Book 1, Chapter 9: The Fourth Horseman

I had sent Cain to heaven with a flick of my fingers. The time for redemption was now. No longer would I delay the war that had been years in planning.

Cain and his horde will serve my purpose of weakening the defenses of the Palace. If I were lucky, Cain might even survive long enough to cause irreparable damage with his Mark. Even take care of Death. I was sure the All-Father would not intervene.

With my knowledge and understanding of the power of Souls and the control of Time, I was now sure of what the All-Father wanted.

Father did not want to rule. He was tired of the responsibility. He wanted to break the cycle of renewal of the Ancients. He strove to create a realm that would be self-sufficient, a completely autonomous system that would not require constant vigilance and interference to maintain order.

But I knew that without interference from a higher power, there would always be chaos. The balance of nature and soul would never stay put.

Even if a higher power did not interfere to maintain order, it does not ensure that another power would not interfere to cause chaos. Divine intervention was not required just for maintaining internal order, but also for protection from evil intervention.

Though I could even turn back Time and undo the creation of humans, what purpose would it serve if the All-Father could just create them again. We would be stuck in an unending cycle.

No, I had to make Father see sense. There had to be another way of battling Death’s Folly. We would battle it together. Two powerful masters, father and son, could easily stand against the shadow of a being half as powerful as us.

But I have to make sure Cain would not get in the way. He is capable of defeating any of the masters because of his gift. He is extremely dangerous. And he is hungry for power.

I smirked as a solution dawned. I waited for Cain to finish his intended actions in the Entrance Square until I saw him facing Raphael.

Then I teleported. I travelled back to when Cain was still begging me for mercy for his horde. I stood for a moment, amused, as Cain stared incredulously at the twin beings that stood before him; then with a flick of my fingers I took Cain to Eden with me.

***

Cain-of-the-past appeared a thousand feet above the palace grounds, suspended in space. Then he fell. I pushed him with my powers, willed him to speed towards the ground at the speed of light. He accelerated beyond control.

I was amused to watch him trying to make out what he was falling at. His eyes were wide with fear. He was moving towards that familiar figure with unbelievable speed. He closed his eyes. The impact would certainly kill him. But his Mark would save him. Or so he believed.

Just as he achieved the speed of light, he hit the target.

***

I returned to my throne room. It was time for phase two.

I killed off all my minions, one by one; thus raising the level of power that flowed through me. I cried out while my body writhed with pain as it overflowed with the unimaginable power of an entire realm.

I felt like I was being torn apart, like I could explode. But I knew I wouldn’t. I had practiced this for years. I was the master of the red realm. Power couldn’t kill me. The worst it could do was make me go delirious. Given my current obsession with humans and the All-Father, I had no doubt that even in madness I would achieve my goal.

Then it stopped. There was silence. The red realm was empty. I had consumed every soul from the cache. I was the red realm personified!

I straightened up, flexing my muscles and balling my fists. I could feel the hum of raw power with each breath. I opened my eyes, which were now red balls of death. The world looked awash with blood to me.

It was different from when I had first arrived here. Although I was alone just like then, this time I could control the power, I could feel its existence. It seemed that I had needed the awareness to have been able to tap into the power of the Soul. The helpless little child who arrived here was now more powerful than the All-Father.

But I would take no chances. I had to win this. I had as many shots as I wanted, thanks to time travel. I knew I could handle the Archangels. Still, Death’s Folly was still an unknown factor. Add to that the disappearance of All-Father and doubt started filling me.

The prophetical voice rang again and a white horse materialized before me. It named me Lord Conquest.

Phase two successful.

***

I teleported to the Pearly Gates at the point in time when Cain and his horde had begun the attack. It was a time in the past. Even though years had passed since my return, I had returned to just a few days after my banishment, for they would be the least watchful now.

Rivers of blood ran beneath my feet. Heads of angels hung on spikes all across the field. The smell of death lingered in air. Even the sky was red with blood.

It was time to begin phase three. I rode off towards the realm I was about to conquer.

***

After successfully completing phases three and four I teleported back to my throne room, in my own timeline.

With a satisfied grin I threw up my wings and flew for relaxation after the days of running. Once airborne and with the wind caressing my face, I closed my eyes as I reviewed my plan and my strategy.

I was now ready to declare war on the Gods. Tomorrow, I shall begin phase five.