Vol. 10 - Chapter 3: Nemesio Santa Cruz

Part 1 – Inside Uriel's soul

"Hey mocoso" (kid or lad)

"Hey mocoso, how long are you going to be lying on the ground, wake up already damn it!"

(PUUM)

"OOUUCCHH" Uriel screams as he raises his body, and looks around. The environment was a desert; there were cactus and many hills in a dry ground that it appeared that it never rained before. Uriel stands up and begins to ask:

"Where am I? I thought I was in a forest covered in snow. Did I somehow manage to travel all the way back to the borderland."

"HAHAHAHA" A man laughs behind Uriel, Uriel turns around surprised and sees a tall man with brown skin, and he is wearing a black charro suit with a large charro hat. He had a large mustache and blue eyes. His hair is white meaning that he has an advance age.

"Who are you?" Uriel asks the man who does not stop laughing. He looks at Uriel and replies:

"My name is Nemesio Santa Cruz, and I am your predecessor. You could say that I am your grandfather."

"Wait, are saying that you are the Charro before Juan de la Trinidad?" Uriel asks with a doubtful expression. Nemesio begins to laugh:

"You catch on quick, yes I am Juan's predecessor, and he was my pupil about 70 years ago."

"70 years ago? How old is Juan?" Uriel asks with a face filled with shock. "When you are a Charro, you age differently from normal humans. Age is just an illusion remember that." Nemesio replies to Uriel.

"I see, anyway where we are?' Uriel asks Nemesio as he looks around. Nemesio puts his hand on Uriel's shoulder explaining:

"Well you see mocoso, this is part of your soul, and you could say it is your inner realm."

Uriel frowns and crosses his arms saying:

"Aww, come one my realm is really dried and boring."

"HAHAHA, seriously, you are in a special place that only a few people can be and you are whining about the setting?" Nemesio laughs at Uriel, Uriel sigh with his eyes close. Nemesio continues to speak:

"You will encounter with different environments as you meet up with your predecessors. This is the one for me; anyway there are some things I need to talk to you about."

"Let me ask you something first, is it true that we are the Horseman of War?" Uriel asks Nemesio, Nemesio puts a serious expression and replies:

"Yes we are, being a horseman is something that you are destined to be, I was one, Juan is one and your 7 other predecessors were as well. I was the eight horseman, you are the tenth."

"How did you become a horseman, and why did you adapt the name of Charro Negro?" Uriel asks Nemesio, he smiles and replies:

"You ask too many questions mocoso but I will answer them. You see, about 200 years ago, a beautiful woman passed the powers to me as I was in the brink of death. She had a pure heart just like you, but she was tired of living because she lived for 300 years as well, I was a young man just like you but I did so many bad things that eventually it lead to my death. She passed her powers to me; you will meet her someday as well. Anyway, the name was because a certain fool killed the mayor of a town in New Mexico and a wanted poster spread towards the whole country. I who was originally from Spain and participated in many wars needed to hide myself so I chose your name."

"Wait, are you saying that I was the one who gave you the name?" Uriel asks with a confused expression, Nemesio laughs and replies:

"Ironic isn't, another clear example that time is just something that we invent. Anyway let's go for a ride."

Uriel and Nemesio walk along a river, the sky has a crimson color; the horses are black with red eyes. Nemesio takes a deep breath and says:

"MMM, AAHH, Nothing like riding a horse, there nothing more free then this right Mocoso?'

Uriel looks at Nemesio and asks:

"So, what did you wanted to talk with me."

Nemesio puts a serious expression and replies:

"It about the White Witch Alexandria."

Uriel and Nemesio stop in order for the horses to have something to drink. Nemesio continues to speak:

"Alexandria was a powerful woman that controlled all sorts of magic, I fought alongside her and her husband Ichabod in the American Revolution, it is natural for a horseman of war to be present in those conflicts, in fact, and a horseman gets stronger when he is engaged in war."

"I did not know that, however I would like to avoid war as much as possible." Uriel says as he looks at the river. Nemesio begins to laugh:

"You are so pure, you remember of my predecessor, however remember this mocoso, there will always be war, because it is human nature, just like the other three horseman who have their own attributes. This is why we exist unfortunately."

"Even so, I prefer not to." Uriel smiles at Nemesio he laughs one more time and continues to speak:

"Anyway, back to the subject. After the country found its independence, I decided to move to Mexico and that is where I fought once again in the independence of the country. I still had communication with Ichabod. "

"Wait, so you were friends with Ichabod?" Uriel asks with confusion. Nemesio nods in agreement and explains:

"Well sort of, we were allies when it came to the revolutionary war, that´s all. I just needed to be in contact to know what his next movement was."

Nemesio and Uriel stop their horses as he explains:

However, something happened to him, he lost his head about 200 years ago but he did not perish, during the American Revolution, a new legend was born, a horseman without its head that killed people by decapitating them during the American Civil War. Ichabod intervene in several battles in favor of the Confederates, killing many lives; however they lost to the Union."

Uriel looks shocked, Nemesio continues to speak:

"After that, Nemesio began to kill people mercilessly, in the northern part of the country. All feared him; he began to expand his terror across the country. For 50 years, the "Legend of the Headless Horseman" spread towards the continent. At the same time a new legend was formed; "El Charro Negro" spread all over Mexico to the southwest of the country."

"So how did you beat him?" Uriel asks Nemesio who continues to speak:

"About 100 years ago, Ichabod attacked a city on the Rio Grande River, located in the south west part of the country. He wanted to expand his legend; however, he came into contact with the leader of the Puritan Defense; Edward Williams and a Saint level member from the Order of the Holy Cross known as; Teresa."

Uriel remembers that Samantha and Big Foot commented about the battle they had, he begins to think a little, Nemesio continues to explain:

"The battle lasted 10 days and nights, a massive destruction caused in the desert region. Teresa managed to bind him; Edward managed to separate Alexandria´s soul from her body. I mange to pull out her heart, Ichabod was sealed in a coffin a taken to the place of his Birth; Sleepy Hollow. Alexandria´s soul disappeared, her body was taken to Roanodare and I took her heart to the members of the Sasquatch tribe I take it you made contact with them right?"

Uriel nods in agreement, Nemesio continues:

"Unfortunately, Teresa lost her life after the battle, Edward lost his arm, I was severely wounded that I needed to find a successor. That is when I met Juan and passed his powers to him."

"I see, that explains, and now I was foolish enough to revive her." Uriel lowers his head, Nemesio slaps him saying:

"Stop regretting on the actions you did, what is done is done, you must concentrate in how to seal her again, and you must defeat Ichabod."

"Wait, I thought Ichabod died in the battle?" Uriel asks with a clueless expression, Nemesio sighs with his eyes close and punches Uriel screaming:

"IDIOTA, PUT ATTENTION."

"S-S-SORRY" Uriel apologizes as he falls off the horse. Nemesio explains:

"Teresa managed to seal him, however, when Alexandria was revived, so did Ichabod. Now you must be careful with him, he is not a regular enemy; in fact, he might be the strongest foe you will have to face."

"The strongest? Why is that?" Uriel asks with fear. Nemesio looks at him and comments:

"Stop worrying so much, the fact that he is strong doesn't mean that he is invincible right? In fact, I think you fought against two powerful Aztec Deities by yourself and defeated them. That means that you are strong yourself."

"I only did it to defend the people I care about." Uriel says as he blushes, Nemesio smiles and says:

"Well good for you, now for the other topic is the power that you posses, remember that the power of the horseman may be too much for you to handle yet. Even I couldn´t control at the fullest."

"But why is that?" Uriel asks Nemesio, Nemesio looks at his hand and explains:

"The power of the horseman of war is based on hatred; the more you hate the more berserk you will become. That power can be lethal for us horsemen. It is something unavoidable."

Uriel and Nemesio arrive at a lake that had a small island; in that island there is a small box. Nemesio points at the box and says:

"See that box over there, don't ever approach it, the only time that you must use that box is when you are at the brink of death."

Uriel looks at the box and asks:

"Why, what does that box have?"

"It contains the power of the horseman, all the hatred, all the sorrow and the rage are inside that small box, if you open it now, the power of the first horseman will be unleashed. Believe me when I say that you don't want to meet that guy."

"Is that man really bad?" Uriel puts a fearful expression; Nemesio looks at the box with rage and replies:

"The first horseman was pure instinct and instinct alone, open that box and you will be swallowed by him causing him to be release to the world. But remember, you must use it when you are at deaths door okay. Horseman can die as well; it only takes more power and time."

"I understand the situation well, and I´ll try to avoid that box okay." Uriel says as he begins to feel the large amount of manna located in the box. Nemesio and Uriel get away from the box.

As they ride back to the hill, Uriel begins to think about the past, how he felt that hatred towards the Chupacabras, the Aztec Gods and against Big Foot. His hand begins to tremble; Nemesio puts his hand on Uriel´s shoulder and says:

"Just calm down, I know that you can control it otherwise that idiot Juan would never have chosen you. My time is about to be completed, I need you to remember something mocoso."

Nemesio begins to disappear slowly; Uriel begins to beg for him to stay:

"Wait, I still have some other questions, please."

"Sorry muchacho, it looks like my time is up, but don't worry, we will meet again someday. Do try to avoid dangerous women okay, cause if you don't, one can break your heart. Take care." Nemesio disappears along with the inner realm."

"WWWAAIIITTT" Uriel screams as he disappears as well.

Part 2- In a certain room

Uriel slowly opens his eyes, at first, everything looks blurry. He begins to rub his eyes and looks at the ceiling, the ceiling had some cracks, and it was brown colored. Uriel looks around; he sees the walls that are green colored. He looks that there is a chair next to him. He begins to lift his upper body and notices he has some bandages. He looks at the other side and sees a door.

He tries to move and feels pain in his body; Uriel begins to recall that the White Witch blew him away. He also remembers the conversation he had with Nemesio.

"What was that? Was it all a dream?" Uriel asks himself as looks at his hand. Suddenly a door opens; a girl wearing black nun attire enters the room, the girl with blonde hair and blue eyes enters the room.

"Thank God that you are awake, I´m so happy." The girl runs and hugs Uriel, who asks:

"Lisa, is that you?"

Lisa nods in agreement and replies:

"Of course it is me. You sure took a great damage in your body; I went ahead and patch you up."

"I see, thank you very much. So where was I when you found me?" Uriel asks Lisa, Lisa sits in a chair and explains:

"You were unconscious in the woods; I was walking studying the flora when I found you. You were freezing to death."

Uriel laughs and says:

"Well I had some troubles and I fell asleep in the woods."

Lisa looks with a suspicious expression and asks:

"Hey Uriel, what were you doing in the woods?"

"N-N-Nothing, I was with Samantha and…" Uriel stops and begins to think about Samantha, he lowers his head. Lisa looks at Uriel and asks; "Where is Samantha?"

"She needed to head back to her home place." Uriel replies with a sorrow tone. Lisa begins grabs Uriel´s hand and says:

"I don't know what´s going on but I will support you okay."

Uriel smiles and says; "Thank you. Anyway, I need to head to the forest near Bay city, do you if there are buses nearby?"

Lisa begins to laugh and replies; I don't think that there are busses that go from Empire City to Bay City here."

"Did you say Empire City?" Uriel stands up and looks at the window. The view was filled with large skyscrapers in the area and many people walking in the streets. Lisa walks forward and says:

"As you can see, we are in Empire City, about 300 miles away from Bay City."

Uriel looks pale and begins to scream; "NO WAAAYYY!"