Magnifico

Opportunity comes but once

The old man went outside to know if he can still gather a few trusted men he could depend on to help him achieve whatever thing they would want to achieve. Even though they hadn’t thought of a well-devised plan they would adopt but the old man believes that this was an opportunity he shouldn’t let go of.

He saw the way Sun, Jonas, and Viruz had coordinated the murder of ten men without much stress. He knew that these men that visited and will stay for a while will certainly bring change in his city if he utilizes this rare opportunity...

“If we fail this time, I don’t think we will ever get it right again. We need to defend this city and this is the perfect time to do so. An opportunity they say come but once, what would then happen to this opportunity if it’s not taken” the old man said to himself.

“General, how do you intend to fight these bandits? Because it is crystal clear that we will be outnumbered when they come to attack us," Viruz asked...

The question stroked the General with fear in his belly. He certainly doesn’t want to expose people to untimely death but he also realized that if nothing is done, more people will die and extra will keep on dying.

“I don’t have a plan yet but I believe something will pan out. It is better to have a taste of bravery even if it is for a day than to have this feeling that you are a coward for the rest of your life.” Sun replied Viruz. “I’m still open for suggestions in case you have something to say or advice” he added.

“Well for me, this is not going to be easy. We killed their men. Ten men and I know quite well that they are not coming to hear to laugh with us. They will be bringing a rough crusade and we need to be up to the game. I suggest that you talk to the villagers yourself and try to convince them to bring more people when for this fight. Let them know that this is not our fight so we are in no obligation to help them. Make them understand that we are doing this out of our own magnanimous, charitable and benevolent goodwill" Jonas said.

“Yes, Jonas... This is very nice. It is not our fight so, we need their cooperation and total complicity. I will try as much as possible to convince them and get them to listen. Before dawn, we have come up with a plan. Should we take the fight to them or should we allow them to take the fight to us?” Sun asked with a slack mood.

“Taking the fight to them would have been much better if the men fighting on our side are trained soldiers. But these are farmers whose foods have been looted. So it won’t be a nice idea to take the fight to them," Viruz said.

“I think, you are correct. What do you suggest General?” Jonas asked.

“For me, we will take the fight to them this night. If we can tell only tell where they are or hidden in the forest, then we can slowly hit them hard and still wait for them tomorrow.”

“How do you intend to hit them hard if I may ask?” Jonas asked.

“That I am not sure but I think poisoning them or some of them would do. We can get to reduce their population when they come in the day time.”

“Alright. You should think it through. We will go out this night if we have to” Jonas reacted with a conformational statement.

While they were still indoors discussing how to come up with a better plan, the old man had already called few men that would assist Sun and his men. They entered the tavern through the main entrance and they came to where Sun and his partners were sitting.

“You are back!” Sun said as the old man comes closer.

“Yes. I was able to call out these few men. I thought that I will able to muster around thirty men but it wasn’t possible, I was only able to call out ten. Some were not too convinced, some were just too afraid while some are just people I think can not be fully trusted..” The old man said.

“That’s not a big issue,” Sun said waving his hands in satisfaction. “Gentlemen, I greet you all. I believe by now, he should have briefed all of you on why you were summoned to come here. I am sorry to have been the reason that made you all be here this night without prior notice, I sincerely apologize for that. However, there are just two reasons why I asked you all to join us today and it’s all for your good. The first reason is; to fight alongside me. The second reason is; to get your independence and get to have the opportunity to rule your kingdom yourselves. Your people can continue living under these criminals that steal, loots, and destroy your properties forever or you can choose not to. Something needs to be done about it and for something to be done, I will need your full cooperation. This night, I want to go to the mountain where the bandits are hidden and weaken them before they come to attack us tomorrow..” Sun said when someone interfered.

“How would you use weaken them?” asked a man among the men the old man brought inside the tavern.

“When we know exactly where they stay in the mountain, we will lurk around until most of them starts sleeping. We will kill silently any of one of them that would stand in our way and make sure we poison either their food or drinks or whatever we can get our hands-on. If we fail to achieve this, then I can guarantee you all that I don’t know how tomorrow would look like”

“But why should we believe you? How should we know that you are capable enough to face them? Ok, let us assume we succeed to poison some of them, what then happens tomorrow when the rest of them come for reprisals? Can you really take one man down let alone tens of them that would be here?” the same man asked.

“Please listen and listen carefully. I didn’t come here for debates. My name is Sun, a top warlord of the kingdom of Quinax.” He paused and he brought out his identity card made with wood from his pocket and showed them. It has an engraved royal seal of Quinax on it… “I have not come here to dominate or rule over you. I am here as a passerby who wants the best for all of you. I was assigned to do a very big important assignment back home and we haven’t even started yet because I see that there are things that need to be fixed here. So please, I need your full cooperation, it breaks my heart to see much suffering from your people when the real suffering is yet to come. How long should this continue? Let us all work together and make use of this ambient opportunity. My friends and I are seeing here are good fighters and you could use our help. What I need you all to do for me is, to help me convince as many people as you can. Try to get them to agree to fight on our side tomorrow when the bandits come for retaliation. I will also need someone amongst you who can help me locate where they are in the mountain this night. Please…..” Sun pleaded.

The real suffering is yet to come

This statement from Sun got the men confused including the old man who was also listening and they didn’t know why Sun said it but Jonas and Viruz know exactly the angle he was coming from. If Magnifico’s constant domination and constant attacks are allowed to continue, then one day, it will get to the people of Phox and it will be a swift victory for Magnifico. It wouldn’t even be a fight, it will be a crushing defeat. The name phox will be used to spell doom and blood and no one is going to leave to tell the story for them. Magnifico will make sure that he explores the opportunity of their weakened defense system against them and make them understand what pain and weaknesses really entail.

“I will take you there,” one of the men said.

“I will follow too,” another one says. Two men among the three men agreed to take the General up the mountain to show him where the bandits are hiding. Sun, Viruz, and Jonas left with the two men while the old man and others stayed behind to help convince other people in the village to get themselves prepared for what is to come the next day.

On the way going to the mountain, in the cover of darkness Sun and the men were slowly advancing with their horses towards the narrow road leading to the mountain. One of the men accompanying them was at the front while Sun followed up, Jonas was the third meanwhile Viruz and the second man we’re riding side by side.

It was cocoon quiet and deserted at first so they were not worried about anything yet as they continued to ride towards the hilly terrain.

“Have you all been there before? I mean have you been to where the bandits are?” Viruz asked the man riding beside him, accompanying them while slowly riding his horse.

“Of course, I have,” he said.

“Sure? So you know where we are going?” Viruz asked again.

“I remember here. We are following the right way” the man said.

“You remember? What do you remember?” Viruz asked.

The man stopped and looked at Viruz and giggled in a moody manner. Viruz stopped his horse too and looked at him and said “is there anything you want to tell me?”

“Yes, there is something you need to know. There was a day the bandits came to our village to steal and loot our things as usual. It wasn’t a new thing to us neither was it a surprise so most of us knew what they wanted so we did not waste much time of their time. I told my wife to bring out our part of the contribution we will give them but there was a problem. The commander that led the raid did what surprised me. He left the contribution that my wife had brought and chosen my wife instead. He said that he would take my wife as a hostage and would make her his concubine. This didn’t go down well with me so I intervened and tried to fight but the problem was that there were many of them and nobody from our village came to help me save her from their hands so I was overpowered and they took me too. I was subjected to all sorts of t*****e and they made me follow them to the mountain top on foot. When we got there, they made me a laughingstock and they threw rotten foods and fruits on my face while my hands were wrapped around my back. They made me a deal.”

“A deal? What deal?” Viruz asked looking closely and directly at the man.

“They told me that if I will accept the fact that my wife has been taken away from me and also agree that she is no longer mine but the wife of the commander, they will let me leave. I weighed the option but it didn’t also go down well with me but my wife told me to agree. She was released to come to talk to me by the commander and I believe she was told to convince me to agree in an exchange for my release and her wellbeing. I had to agree because I know if I don’t, they will kill me and also force my wife into s*****y or kill her. That was how I knew the direction of this area and I am very sure that this is the road leading to their hideout” the man said.

“I am so sorry to hear that. What about your wife? Have you heard from her?” Viruz said. The man looked away and slowly started charging his horse into a ride.

“No. I have not heard from or seen her since again. I have been longing for a day I will see her and know if she is still alive”

“Don’t worry. That day is near and you will get to see her again. What is your name?” Viruz asked as he followed him up too with his horse so they could pace up with Sun and the rest who are slightly ahead of them.

“My name's Owen.”

“Owen, it’s nice to meet you.”

“It's nice to meet you too.”

Halfway to the mountain top, distant light from torches were barely seen, movements weren’t that apparent but they knew that they are close to where the bandits might be hiding. Sun realized that it is time they come down from their horse and trek the remaining distance on foot.

“Gentlemen, I think we should stop here. I can see that we are already close to the bandits so I think it’s nice that we hide our horses somewhere safe and climb up there on foot.” Sun said.

“You all heard the General. Let’s come down from our horses and keep them here, ” Kylian said.

They all stopped, came down from their horses, and hid them somewhere safe for the moment...