Free From Hell with Love by Kevin Kauffmann Page B

keeping his gaze fixed on the black eyes of the demon.  Niccolo started to walk toward Amon’s side, in case the fallen wanted to attack his friend.  His wariness was averted when the raven’s mouth opened and a nasal laugh issued forth.
    “Oh, so many questions from the child.  How interesting !” he squawked before pacing back and forth in front of the Horseman.  “To tell you the truth, reaper, this is all such a novel concept.  Almost…no, I shouldn’t consider that,” he muttered as he paced.  After a moment he looked back to Cadmus, his wolf’s teeth showing in a wide smile.
    “To answer these questions of yours, Räum did have a habit of daydreaming.  My brother was bored with the present and would often create alternate realities in his head.  It was a boon to him after the Fall.  He could vividly recall Paradise.  However, I will say this: my brother was serious about his visions.  They were not as detailed as mine,” he bragged, which brought a scoff from Niccolo.
    “Quiet, child.  Whatever patience I have for you will soon be at its end,” Amon said with a glare.
    “I’m sorry, it’s just that the way you’re speaking,” he started, but Amon’s feathers ruffled out as he snapped his beak in Niccolo’s direction.
    “Do you know how hard it is to tell the future, boy?  It is wading through a sea of interweaved threads and only one is correct!  That I’m able to tell any of it apart is a matter of skill and pride.  You have no idea how much of a headache you are!” he shouted, turning toward Cadmus, determined to think on the reaper’s questions, but Niccolo was not finished.
    “I barely said anything,” the Horseman said, getting impatient with Amon’s behavior.  The raven was always short with him.
    “It’s not what you say , leper, it’s you ,” the raven spat out, twitching at the remark.  “You’re the only Horseman whose fate is…difficult to interpret.”
    “What?” Niccolo asked, curious as to what Amon was getting at.
    “Are you serious?  Do you not know the fate that goes along with your position?” the demon asked, his eyes narrowed in confusion.
    “What fate?”
    “You don’t have one, Horseman,” Amon said with annoyance.  “Each one of you has their role in the scriptures.  Cadmus is to be the reaper, Ajax will spread warfare all over the planet and Diogenes will cause sloth among the peasants.  Their roles are defined.  Your fate is… nebulous.  Your predecessor’s story was set to pass without the smallest complication, but you…” Amon trailed off before shaking his head.  “You’re one of the few people I cannot anticipate.”
    “Enough!” Cadmus shouted to the two, losing the air of respect he had tried to cultivate.  Amon turned to him slowly and looked at him with those black eyes, a cold anger taking the place of his annoyance.  “Niccolo, just shut up, we have more important things to discuss,” he said while maintaining eye contact with the raven.  “How can I interpret your brother’s visions?”  Amon almost gave into his fury at the question, but he calmed down before regarding Cadmus in a cold manner.
    “They are reliable.  The details might be slightly off, Räum was given to suggestions, but there is a good chance that what you saw will come to pass.  Now, Horseman, I must insist ,” he said as he came within a foot of the reaper, his wolf teeth only inches away from Cadmus, “what was my brother’s last vision?”
    “I had to kill a friend, Amon.  I wanted to know if I could avoid it,” the reaper lied easily.  He was not going to be intimidated by the fallen any longer.  With his head twitching from side to side, Amon regarded the statement for a moment, but eventually he backed away and sighed.
    “Well, this is something you may avoid.  If you are in the vision, if you can place yourself within the vision, then you have the ability to stop it.  But Horseman,” he said as he turned to look