Downtown Hell

Chapter Thirteen

We approached the other horsemen who were laughing about something the demon next to them had said. When he saw us, he quickly got up and disappeared in a yellow cloud of smoke.

"War! It's good to see you again." The woman on the right rose from her armchair. I almost jumped back in shock.

Maybe it was because of the way her bones were visible through her skin, shifting with every movement, maybe because of her pale skintone, her thin, thin face and the dark bags under her eyes. But it was mainly because of these said eyes.
Where Wars eyes had been fairly normal in his human form, hers were purely white, there wasn't even a pupil or an iris, just plain white.

"Famine, good to see you too. Where have you been the last fifty years?"

The woman, Famine, grinned. "Having some fun all over the world. You should've done that as well, you seem... bored."

"If what everyone says is true, we won't be bored for much longer. But enough of that, Famine, I want to introduce you to someone."
He nodded in my direction.

"This is Lillith."

Famines gaze focused on me now, piercing through my face with those white eyes. "I've heard of you. You're that fallen soldier who can now control hellfire", she stated after a while.

Instead of an answer, I summoned a small flame into my hand and let it dance over my fingers.

"Remarkable", she said with a gleam in her eyes.

I closed my hand and the flame died. Then, I turned to the third person in the room. He had been silent the entire time, but now he cleared his throat.

He looked similar to Famine, the same thin and emaciated body, the same sunken eyes. But his pale skin had a green and yellow tint and his eyes were a normal green-grey colour, although they were reddened and a bit swollen. A small swarm of flies surrounded his head.

"I assume you're Pestilence then?"

He nodded slowly, but didn't say a word.

"So, you weren't attacked by heaven on your way here?", I asked.

"No, why would we? Heaven has lost track of us for a long time. They only keep an eye on War because of his... reputation."

I stared at Famine in disbelief. "But... I was told you were ordered here because it wasn't safe for you out there."

The horsemen exchanged some concerned glances.

"Heaven wouldn't dare to attack us, even with all their strength, before the apocalypse they can't harm us. Although they've tried before. And noone can order us anywhere, we're here because the apocalypse is imminent."

"But they attacked you," I said.

"Because I basically invited them to."

A few seconds of stunned silence followed Wars words.

"But... Lucifer, he..." I narrowed my eyes. "I have to go."

I rushed to the door, pushing it open with a blast of my powers and took off to the palace. Lucifer better had a good explanation for this.

~~~

"Lucifer!!!", I yelled as I stormed into the throne room, red sparks flying from my feet. He seemed to be in the middle of a war meeting, surrounded by four of the sins, two demons and another Fallen One.

"Leave us!", he commanded them. They bowed their heads and went through the portals on the wall.

"The apocalypse? That's what's going on here?? Why didn't you tell me?"