Darksiders: Age of Creation (Book 3)

Chapter 4: Family is Family, Even if They Wish You To Be Dead

"Oh great...you're a Watcher, correct?" Damiana mumbled, shifting her weight onto her left leg.
"That is correct, Horseman. I'm a certain kind of Watcher, a new version." The pale pink being smiled.
Well, it looked like it was smiling. It's sky blue eyes squinted in a friendly manner and seem to be a lot with happiness.
"A new version? Are you as annoying as my brothers expressed to me?" Damiana asked, tilting her head at the bizarre looking Watcher.
"The other Horsemen?" The Watcher tilted it's head, mimicking Damiana.
"I don't believe I met the other 4..."
"Er huh...well, at least you aren't sarcastic....your people have names, correct?"
"Not all of us. But my name is Vora, your humble guide hand picked by the Charred Council." Vora the Watcher giggled, seemingly swelling up in pride by that fact.
"So-"
"Oh, you're the Anti Christ! May I see your mark? I've heard so many tales of-"
"Maybe a little later, 'kay? How do we get to Heaven?" Damiana smiles sweetly at the excited Watcher, hoping she would shut up.
"Ooh of course! I apologize, I get off topic fairly quickly. Like the other day-"
"Vora, Heaven, remember?"
Vora nodded once and ceased floating in the air. The Watcher stood only half of Damiana's height, as if it were a small child. Through her wine red bangs, Vora gazed up at Damiana with expecting eyes.
"Well...aren't you gonna summon The Mad Horse?"
"That's Betrayal and um, okay? How will this allow me to go to Heaven?"
"I can show you!"
Nodding once, Damiana flicked her wrist and watched as the mare appeared before her in a mass of shadows. Betrayal looked down at her rider and seemed to smile with her purple eyes. When Vora made a small squeak in excitement, Betrayal's eyes flicked over at the young Watcher and instantly became panicked.
"Shh...it's okay Betrayal." Damiana reached out and stroked Betrayal's snout.
Betrayal snorted and flattened its jet black ears against its head.
"Oh...I take the Mad Horse doesn't like me?" Vora sighed, sounding extremely dissatisfied with that notion.
"If you keep calling her that, of course she wouldn't like you." Damiana said quietly, placing her armored boot into the stirrup.
Betrayal kept its eyes on Vora as Damiana heaved herself into the saddle. When Damiana nodded at Vora to come over, Betrayal took a few steps back from the approaching entity.
"Hush now, it's fine." Damiana cooed into Betrayal's ear, stroking the restless mare's mane.
Vora inclined her head at Betrayal, despite its hostile glare, and floated over behind Damiana in the saddle.
"Okay, let's go!" Vora said, smile apparent in her voice
🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷
"Wow...that was entirely too long." Damiana breathed, pulling back on Betrayal's reins.
The mare came to a slow stop in front of a large white bridge, whinnying in quiet protest.
"I thought it was wonderful! I got to know you and you got to know me; I think this partnership is really going to work!" Vora laughed.
Damiana smiled and nodded once. The Watcher and her spoke non stop for the past 5 hours.
'The Watchers don't seem as annoying as Death told me.' Damiana thought privately, flicking Betrayal's reins.
Betrayal started trotting across the stone bridge, making a small nicker in warning.
"I see them." Damiana mumbled, trying not to make it obvious that she could see the trio of angels circling above.
"You might wanna-" Damiana gazed to the side and noticed the pale pink Watcher was gone.
"Go. Okay." Damiana urged Betrayal into a faster pace to get to the front Gate quicker.
Damiana squinted against the bright city's glare and looked to the side. More angels flanked her from the side and was closing in.
'They really think I can't see them? That's an insult to my intelligence...' Damiana huffed angrily at that thought and pulled up on the reins when Betrayal stood only a few feet away from the Front Gate.
A large armored angel with an even bigger sword blocked their path, white eyes glowing menacing from inside his helmet. Another two angels landed behind Damiana, along with one angel on either side of Damiana.
"Anti Christ," a female voice rang from above.
"You aren't to be here. Especially not since you destroyed a portion of our city." Uriel, the Champion of the White City, landed harshly before Betrayal.
The relatively tall female angel held up her sword in a threatening manner at Damiana, wearing a look of disgust and anger.
"We lost 2 of us because of you," Uriel took another step closer.
"I apologize...I need to see Abbadon, official Council-Horsemen business." Damiana shifted up in the saddle and looked down at Uriel.
"That's rich, why should I allow a murderer near our General?"
"I was assigned-"
"Enough! Get down from your horse and fight me!" Uriel hissed, taking an experimental swipe at Betrayal.
"Listen; I don't give a damn about what you want. I was assigned to do something, and I'm damn well gonna finish it!" Damiana crossed her arms.
Without warning, Uriel propelled herself upwards and tackled Damiana out of the saddle. Bringing her fist back, Damiana glanced her hand across Uriel's jaw, knocking her back a few feet.
Uriel shook her head and took up her sword, giving Damiana a murderous glare. Before Uriel could strike, Damiana snatched Furor from its scabbard. As if the chains attached to the Anti Christ were living, it attached itself to the handle of Furor. Without thinking once, Damiana brought back Furor and swung it towards Uriel, sending off a hailstorm of fire.
    Uriel dove to the side and just missed the missile like fire storm. Using her wings like a living engine, Uriel catapulted herself from the ground towards Damiana. Timing the over zealous angel's collision speed, Damiana ducked down and sprung her blade forward, deeply impaling Uriel in her midsection. Uriel made a shrill scream and crumpled to the ground, holding her wound to prevent blood from spilling.
"Now may I pass?" Damiana said, trying to mimic her eldest brother's calm composure.
Deep down inside,Damiana almost begged for the angel to get back up...
Just so she may beat the bastard back into the ground.
"Why should you be allowed to pass?" A thin blade was pressed against Damiana's exposed back.
     Sighing deeply, Damiana slowly turned her head to the side. Another angel was behind her, standing as tall as her late mother. His jaw was clenched tight in suppressed anger and his brow was furrowed in a stern manner.
"I assume...you're Abbadon?" Damiana said sheepishly.
"Take her to the Medical Ward." Abbadon ordered, motioning towards the gasping Uriel.
     A few angels nodded once and went to carry Uriel off, both giving Damiana a dirty look.
"Why are you here?" Abbadon barked, allowing Damiana to turn to face him.
"I was informed by the Council that I am to be your protector." Damiana answered simply, looking up at Abbadon.
"I don't need a protector, turn and go back to your keepers."
"I was ORDERED to protect you, I cannot go back." Damiana stomped her foot angrily.
"How am I to know YOU aren't the assassin? You certainly have the reasons to murder me!" Abbadon hissed, keeping his sword leveled at Damiana's neck.
"Come on, man, I have to do what I'm told. It's not even gonna be a long term thing! They'll probably assign Death or Fury to you in a week." Damiana sighed dramatically.
    Abbadon and Damiana locked eyes and didn't speak for a few minutes. Abbadon searched for deception in the girl's eyes and slowly lowered his weapon.
"Follow me...open the Gates." Abbadon nodded at the Guardian Angel, who quickly dipped his head and flew up to open the gates.
"You stay beside me, in my sight, got it?" Abbadon glared down at Damiana.