Chapter 2 The horsemen come

(Carmen Astor)

(Kingdom of Antherea to the Northwest)

Big changes are coming is what the letters continually tell me. New problems will arise around our mansion. For more than 40 years my family has directed their attention to converting this great Dynasty to the teaching of the girls and boys who possess the power of the "Black Blood" or as they call us in the Kingdoms "Witches" it was not until I took my father's place when I started transporting the blue water lily powder which is completely illegal in the Realms for what it can do to the body, many call it happy hour. Since I add a bit of enhancer.

Together with the women and men of my coven we take it from Kingdom to Kingdom and the same people who call us demons are the hypocrites who buy it without saying anything. Holy men, noble men, soldiers, many people buy it but everything is a secret network since the church looks for clues to assassinate me. The house also, as I said, works as a school, it is obvious that I do not put the boys in this type of business, only the witches who want and who are over 20 years old.

While I think about this I find myself embroidering a fine dress because soon we will celebrate the pagan festival of the dark rabbit. A ceremony in which witches who reach 18 are ready to take a role in the coven. In total so far we are 63 witches, whether they are adults or apprentices.

I hear footsteps outside my room and whispering and laughter came from behind the door. The doors opened and Margot entered.

"Excuse me, dark priestess, but we wanted to know if you will give us the field class today." She turned back and they began to laugh, they were all good girls. Outside the room looking through the doors were Leo and Angelica. My role here is to be the rector and the other witches her teachers, but you must in when I like to teach.

I smiled and she returned her smile to me –Of course my child, in a moment– after they left my room I put my sewing in my closet and put everything in her place. When I came down the stairs, 6 young people were waiting for me in the main hall, girls and boys from 15 to 16 years old. I took them outside to a small field behind the house where there is a pond and some trees.

–Our class today is something interesting, although there are still at least 2 years until their mass of the dark rabbit I think it is time to learn this spell–

I placed some dead animals on the ground. Leo immediately asked - My dark priestess, will you teach us the spell of Vitae et vita? - I immediately answered his question - Oh Leo of course not. That is a very advanced spell even for guys of 20–

Angelica indicated - Will they give us relatives? -

- Wrong too, your family members have to obtain them yourself and earn their trust. These are puppets we use them to have eyes at night we use animals to which once dead we sew their eyes with a spell which links us to the soul of the animal, this procedure has to be done with respect to the lifeless body of our brother dead - I took the owl and placed my hands on top of it.

-When I say the spell I will assume a position of pain and I will remain immobile in it, calm is normal- I raised my gaze to the sky.

–Conjunctio naturalis– Immediately my body began to twist and the owl opened the seams of its eyes taking my eyes and their color, the students were immediately scared, but at the same time it surprised them because their faces showed fascination and disgust at the same time Except for Margot, she was just a surprise, this may be a good indication as she is one of the more advanced students, she could be the next dark priestess.

The wings of my puppet began to move, she was flying through the skies. Immediately everyone took the animal from him and repeated the spell, the animals were wolves, eagles and spiders.

They could not hear my voice except in their thoughts * This spell has a disadvantage and as you see the body is adrift, before it has to be in a safe place or surrounded by its witch sisters * I saw my sister leave the mansion Carmelita. She was coming in a hurry so I destroyed the spell, I immediately returned to my body and the owl fell from the sky inert before falling I got up from the ground and took it.

"You guys keep practicing!" My sister whispered to me.

–It's the 4 Horsemen of the apocalypse, they come to inspect again– we ran towards the house. Before we got in, my sister moved her hand towards the bodies of the students, casting an invisibility spell on her bodies. My other younger brother Chaitz who has already turned 18 and will soon be the christening of his dark rabbit was at the door.

–What do we do Carmen? Below we are studying the bodies of cemeteries will notice the smell–

This time they took us by surprise –I have to remove the protection spells that I placed in the house– Carmelita took me by the arm –Sister even if you are the oldest and our priestess that is a silly idea those spells keep us safe– to which I replied.

"I'm sorry Carmelita, but if the Riders try to use their powers this house will bounce the spell and they will know that we are witches" Chaitz supported me.

–She is right sister, also our older brother is not there and is one of the strongest along with Carmen, they will destroy the house since there are only like 3 witches of the coven without counting you and the others are students– Remove the protection spells of the house and placed one more on the dead bodies studying downstairs.

Carmelita opened the door –Come in please, Carmen is here– The riders wore raincoats with large leather capes, a long hat and a raven mask similar to the mask of the doctors of the great southern plague that occurred so many years ago .

The Horsemen did not speak, not because they did not want to, but because they did not have a tongue. Each one carries a symbol with a color on their right arm. The four of them went on to what I asked –Excuse me, I would like to see your order first as it seems that they want to find clues of something imaginary– One of them handed me a paper was an Order from the church.

Chaitz annoyed asked – And now that my sister is accused, my lord? – The white horseman looking at the roofs of the house noted in the note.

-What does it say sister? – asked Chaitz to what I read -This order is placed since in an interrogation of possession to the south of the Kingdom of Antherea the woman affirmed that you "Carmen Astor" is the main culprit of your horrible possession so that your home will be inspected to verify acts of witchcraft by the 4 Horsemen of the apocalypse – Carmelita immediately shouted – This is stupid! Just because a sick girl said my sister's name, is she already suspected of having caused it? –

The Red Rider took a girl by force by the face, my brothers were ready to act but I calmed them down –Wait– the girl screamed in fright, but then her words were the words of the Red Rider.

-They are orders of the Church, so I ask that you close your mouth or kill me immediately and I will say that you opposed the review- After that, he released the girl, she hit her knees on the ground, my sister ran to help her, her He got up and led her to another room.

Each Rider has a power apart from the "Black Blood" which his bracelet depends on his right arm, the white rider carries a white bow with gold which is the leader of the 4 horsemen, his ability is called "The Victory" This indicates that they have more strength and resistance to attacks of all kinds. The Red Horseman carries a symbol of swords striking in red and black, his power is called "War" this power is the ability to control minds more easily by making them fight each other and destroying memories at will. The Black Horseman has the symbol of weighing scales which are black and gray, his power is called "Hunger and decay" his power lies in nature, he has a corrosive touch causing any creature or wall to be destroyed and die of a violent way. Finally, the Bay Horseman whose symbol is a scythe with dark green and yellow colors, his power is called "Death" very similar to the Black Horseman, except that the Bay Horseman can kill millions without touching them or making them feel pain just by looking at them. . They are all to be feared and although I could kill them immediately if the Kingdom found out, they would send all the other horsemen in the other Kingdoms since there are 4 for each Kingdom even though I am the Dark Priestess they would kill me and all my children immediately.

After half an hour, which was the longest of my life, the Riders left and apologized for the damage they had committed, my brothers and I rested and threw ourselves towards the armchairs with a huge sigh. Chaitz jokingly said -I could kill them all- at that moment Margot said -We are already inside my lady- Chaitz got up scared thinking that the Riders had returned and heard him. Carmelita and I started laughing as did Margot.

"Margot don't do that again," Chaitz said.

A while more Margot approached me –Excuse me my lady, can I ask you something? –

I nodded. "Whatever you want my girl," She replied, "Because you are the only priestess in the 12 Kingdoms?" I answered immediately.

–Well, it is because only one can inherit this power, although there are other covens throughout the Kingdom, their leaders only reach the ranks of great rectors or coven heads, however only one can be the one who directs them, she has to be the one that directs them to the other covens, but although it has its advantages such as having more power than any other witch, its flaw is that I have to die just when I turn 50, then my power will pass to the other girl–

Margot asked me something else – my lady, and why the 4 horsemen also have the power of the Black Blood if they are not witches? – The students who were passing by the place stopped when they heard this, just like my brothers opened their eyes .

"You'll find out later, now you're very young." She accepted my answer and went to run. This secret was only known to my brothers and the witches of the coven, not the students, because it was a secret that if it fell into the wrong hands or innocent ears they could execute us.

At night I went down to the basement, there were my brothers preparing everything – Is the blue water lily ready? Tomorrow we have an important delivery outside the Kingdom – Chaitz said – Sure sister, the formula is almost there, it is incredible to feel the tension of how illegal this work is – Carmelita gave a great laugh and affirmed – We do nothing illegal, we only sell dreams to the rich people HaHa–

Night fell at 12 o'clock by this time everyone was asleep, and tomorrow would be another important day for the family.