Disclaimer: While the ideas of the Four Horsemen is an old one, the characters presented here, there names, and personalities are my creations. As such they are copyright to me. I don't really care if someone out there wants to use them or even to write in my Four Horsemen Universe, I just want to know that you are using them. Well with that out of the way. Read on:
She rode out to the center of town, calling for the other defenders to join her. Zinerva Fia was the captain of the town of Mahpee's guardsmen. They were just the volunteer local men who trained to protect their territory. The only paid member of the group was Zinerva and she was a full time, for-a-job, protector of Mahpee. It was customary for Zinerva to call upon the men of the town every fourth day to go out to the nearby plains and train for a few hours. She helped them keep in shape and made sure that they knew how to defend themselves against any attackers that may come along.
They had been on the plains for most of the morning when a runner from the village had come to meet the warriors. His message was a chilling one, the village was under attack. Those who had wanted it to fall had waited until they had ridden out in the morning and had then attacked without mercy. The contingent of protectors rode quickly back to the city. As it came into view, it was ablaze in a glory of bright and morbidly cheerful flames. Zinerva could see the raiders moving around inside the center of the town, seemingly protected by the wall of flames. She lead the men in her troop to the edge of the burning town and directed them to jump their horses through them. Once on the other side of the flame wall, they quickly entered a battle ready formation and moved systematically through the large village looking for the raiders. Some of the men moved to flank the survivors that came running at their appearance.
Out of nowhere came the raiders. They quickly fell on the protectors of the village. The seasoned warriors and Zinerva faired the best. Those who had begun their training not long ago were the first to fall to the raiders leaving holes in Zinerva's perfect defense. Slowly the protectors gained ground against the raiders, driving them towards the edge of the village. In their mist a large man on a giant dun horse rode forward. The leader of the raiders sought out the leader of the village resistance. The raiders were used to taking what they wanted, meeting little resistance, and destroying everything no questions asked. He couldn't believe his eyes. In the middle of the fray was a short woman, her silver hair flying and her green eyes flashing, she apparently was the leader of these villagers. By the way she issued orders, he could tell that all he had to do was destroy her and the villagers would be lost and helpless again.
Pulling his sword from it's scabbard, he drove into the fray killing without a pause as he drove towards the small hellion. She wheeled her horse to met him, the others backed away and stood to watch the two battle. The battle was slow moving within the range that their horses had. It was classic parry and thrust for a few moments, until the raider cut not towards Zinerva but cut her horse out from underneath her. She quickly returned the favor and the two of them found themselves on two feet. The raider used his height and superior strength, while Zinerva used her lightening reflexes and foot speed to move out of his way quickly. Each was able to get in a number of good hits and both were bleeding heavily when the climax of the battle was reached. The two swords locked at the hilt and the raider bore down on the young warrior. Zinerva knew that if is fell under his weight she would be as good as dead. Taking one hand off her sword, Zinerva's weight shifted and she moved out to the side as the raider feel to the ground with the shift. She then quickly moved her slim blade downward and removed the head of the offending man. His bandits quickly ran from the area upon seeing their boss fall.
Later the people of the village celebrated their freedom, but under a heavy shroud. The dead outnumbered the living and their savior was hanging on the edge of her life. The wounds Zinerva had sustained were grievous and by morning she would be dead. A priest of the greater heavens had come to the village several days earlier and he offered to take Zinerva's body to a place of rest where the hero's of war are celebrated and lay her amongst them. She had come to the village just over a year ago to offer her services and the villager did not know what she would have wanted and so they gathered to wish the priest good travels and pay their respect to the woman who had protected them at the cost of her life.
The priest and old man with short white hair and bright brown eyes took off into the woods early in the morning. Some miles later he set up a camp, setting the woman within the warm circle given off by the midmorning fire. He stood nearby silently as the heat reached the body an a pair of pale green eyes opened. Like the other three she reached for the place where the wound that had taken her life should have been and like them was surprised to see that she was uninjured. Zinerva sat up, pulling the cloak the villagers had wrapped her in closer to her body.
"What is happening? I didn't know the priests of the higher heavens had healing powers."
"The priests don't. I don't either for that matter. The heavens themselves have granted you this life. You are special you know. how many others do you know who have your gift?" the old man asked in reply.
"What gifts, old one, all I know how to do is fight," Zinerva replied, exasperation in her voice.
"There are very few people in the world with your talent for battle. In fact as far as I know there are only three others. They are as special as you are too."
"What are you talking about. They got healed by the heavens too then?"
"No, they didn't get healed and neither did you. You four were reborn to fulfill your destiny. Your soul is now complete. You are the fourth and final to be reborn. You four will save the world as we know it or you will destroy it!" he finished with a flourish. Zinerva just looked at him. Her eyes glazed over slowly and she sunk deep into thought. Just as she began to comprehend what the old one was telling her about herself he interrupted again.
"Now, now, I know it is hard to believe all of this, but let me tell you a story." He waited until her eyes came back into focus before he started. "Once in the world the good of the heavens had rained down their blessings and the balance between good and evil was lost to the good. In a last stand evil created four horsemen to bring on a siege of terror. Placed on earth, these horsemen did just that. It took a thousand years of such evil to right the balance again. The Four Horsemen sought peace from the evil that had been theirs for a thousand years. One of the children was able to bring the peace from the goods of the heaven to the others. Together they rested knowing that someday, should the balance shift, they would be called upon again. Now the evil of the heavens has taken a foothold in the world and the horsemen are needed again to balance the heavens."
"If it is evil that has become strong then should the horsemen be released. They are evil incarnate. They would not bring balance they would bring evil," Zinerva interjected.
"If there is no good then there is no scale and therefor no balance is needed, but like before they have a choice. They can return as evil incarnate or they can side for good and fight the evil that plagues us all. You are the fourth seal, the seal Death. It was life duty to release you when called to do so, and to keep this for you." He handed her a heavy bag and gestured towards the nearby woods.
When she returned a moment later, Zinerva was no longer the protector of the local village, but the warrior Death. A black tunic hung to her ankles , but was split to her waist. The black pants that covered her legs were tucked into her black leather boots at the mid calf level. Two piece of silver plate armor covered her slender shoulders and matching silver bracers set with crushed emeralds encased her wrists. Around her head was a slim silver circlet set with emeralds. While she had changed a light mist had settled over the forest and was slowly thickening. The old man silently handed her a scythe, silver with a sandalwood handle that was carved with leaping flames and quietly said, "Now you are almost ready to met you brothers and sister. You must find Shinigami and those who have traveled time with him to stand with you. They should be out there," he vaguely gestured to the gathering mist. "I must go, I will see you again when the gathering is complete. Seek your family by their given symbols child." With that said the old man turned and walked away into the mist.
Zinerva headed off in the direction that the old one had gestured. After sometime of travel she came to a place where the mist lightened enough for her to see to the other side of the road. She could see the outline of a horse standing in the mist, and suspecting this was what she had been called to see, she called out, "Shinigami." A slender head turned and the animal approached her. Bottomless pools of liquid stared at her out from under his pale fall of mane. He lead her silently to where he had been standing in the mist. There on the road lay a saddle and bridle with silver and emerald markings. Next to the saddle lay a hunting hound of the same color as Shinigami. When they approached the hound stood and walked to Zinerva, sniffing her hand he licked it once and let lose a wild bark. A shrill cry in the air answered his call and a hawk flew low. Automatically extending her hand Zinerva watched as the bird settled on her wrist. "I guess we are all in the is together," she told the animals. By the time she had Shinigami saddled up the mist had cleared. They set off at a trot with the hound loping next to them and the hawk in the sky just ahead.
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