Riding the shadows, into the light. . . they came on horses black as night.

On wings of ice, with hearts of frost. . . they came to conquer where hope was lost.

With fury unleashed, they brought the beast . . . It answered the call and rode to feast.

The shadows alive, how could they fight . . . Against those that came and destroyed them light.

Prologue.

The world as we knew it didn't end with fire, nor did it end with brimstone.

It died with a whimper, on its knees in the cold, with a bag over its head.

The Bible says God created the world in seven days. What gets recorded in print isn't always the truth, the losers version gets washed away to be forgotten. Truth is written by the victor after all. The task of creation actually took him eight day to complete, there was just no one around to argue over details with him when it happened.

Light may have been created on that first day, but darkness was waiting to meet it long before.

It doesn't matter how hard you search, you won't find what was made on that missing day in any holy book, nor is it mentioned in any prayers or gospels. It might find you if you go looking though.

So why isn't it in them you might ask. Why the omission?

Plausible deniability maybe?
Shame?

Or just good old fashioned fear?

Maybe it was there before, unaware of what it was truly for without the light to give it a real purpose. Who knows.

One night, that was all it took for it to eradicate what had been made before.

A single night, and the world around us crumpled into blood and dust before them. Most of it anyway.

In darkness, they swept silently over us while we slept soundly in our beds. Following the night they rode, riding steeds of shadow to take us while we dreamt. From tranquil dreams, to a waking nightmare. From blues and greens, to crimsons and orange. Then embers and fire gave way to ice, fear and eventually. . . Despair.

What was left afterwards, well, we couldn't call home any more that's for sure. You're meant to feel safe in your home. Close the doors tight, lock the windows and nothing can get you when you're hiding under the covers right?

Wrong.

All those things that go bump in the night, those things your parents promised you weren't real when you tried to climb into bed with them during the middle of the night. Everything was theirs now. The sweet dreams of your childhood were lost and gone in the blink of an eye.

It still wasn't enough.

16 billion people. That's how many of us were living on this hunk of rock when they came. It sounds like a lot to you doesn't it. Maybe it was.

So, why don't you click your fingers for me, then go ahead and half that number. That's roughly how many of them died in that first night. What number do you have now?