Magnifico

Clean shot

“Oh!” the bandit questioning the old man said. He left the old man and stood up to face Sun.

“I knew you guys were hiding around. Where are your friends? Have they escaped or they are still here with you?” he asked with a Phoxian accent.

By now, Sun was sure that the old man was at least safe for that very moment. “If you are afraid to face me, you say it and stop whining around like a baby,” Sun said with a daring tune. The bandits laughed hysterically.

“I admit. You have some guts but let’s see where that can lead you to.” The bandit questioning the old man said and he moved to punch down Sun. Before he could move three steps, Viruz had already fired an arrow right through his heart. He died at the spot while others rushed towards Sun to eliminate him but Viruz was able to shoot three more accurate shots which killed three more of them. Jonas knew that fighting them at that moment was inevitable so he had to come out from hiding. Two men saw him rushing out from the corner and they thought that he was the one that had shot the arrow so, they rushed him to kill him. Jonas was so fast in such a way that when he was rush to towards thee two men, he brought one lampstand that was burning and was hanged on a wall, threw it towards them and he immediately took the goblet which the old man had kept on the table and threw it in a way that it broke into pieces. The wine inside the goblet that splashed made the fire from the lampstand to burst into big flames which burnt the two bandits to death. Jonas looking towards Sun's direction, he saw that Sun was up against four men. Virus longed to shoot down one but couldn’t get a clear shot because of the irregular and scattered movement of Sun the four men. Viruz certainly didn’t want to shoot the General by mistake so he waited patiently, waiting for when to get a clean shot. Jonas picked unshielded his sword and rushed to defend the General. Dangling his sword to break the formation of the four men that had circled Sun, he successfully pierced the skin covering the rib cage of one of the bandits. He broke his way through into their formation and scattered them. Facing the north side, Sun faced the opposite side while they were very close to each other in a way they could see the bandits from all angles.

“You decided to fight?” Sun asked, holding his sword tightly which he raised above his waist region.

“I don’t want you to die yet. You don’t just listen General so you better don’t get us killed.”

“I won’t.”

Viruz had the chance so he used it. He got a clean two more shots while Jonas and Sun finished off the two remaining bandits.

“I think they are all dead,” Jonas said.

Viruz came out from where he was hiding and came out with his bow and a single arrow.

“You did a good job Viruz. Thank you. You have made much improvement” Sun said as he pats him twice on his right arm. He went straight to the old man who has been watching. “Sorry, sir!” Sun apologized, dragging the man up to his feet.

“Please, allow me to sit just down.” The man said and Sun helped him to settle down on a chair.

“I think we are going to dispose of these bodies. We don’t want them to come searching for their slain men.” Jonas said.

“Disposing of the bodies is a nice idea only if we are doing it to clean up here but not to clean up this mess. They are certainly going to come back to search for their men and when they do, they will be bringing the war to our doorstep. We need to device a means to either repel their attack or frustrate them. On whichever way that will work, that’s fine by me” The old man said.

“So what do you suggest we do? We need support because we don’t know how many of their men will be here for them” Sun Said.

“But I don’t think there is any need for all these. They are all dead therefore, we can hide their bodies and you will deny you didn’t ever see them. Nobody will know, we can even bury the bodies for you if you want” Jonas said.

“Seems like you don’t get it. You heard one of their men saying his sources don’t tell lies. It means that there are people or someone who referred them here. They know exactly where to look for you guys and that was why they came into my tavern and refused to go until I provide you guys or tell them where you guys were hidden. Look, they will certainly come here and they will be here in the tavern probably tomorrow in the afternoon or evening when they know that their men didn’t make it back to their hideout. If these men come looking for who killed their men in this village, they will make sure that our people pay the price including our women and children. So I need to make it clear to you that we are not in any way safe here any longer and we need to do something about it before they come,” The old man said with his voice slightly raised in agitation.

Sun considered the possibility of an imminent attack from these thieves in the village and also considered the number of people that may die if they don’t find what they are looking for. He knew that these village men and women need help from them and if they happen to agree to this, it might be what will release them from servitude.

“Alright. I have an idea but I don’t know if it will work. Can we get to work together with few able-bodied men from this village? Men who can at least stand against these mountain raiders and men who have a great hatred for these men and what they are doing to your people. If we can at least get more than thirty people from here, we can find a way to build up to something or think of a way to use our small force against them. Can you do that for us?” Sun asked.

Jonas heard this and it sounded even more ridiculous to him. It wasn’t part of their original plan to stay in Phox past tomorrow morning. He knew right from the onset that something of this nature was bound to happen ever since Sun started the discussion he had with the old man that night. But on the other hand, he knew that he can’t deny the fact that the people of Phox were in great danger and they are due for obliteration if they don’t get to do something. Jonas became increasingly aware of the type of person Sun was, he understood that he is a totally different person from him. He saw that Sun was so compassionate and kind and both of them are two different people. He lacks regard for human feelings and ever since he met Sun, he has tried to change the type of person he used to be and he has recorded some success except on this particular decision Sun was about to make.

“There are few people who I know that hates them as much I do hate them. But the problem is, they may not be….” The old man stopped and groaned as blood gushed out from his lip.

“Please, Viruz get me a towel and bottle of ale from that store,” Sun said.

“Like I was saying, there are men who hate them more than I do here in Phox. But the only problem is, I don’t think they will be up to thirty. You know we have more people who are afraid of them and fear them than we have people who are willing to fight them and that is the problem. I have tried in the past to muster them around and defend ourselves but we recorded small success. I had to disband them and let them go back to their families because a lot of blood will be spilled,” The old man explained. Viruz came with the towel and the bottle of hot wine he was asked to bring. He dropped it on a side stool and poured the ale into a bowel and deepened the towel inside it and used to clean off the blood on the man's body. Jonas used the opportunity to call out Sun separately and made him walk away from the old man in such a way that the old man won’t be hearing what he planned to discuss with Sun.

When both of them have walked away from where the old man and Viruz was, Jonas slowly reduced his voice. “General look…” Jonas said when Sun intruded.

“Listen, Jonas, if you are here to tell me not to stay and help them, you are free to leave. I am just sick and tired of your unsupportive charade since we arrived here” Sun said...

“Actually, that is not what I wanted to say. I was only trying to ask you how you intend to achieve getting their support. I am in full support and we need to break these people away from enslavement before we go for Kylian or the scroll. I totally understand your stance on this and understand why these people need our help. I’m ready to support in whatever means necessary,” Jonas said.

Sun just couldn’t believe it or what might have made Jonas changed his mind. He smiled and brought forth his right hand and they both shook each other. “Thank you, Jonas. This is unlike you.”

Jonas smiled too. “No problem General. You will always have my support.”

They both walked back quietly to Viruz and the old man. Viruz has cleaned all the blood stains on the man's body and was about to go pour away the blood wine in the bowel.

“Thank you Viruz,” Sun said, Viruz nodded his head and left with the bowel.

“Can you muster as many men as you can this night so we can know what next to do before dawn?” Sun asked the old men.

“I can see to that. But I won’t guarantee you anything positive but I have to try. You need to stay put while I go outside to call a few of them inside here. Please, on no occasion shall you come outside this tavern” the man said.

“That wouldn’t be a problem. We will stay here until you return” Sun said.

The old man nodded his head and stood up from his chair where he had relaxed and went outside to find some men.