Rider Of The Pale Horse

Daughter

Orion stood in the office that sat above the elevator doors, the wide panel of windows allowed him to look out over everything without anyone below noticing. He watched Morrigan sparring with Kael on the mat, worry knotting in his stomach.

To think Death himself was worried for a mere woman, his daughter, she was not just a woman she was hi daughter. It seemed that even being a creature of the dark did not negate his fatherly instinct to protect and shield her from everything that could pose a threat.

Even if that threat was the one person he trusted her to, he had to really. Orion turned from the window his hands held behind him resting at the small of his back.

Watching the two together he could only see a threat to his daughters heart instead of a shield to hide her from the really monsters who had been relentlessly hunting them down. He knew the Vatican had once been there friends but a fallout two hundred years ago had seen to the destruction of their peace.

Orion stopped walking in the middle of the dimly lit room, he could hear footsteps heading up the stairs to the door on his right. It opened slowly and in stomped his brothers seething anger and frustration.

“What the hell is she doing here!” Warren snarled at Orion.

Slowly he turned to face his brothers, deep down he could understand their anger at the fact a Woman would soon lead the Horsemen into the Apocalypse instead of well a man like the name stated it should be a man. A small smile quirked the edges of Orion’s lips up and he nodded his head.

“She is here for the same reason your Heirs are here.” He answered simple turning to look over his shoulder watching her land Kael on his ass.

It made Orion snicker under his breath, the Demon would have a lot to learn from her and she had a lot to learn from him in return.

“Orion!” Reafan barked stepping forward ahead of his Brothers, “We’ve trusted your decisions up to this point but you know that a woman does not have the ability to stand as a Horseman.” He said shaking his head at Orion.

All men nodded in agreement, even Death joined them. “True, a simple woman would not be able to handle this fate. Morrigan is not just a woman though, she has seen and felt all the agony of your Heirs combined. The fates have granted her their approval.” He said turning and heading towards his large black leather throne like chair that sat at the far left end of the room.

It was shrouded in darkness where no light reached in the room. Behind the large chair sat a large cauldron about the size of a Semi-trucks wheel. It was filled with the tears of angels and when summoned correctly showed Death the future. But two weeks ago it had gone black and everything was engulfed in utter darkness never to be seen again.

At first Orion had panicked and thought it was merely his own heart that had been tainted, except for the fact his heart died long ago. Still he worried for his brothers lives and went to the Three Fates of the world for a solution. Their Solution resulted in the four children now here in their compound where they themselves had trained their physical bodies for centuries updating the facilities to feature the best of the best.

“Morrigan should not be your concern. She will perform her duty whether she wishes to or not.” He sighed sitting back in the throne sinking into the soft leather.

“She is weak of heart, we do not fight with Women that was proven in the Medieval era and even with Jeanne d’Arc!” Warren shouted stepping to the edge of Deaths darkness.

None of his brothers could pass through the shadows of death to get to his bowl. It was the only layer of defense Orion had that was his alone.

“Jeanne d’Arc served her purpose well, she did as instructed by you Warren and ended the war you started in ignorance.” Death snapped pressing his hands together in front of his face peering at them from his darkness.

Kavin moved forward this time, “Fine, I’ll back her on the fact she can fight. She landed Warrin’s Heir flat on his ass without trying, she’s training harder than our heirs. Fine, I get that, but here are the facts: She’s a woman and a girl at heart Orion. You’ve had to have seen the implications with that; eventually she will give her heart away just as we have all done. Will she be able to pick herself back up from that blow?” He spoke in honesty and truth, Orion was worrying away about that issue as he sat in his chair trying his hardest to pay attention to his brothers concerns.

“I know she will give her heart away eventually, I fear for the day she does. More so than I should, despite that I cannot take this job from her, it is a destiny all her own. Whether she gives her heart to one of the Heirs, to one of the Demons, or one of you it will be her choice to make.” He sighed closing his eyes.

It was a dangerous gamble but for the future to succeed Morrigan had to be the Heir to Deaths Horse. All the brothers knew it, but they didn’t have to like it any more than they did.

“I guess I can give her another chance, she does have some impressive fighting skills.” Warrin mumbled awkwardly.

Orion’s eyes opened and a warm encouraging smile brightened his unearthly pale face, his dark eyes scanned each of his brothers thoughtfully. Entrusting them with the information of Morrigans Heritage would change everything, he did not want them to treat her differently.

If anything he wanted them to act this cold and distant towards her, she needed the push to be better than all of them. If she exceeded their power and strength they would accept her on that ground and not because he was her father.

“Go to your Heirs, tomorrow we will have a sparring match to see who stands where. They will all at a point fight with Morrigan. Prepare them for that.” With the wave of his hand Orion dismissed his brothers who turned and piled out the door closing it behind them.

Silence rang through the air comforting and irritating Orion at the same time, he could hear nothing and at the same time heard everything. It was the only problem being Death, was this never ending sound that stalked you everywhere like your own shadow.

Fidgeting in his seat Orion rose walking back over to the large windows looking down into the room his eyes drawn to the mat where he watched Morrigan storm off heading towards the doors.

Kael flicked her in the forehead causing her to go cross-eyed, the face she made brought a fatherly smile to his face. Regret filled him, if only he had taken her away sooner she would have been spared the horrible terror and physical abuse she suffered in the prison.

His hands clenched angrily until his short dull nails were pinching against his rough palms. He had failed her as a Father, but he could not fail her as a mentor. Morrigan began yelling at Kael once again as she turned walking away, he followed her which seemed to just irritate her even more.

“Should she give her heart away, it will be of her own choice.” Orion sighed dropping his head and turning away.

Every Horsemen had felt the pain of loss in one way or another, she too would need to understand that dry senseless agony that swallowed every sense and filled your brain with fire and rage. It was that day Orion feared, with her power nothing would stop her. His Daughter would suffer the duty of being the next Pale Rider, at a hefty cost.