ADILAGES
DAHLIAS 2
Fan Art "Dahlia" by Anjar Purpito Suryoraningrat
The deeper Julia stepped down the stairs, the darker the surroundings became. As an investigator of legendary sites, of course, he has prepared important equipment in his backpack. One of them was a flashlight, which he now turned on to illuminate the passageway in front of him. However, still the little girl stepped carefully, not to slip. The flashlight panned in multiple directions, alert to the unexpected surprises lurking around every corner, every moment.
Julia continued walking until she saw the light coming from the end of the hallway. Although driven by curiosity, his feet did not go faster. His patience resulted in an amazing view at the end of the hallway.
This is the view of a temple that is not too high, but as if supporting the floor to the ceiling of the underground cave. The form was unusual, like a woman who was struggling, offering prayers. Not wrong again, this is the thousandth temple, the symbol of Roro Jonggrang itself.
Completely already. The thousandth temple has been found. Julia should have waited for Gilang to follow. Suddenly, a melodious woman's voice flashed. “Ah, finally there is a visitor, after a long time.”.
Is there anyone else here? Julia looked to the left, there was no one. “Who is it?” Julia exclaims.
“Put into the temple, young girl, and you'll know.”
The more the voice spoke, the stronger the familiar feeling that permeated Julia's heart niche. Without thinking too long, his legs seemed to drag his body into the door of the temple which was the size of a one-leafed door about two meters high.
Inside the thousandth temple was a sense of amazement and wonder Julia reached the peak. How not, in a room that is almost the size of a badminton field this is the source of the scorching light in the cave. The source was a chunk of ice crystal that was one and a half times larger than the average adult female body. Sunlight still slipping through the holes in the ceiling of the cave was concentrated and reflected on the crystal surface, impressing it as the source of the light itself.
Faintly, from far away Julia saw a woman was stretching her hands in “cakes of crystal”. When the braid-haired girl approached, new clearly visible clothes and ornaments in the style of Ancient Java. Especially when looking at the peerless beautiful face that was smiling with her eyes closed peacefully. All these traits and information he got ensured the identity of the woman in the ice crystal as…
“Roro Jonggrang,” whispered Julia while covering her mouth with two hands.
“Ah, apparently you recognize me. What's your name, young girl?” said Jonggrang, even though the lips on the body in the ice did not move one bit.
“My name is Julia, Queen Majesty,” Julia said, sorting her words very carefully.
“Call me Rara only. Now I'm not a queen or anything, just a godforsaken tribe trapped for centuries with a frozen body.”
What a fate more terrible than death. Concerned about it, Julia said, “Rara, what can I do to free you from this prison?”
Suddenly, quietly. Julia's heart is pounding, maybe Jonggrang is not happy with his offer that is too fast. Too presumptuous. Just as the girl was about to turn around and leave Jonggrang Temple alone, Rara's inner voice reverberated, “Maybe there's something you can do, maybe not. But first, answer my question.”
Julia watched with interest, but her heart still pounded hard. Rara continued, “According to you, who was wrong until I was cursed in this way, unable to meet again with Bandung in the afterlife, after he died? Wrong Bandungkah? Jin Himawarikah's? Or my own fault?”
While remembering the story of Roro Jonggrang Gilang, Julia tried to look at all this with the eyes of her heart. Finally, the girl replied, “Not one of the two humans who can actually be united with love, but instead attack each other because they are tricked into hatred and revenge. It is not the fault Himawari was also angry when he felt his pride and honor were harassed. If something goes wrong, it must be Patih Gupala who has complained to all of you for the sake of fulfilling his personal ambitions.”
Silent again. Then I heard sobs. Before Julia inquired about all that, Rara's voice trembled, mixed with happy cries. “Aih, after centuries in a silent frozen prison, finally the Almighty will send a helper who will understand me. Well, Julia boy, give me your hand. Grab into this ice crystal, remove it and take Kirana Puspa Badge from my body.”
“A-what?” argue Julia. “T-but it's a very solid ice crystal! Impossible my hand can break through!”
“Please take this last test. If you're my helper, you can do this. If Bandung Bondowoso could break through this ice with his magic, I would have been free since the beginning.”
Jonggrang's words were absurd, making Julia's forehead wrinkle. A while later, he moved forward and placed his right palm on the surface of the crystal ice chest.
Then, the girl began to press, but her palm did not enter. “Sorry, Rara. I guess I'm not the liberator.”
“Yeah, what a pity. While holding the ice earlier, did you feel anything?”
Julia also flinched. He only realized that ice when held must be very cold. But he shook his head as he said, “It feels a little cold like touching a marble, that's it.”
“Really? Try it again, Julia. This time, concentrate all your attention just to grab that badge.”
Julia took Jonggrang's advice. His eyes continued to be glued to the badge Puspa Kirana bearing the symbol of the dahlia, let alone the round emerald jewel that shimmered right in the middle.
Then, without feeling, Julia's hand pierced through the surface of the ice and continued to enter, until it touched the emerald.
“Very good. Well, pull it out.”
Julia gently removed the brooch badge from Roro Jonggrang's clothes, slowly pulling her hand out of the ice chest. The badge is now in his grasp, but why not the body of a woman as beautiful as an angel alone who is free from the chest?
The answer to Julia came instantly, this time her voice came from a brooch. “Actually my body was dead when the mighty power of Gupala hit me. All my magic, my magical power and my spirit transferred to this badge, my magic amulet. Since the protective magical field of this talisman is translucent, so be this my escape place, the prison in my prison.”
“Entah, I don't understand myself. Aih, if anyone can give me a hint..”.
Suddenly, a man's voice sounded. “You don't have much to look for, Rara, because I'm already here.”
Julia was aghast and rushed out of the temple. Sure enough, the voice came from a person he knew! “What do you mean, Gilang? You speak as if Roro Jonggrang is your lover!” snapped it.
Surprisingly, Gilang seemed to not care about his interlocutor. His gaze remained fixed on the brooch in Julia's hand. Then, as if to convince Jonggrang, the crystal necklace on Gilang's chest emits light like a hologram, displaying the image of a handsome man wearing Ancient Javanese-style clothing around the Eighth Century AD.
Brooch Badge Puspa Kiranapun react, emitting the image of a beautiful young girl in matching clothes with the young man, apparently exactly the same as the frozen body in the temple. Roro Jonggrang gasped and said, “You.... Bandung?”
“Yes, it's me, the man who has sworn an oath, willing to endure the same curse as you. After centuries, I finally found my heir, Gilang Kandaka. And now, you too are a matchmaker and freed from the ice by Julia.”
“I'm not free yet,” respond Roro Jonggrang.
“Yes, you see ‘kan, so do I. So, welcome my hand, Rara. Let us re-unite, free from this curse of ours and live happily in the afterlife.” Sukma Bandung Bondowoso came forward and stretched out his hand, but Rara did not immediately welcome him. The girl frowned and even shrunk back.
“Lho, why?” tanya Bandung, her face looked astonished. “Isn't this what you wanted all this time?”
“Yes, all this time.. I wanted freedom.. until a while ago. But right now, I'm not sure.. There are things that still stuck in my heart... but I don't know what it is.”.
Suddenly one other voice, a heavy and thunderous voice sounded. “Hei Bandung! If your girl is still in doubt, let me assure her with this!” Sukma Bandung suddenly like electrocuted, his entire body image convulsed violently.
In between his cries of pain, Bandung exclaimed, “H-Hima! Didn't I-I... have been pressing you all this time?”
Jin Himawari then showed his image, a giant all-crystal with a pressing position, torturing the tribe of Bandung. “Really! But instead of revolting, all this time I pretended to be subdued and stored energy. His goal? So that I can exterminate you and Jonggrang at once, kill two flies one pat! Separate you forever!”
Jonggrang is hysterical. “Typeak! Bandung…! Stop it Hima, or...!”
“Or what do you want? Make all the chickens crow again? Make all women wake up and pound rice, even though the sun has not risen?” himawari. “Or like Bandung, preventing me from taking revenge on the person who humiliated me? Ohoho, no, it's not gonna happen again. It's all done today! And I will be back to running rampant with satisfaction in this world with mr – instead of – my new slave, Gilang!”
“Just take you Hima, enslave humans!” This time the protest was Julia. “Come Roro Jonggrang, we unite forces! We show this high-hearted genie the strength of the human heart and compassion!”
This time, without a doubt Jonggrang responded, “Good! I leave all my magical powers to you, Julia!” Those words are manifested instantly in action. The image of Jonggrang back in the brooch. Then the brooch emitted a scorching light that enveloped Julia's entire body.
Julia felt her appearance change. He is not wearing Old Javanese clothes like Roro Jonggrang, but a kind of modern costume. The shape of the shirt is not sleeved with charming curves, plus a short skirt that looks like a large woven fabric. Apparently the magical power of the badge has adjusted the costume to Julia's favorite type of clothing. Moreover, the shape of the headgear that is fused with the mask fits perfectly with the braid hairstyle of the two girls, making it look sweeter and can move more freely.
So, when the glare light finally disappeared, it appeared the figure of a completely different girl, dressed in a combination of pink and green.
Seeing that, Jin Himawari instead mocked, “What the heck, Jonggrang? Can't you choose more ‘agung’ death clothes than this?”
“Oh, sorry if this does not suit your taste, jin jin with a stiff temper,” said Roro Jonggrang without moving Julia's lips. “After all I still have one more completeness for this ‘life’ clothes.”
Almost instantly, a beam of green light in the shape of a lute manifested in Julia's hand. Then the lute changed into the only musical instrument that Julia mastered, namely the violin and stick swipe.
Seeing the figure of Bandung Bondowoso and Gilang who were surviving desperately, convulsions held Hima's strength, Julia stepped forward in a growl. But he doesn't know how to use Jonggrang's magical powers. What is kung-fu? Should I hit my opponent with the violin?
Jonggrang's instructions flashed for a moment. I'll give you some chatter to remember. Play with the violin to attack, defend and influence the mind of the opponent.
Suddenly, tone after tone flashed in Julia's mind. Almost simultaneously, he swiped his violin to play the song. The tones produced by the violin are exactly the same as those sung by Jonggrang as an example, both sound and rhythm.
Hima's spirit concentrating with his action flinched instantly. As the pressure loosens, the spirit of Bandung Bondowoso seizes this opportunity by obliterating himself. Now, it was Hima's tortured turn.
Yeah, good, Julia. Here's the opening magic, the Soul-Sweeping Tone. Opponents exposed to this magic will lose their fighting spirit and killing lust. Hopefully this time Hima is affected. From the tone of Jonggrang's inner voice, it seems that this magic has never been tried on Hima.
Hima's shadow closed its ears, forgetting that sound waves could easily penetrate the shadow form and directly affect its spirit. It was only a moment later that he gasped and exclaimed, “again the magic song sucks! I need.. raga! Ah, I know!”