Conquest: Rise of the Fifth Horseman (The Fifth Horseman Series Book 1)

by Richard M. Mulder

  They snuck around to the opposite side of the headquarters for Motif Global Encryption, and entered through the driveway opening for the subterranean garage. Fortunately the toll booth guards had gone off duty for the evening and the garage was currently being metered by machine. Ducking under the barriers, they trotted downhill into the garage. With John leading the way, they quickly made it to Timur’s reserved parking space.

  “It might take me a few minutes to locate the entrance.” John approached the wall, “It’s been a few years.”

  After a few minutes of fumbling around, the wall sunk inward and slid to the side with a whirr. Together they ran down the dimly-lit passageway for over twenty minutes until they came to a large door. Allan threw it open and recognized the familiar pipes that formed most of the walls and ceiling. Upon entering the main chamber room, the spray-painted message stood out offensively:

  What does it mean?” Allan gasped for breath.

  John knew the message could only mean one thing. Timur had taken her to the world called Zion. Long ago John had been able to travel freely between each world, but that was before Timur had stolen his amulet and destroyed it. It was a very fine steel bow, and had weathered the tests of time. At the time Timur destroyed it, he had learned by reasonable deduction that John always traveled with his bow in hand. The instant he removed the bow from the equation, John was suddenly bound to the earth.

  John also knew now that Timur had uncovered the truth, that there was yet one final Seraph to come forth who would prepare the world for the great and terrible days to come. How much he knew, John feared to guess. It seemed rather strange however that he would request Allan’s presence in the other world. Though Allan had Awoken, he still didn’t understand his purpose nor did he have any idea how to control his abilities. It seemed however that Timur had figured out that Allan was a problem he needed to eliminate before he could fully execute his sinister plans.

  “I’m afraid I need to accelerate your training.” he determined as he pulled the remaining seer stone out of his pocket.

  John shoved the stone in Allan’s hand. Upon immediate impact, he saw its desired effect and confirmed that his epiphany had been correct. The stone glowed white hot, searing Allan’s palm. He screamed out in pain as he tried frantically to shake off the white stone, but somehow it seemed to have adhered itself to his palm. His eyes glowed with a bright silver light as his rage mounted. John held tight to Allan’s shoulder as the two of them were engulfed in Allan’s silver aura. With a sudden flash of light, the two of them were gone.

  Chapter Twenty Six: Dragon Venom

  Amongst the seventh generation of Seth was born unto the earth Enoch, who didst become a mighty Prophet. The Leviathan became very desirous to consume the soul of this man Enoch, for his divinity hadst become manifest…

  – Methuselah 11:1 –

  Lily studied her rescuer who continued to row relentlessly. Though he was an elderly man as was apparent by his white hair and beard, he had the stamina and strength of a young horse. She was impressed not only by his longevity, but by the fact that he didn’t seem to be short any breath even though he had been rowing for several hours now.Lily thought back to the strange room underneath the city. The whole room had been arrayed with rows and rows of servers, which were ultimately attached to a single console in the center of the room. Standing in front of the console was a large satellite dish pointing horizontally toward the far wall where a large dark mirror hung ominously. She racked her brain trying to decipher the message that had flashed on the console’s monitor.

  How could Timur possibly know about NSA technology, and why would he need the access code to the GFID tracker system?

  She was also disturbed by the fact that the NSA hadn’t rescued her yet, considering her beacon had been active for quite some time now. She knew that it would soon run out of power, so she was grateful this stranger had rescued her.

  A curious thing was happening in the sky. Although the sun had already risen several hours ago, the clouds were emitting purple and pink hues as if dawn were breaking again. The beauty was breathtaking, and she couldn’t help but stare into the heavens.

  Abner smiled as if he were reading her mind, “Alas, ‘tis second dawn.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “The colors that doth beautify the heavens.” he nodded upward, “Yea, the second dawn is breaking.”

  What’s that supposed to mean?

  Her face contorted in confusion, “What time is it?”

  He gave her a curious look as he continued rowing and stated, “Didst I not just say unto thee ‘tis second dawn?”

  “Yes,” she corrected, “but I mean what hour of the morning is it?”

  “Hour?” he queried, “What dost thou mean?”

  She stared at him with bewilderment, “You know, is it eleven in the morning? Noon?”

  “I know not the customs of thy world.”

  “My world?” she stammered.

  He stared at her curiously for several minutes, “Dost thou not know of this world?”

  “I’m afraid I don’t understand what you mean.”

  “Thou art not from hither.” he explained, “Look behind thee, and ye shall understand forthwith.”

  She nodded in acknowledgement, and her curiosity got the best of her. As she turned to look behind her, she squinted and shielded her eyes. Her brain took a minute to register what she was seeing. The sun was peeking over the horizon to the southeast. But yet… the sun had already risen in the east and was approaching midday! Her eyes darted between the two solar giants in disbelief. Slowly she returned her gaze back to Abner, dumfounded.

  “As I told thee, dear child.” he smiled, “Thou art not from this world.”

  “Where… where am I?” she stammered.

  “I welcome thee to the Land of Enoch in the world of Zion.” he dropped his oars finally and gestured his arms outward.

  She stared at him incredulously, “You mean, the City of Enoch from the Bible?”

  “Alas, from whence we doth come.” he nodded and pointed behind her, “The great and glorious City of Atlantis of which you doth speak shrinks in the distance to the south.”

  “Excuse me?” she pinched herself, “Atlantis?”

  “Yea, child.” He again pointed to the large city, now only barely visible in the distance.

  She squinted in the rising sunlight, and could see the silhouette of the ruinous city. Above it swarmed several flying creatures.

  “What are those large birds?” she pointed.

  “Ah, ye can see the dragons?”

  “Dragons?!” she stammered, “This can’t be real. This must be a dream.”

  A startling look fell across Abner’s face and he stood abruptly, rocking the small boat. He squinted and shielded his eyes for a better view. Just as suddenly, he dropped back down and grabbed the oars. He turned the small boat with a few strokes, and began frantically rowing toward the northeastern shore.

  “What’s wrong?” Lily inquired as she read the panic on his face.

  “Those… dragons.” he huffed, “Alas, they be flying… in formation…”

  “Like a flock of birds flying south?”

  “No, dear child.” he gasped, “Dragons… do not… naturally fly… in that manner.”

  “Then why are they flying like that in this direction?” she asked anxiously.

  “Those dragons… are trained hunters.” he rowed for all he was worth, “And Sir Tamerlane… rides… at the helm.”

  The instant they reached shore, Lily helped Abner quickly drag the small boat inland and into the woods where it wouldn’t be seen. Together they stumbled though the underbrush, grateful that the thick trees provided adequate cover to hide them from view.

  “I hath family in a hidden village to the north.” he panted, “We shall find refuge there.”

  Lily nodded as they stumbled into a small clearing. Abner stopped cold and held a finger to his lips. The grass and underbrush seemed to h
ave been flattened by an unknown force, and there were several fallen trees throughout the clearing. She couldn’t understand Abner’s hesitation at first, but then she saw it. In the center of the clearing there was a cluster of what she had originally thought were boulders… but then she saw that they were slightly moving with the rise and fall of each breath.

  A loud shriek pierced the air. Abner took off in a sprint across the clearing and quickly disappeared into the thick forest on the opposite side. She stumbled into the clearing in an attempt to follow, but didn’t entirely know where she was going. Her only driving force was pure adrenaline and fear.

  Lily looked up, and saw the hideous beast descending toward her. She screamed and stumbled to the ground. The giant beast landed on her backside, knocking the wind out of her. She tried to cry for help, but it only came out as a hoarse whisper. The beast latched onto her shoulders, preventing its prey from attempting to escape.

  Lily’s life flashed before her eyes, knowing it would soon be over. She felt the beast’s talons pierce her chest, and she let out a bloodcurdling scream. Before she knew what was happening, her legs were dangling in the air. She looked down, and saw the earth below shrinking away rapidly. She trembled as her body hyperventilated, and forced herself to try to take slow breaths. She used her arms to pull up on the dragon’s feet to relieve some weight in an attempt to counteract the excruciating pain.

  Her eyes blurred and she knew she had started hallucinating. In the distance she could see the enormous city, but its appearance had entirely changed. Absent were the toppled spires and filthy soot, now replaced by a glorious white luminance. She momentarily forgot her pain as her eyes beheld the beauty and luster of the city. It seemed to glow as if she were staring at heaven itself.

  Forgive me, for I knew not who thou wast. I didst fear for the lives of my children.

  She reeled in confusion as the foreign words entered her mind. She then realized that they were descending rapidly back toward the clearing, and she remembered her pain as the dragon finally released its grip. She screamed in terror as she fell, and flopped heavily onto the ground only a few feet below. Blood pooled around her from the talon’s wounds, and she was certain she would die. She took a few last gasps, and then blacked out.

  Chapter Twenty Seven: Atlantis

  Enoch and his followers were despised and cast out of the kingdom of Seth. But yet Enoch wast influential insomuch that he established the great city Atlantis in the East where he didst gain many intelligent and inventive followers…

  – Methuselah 11:2 –

  John watched in pity as Allan vomited and lay hyperventilating for a good ten minutes.

  “Don’t worry.” he consoled, “The shock to your system caused by the transport will wear off soon, although you might also experience some jetlag later because there’s roughly a six-hour time zone difference between here and your hometown.”

  Allan’s eyes were wide as he continued to hyperventilate and shiver uncontrollably.

  “The voices…” Allan gasped.

  “You must fight off the voices in your mind.” John consoled, “The Leviathan has a great hold upon this land. It desires to consume your soul.”

  John stepped away and knelt a ways off, staring into the distance with remorse on his face. When Allan finally regained his composure, John returned and helped him stand.

  John watched Allan’s eyes dart around in fear as he took in their surroundings. No longer were they in the damp chambers under Buckingham Fountain, but instead they were standing at the edge of a forest that sprang from the foot of a steep mountainside. Far in the distance loomed a cluster of charred buildings teetering on the edge of collapse. A wide dirt path could be seen a little ways off extending toward the ruinous city.

  “Alas, the Great City of the Ancients has fallen.” John spoke solemnly as a tear rolled down his cheek, “The prophecy of old stands fulfilled.”

  “That...” Allan spoke hoarsely, “...is the Ancient city referred to in the message on the wall?”

  “Indeed, my friend.”

  “How did we get here?” he choked, “Where are we? What are these loud voices inside my head?”

  “I understand you probably have a million questions. Let’s tackle them one at a time.” John placed his hand on Allan’s shoulder, “We are in the Land of Enoch.”

  “The land of what?”

  “This Holy Land was taken from the earth over five thousand years ago.” he explained, “It was at a time when the earth had grown very wicked, similar to the wickedness of the people on Earth today.”

  “What do you mean by taken?”

  “Transported, as it were.” he explained further, “Enoch was a very righteous man in God’s eyes. He was a seventh-generation descendant of Adam, having been born about six hundred years after Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Garden of Eden…”

  “Hang on,” Allan interrupted, “The whole Adam and Eve gig as I understand it is just a fun bedtime story that Christian parents like to tell their children in order to satisfy their curiosity of where humanity came from.”

  “Ah, but I can assure you the story is true.”

  “Yes,” Allan drawled sarcastically, “I’m sure it is.”

  “Regardless of your beliefs, or rather lack thereof,” he sighed, “Enoch was a prophet in his day who taught the people how they should live, and many people followed his teachings obediently. He preached to them the truth of their divine origins, but there were still many who rejected the traditional beliefs of their fathers. Despite the thousands who doubted the validity of his teachings however, Enoch gained a following so numerous that together they built a great and glorious city in the east called Atlantis.”

  “Right,” Allan chuckled, “and then they all sprouted fins and swam away. Such a lovely story.”

  John stared at him incredulously for a long minute, “No, that didn’t happen.”

  “You really can’t expect me to believe this load of crock.”

  John let out a deep sigh and shook his head in frustration. He stared at the charred remains of the city in the distance.

  “That,” he pointed, “is the city to which I am referring.”

  “That giant heap of ash?” Allan smirked, “Real glorious, isn’t it?”

  John’s eyes bore into his with anger and disappointment, “Don’t speak so rash. Hundreds, if not thousands of righteous people have died in that forsaken city.”

  Allan returned his gaze reluctantly and knew he had stepped beyond his bounds.

  “This land upon which your foot defiles is the Holy Land of Enoch!” he spoke indignantly, “This great kingdom was established by Enoch and his followers over the course of four hundred years. This world is known as Zion, which is interpreted as a land of freedom much like your modern United States of America.”

  “I’m sorry.” Allan backpedaled, “I didn’t mean to offend. I’m just having a difficult time trying to believe what you are telling me. Atlantis, as I know it, was a mythical city that sunk into the sea. And now you’re trying to tell me that the city did indeed exist, and instead of sinking into the depths of the ocean as the story goes, you’re telling me that it actually got magically transported to a different world?”

  “I can understand your skepticism, but I assure you that what I am telling you is true.” he paused, “And if you need verifiable proof, look to the sky and you will find what you are seeking.”

  Allan stared at him for a long minute in confusion, and then he cast his eyes heavenward. Squinting, he didn’t quite know what he was looking for. Suddenly, he did a double-take as his brain registered two suns blazing in the sky. Even more disturbing were the large menacing-looking creatures that were flying in the distance. He looked back at John with his mouth gaping open. A slight squeal unexpectedly escaped from the back of his throat.

  “As I told you once before, we are no longer upon Earth.” he stood and turned to face the mountains, “Follow me and I will tell you more about the h
istory of both worlds. I recommend that you come quickly before the dragons spot you. They are often hungry.”

  Chapter Twenty Eight: Village of Udom

  So great was the faith of Enoch that God didst speak unto him in visions and dreams whilst their enemies came to battle against them; God didst instruct him in the manner of technology that he didst learn how to warp dimensions…

  – Methuselah 11:3 –

  “Thy steed hast been prepared, my lord.” one of the priests announced as he entered the great chamber, “And thine elect are gathered to depart.”

  “Excellent.” Timur stood from his throne, “Then we will leave immediately.”

  Timur followed the priest to a corner of the chamber where a door opened to a spiral staircase. Together they ascended to the roof of the temple where Timur had constructed his stable. Ten tame dragons stood majestically at attention with saddles mounted to their backs.

  They are so beautiful, but yet terrifying nonetheless.

  “You three will head south,” Timur instructed as he pointed to several men of the Creed, “and you three will head west. As for the rest of you, follow me north. Keep searching until the setting of the second sun.”

  “Yes Master.” all nine of his most elect of the Creed of Nephilim spoke in unison as they stood at attention next to their dragons.

  Timur approached his steed, the biggest dragon of the fleet. The dragon leaned his head down and bowed before Timur. They mounted the beasts, and Timur commanded his steed to take flight. The other nine followed in formation and then split toward their separate destinations. They left the walls of the great city behind and a scattering of thousands of scanty tents could be seen below. The camps housed the surviving refugees from multiple wars he had waged over the years against rebellious villages throughout the country. Even from high up in the sky he could smell their rank odor of feces and decay.