Apocalypse's Horsemen (Devil's Assistant Series - Book 3)

Apocalypse's Horsemen [10]

Like a nervous tick, my eyes darted all around us and searched through the shadows in case someone else was watching. I had met two horsemen so far and both were as elusive as the other. They could be staring down at us right now and we would be none the wiser.

“Did the horseman hurt you?”

I opened my mouth to speak as Lucius was already sweeping his hands over my body in a gentle caress, being too careful just in case I was harbouring some injury that I had not told him about . With a roll of my eyes, I pushed his hands away and then allowed my angel blade to form in my hands.

“No injuries, apart from pride. The horseman escaped before I could do anything to stop her. Not that I would have had the skills to do it. We know nothing of their capabilities Lucius.” I allowed the comforting hum of energy radiating through my palm to flow through my veins and soothe my discomfort. “War created this plague because she could. No motive really, just enjoyment. Her powers must be limitless. So long as her actions create war I am sure she could do anything. It wouldn’t surprise me if she had been Helen of Troy in one of her earlier lives.”

Lucius muttered a curse under his breath, his eyes becoming distant as he looked over my shoulder. His lashes flickered and his pupils dilated.  

“Impossible. She was locked up then.  Unless -” Lucius shook his head, his eyes focusing on my face once more. “Sorry Vannah.”

Raising one hand, he ran his fingers through his dark hair and tugging on the ends as he eyed the devastation around us once more. I placed a consoling hand on his arm and offered him a weak smile. There was no joy to be found here. The city was suffering and would continue its suffering until it all played out.

When he made no attempt to move, I nudged him with my shoulder.

“Come on, there are some sick people who need us.”

Lucius took my hand in his, squeezing as he offered me a grim smile.

Hand in hand we retraced our steps and headed back through the desolate streets to the stadium. We encountered no other beings – no human, no angel and no horseman. The stillness in the wake of so much destruction had the pair of us on edge, waiting for an ambush that could come at any moment. It was terrifying because I knew in my heart that we weren’t ready for a full on attack from the deadly horsemen of the Apocalypse. We had defeated foes previously but none of them had been of this calibre. Most had been people that believed they had a right to power and to rule but did not truly have the capabilities to achieve their goals. But the horsemen did and they had had millennia of planning to figure out how to do it and succeed.

I gulped and squeezed Lucius’ hand, desperately seeking the comfort and reassurance on he could give me. Fear was one of my biggest foes. I had done so much already and yet I still found my heart racing and my palms dampening whenever these threats came our way.

We arrived at the stadium in less time than it took for me to wander away.  Our urgency to put a small distance between us and a horseman was enough to quicken even the steps of the mightiest warrior.

When I started to walk left along the barricade of wire fencing, Lucius tugged me gently by my hand and pulled me further along the right. A frown formed on my face as I followed behind him. And then I saw it.

Someone had obviously gotten here before us. A section of the wire fence had been cut open leaving a large, person sized hole in the mesh. I shot a glance at Lucius, worrying at my bottom lip with my teeth. We were already walking into a plague infested site – what else could we expect inside there now that the containment had been breached.

Wariness dictated our movements as we crept closer to the hole. When there was no obvious presence of life in the immediate area, I slipped through the fence with Lucius following close behind me. I called my angel blade into existence, needing further reassurances.

Shadows loomed everywhere, and glass glittered on the ground. It crunched under every step that we took, echoing loudly in the silence. I shuddered and continued forwards despite my reticence. I had become desensitised to the cloying scent of death and fire but as we drew closer to the doors of the stadium, something crawled its way up my nose and clawed at the back of my throat. I tried not to gag.

“What is that?” I murmured softly.

Lucius sighed loudly, pulling me closer towards the offensive smell.

“Trust me on this. It’s best you do not know until we are there.”

One of the boards had been wrenched away from the door. Bits of plywood littered the floor as well as spatters of blood. Although there were no bodies on the ground, it was clear that a fight of some sort had taken place there.

I kicked at a small white speck on the floor.

“A tooth.”

Lucius grunted in agreement before nodding his head at the door. Without waiting for me, he was through the gap between the door frame and the plywood, disappearing into the darkness within. Sparing one last glance over my shoulder, I followed.

Refusing to let go of my only weapon, I placed one hand on the side of the door and ducked through the gap. I was surprised Lucius had even managed to fit through as bits of glass and wood snagged at my hair and closing as I squeezed through. It did not make me feel any better about the situation we were in.

My blade let off an ethereal glow in the gloom of the building. I hadn’t the slightest clue where I was and of course Lucius was nowhere to be seen. I gulped and let me nose lead the way.  Inside the building, the vile smell was so thick and heavy in the air that I was almost wading through something real and tangible. Every step forward was heavy and laboured while my stomach churned uncomfortably.

“I’m so glad I haven’t eaten.” I muttered under my breath. Gagging as I began to taste whatever was hanging in the air.

I have no idea how I managed to get there, by I soon found myself emerging on to the stands that overlooked the large area of green. The rugby posts still stood tall and proud, a monument to the glory the stadium had once been.

The grass however was another matter. There was barely an inch of the field that was not filled with makeshift beds and bodies. I was too far away to tell how many were still living. From this distance I could see one of two able-bodied people moving through the rows, pausing every now and then to pull a sheet up to cover up a body whose life had fled.

I gulped and finally realised the magnitude of War’s work. She had done this with only intent and a touch.

I closed my eyes and turned my eyes away, needing a few seconds to recollect myself before I faced the reality of hundreds of dying men, women and children.

Pulling back my shoulders, I allowed my sword to fade from existence and let my wide eyes take in the horror.

I had not been brought up in a religious household but I prayed fervently then, loud enough to draw attention of those closest to me.  I did not care, not even as a tear dripped from the corner of my eye and spilled on to my cheek.

Lucius reappeared at my side and placed a consoling hand on my shoulder while his hand while his strong voice sounded loud and clear in my ear.

“God help these weary people and bring peace to their souls.”