CHRONICLES OF THE FOURTH HORSEMAN

COURAGE, SISTER

Christmas was over, the new year is here.People have forgotten to be kind and selfless.The Christmas cheer is over and everybody is back to being themselves.Beggers on the roadsides asking for just but something to eat.But no one will look at them twice.The village was quiet and people went back to their daily farming activities.Cattle bells and happy children looking forward to a better year ahead.It was sunny and warm.My papa would be around for one more month, he planned on staying with his wife so she wouldn't feel lonely.He saw me to the airport and I was back to school again.The beginning of my second year and the end of Larry's fourth year.

Before going back to class we had one more club meeting.It was on a Saturday night and this time it was strictly members only.The boys were not invited.

Larry had called the new years meeting for two purposes.For one, it was time to put down her leadership mantle to another leader of her own choosing.It was the clubs tradition.The mantle was passed down to her two years ago and she had been the leader since then.She was responsible for making sure the club stayed alive, full filled it purpose and lived to everybody's expectations.It was a peaceful Saturday night.Outside the stars twinkled beautifully.The moon was tiny but it was there.The cold wind swayed the leaves from.side to sound producing a somewhat creepy sound.The trees made figures as they swayed and someone would at some point scare the hell out of the others by pointing out a figure that looked like a wild animal.We were out there seated on safari chairs around the blazing fire.People were telling scary woods stories as we awaited for the meeting to begin.

It was my first meeting outdoors with the club .Apparently it only happened ones every year.At the beginning.Here the events were minimal and it was a serious meeting.No alcoholic drinks were allowed until the meeting was over.There was no music and no loud noises.It was in a forest and the forest had its owners who would be angry and dangerous if disturbed some were even capable of biting.Getting the permission to hold this kind of meeting was both expensive and time consuming.Maybe that was the reason why it only happened ones a year.The club leader had to fill a form.describing the nature and purpose of their visit and get the sheriff and at least one park ranger to sign it.I was to know that a year later when it was me looking for one.

Larry came in a little late.She had her black shades on and at the moment I wondered why.I later came to learn that she was hiding her eyes which were a little bit red.She didn't want to say goodbye yet.She had had a good run with the people as their leader and now this was her last ride.It had to hurt a little.The meeting started with a little prayer.Julie the clubs Secretary then read the minutes from our last important meeting and it was finally time.Larry stood up, saluted everybody and started on her speach " It have been three years of pure joy.Knowing you guys was the best thing that ever happened to my stay here in Baystar University.We have laughed and cried together held each others hand through the tough times.I can't count how many times I woke up with one b***h of a hangover from a fun spent night.The girls shopping days and the club's night out.I have seen new members into the club and I have also said goodbye to some.Now its my time to say goodbye.I have to leave you with a new leader and I am sure Azzy will make a good one.It have been hard to choose since all of you are soo good and I hope you will welcome her and help her see the club through.Long live Wolfs Study Club," she had said and people applauded her and howled into the night.I could feel the sadness in her voice.

At first I thought I heard wrong ,but then I was called to give my first speach as a leader.I knew then my hearing was just fine.I walked to the front and as I deed I remembered when I first stood up to talk to a group of people.It was another lifetime ago and I had been called out to explain why I had mobilized slaves to boycott work and God knows what followed.That ended with me dying and i took a lot of other black people with me.It was not a good day at all but T

through my actions people of the race were able to stand up and fight for their freedom. In all my other lifetimes I have tried my best to not be the shining star.It could get one hurt and in the process hurt others.

After my little speach and try to turn down the honors I went back to my seat.My request was turned down by over three quarters of the votes and there was nothing more i could do.If they only knew how much I had on my plate.People were now free to enjoy themselves a little.We were going to be on the park for three more hours and they were allowed to drink, the noise was not allowed though.People came from right and left to congratulate me.I stayed cool through the hand shaking and the hugging.They were unnecessary and yet everybody wanted to be a part of it.It took about twenty minutes for them to go away and finally it was just me a Larry.

We had a lot to talk about.She briefed me about the responsibilities I was about to take.There were lots of them.The one that was too much for me though was the one about me being the one to host every other meeting.My one bedroom hostel apartment was too tiny for that.Knowing it, it could only hold about five people assuming one was willing to sit on the floor.The living room was only big enough to fit a three seater couch, a tv stand and one stool.It had a little space left though but no seat could fit on it.Larry was renting out the house she lived in.She had actually told me that the house was a birthday gift from her dad.It was huge enough to hold three families.It had to cost a fortune.She however was willing to rent it to me and the boys for exactly the amount we paid for our two hostel apartments.It was a perfect offer that I couldn't refuse.I called the boys and they agreed to pay and that was a done deal.It looked like my year was off to a very good start.I liked it.

At that point,Larry took out her shades and I saw her eyes.It was dark and apart from the blazing fire's light and the light from the moon there was no other source of light.One couldn't even notice it not unless they were close and interested.She had one more thing she planned on telling me.Apparently she wanted to pursue her dream career now that she was done with the one her dad wanted her to.Her long time dream was to be a soldier.She was more interested in the marines but she was willing to take on any.I thought she was joking at first but when she didn't finish with the usual "gotch yah" phrase i knew she pretty much serious.She was going on and on about how cool it was and I got lost in a memory.

Back in the day, about ten or so lifetimes ago, I was a worrier in some community .I couldn't tell which one for sure since my memories were still mixed up.Back then I was friends with a young gentleman.It was back in the day when territorial boundaries were termed as important.Closing them would have resulted into deadly fights that in times saw to a complete wipe out of the loosing community.People lived in clans.Sometimes the wars were based on nothing in particular.Other times clans attacked other clans because they felt the need to expand their territory.If that happened ,the winning clan would kill all the males of the loosing clan and take their lands, women and girl children.The newly members were then to follow the rules of the new clan and become a part of it.That was one way they expanded.The other way was if one leader went to the other in search of help or refuge.The leader would then offer whatever help needed and in return the other leader would surrender his clan.It was a crazy world back then.Every family had to produce a son to be a warrior.The family that had no sons was hated shunned.People would look down at it.Such a family was even excluded from the communities most important meetings and gathering.They would only be respected of one of their daughters was beautiful enough to catch the leader or any other man from his family.It was a rule that every first born son belonged to the leaders army.

Some would volunteer out if their own goodness but that was not common.Others were forced by their fathers to join since it brought pride to the father.Hung was one of the few who had gone voluntarily.He wanted to fight for his clan.He was my brother.We trained together since I was chosen for being the firstborn.At that time it was peaceful and it felt like it would pe peaceful for quite sometime.We trained hard during the day but when night came we stayed watch.We were responsible for hunting for the community and watching over them.We would go into the forest early in the morning, spend the whole day hunting and come back home with enough game to feed the whole clan.It was a noble duty.

It was peaceful until one cursed evening.The neighboring clan came all prepared to fight.They had weighed themselves and decided it was time they expanded a little more.We fought all night and even though they killed sime of ours, we were abel to fight back and we killed most of them the rest flee back home.Our leaders was soo angry and swore to fight back.He brought together all the worriors and instructed them to prepare an attack.His orders were to kill every male, even the little boys.I still had my memories back then and Azrael was not locked away.I still saw the list of the people who were going to die.Hung was one of them.

I tried to stop him from being a part of the raid but he was not willing to listen.I tried to talk to our parents to stop him but he couldn't listen to the either.We were their only children and they could give anything for one of us to be left behind.By the rules if the land I had no choice.Hung was there because he wanted to be and even though he could leave he chose to go.A day was planned and a few spies were sent ahead.After a few days they came back with reports about the clans defense system and we were then in the know.We knew exactly what to do when we got there and we set off.

It was a two days journey.Back the there were no cars or tankers.We had to walk all the way.Stopping for rest every ones in a while.As we walked we sang war songs and praised the great worriers of the clan.Some we knew and fought together while others were legends passed down in time.Some even sounded too good to be true.Once we got close, we made one more long stop to rest and regain our strength.Towards evening we took our positions and the war began.We fought for three days and nights and we won.However, after the war was over and we went back to the agreement my brother was not there.I was part human and in that form I tend not to be fully me.Things by passed me and one of those things were the death of my brother.I looked for him all over and when I finally found him there was nothing I could have done to help.He was aready gone.I remembered the pain his death had caused to our parents.My father actually died that same year and the mother followed shortly.In was left alone.

Now I was seating here listening to Larry explain how she wanted to be a soldier.Every time she talked about it a memory of war flickered in my mind.Of all the memories I had of war, none of them ever ended well.I thought maybe I could tell her to join me and the boys in the coming fight but I decided against it.She was not ready to know about the magix world yet and maybe she would never be.From the way she talked about the military, I knew I could never change her mind.She was set to being a soldier and nothing could ever change that fact.After all, I had lived long enough to know it was impossible to change a humans mind if at all they were set to something.I just listened to her in a thought of being supportive.She was planning to leave immediately after graduation which was six months away.Before then she planned on staying around for a little longer.She had businesses in town that she had to sit down and think of.She was not ready to close them but from the looks of she also wasn't ready to let go.We discussed about them at length and in the end I offered to buy two of them.After all I knew I needed to invest.This kind of investing wasn't all that bad.I wouldn't have to go out looking for stalls or customers since the businesses were already up and running.Larry had grown to become one of my favorite friends.Even though she could never get to Tom and John's level, she was close.She helped me study, she taught me a few stuff about business and earning.She was not just a friend, she was like a sister.I was having a hard time saying goodbye and even though she promised to stay in touch I knew it wasn't going to be easy.All in all I had to say goodbye and walk away.I knew the feeling one felt whenever they have to walk away but now I wasn't feeling it and I was glad.It would have been hard to deal with.

After the meeting I went back to the apartment.I was to be in it for a few more weeks and I knew I wouldn't miss it.It was almost midnight when I got there and it would have taken much longer if were to take a cab.Now I had wings and I knew and invisibility trick that me and my brothers used to keep off the human eye.With a flap of the wings I was home.I lay on bed looking at the ceiling.I had looked up at it for soo many times but it never got boring.I could be looking at it but I was listening to people.Some having fun, others fighting, others making love, these creature always have something to do.Ghosts were just floating around, some watching over their families while others just stayed around waiting for orders.Their numbers were growing every second.At the moment heaven and hell were not receiving new members as the two were preparing for one last fight.I knew I could fight and win this one but another would follow and yet another.One day I will grow tired and just let it happen, but that day was not today or any time soon for that matter.

I listened to people all night and finally morning came.I had two more days before the school year started.I had a plan to go check on Ophie.At the moment I knew he had his hands full but a short break wouldn't hurt.I needed him to accompany me somewhere and he was the only I could entrust with that kind of errand.After all I had no intentions to give the boys heart attacks.It was about the hunt for the three weapons.I had done some pretty serious research and i found out there was one person or rather perthing who could point me towards the right direction.Going to look for him or rather it was dangerous for everybody including Ophie but given the chances he was the best to take with me.

We were out looking for Hephas.A god.A long long time ago after magic was introduced to the world, some pretty powerful beings came to be.Some were as a result of experiments, others were accidents but others were as a result of people's believes.Some of the elements magic was released in the air.If the people believed soo much in something, it came to be.It is believed that Hephas was created by a child who had been burnt soo bad by the waters of a hot spring.Her mother used to tell her a story about a child of the gods who was born soo ugly that his parents threw him here on earth soo they could get rid of him.The ugly child was then taken in by a poor woman who looked after him until he grew up.He was strong and mighty and he became a worrier of the people.Protecting them from calamities and curses and bad omens.Cutting off the throats of those who talked I'll about the weak and the ugly.He helped them make weapons and store important things.The story was meant to comfort the child.Make her feel like there was someone or something pretty powerful out there to protect and fight for her.She believed in that being and the day she gave it a name, it came to be.

According to my research,Hephas was a out there somewhere.I started looking for him since the elements had told me he was out free.I was still looking three days ago when I came across something.In a small town in south Africa, a string of strange murder were reported.The victims were all found with their throats cut open with what the police said looked like nails and their tongues and lips were cut off.I had a pretty good idea who was behind that and now I planned to pay him a visit.He knew all there was to know about important artifacts and maybe one of them would turn out to what I was looking for.It would only take me a few flaps.His toungue was the sorce of his strength and all I had to do was cut it. .It was one of my first hunts and was not willing to take the boys with me.After all Ophie's venom.would come in handy.It was strong enough to slow Hephas down long enough to cut his tongue.That kind of job demanded courage, strength and fast thinking.

I was juggling my life too hard.Take for instance i had gotten a job at the downtown cafe and I planned on keeping it.Working there helped me learn public relations and that would come in handy now that I was a leader.I needed to learn to be around people and to put up with them.Given the fact that I completely relied on experience when it came to feelings and emotions.I earned a little cash and that would sustain my normal life.I also had to go looking for a legendary got who hated beings like me that brought pain and suffering to the people it had taken upon itself to protect.I was also trying to create a network of hunters who would help catch , kill and lock away the magix.I also had classes to attend and a club to lead.

I also had to see to it that the boys Concentrated on their training after all that was easier though as Ophie was their trainer.He had lived long enough to see civilizations rise and fall.He fought in more wars than I could count and he even invented some of the fighting and self defense tactics.He was the best trainer the boys and I could ever have.The boys had to train long and hard and that also included Duke and the new friends he was going to bring back with him.We needed about six more people to join our course at the moment.We also needed to look for a way to feed and pay them.When it came to food, Philomena's huge property came in handy.We had a plan put into place and since the place was huge enough to hold a cattle ranch and grow corn for commercial purposes that sector was cared for.We had found ourselves a good witch who was willing to help with the farming and she was asking for nothing in return.All she wanted was to help lock the Magix away, she knew what they were capable of.The farm and dairy produces would sustain the men when it came to food .It could not however pay up the men for their services and I had seen that coming years back. I knew keeping old worlds money wouldn't help much and instead of keeping it I bought lands all over the world and built a network of bunkers.I also bought and stored gold, diamonds and other precious stones.I knew from the beginning this was going to happen.Now we were planning gathering men all over and placing them in the bunkers ready for training.We had to work slow when it came to that because we had to look for people whom we could trust with our secrets.We needed Duke for that.

Our plans had to be complete and discrete.I had learned to live with Duke.He was not the kind of guy you could easily trust but now i knew i could trust him.After all he was the only person i could entrust the recruitment to.He knew people who knew people and with their help we were getting somewhere.I had a stock of gold woth over 2.6 billion dollars not counting the others.If i invested it right i could pay all the men and have way more to spare.I did't plan on fighting this war from the shadows i had to be prepared.I remembred the words one of my mothers back in the day told me.It was over two hundred years ago.I would have been born into a family of ten but the couple used to have kids and for some reason non of them survived.I came in as the last and the only one that lived.Of course I chose the family for that reason.Every time I was afraid to try something my mother would come close and whisper to me " courage little sister"I could still hear her soft whisper in my head.

I was in the bunker within seconds of leaving the house.The boys were still asleep and so was Ophie.It was about four in the morning and they all woke up at 4:45 Am according to their time table pinned on the wall.I hoped to be back before the boys got up and that meant I only had fourty five minutes.Flying there would take us less than a minute but there was no telling how much time it would take to track the god.I also had no idea whether he would be willing to tell me about the artifacts or not.It was a bad plan but I had to try.I called Ophie who happened to be an angry sleeper and he bit me.If it were Tom or John they could have dropped dead.He was willing to help but he kept telling me it was a bad idea and of course I knew it was but I was willing to do it anyway.I was consumed by the need to win that I never realized i was jeopardizing everything in the process.I had to give Ophie sometime to do a little bit of preparing and also he needed to eat.By the time we left it was almost the boys waking up time and Ophie had to leave a note telling them he was going to be out for a bit.He also gave them the instructions on the training schedule.He placed it the table and we went out.The flight was short and sickening for him.It is crazy to think that a powerful being like Ophie would get sick due to flight.He was not just afraid of heights, he also got sick and threw up during flights and that included plane flights.

Once there I went down to looking for Hephas.I had no idea who he was disguised as but I knew his scent.My sharp senses combined with Ophie's were the best tracker one could ever ask for.I caught his trail and we followed him.He had disguised himself as a social worker.That saw to him meeting with a lot of people and listening yo them talk.The best way to identify victims before jumping at them later and cutting out their tongues.He didn't just cut them for fun, human tongues were what he ate.

I had to make him take me for a victim.My disguise was thick enough and before he got a glimpse of who I was my job would already be finished.I went to him pretending to be in need of his services.We met at a cafe, we talked and I didn't forget to talk ill about Ophie who was seating outside where Hephas could see him.I then left and waited for him to come after me.Apparently I miscalculated the time.The job I had given less than an hour took me the whole day.He could not attack during the day and he waited until nightfall.I was walking in a dark alley pretending to be on my way home.Ophie was following closely.I heard Hephas's footsteps from.a distance.At first he walked in slow measured steps.Then he increased the pase and now I could feel him just a few steps behind.I hurried up a little since I wanted us to get to an even darker corner.We had no problem with vision as all of us could see in the dark.I was just trying to make sure no one interrupted our meeting.Slowly by slowly he caught up until he was barely a step back.He then jumped on me and held me by the neck.He had no idea that I didn't need to breath.He dragged me into the darkness and I stayed quiet all the way.I knew he would take me to a quiet place far away from the people.I was looking forward to.He thought it was to benefit him but really I was the one looking forward to become the beneficiary.It took a few minutes to get to where he was taking me.It was an abandoned factory.The perfect place to hide.He had his few belongings parked in the corner of one of two huge rooms which were still intact.He didn't have much as he didn't need much.The only things he had were an old mattress dropped at the corner and a few blankets.On the old table next to the window there was a briefcase which I figured he carried around for people to think he was carrying some pretty important papers.He also had a few suits hanged on a hook on the wall.

The rest of the room was empty.The smell of rotten flesh filled the air and he didn't seem to notice.Two dog carcasses were lying on the floor.Their tongues cut out leaving their mouths wide open.At least he didn't kill innocent people for food.He was still holding me by the throat but not hard enough.I figured he needed me to be alive when he cut out my tongue.

He lifted me and hanged me up by my clothes on a hook.Showed me with his finger to start quiet.He then walked over to his home corner and took of the suit he was wearing.He hanged it next to the others and changed to his true form.He was fugly.His flesh looked as if it was pilling off.His nails were long and curved and they were black.His mouth was also black and so was his saliva."I need to know about these three artifacts," I said throwing a piece of paper towards him.He walked closer and picked it up before realizing in was not scared of him.He got up and looked at me just to be sure.When he was convinced he came towards me with his mouth open it would have been soo easy to cut his tongue at that moment but I needed him to talk.He had his hand up in the air ready to s***h my throat.But wasn't scared even then.He made a few steps back and looked at the paper.He was having a hard time holding it due to his awfully long and unkept nails.He stared at it for a moment before answering.If I were human I would have probably gotten sick just watching him talk.Black saliver came out of his mouth and the stench filled the air.Hitting me like a bomb.He explained for a whole ten minutes and by then I felt like asking him to stop talking.He told me what he knew about the flaming sword and the stuff of moses but he had no clue as to the existence of solomons quill.His info was important and now the only thing that remained was to kill him.He had the same plan too now that he knew I was a magix.He was starting to drule at the thought of my tongue and given the fact that he had eaten two dogs meant we was really hungry.In other circumstances i would have considred leaving him alive but...Ophie came in just in time.He had his hand in the air close to my throat when Ophie came to my rescue.He took a good bite out of him and in that moment I took out my wings and freed myself.I took the knife from my pocket and cut his tongue off.We then stood to watch him bleed green.I then took him out to look for a place to bury him.We couldn't risk the people finding out he existed.