AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Samael backhanded Mark and hew flew across the room like a rag doll hitting yet another wall. Mark pulled himself off the floor with a great deal of effort and realized that he had let go of the sword. Samael bent down and picked up the sword then tossed it aside.
Mark’s mind suddenly put all the pieces together like a giant puzzle as Samael approached him for another assault.
“The Beast used you. He used your arrogance to hurt your father.” Mark said as he teetered on uneasy legs. Mark felt like he might pass out, that last collision with the wall had broken more bones. Mark didn’t know how much more he could take.
“I have never followed The Beast. How dare you?!” Samael’s said angrily.
Mark looked over at the wall, at the company logo.
“I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.” Mark said in a preacher’s voice.
“Don’t assume to teach me my father’s words, boy,” Samael said. “I am the forth horseman. I did what I had to. I needed to prove that humans were worthless.”
“I don’t understand. Why didn’t you just ask for forgiveness? Your father is God.” Mark stood in front of Samael looking disappointed in the angel. He tried not to sway but his body wasn’t cooperating.
“I was full of vanity and hatred. The Beast used my failings to hurt my father.” Samael put his hand to his head. “I can never go home!”
“God saw this coming. He knew you would betray him. Yet, he still loved you. Ask for forgiveness.” Mark demanded.
“Father, please forgive me. My vanity and weakness have led me down this path. Please give me a chance to redeem myself.” Samael pleaded, then a strange peace came over his face.
“Before I return home I feel I owe you a debt. I repay my debts,” Samael said with respect. “I have never met a human quite like you before. If one human can see God’s light, maybe I was wrong.”
“What about your daughter?!” Mark was angry. If Samael could see it in him, why could he not see it in his own daughter? Sarah was one thousand times more devoted than he was.
“Sometimes hatred makes even an angel blind to the truth. Ceralin has paid more than most for her sins. She deserves happiness.” Samael walked closer to Mark. “Now for my debt. The story of Revelations was not only a prophecy. Father gave that human a vision of the past as well, only he did not understand it as such. The horseman have been on earth for as long as man, I was the first. My three brothers came after. Azazel the horseman of war, Asmodeus the horseman of conquest and Abaddon the horseman of famine and pestilence. They are also known as The Angel of Death in many cultures. One of them will attempt to take my place and finish The Beast’s work. I kept them at bay because I didn’t want the apocalypse, I merely wanted to show my father the true nature of human kind. I was wrong about humans, they do have the capacity to love my father. If I had opened my eyes to my daughter sooner I would not have suffered so long, but that is my failing, not hers. Make her happy, she deserves that at least.” Samael looked up to the sky and then vanished, Mark looked for the sword but it had also vanished.
Mark fell to the floor. His determination and the adrenaline were the only things keeping him standing. Without these his body began to fail. He got up and tried to take a few steps toward the door Sarah had been taken through but he was too weak. He saw the room sway and soon everything went black.
Chapter 16
Mark woke in his own bed back in the small town he called home. He wasn’t sure how he had gotten there but it must have been Agnus. He slowly lifted himself from his bed. His wounds still hurt. The bones had mended but the pain was still there. He walked carefully down the steps, found some shoes, put them on and walked out the door toward the library. Agnus must be in the library. It looked like it was after noon and her house looked empty.
When Mark opened the door to the library he was greeted with the sight of Agnus and Charles speaking quietly to each other. His head pounded and he couldn’t quite make out what they were saying. When they noticed him they quit speaking and helped him to a chair.
“Where’s Sarah?” Mark asked.
Angus looked at Charles and Charles spoke.
“When we got there you were unconscious on the floor of Samael’s office and Samael was gone…” Charles paused, not wanting to tell Mark the rest.
No, it couldn’t be, was Sarah dead? The pause from Charles sent shivers up Mark’s spine. He would never get to tell her the truth, that he did love her.
Angus took over, realizing that her teddy bear of a husband wasn’t cut out to give people bad news.
“When we went to the cells, Sarah was gone.” Agnus looked down. “I’m sorry, Mark, we couldn’t find her.”
At least she wasn’t dead. Maybe she escaped? She might be on her way here right now. Then another thought came to mind.
“Aren’t I supposed to be some chosen savior of humanity? I couldn’t beat Samael. I had to out think him. I used his own guilt to make him repent in the end.” Mark didn’t understand, he thought he was supposed to be like a super warrior for God or something.
