Magnifico

Big oak tree

In the morning, before the birds started singing and whistling for the morning play, they had already woken up from sleep. Viruz had managed to warm their food for everyone to eat. When they were through with their breakfast, they started riding immediately. They had to make sure that their horses were well fed and taken care of before they left. They made sure they inspected all those sores and bruises their horses had as a result of long-distance traveling and get them neutralized.

They maintained riding west and made their first stop when the day was slowly advancing from morning to afternoon. They have been riding through the bushes and under the trees to avoid traveling directly under the sunlight. Doing so drains energy quickly than it would if they traveled under the shade. They got here just early enough to see everything that needs to be seen. Some of the trees there seemed like they were deliberately deforested, cut, and carried away for timber. As they stopped, they came down from their horses and checked out the place for more information.

“General, I think these trees here were cut down by humans,” Jonas said as he points at logs of wood in the area.

“Yeah. Look at that big oak tree. I believe it was someone that brought it down.” Viruz added.

“It means we are finally close to someone’s place. We should be careful because people might be staying somewhere close.” Sun said.

“Yeah. I believe so. We just need to be very careful now. Zaphra like I have heard most of them say is not decent.” Jonas said.

“At least if we have arrived at Zaphra yet, it shows that our journey was not for nothing after all. None of us will be going back Phox or Brux” Viruz said.

“Exactly. That was why I told you that your predictions were wrong. You see, we are in Zaphra” Jonas said happily.

“We are not sure yet,” Viruz said.

“Yes, I am. Where else can it be? We are in Zaphra Viruz” Jonas concluded.

“Well, we are not sure yet and even if we are, we should keep our voices down. We don’t need trouble. We have not strategized on our next plan. There are things we have not yet sorted out first. Which are: How should we take care of Kylian when we see him? How do we find him? What if he isn’t here? What if he had already left Zaphra and run to another place by the time we came?” Sun asked. There was a sudden silence after Sun said this. Nobody was willing to counter him until Jonas managed to pull himself together.

“General, we will surely find Kylian in Zaphra. Remember he is just a few days ahead of us and I don’t think he can change course when he is yet to relax in Zaphra. Besides, when Finder told us about Zaphra in Akhans, he wasn’t saying what he wasn’t sure of, he wasn’t predicting. He was telling us that whenever we went to Zaphra, we will surely find him Kylian. We may not be able to him on time, but believe me, we will. We always do.” Jonas said he sits down on top lined dressed on the ground to accommodate the three of them.

“Yes. Well, it’s game time. I’m hungry, I need to eat something” Sun said. He brought out a lump of well-dried meat from his sac he carried around his shoulder. It was the last remaining meat from the jaguar they killed. He decided to share them among the three of them so that they will eat. It wasn’t big or close to being enough but they were willing to manage it no matter how little. Jonas brought out the remaining jar of water he kept separately in his bag, he drank and gave the two of them to drink too. Sun looked at Viruz's hands and it was bleeding slowly. It looked as though he mistakenly nudged it across a surface and reignited the freshness of the wound again.

“Viruz, is it painting you again?” Sun asked Viruz who was just sitting at his right-hand side. He looked at Sun and nodded slowly.

“Then I think we should leave now. We still need fresh alcohol to apply on that wound because it looks it has been infected” Sun said as he held Viruz by the hand and gently caressed it.

“Viruz, do you know that if we are attacked by let’s say other bandits, we are finished?” Jonas said as he chuckled.

“Why do you think so?” Sun asked.

“Viruz won’t be able to use his hands effectively and we will concentrate more on defending him than defending ourselves.” Jonas opined.

“I will use the other hand then if I can not use the other. Huh?” Viruz exclaimed.

“Oh Cry baby, that was a joke” Jonas laughed.

Sun stood up and went close to his horse. He turned around and said, “the sun's intensity is not that high. Let’s get going now. We are not sure how far we need to travel again. So the earlier we leave here, the better for us. Or don’t you agree comrades?” Sun asked slightly raising both eyes and tightening his lips.

Without much deliberation, Jonas and Viruz quickly stood up, wrapped the linen, and put it into a bag. They mounted their horses too and zoomed off with the General. They rode for a while before they met a narrow road and a possible way leading to Zaphra. This narrow road was filled with dried brown leaves and tree branches clustered around. On the sides of this road were different trees growing both sides. Some were big while some were small. The trees on both sides of the narrow road cast a great shadow which makes the road to be smooth for a quick ride. They rode as quickly as possible, maintaining traveling straight on the new road which they have found. After riding close to half a mile, they noticed that the residing trees on both sides of the road have gradually lessened in height while the narrow road was incredibly becoming vaster. Moments later, a small bungalow could be seen from the distance. It was half bricks, half wooden from bottom to the top of the house. The roof was inclined in a triangular send-down of the rain position and was made with a thatched roof. Coming closer to the house, they could see unlopped old looking windows round the house and a kind of jaunty rusty hanging door which pose as the main entrance into the house. The texture of the house seems rough especially On the part made with bricks. They stopped at the house and wanted to check out what they may find inside.

“Look, I think we should check this place out,” Viruz said while sitting on his horse.

“Same here. The house looks old though but we need to check it out just like you said” Jonas added.

“What do you think General?” Viruz asked.

“I am not thinking about anything. Let’s just go in.” Sun said while he jumps down from his horse. Jonas and Viruz followed him while they all walked in together into the house. Opening the rusty door, the hinges made a whizzing sound as the door was opened by Jonas. They came inside and were surprised to see men mostly talking distinctly and they could not be heard even though they were in the same room. Most of them were heavily armed and some of them had their daggers concealed loosely on their hips.