Christine awoke in the cradle of the willow tree, which had grown tight with the addition of the deep green armor that covered her. It was much lighter than Luella’s or Jaxton’s. Christine squeezed herself out and was surprised to see Tamarin’s head part the curtains and look at her. 

Ready to go? Christine nodded and reached up to pull her coiled whip out of the tree branches. She changed her mind and passed by Tamarin, slowly opening the door to her house.

Tamarin nickered and Christine looked back at her. “I’ll only be a few minutes.” She entered the house that she’d lived in for all her life. She had to make sure. To her relief, her father was missing from his big chair. Only a human-sized dent remained to show that he’d been there just earlier. When she peeked into her room, she saw Lily’s crib was empty with the mobile slowly turning above it. Christine felt a pang of loneliness as she realized all her family was gone in this world. Still, it was better than the alternative.

Christine walked back to the sliding glass doors, where she could see Tamarin waiting on the other side. She took one last glance around her home and realized she’d probably never see it again. The only things worth coming back for were gone.

She walked out and swung herself up into Tamarin’s saddle. “Alright, now I’m ready to go.”

Do everything you needed to do?

Christine nodded. “I’m ready.” She repeated. Tamarin carefully picked her way through the mess of kids toys and around to the front yard, like she knew Christine’s desire for this place to be left untouched and frozen in time, if only for a little longer. They avoided people on the streets and Tamarin lead them where she wanted.

I had a home as well, with my brothers. Tamarin said. Her voice in Christine’s head was quiet, but she could understand every word. Before that plane of existence that we all met on before, we lived on real plains. We were wild and free, not bound to anyone’s will but God. In the end, He chose us for our strengths and strong bonds. After that, we met our Riders. The first Riders. She amended. They were all brothers and had strong bonds similar to my brothers and I. Tamarin grew quiet and the only sound for several minutes was the clip-clop of her hooves on the road. Sometimes I wish I could go back to those plains, but what I treasure most is my family, my brothers. We must do our duty. Even though we may miss the way things were before, the purpose of what we do is to protect that which we hold most dear.

Christine felt a silent tear slide down her cheek and she wiped it away. “I understand. We will do what we must.” She moved her hand to the handle of her whip, gripping it tightly.

They were passing in front of a TV store when Christine heard a woman’s voice. “The number of missing people reports have skyrocketed. Just earlier today, people around the world vanished. No one seems to know where they’ve gone, but there are many theories being suggested: aliens, terrorism, and most alarming, the apocalypse.” Christine stopped Tamarin in front of the TVs to watch.The woman wore her black hair back into a messy ponytail and she seemed frazzled. “Guards disappearing from prisons has lead to a massive jailbreak in many countries around the world. Also coming in are reports of monstrous creatures wreaking havoc in big cities across the world. Our news helicopters are also tracking the progress of three horse riders wreaking havoc in the Fayton/Vaille area.” 

Vaille. That was where she lived. “ Reporter Max Tadwell has more on that story.”

The screen changed to a camera looking down on an armored figure in white astride a white horse loosing arrows into the populous with cold and unfeeling efficiency. “These people were first thought to be cosplayers with their medieval-style armor and weapons, but they are now killing people with what seems to be no purpose at all. So far, there are only three sighted, but there may be more. Our other air-reporter, Alan, has view of another crazed rider.”

The screen changed again to a figure in red and black armor on top of a red horse armored the same way. They were laying about themselves with greatsword and hoof, killing all that came near and riding down those that tried to run. “The Vaille and Fayton police force, or rather what remains of them, have gathered to try and stop this murderer. So far, none of their attempts have been successful.” The man sounded tired and hopeless over the TV speakers. “All they’ve been able to do is slow them down.”

Max’s voice cut back over Alan’s. “I’ve found the third rider. I-I have just watched him brutally chase down and murder a man.” The horror in Max’s voice was unmistakable. On screen, there was a black hooded figure on a pale horse, a bloody scythe in one hand. “The riders seem to be headed towards a central direction. What they will do when they meet is unknown.” The black figure turned towards the camera and waved with his scythe. A blur in the air flashed across the screen before the image shattered, now showing a dozen images of the ground spiraling up to the camera before going to static. The screen changed back to the pale-faced female reporter. “Oh, God…”

The screen suddenly changed back to Alan’s camera, which was still on the red rider. “The rider has just entered a clearing without people, as has the white rider. There’s no sign of--wait there he is! The black rider is also here and...oh, God...I think I have found a fourth rider here as well.” The camera zoomed in on a small rider in green, staring at the window of a TV shop.

Christine gasped and looked up, realizing that the sound of the helicopter she’d heard wasn’t just in the TV. She could see it in the air above them and when she looked across the open yard of the plaza, she saw Luella, Donovan and Jaxton. They met in the middle of the plaza, ignoring the helicopter above them. Luella was absolutely covered in blood, making her armor look more red than black and the scythe Donovan was holding was slick with blood. He had a spark in his eye she hadn’t noticed before. Only Christine and Jaxton were clean of blood.

Good, now we can work without having to watch our backs. Aloysius’ voice echoed through their heads. He couldn’t stand still. He was just as excited as Luella and Donovan.

Suddenly, Jaxton drew an arrow on his bow, aimed right at Christine and let fly. She screeched and threw up her arms but the arrow sailed right over her shoulder to hit a strange leathery flying beast that would have almost looked like a bat except for the fact that it was as big as a photo booth and it had a fox-like head. Jaxton’s arrow had struck right between its eyes, killing it immediately. When Christine looked closer she noticed it had steel claws on its feet and at the tips of its wings.

“What the hell is that??” Luella exclaimed.

It’s a Sassabonsam. They heard Alaricus say. 

“We’ve already killed several of the-”

Luella held her hand up. “Stop! Stop please, with the simultaneous talking and telepathy. It’s just weird.”

Screams drew their attention upwards to the helicopter, where another Sassabonsam was attacking it. They had to scatter to get out of the way of the crashing helicopter.

Let’s go somewhere less open. Tamarin suggested and nobody protested that. Once they’d moved to a heavily wooded area on the outskirts of Vaille there were less attacks.

Luella and Donovan regaled each other with grisly tales of those they’d killed.

“He just touched me and he exploded into flames! You guys can keep your armor, I like this way better.” Donovan boasted. Luella suddenly punched him in the shoulder, almost sending him flying off Thantos.

“Huh. Guess it doesn’t work on us.” She grinned until Jaxton came up behind her and thwacked her on the back of the head.

“And what if it had? It’d be stupid to die like that.” Alaricus seemed to agree and Donovan could’ve sworn that he rolled his eyes. Luella rubbed the back of her head, even though it couldn’t have hurt that much with her helmet still on and stuck out her tongue when Jaxton wasn’t looking.

Jaxton looked at Christine and noticed how uncomfortable she looked. He rode up next to her for a few quiet moments. “You haven’t killed anyone yet have you?” He asked her under his breath when the other two were too busy messing around to hear. She looked at him with those big brown eyes and shook her head. Of course she hadn’t. “That is kind of our purpose you know. Do God’s dirty work and in exchange we get a guaranteed place in heaven.”

Christine looked shocked that he had put it such a way and for a few moments she couldn’t think of anything to say. “Don’t you think you’ll get...I don’t know, punished?”

Not likely. God is not really one for going back on His word, no matter how belligerent His children may be. Tamarin’s ears flicked back towards them.

Jaxton agreed. “Besides, we’re already here with everyone destined for hell, and demons from hell are being unleashed. These next few months won’t be pleasant.”

“You think it’ll only take a few months?” Christine asked, incredulous.

“You’re right.” Jaxton acquiesced. “There’s probably a lot of sinner’s still left behind. I’m just hoping that the demons will get rid of most of them, or at least the weakest ones.” He glanced back at Luella. “I’m sure she’d love the challenge of people who can survive in a demon infested world.”

“Hey, do I smell smoke?” Luella asked suddenly. The others sniffed immediately.

Woodsmoke. Someone is burning wood. Tamarin said. Once they knew they were looking for it, the smoke trail was easy to find. The woods ended and gave way to open fields of corn all lined up in a row. At the edge of the field, a small figure squatted near a fire. As it heard them approach, the figure stood up and grabbed a stick from the fire, moving in front of a rather meager pile of random foodstuffs.

The stranger eyed them suspiciously as they approached. Donovan was just reaching for his scythe when the figure straightened up suddenly. “Jaxton??!!” The girl smiled a big bright smile at him, an apparent prince in armor astride a pure white horse. She looked warily at Donovan approaching with his scythe, and her smile faltered a little. “It’s me, Stella. Remember?”

Donovan had stepped down from Thantos’ back. Christine meanwhile was gaping. “Stella??”

Stella turned her attention to Christine and Donovan paused, curious to see how everyone seemed to know each other. Stella sneered. “Christine?” Her eyes flicked back to Jaxton. “Jaxton, believe me when I say that you do not want to be around this girl. She’s sick in the head.” Christine flinched. Even now Stella was hellbent on turning others against her.

Stella didn’t seem to notice that Jaxton wasn’t listening to a word she was saying. Instead, he was watching Christine. Luella gave Stella a disgusted look that she ignored. She knew what type of girl Stella was. The same kind of girl as the ones at her school who’d always annoyed Luella with their pettiness and the way they bullied others. Donovan had heard enough as well and started advancing again, only to be stopped when Jaxton moved his bow in front of Donovan to stop him. Donovan looked up at him quizzically and Jaxton looked back at him with his hard blue eyes. “This one is Christine’s.”

Christine looked shocked at that proposition and she grabbed her whip, removing it from her belt and letting the end uncoil to the ground. She gulped and looked at Stella, who looked just as surprised as she was. Stella, who had made almost all of Christine’s life hell to go through. Stella who had ruined any chance of Christine making friends. She looked at Luella and Donovan though, who looked like they’d rather rip off Stella’s head themselves and even Jaxton who was staring at Stella with a colder look than usual. She realized the last part wasn’t true. She had made friends.

As Christine lifted her arm, she made eye contact with Stella and knew she couldn’t do it. Not the way they were expecting her to. When the end of Christine’s whip came down with a crack it was Stella’s meager supplies that was hit, not Stella. The food started rotting and molding at an exponential speed.

“You missed.” Donovan said, disappointed.

No she didn’t. Tamarin said and Christine swore she heard pride in Tamarin’s voice.

Meanwhile, Stella was screeching. “You bitch!!! That was all my food!!”

Jaxton nodded with approval and Christine knew what she had to do next. She brought down her whip on the corn field and immediately, the spot she hit withered and died. The corruption spread quickly across the field and jumped to another and then to some of the fruit- and nut-bearing trees nearby.

We’re done here. Alaricus said, and started moving away. Donovan hurried to get back on Thantos before being left behind.

“But... Stella’s still alive.” Luella protested.

Starvation and sickness will kill just as surely as your blade or Jaxton’s arrow. Thantos said with approval.

Christine swelled with pride and she felt relieved that she’d found a compromise that she could live with. She looked at the three people she would have as companions for the rest of her time on this earth and felt for the first time that she was truly ready for the task of bringing on the Apocalypse.