Humans are idiots: plain and simple. There is no other way to describe their foolishness. If Grim had not been blamed for this atrocity, I would say let the Apocalypse come and let the humans receive whatever punishment they are in for.
“How did the perpetrator get past warrior angels?” None of this makes any sense. If Warrior Angels were protecting the seal then how could anyone human or otherwise get passed them?
He leans back into his reclining office chair and stares up at the ceiling fan that is circulating above our heads. “The Seal was hidden in one of the caves, supposedly far away from curious eyes. The Island of Patmos is a major tourist attraction for Greece and when the accident involving the plane took place, the Warriors had to abandon their post to fight off the demonic invasion. There was the opening. Now, I will clue you in on this Sin, and keep in mind that I may be wrong but the island is overseen by the Vatican. I don’t believe that the person responsible was an ordinary person desperate for a chance at wealth. No, someone from the Church is responsible. No one on earth other than myself knows more about the Seal and its importance in the Armageddon than the Catholic Church. They possess records of secrets that predate Adam and Eve, and given their dark past and early tampering with pagan beliefs and rituals, yeah I will bet my immortality that someone in that church had something to do with the Seal’s disappearance.”
“Tell me more about the Seal,” I say leaning in closer so that I can absorb every ounce of information he has at his disposal. He looks at me curiously, his black eyes stare back at me and I notice that within those pools of darkness are dusts of brown that almost sparkle back at me. Beneath that brooding and arrogant demeanor of his, I know that there is something else hidden beneath an iron clad lock with a missing key. He has never been one to say much about himself and I know he is not about to start now, so I center my attention on the Seal.
“Well, the First Seal of the Apocalypse unleashes the White Horse, as told in Revelations 6:1-2. Riding atop the White Horse is an entity carrying a bow and wears a crown and is sent about the world in the spirit of conquer. He is to scour the globe, preparing lands for war as often comes with the spirit of conquest, and as such will trigger the release of the Second Seal, which is the Red Horse-war…after that is the Black horse: Famine…and then finally the Pale Horse: Death…”
“But humans are always conquering or at war with each other, so how will either horse affect what his already happening?”
“Well, the last horse involves your father. He is to ride the last horse which will then lead to the final battle. He knows it as does the rest of the Heavenly assembly, but those in the more, baser realms do not. If the White Horse is released too soon, the darkness will be given the advantage to react prematurely and then imagine what the Beast will do if he finds out before it is time that your father is to set the stage for what is coming against him? And if the White Horse is released too soon, your father will have to be replaced because the identities of the riders will be revealed and then guess what? War will not only take place on earth but in Heaven and in Hell too…”
“I still don’t understand…”
“This is it Sin. We have entered into the Last Days and there will be no more wars, no more Hell, no more demons, no more torment and there cannot be any mistakes. From the moment my parents first disobeyed until…the Great Flood; until the time of Moses and then finally until the Lamb was raised from the dead, these acts were all preps for the final battle between the Light and the Dark. This is also a test to see where you and your father’s loyalties lie because both of you were given incredible powers. This war was never about humans anyways, they as always are just the casualties. This war is much bigger than saving humanity, which is why it is imperative that you find that Seal.”
Our eyes meet and a mutual but silent understanding flows between us. Instantly I can feel the weight of my father’s responsibilities bearing down heavily on my psyche. I literally felt like I carried the weight of the world on my shoulders. Souls were calling out to me for me to relieve them of this world and send them on to the next. I send out a mental call for some of my men to assist me in dealing with some of the load that comes with being the Angel of Death.
“I should get going,” I say after a beat. I quickly stand to my feet, and without bothering to wait for him to see me to the door, I turn to leave. He immediately jumps to his feet and rounds his desk, and firmly takes hold of my arm.
“Wait,” he breathes, stopping me in my tracks and forcing me to turn around and look at him. “If you still have any questions that have remained unanswered please feel free to come by anytime.”
I look at him unsure of what to think of his sudden change of heart. Just a few minutes ago he had written me off as the unworthy heir of Grim’s position and now he is offering me his help. This time I size him up and down, and although I cannot help but appreciate the view, this journey is my own. “Thanks but you have given me the information that I need.” I remove my arm from his grasp and turn to leave once more.
“Sin?” He calls behind me. He doesn’t have to say it; I already know what he wants.
“You are still protected by Grim, and even though I am acting on his behalf I know that that agreement still stands. You have my word Cain, your protection is still under the Reaper’s Oath.” With that I dematerialize out of the building and back into the human world and onto the streets. Just when I think that my life could not get any more complicated, as I emerge from the shadows, I am confronted by none other than Nak; next to me, he is Grim’s second in command and his most loyal servant. He had been under Grim’s command for eons, and out of all of the entities that he could have entrusted with his powers, Nak should have been the one. His black eyes glare at me from the human disguise that he often used when traveling through the physical world. Instinctively I summon the Scythe into my hand and meet his stare with a hardened challenge. He backs away, but only by a step. If I have to kill him so be it. Grim would just have to get over himself.
“Sin, your father sent me.” He says without emotion.
Great…just fucking great. If you haven’t guessed it by now, I am not exactly the most favored among my father’s colleagues. As a matter of fact, I found out a few years ago from a fellow bounty hunter that upon my arrival into this world, it was Nak who suggested that Grim do away with me and send my mother’s soul to where he thought she belonged. His admiration for my father is the only thing that prevents him from challenging me to a fight to the death battle over the Scythe. We continue to glare at each other, his hatred for the human side of me is palpable; but, I know that even if I send him back to Hell, he would just continue to follow me, and I do not have time or energy to expend on arguing, and fighting with the likes of him.
“Good,” I say evenly. “We have a human to find.”
Chapter 6
Meanwhile…
Hanging loosely by his chains suspended in mid-air, with at least a 20,000 foot drop to the all-consuming pits of the deepest and darkest darkness that awaited him, with his waning powers he could sense his daughter’s frustration. Yes, the human side of her had grown stronger since entering the physical world, but he had hoped that it would be her advantage in locating the human. He regretted never fully training her properly in the ways of the Reaper; having only given her mediocre jobs, or jobs that were not exactly mediocre but in comparison to his line of work, they were nothing to get worked up over. Time was running out for him, he could tell by his gradual loss of strength. However somewhere inside he held onto the small ray of hope that Sin would be successful in finding that seal, and once that was done, Michael and the rest of his holy brethren owed him an apology-and a big one at that. Or, he could exact his vengeance on his brothers, but then that would start another war, and he did not have the power to put up a good fight against legions of warrior angels to his legion of death demons. And then Sin would suffer more than what she already had; her soul possibly condemned to be devoured by none o
ther than the Devourer…
Speaking of Sin, he had to give it her. The way that she confronted his men, establishing herself as their new leader made him quite proud. She had learned a few things from him. Suddenly he felt the angelic presence of another one of his brothers coming to pay him a visit…an unwanted visit. His hooded robe had been removed from his body, exposing his tattooed face and long, flowing mass of dark raven hair that hung well past his waist. His black feathered wings wrapped around him like a cocoon, covering his shame and shielding his body from the eyes of his brother Michael the Archangel. ‘
Michael hovered just inches from his face in an orb of bright white light. “Brother,” he greeted sadly.
Grim did not bother to raise his head to look in the archangel’s direction. “What is it? Have you come to finally put an end to the being held responsible for the dark shadow of death that consumes humanity?” He spat venomously.
“Brother, I weep for you. The burdens that you must carry are unequivocally insurmountable for even you to bear.”
“Then free me so that I may prove my innocence,” Grim demanded.
Michael sighed, “That I cannot.”
“Then why have you come?”
“Because it is your daughter’s innocence that the On High seeks to prove,” said Michael as he took form in midair. Dressed in traditional warrior garb, his pleated skirt hanging just above his knees; a gold breastplate covering his broad chest and his sword hanging loosely in its case, he looked like every bit the part of a warrior angel. His golden wings extended to its full 8 foot wing span, he still illuminated the heavenly golden glow. Blonde hair as bright as the sun billowed in the wind, his blue eyes shining brilliantly from magnificence, he offered Grim a sympathetic gaze.
“Whatever do you mean?” Grim said finally lifting his eyes to meet Michael’s kind stare.
“The circumstances under which Sin was born were immediate grounds for your extermination. She is half mortal and that edict had been passed long before the Creation of Man. However, greatness was found in her spirit which is why you were still allowed to exist. Sin is in possession of powers greater than what neither you nor I could have expected, and though to some extent you are responsible for the Seal’s disappearance, the purpose of removing you from your position is to prove that even with her free will, she will not choose the side of the Beast.”
Understanding and realization dawned on Grim, fear beginning to take its stronghold in the forefront of his mind. Sin’s life was in jeopardy. One false move and that would be it for both of them. He had been foolish in his thinking. From laying with her mother, to even raising her in of all places Hell; training her to be something he would be proud of instead of recognizing the potential danger of what she has now become.
“She will not fail,” he grimaced, no longer feeling as hopeful or confident in his daughter’s abilities. Sin at times could be unpredictable-courtesy of her mother’s side. Oftentimes governed by her own emotions, he had struggled tirelessly to separate her from that part of herself. The only thing he could do was watch from a distance, and hope that the ones he sent to aid her would be able to keep her from doing something foolish.
“It is with great hope that she does not, “Michael said grimly. “She has help however…”
“From who?” Grim needed to know who else decided it was their duty to add their two cents into this jumbo of a mess he and Sin were now involved in.
“A few of us are not in agreement that any of this is fair, and has been granted permission to aid her is she asks for it. So far, she has not asked.”
Grim shared a concerned look with Michael. So there is hope. Silently, and with his will he sent a telepathic message to Sin to remind her to call on her heavenly uncles for help when she needed it. His connection with her had grown weak but he knew that she got the message. Her instincts would tell her so. He cast his brother one final look before succumbing to the overwhelming exhaustion that plagued his bones.
“Be well Grim,” Michael said disappearing into the light. “I will guard thee until the end.”
Pressing my lips together tightly, it takes everything within me to not rid the lower realms of Nak and his obnoxiously overbearing presence. Whenever he thinks that I am not paying attention I catch him sneaking hard stares in my direction as if he is plotting his next move. Try me, I think to myself. I know I can beat him without the Scythe, even though I am fully aware that he is not going to go down without leaving a permanent mark on me as well. We travel through the dimensions, passing through realms that bend the boundaries of light and dark, the place where martyred souls are given safe passage until it’s time for the Lamb to release them. Their realms offer perpetual and eternal twilight: the sun neither rising nor setting; leaving its residents captive in an eternal limbo; offering neither day, nor the night. Darkness blankets the skies as Nak and I pass through quickly. My skin ripples in response to the millions of dying souls signaling for my presence, and I know that I am required to make an appearance to a few but they are going to have to wait.
I need to go back to my original plan of blending into the human world. For some reason, I suspect that I could get better results that way, especially when we approach the Island of Patmos. Nak remains silent. I can sense his tension, his fear of what may be happening to Grim and what Grim’s death will mean to all of us under his charge. Suddenly, I sense a tear in the fabric that separates the dimensions. “Bloody fucking hell man,” I murmur as I summon the Scythe into my possession. Nak glances at me before unsheathing his black sword. We stop in the middle of Purgatory, and wait for the pending onslaught. Souls spanning from various periods in history began to cry out in panic. The thunderous rumble that rocked the realm surrounded us, the grassy ground beneath our feet splintered and cracked, swallowing the souls of martyrs that were not fast enough to get out of the way. Michael and his band of warriors were seriously going to have their work cut out for them searching for those lost souls.
Surveying the chaos taking place around us I watch the sky begin to crumble, stars fell from the heavens, and then it happened. Thousands of demon spirits filtered through the rip in the veil, and angrily began to devour the helpless martyrs. Using the Scythe I send a concentrated electric charge into the invading masses, turning them into dust. Whoever sent them are using them as a diversion to keep me from finding the Seal. Not going to work. Nak runs straight into the onslaught, his sword in hand, connecting with the attacking demonic spirits, turning them to ash upon contact. My fingers tingle from the surge of power concentrating in my veins, while the cries for help become deafening, escalating to an unbearable decibel. A second legion of spirits burst through the tear, this time overwhelming the realm. The rip in the spiritual fabric widens and more entities force their way through. It is time to act.
I ascend into the dark sky, taking center stage above the chaos taking place, and using my left hand, I unleash the concentrated dark power onto the attacking entities. Shadow spirits, spirits of lust, hate, anger, and deception screamed in horror as they fell victim to my wrath. Piercing screeches and howls were heard as these entities were disemboweled by Nak’s sword. Demons with bat-like wings and scaly reptilian heads launched their attacks from the skies. With the help of the Scythe I decapitated a couple brave enough to lunge in my direction. I hear Nak cry out in pain just beneath me. A massive bird like entity had him pinned beneath its giant talons.
It’s time to blow this joint out of the box.
I slowly begin to spiral, shifting the winds in my favor, and absorbing what little air this particular dimension contains, I form a black tornado, similar to that my father uses periodically to make a grand entrance into the human world. Once I touch down I suck in everything in my path, trees, debris, demons…and using my Scythe I dismember every entity blown into my direction. I make it to Nak just in time before the bird like beast sank its dragon like teeth into his abdomen. The creature is vacuumed into the funnel, its screeching echoing in
the darkness. He snaps at me with its large beak, barely missing my face. I return the favor by shooting out a black charge into the center of its chest before bring the Scythe down onto its long neck. The head went flying in one direction while the rest of the body went soaring into another.
Nak jumped to his feet without even acknowledging the fact that I saved his ungrateful ass. It takes us thirty minutes to clear out the realm, and once the last demon is killed, I can no longer tolerate the incessant moaning of the fallen saints. Michael and his band of followers can come figure out the rest, I think to myself. I descend back down onto the ash covered ground and dust myself off. Nak looks at me, bloodlust gleaming in his dark eyes as he wiped the sword off with his cloak. “You could at least say thank you,” I retort with my arm folded across my chest.
“But I will not young one,” he sneers. “Besides, once the Seal is found your father will be restored to his position and you will return to hunting low level demons like the good little bounty hunter that you are.”
My eyes narrow at his last statement. A part of me desperately wants to end his miserable life right here right now, but the other part of me fears what Grim will do to me upon hearing of Nak’s demise. “I don’t need your help Nak,” I say between clenched teeth. “You can go back to your post in Hell for all I care-“
“-Your commands mean nothing to me,” he smirks, exposing his perfect row of white teeth.
“My command should mean something to you Nak,” my tone becoming more lethal by the second. “It would be very easy for me to rip your arrogant head from your shoulders and toss the rest of your body into Tartarus for the Hell Hounds to feed on for an eternity. Or better yet, I survived the Abaddon Pitts. Can you?”
“You will do no such thing,” He said calmly. “Once your father-“
“Enough about my father!” I bellow, my voice echoing in the shadows. “Grim personally bestowed all of his power unto me, me! Therefore all under his command are under my command and those who disobey said command will be punished accordingly. Besides, what are you going to do once Grim is restored and I inform him of your insolence hmm?”
Sin: Daughter of the Grim Reaper (The Reaper Series Book 1) Page 4