Darksiders: The Survivors

Chapter 19 - Blood and Darkness

The throne room lay in the heart of Samael's great fortress and War and Strife remembered it like it was yesterday when they first came here to stop Lucifer's invasion. War approached the door first and Emily Victus stood close behind him but before he could do anything, like smashing through the door that he was known for, Strife casually approached, took the demonic knocker in his hands and hit it against the door. It was probably the loudest knock Emily heard.

"Why ruin it that way, brother?" War grumbled,

"We're guests aren't we?" Strife asked, there was a hint of sarcasm in his tone.

The two doors swung open automatically and Emily shuddered. Even if Samael had done business with the Horsemen before, she still felt her anxiety rising. It made her recall Beelzebub once more. War turned to her and leaned closer reassuringly.

"Stay behind me for now," he instructed, I'll never forgive myself if anything happens to you, he left that last part out, he didn't want to hear Strife tease him again.

Emily nodded and followed the Horsemen into the throne room. It was wide and semicircular like a small arena with great stone pillars pointing to the open red sky and they bent forward like bowing toward the guests entering. They descended down the curved stone stairwell and Emily kept close to War, clutching his left gauntlet. War blushed but did his best to hide it.

Samael's throne was facing away from the door they had entered rather than on the far side of the open chamber. Across from it was a large open space with a moat of lava separating the throne from the rest of the floor.

Strife felt his skin crawl. Samael was certainly home and when the Horsemen saw several demons lined at the back of the room against the pillars growling and snarling at them, they knew they were right. But why was it unsettling? One of the larger demons pulled out its weapon, a steel mace. Strife's hands were on his revolvers and War reached for his sword.

Emily kept still behind War. These demons weren't possessed but that did not mean they were free of threat.

"Let them come," a deep booming voice reverberated throughout the throne room. The sound of the source was close. Samael was on his throne and clearly expecting them.

"Leave us," Samael commanded once again, and the other demons in the room lowered their weapons and departed through a hidden passage as the Horsemen and the human crossed the short bridge and stood before Samael.

The great muscular red-skinned demon lord sat atop his throne with his massive inverted wings and tall curved horns that looked uneven. He had a fierce visage and steel armour covering the left half of his torso. The right bare half was covered in spiral markings on his shoulder and he wore two gauntlets and a belt with a draping loincloth. War stood in front of Emily to keep her concealed.

"Only two Horsemen, War and Strife, feels like old times doesn't it? To what do I owe the pleasure?" Samael inquired, sounding unexpectedly pleasant to see them both. Normally, Samael hated visitors but he always made an exception for any of the Horsemen, for any enemy the Horsemen made, was also certainly an enemy of Samael as well.

Strife cleared his throat, "Well, you see we gotta save the world again Samael and there's something we're looking for. A relic used to unlock a powerful sigil,"

"With it, we can confront the Council. Azrael tells us you know where it is hidden," War added,

Samael stroked his chin, "So, it's true then..." he paused and gave a short deep laugh, "that pigeon's prophecy, all of it, being fulfilled, at long last..."

War and Strife exchanged looks before the former spoke again, "You know of it?"

"Of course, I do, War. Just because I have returned to power does not mean I live under a rock. Demons not under my command are running scared, they know trouble is afoot, and that can only mean one thing, someone has found the true weapon to end this war. Perhaps I will finally be of use as well after my wrongful imprisonment,"