The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

Book I: War

The moons were low, not far above the horizon. The angle of the light hit the Proxi caused the trees to cast faint shadows onto the small lake. As a faint breeze they danced like spirits in the night, above them, though real spirits. The small dragon like serpents stirred in Proxi. Their silver, blue, or gold wings and bodies radiated an aura around the beautiful garden. The faint chime of their flight and the continual noise made that garden special to the Dominion and to Kyra. It was such a strange name for them. Ironic in true sense. It did not bother her much. When she was young she just had never thought about it. Kyra noticed the spirits were especially active lately. Sometimes they became aggressive toward creatures for unknown reasons. This might have caused alarm among them in the past, then they were too worried about Tanneth and their futures to realize what it could mean, which could be of a number of things. Still it did not disturb the Proxi that much, at least for her. This place was always special to her, too many Dominions. The name it self was special. The only place she could think off that carried even a synonym for Proxi, peace. They had become consumed by war, by conflict. The Master changed them so much. Even in death his power is nearly absolute. What drove him? Kyra closed her eyes while she sat on the railing to the memorial. Listening to the hum of the cherubs she thought of the times she had come there. With Tanneth, with Bashar, even her father. It had been when she was nearly an infant when he took her there once, but she still remembered. Few of the Dominion could recall memories of that age. It had so much meaning to her, and how her life came to occur after that. She kept her yes closed as a bluish cherub came and few about her. These spirits had a deep connection with them. They were the only other race that would befriend their kind. Maybe because they were just as ancient. It hovered in front of her and let a low whale. Kyra opened her eyes. She put her hand to the neck of the cherub. Another whale escaped it as it flew away. She let a small grin so for a brief second. The sweet serenity of the Proxi put almost all other places to same. It could be defined as paradise but no Dominion would ever live there. It was too precious.

Kyra hopped off the bar and stood over the garden. The cold breeze hit her like a refreshing sleep. She looked onto the lake. She remembered it fear and anxiety most of all. The intense worry and fear for another as you would for your own life. Kyra could see her dragging him along the edge of the pool. The cherubs flew round in dismay and almost as they feared it too. She laid him down on the side off the lake, trying to use the icy water to give some of its life to keep him alive for some more crucial moments. She could see the trail of blood the lead to that spot. She lent his near limp head against her breast as tears fell with dismay. Then see member his head falling back. His eyelids opened. She could saw the deep blue of his eyes that seemed to streak at times. She felt all her misery fall out of her as she saw those eyes. She looked up from the spot. Losing her self in a reverie she forgot of who she was to expect.

He walked up and stopped behind her. "Would a seraph greet their Praetor with proper respect?" The voice was stern and powerful. It commanded respect as it had done all her life. She turned and saw his face. It was young but then seemed as if it was worn out over time though it bore no wrinkles that a human would. The dominative symbols at the ends of his eyes to his ears sowed his rank. Praetor was he, one of four that served as the limbs of the Master. His right leg, his left leg, his left arm, his right arm. Kyra turned and bowed her head once.

"Praetor Osiris, Master of Crafts. I am at your command."

Osiris walked over to Kyra. His stare was fierce, always with anyone he dealt with. Even the other Praetors were met with his austere tone and piercing gaze. His eyes for Kyra gave light though as if a burden had been lifted off them. "For once there is peace for me."

A tear ran down Kyra's face as she, fell into his arms. She planted her head on his chest and felt safe and replaced. "It may be that we are in no better state, father."

"I know what has been occurring. My eyes are not blind just yet, Prescience is still at my will. Though Praetor Sincion's is much more potent."

"Why do you call him that?"

"Asriel is dead. Sincion was to be Master of Assassins."

"I fear he may be too inexperienced. That he might release something we had no idea was waiting."

"That Master had many secrets. Rest assured that I and Warlock know most. Now I am glad to able to call you daughter." Kyra walked back and starred at the pool again. "Sincion has become powerful a true, Praetor. He is a genius for discovering how the Master could be destroyed after all that time."

"Tanneth knows something. He wouldn't betray again not for false reasons. I know that," Kyra said.

Osiris stood next to her. "Maybe…This situation is delicate, rash actions by any side will be dangerous."

"If Tanneth tries to stop Sincion…"

She starred at the place of the reverie. It wasn't right. Why was it all falling apart?

"I have to find him."

"Find him. Ask him why what is happening. Help him. Do what must, Kyra. Tanneth and Sincion, both have exposure to things not even the Master could control."

"Father, will come down that one of us must die?"

The question was plain enough. Would another revolution have to come before the fall? "What is death to us?" The air seemed to cool as he spoke. What was death to the damned? Did it really make any difference in their lives? Unforgiven no matter what deeds they've done. "You'll have to over your fear. What ever means measures may need to be taken must be done quickly and without hesitation. Sincion and Argon will not be easily swayed to see Tanneth's argument. Perhaps when they are as desperate as you Kyra they will begin to contemplate your meaning. Find Tanneth, I will help as much as I can. You are correct one thing there is another party at work here. But I'll tell you this even I'm frightened of what that could mean." Kyra looked at him in question. She didn't know exactly what he meat by that. She had suspected there was something else in play of course. That could mean many things. Another rogue group of the Dominion. More of the lost ones returning from the scattering. A deep sigh came from Osiris. "Go to Warlock, he can get to where you need."

"What will happen?"

"Exactly what you think. Stop asking prescience questions and go."

She obeyed him. Even to his only daughter he displayed the ferocity of his will. The might that brought him through countless ages of war and which drove him t defy his master. Each Praetor displayed unusual traits. They were not normal by comparison to most Dominion. They even could be described as partially insane. For thousands of thousands of years the Praetors conquered and dominated by the will of the Master. Serving, in some cases the one whom they hated most. The most powerful of all of the Dominion and the weakest. Under the hand of the madman their strings where tightest of all. So close to him that they would never rest, never leave his horrific gaze, until their strength waned and souls were lost and broken. Osiris the Master of Crafts became Praetor fro false reasons. Those same false reasons which upon he made some of the most dangerous weapons that could be imagined on. All for the glory and false hope of war.


Skyler heard it. The sound of a bell in the distance was ominous. It the down tone echoing through her head. She felt as if she was being led. Like the will of another pulled her through not by force or words. The bell tolled again beckoning for her to come forward. She tried to move but she was too occupied by the thought. Am I dead? Her mind laid in a broken trance state, fixed on one sound and one thought. After some interminable moments she began to become tired. She felt like she was drifting into a deep peaceful sleep. The tolls of the bell seemed to fade away. All seemed to go away and not matter. Memory began to flash as burst of emotion in her. Then came back a memory of Tanneth. No! Not yet I must….A strong desperate and almost frightening urge to survive possessed her. She tried to wake but her eyes seemed like bags of sand. She began to fight squirming and thrashing as much as she could. What else could she do in that position? The tolls of the bell faded until they were nothing. At that moment her eyes flung open. She faced an endless black abyss of stars. As if she as in space floating in the vacuum. She felt as if had no control over her body as she sprung and flipped over. She looked around. She was headed for a bright ball of light. It was a star. A massive one. It glowed with a faint blue-white. The Skyler moved faster and faster toward the star. She didn't feel like she was being pulled but rather pushed. She sprung out of control trying to escape into the bright sphere. Her vision turned completely whit as she hit. She closed her eyes. She couldn't see anything because of the brightness. It slowly dimmed and she was once again falling through an abyss this time with some stars just pure darkness. A feeling of isolation and futility came upon her. What could she do to escape? She was powerless and fearful. Skyler continually starred at the darkness. It seemed like something was waiting just beyond it. Lurking, waiting for the chance to strike. She continued turned round and round expecting to see something horrific the next moment, but nothing appeared. She stood in solitude. Clearly alone, clearly not going to be harmed but still with the sense that she should let her self rest. Turning one she saw the end of it. The tall end of some creature flying around her it was. She looked again for the briefest of moments it was in her sight. It was like the winged creature the wounded her save for this was red and more malevolent looking. It took a long flight away then came back with its jaws open. Skyler fell back and covered her face with her arms. The creature past through her and sharp pain went into her shoulder.

Skyler let her eyes gently open. A white soft sheet lay stretched over her. She was lying on a hotel bed. Her arms wrapped around a small wolf cub. The other eight nuzzled themselves around her body as infants to their mother. She looked around the room to the window. A blanket of snow covered the sill. In the distance she could the large famous Ural Mountains. They seemed ominous as they reminded her of the unpleasant journey in the Himalayas. Beautiful snow flakes fell into the window and immediatly melted into water. Then she remembered. The winged silver creature and Tanneth wandering through the Siberian Plain. Panic swept her muscles. She immediately looked at her arm. Not eve a scare from the wound the missile had left pouring with blood in the dense trees. She out pressure on it, adjusting her grip to find any pain. There was none. In truth her arm felt more flexible and stronger than before the wound, but the memory of the pain was so fresh in her. She got up. The room was a small den with one bed. She found no trace of Tanneth sleeping on the floor. The thought, though extremely unlikely, always came to most women I guess. She quickly came to doubt it. He seemed to distance for that behavior. So much seemed to be on his shoulders already. Still, she saw no trace of Tanneth really having much time spent in that room. He must be out some where. Skyler turned toward s the bed and noticed something very strange. From there it looked like it was for some creature to around its neck. Closer she noticed it was shaped as it fit on the forearm of a humanoid creature. It was completely smooth almost flawless, save for a small engagement made in the center. It was a triangle enclosed by a circle. There was nothing impressive about the handiwork. Most human metalworkers centuries before then could make much more striking pieces of armor. She touched the center of the triangle and a faint blue light came form the engravement. She pulled her hand away and the lines went back to their original state. A fear had come over her. Like when a child first plays with fire. Her mind then grew stronger and she touched it again. The same blue came but nothing else. She picked up the piece trying to discover how it was, or what it was for. She placed this time tow fingers on the design. It radiated with a more potent blue. Again this time with her palm. It glow it gave made her eyes grow wide wonder. She kept her hand there. Almost lost in her discovery she barely hear the low hum that came from it. She pulled her hand away as it was truly fire she was plying with. She stepped back. Knowing what Tanneth can do on his own, if this was a weapon he used; it could have an effect too devastating to think of.

"So you're awake."

She turned to Tanneth. He had opened the door and moved halfway across the room without her hearing a sound with her keen hearing. Maybe she was too distracted. The small cubs flocked to his feet and greeted him, by sniffing his legs. Skyler starred at him with a mix of amazement and extreme surprise and fear. He walked over to her. She inhaled impulsively and stepped back. He stood very close to her and reached behind her back. He picked the bracer up. A seam went down I the sold metal and it opened. He clasped firmly on his left wrist. The seam faded as through I was never cut. Tanneth walked to the windows and starred out onto the mountains.

"Are you alright I wasn't sure how long you would be out."

"I'm…fine but had strange dreams." Tanneth turned from the window. "I was helplessly floating, and that thing we saw…more of them were flying around me. Tanneth nodded his head slowly and faced the window once again. "How did you heal me so quickly?"

"Humans have bodies that can adapt and heal rapidly. You needed little help from me the save you. I just used some medical tricks from an old friend."

"I don't even have a scare."

"You wouldn't if heal properly. Your wound wasn't that dangerous to you."

"Thanks, but why did I dream and tack so long to wake up," she looked around the room as she spoke?

Tanneth walked over to her, he pulled a small nearly transparent need-like object. "This bullet is naturally formed by a sort of energy reaction in simplest terms. The energy used to create this is not steady it is very reactive with other elements or energies. If your hit it will have some effect on you. I knew that, but I haven't heard of any cases of someone being hit till now. I was unsure how you, a hybrid, would react."

"Who are you calling hybrid?"

"You…" The phrase made little sense to him. "You do have human and some demon blood."

Skyler sighed deeply at Tanneth's response. "So the dreams were because of that thing?"

"Yes, keep it of you wish. I sometimes kept things that came close to killing me. Good luck, though I never really believed in it."

Skyler took the projectile and strung it onto a necklace. "How did you get me here so fast?"

"I used one of the human airships."

"An airplane, why."

"I wanted to move out of this plane as fast as I could. So I took an aircraft and modified it to suit my needs."

"You stole an airplane. That isn't the right way to keep a low profile."

They think the craft was blown to pieces. Trust me, I've done so many infiltration and retrieval missions much more difficult than stealing a human aircraft."

"I figure you above stealing."

"Remember why I'm here in Siberia, Skyler." She laid back on the bed and starred at the ceiling. A thought of here family danced through her head and what had happened a little more than a year earlier.

"Where are we going?"

"I don't know that's why I stopped. I'm unfamiliar which cities have the best areas to disappear. What will happen is that you will have to stay wherever we go, while I take care of our pursuers, one by one."

"The hunters become the hunted. That sounds familiar. But won't that attract more attention?"

"It will but our tracks will cover. Your lucky you name remains unknown to whoever's following me. If they do find us they will leave you alone. I could stop and let them find me, then deal with them, but I rather have some place to work out of."

"Necessity?"

"Preference," Tanneth eyed her as she spoke, "you're beginning to sound like someone I sued to know."

"Who…'

Tanneth didn't answer for a few seconds. He sat like as a memory came rushing from the back of his mind. "It doesn't matter."

Skyler could sense that was a lie, but she had no clue as to what he was referring to. "Well where do we go now?"

"Over the mountains and into a city in the eastern part of…Europe called Moscow. A trader told me it was large and populated. More importantly it is also cold. Snow always helps when you need cover from an enemy."

Yeah, but how will we under stand anyone there? I'm sure you and I don't speak Russian. We won't blend in that well."

Tanneth looked at her in puzzlement, as if he had never thought of this as a problem. "Languages I can…learn quickly. That won't be an issue. I'm taking so many risks that one minor risk shouldn't cause any overburdening of us."

"Still are you sure Moscow is a right choice? You said you didn't really know for sure."

"I can't be sure of anything. This is your world not mine." He exhaled deeply. "It's more than likely they will find me soon, and I may be taken. Don't try to help. They would show little remorse in killing you for what I have."

Skyler seemed almost exited. The thought was overwhelming for her wolf sense of play. She probably didn't know she was that anxious. Fighting always aroused a certain animal instinct in demons and humans even. The Dominion over ages bred it out of them and it was nothing by mere adrenaline when they fought in intense combat. The notion of war, controlled combat was too wrought within their systems. Tanneth was not ignorant to her anxiety to fight but he could never truly understand what drove some creatures to kill senselessly. We will be found soon. Argon has more strength than I have been giving credit for. She will not live lone against scouts or searchers. He was right. She needed much more conditioning if she were to have any hope of surviving an encounter with a hunter. He pressed o the metallic surface of his belt. The metal shifted and opened to reveal a small pendant. Tanneth removed it and handed it to her. It was dark red with a black spot that swirled around when she moved it.

"That is not a battle instrument. It is actually a medical tool designed to wake on of my kind when they slip into a cardiac arrest or coma. It is not lethal to us but it will give them a sufficient sting to faze them slightly. Press it."

Skyler did so. She expected a paining sting similar to the strike of a scorpion, but her finger only itched slightly.

"See, it won't hurt you or anything else for that matter. It is only calibrated for use on us."

"Cool, but couldn't you have more sue for it."

"I've never had the need to, and I plan not to. If I ever go into arrest, more than likely I will be too far off to save."

"God I wish I was still at home." Skyler folded the bands and placed the pendant in her pocket. From this point all seemed well to her. Tanneth had left little to chance even though he says he is taking great risks. She finally felt after a year of being chased by wolf hunters, a great purpose. The kind of epiphany when you finally see what was always there. She now had a future and one that looked more adventurous than any written in a novel or told or ages. Tanneth was real. The Dominion, his race was real. Something greater than every man or woman she had called heroes was or could ever be. No matter how humble a person's beginnings or how lazy and how lacking of ambition they are, there is always that want to rise above their peers be counted among the champions of history. She finally had a sense of direction of fulfillment. More than what religion or politics or even her demon powers had given her. She sat down on the bed and tended to her nine puppies as she smiled at the future for the first time in a year.

Tanneth starred out into the mountains. He eyes fixed and focused but he was not looking at anything in particular. E had this same sense right before Jean was killed. Starring into the horizon wondering where your enemy is. If he quieted his mind, echoes of Sincion's voice powers ran into his head. As if Sincion was speaking to him in the room. His mind went back to that day when all seemed to turn to everything her hated. Jean, Ambrose, and Amon, three good friends were lost to time and him. He could see their stunned faces in their last moments of what they called life. He remembered the anger and the need for revenge that grouped him toward his assigned enemy. The most primitive of emotions common to all other, lesser, beings still played in them. A great sadness not felt or ages came after him again. Childhood friends are closer than parents to most people. The vulnerability of childhood is preserved in that bond. When shattered all other things seem irrelevant. The most crucial issues suddenly don't matter to the person any more. Tanneth tried to block it from his mind. Thanks to his Dominion discipline he ad some success. But it always stayed there just below the stormy surface.

Author's Note (IMPORTANT) Any and all who have an idea for a character please send it in. Please also note that this hopefully will be the first of a four book set, so there is plenty of room for more.

Please review, believe it or not it helps me a lot.

I have recently added the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse to a new C2 community I have started. It any one is interested in becoming staff, state it via review and I will e-mail you.

Thanks for reading.