Darksiders: Age of Creation (Book 3)

Chapter 3: The Blood of God

Damiana patted Betrayal's snout, smiling to reassure the restless mare. Betrayal snorted and buried it's head in Damiana's thick hair, blowing strands of Damiana's hair up.
"It'll only be a few moments!" Damiana whispered to Betrayal.
Betrayal made a sound similar to human like sigh and bobbed it's head.
"I'm okay. What happened last time was a fluke, I promise I'll be more careful." Damiana cooed, remembering her little skirmish in Hell with the General.
When Betrayal backed away, Damiana rushed up to her walking brothers and strode up to Fury.
"Hi, Dami, haven't seen you in a week." Fury smiled, draping her arm around Damiana's shoulders.
"Did you miss me?" Damiana chuckled, smiling up at Fury.
"Not really." Fury snickered and grinned to show she was kidding
"Promise me you won't speak back to the Council when they say something you don't like." Fury said in a low voice
"As long as they don't say anything messed up." Damiana rolled her eyes.
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"Horsemen," the center head bellowed, making the very ground beneath the brotherhood shake.
"You called for us, Esteemed Council?" Death asked, taking a few steps ahead of his younger siblings.
"Recently, attacks on Heaven's borders and within the city has caused an unruly arise in the Angels occupying Heaven." The head on the Left thundered, spitting fire from its gapping mouth.
"How does that concern us or the balance?" Strife piped up, earning a glare from Fury and Death.
"Silence!" The middle head snapped.
"Unrest in Heaven is leading to talks of war with Hell again."
"Therefore the Balance will be in peril if a war breaks out between the feuding sides." The last head finished.
Damian's blinked and looked up from the ground. Taking a few shaky steps forward, despite Fury's silent warnings, Damiana stood before the Council.
"Damia-" Death glanced to the side.
"Rider of Darkness? Why have you-" the middle head began.
"What kind of attacks?" Damiana said, crossing her arms.
"Insolent one!"
"Death, why allow-"
"No, hush and answer my question-" Damiana gazed to the side and saw Fury give her a warning look.
"Please."
Silence...
"The Archangels have been attacked by an unknown assailant. The bodies have been lacerated and their blood was drained-"
"HA! I told you!" Damiana turned and grinned widely at her stunned brothers.
"Lucifer is behind this! He needs the Archangels' blood to activate his-" Damiana started before a heavy hand clasped her shoulder.
"I apologize for Damiana's...intrusion, Council. What of us do you require assistance?" Death replied, casting an annoyed look Damiana's way.
"Go back and stay in the line. You will not rise until this meeting is through, understand?" Death hissed at her, pushing her back.
Damiana stomped her foot and turned on her heels. She stalked back over to War and crossed her arms angrily, not even bothering to meet his gaze.
"We have decided to send you 4 on a scouting mission to find the real assassin to ease Heaven's unrest."
Death nodded once, then stopped for a moment and thought.
"Four? There are five of us, Council." Death said cautiously.
"Fury and Death will search the West and East of here, War and Strife will search North and South of here."
"What of Damiana, Council?" War chimed in, dipping his head in distant respect to the Charred Council.
"The remaining Archangel, Abaddon, is of need of a guard. Damiana will be assigned to this job."
The Brotherhood went silent and just stared at the 3 heads, blinking once in unison.
"I do not think that is the wisest of decisions to allow Damiana to protect Abbadon." Fury said shakily, glancing at Damiana in distant fear.
"I could be the Archangel's Guardian-" Strife started, standing in front of Damiana protectively.
"Silence!"
"We have decided. Go do what we have assigned to you!" The council roared, quaking the ground with their thunderous voices.
Death took a step forward as if he were to say something, but slowly backed down and nodded towards Damiana.
"Of course." He turned and nodded at his other siblings.
War, Strife, and Fury all blinked at their eldest brother and went off to argue.
"She's too young!"
"The assailant would kill her..."
"You're really gonna stand there and allow this to happen?!"
Death pushed past his siblings and stopped by Damiana.
"Be careful." He said quietly, waving for the other three to follow him.
Damiana slowly nodded and watched the rest of her brotherhood walk past, giving each a reassuring smile.
"Don't die." Strife smirked, patting Damiana's shoulder.
Damiana watched them go and turned back to the Council.
"Guess I should leave, no?" Damiana sighed, raising her hand to block the blazing light.
"Step forward and kneel." The middle head informed.
"Uh...why?"
"Just do as you are told, Horseman!"
Muttering under her breath, Damiana approached the Council and knelt before them, keeping her eyes and head bowed in respect.
After a short silence, Damiana felt fire like tendrils wrap around her being.
"GAH! What're you doing!?" She hissed, struggling against the burning flames.
"Hold still, Rider of Darkness," she heard one of the Council say.
When the burning grew too intense, Damiana collapsed to the ground, gasping and sputtering in agony. After a few moments, the burning gradually left her body, leaving an almost pleasant cool sensation.
"What....was that for?" Damiana said in an almost inaudible voice.
"We have decided to allow you to retain most of your birth given abilities...to help you with protecting Abbadon against the assassin." The center head voiced, sounding as if it regretted it the moment it said it.
"Why most of?"
"You need to be kept in check. If given too much power, even we do not know of what you will accomplish; whether evil or not."
"A safety precaution." The left head finished.
'They don't trust me...great.' She thought folding her arms.
"You will be watched. Now; begone with you. Protect the last of the Archangels, Aloxsunamoon." The middle head shooed Damiana off.
Damiana sighed then dipped her head at the Council. As she walked away, Damiana turned her head slightly back at the Council.
"Um...where is Heaven?"
What stood behind her was a barren desert, sand slowly being picked up by whirlwinds.
The Council threw her out of their domain...
"Again?! Damn...I wonder where Zareal is..."
"Hello, Horseman!" A small, squeak like voice piped up, startling Damiana.
Damiana looked back in front of her and instantly sighed again, this time with more annoyance.