Memories of a Thousand Years
Gathering

The streets are increasingly crowded, a sign that is approaching a settlement, village, or maybe a city. Finally the destination city of Rinaya is getting closer. The book seller said, this path is far enough but a little crowded, a little crowd indicates security as well.

A small group was seen from the opposite direction. They were like a soldier or something, just different from the people he met in the tavern earlier, from the uniforms he wore were different, even their auras emitted different things. They look more mysterious with a flat face but sharp eyes. It reminded him of the balapati he met some time ago. Slowly the group passed Rinaya. He pecks when they pass him. Something was troubling his mind.

The group brought with them a cage car made of wooden trunk. Someone's locked up in it. It was common for him to see fifteen years ago, but what bothered him was the person he was carrying. Is he a sheikh? A guardian? Religious leaders? Who her?

A thick bearded man with white thistles sat in the cage, with his hands and feet in a pasung.

"Assalamualaikum" he looked at Rinaya with a smile.

"Wa-" his mouth closed immediately as he was about to answer the greeting. The greeting he said made him stagger. A soldier behind him slapped his sword into the cage and shouted "Stop saying that to everyone or I'll leave you mute forever"

But the prisoner just laughed like crazy.

Seeing the instant of the scene he also remembered the one sentence he said earlier in the tavern. He thought if he really said that? Is he gonna be okay?

Did the soldier realize it?

Without a second thought, Rinaya ran as hard as she could towards her destination city. The more people are the better off to hide.

But unfortunately they realized it sooner. The soldiers ran after. Rinaya kept running towards the city.

Relax, they are still far away, keep running and hide.

The words kept repeating in his head.

The city was very close, the settlement was already visible. Rinaya must hide soon. But they chased very fast. In a short time they are near. Of course, if the race must be Rinaya lost. His short footsteps were not comparable to those who were already trained. Whatever happens Rinaya has to keep running.

Someone pulled his arm, then hid behind the wall, he covered Rinaya's mouth with his arm. Whoever he is, this time maybe Rinaya survived the pursuit of the soldier. He covered himself and Rinaya with a burlap along with a mound of sack sacks beside him. Of course, a pretty clever trick.

Rinaya keeps pounding, will this guy help her or vice versa?, but who is he?

A few minutes passed by and there were no footsteps or screams from the soldier. They were still waiting, making sure it was safe to come out of hiding.

Slowly the man opened the burlap, turned his head to make sure it was safe. Rinaya was still sitting in his place.

"Come out, it's safe"

"You who?"

"Hm... Your savior?" She smiled a little

"Ah, thank you for your help, sir, but may I know who you are?" Rinaya is too Formal-speaking to someone who doesn't look like royalty. Of course he did it to find it safe, this time he had to be nice.

"The question is not correct. I should have asked, who are you?"

"Me, Me- "

He leaned against the wall and asked, "are you a thief? Or an eye? Or a messenger?"

Rinaya wrinkled her forehead "The thief? Eye eyes?, No, not all three"

"Then why are you being chased by them?"

"Haha-it seems like there was a misunderstanding just now because of that-"

"Say who are you? No need to convolve I'll forgive you"

That word scared Rinaya a little. He went on to "see you clearly you have no martial experience, you have no knowledge of this land, you don't even know your way and your purpose, so I'm sure you're not a messenger, you're not a fighter either, the closest possibility is that you're a vagrant or a thief or someone who escaped custody"

"You following me?"

"Of course, you're suspicious. After seeing you in my shop I thought you were just a poor man. Tell me, where are you from? Why do you know that greeting?"

"I.. Is it forbidden here?"

"Where are you from?"

"No idea, I'm lost"

"You're not lost, you're headed somewhere"

"Do you know what else to ask?" Rinaya took a few steps away, but the man immediately stopped her "what do you really want?"

"Ohoo, where the formal word was said."

"Listen, I'm so grateful you helped me, this time I'm in a hurry, I can't play with you, so, excuse me"

He gripped Rinaya's arm as she was about to leave, again holding her back

"Ah, sick, what do you really want?"

The loud tone resuscitated the man. He smiled bitterly.

"Ah~ I remembered something. One more question. Why do you look like a man?"

Rinaya was surprised to hear that, was her disguise very visible?

He continued, "you're so mysterious it makes me even more curious"

"I don't have time to play with you, you better let go of your hand so I can go"

"You think it could be that easy? You don't even know who I am. Do you think I'm no more dangerous than that soldier?"

Rinaya opened her arms until the man's grip slipped off.

"From what I've seen, you're not a nobleman, not a slave trader, not a soldier, not a scholar... Let me guess, are you a Bounty hunter?"

"What is a Bounty hunter?"

Oh, my God, I forgot to speak a foreign language. "Hmm another term is a kind of person who works to find something or someone and is exchanged for a lot of money"

"Hahaha" he laughed as if Rinaya's guess was correct.

"My guess is right, isn't it? So, who asked you to arrest me?" Rinaya's tone seemed to know all "let me guess again, hmm...no, right? No one asked you to arrest me. You want to know what I'm thinking?"

"Haha, you're getting interesting"

"I just arrived today, I don't even know where this is, I don't know anyone and no one has recognized me before, so how could anyone want to catch me" rinaya smiled as if all her thoughts had been expended. "Excuse me"

The man smiled without pursuing Rinaya's departure. His eyes seemed unwilling to let him go. "There's something I'm interested in, not because of your disguise, not because of the greeting, but like there's something big you have"

-------

"Adrian Dylan?"

Someone called out his name as the man walked in the crowd of the village.

He turned to the source of the voice "..." Someone was standing there with a piece of paper in his hand

"My name is Kardi, the emissary of the palace investigation team. I brought this for Mr. Adrian." He handed the paper. A special sample envelope belonging to the palace investigation team.

"Tumben once, the palace investigation team gave me an official letter" Dylan received with one hand.

"I'm just saying this, for the rest of it will probably be explained in the letter, I'm sorry"

Dylan sat on one of the chairs in a tavern not far from where he stood. Slowly open the envelope and take out the contents. A sketch of someone's face was plastered there. He smiled bitterly at the picture.

"Why is the palace investigation team looking for this guy? ... Ah they're so slow. Things like this should be me doing it myself"

He pensively paused for a moment then took out another paper in his pocket. He compared the two papers. "Is he the same person?" He meticulously looked at the entire ink scratches on the paper. One of the sketches of the face, another of his writings contains the characteristics of the person he should look for. It's just an order from two different people.

"He's a really interesting person"

--------

Rinaya continued on his way, the settlement he passed was not the city of his destination, the city was still quite far away, this settlement is only a small village usually used for stopovers or for overnight. Judging from the many houses that become lodging places. Not as crowded in kulon village but this is better than a quiet street.

Rinaya continued to barjalan left the settlement, no matter what the name of the small village was all still using the letter kawi. Although Rinaya had once learned the letter, but somehow this time he seemed to forget about it. He could only recognize a few letters. He felt like his abilities fifteen years ago had disappeared. This time Rinaya is back to being an ordinary person again.

Rinaya didn't realize at all from earlier, there were people following her. Yeah, he's the guy who was apologizing to him.

"Foolishly, I followed him so closely that he didn't even notice it at all. He was playing very well"

Rinaya stands in the middle of a large bridge. The bridge connects two landmasses separated by a wide river. One side of it looks like a waterfall is flowing. The rainbow looks like one of them. "I miss this atmosphere" Rinaya said looking at the rainbow. What a beautiful view. This place is pretty crowded. Especially by young people who are bound by romance. They were found on this bridge.

"Waiting someone?" A man's voice asked behind him. Rinaya enjoyed the scene so much that she didn't notice anyone standing nearby.

Rinaya immediately looked over. I don't know who was there. "You still following me?"

"No, you're so stupid you don't realize I've been behind you since"

"It's better you-"

Dylan grabbed Rinaya's shoulder and turned his body towards the waterfall "Shut up. They're still looking for you" he spoke in a whisper

The two soldiers were like reporting to their leader. He was given command, nodded, then left. But the leader did not move from his place. He spoke to someone who had been by his side earlier, turning his gaze to Rinaya and Dylan. Someone also came near them

"It looks like we got caught" Rinaya said

Dylan twisted the rinaya arm and dropped it down. His hands are twisted backwards. Dylan pressed him down until Rinaya could not move at all

"Damn it, what are you doing" cried Rinaya

"Yes yeah just keep yelling it won't do you any good to get caught" Rinaya knew that Dylan was acting.

"Who is he?" Ask someone who just approached her.

"He's not who. He's just a thief I've been looking for a long time"

He crouched down and saw Rinaya's face fixed. Rinaya could only avert her gaze "It seems like I know her. I'll take it to my master."

"What are you doing why you tied me up" Rinaya continued to shout unwillingly to be treated like that.

"Look, I've been informed that there are eyes working with the middle east. And its characteristics are like this. If you don't mind handing it over then we'll give you a lot of money. This is for our land anyway. If you work together you're like a hero, right?"

"Sorry sir, you seem to have misunderstood me, I'm sure he's just a stupid boy, he's not even illiterate, I haven't been looking for him in a long time"

"That's what it looks like, you're pretty sure about that"

"Of course"

"Alright then I won't force any more, excuse me" he went to see the leader again. There is no significant expression.

"Fuck why you gotta tie me up, let me go"

"Can't miss, I'm doing this for a reason. And I really want to catch you"

Everyone who arrived to pay attention now disbanded again. One thing Rinaya realized when she got up and stood up. Someone he met earlier. "Balapati" Dylan turned his head in the same direction.

A handsome man with his sturdy body, a slightly pale skin color and slightly sharp eyebrows. The cold face was found again with Rinaya. Balapati was walking with her entourage.

The uniform looks like I've seen it before he thought.

Rinaya smiled. It's good to see him again. As soon as the group approached Rinaya also said "Master! Mr Balapati"

Balapati stopped and looked at Rinaya. But not a sound.

"For your help then, I say thank you very much" Rinaya bowed her head politely and smiled. But the balapati just looked at him as if astonished.

"You're caught again?" Ask her coldly

"Ah no. I just-"

"Hey boy as good as you shut your mouth. We should leave soon. Come on" Dylan reached into his shoulder and forcibly removed him.

"Stop doing this to me, you're so rude"

They walked away from the bridge. Same with balapati.

Only ten minutes. The soldier returned to pursue. But this time they couldn't do much. The soldier was more numerous and immediately surrounded where he stood. They surrounded him without gaps.

"Down, I'm sick of this kind of situation"

"You are an interesting person. No wonder they're looking for you so hard" Dylan said.

"What is my fault?"

"You'll know soon enough we'll just ask them"

A leader emerges from behind the circle of men.

"You're sure he's the one?" He asked one of his men and his men answered confidently.

"Sir, is there a problem? Why are we surrounded?" Ask Dylan

"Sorry to make you uncomfortable but we really have to take it" he pointed to Rinaya

"Hey, who is he?" Rinaya's whisper to Dylan

"He's the son of Wilis' extended family. A very influential family throughout the Sundanese land, even since the last few years he has been very influential on the Sundanese palace."

"Willis? . Is he Boris?"

Instantly Dylan looked at Rinaya "you know her?"

Rinaya slowly shifted to the back of Dylan as if not wanting to meet him or even not wanting to deal with him. His face paled. Fear emanated from him.

"What's wrong with you?" Ask dylan

"Whoever you are, I beg you not to let them take me."

Dylan replied to Boris' words "pardon me my master is also a messenger who has to do the job. I beg you not to trouble me."

"Then who assigned you can refuse my request"

"For the details I'm also not sure who but, this is an order from the palace." Dylan pulled out the envelope with the royal seal. That was enough to convince him. Not just anyone can receive an official sample letter.

Boris turned. And get out of that circle.

But not for his soldiers. They even pulled out their weapons.

"It seems they are more reckless. Even after showing me the official letter"

"With this much, can you escape?. Hey, please untie me."

"You better shut up"

They simultaneously attack. It looks like the orders from boris were to actually capture Rinaya and kill Dylan. It would be dangerous for boris if Dylan was still alive after this incident.

Dylan actually had an official letter from the palace. So Boris's actions this time was a form of treason against the palace.

Dylan was quite formidable, facing that soldier. Very clever even though he had not used a weapon. His sword was still hanging on his belt. He used the sword if he felt that he was no longer able to fight empty-handed. Luckily Rinaya was not attacked at all. They always try to catch him. Several times they grabbed him by the arm and kept him away from Dylan. Dylan killed them in half. Of course their numbers are too many. Dylan had to use his sword. Several times the soldier managed to injure Dylan "shit" said Dylan.

Now they're cornered. The number of soldiers was still quite a lot. Dylan's condition is bad. Wounds where. "Open my bond. At least I can help you a little"

"As long as I'm not sure I killed them all, I can't let you go. They'll know if we're just pretending."

"Would we be in danger don't you think of yourself?"

"No. The command is the main one"

"Basic head of stone"

The soldier again attacked Dylan, he shifted away but he had unknowingly paved the way for the soldier to stab his sword towards Rinaya.

In the middle of that precarious situation. Just a few pauses the sword almost pierced through Rinaya's body. A blue light shot him away. Everyone is surprised by that. Someone walked boldly with his group.

"Falapati" said Dylan "why is he coming back?" Dylan looked at Rinnaya who was looking at him. "Hh. Who are you really?"

"Huh?"

Dylan smiled bitterly. "You made him come back here. And you got them back here, too. I'm not letting you go"

"Balapati"

"How about this, balapati's coming"

"What should we do"

The soldier changed when the Balapati came. They are afraid of his presence.

"Don't be afraid to stay true to our mission"

The soldier attacked Dylan. And Balapati and his group swiftly confronted. Now Rinaya is surrounded by two circles and he is on his axis. Bonds slipped. Although it does not impact much. But at least he can protect himself.

Soon Boris' army came again with more numbers. Boris realizes that this is a mission that will not be easy. That's why he added his army. Boris's army is stronger. Not the previous sepwrti that was only a third level warrior. This time he brought in first-rate soldiers. Luckily this time Dylan was helped by a Balapati. No one recognizes his ability. Even his men are not people who can be underestimated.

Rinaya pulled up Dylan's sleeves standing in front of her and whispered. "Who is this really?"

"His name is Pradhika Wiriya. The successors of the Wiriya family were also very influential in the kingdom. You could say we're lucky he's on our side."

"Pradhika Wiriya?" Of course Rinaya knows that name. Fifteen years ago.

"Falapati Wiriya, what business do you have that you dare to interfere in my affairs?"

"Then what is your business to disturb him to carry out official orders from the palace?"

"Because I have my own purpose. And I don't trust him. It could be a fake letter. How's yours?"

"If your goal is the boy. Then you better go home. Because he's mine."

Everyone was surprised to hear that. The first time a Balapati Wiriya said that. He never cares too much about things that are not his business. Everyone knows that he is a cold-hearted Balapati. Not afraid to catch. Kill or whatever. But one is certain. He will not hurt anyone who is completely innocent. That's why everyone has respect for him.

"Yours? hc.. Then I'll take it from you"

The soldiers again attacked despite their number of more. But Balapati and his army were undaunted. Even his facial expression was truly firm. This time 50 people against only 9 people. But Rinaya was not worried at all. He knew Dhika's abilities when fifteen years ago and of course he must be stronger at the moment. But of course they must remain vigilant because their numbers are more.

The fight is fierce. Some of Balapati's men were wounded.

"Falapati, we can no longer hold them. They're too many."

So did Dhika who was almost injured. His ability is growing very rapidly. But still face that much. Anywhere can be overwhelmed. Boris aimed at Dhika with his poisoned arrow. Rinaya knows that Boris is a terrible person. He will do everything he can to fulfill his wish.

Rinaya thought about what she could do for him. At least he should be able to make an opportunity for them to escape. Rinaya kept thinking. The longer they get cornered. Rinaya remembered once that he was a great archer. Of course he also doubted whether his abilities were still there or had disappeared. But thinking too long will not produce good results as well.

Rinaya should try it. Unfortunately, no one carried an arrow there. The only way is to make it.

The situation is really very precarious. Rinaya was trying to gather her energy. He looked back to fifteen years ago. When he easily does.

Slowly the energy formed something. A light of yellowish-blue energy formed an arc in his hand. He's aiming in one direction. Boris. He pulled the spring, along with it the arrows were formed between them. Dhika and Dylan were stunned to see her pull the spring. Instantly the arrow flew towards the direction it was aiming at. The arrow was split into six that had all managed to pierce through the target. Boris and his five followers. It's just. A chopstick needle from nowhere landed on Rinnaya's neck so that Rinnaya shot missed. Usually he could directly aim at his heart but this time missed about ten centi. Boris only scratched a little on his arm.

Everyone was amazed by the sight. Everyone stopped believing what he saw. Rinaya's the one person who can do that. Throwing arrows through more than five people. Even Rinaya used to be able to shoot ten targets in one shot.

"That's... Princesses... Nirmala?"

"But he's a boy"

"Only Nirmala can do that"

In the middle of it Dhika looked at Rinaya worriedly. Rinaya pulled out the chopstick needle that pierced her neck. He looked at the needle fixed. He seemed to have seen it before. Dhika runs towards Rinaya. Rinaya's pandangan are fading. There's poison in that needle. Rinaya tries to move her legs closer to Dhika but the poison effect on the needle is very fast. Just a few steps away Rinnaya's vision went dark. He fell down in that place. Luckily Dhika gets to him faster so Rinaya gets to his lap before touching the ground.