Magnifico

Timon's tenacity

They stayed in the shop and waited patiently for when the shop will close for the day. While they were at it, Jonas suggested he goes outside to check if their horses were still tied where they left them. After the inspection, he came back inside the shop and sat with the General and Viruz. It has been a calm night and kind of warm inside the food shop. As Jonas came back, he went back to his chair and sat exactly where he was sitting before.

“Our horses are doing just fine. I went outside to check on them. Your horse is resting General. Seems like he likes it here too”

“Oh no! Are you now a horse whisperer?” Sun asked and everyone laughed out loud.

“Don’t mind Jonas General. He is never serious” Viruz smiled and his lips parted to reveal his teeth.

Timon rounded up what he was doing and decided to visit the General's table.

“Hello, Sirs. Good evening!” Timon said as he smiles.

“Hey, Tim. Are you done?” Jonas asked.

“Not quite. Still have few things I would still rap up but I guess now is the time to show you the room like you requested. I am less busy now”

“Okay.”

“We have horses with us and they are right outside this shop, where should we keep them so that they will be safe?” Sun inquired.

“If your horses are right outside this shop, consider them to be in safe hands. Nothing is going to happen to them. People are not known for stealing horses around here because most people don’t need them. It’s not a nice business venture by the way so once a horse is stolen, it will very difficult to sell it off” Timon said.

Sun knew that anyone in Timon's shoes would say what Timon just said if they get double the payment for a service. Paying him five gold coins made Timon be at their service and it was quite understandable that he wasn’t going to let any harm come to their horses or them in any way.

Timon doesn’t know where Sun and the others came from. He assumed that they were travelers who may return from time to time to their small city to buy things and as a good trader he was, the best thing he can do was to maintain them at all cost by making sure that he provides all they required from him.

“Well, you never can be too sure” Jonas brushed.

“Ok Gents. For your horses, I will see that I go extra miles to see that they are safe” Timon said.

“Good. Since we are not done drinking, can you please sit down just for a while?” Sun asked.

Timon didn’t rush to reply. He scratched his head. “Alright, Sir!” Timon said.

Sun poured a drink into his cup and gave it to Timon to drink.

“Hey Timon, have this”

“Ah. I’m working sir. I don’t drink when I work.”

‘You are working? It’s almost midnight. C'mon man, today is gone already. Chill up and have a drink” Jonas said as he smiled.

“If you insist then,” Timon said as he takes the cup from Sun and started drinking.

“What’s the name of this city?” Sun asked Timon.

He turned and looked at Sun. “The name's Brux. It’s an autonomous community of its colony.”

“Ah! So it stands on its own?” Sun asked.

“Yes. Our great grandfathers were farmers who cultivated and roamed this land a few centuries ago before they decided to make it a home. And ever since then, we have been living here peacefully” Timon said he sips his wine again.

“Here is cool though. So there are no outlaws here?” Sun asked again.

“No... Nothing of such. Most of us here are farmers and traders. We don’t have a close neighbor so what we cultivate is more than enough for us to survive with.”

“Have you ever been outside this town? Like to somewhere else apart from Brux?” Jonas asked.

“Yes. Once. I have been outside this place with my father when I was still a teenager.”

“Ah! I see. Where exactly was that?” Jonas asked.

“Ah, that should be Zaphra.”

“Zaphra?” Viruz exclaimed.

“Have you heard of it?” Timon asked Viruz but he didn’t reply.

“Well, we need to go there, probably we will leave tomorrow morning,” Sun said as he calmly lifts the jar and poured more wine into Timon's cup.

“Zaphra as I remember isn’t a cool place to stay. It’s not a place most people call home. There are too many things to watch out for and one needs to be over cautious when you go there” Timon said.

“So you are saying it is bad news?” Jonas asked.

“Exactly!” Viruz said and he sipped his wine again.

“Well, it’s a journey we have to make. You don’t need to worry about what’s in there. What I would want you to tell us is where exactly is Zaphra. Which way should we take?” Sun asked.

“Well, it’s been long I went there but I believe you have to maintain traveling west. If you continue traveling westwards then I believe in two days, you will be there.” Timon said.

“Two days? That’s very long” Viruz said as he slapped his lap.

“Not long. It will take three days if you don’t ride fast or if you guys are traveling in groups. But since you guys are just three, I believe you will make it in two. But you just need to be careful especially if it’s your first time being there. I have only visited there once and can’t dream of going back there ever again. People of Brux are so lucky that we are not disturbed by anything that goes on in Zaphra. I believe the main reason why most people are still leaving here is people don’t like it in Zaphra and the best news is, most people in Zaphra doesn’t know Brux exists. It’s a hidden city and people always find it by mistake.”

“What? You mean we found here by mistake?” Viruz asked.

“Yes. Here was found by a mistake I guess. We don’t travel out to other cities because we don’t want our city to be exposed to some sort of foreign influence” Timon said. It was a surprise to Sun that a small city like Brux was hidden from the public sphere. He considered it a treasure waiting to be discovered and if it happens, it will be exactly as Phox when they were still captive.

“Ok, Timon. I guess you should show us our room now. We have to sleep because we need to leave tomorrow morning. Since you said we might not make it in a day or two, I guess we need to sleep early and wake up on time for the journey” Sun said.

“Ok, sir.” Timon said as he drinks the remaining wine in his cup. “let me show you your room”