into the blizzard.


A smile trailed across Yusuke's face as he bounced off the ground and hit the stadium wall. It was a hard hit. It sent him clear over the ring bouncing several times. It didn't hurt though. This thing was tough to be certain but he had fought harder. He pulled himself off the ground and back into the ring before the count was done. Those who had money on him cheered. The creature was large and bulky, covered with scales and horns. Its face was covered by a steal mask which it muttered some language through. I just have to find a way to get through that skin. He reminded himself of what Kurama had said before he left.

"The monster you will be fighting is only a little less strong than you. I have seen these grunts before. Their bodies negate much of any energy thrown against them, and also gives good armor. You'll have to get close and under some how," Kurama had said.

He was right too. Yusuke's spirit gun didn't do shit but cause the thing to sneeze, and the beast wasn't exactly a weakling either. Ok let's find a way around this. Its upper body is pretty much invulnerable, and my sprit attacks won't do any thing. Maybe…He gazed at the armor platting on his legs. It was the only part of it that was covered by any thing. He took a stance this time he would wait for it to come to him.

"It seems Yusuke is switching to defensive. I wonder what is it he has planned," an announcer called on a loud speaker. The grunt spoke again the lowered itself stretching his arms out. It made a low growl then charge with surprising speed for something its size with arms it lashed out to grab Yusuke's head. Swiftly Yusuke ducked and kicked the grunt in the back of his knee. He heard bones crack and the beast cried in to pain and fell to its knees. It screamed again and tried to punch Yusuke's head,but he caught it easily then made a gun with his right hand. "Maybe you'll like it more at point blank." A blue came from his finger and into the grunt's neck. The blinding flash of light went through the skin easily.

It ended. The grunt's body floated down on its back bleeding from where the head had been. The head flew fourteen to sixteen feet in the air then landed by Yusuke's feet. He a moan of disgust and kicked it away.

"Winner by death Yusuke Urameshi!" Mixed cheers came from the crowd and Yusuke walked off to his friends on the side of the ring.

"Good job…" Kurama greeted him. He sat down on the ground and sighed.

"I don't see why we have to do these matches. "It's just child's play for us." Kuwabara said.

"Well if we have this power we might as well use it," Yusuke said.

In the desert of the Sahara a hot wind swept across the sand. The dunes were all to seen by anything for a thousand and a half miles. It was truly a wasteland. The only life was a hawk flying over the dunes. It saw nothing to nourish it self on the ground. It kept flying east until something unusual happened.

A rumble shook the desert. The hawk began to panic at this unknown force. It let out its hunting cry as if trying to warn what ever it was to stay away. The rumble stopped the hawk was now curious to what it was. Perhaps prey to nourish its certain appetite. It scanned the dunes but saw nothing. On hand collapsed from the quake and the hawks sharp eyes saw a strange bulge in the sand. It circled watching closely as a fist burst out of the dune.

It shot high desperate for air. Another hand came out and then the figure was seen rising from the dunes. Frightened the hawk fled.

Tanneth couched and fell to the ground. What a way to get here. Buried under feet of sand! He looked at his surroundings and like the ice tundra he left an equally as barren a place he had arrived. "One desert into another." He looked east and saw the hawk flying toward the rising sun. My beast bet. He gathered his knife and satchel from the sand and walked east.

(Authors Note: IMPORTANT)! It is not very long but it will get better. I still need more characters if this is to fly. If you are interested in lending a character to this story please admit it by review.