“I wanted to memorize the map before it all starts,” Alan said, lifting his gaze from the table the diagram rested on and directing his eyes toward Seraphim. Her beauty seemed to grow every time he saw her. Even now, despite the look of concern on her face, she took his breath away.
Her features were cast in a shadow of sorrow. Seraphim had led the most feared company of angels since the war in heaven began. Just recently, while quelling the Archangel Gabriel’s grasp for power, her entire command had been lost in battle. It was an engagement that had crippled the Angelic Forces of the Light. Now as a new enemy camped outside the Temple of Artemis, they lacked the strength to fight back.
Seraphim approached Alan and stood beside him. Arms crossed over her chest, she pressed her lips together, deep in thought. “Although Gabriel separated the human and supernatural plane, the terrain remains the same.”
Seraphim was right. Alan was staring at a geographical copy of any map of the world he had ever seen. Continents remained in the same places. Even though land masses were labeled under different names, Alan still recognized the shapes he had grown accustomed to seeing. Instead of normal continent, country, or city names on the map, new words marked the surrounding territories. Modern day Turkey was marked on the map with a small temple drawing with the words The Temple of Artemis scrawled in a delicate hand. Where Russia would be marked on any other diagram, The Minotaur Nation was penned under the drawing of a small mountain.
“The same and also so different,” Seraphim said, reading his thoughts.
Alan nodded. He had a multitude of questions begging to be asked as he saw places marked on the chart that tugged at his inquisitive nature. Areas designated on the chart with words like Hydra Swamp on the western half of the United States, Harpies in Australia, and even Rock Giants in the country he knew as Canada. These were only a few of the many mythical names he recognized from books.
“You’ll make it through this,” Seraphim said, moving his chin gently toward her with the tips of her fingers.
Alan did his best at a smile. He would give himself one last moment to be vulnerable before he would encase his fears and move forward to be the man he needed to be. “And when we do,” Alan answered, “what becomes of you and me?”
Seraphim let her hand fall from his face before shaking her head in a slow back-and-forth motion. “We can’t be together for—for so many reasons, Alan.”
“Tell me,” Alan said, reaching for her hand and gripping it firmly in his own. “We’ll figure this out. If not now, then when this is all over. We’ll find a way.”
Alan could read Seraphim’s response in her eyes. The reason she would give him would be that she was an angel, ordained to live an eternity unless she fell in battle, while he was only a human who would continue to age once the Battle of the Horsemen came to an end and his abilities left him. Despite this, Alan knew there was more. Something Seraphim had alluded to only once, something about her past.
“Maybe,” Seraphim said, “if it is not meant to be, it will be in spite of the feelings I have for you. But now is not the time for this. Soldiers wait for your command.”
Alan hated the idea of leaving things as they were, but he had no choice. He had a responsibility to the supernatural and human world. Alan released his hold on Seraphim’s hand and took a long breath. All the fear, anxiety, and worry left as he buried it deep within himself. He was the Horseman of War and now leader of the Angelic Army. He would not fail.
---
The Lighthouse of Alexandria was reconstructed to its former glory just as the other six Wonders of the Ancient World had been. This was all thanks to Gabriel and his manipulation of the supernatural plane while he was still in power.
Ardat took in the building in front of her, admiring its beauty as she flew toward the monolithic structure. The lighthouse was located on the island of Pharos, just off the coast of modern-day Egypt. The building was made up of three sections, all adding their height to measure nearly four hundred and fifty feet tall. The first section was a square. On top, sat an octagon and next, a circular pillar rounded out the frame. On top of all of this was a large mirror that reflected the noonday sun.
Unmanned, the mirror caught the bright star and cast it on a single spot. The area it landed on was a quiet patch of water on the Mediterranean Sea.
Ardat took this in with a single glance as she dove down to land on the small island’s rocky terrain. If the mysterious Shaman was correct then this is where the fourth and final Horseman would be found. Since she was introduced to the cryptic Shaman, Ardat had not trusted him. She took everything he said as a possible lie. The only thing making her act on his advice now was what he had told her about Michael. That he was not beyond saving if the Angelic Forces protecting the Light prevailed in their struggle against the darkness.
Ardat mused over these memories as she made her way to the front gates of the lighthouse. The doors were thick. Massive wooden beams laced with iron bars posed an intimidating sight to any traveler. Ardat was not the type to cower easily. Willing her manipulation over gravity to life, she extended her right hand and forced the doors to swing open.
As a member of the Fallen angels Ardat had lost her wings but retained her supernatural power, the ability to bend gravity to her will. Ardat walked into the large open space, where a staircase wound upward. All was still in the large, wooden-floored room. A musty smell lingered in the air as if not a single soul had ever visited the structure.
Either the Shaman was wrong—her dark eyes searched every corner of the room then tilted upward—or the final Horseman has gone to take in the view.
Ardat ignored the stairs and instead, lifted from the ground with nothing more than a thought. She ascended past the spiraling staircase that wound forever upward. Windows passed on either side of her every few yards, permitting the rays of the golden sun access to the inside of the monument.
Ardat only stopped when she crested the last step and came upon an open door leading to the pinnacle of the lighthouse. Placing her feet once again on the ground, Ardat walked outside. The first thing that struck her was the smell of salt on the air and the wind that tousled her long hair. The next thing her eyes told her, she was not alone.
At the far end of the circular platform housing the lighthouse’s mirror stood a lone figure. A girl was looking out over the water with her back toward Ardat. “I see our fourth Horseman is not a Horseman at all and rather a Horsewoman.”
Startled, the girl turned to face Ardat. She was tall, pretty with dark skin and a clear complexion. “Who are you? Where am I? Is this some kind of sick joke?”
Ardat moved to open her mouth but was silenced before she could utter a word. “Did my father put you up to this?” the strange girl asked. “Okay, how much did he pay you? Really, this is all some kind of virtual reality simulation, right?”
Ardat allowed an eyebrow to rise as she witnessed the girl’s tone shift from startled to commanding in the space of a few seconds. “I have no idea who your father is and no. This is no kind of virtual reality. You are a Horsewoman of the Apocalypse—a human selected at random once every millennia and given a decision: to usher in the end of the world or defend it against the Darkness.”
The girl’s bottom lip dropped.
Ardat could see the confusion and all the questions in her eyes. Unfortunately, Ardat didn’t have time to coddle a new recruit to the supernatural realm. “The Shaman informs me you are the Horseman—Horsewoman of Disease this millennium. As such, we should begin with your training. When the battle starts, you’ll need a basic understanding of your abilities.”
Despite her new circumstances, the girl recovered from her shock quickly. “Listen, I don’t even know who you are—”
“My name is Ardat and I’m the closest thing you have to an ally here.”
The girl shook her head, refusing to believe. “This has to be a joke. There are cameras, right?” She began frantically searching the top of the lighthouse for any
sign of lenses or recorders.
Ardat could feel the anger burning inside. She would give the girl one more chance, then the lack of time would dictate taking more … extreme measures. Mustering the most motherly tone she could, Ardat began, “My name is Ardat. What’s yours?”
The girl stopped searching and looked at Ardat with wide eyes. “My name’s Tracy.”
“Well, Tracy, all your questions will be answered in due time; however, this is not the time or place. I need you to trust me and—”
“No way,” Tracy said, straightening her back and folding her arms over her chest. “You want me to trust you? I don’t even know you. As if—”
Ardat’s temper snapped. A grin split her lips as she extended a hand and prepared to use her ability over gravity. “I was hoping you’d say something like that. So let’s start your training.”
“What are you—”
Tracy’s next words were cut off as she was pushed from the top of the lighthouse by an invisible force. A scream echoed to where Ardat still stood, smiling.
---
“What do you think?”
Alan looked from the massive army surrounding the Temple to Cratos. The minotaur towered above him, making Alan’s neck cramp as he looked up. “Oh you know, hedged in by an enemy that outnumbers us four to one, about to charge into their ranks when they know we’re coming … I’m great.”
Cratos extended a huge hand, clapping Alan on the back and nearly sending him toppling forward. “I like you more and more, Alan of Price. Your sarcasm is not lost on me, little brother. Take heart; our plan will succeed. I’ll run day and night until I reach my people and we will return with the same sense of urgency. In five days’ time, I will return with the strength of the Minotaur Nation. Together, we will stop the Apocalypse and end the demon’s rule.”
Alan recovered from the slap on his back and let a long breath escape his lungs. Their plan was simple. Alan and all the angels still able to fight would punch a hole in the enemy camp just large enough for Cratos to slip by. Cratos had assured them that the Minotaur Nation would come to the angels’ aid once they understood the situation.
The second part of the plan was freeing Kassidy. Kassidy was the second human chosen as a Horseman, Famine. She was captured just as she was beginning to understand her role as a Horseman. Alan’s blood boiled at the thought of Sodom, the leader of the Fallen Angelic Force camped outside the Temple. Likewise, Sodom’s general, Rolf, would be somewhere within the enemy ranks. Alan couldn’t wait for his chance at a rematch.
Alan had encountered the Fallen angel on the battlefield only once before. The result was a draw. Alan had no desire to see the same outcome once they met again.
He was interrupted from his thoughts as Esther sidled up next to him. Esther was doling out orders to the Angelic Army since Michael’s disappearance. Even though she was next in line to lead, she understood Alan’s role as the Horseman of War and was looking to him for direction. “All the angels still able to fight are ready and awaiting your order.”
Alan nodded and looked down the line of warriors amassed for the attack. On the front line, he could see Angelica, Seraphim, and a dozen other warriors he recognized. All of them suffered from some kind of wound from the previous battle with the Archangel Gabriel. Cuts had been wrapped and dislocated bones set as they prepared to face yet another army.
“Do you think she’s ready to fight again so soon?” Esther asked.
“What?” Alan said, breaking his gaze from Seraphim.
Esther looked to Alan then to Seraphim. “You were staring at her. She just lost every angel under her command when Gabriel made them go insane. Do you think she is ready to fight so soon?”
Alan looked at Seraphim again and nodded. “She’s stronger than you or I know. Besides, I’m not going to be the one to tell her she has to sit this one out.”
“I see your logic,” Esther said.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes.”
“Well, let’s go and make Michael proud.”
Chapter One Hundred Eighteen
Tracy fell faster than Ardat expected. Such a scrawny thing, Ardat had anticipated her falling slower than the average person. It was just as Tracy was about to hit the surface of the water that Ardat caught her in the invisible grasp of gravity.
Tracy was still screaming with her eyes closed as Ardat levitated next to her. Tracy’s cries reminded Ardat of some kind of wounded animal yelling to be put out of its misery. “Enough!” Ardat shouted.
Tracy, still trembling, stopped screaming but refused to open her eyes. “I’m dead. I’m dead, aren’t I? I died somehow during the night and now this is hell.”
Ardat cocked her head to the side, amused despite herself. “You are not in hell and neither are you dead. You are in training. I needed you to think you were going to die because that is one of the ways your ability as a Horsewoman can first manifest itself. Open your eyes.”
Tracy shook her head, her eyes still held closed. “No. If you are going to kill me, then just get it over with.”
“If I was going to kill you, I would have just let you fall. Now open your eyes; you’re stronger than you think.”
Ardat watched as Tracy, still squinting, allowed just one of her eyes to inch open the slightest bit. Immediately, she saw what Ardat was talking about and snapped her eyes both closed. “Nope, nope … I’m not going to do this. This is way too weird. I want to call my lawyer or at least my psychiatrist. Uh, he warned me this could happen.”
“I’m not known for my patience,” Ardat warned with menace. “If you don’t open your eyes right now, I’m going to drop you in the water.”
“You wouldn’t. Do you know how long it took me to do my hair this morning?”
Ardat motioned with her hand, and Tracy lowered in the sky enough for her high heels to be soaked by the water. “Okay, okay,” Tracy squealed.
First her right, then her left eye opened. Wonder showed on her face as she looked at the green dome of energy surrounding her.
“It’s the first of many things you will be able to accomplish as the Horsewoman of Disease,” Ardat said. “I can teach you everything you’ll need to know about your new powers and wings.”
“Wings?” Tracy looked up at Ardat with wide eyes.
“Wings,” Ardat answered, carrying them both to shore. “There is no time to waste. The Battle of the Horsemen will start as soon as the four are brought together. Since you were chosen last, you are at a disadvantage. The other three will have been able to accept all of this and practice their new gifts.”
Tracy nodded dumbly as Ardat let them drop the last few feet to the sandy shore by the sea. “Your powers manifested themselves when I dropped you from the lighthouse because they knew you were in trouble. For now, we’ll have to rely on the urgency of fear and impending harm to evoke your abilities. But soon you’ll be able to call on them whenever the need arises. Shall we begin?”
Tracy was reaching out and placing a hand back and forth through the translucent green shell around her. “Do I have any other choice?”
“Good point.”
---
There was no epic speech before Alan led the angels into the camp of the Fallen. No great battle cry he gave to the men and women fighting on his side. They all knew the stakes. With their numbers depleted and the War of the Horsemen looming nearer, they had to succeed.
Alan was at the front of the first wave as they crashed into the enemy lines. The Fallen angels were ready for them. It was obvious to both Sodom and Alan that the angels of the Light had to make a move sooner or later. They had the most to lose.
His great sword gripped in both hands, Alan slammed into the wall of enemies like a battering ram. Whatever happened, he had to move forward. If Cratos was going to make it to his people, they needed to fight their way through the entire camp and retreat before they were surrounded.
Enemies came at Alan from every side. A small part of him, something newly di
scovered since his rebirth as the Horseman of War, embraced the battle. Alan hewed left and right as his enemies fell beneath him. A war between the supernatural meant not only physical weapons were used, but also the implementation of each individual’s unique power as a member of the paranormal realm.
As a result, Alan was forced to maneuver around different attacks and defenses when it came to each foe. Alan forced his way forward through the ranks of Fallen angels, ducking and weaving attacks with such weapons as acid, boiling lava, spears made of ice, and even one Fallen angel that attacked him with fingernails as long as knives.
For every bout of attacks Alan received, he gave them back. His blue wings pulsating with energy, Alan was a blur of blue and grey as his wings and sword split through the enemy camp. Sweat poured into his eyes. To his right, Cratos fought, swinging a long pole with an anvil sitting on the end of it. On his left, Esther kept pace with Alan and urged her men onward.
On and on they went until Alan’s arms began to ache. Head on a swivel as he fought, Alan searched the camp for any sign of the prison where they were keeping Kassidy. But there was no sign of her or the enemy captain. Sodom and Rolf were nowhere to be found. Something Alan found concerning.
“This is too easy,” Esther shouted from beside him as she bludgeoned an enemy with her shield. “We’re almost through their camp. This should be harder, we—”
Esther stopped mid-sentence as she stared past Alan. Alan followed her gaze. Shoving his long blonde hair, which obscured his vision, behind him, Alan saw the same thing. Rolf and Sodom stood side by side, Rolf’s dreadlocks falling on his dark armor in a cascade, while Sodom stood tall and motionless in a black robe.
Someone knelt beside Sodom. Alan’s heart seized in his chest as he realized who it was. Kassidy was chained at both wrists, Sodom leading her like a dog. Rage filled Alan’s heart. Without thinking, he lunged forward.
The Complete Archangel Wars Series: A Shared Universe Series (The Archangel Wars) Page 58
