Then I looked and behold a pale horse. Sitting upon it was the rider named-
.
Memories shot through Blake's mind quick as lightning. Their helicopter crashing, Marta chasing him, Knoth's voice over the radio, light of the full moon, Val taking Lynn away. White flashes brought him to the school. A pounding pain in his head paired by a sharp ringing cracked the vision. Another wave of flashes shot by of Val lit up by her torch, Marta dying by a pole, Lynn's last dying breath, the child bundled in his arms. Blake felt an unfamiliar rage stir inside of him. It's not fair. Bodies filled the streets after a mass suicide. It's not fair. Knoths death, far too quick for what he'd done. It's not fair. The sun engulfed by an eternal flame and ... Jess? Sitting with her to pray before their final moments. Refusing to let each other go. No, this can't be it. A nagging feeling told him something was wrong. He looked up from his prayers to meet Jess eye to eye, pulling his hands away from hers, to whisper. "I shouldn't be here." Heart pounding that she'd hate him for the rejection, or worse she'd cry and beg asking why.
She gave a soft, reassuring, smile. Head dipping in agreement. "you're not." On those last words, he no longer was, thrown into a suffocating black beneath him.
"Blake." A voice pulled him from the depths. "Blake! ... Blake!"
His eyes were open, but it took a moment to focus away the darkness. Lifting his head he was confused about what had happened. He was laying face down in the dirt when he lifted himself up. Something warm dripped off his face to stain the dirt beneath him. Rumbles of the earth threatened to knock him back down if it weren't for who was helping him up.
"Blake, thank God! I thought you were dead!"
"What?" Struggling on his feet he concentrated on who was at his side. "… Lynn?" His heart suffocated under the flood of emotion. "You're not- what happened?" Tears stung his eyes as he pulled her into a hug. "I-I thought- I saw-" He didn't believe she was really there until he felt her pounding heart still full of life.
She returned his hug, sniffling from crying herself. "A fucking rock fell on you're head! I thought you were dead."
His hand felt around a throbbing pain atop his skull. Brought down to see his fresh blood coating it. There was no time to worry when Lynn cried out in pain. A rumble from the surrounding heretic mines threatened to bring it all down. What flashing nightmares he had a moment ago were soon forgotten for the present. Remembering his goal to get out of the mines.
Blake hurried from the maw of that open cave after saving Lynn. Between the falling rocks, Knoth's men and the heretics killing each other he didn't think they'd make it out. Looking toward the lowering moon with the morning having yet to come. Thunder and lightning flashed across the sky as a storm thrashed the branches of towering trees. Was this it? The end? Couldn't something stop all of this? Blake had to shove these thoughts away. After all he'd been through he had to make sure Lynn, and his soon to be child, were safe.
His heart leapt into his throat at every agonizing contraction Lynn suffered. "Something's wrong. It hurts." She warned through the pain.
Wishing he could help in some way his comforting words felt like a band aid that wouldn't stick. One stumble ended their journey from reaching any sanctuary. Stuck in the middle of a dark forest up on the mountain.
Lynn couldn't move, he knew it and was fully ready to help her through the process out in the open. "Hey, it's okay. I'm here, I'm not leaving." holding her hand that painfully gripped his. Surrounded by darkness that not even the moon could cut through. Towering pines made sure of that. Then came the last thing he ever wanted to see. His wishes for the warmth of a fire no longer wanted. Shifting torches lighting them up belonging to a group of Knoth's men come to finish the job.
"There they are! Grab her!" One shouted.
Blake didn't have the chance to react when they were yanked apart again. "No! Let her go!" He cried. "It's just a baby! There is no Antichrist! He lied!" He shouted between thrashes to escape their grips. A few punches to his face left him barely conscious in the mud. Blurred vision slow to focus on what was in front of him. Then he saw it, the first blow of a knife. He saw Lynn letting out a scream, but he heard nothing. Then another blow followed by chops until they could rip her apart. All the while he saw their smiling faces laughing. Waving pieces of her in the air like a sports souvenir just caught in the stands. What he saw all blurred together after that. Sensations around him, including the pain he felt, were gone. His body stayed behind, but his soul went off elsewhere. Watching more of his wife ripped apart to decorate the rocks. Organs strung across tree branches. When they finally figured her dead enough, half left while the remaining moved toward Blake next.
Soul slamming back into his body for an emergency panic. Thrashing around as a desperate wild animal about to be killed. All the slashes he got from accidentally slamming into their knives went ignored. Crashing back into the ground he knocked down the ones holding him. Ripping free of their grip to blindly flee into the dark forest. He ran and ran, until he was alone. Sure he had blacked out at one point in his panic. When his mind caught up with the rest of him it couldn't cope. It demanded he head back, Lynn was alive, he didn't fail. What he saw though couldn't be denied. Their disgusting hands reached into her sliced stomach to rip out her organs. Or the thwack of a machete to take her arm. Their laughing faces cheering each other over her brutal death.
No! He shouted in his mind then repeated aloud. "No!" He dropped to his knees as tears poured uncontrollably from his eyes. "No!" He repeated with a slam of his fist into the dirt. "S-she's gotta be- not like Jessica No, no! I have to go back, they grabbed her- she's not- she's not-" sobbing further toward the ground. Everything in him left to leave behind a hollow shell in its place. Slamming his fists repeatedly into the ground. When his eyes dried something else replaced the agony. "Why?" He cried to the sky. "Why?!" He said through grit teeth. "Why?!" Roaring up at the heavens. "They didn't deserve-'' Attention locked onto lights of a town off in the distance, Temple Gate It was him! He caused everything! His entire journey since the crash flashed before his eyes. When he first saw that vile priest Knoth. his orders to have them both killed. Lynn taken away by val. Chased through town by Marta Chased through another part by laird and nick. Through the cave of heretics only to fail because of him and the men he sent. Unlike Lynn that bastard was still alive and happy. He imagined the evil priest's voice laughing with glee upon hearing the news. He didn't deserve the peace of mind that he won. After everything, Blake couldn't allow that.
Something shot into his hollow heart. His shivering sobbing body stopped it all to turn still. He had a new goal and this time he wouldn't fail. He stood up to walk between the trees directly toward Temple Gate while his pounding heart pulsed in his head. The surrounding night turned everything red to him. hours of travel melted away to be more of a brief passing. The priest's voice announcing over the radios fueled the fire raging inside. His blood felt it would boil his own skin off.
"Gather at the grand hall. For we celebrate tonight after having defeated the arch fiend my children! Val tried and failed with his heretics to help birth evil, but they too have fallen with their master! The lord prevails! We prevail! Celebrate with drink and food! Thank the lord for guidin' us true! The apocalypse will not be coming upon this day and we are finally free of our sufferin'."
When the radios went quiet it did not calm the man approaching the large building sitting atop a hill. Striding up behind the wall of a crowd watching that demon of a priest praise his flock. Marta standing tall, as always, beside him on the stoop of a grand building. A bonfire set in the middle of them all with Knoth standing closest. His words distorted in Blake's mind, focusing back only when he saw Lynn's head in his hands. Blake's steps halted at the sight of her head raised high.
"And here is the proof my children! Good riddance to the whore of Satan!" Knoth's words rang clear before he tossed her head into the fire. His gathered crowd cheered wildly as any rabid fan would.
All but one whose stare would kill if it could. His body moving on its own through the cheering crowd, who stopped upon seeing the devil himself parting them. Blake's furious voice echoed back to him. "Knoth!"
"Oh, still here after your failure outsider?" Knoth chuckled. "Do you see now, O devil, that only the lord reigns here! As we stay on this earth, we will continue to be his most faith-"
"Shut up!" Blake commanded. He was so tired of hearing everyone insult him. Calling Lynn nothing but Satan whore. Calling him an outsider whatever else. Out of spite he gave himself an opposite title. "I'm an angel sent down from the lord himself, for you." Despite the roaring fury in his voice it only made Knoth laugh.
"What a fool! Accept your defeat and go back to the pits of hell." He spat back. "Come my children, let us gather inside for celebration." His voice joyfully announced to the crowd. Turning shortly to Marta at his side. "Tie up this loose end my dear." Gesturing her to go as the crowd entered.
Now it was only her and Blake standing before the glowing flames of the fire. Blustering winds having died down, but not the storm shooting lightning across the sky. Each flash having Blake twitch in expecting the flash of white to stay. Blake stared up at the towering women dressed in all ragged black robes. Someone he was once so terrified of could no longer freeze his burning heart. "Marta," Voice as soft spoken as death, he commanded. "get out of my way."
She threatened with a raise of that mighty black pickaxe of hers. "You'll die the same way that devil's whore did." Slamming it down to barely miss Blake who leapt away.
Unlike the other times, he wasn't going to run. He had to get inside that building, right now. Dodging another blow from Marta slamming her pick. Rocketing loose chunks of dirt up into the air. Blake knew he couldn't fulfill his goal with Marta chasing him. He had to get rid of her somehow. In this moment it seemed only one could help him with that.
"God wants your blood!" Another swipe of the pick almost slamming into Blake's head.
Close enough he heard the weapon cut the air. What use is it? Where's God been this entire time? They didn't help Lynn or Jess. Dodging more and more, weighing down on his broken body.
"Take your penance!"
"Why'd they have to die Marta?!"
"They all must die for their sins. Heretics against God and his prophet will fall."
"They didn't have to! Don't you see that somethings wrong?! Knoth's brought suffering on every living thing around him."
"He is the lord's most precious prophet. Who leads us from evil."
"What's more evil than what he's done? What God asks for children to be slain?"
"Be silent, wretch. They had to fall as soldiers to prevent the archfiends arrival. All faithful will obey the Lord's command."
"Did they? God couldn't have done something? God couldn't have stopped it and saved those kids? Is Knoth saying that the devil is stronger than the lord? Is God not that powerful?" His words had her hesitate, glare softening for a mere moment.
Hardening right back followed by a reaffirming verse. "Lord, restore strength to my body so that I may serve you now and forever. Knoth follows the lord's command as do I. Take your penance!" She furiously struck again.
Blake couldn't keep it up anymore. His lungs tightening on the lack of air. Left standing steadfast when Marta approached closer for one rising hit. Out of desperation he asked for a single favor. God, let me last long enough to kill Knoth. I don't care if I die, just give me enough strength to do it. He waited, watching the risen weapon for its strike. He felt he was not to move, but would know when he should.
A verse spoken in hate by her risen blade. "In the shadow of your wings. Protect us and bear us up." Swinging down. Within the time it cut the air he took a single step forward. Blade having barely missed his body with its handle slamming painfully atop his shoulder. Knocked down to one knee. Both were stunned still at what he'd done. Without giving her a chance to recover he gripped the handle tightly. Using his whole body he shoved back toward the blade. Marta's fierce weapon slipped free from her grasp in an instant.
Heaving that hefty metal pick he rose to his feet in a strong swing. Delivering a harsh blow to Marta's legs. Falling the tall women with a hear-able snap. He caught his breath after the shock of it all wore off. It felt like it was in slow motion, but it all happened within seconds. Marta herself was still getting over what happened that she tried to mistakenly rise. Shouting out in pain when one of her legs collapsed under her. He could have finished her, but she wasn't the one he wanted. A mere obstacle and now that she wasn't getting up he stepped forward toward his true goal. Marta's cursing voice toward him drowned out by the thunder above. He stepped into the dark building he saw everyone else go into. Knoth's preaching voice muffled long down the black hall. Most of Blake's guiding light provided by Marta's still burning incense locked into the picks top.
When he reached the end of the hall he saw Knoth standing on a stage the door led onto. His precious flock seated at the many tables further away. Uncaring about their presence, Blake stepped through with a dip down of the tall weapon. Its glowing top noting everyone inside of his arrival, or perhaps mistaken for someone else's.
"Ah, my dear Marta Another sinner has fallen to your righteous wrath, I assume?" Knoth warmly greeted. A flash of lightning revealed who it truly was before him. Knoth's smiling expression fell off his face. "... Where's Marta?"
"She fell, Knoth." Blake informed as he stepped closer. "And she's not getting back up." What spark of fear he saw in Knoth's eyes livened Blake's own spirit.
Knoth looked to all those seated, commanding the room to. "Get up and grab him!"
Blake glanced at the angry mob running at him. Looking back at hearing a door shut in front, he saw Knoth gone from his sight, but it wouldn't stay that way. Blake fled for the end of the stage using his new weapon to smash the door down with a single blow. Hesitating at the sight of a hall with many doors. A flash of lightning lit up the hall showed light muddy tracks. Angry that the coward ran he bolted down the hall in tracking the trail. Ignoring the angry mob following along with his burning lungs. Refusing to drop the solid weapon slowing him now. He'd need it to finish Knoth at the end of the line.
Eventually he saw that fat priest wheezing, just like he was, as he fled for his life. Losing sight momentarily when a door was slammed in his face. He bashed it down like the other to shove himself through. Stopped by a line of crazy followers while he saw Knoth escaping outside through a pair of double doors. Blake gripped his weapon in readying to fight past. Another flash of lightning letting him see a better way. A window, he rushed to smash through with little care about how badly it sliced him. Fighting through an entanglement of ragged curtains upon landing. Shredding chunks off as he looked for Knoth. Locking onto his fat figure fleeing between townhouses. Taking a deep breath Blake rose back into his chase. Rushed when he heard Knoth calling for more followers to save him. He didn't want to deal with more insane cultists.
To Knoth's great horror, anybody who stepped out immediately fled back in. "Marta!" "It's Marta!" "She's coming!" At the sight of Marta's red glowing pick approaching. They weren't willing to chance her wrath while Knoth was calling for help no matter the reason.
"Come out you idiots! It's not her! It's a trick of the devil! Don't you hear me?!" He shouted, but couldn't stay a moment longer as Blake came too close. Chased all the way to a large church building with its own bell tower. The great prophet blocked the double doors in vain when he saw the massive blade bash right though. Weakening with every hit, Knoth panicked and grabbed a nearby burning lamp. Smashing it to start a fire in front of the door. Assuming that would hold Blake back, but even that couldn't. Blake smashed his way through the burning doors. Stopping to rip more of the, now burning, curtains free from his body. Glaring at Knoth the entire time he fled toward and up the bell tower staircase.
Annoyed he'd have to follow him up, but Blake knew the chase would soon end. Free of the fire he chased up the winding metal staircase. Fighting on passing out after everything. Lugging the huge weapon up the steps coming to a halt all because of a single door. He wheezed as he raised the weapon to bash it down. When the pick slammed into it, it weakly chipped a piece away. Blake lacked the strength to swing as strongly as he did the other times. Trying again, but with his foot to bash the door. Struggling now to stay up on his feet. Head spinning from lack of air he leaned against the door.
Knoth on the other side atop the roof laughed as he caught his breath. Watching the door be hit repeatedly without a hint of damage. Looking out to a gathered crowd below he scolded them all. "Look what you've done. We ended the birth of the Antichrist, but now the devil himself skulks our town! Hunting one of God's prophets with the fury of hell, but see that I have bested him. As the lord does, I forgive you all, as you are only human." His voice went quiet as he saw Marta arrive at the edge of the crowd. Limping on a broken ankle to the front. "Marta! How could you have let this happen?!" Turning his wrath upon her. "You let that rotten sinner take your holy blade. Stupid women! But what did I expect? I'll give you a chance to make this right. For all of you to make this right. Firstly, get me down from this cursed building!"
Blake could hear Knoth's commands from inside. So close yet so far. Tears threatening to fall from his face. I failed. He wheezed and sobbed then glared at the door. Slamming his fist against it repeatedly until his knuckles were split. No! His thoughts roared at him to reach Knoth and he had to hurry. The longer he stood around the closer Knoth came to being saved or for Blake himself to be killed by an angry mob. Flying down the stairs he was stopped by the fire raging at its bottom. Forced to go back up and onto the ceiling rafters he looked down at the massive growing fire engulfing the whole floor below. Head whipping around he found a rope to quickly tie around the pick's top. With the fire encroaching so high he lowered the pick enough to catch fire. Using the blazing end he examined the boards making up the roof.
Knoth was looking over the roof edge watching his people form rickety scaffolding to get him down. "When I'm down I ask you again to go and kill the outsider. Don't fail me this time." Startled by the sound of loud smashing. Boards below splintered to bits with the upper metal screeching from being shoved clear. The orange light of the fire below beamed out the opening Blake hastily made. Rising between flying embers to face the terrified priest. Knoth lost his voice at the menacing presence approaching him. Fabric draped over Blake still lightly burning at its edges. Ashes coated his skin to turn it pale white. The metal blade twisted in his hunt, shoved free from its nailed ties to stretch mainly off one side. Dented down into a long curve.
"No more running. What are you going to do now, Knoth?" Blake shouted as he walked along the slippery metal roof. The both of them lit up by flashes of lightning above the clouds. Booming thunder rattled their bones to the core.
The other nervously looked around. His only help stuck down below searching for materials to build the scaffolding higher. Marta herself watched anxiously among the crowd, powerless. He faced Blake to start one of his lecturing gospels. "My son, you can be saved from the influence of evil. Don't listen to the dark voice of-"
"Shut up!" Blake ordered. "How fucking dare you! You're one to talk about what's evil. Look at what you've done to all these people. You raped their daughters and their wife's and killed your own kids for something not even real! You infected all of them with diseases that you have! Protected by God, ha! "Study aids'', ha! That's antibiotics that you use to stay healthy. Does anyone else in your flock know you could've helped the scald any time?" Blake began to rant.
"They're diseased of the soul! I do not control-"
"Shut up!" A boom of thunder almost scared Knoth off the roof's edge. "Don't you dare talk over me! You've been choking down those meds for years knowing you're riddled with disease! You took everything from your poor followers! And what do they get? Abuse, dying in ditches, or dying of disease forgotten in the pits of this hell town. Should we name the rest of your sins? Murder, torture, lies, bearing false witness, speaking supposedly for God. What God wanted this?" Gesturing out to the rotting town around them. "Some holy man, doesn't bother caring for his people. You say you can talk to God? Then go on! Pray to him and ask him to stop me. Because he's the only one who can stop me from killing you now!"
Challenged in front of all his people, Knoth doubled down. "I will! The lord knows that I am faithful! He will answer all of his true children. O God,-" he raised his hands. "I beg you to answer my prayer delivered from the deepest depths of my soul. To vanquish this evil from your holy land that you gifted us. Strike down this devil. Deliver your righteous holy vengeance upon him. I know you will smite the wicked from-"
There was a crackling before a flash of white blinded Blake. All he could hear was a long high pitch. Fear gripped his heart that he would see himself back at the school. No! Not now! He thought, staring into the blinding light until the sensations of the world returned to him. He first felt rain beating down onto his back. Hearing the tapping of it across the roof his eyes could see again past the large purple spots blocking his vision. He was crumpled down with the pick held close across his back. A boom of thunder shook him to rise. Gazing toward the front where Knoth once stood, he saw his smoldering form laying down. Glancing back at the crowd they were slack jawed at what they had witnessed. Not a whisper spoken between them. Moving forward, Blake went to peer down at what lay before him.
Knoth wheezing and sputtering after a giant hole was shocked into his chest. His flesh burnt down to expose the ribs. Metal crosses fused to his body and their chains leaving branded marks. Smoke flowing off his burnt body almost causing the other to gag. Blake stood in waiting for the evil priest to die a slow death. He certainly wasn't getting a quick merciful death from him.
"You- " Knoth hacked and wheezed through his limited breaths. twitching in agony in his struggle. "Why, … God?" Were his last words before he let out a wheezed death rattle.
What little life there was in his eyes shortly left and Blake knew his task was complete. Not wanting to look at Knoth any longer he flipped the pick over to wedge underneath his still steaming corpse. Gathering the energy for one last shove to send the large body crashing down though the weak scaffolding. Body impaled on some of the sturdier sections. Soon after landing, his flock swarmed the body to check if he was still alive. Marta shoved to the front to check for herself. Grabbing some standing near to yell commands of "Find medical supplies!"
Blake himself stayed on the roof, exhausted yet his spirit felt ten times lighter. Managing to do something good. He sat down, iron weapon used to keep himself propped up. Rain downpouring heavier than before to make a wall of white not far before him. Fire once threatening to devour him along with the whole building was doused to waft off a cloud of smoke. That blown away by winds roaring up into a hurricane across Temple Gate. Those down below trying to tend to Knoth, as if he was alive, scared away by chunks ripped off of buildings. Trees cracking off branches or the very trunk themselves snapping in two to smash what was below.
The concern Blake would have had was nonexistent. Enjoying the view he had of Temple Gate scattering to hide within their ramshackle buildings. Marta stayed as the only one remaining to help her fallen leader in vain. Between all the chaos Blake felt a warmth at his side. When he looked he saw the rising sun just peeking between the storm clouds. A blinding gold disk surrounded by a halo of red among the dark storm clouds. An ever growing blinding light expanding from its center to engulf everything before it. Comforted, he closed his eyes and fell asleep upon the burnt church. Not questioning nor asking if he would wake again.
.
And hell followed with him.