Nusantara Throne - Senandung Kebangkitan
Nirmala
A boy finally ventured to approach Nirmala. Nirmala turned her head gently and smiled, occasionally she offered her greeting, but the boy turned his face away not wanting to look at her directly. He didn't want to scare the boy. Nirmala tried to walk away from him towards the riverbank.
Nirmala had been aware of the children's presence since arriving at the village gate. When his argument with Wyat was won this morning, Nirmala managed to persuade Wyat to allow him to go to the river bank. By reason of honor, Wyat was willing to wait near the gate of Desa Wangsa, after all Nirmala did not intend to run away.
He longed for clear water to free his oily face. Usually in the palace, every morning the ladies would bathe him in a magnificent bronze pool with war horse carvings. Variety of flowers sown for fragrance. Nirmala longs for warm water in her palace even though she is bored with the routine.
After washing his face twice, Nirmala felt fresher. At least his longing for the palace paid off with one of his dreams of enjoying the sparkling rivers and pristine mountain water outside the palace. Here she does not need to walk like a king's daughter, the fact that it is as if removing chains of shackles in her body.
Nirmala's scent had faded, even making her feel freer and more natural. Nirmala then took off the bun strap in her hair until her bronze hair was scattered to her back and blown away like liquid bronze.
“Hair of the Princess, beautiful once,” said the boy behind her.
Nirmala almost jumped in shock, but she felt happy because the child finally spoke to her.
“You like it?”
The boy's face turned red, he turned his face away. However, after a while he turned his head again to Nirmala.
“Like. My hair is dirty, and tangled,” the child replied while showing his curly hair with fingers like combing.
“Maybe my hair will also be dirty and tangled, but no problem, I still like it, let later we have the same hair.”
The little boy finally smiled, his toothless teeth clear. Soon the boy was silent again, looking at Nirmala timidly.
“How old are you?” softly asked Nirmala approached the boy and tried to melt the atmosphere. He sat together which actually made the child look more stiff.
“Ten.”
The boy's eyes were fixed with Nirmala's bronze eyes, giving him a gasp. “Tu-Master Princess is very beautiful.”
Nirmala's face reddened, Nirmala returned a smile and said, “you are smart to praise yes... If I'm beautiful, then why fear me?”
“I'm not afraid. Those who are afraid,” said the boy as he pointed at one mossy pine tree. Behind it were two younger children peeking. A man and a woman. “My sisters, who are eight years old men, whose women are six.”
“If Mr Princess?” the child blushed stiffly.
“I?” asked Nirmala in a soft tone. “Seventeen.”
Nirmala then waved at the hiding children, who were met with a smile of joyful whispers. The two children came out from behind the tree, ran and hid behind the brother.
“Look, they were scared right,” said the eldest boy, he laughed again. Her toothless tooth made Nirmala tickle, but she felt very happy.
“Who are your names little sisters?”
The three of them whispered.
“I Damar,” said eldest brother. “yang is Arka, and he's the youngest, Naya.”
Naya the youngest observed Nirmala with awe-inspiring look from behind Damar's waist. Naya also ventured to ask, “Why are the eyes and hair of the Princess in bronze?”
Nirmala looked up at the sky, trying to find an answer. “Maybe the gods want my hair to be this color.”
“What god is evil?” whispered Naya was curious, she asked the older brother.
“He's evil!” sahut Archa's.
“That said the uncles in the village,” Damar now explained.
“I can not judge evil or good,” Nirmala tried to smile, her eyes glazed. Nirmala guessed that the uncle in question was the farmers or villagers, because the child was still a piece of white paper, hatred could be incised through the ink-ink of a vengeful story. “What did that uncle say about god?”
“Killer!” hatch Arka. “Our father was killed by a god, that's what they said!”
“Mr Princess is also a killer?” Naya asked again innocently.
Nirmala's smile loosened, “no, I never killed anyone, but I can dance.”
The three children were flabbergasted, until Arka secretly took an interest.
“I believe, Mr. Wikrama said Mr. Princess is not a bad person, because evil is a demon not a god,” said Damar.
Nirmala feels carefree but astonished, “siluman?”
“Not brother!” sahut Arka did not approve of his brother. “Bad smile because he's hungry! evil god because...,” Arka's voice came to a halt as if looking for the right answer, but the boy was confused. He finally forwarded the words that came to his senses, “because it was evil!”
“Silumans... Goat missing! Cow gone! There are only blood spots,” said Damar while demonstrating the animals vanished from his fist. Her sisters shuddered in horror. “Adults say, farm animals eaten stealth.”
“What a terrible thing, have you ever seen it?”
“No, the strong warriors always keep the houses where I sleep with the sisters,” now Damar demonstrate the position of guard of the warriors.
“I've seen his shadow brother! They fly!” Naya whispered, but her whisper was heard quite clearly in Nirmala's ear.
“Sst... silent, don't tell!” whispered Damar.
“Why can't I know?” Nirmala pretends to be innocent.
“Because only the god is able to command the demon back to its lair,” the sound comes in a different and resolute rhythm. He was Wyat, coming with two bodyguard warriors.
“What do those kids mean?”
“Our situation in this village is also not in good condition Mr. Princess. Follow me, Mr. Wikrama would like you to attend an important meeting.”
Nirmala stood up nervously, she then nodded. “What about stealth?”
“True.”
They walked back to the main road. Nirmala felt the gazes of the residents being much more pressing since the last time she passed the road in the village. It was as if the hatred was growing every minute. The old grandmothers did not stop spitting towards the ground when Nirmala passed by. That made Nirmala sad. His heart ached but he simply resigned himself, bearing the burden of hatred on his back that he did not even do.
Nirmala arrived in front of the rectangular stage hall. Made of planks of jackfruit wood, in the middle of it gathered several warriors who sat cross-legged round to look at each other.
Wyat greeted Wikrama, after which Wikrama invited Wyat to occupy an empty place behind him. Nirmala stood awkwardly, realizing Nirmala's discomfort, Wikrama melted the atmosphere.
“Mr Princess welcome, please occupy a place there,” her reply with a smile. This time it's a butterfly hair in pigtails like a ponytail.
Nirmala walked like the Princess, but as soon as Nirmala occupied an empty spot, the warriors turned away from her, as if her presence was undesirable. Nirmala shuddered in horror when she saw a burly warrior. His curly beard was coiled until it covered his jaw. His face was resolute with his eyes as hard as stone.
“Sampe now I still do not want the existence of the Slaughter Princess, what if the plan fails and she betrays us?” cetus was a burly warrior.
“Mahda the strongest full moon,” Wikrama name the swordsman. “Like it or not, he should be here. I understand your feelings as I carry the burdens of this village sincerely. The decision has been made, I do not judge some of your contradictions. I believe your loyalty exceeds the loyalty of all the kings of the Emerald. This war is increasingly leading us into darkness, our enemy is not only a Mahardhika, but something darker and rotten.”
“What is this about stealth?” chirps Nirmala.
The words reaped mixed reactions from the audience in the hall.
“How the Princess...,” before Wikrama completes her question, Wyat whispers to Wikrama.
Wikrama sighed, “You're right Mr. Princess. Since my mind no longer guarded our land for several years, the existence of stealth began to be taken into account. The demons became enemies waiting behind the darkness of the continent, waiting until their enemies perished and finally came to the surface. Most of them prey on humans. Although his nature is not a conquest, still he is a threat.”
“It has been since these three months that terror began to take place in the area of King Mustika Forest, and now approaching our village. Livestock disappear every week, the residents are increasingly afraid of hunting and feel insecure, maybe at this time their victims are only livestock, but I fear their hunger will increase more and more.”
“What does this have to do with me? I can't fight,” replied Nirmala, she tried to guess the wishes of Wikrama. “What do you guys want to redeem your security with my life?”
“Mr Princess, do not be quick to conclude,” said Wyat, his tone is firm as usual.
Wikrama's hand slapped Wyat's thigh, telling him to calm down, Wikrama then said, “from the beginning we had no such intention, there are other ways a god-blooded man could do besides having to fight.”
Nirmala wondered, but she just kept quiet, refusing to make a sound.
“You are able to communicate with the demons.”
Nirmala was wide-eyed, she tried to digest the words. The longer he gets dizzy. Nirmala realizes Wikrama's look has taken a very serious turn.
“The descendants of the gods have the highest blessing in the history of this civilization. Humans have never understood each other in the past about stealth. Humans only communicate with demons through spilling blood, as well as my ancestors. My Cinderella could not speak to the demon, so they just made her hide with her claws and fangs.”
“But you will be our bridge, you can enter the mind of the stealth mind, know what its purpose, its desire, to communicate with it, even you can lead us to its nest if indeed it must be done.”
Nirmala rewinds, she starts sweating, “I can't talk to stealth, as long as in the palace I've never heard anything but gamelan chatter and the voices of my ladies.”
“On that, I suspect the same terrible thing,” Wikrama said, his hands clenched tightly. “There is a possibility that Mahardhika has allied with the demons.”
“Cannot be!” Nirmala shakes.
Wikrama feels his words like a dagger, he's a little sorry, “that's just a guess, but I feel a bad feeling about that.”
“Firasat Tuan muda is often appropriate,” Wikrama reassures.
“I hate to guess, even though conjecture always comes like a horse-drawn carriage incessantly in my mind,” those words came to a halt for a moment. Wikrama looked at Nirmala with his head low, he continued, “Please, Princess must help us.”
“I refuse,” Nirmala bow politely. “You hate me like you hate my father, you kidnap me and take me to your troubles. I don't want to talk to demons. Oho! Maybe it's your cunning way to exchange my life for your peace. I really miss my great palace,” Nirmala is lying, her mood is like a rainstorm.
“Bigger! You heard young master, she is just a useless spoiled princess!” raung Mahda while pounding the wooden floor of the hall, instantly the hall room seemed to tremble.
“You're free to blame me,” Nirmala can't stand it, her tears are dripping. He got up and left, leaving the hall.
Wyat stands up to chase, but Wikrama swiftly detains Wyat. “Don't, maybe this is too soon for him, we have to be patient.”
The statement seemed to be floating in the air.
“What if Princess Nirmala runs away?”
“For the sake of my ancestors, Nirmala was a kind person. I could feel from the look in his eyes,” he asked Wyat to sit back. “If indeed Nirmala decides to leave, then allow her to leave. But unfortunately, it will not happen, his kindness will lead him back to us.”
Wikrama understands the disappointment that can be seen from the face of the warriors and Wyat.
“Wyats... Are you aware of Mahardhika's greatest fear other than her declining god power?”
“What is Mister?”
“I can see the picture of it Wyat. Fear, worry, even the anxiety of the cruel king,” Wikrama smiled faintly. “Mahardhika.. she was afraid that the goodness that grew in Nirmala's heart would become a sharp keris that pierced her heart.”.
***