The Four Horseman

“So….you’re trying to tell me that God is a nerd.”
“Well, not exactly. He just likes making things and gets carried away. Since someone down here invented Dungeons and Dragons we’ve hardly seen him.”
Claire leant forward and looked at Lily to see if she was joking. The other woman was straight faced and humming to the radio as Johnny drove them out of the city and headed east towards Nevada. The breaking of the seal had been easy once they had located the document itself. Any disbelief that Claire had harboured was now gone as she had watched Lily walk unseen past the guards of a huge national museum to take an ancient artefact.
Lily had been more amused by her face and the fact that it was labelled as a Sumerian piece….one large paper with seven seals and nobody had noticed?? This had led to a discussion that Claire had found enlightening. The bible was not what anyone had been intending (never let shepherds write for you), God was bi and the whole Satan thing was a lovers tiff of EPIC proportions (yes, he likes guys too, you’re moulded in his image so of course homosexuality is just fine) and that really God just wanted everyone to be happy.
“What about original sin and all that?”
Lily yawned and prodded Johnny awake. The car swerved a little.
“That was my fault, the first husband was a bitch and when that Eve came along….”
“But he’s about to end the world.”
Now Johnny did laugh and they pulled over to change drivers. Claire had offered to take a turn and was glad to have something to concentrate on rather than a conversation on divinity that seemed to have taken the most surreal of turns. Lily opened a few bags of sweets and settled back, her feet perched on the dash of the top of the range jeep they had “borrowed”.
“Revelations isn’t so much about death as rebirth. The planet is overcrowded, the animals are being wiped out and you lot are owned by bankers and assholes. So we’re the cleansing squad. The big man is pissed about what you did with his model and we get the fun of clearing it up.”
Johnny consulted the map and answered his now blaring phone as Claire struggled to understand how wiping out most of the population could be a good thing. The hours since they had left the hospital had blurred into a rush of wind and tarmac, her emotions buzzed and her mind ringing.
“Gates, how’s it going?”
“I found him, we were right about Reno so get here and open the seal. We got company coming in fast from the east and we need Matt.”
Lily leant over and spoke into Johnny’s phone.
“Book us a room baby.”
“You know it sweet thing.”
Johnny snatched the phone back and hung up, pulling a face at the dark haired woman.
“We’re working!”
“Screwing Gates is working. Claire, you are gonna love Zacky.”
Claire blushed and tried to concentrate on the road as the bickering increased and she was reminded of travelling with two small children who seemed to enjoy winding each other up. To take their minds off it she poked Lily in the knee and smirked.
“So if this is a tiff, why is Satan trying to stop us?”
The demon girl shook out her hair, the shade changing by a couple of degrees so there was more of a blue sheen to it. The thing was complicated and she struggled to find the right words to describe the battles that had happened and the implications.
“Satan…well he didn’t take the break up well and he wants to destroy what God made her. He wants you all to suffer and the planet to get all fucked. Its his way of getting back at Gee, that’s all but obviously not where you are concerned.”
“Is there a hell?”
Lily shrugged, personally she didn’t fancy sharing that apartment.
“Yes, again its not as you think. The basic message of love one another and be a good person is all you need to get into heaven. Show you have lived honestly and not been an asshole. From what I hear the other way has all the demons I don’t like and no blackjack or hookers.”
Johnny laughed so hard they had to bang him on the back and another few hours of endless roads drifted away. They found an all night garage and stocked up on food and water, the two mortals allowed to sleep as Lily took over the driving and headed into Nevada. She knew where the first horseman would be and looked forward to reuniting Conquest and War.
Dawn was slowly making its way onto the streets as they finally hit the next stop. Lily let her new friends continue to sleep and followed her instincts, there was no map needed when it came to finding the man that now hummed with power and she smiled, seeing now why War himself would have been drawn to this place. Several of the roads had cordons, the police out in force even this early and she could smell chaos in the air.
“Where are we?”
“Reno, right in time for a big rally at the University of Nevada.”
Claire rubbed her eyes and sat up in her seat, her back protesting and now she was grateful for the clean clothes they had picked up at the last spot. She started to take notice of the time, eight a.m, and that there were people on the streets with placards and bullhorns.
“Is that important?”
“Yes. It’s going to turn into a riot and Matt is here. Once we break the seal, we have two horsemen and can start making an impact.”
Johnny stretched too, feeling Gates was now close and watching the police and hoards of people as Lily carefully guided the car around the streets. It took them an hour to reach a non-descript street that was playing host to something completely beyond its understanding. Syn was sat on the bike, chatting to Matt on the phone and patiently waiting. He knew his friend was ready and could feel the power building, what mattered was uniting them in case the opposition dropped by.
“They’re here. You’ll feel it when we break the seal.”
Syn smiled at the laugh down the phone, Matt’s voice amused.
“Will the earth move?”
“Its me, the earth always moves.”
“Fuck you Gates, later.”
Syn smirked and pocketed the phone, waving as the jeep pulled up. Johnny was leaning out of the window like an over-enthusiastic puppy and the two men embraced, Lily retrieving the box containing the scroll from the back of the car. Claire could do nothing but stare, she had seen this man’s autopsy photos and yet here he was, perfect and handsome in the sun. Not a mark betrayed his death and she could feel the power radiating outwards. It was terrifying and yet she had to grin as Lily pushed Johnny out the way and planted a huge kiss on Syn.
“Put him down. Syn, meet Claire.”
Syn looked the girl up and down with a friendly smile.
“Oh yes, Zacky will love her.”
“She’s such a hot little spirit.”
Claire huffed, not quite liking the way they were pairing her off although she remembered the picture of the handsome man with the snakebites. Johnny patted her on the back and slung his arm around her. Lily just smiled and patted Gates on the ass.
“Ignore them. What’s the plan?”
Syn walked them to the top of the road and pointed down. The university plaza where the demo was being held had already filled up and now they could hear the faint sounds of music and chanting protestors. Syn pointed down to the building on the left and sighed, the fight below would not be pretty and the opposition had sent outriders too it seemed.
“Matt is down there and we have spotted some of the minions of the other guy. Its going to kick off big time, they are using the mortals to channel through. The weak ones anyway. They will feel it when we break the seal.”
Johnny swallowed nervously and for the first time Claire felt a shiver of fear.
“You can handle them?”
“Once Matt’s power is released, easily and we will kick of a riot and war that will spread outward. It will enable Zacky to prepare and we can follow it east to meet him.”
Claire noticed that Lily was watching the scene below with something approaching sadness. She put out a hand and touched her shoulder.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes. I can always tell when the big guy is upset. He never wanted this and now its too late to stop.”
Lily hugged Claire and walked over to the box. The morning sun had climbed a little and she paused, drinking in the fresh cool air and the last few minutes of peace that humanity would know for a while. She would keep Claire and Johnny safe, they were needed in the grand plan for after all this ended, whether it would be enough remained to be seen. The document felt light in her hand as she handed it to Syn and they locked eyes. His eyes shone in the sun and she could see the faint ethereal armour that covered him although the mortals would see nothing but jeans and tee. His hair drifted into his eyes on the breeze and she reached out, pushing it back.
“We best get on with it then.”
Syn took a breath, mentally telling Matt it was time.
“Stick together and keep well back.”
The wax seal was just below the first and he gently cracked it, feeling the release of power and vengeance as a smoke drifted into the air. Immediately the clouds started to gather and Lily ushered Johnny and Claire into the doorway of the nearest building as the wind picked up around Syn and he walked forward and down the hill.
Now the battle could really begin.

Notes