Hans the Blind Witch of the Aksara
Character 8: Danyang[1]

Hans was cornered, he didn't know what to do. The huge deer was now standing before Hans, occasionally shaking his head for some reason. His large body gradually shrunk, "Wuuwuu" a small whisper came out of the mouth of a deer that is now only three dpa (six meters) in size.

Hans did not understand, but he picked up two plates of uma scattered on the ground, as he did so suddenly the deer moved.

"UH!" Hans screeched slightly and jumped back, but he regained his composure, the deer ducking to the ground by folding all four legs. All of these things seemed to hint the little boy to climb onto his back.

Hans seemed hesitant, but the roar of another beast was heard from a distance. He ventured and climbed up the body of the deer, though it had shrunk to one-eighth of its previous size but he remained too big for the boy who was only three and a half cubits (one and a half meters) high.

Hans climbed up and held on to the deer's huge horn, the creature seemed to have no objection. Then he walked slowly, through the forest. Without Hans realizing it he entered the thick fog and both of them disappeared from the place.

Just a few breaths away, another figure came far from above the sky. His old face looked very pale, sweat pouring out filled his wrinkle face.

"Mr Hans!"

"Mr Hans!"

"Sir when you hear me please answer!" He shouted while holding back his cries, his heart was full of chaos because fear, sadness and regret mixed to make his heart uncertain.

A moment later he landed where the fire snake disappeared, the surrounding trees had returned to their original state due to the deers' characters. There were no traces of fighting there except for the traces of burnt ground.

Hibiscus walked over and found Hans' shabby book, and then jumped down from Praus's back in a hurry to the point of rolling over his panic-stricken sanking. Holding Hans' old shabby book, his head turned to the right and left looking for where the boy had gone.

**

Hans seemed to experience tremendous sleepiness, he did not understand where this deer took him, all his wounds and injuries seemed to slowly disappear. It was as if this mist was healing him, yet at the same time making his body feel so tired. The deer ran elegantly through the mist until they reached the foot of a very high mountain.

The deer stopped, Hans opened his eyes with an effort that could not be spelled out a little. When he opened his eyes, he didn't want to close them. Twelve waterfalls greeted him, twelve of them arranged upwards like steps. So magnificent and beautiful, the water is like stuck between large rocks that become a barrier between the water and its surroundings.

Hans was still not content to enjoy the magnificent sight, but the deer moved without giving him a cue, jumping towards the huge waterfall.

Hans let out a small scream, the waterfall was so big that each level of the waterfall reached two hundred dpa (four hundred meters) with a span of five pulu dpa (a regular meter).

Seeing that Hans could already imagine what happened to his body if he recklessly faced the rushing roar of water. The deer was as fearless as it was, moving steadily right down the waterfall.

He closed his eyes, scared. The jump was done, both of them had entered into the swift roar of water, but after a few breaths there was no sense whatsoever he felt. Not even a little water washed his body. He opened his eyes and found the curtains of water surrounding them, turning into a large ball that carried them up. When they passed the first waterfall, he saw a creature asleep at the top of the first waterfall.

He was not a magical beast, his body was jet black and had two large arms. He had horns on his elbows and horns, just by looking at them brought great fear to Hans.

Luckily the curtains brought them up quickly, so he did not have to linger at the sight. Each peak of the waterfall has a strange creature cross-legged there, as if imprisoned or praying.

Of the twelve peaks of the waterfall, the top of the twelfth peak was the most sinister part for Hans. A white figure with a faceless head turned to him, the creature seemed to see him with a faceless, eyesless face. However Hans felt that the whole secret of his body was visible to the creature, the overwhelming fear flooding his heart his body started to tremble.

Realizing that the deer was shrieking a little and the figure then turned away and did not heed Hans, Hans's little hand hugged the deer's body while throwing his face away from the strange creature.

The two of them shortly flew over the twelve waterfalls, at the top of a large altar standing upright. In the center of the altar is a very large throne, about fifty-two dpa (one hundred and four meters wide) and one hundred and twenty dpa high.

Hans who crawled down from the reindeer's back then stood up with his legs shaking, all the sensations he had felt before were nothing compared to the fear given by such a huge figure sitting before him. The aura he emanated made Hans unable to breathe, then he fell down where he stood.

A large figure like a god sat on the throne of the kings of heaven, his body filled with green crystals that form a battle armor that is so extraordinary. He sat down, his right hand holding his chin which was looking at Hans. The enormous body made Hans feel like a mountain was watching him. In the left hand of that huge figure, a hammer was still in his grasp.

Hans did not dare to make a sound, yet a voice full of strength and wisdom rang out in his ears. Not just in his ears, but as if filling the entire area was tempestuous like lightning.

"Hey Son of man!"

"Not to be afraid, raise your face!" A spoken command. As if making Hans powerless to resist he painstakingly scratched his head with a trembling body, he felt so limp and sleepy. When his face lifted the face of the creature was seen, as if wearing a mask only visible light from the gaps in both eyes, the color was blue and soothing. His chin was split open by two large horns.

"You can call me Umbara,"

"I'm Danyang the spirit of this place, you must be confused as to why I ordered Sarya to bring here!"

"Harya was my most faithful servant, even more faithful than my disciples who were imprisoned in the twelve windows of the waterfall,"

"Hey son of man!"

"You want power, right?" Umbara the mountain-waiting spirit asked.

Hans was still trembling, yet he clenched his hands together. He only realized what it means to be strong today, at least he began to understand even though he did not fully understand. But he realized, to stay alive he had to be strong.

I need to be strong in order for me to stay alive, so that I can find out about the state of father and mother!

I have to be strong to protect the head nurse and everything, I have to be strong in order to be myself.

He gave a small nod, but this time with a sharp look towards the figure who could even drown the mountain, he seemed to have no more fear.

"Good, then make a deal with me,"

"Then I will give you my strength!" Umbara now lowered his head to look back at Hans for a few meters from his small body.

"You don't have to answer it now son of man! Your time isn't there yet, you don't even have Uma, there will be time!"

"I've lived through time, through thousands of years in the records of the universe!"

"It doesn't matter to me to wait a few more years! You just have to promise to give me an answer five years later on a day like this too!" Umbara pulled his body and leaned on his throne.

Hans did not reply, only giving a small nod. Even now he still does not understand the meaning of Umbara's words to him. Such a powerful creature as a god was willing to make a promise with a lowly human child? What reason.

"Go, see you!" Umbara said then his figure was filled with fog and disappeared from the scenery Hans. Sarya, the big deer bent down to ride Hans and then disappeared with the little boy through the fog that took them everywhere.

**

When Hans passed and had long since left the place, the twelve disciples of Umbara seemed impatient to wait for the teacher's explanation and walked from their hermitage. The creature Hans encountered first asked, "Your Majesty, Supreme Master!"

"Why did you bring the human child to this place?" He is the youngest student, shown from his position at the bottom of the waterfall. The rest of his brothers seemed to have the same question, except for the oldest, faceless creature who saw Hans at the top of the twelfth waterfall.

"Hanaya, you already understand, don't you?!"

"Explain to your brothers!" Umbara lazily looked at his twelve disciples.

"Okay, Supreme Master!"

"While I don't really understand what's going on, I see the universe as if it's moving along with the human child!"

"I've never understood this, so I can't explain it either!"

**

Hibiscus returned to the castle with a face full of sadness, like a man who was mourning when a family died. Hibiscus lowered his head and his face was covered in lines of tears that flowed as his thumping face was swept away by the water that came out of his eyes.

Fidelis and Canabis stared from above the balcony, looking at the strange sight where Praus, the flying horse and Hibiscus actually walked on the ground instead of flying in the air.

Fidelis was the first to look into the strange, "What happened?!"

Where's Hans?!

"HIBISCUS!!!" Fidelis' angry voice boomed, Hibiscus fell to the ground.

"Pardon this old man! My life will not be enough to erase my mistakes! Please kill this old man!" Hibiscus returned as he pleased, crying making his weak body even more limp.

Fidelis was really angry, the boy he brought to see the world. But he had not seen the 'world' he meant he had first lost his life?

"Hib! Show me the way! We'll find him!" Fidelis' orders, his aura is now changing. Whether because of anger or because of the powerful jiha flowing from his body, an character was formed in the air. Unlike the characters he has used before, this character makes susana change.

*[**1] The Javanese script (Hanacaraka) reads 'Wit' a sanskrit word meaning tree*

[2] The Javanese script reads the sanskrit word 'marta' which means life.

The script then melted into a shadow of a large tree behind Fidelis' body, a tree which fused with Fidelis' body, making him wear a war suit made of wood. Fidelis stretched out his hand, then touched the head of old man Hib who instantly became full of color. As if all the fatigue he had felt was gone, Hibiscus stood up and climbed Praus and was about to move forward. Fidelis followed him as he floated in the air, the roots of the tree resembling legs becoming extensions of his legs.

Just as the two were about to dart into the forest, the huge tree carrying the castle screamed in fear. All the leaves that are still attached to his back and head fall off making a vortex made by leaves.

Fidelis's eyes were fixed in the forest, the night was almost here. Footsteps could be heard walking out of the forest, dark clouds coming along with the sound. The sun was slowly setting right behind Fidelis as fear greeted the figure who had come together that night.

Canabis clasped her big axe, her head hovering around her body. Now the air is filled with killing aura emanated by Fidelis and Canabis, Praus and Hibiscus is no less tense.

The aura that came this, was stronger than the fire snakes that had previously attacked them. Even Praus began to retreat in fear, when the sun completely set and made the forest dark only then did the figure appear out.

A giant deer walked out, on his back a boy leaning unconscious, Hans. Fidelis steamed forward, his three axes flying through the air, ready to unleash a tremendous attack at any moment.

"Who are you?!" Fidelis asked towards the big Deer.

"Sarya," answered the deer briefly, as he lowered his head and lowered Hans who had lost consciousness.

"For this boy, my lord Umbara wishes to make a covenant with him. On the same day five years!" After saying so, a thick cloud of fog enveloped him and the creature simply disappeared!

Fidelis channeled the jiha bit by bit into Hans' body, checking his body for any injuries or injuries. But what is surprising is that Hans seems to be just exhausted, the events of tonight are destined to stick in the heads of Fidelis, Hibiscus and Canabis for good.

A few days later.**

Hans spent his time studying the names of plants, now that he had entered the name of three hundred. This made Fidelis not know what to say, his memory was truly extraordinary. After the study session was over, Fidelis and Hibiscus and Canabis sat at the dinner table to hear Hans' story.

Hans recounted his experience, feeling like he had gone a few days inside the place where Sarya, the deer had taken him.

Hearing the story from the beginning to the end, the three were shocked. Not only that, they were a little scared.

"I never realized, on this border there was a residence of one of the Danyang."

"But Hans, what does the deer mean? Perverted after he sent you down he said 'Tambara wants to make a deal with you?' what's that supposed?" Fidelis asked, as if he didn't need an answer.

"Don't tell me, he wants to make a blood covenant with you son?!" Fidelis stood from where he sat.

Hans gave a small nod, and looked at the three adults who were staring at him.

"You know what that means? You will have incredible power if you accept it! Much stronger than you can imagine!" Canabis looks enthusiastic and excited.

But beyond everyone's expectations, Fidelis shook his head.

"Hans, do you know what a blood covenant means?" Without waiting for Hans to answer, Fidelis continued.

"That means you and him will share a body, in contrast to the Hibiscus and Praus covenants,"

"Hibiscus and Praus are covenants of the heart that connect their two minds,"

"However Umbara seems to want your body son!"

"You should think about it carefully, maybe you'll lose your true identity if you accept the deal." It was clearly Fidelis who made the entire room become desolate.

Hans gasped, but said nothing.

If I become strong but at the expense of who I am, then what does that mean? I'm not even strong enough to be myself. To defend who I am, who are my parents, what is my past?

No, I have to walk the path that the universe has laid out on me. And not the path of the creature, though he is as strong as a god, I will not give him my identity.

I am who the Universe created, and not what any person or creature shows me. The universe only he has the right to govern me.

Unaware of the three men, long before the five-year deadline expired Hans had first made his choice of heart, deciding the course of his life. It is quite surprising that such a small child could think of something like this.

"Don't be a man, believe what the universe shows you"

I don't know whose words they are, but they seem so close to him. Scratched clearly in his mind and mind, I don't know who said it and how the words were there. But these words always appear in his heart and dreams, making him sure if not the father then the mother who taught him.

**

Time passed quickly, as if carried by the wind it flowed. It had been more than two months of time to just flow, plant lessons and physical training in hunting continued.

Hans' body grew very quickly, no longer looking a thin boy unkempt in his present stature. He grew up to be a full and healthy boy, the physical exercises he underwent after learning the treatment made him look burly.

The closer to his ninth birthday, the healthier and stronger his body will feel. Not only that, his ability and thought process even more astounding Fidelis.

Because of eating magical animal meat and high-nutrient medicinal herbs, which until now he did not realize the price was so expensive, he grew faster than children his age.

Even the children of nobles would not necessarily receive this kind of treatment.

"Hans quickly mention the recipe of the herb for the manufacture of muscle mass-enhancing serums!" Fidelis looks off guard at the other corner of the table. He threw a lot of questions and the boy, answering without stopping, made him even more annoyed the more he asked.

"Three succats[3] leaves of Acalypha Australis [4], uma Niharan or higher level magical beasts with plant or life elements,"

"Destroy it in a mash stone, then burn it in a temperature of a thousand centigrade!" Hans's words were then continued to explain the theory more deeply.

"According to Mr. Melsie Decem, in his daily journal he said that by regulating the temperature continuously following the development of drug changes, better effectiveness can be achieved!" It was as if he had completed the explanation he had done. Fidelis threw his body onto the bench where he was sitting, feeling defeated by the nine-year-old boy.

"Hey Hans, the plural ceremony for you will be done in about three days! Get ready, for these three days you don't have to study. Just practice your physique as Canabis taught you!"

They were still chatting seriously, Hibiscus approached Hans and handed him his old book. Mr. Hans, I found this book when you disappeared. When he saw the book it felt heavy, as if he had forgotten his original purpose.

[Foot record:]

[1] Danyang, Java, is the highest spirits who live in trees, mountains, springs, villages, winds, or hills.

[2] The Javanese script (Hanacaraka) reads 'Wit' a sanskrit word meaning tree

[3] The Javanese script reads the sanskrit word 'marta' which means life.

[4] Sukat, the measure used in the – 15th century which is the same as 1200 – 1800ml

[5] Acalypha Australis, latin, herbaceous plant one season. Known by the local name of earrings, cultivated with seeds and live in an environment with areas exposed to sunlight but shade. Used for the treatment of dysentery due to amoeba by boiling the entire stem that has dried. It can also be used for the treatment of dermatitis and scabs, as well as stop bleeding such as nosebleeds and accelerate the drying of wounds.

[Announcement]

Hoah apologized for the footnotes left hehe, for there is a reminder and therefore this chapter and footprints in the congregation for fernandhianto

Congrats!