"A hot and sweetened Chai for the most beautiful maiden in the entire Batang empire." declared Babida the lumberjack to his bride Suzie as he gave her one of the two cups of tea that he was holding, making the latter blush.

"Don't you exaggerate a little bit, my love? There are many women in this land way prettier than I am?" The young Miss Suzie reacted.

"Well, I wished I was hyperbolizing but I am not. The truth is that I am the luckiest man in the world. A hefty and bearded groom like me with the most refined beauty that could ever be. And hopefully, soon we shall wed." The woodsman answered her with a smiling face.

The last sentence of her husband-to-be made the young maiden Suzie's black cheeks become even redder.

And out of the blue…

Haaaaaaaaaaa

The senior henchman Polo woke up and yawned.

"Oh, Your Highness!" He exclaimed, surprised to see that Babida the lumberjack was back in the magical cave from his outing earlier in the day.

The aide-de-camp Polo stood up and gave the Governor of Okunde a military salute and while he was doing so, he mistakenly stepped on the left hand of the interim henchman Baba who was sleeping next to him.

"Ouch!" The youngster screamed as he woke up, for the pain was horrible.

"I am sorry, comrade!" told the senior aide-de-camp Polo to his younger collaborator as he removed his left foot that he wrongly laid on the latter's left hand.

The sleep in the eyes of the interim henchman Baba was thus gone and he jerked from the mattress when he glanced in front of him and realized that Governor Babida was present and sitting next to his bride Suzie.

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Like the senior aide-de-camp, the youngster Baba rose hastily, saluted the Superior Commander Babida, and powerfully cried out: "Welcome back Your Highness!".

"At ease!" ordered Governor Babida to his henchmen.

Then he added: "Well, comrades we need to talk privately but before that, you may take some hot beverages and bread over there."

"At your command, Your Highness!" The two aides-de-camp Polo and Baba replied to him in unison, then headed to the food distribution area of the magical cave.

"Two hot cups of coffee, comrade, and with some bread." asked the senior aide-de-camp Polo to an imperial warrior who was distributing the collation for refugees.

"I am sorry, My Commander, but we have Chai instead and have no coffee at the moment. Is that fine for you? replied the imperial soldier to the senior henchman Polo.

"Uhhhh, well yes! Do we have a choice? I don't think so. Then, let's go for two cups of Chai, please!" The aide-de-camp Polo uttered.

"Well, My Commander, here is one cup of Chai for you and another one for our young comrade right here."

"Thank you, comrade!" replied the two henchmen Polo and Baba simultaneously to the imperial soldier who volunteered to supply the provisions.

"And also here are two big slices of crispy bread!" The volunteer then said while handing the aliment over to the two aides-de-camp who took it and thanked him once more.

Thereupon the henchmen moved back to the position of Governor Babida as they sipped the tea and chewed the bread, and at the same time whispered about what they thought the Superior Commander wanted to talk with them in private.

"I'm pretty sure that His Highness wants to discuss the top-secret document related to the walking tornado." guessed the youngster, Baba.

"Yes I do think so as well." stated the senior henchman Polo as they were about to reach the level of the lumberjack.

"Ah, you are back, comrades!" exclaimed the woodsman who interrupted his passionate conversation with the young maiden Suzie to focus on the two men now in front of him.

"Sorry, young Miss! I have a meeting with the men but I will be right back." The groom Babida told his bride, Suzie.

He then rose and moved ahead to the right corner of the main compartment of the magical underground that was free and quiet.

And as he was doing so, he invited the two henchmen Polo and Baba to follow him, which they did with some fear in their stomachs.

Now that they were only three of them, though refugees glared at the group from away so curious they were, Governor Babida and the two aides-de-camp Polo and Baba could openly speak about State affairs.

"Well, comrades, as you can suspect it, the matter that I would like us to exchange on, is of extreme significance." The logger Babida said as an opening statement.

"I'm quite sure that you Polo, as the longtime late Governor Kola 2's aide-de-camp, you've heard about a top-secret document warning of an upcoming threat but also how that danger could be eradicated." pursued the lumberjack as the young miss Suzie looked at them from a distance.

"Yes indeed, Your Highness! I drafted the strategy with the late Governor. May his soul rest in peace!" Then declared the senior henchman Polo.

"Great! So you know well about the winning strike that could stop once and for all the walking tornado. Hence you shall come with me along with Comrade Baba." The lumberjack spat out and began to take the way out of the magical cave.

TO BE CONTINUED…