Nusantara Throne - Senandung Kebangkitan
Satria

Satria certainly can not forget the incident of daylight that still imprints on the faces of all slaves. He almost canceled his plan to steal food in the storage room tonight. There was fear running through his heart, but there was also a flame burning his soul. His hatred for the Mayakarsa soldiers increased and grew like burning coals into sparks.

            Although Harsya and Sham had comforted her, Satria could not stop to calm down. Asih's life almost floated right in front of his eyes. If Asih died at that time, I don't know what will happen in Satria's life now. However, the hard efforts of Harsya and Sham gave quite good results. Satria decided to continue his plan with Harsa and Sham.

            Tonight, Satria and Harsya and Sham peek behind the bramastana tree. Tarmigi was sitting in front of the bonfire chugging at a jug of wine. The soldier was fat with folds of stomach skin that were clearly visible. A thin black beard decorated his chin like a black dot.

“Sometime he will fall asleep,” said Satria.

While watching the guard off guard, they observed the storage warehouse next to Tarmigi. The storage building was built with bricks that had eight poles, bricks in stacking without adhesive, the roof was made of reddish-burning clay tile.

They then walked through the reeds bushes at waist level to get to the east wall of the storage warehouse. There was a loud belching sound from Tarmigi. They were so fed up, how all this time they had never enjoyed a warm and delicious meal. While the soldiers were overflowing with food until their movement was as slow as an ox.

When the moon was almost covered in clouds, Tarmigi began to snore. Satria once again peered behind a pole, making sure Tarmigi was fast asleep, then they walked along the main wall of the warehouse and into the warehouse.

The three of them were stunned when they saw the contents of the warehouse filled with all the foodstuffs. In every corner of the room there are various sacks containing spices such as, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, galangal. On the wall hang dried meat and fruits such as bananas, papaya, and mangoes. Even the fragrant dried meat made Satria feel excited.

“It's amazing, all this time we're starving and they have this all?” the word sham radiates the entire view to the entire contents of the warehouse.

“They are too greedy,” Harsya responded, while chewing tomatoes like starving cattle.

“Once we are, we will take food and take it to Purnapana,” Satria said, he then sort out foods such as beef thighs, two banana combs, and cassava. “I can't carry much.”

“How about we empty the sack and fill it with meat and fruit?” harsya said pointing to a sack of rice at the end of the warehouse.

“Do not,” Satria replied disappointed. “What if the soldier finds out someone has infiltrated?”

“Do you think they'll realize there's a rat taking two grains of rice in a pile of sacks? Look at this room little brother. Even I can't count the whole meal here,” Harsya admits.

Satria thought for a moment, she liked Harysa's idea, even though it was risky. The storeroom was like heaven to him. Satria felt she had the right to enjoy the food. Does not the gods think the same. What a cruel man is always blessed with luck, he thought.

“Good idea, choose a sack that is not too big, should not be conspicuous.”

“After deliberating and making sure, they chose a knee-length high clove sack. Sham spilled the cloves at the end of the warehouse and covered them with rice. Once the sack was empty, they filled it with an assortment of dried meat and fruits.

Sewaku Sham was about to tie the sack, a rustling sound could be heard from outside. Someone came down from the steps towards the storage warehouse. They hurried to put the sack away without even having time to hide it. They swiftly took cover behind the front wall and covered their bodies with dried spices.

“Build Tarmigi,” says Garung.

Tarmigi replied with a short snoring, after opening his eyes he was startled and jumped from his cotton bed.

“I am not long.”

“What's the matter?”

“Kingdom Nusantara is in chaos.”

Tarmigi refused to hear the news. He was still sleepy and nodded unfeelingly, “How is it possible? The king of all kings reigned there.”

“Princess Nirmala was kidnapped, but who cares? I really don't want to talk about this. There's more important.”

“What is it?” tarmigi asked while scratching her big belly.

“When the Condok Temple is finished, the Dharma King will come as a form of inauguration.”

“For the sake of the sky, no more than two weeks,” Tarmigi was surprised, her stomach was swaying.

“You must make sure the warehouse has enough food for the king's arrival later, as well as the quality you must observe,” Garung warned, he glanced towards the warehouse door that looked quite dark. “Until these few days, make sure no animals enter, rats and cockroaches though.”

“Certainly will I do,” answered Tarmigi lazily, let alone remember all the foodstuffs, his dream just now he had forgotten. Tarmigi just wants to get to bed.

After Garung leaves the storage shed, Tarmigi is relieved. As soon as the sound of Garung's footsteps was not heard, he laid his body down while muttering.

“Who cares about rats and cockroaches, which is important the king is full,” he said snorting. Not long after Tarmigi fell asleep again, this time his snoring sounded longer.

“These soldiers are indeed assholes,” said Satria as she kicked her body that smelled of cinnamon.

“We should be grateful to the gods tonight, at least this sack is fully filled,” Syam said smiling. He then held the sack on his shoulder. “Better we leave this warehouse immediately before anyone comes again.”

Satria and Harsya agreed. After they exited the storage shed, they walked towards the forest in the North of the temple. Satria understood this forest better than all the slaves in Mayakarsa. They left the temple area at midnight, the air was getting colder and silence was getting more royal.

The land became a bumpy land with large trees that were tenuous. The owl's deck sounded mysterious behind the lush dark forest canopy. The feathers of Harshya and Sham bristled. This is the first time they have gone so far in years. Of course if they are not interested in the courage of Satria, forever they will be trapped in the temple area.

“Dark, we need fire, little sister,” Harsya said suddenly towards Satria.

Satria did not reply, she thought for a moment.

“Good idea, why not burn a bonfire, while waiting for soldiers to come dance with us?” Syam says tease.

Harsya didn't like the joke, she was scared.

“Small sister is still far away?”

“Remember the kranji tamarind tree by the time we enter the forest? That's the first sign. Soon the hill will be visible, even though the forest is dark, the hill will be clearly visible from the gap of the trees. Unfortunately we will turn East, because the cave is not on the hill.”

Harsya and Sham glanced at each other, actually they wanted to go to the hill to see the beauty of the galaxy, but they realized the purpose tonight is not the hill.

“Well maybe next time, be patient,” whispered Syam.

The sound came along with their footsteps. The sound came from the densely growing shrubs covering the roots of the large trees. The feathers of Satria held up again. They stopped the move while making sure no one was following.

“There's a sound?” whiskey Satria suspected.

“Don't run,” Syam is now holding Harsya's back.

Satria took twigs along her arms, with careful steps she approached the shrub in motion.

“Small sister be careful!”

Satria can hear the hissing sound behind the lush shrubs of hairy plants. Even with that little twig, Satria seemed ready to conquer any animal.

Right now they can't run, not without torches. Even so, Satria should not be off guard, Mayakarsa forest is not as scary as the forests in the North. But the savage beasts remained alive and could threaten the three of them at any time.

After opening the leaf tendril with the tip of the twig, Satria was surprised. He found a forest kitten looking at him vigilantly. Sometimes the cat opens its mouth as if threatening, but the size of the cat's body does not make Satria afraid.

The kitten is ground brown with a clear white stripe on the back to the stomach. The ears are pointed elongated with fine hairs sticking out. The pure white color is clearly visible from the muzzle to the neck.

“We have a guest,” said Satria, he started squatting closer to the jungle cat.

“Best animal!” Harsya.

“But still small, it looks like he is following us because of the smell of dried meat in the sack.”

“That means that there will be more cats, dogs and even tigers who will be attracted by the smell,” now it is the turn of the hair of Sham bristling.

Satria did not answer. He observed the kitten once more, there was a sense of pity appearing in his heart. He slowly pushed his hand to rub. The cat looked agitated, he started hissing. Satria felt that her senses had disappeared, it was possible for the cat to jump up and claw her eyes. However, there was a thing he believed in from his foster mother, the animal instincts were more honest than humans. If he did not with malicious intent, something would turn good. Does that apply to wild kittens? Thought brief.

The cat was still looking on alert, the look of his eyes fixed on the face of Satria crouching before him. The cat's pupils grow larger and he moves backwards. But not long arose curiosity from the cat. He moved forward with curiosity, his nose twitched and then sniffed Satria's finger.

“Danger little sister,” Harsya still not accept.

 “He's just hungry.”

“Of course he's hungry, because he's still a child he can't afford to eat us,” Syam said.

“But we have a lot of meat in the sack, we can give him a little,” Satria replied, now the cat is rolling around in Satria's fist.

“I don't think it matters,” Syam approves. He then opened the sack that Harsya had brought. The sham grabbed the dried beef and tore it into small pieces. “Enough?”

“Enough to make him full tonight.”

Satria sowed the pieces of meat outside the bush, making the cat move excitedly. He came out of the bush by jumping around. Its long tail was winding in the air. For a moment the cat silently looked at the three of them, and finally snatched the piece of meat voraciously. Satria smiled.

“We will not see this sight in the temple!” said Satria.

“Either why I seemed to see something new, whereas before I ended up in this temple, I grew up on the beach, I often saw sharks wearing our bait,” Sham smile. “I miss life as a fisherman.”

“Hopefully if he grows up later he does not consider us prey,” Harsya nodded. After hooking the sack on his shoulder he continued, “When we part with the cat, we must keep walking little sister, or bigger than her will come.”

Satria agreed, they then continued their steps, leaving the little kitten eating voraciously behind.

They had been walking for thirty minutes, the forest floor felt increasingly rough marked by the crackling of twigs being stepped on, from the brilliance of Satria to be able to see the dark lips of the cave. There was no sign of smoke. Satria accelerated, Sham and Harsya were shocked, they tried to follow Satria's speed. However, the effort made him almost stumble over the dangling roots of the tree.

Upon arriving at the lips of the cave, they found no sign of Purnapana. The cave looked quiet as if it had never been inhabited by someone, the wind blew coldly from inside the cave as the sound of bats squeaked. Around him there is no visible sign of a campfire or footing.

Sham approached the mouth of the cave cautiously, his flap hair making his head look like a black egg. “What's right here the place?”

“I didn't dream last night, this is where Mr. Purnapana should be.”

“Really I feel not well, we should go back little sister,” take Harsya.

“Wait for a sound from inside!” sham said suddenly.

“Brave young boy comes back at night full moonlight. Who did you bring this time, young slave, Satria?”

The voice flowed very cold, disappearing slowly along with the echoes in the soft-bounced cave. Shadows from inside the cave appeared until finally the figure of Purnapana was seen flooded with moonlight.

 He walked around with a black cane. His black robe was still tattered shabbily, as if it had never been separated from his body. His scar looks improved marked Purnapana steps that stumbled lightly. His countenance showed the calmness of the night, his eyes as clear as water.

Satria half prostrated, Sham who was shocked to follow Satria followed Harsya.

“No... no need to prostrate. Respect is not needed, I am not a king, nor is your Master, I am just an old wanderer,” Purnapana replied. He then patted Satria, Sham and Harsya on the shoulder, asking her to stand up.

“They are both companions of the servant, I already consider him as an older brother, Mr. Purnapana.”

Sham and Harsya bowed.

“Hamba Sham.”

“Hamba Harsya.”

Purnapana then remained silent for quite a while. Satria felt a different gaze from Purnapana who met last night, as if the arrival of the three of them was non-threatening and warm.

“You didn't introduce him?” the word Purnapana breaks the silence. Afterwards walking past them, his steps seemed lamely fixed on something behind which was quite far away. The postman crouched down and raised something with his palm. The animal was slightly wriggling in Purnapana's gentle grasp, but in a swab and caress around the neck, the animal was leeching and wriggling enjoying.

Purnapana smiled at the animal, “ apparently, you invited a male jungle kitten.”

***