"There can be no life without Order. Good, evil... darkness, light-there must be Balance in the Universe. Such is the decree of the Charred Council, an ancient body charged by the Creator to preserve the very fabric of existence. But the Balance has been broken. Even now, Earth smolders in ruin, fallen to the Demon Lords, and the Destroyer carves a new kingdom amongst his mighty Chosen. Some say the Horseman War triggered the Apocalypse... that he rode to Earth, unbidden, and doomed all of Mankind. But what of the other Horsemen, fearless enforcers of the Council's will? What of Fury, Strife, Fear, Whisper... and Death? To know those names, you must first know another. Nephilim-cursed union of Angel and Demon. The Nephilim put countless realms to the sword, and burned them to ash. But Four amongst grew weary of the slaughter, and feared their conquest would imperil the Balance. And so, a truce was made; The Four would serve the Council, in exchange for unimaginable power. Thus were the dreaded Horsemen formed. And their riders' first task was to purge their own brethren from Creation... To annihilate the Nephilim... And destroy their souls. Let us now cast our gaze to one amongst the new. Horsemen of Six. Not War, who lies chained at the Councils feet, professing his innocence, but one who would save his brother, above all else. He has many names- Kinslayer, Executioner... Death."

 Dust cawed overhead as Death on Despair and Whisper on Secret rode through the chilling and crunching snow of the Crowfather's realm.

 "To bargain for War's freedom, Death swore that he would resurrect Humanity. But he knew not how this might be done. And so Death and his child rode forth into the icy Veil, to find the Keeper of Secrets."

 Dust cawed again and started to swoop lower and closer to the Horsemen. Death pulled the reins of Despair, making the horse protest and rear, backing up a bit. Whisper stopped next to him. They both looked up to see the tower.

 Dust landed on Deaths shoulder, as though urging his master to continue. Death snapped the reins and made Despair charge forward, Whisper did the same and kept up behind him. They rode up a platform and both dismissed their horses.

 Death ran up to the wall without hesitation and clawed his way up, grabbing the wood at the top and pulling himself up. Whisper ran up behind him and used her feet to kick her way up. She gripped the slippery frozen wood and pulled herself up after him. Death took out a scythe, noticing the frozen skeletons.

 He threw his scythe and it broke through the closest skeleton that had broken out of its ice prison. Whisper used her speed and ran up behind one. She stabbed her staff into its back and twirled it, making its bones go flying everywhere.

 Death rolled out of the way when a third one tried to swing at him with a mace. He stabbed it in the back and picked it up. He slammed it into the ground without a second glance.

 Whisper waited for him at the top of the stairs and Death walked up to her.

 "The Dark Fortress." Death muttered. Whisper nodded and followed after him. They saw a gap and Death got a running start, using his claws to scratch and run along the wall on the left side of it. He stopped on the other side and waited for Whisper.

 Whisper used her speed and lept across to stand in front of her father. He briskly turned away and kept on walking. They both took out their weapons and killed another frost warrior.

 Whisper spotted a chest behind where the warrior was. Death used his reaper forms arms to break it open.

 "Just a potion." Death mumbled and handed her a small green bottle. Whisper put it in her pouch and looked up to see him leaving the small secret cave. Death saw the giant gap, but also some wooden beams hanging from the ceiling.

 He jumped at it and clawed into the wood. He maneuvered around so his back was facing the next one. He looked back and kicked off the one he was on and clawed the next one, slamming his chest into it, but getting a grip.

 Before he moved on, he looked back to unsure Whisper was with him. She was using her gloves, obviously not inheriting her fathers giant nails. He lept to the next one and saw the Crowfather mockingly laughing at him.

 "Crowfather!" Death called. He jumped to the next floor and the Crowfather disappeared into his minions of birds. Death growled in annoyance.

 Whisper landed next to him and saw the crows flying all around. Death started walking again with determination. He swung out one of his scythes, piercing the ice another soldier was in.

 He held out his hands and his eyes glowed a bit. The scythe ripped out of the ice and swung back to him. Death threw it again and it made the icy pillar explode into little specs of hail.

 Whisper watched him walk over to another wall.

 "How do you know where to go?" Whisper asked as she grabbed the shirt off of a soldier.

 "Do you see these marks?" Death asked, pointing at the wall. Whisper walked up next to him and saw the scared parts of the wall.

 "You've been sneaking around a long time haven't you father?" Whisper asked with a smile. He smirked a bit under his mask, though Whisper couldn't see it, she knew it was there. Death jumped up and grabbed the wood with one arm.

 "Are you sure you can do this?" Death asked, knowing full well his daughter had to use gloves for claws. Whisper measured the size of the wall with her eyes. She ran at it and kicked it and used her claws to pierce the wood for a grip.

 "I can keep up." She said, leaping for the next one while Death clawed up the wall after her. Death grabbed a beam and climbed up it like he was a spider, fast and deadly. He ran along the wall and grabbed onto another beam.

Whisper crawled her way up the first beam and nodded to him. Death climbed up and crossed another wall to another beam. He dropped down and waited for her to join him. Whisper landed next to him as he started to continue through the maze of the Dark Fortress.

 Suddenly, all the ice warriors bursted out of their imprisonments and charged the riders. Death swung around his scythes and tore them apart. Whisper raced around them and corraled them easily.

 She got in the middle and spun around her staff, making it grow and eventually hit all the remaining soldiers.

 "Good work." Deaths grumbly voice said, a strange smoothness to it. Whisper smiled with thanks and followed after him as he grabbed roots on the walls and started climbing up. Whisper followed after him and grabbed the ones on the ceiling to follow him.

 "He is, as he was, as I have seen... you don't need to tell me!" Crow father yelled with sick laughter, disappearing into his crows when Death yet again attempted to confront him. The father and daughter chose to ignore the frozen warriors, they were useless objects to kill, though very tempting.

 They both climbed up some more roots and Whisper pulled on the shirt she had taken from the soldier. They both whipped around from the door and saw giant hands clamouring over the icy diamond pillars.

 A strange monster that had ice in its ribs and its bones showing climbed over the side, a spinney tail dangling in the blizzard. It roared, cold smoke emitting from its decayed mouth. Whisper coughed at the stench while Death took it straight on.

 "An Ice Giant!" Death called over his shoulder. Whisper turned back to face the sparing pair. She ran in and swept her staff under its feet, making it fall to the ground. It got up and punched at Death, making the horseman roll out of the way and the Ice Giants fist hit the ground.

 Death morphed into his reaper form and stabbed his huge scythe into the monsters throat and ripped its head off, slamming the scull into the ground, shattering it to pieces. The body stumble a bit, but Death spun around and cut it in half, making the once big and strong Ice Giant a pile of debris.

 He changed back to normal and he and Whisper walked to the next door. Dust cawed, sitting on a rock by the door. They passed through it and Death ran up to run along the wall, he made it all across, going above a wooden piece that was sticking out.

 Whisper wall ran after him, using the post to gain more momentum. They walked over to a statue of a hellguard angel from what Whisper could tell. Death pushed in the lever and leaped back as the elevator rumbled and the angel dropped its spear.

 Whisper looked around when the elevator stopped, not being able to go up anymore with the debris in the way. Death looked around and spotted a wall with wood on it. He motioned for Whisper to follow as he climbed up the first one and lept to the next one.

 She held on next to him, following him as he moved along to the side. They dropped down and saw what was like an abyss of snow, ice and wind. Death went between two walls and started to jump back and forth between them, going up higher with each jump.

 He reached the top and peered over the edge to see Whisper following him, as though she were a copy of her father. Death didn't hesitate and lept at the wall, clawing his way across, using the wooden piece that was sticking out to help him get up higher to make the stretch. Whisper gasped when she thought her father would fall to his doom, but he reached out and grabbed a root and pulled himself up.

 Whisper eyed the wall with distrust.

 "Just reach for the vines." Death said, trying to encourage her. Whisper sighed and ran at the edge, she grabbed the wood piece and swung herself to the vines, she grabbed them and quickly climbed up. Death nodded and started to continue up the roots.

 Death jumped up to the next batch and Whisper did too. She nearly lost her grip when the tower shook.

 "Leave this place!" The Crowfather's angry yell called. A chunk of ice and rock slammed into the mountainside and made some pebbles hit the horsemen. Death hadn't stopped and advanced up the vines, Whisper following him.

 Death lept out again and clawed a hold onto a beam. He crawled up it and jumped up, barely grabbing the next beam. Whisper had stood up on the lower beam and lept up to get a claw into the wood and pulled herself up with one arm.

 Death was already at the top of the next beam and Whisper was crawling up as fast as she could. When she wall ran to the snowy platform, Death was finishing off a ice soldier.

 "I thought you said you could keep up." Death teased as he continued walking. Whisper scoffed and followed after him.

 "I have!" Whisper said, defending herself. Death didn't respond and wall ran to another root. They climbed down and over to more beams and got onto solid ground. Whisper could see beautiful sun light filtering in the giant door way.

 They walked out into the clearing and saw the giant statues of crows and saw the crow father on his throne, clutching his head.

 "Voices... always voices... torment without end."

 "Keep of Secrets, I need you help." Death stated as he stood at the steps with Whisper next to him.

 "I helped you once before, Horseman. Look at me now. How I curse that day. How I curse you." The crow father said, muttering the last part to himself.

 "Careful, Crowfather. I'm not here to put you out of your misery. Not yet." Death said, sounding like he had some amusement in his tone.

 "I know why you've come. Your brother, the one called War. He's been imprisoned by the Charred Council and awaits their judgment. For dooming the Earth. For mankind's extinction. Why should I care about your brother's fate?" The Crowfather asked, roughly turning away from the horsemen.

 "Because you know the truth. Your secrets can save him." Death said, putting a foot on the first step. The Crowfather leaned his head back in a mocking laugh.

 "The Council will condemn War. Strip him of his power, let him rot in oblivion... to hide the truth! My secrets cannot prove his innocence, Horsemen." Death walked up halfway of the steps and stopped when the Crowfather finished.

"No..." Death admitted.

 "But they can help me to erase the crime-"

 "Bring Mankind back from extinction? Madness!" The Crowfather exclaimed with disbelief.

"If it's madness, then who better to show me the way?" Death asked, a small chuckled in his voice, walking up the rest of the steps with Whisper beside him.

 "Should a way exist.." The Keeper of Secrets said, summoning up a portal of somewhere Whisper had never seen before.

"You will find it here." The Crowfather finished.

"The Tree of Life.." Death whispered when recognition started in his mind. He started to walk to it, but the keep of secrets clutched his fist, making the portal disappear.

 "Let us pass." Death demanded.

 "Not yet! That which you gave me... You will take it back." Crowfather stated, holding up a green glowing amulet from around his neck. Whisper eyed it while Death narrowed his eyes at him.

 "In exchange for its secrets, you agreed to keep the Amulet." Death accused, pointing a bony finger at him.

 "No.. the voices, they curse and threaten without end. They cry to return!" The Crowfather yelled in desperation, banging on his head.

 "You must destroy it." Crowfather yelled, dangling the necklace in front of the pale rider. Death lowered his head.

"I... cannot."

"You annihilated their flesh, why do you guard their souls?" Crowfather demanded. Whispers eyes widened in realization, she glanced at her father for a explanation, his head was still lowered in shame. Death narrowed his eyes and glared at the Crowfather.

 He raised up his scythes.

"Open the portal." Death threatened. The Crowfather took a stance and let the amulet fall amongst his other chains.

 "You will not pass while I live." The Crowfather growled.

 "So be it." Death muttered as he charged the old man. The Crowfather used dark magic and tossed both daughter and father aside. Death stabbed his scythes into the floor, making a screeching sound and made the reaper stopped abruptly while Whisper landed gracefully on her feet next to him.

 Death growled at him in anger.

 "Here your brethren are trapped in eternal torment. Do you wish to join them? And what of War? Would you kill your brother to save your precious balance?" The Crowfather demanded, summoning up his powers.

 "He is innocent!" Whisper yelled, now glaring at the keeper of secrets just as intensly as her father was. The Crowfathers head snapped in her direction.

 "Are you so certain?!" He demanded and then disappeared into his crows, a dark version of War appearing in his place.

 "Uncle!" Whisper yelled. Death held a scythe in front of her before she could run to him.

 "He is but a shadow." Death said. Whisper looked past him and saw her sinister and dark versioned uncle walking threateningly toward them. War swung his sword up, making blades come from the ground and toward them. Whisper flipped out of the way, missing a blade by a few inches.

 Death ran at him and flipped over him, dodging a swing of the fake chaoseater. He landed on the other side of him, making a shield of magic to doge another strike. Both brothers spun in a circle and clashed weapons.

Death pushed against the dark magic that had taken form of his younger brother and cut him down. He hit him up into the air and knocked him away. War landed near Whisper and she ran at him, using her staff to knock him in the chest when he got up.

 War got knocked back, but swung at her and cut her across the chest, making her gasp. Death ran in and knocked War away.

 "Cover it. I'll finish him." Death growled as he turned toward the shadow. Whisper coughed up some blood and backed away from the arena and held her wound, using her staff to hold her up. Whisper watched as the brothers clashed weapons over and over again, but then they were pushing on each other again.

 Death dropped his scythe, making War fall. Death twirled around War and cut him in the back. War tossed him back and the brothers ran at each other. They both stabbed for the gut, but after a moment, Death flexed his arm and made War grunt.

 Death pulled out his scythe and turned away as War dropped his sword and fell to the ground. Crows flew up from the body as War turned into the Crowfather. The keeper of secrets tried to crawl away weakly, but Death stabbed him in the back and spun his scythe, stabbing the bottom into the ground making the Crowfather look like a scare crow.

Death grabbed his face, digging his nails into the precious flesh.

 "Open up the portal!" Death demanded, getting in the crowfathers wrinkly face. Whisper had never seen her father so brutal. Death threw the Crowfather off of his scythe and watched him stumble, blood coming from the large wound. He fell to the ground and the amulet clanked on the ground, making a crack appear.

 "Your secrets die with you." Death said in a voice as though he were saying final words at a funeral.

 "Old fool." Death said, noticing how the amulet was glowing.

 "My secrets... but not yours..." The Crowfather whispered, his final breaths leaving him, as the amulet started to break apart. It exploded and the shards slammed into Death chest. Whispers eyes widened as she ran over to him, forgetting how fatal her would was.

 Death fell to the ground with a yell of agony. Whisper kneeled over him, to scared and frightened to touch him as he withered in pain, then lie still. Whisper was so frozen in place, she didn't realize a portal was overcoming them...