THE CONSEQUENCE FOR ASKING FOR A CUP OF COFFEE

We are nearing the village's entrance, but I suddenly think of something that I know for certain that Brian is the only one who can answer.

"Brian, wait!" I call out.

"Hey, what's the problem? Are you nervous about entering the village?" He snickers.

"Not that. When you overheard that myth of the mirror from the villager here, was that only a few days ago or longer than that?"

"I don't really keep track of the time." He answers.

"But was that memory still feels new or not?"

"I don't know. Why won't we just enter the village already? The guards over there are looking at us suspiciously." He scratches the back of his head, glancing at the guards' direction.

"But maybe..."

"Your questions will be answered once we'll get to enter the village and hear it from him firsthand." He says, annoyance in his voice. He starts to walk again and the guards stop him to do a search. I sigh and continue to follow his trail.

...●●●...

After the thorough search conducted by the guards, we are given the permission to enter. As I enter the village with Brian beside me, the strong aroma of coffee only got stronger with every step that brings me deeper into the village. Tall, moss-covered trees stood the tallest, with houses built inside its trunks and branches, complete with beautiful handmade doors and windows with golden lights glowing from inside.

Villagers in the shade of green are everywhere you look, laughing and playing. They all seem to be jolly and carefree, making a smile creep up to my face.

Butterflies, bees and other kinds of bugs fly in every nook and cranny of the village, their flapping wings simultaneous in motion, making an eccentric kind of music beautiful to the ears.

"This village is so breathtaking." I smile, looking up to the sky that peeks through the canopy of the countless leaves in different sizes and shapes, producing golden dust that trickles flawlessly to the ground.

"Is this village...magical?" I whisper to Brian.

"Depends on how you see it." He shrugs.

I roll my eyes at him. Will he really continue answering my questions with those kinds of answers?

I try to ask him one more time, "There must be tons of coffee shops around here, right? I mean, the village itself smells like coffee."

"Haven't I told you? The people living here don't wash themselves in their whole lives. Not even just once."

"And what's the connection? You didn't understand what I was implying?" I groan, exasperated.

He smirks at my reaction, seemingly impressed at how his mere presence is annoying me.

"I'll wipe that smirk off your face." I grumble.

"Hey, I was just trying to make you laugh." He reasons, face getting red from trying so hard not to burst into laughter.

"Well it obviously didn't work so great job." I scoff.

"I apologize then." He says and continued walking. I quickly follow him from behind.

...●●●...

"We're here." He says once we reached a house in one of the tree's highest branches. "Great." I huff, collapsing on the branch's carved steps.

"Get up." He offers me a hand and I take it. "Thanks," I sigh and get up.

"Remember, bow when you speak to a Narkéan, and shake your head if you're trying to say hello. Got it?"

Before waiting for my response, Brian knocks on the wooden door several times. A few moments later, an olive-skinned woman opens it.

"Who is it?" She asks.

"Hello. I'm Brian. Is Elmar home?" Brian asks her.

"Elmar? Why, we've never heard of him since he left." The woman replies.

"Do you have any idea where he might have been?"

"Sadly, no."

"Oh, alright." He starts to turn around, but tilts his head to look at the woman once again. "Please give my companion and I a moment, we need to discuss some matters first. I'm sure well get back to you after." He smiles sweetly at her,which is a rarity since I have met him.

We distance ourselves from the woman who eyes our every move.

"Elmar? That was the villager you was telling me about? She said he left! What are we going to do now?" I try to sound calm, even if I'm panicking inside.

"We'll just ask her then. I told you earlier that the myths about the mirror is well-known here, remember?" He says.

"Really? Then you ask her. It's a little uncomfortable talking to her because she looks quite different from us." I admit.

"Hm. Alright." He turns around and faces the woman who is standing the entire time on the doorway, blocking any view of the inside of the house.

"She's new around these parts and I am helping her find her way around here and I thought Elmar might help us but it looks like our timing was bad. Anyway, thank you for the information you have given us." Brian bows his head down low and motions me to do the same.

After bowing, Brian and I starts to leave. I hesitate about following him, but it looks like he's serious about it.

"Wait, are you sure Elmar is the only one who can help? I probably can." The woman calls behind us.

"Really!?" Brian exclaims, sounding too surprised.

"Yes. Come in, and we'll talk inside."

...●●●...

The interior decor of the house was magnificently well-done. The overall space is small, but everything seemed to fit perfectly in place. Every piece of furniture seemed to be covered in rich green moss and some of the things placed around are unidentifiable; probably decorations or other types of furniture you can only find in the village and nowhere else.

"Your place is wonderful." I say with a smile on my face once we sat down on the moss covered stools. I think of talking for once will make me more approachable for her, but what I expected is far from reality. The woman's face changed from smiling to frowning after she heard me talk.

Noticing this, my face turn all red. Brian elbows me and whispers, "You shouldn't have done that."

"What? Why?" I ask, whispering back.

"Giving compliments means belittling here so just act along with me, understand?"

I nod, even though I am actually confused. And by this, he turns to the woman.

"She's my companion, Tasha. She's blind and a little deaf so she needs my help in adventuring. I'm sure I already introduced myself back there, but let me. I'm Brian, a guide." Brian says, shaking his head.

"Oh, uh...right. It turns out I'm blind and deaf." I nervously giggle and also shake my head.

"She's blind! Of course. I thought she's complimenting my house," the woman says and adds, "Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ieka. Trang Ieka." The woman shakes her head.

"Nice to meet you too." Brian says.

"Now, you said earlier that you need Elmar's help, but he left. You know him?" Ieka asks, looking directly at Brian.

"Well, sort of. You see, Tasha here has become interested in myths and legends nowadays. I know Elmar knows lots of myths about almost everything concerning this land and even beyond."

"You silly young man. All the people here in Narké knows all myths. Our elders pass it down to one generation to another. Telling myths is one of our favorite things to do, apart from planting houses and hunting wild beasts."

"Then that's great to hear, right Tasha?" Brian nudges me.

"Oh what was that? I couldn't hear well." I shout.

"She's loud and she reminds me of Tikan, one of our elders. Tikan is also deaf himself. Tasha sure looks young despite her old age." Ieka says.

"Well, Tasha isn't that old to tell you the truth. She's even younger than me." Brian says and pulls me close so that he can whisper, "What was that? Now you're overacting."

"Well what am I suppose to do?" I whisper back, trying to sound cool although I'm getting infuriated.

"Just stare into space, act like you can hear what we're saying but sometimes you don't and you have to ask me what we're talking about. Got it or got it?"

"Whatever."

I straighten up on the stool where I sit and Brian does the same.

"Did you tell her what we were just talking about?" Ieka asks Brian.

"Yes, I did. In fact, she told me she'd be very happy if she can get to listen to the myths your elders told you, especially the myth of the roaming mirror."

Ieka's eyes seem to sparkle at the mention of the word 'mirror'.

"The roaming mirror, you say?" She leans in closer, and I think she's getting interested about the topic.

"Yes, you heard it right." Brian nods.

"I'd be happy to tell you every myth about it, for a price." A sly smile appears on Ieka's face.

"What did she say?" I chip in, tapping on Brian's arm.

"Uh, she said she'll tell us all the myths about the mirror but for a price." Brian says.

"Will she ask us to brew the coffee instead of herself?" I ask, "I really want a cup of coffee right now."

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Brian scratches his head.

"Coffee? What's coffee?" Ieka pipes in.

"Huh? You don't know what's coffee? I thought you people love coffee so much your whole village smells like it." I say.

"What is she talking about?" Ieka asks Brian, confusion written all over her face.

"This is going to be a disaster." Brian throws his hands up in the air in surrender.