CHRONICLES OF THE FOURTH HORSEMAN

TOM AND THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF MISSING UDDERS(conclusion)

"Three people just died while we stood there like fools and watched.It is not fair and I don't like it.It is not like us," Tom said.I always loved that he was kind, empathetic and always ready to help.I however hated that he would always beat himself up if he couldn't help and he ended up dragging every other person around down to that road with him.Like today, he had been talking about the incident from earlier for over three hours.He could not let us rest and it was getting more and more annoying by the moment, even for me.He knew all too well we could have done nothing to help without risking some of us being beaten to death by an angry mob looking for someone to blame.

"Tom, shut up now...you are not helping anyone by making us feel bad.You know the situation and you also know I could never risk your lives, not if I could help it.Instead of being a jerk, you should be looking for a better way to deal with this.Don't you think?," I was trying hard not to show my anger.Tom realized no one was okey with his lecture and he kept quiet even though he still had some more stuff to say.Every ones in a while he could come up with a stupid idea as he was still trying to make up for the "failure".

"You know, there is a way for Tom to actually help," Phanu said with that smile.I knew some really bad things were about to go down.I never wanted to ask what she had in mind as I knew it was going to be bad.Tom however had to ask. He needed to right our "Wrong" so bad that he could take anything he remotely thought was a way to make it up to the villagers."What if we had someone on the inside to listen in on whatever was going on," Phanu went on.It was a good idea, except even the people had no idea what as to what was going on.We could only know what the villagers thought was going on.

"The cows are the only ones with the answer to that, and as we all know, they don't talk.Unless of course the angels can make them," those we the first words I had heard from John in the four hours we had been on the forest as usual waiting for darkness.He never seemed happy being there as he said he was running out of time to study for his exams which were scheduled for the next day.He would have opted to be left back at the bunker."No we can't that is Urial's department and the last time he did it was with Balaam's donkey.I don't have to remind you how long ago that was.Also the incident wasn't as pretty afterwards and no one likes to talk about it," Phanuel answered.We both still recalled that day.

"What if we don't make the cows talk but instead make a cow of our own to stay overnight with the others.You told me animals have a language too and can communicate.Squishy here looks more or less like them.At night no one will notice he is not a bull," Ophie contributed.His thought was noble but wouldn't work either.The villagers were on the look out and would definitely notice after all, Squishy was not exactly like a bull.Even when he was transformed, he still walked on two. Phanu's face lit up again."Oh! Oo ooh! she is about to suggest something really bad," I found myself saying out loud. On top of all her cool powers, Phanu's most feared power was the fact that she could transform things into whatever she wanted.A long time ago she was sent to teach king Nebuchadnezzar a lesson.We all know how the story went.She didn't like totally transform him though and I still wondered how the bastard would have looked as a real oxen.Thinking about it made me smile as it was the only time Phanu did something that was not all light and good.

She looked at Tom for a moment before explaining her plan.I thought Tom would immediately agree but even for him the suggestion was too grave." Turn me into a cow? are you serious? that is insane. No, that is a bad idea and I don't like it.What if I become a meal tonight?," Tom had retorted.I didn't expect anyone else to agree to that and I was about to rule it out.Phanu however went down to convincing Tom that was the only way he could make up for earlier.After a long chat, Tom agreed and Phanu worked her power.She was however sure to turn him into a bull and that meant he was not about to become a meal not unless whoever was killing the cattle had changed their specialty.

Poor Tom walked towards the herd and one of the children looking after them was kind enough to help him.Deep down I was laughing myself crazy but I could not show it to the others even though I was pretty sure the were doing it too. Tom was a "Cool" black with white spots bull without horns.He didn't seem happy about it and we could not blame him for that.Our next part of the plan was a bit tricky.We needed someone on the inside to listen in on the elders.Of course we had Squishy who could shape shift to look like whoever he wanted to,but that meant their would be two look alikes walking out there.Something could always go wrong.The only way we could make it work was by holding the person Squishy turned into.

It was not completely dark yet and grabbing one of the watch guards was a bit hard.Luckily we had the invisibility power to our rescue.We made squishy invisible and I walked with him to where the twelve strong looking gentlemen were seated waiting for the elders to call them in.Squishy turned himself into one of them while still invisible.I then walked up to the guy and grabbed him by the neck and held his mouth so he couldn't speak.I turned him invisible just as Squishy went visible.A dangerous plan that luckily worked.I walked back to the others who were still hidden in the woods.We tied the unconscious dude up and stayed back for a while longer waiting for Squishy to come back from the elders meeting.

All the strength used to keep everyone invisible had worn us out and we could not hear what was happening in the meeting.For the first time we were running both blind and deaf.That made Phanu really think about humans and just how hard their lives always are.She was grateful to be an angel and was glad to have an opportunity to live with them and help them.She just didn't know her angel radio was on while she thinking about all that and I was hearing all of it.You should have seen her face when she finally realized.

Darkness slowly covered the day and in no time the forest was pitch black.We saw Squishy appearing from the direction of the village and we were all uneasy.I was just as eager as the rest to know what he had to say.We stayed invisible even after dark as I could not risk my people being found out.Phanu and I were invisible but the others weren't.Squishy came close and we had to wait until he called on us for Phanu and I to bring him to the group.We could not release the other guy yet as he could tell the others about us and it would be a bad call.

"According to the elders, the things eating the cows are the two sons of a god jötunn Ymir.I didn't get the full story but the god itself was killed by two other gods for being lazy and selfish.The two sons whom the others had no idea existed, watched their father being murdered and they ren away to hide and somehow the found themselves here in vietnam.Before all of this, the two were worshiped by the villagers.The were the ones who taught the villagers to eat on cow udders.With the missionary work though, the gods were forgotten and they became angry.That was when they started killing the cattle as no one sacrificed to them any more.The elders says that in every three months, people would sacrifice cow udders to the gods where they would live them on the edge of this very forest.The gods would feast for eight days and in return the would make sure strangers never infiltrate their lands.They also made sure to the prosperity of the herds.Now they still do all of that except they kill the cows without permission.The elders says the gods can't be killed since they were gods and therefore could only be locked away.Up until a few nights ago they were locked away in a cave deep in the forest but somehow they always managed to break free and they always found their way back back to this particular village for more festivities.They never got enough of udders for the eight days and it was almost impossible to keep them satisfied.The could kill up to fifty cows in one night and still go for more during the day.Their existence was a closely guarded secret that only the chosen few were told and they had to guard it with their lives.It was passed down through generations under an oath that killed whoever tried to tell.Lucky for me, I didn't take it.The only way to save the clueless villagers cows is by finding a way to kill those two or lock the away into the new Magix dimension.Also, we need to get Tom out of there as two bulls will be slaughtered tonight, you never know but he could be one of them," Squishy concluded.

Phanu and I had just the plan to take the two gods out for good.We didn't plan on having them in the Magix dimension after the elders had just confirmed that the two always found their way back to the village.We angels hated the gods that were being worshipped by people long ago.They were always asking for something and in most cases, that something involved someone or some innocent animal dying.We also happened to know there was only one God.It was and still is hard to understand Him or his ways or his plans, but we know he is there and he asks for nothing in return for everything he ever does.These beings with the complexion however believe they own it all and hurt those who believe in them more than they ever help them.

The two had to die, but first, we had to wait for them to make their move.That night was the forth night of their feasting and we knew they would show up.Phanu had to get Tom from the herd and turn him back into human but something went wrong in the process.The aftermath was that Tom would have the thoughts of a cow for the next few hours if not days.He could talk but every ones in while he would moo instead.We had to cover his mouth as he sometimes did that involuntarily.It was a bit funny for us but we kept that to ourselves.Every time it happened, Tom would curse angrily.At about midnight, we saw two weird dark shapes approach.We still had our powers but they were not back to the fullest.The two looked more or less like super thin human with deformed bodies.Their heads were a bit larger than their bodies.They looked more like mulnutrated people than gods.I would go to the details of their smell but every time I think about it, a wave of nausea makes me stop.They were disgusting.We followed the figures, and in just a moment they knew something was wrong.They could feel and even see us and they knew we were out to get them.Their was no need to stay invisible as with all the running and talking we would risk exposure.We had to go all visible this time.We went across the fields upsetting the cattle laying peacefully on the fields chewing cud.The night guards were up and they noticed the two as well.This time round they knew what they were up against and seeing us the probably thought we were just concerned villagers or neighbors.Some time was wasted us trying to explaine who we are which was mostly lies.We assured them all we wanted was to make sure the two stupid gods never bothered the village ever, again.Together with them we managed to corner the two.It was a task for everyone and i was actually grateful the guards were there.As week as the two gods seemed, they were also hungry and determined.They made it almost impossible to catch them as the would use magic to fight back.We only managed to coner them by attacking from every possible direction.Phanu and I also had to convince the young men to leave for a bit so we could kill them.That part was just for me and Phanu and we could not let anyone else in on the secret.Not even the group we had come with.

After we had killed them, we went on to convince the guards not to tell anyone about us but before we could get away with it the elders came out.They had been in Le's house all night, awake and listening just in case the young men needed help outside.They also could not sleep.Carrying the kind of secret they had carried for over half their lives had to be tiring.So the moment they heard the slightest noises they planned on checking it out.Apparently, our quest was not as silent as we thought it was.We had to come up with a very convincing story of how we had followed the two gods from far.Convincing the young men earlier was easy but trying to convince the elders, that was a different case all together.We had to put in all the lies and explanations.Our lives and secrets depended on whatever we would say and how convincing it would be.Luckily, the elders believed us and they even allowed us to stay with them for the rest of the night.We were treated to food and drinks and they even told us the stories of their people.Early the next morning though, we had to be on our way as some of us had tests to take.Something about Tom's behavior was still concerning though and i wondred whether he was was cool to go to school that day. As we were walking through the ranch, he seemed uneasy and kept making faces at the cows which were also making faces to him.At a certain point he could no longer hold it in and he bursted out in a crazy monologue.

"No, no I am not one of you, you hear me?...I am a person with two legs and two arms and I don't have to chew cud or poop just anywhere....I am too...I am too! ...I am too!!! bastard's.You know what, think all you want but that won't change anything...Moooo...What are you looking at?," we all looked at each other and smiled.We however didn't plan on talking about it yet but we knew it would be the talk of the day.I couldn't wait for our newly formed game night and neither could anyone else.On the way back home he moooed three times and every time we had to fight against the urge to burst out in laughter.