Nusantara Throne - Senandung Kebangkitan
Nirmala

The North Wind fluttered Wikrama's long hair, he could feel the horse's muscles stirring his stomach. On the horse's back Wikrama heard the sound of crows croaking. However, the shadow of the bird was covered by the tight tree heads. The surrounding air was cold, giving rise to the gray mist that moved swinging through the crevices of mossy tree trunks. The forest did not seem to want their presence.

The rough hands pulled him down from the horse, as the soldiers forced him to walk and pushed him down towards the trunk of the dead tree. The trip had to stop for a while because the horses and soldiers needed to eat but Wikrama was not allowed to eat and drink. His dirty hair was tangled and clotted with the rest of the blood of war hardened in his hair like frozen wax. The turquoise pendant was clad in dried blood displaying a dull brown color. The scar of the keris incision that protruded on his chest years ago seemed to be pulsing back. His face was pale and haggard, even so the fragility of a man was still clearly visible.

A snort gushed from his lips. I'm alive, but they're gone. Why was I still able to breathe so lightly when my brother was lying stiff on the grass and a flock of vultures approached them.

            Their horses had already walked for half a day. After passing through the darkness of the night for so long, a pale pink dawn arrived. The forest felt mystical and dark, though the beam of dawn still forced its way through the leaves of needles. Not far beside the entourage, a steep cliff loomed along with the rushing sound of the river at its dark base. The soldiers of Nusantara intended to pull over resting on the back of the ravine.

Their horses began to fatigue, as well as the soldiers of the archipelago. They built a small camp, sending a dove-bearer to the king. Sitting cross-legged next to his horse tethered to a wild rock, he stared at Wikrama with a loud spotlight.

            “Awaken a loser?” cetus Sekar, whimpering.

Frowning is more suitable with her wide face that is not beautiful. After seeing it closer, the face of Sekar is much more worthy of being juxtaposed with Mahda female form.

            “Seeing you up close, you look more like a rice field hijacker. Have the gods cursed your face?” scorn Wikrama, he forgot his tattoos.

            As soon as it spit, and galloped toward Wikrama, a punch landed on Wikrama's face, very loud, enough to make Wikrama's head buzz. Blood salty felt filled his dry mouth. With your fists still throbbing, sekar grumbling, “Your mouth is as dirty as a rat culvert, you deserve to be good at hiding.”

            The soldiers around him laughed at the scene.

            Wikrama wore bronze iron handcuffs on her wrists and a pair of similar handcuffs on her ankles. “I received that honor,” Wikrama joked as the chains bound her.

            At that time Wikrama wondered, Nusantara warriors scattered around him, sharpening rusty spears, rubbing the black horses that were neighing hungry, hone, it even warms up near a small campfire. Where's Nirmala? Mind diverted.

            “I miss Nusantara, the magnificent palace where they imprisoned the princess who was blessed with beauty more than her sister,”, he wrote in contempt.

            Sekar seemed to be unconcerned, while waiting for his horse to finish eating he was busy sharpening his spear. Wikrama exclaimed again, “Maybe someday, with that spear you will have to go down directly in the battle arena champion, Princess.”

            “What are all the full moon troops as noisy as you?”

            “Maybe it's just me.”

            “Shut up! Or I'll cut off one of your hands!”

            “Try it, it might be easier for me to die.”

            Throwing his spear, he couldn't stand it. “You want to test my patience? I can kill you right now.”

            “You did not want me dead, that is why I was turned upside down, on top of that dirty horse,” his cheetus while pointing at Sekar's horse, while the horse only snorted lazily.

            “My father wants you alive, not me,” he returns to pick up his spear. “Give me if I have to take the trouble to take you to the palace. I prefer to explore the whole ins and outs of this continent forever, until I finish exterminating that nest of rebels.”

            “You know nothing about Emerald.”

            “Bneed? This continent is nothing but a place where they prostrate at the feet of father.”

            “What a wise daughter, you look like your father,” Wikrama smiled innocently. “It is only fitting that the gods lower that power on Nirmala, not a male princess like you.”

            “I don't need any power! That power actually made Nirmala a weak figure, so bad she was that a dirty rat was able to kidnap her!” his answer was stirring, making the soldiers around hear silently.

            “Not just power, he has something bigger, more luminous than you,” Wikrama said grinningly. “Even the king of all kings is unaware of it.”

            “What?” he asked, his curiosity sneaking behind his serious look.

            “Care of heart, and kindness of heart.”

            “Only rotten rat crap.”.

            “You're jealous of Nirmala, admit that she's more special than you.”

            Anger tease the boy-faced daughter, “You speak again, once again, this spear will stick in your mouth through and perforate your stomach just as I killed deer in the forest as a child.”

       “Crying,” Wikrama laughs mockingly. “The meat must be so bad.”

            Just as he pulled out the dagger that stuck into the raw meat near the campfire, his steps sounded rude. “I can't stand a man who talks a lot like you. I'm curious, so what do you look like without lips.”.

            His dagger was already close to Wikrama's face when Nirmala arrived with a step to dress. “Sekar, already! If you hurt her, I won't keep my promise!”

            Smile grin shift lips Sekar, “Pintar. At least the mouse's lips are still intact for now.” He turned back away from Wikrama, and honed his long spear. It seemed like the frozen blood made it difficult for him to rub the spear.

            “Appointment?” Wikrama asked in a raucous whisper, she did not want to look at Nirmala's face. “Why don't you let that mighty woman kill me like she killed Wyat and my sworn brother.”

            “I..”

            “Newly noticed the princess, the cruelty of your father's warrior?”

            Nirmala wipes the warm blood dripping through Wikrama's nose. “Do not start, please.. I have a plan.”

            Wikrama squinted. “Plan?” he asked a second time.

            Nirmala turned around to make sure the soldier and Sekar did not listen, while gently wiping Wikrama's forehead she whispered, “The voices echoed in my mind,  they'll find out about Wikrama, our arrival.”

            Wikrama was wide-eyed, but he could not show the shock in the midst of a flock of soldiers of the archipelago.

            “For the sake of the forest gods, what do you mean by stealth?” wikrama's voice sounded quite high, making Nirmala have to cover her mouth with a wet cloth. After Nirmala made sure Wikrama was calmer, she removed the cloth.

“The plan was very bad Princess.”

            “I want their attention to be distracted by the demons, when the opportunity arrives and they are off guard I will run away with you.”

        “It sounds easy,” gloom approaches Wikrama's face, “but the plan is very dangerous. You have seen the horror of Ahool, even for this demon, we do not know at all its name, its weakness, even its form.”

            “People Bati, that name they called as I tried to reach their minds,” once again Nirmala made sure the soldiers around her did not hear her whisper. “Need to try, I'm not willing to let them take you to the palace, I don't want to, and I'll do whatever it takes to save you.”

            At that time Wikrama was calm, there was a strange sensation that was felt since he looked at Nirmala in a different way. Her bronze hair was getting shiny, her face as if blinding Wikrama, making her forget the deep sorrow.

            “Get aside,” Suara Sekar arrived like a gong, breaking the awkwardness. “We leave now.”

Soldiers forcibly dragged Wikrama, leading him towards Sekar's horse. Nirmala quickly moved towards the white horse she had moored near the old angsana tree, away from the soldiers' black horses.

I challenge you the dweller of the darkness of the forest.

Nirmala's body trembled as voices echoed in her mind.

That voice again! did you hear that voice? man has forgotten his fear, said one of the shrill female stealth voices. A cold sensation rippled through Nirmala's mind, surpassing the waves of Ahool.

Since when can humans talk to us? Asked the other male demon, he had a more hoarse and heavy voice, apparently he did not like the idea of Nirmala.

Who cares? Man is still man, there is no flesh in this world that exceeds the delicacy of human flesh. Do you remember the last time we chewed a human? Hundreds of years ago.

You're right, their meat is savory, making me hungry. But look, they challenged us as if they were better than us. said the man, his voice seemed disgusting. Nirmala felt her head throb, but she was not done yet.

Aren't you just cowardly dark creatures, spending time eating and hiding, even little ones know that you're not worth my love, Nirmala realized her words would ignite the demon's wrath.

The next seconds the demon was silent not answering, only letting out a gripping roar. Nirmala's hair brushed, her breathing heaved and sweat began to wet her forehead.

“Quick the road, do you want to wait for this gloomy forest to become a field and a cattle pen?” insist Sekar.

“I-iya”

Nirmala drove the white horse slowly. The horse rode nervously, even for the fiercest animals, the forest was not friendly. The deeper they go, the more stuffy the air infiltrates. Tree tendrils began to look crowded hanging like a rope that moves. There was no blue sky, only a lush roar and reptiles watching a group of alien humans climb their land.

“Keparat! This forest is sickening!” cetus Sekar, start to fidget.

“You are afraid of male princess?” Wikrama pretended, even though he himself felt anxious.

“Save your babble until you die later,” Sekar responds lazily.

As if drifting in daydreams, Nirmala paid no heed to Sekar's words. Now the voice of the demon came again, more raucous, closer.

Do you smell them? Ten.. fifty...

We'll be full, but don't eat noisily or else will know! I want to eat them all, said the demon who spoke aloud, her voice like a woman in horror stories.

Attack.. kill. eat.. show them...

This time Nirmala was unable to resist the sound waves. Feelings of disgust, anxiety, and fear mixed like a whirlpool. On his horse he almost fell helpless. Nirmala vomited, causing the soldiers including Sekar to stop her horse.

“What's Nirmala?”

“A minute,” says Wikrama. “They will arrive.”

Never had the hard-faced princess asked, the roar came thundering. Instantly the owls and flesh-eating birds flew out. The rodents ran away to hide into the nest holes in the ground. The warrior horses neighed in horror, kicking the air as if asking them to leave.

Time and again warriors tried to calm their horses, but more than half of the horses turned around, knocking down their bewildered riders.

Two figures of the creature arrived, cracking branches of old trees that are almost the same size as the human body. It perches on the tip of the header, hooking its bent claws to the bark of the tree like a ship's anchor hook. The two creatures had ink-black wings, darker and blacker than the warrior horses. Its long tail dangled like a giant tendril, covered in thick black fur, moving furiously.

His face resembled that of an ape, with long yellow fangs exceeding his chin. His eyes were red lit up like blood flooded with the scorching sun. From the top of the tree they both observe, the female has a shorter tail. Without a doubt he darted flying roaring, towards the flock of soldiers gathered beneath him. The Nusantara Warriors brandished their spears high up towards the sky, filling the narrow gaps with defensive positions.

While snapping, the demon lunged at the group of soldiers, gripping and splitting their bodies with its bent claws. The men retreated, with trembling hands they allowed the spear to stay on one of the female stealth that floated in the air. With all his might, the warrior threw him with a spear. Twenty copper spears floated like flashes of arrows.

But the demon dodged the spear with nimble intent, making the soldiers' spears pinned on the rough bark of mahogany and pine trees. The soldier's face sagged in fear when he realized his attack was in vain, now they did not hold any weapons.

 They tried to escape, but before moving a cubit, the demon pounced on its attackers from the front. Devastating ranks of soldiers. The soldier's unfortunate body crashed into the gray rocks, partly stuck in hanging tendrils.

“For father! Truly what disaster is approaching us!”

Still gasping Nirmala spurred his horse back, turning away from the side of the demon. “If you want to know him, the demon calls himself Bati.”

“Since the beginning you knew about them? And didn't tell me?”

“Ya.”

“You did intend to lead us to death!”

“I show you the horror I've seen before, Sekar.”

“Cursed you!”

The cries of the soldiers echoed along with the humming of fallen tree branches. The soldiers scattered, running in all directions. But the catty always sniffed the smell of its prey, it flew darting chasing and terrorizing. In just a short time, the soldier had fallen, almost half of whom had already been torn to death. The splashed blood stain filled the corners of the tree. In that lag time also the two demons stopped flying, eating the fresh corpses of soldiers.

“Retreat!” sekar's orders, while witnessing the horror. “Leave this forest!”

The Sekar command provokes the attention of female stealth. Realizing the demon was flying towards him, he hurried to pull the horse's saddle rope, spurring it towards the crowd of meeting trees. Sekar more agile than other soldiers, the effort managed to make Bati people difficult to attack.

“Protect! Protect the king's daughter!” shouted the soldiers.

They arrived from several directions, dispelling the demon's flying speed. The meeting of the tree made the demon difficult to maneuver, he undoed his intention to fly over.  One of the soldiers took a chance and darted over the roots of the tree towards the low-growing branches. With a more prepared attack, the soldier took the opportunity and jumped into the body of the bati, thrusting his spear into the unprotected part of his back.

The thrust of the spear stuck deep enough, splashing out a pitch-black hot blood. He shrunk his tail as the other soldiers jumped over his body again. Wailing in pain, he swooped down, smashing into the bodies of fallen soldiers, hollowing out the bodies of soldiers with his bent claws. Instantly the soldier lost his nerve and ran looking for niches to hide.

“that one must be done!” sekar said he was not willing to see his soldiers die. He turned his horse, with a single pull, his horse galloped.

“That, is not the wise idea of the male daughter,” hardik Wikrama behind her. His stomach churned as horse shocks struck him nonstop.

 As it steadied the arm, one long bronze spear blade stretched out parallel to its shot on the demon's right chest. “It should be one puncture in the heart is enough!”

The stealth reaction seemed slow, as well as the spear stab wound on his back making him fly awkwardly. Within a few seconds he was late dodging the pace of the bronze spear Sekar. The mighty girl threw a spear through the right chest of the Bati. The female demon roared furiously, marking her death by flying around lost its direction. As he died in mid-air, he fell thumping violently against the head of the forest. The trees fell down, causing a terrible sound of vibration, sending the female's demise.

The savage men! The sound of wrath echoed in Nirmala's mind.

The male Bati man screamed in anger. His arch was ringing in the ears, making the warrior's footsteps slow down. As he flew across the ceiling at a close distance, the soldiers cried out in fear, swearing harshly with the name of the king. They attacked blindly, the crash missed, only able to injure the air.

Kill...! kill the...!

The horses were running in an indeterminate direction, some heading in a darker direction. However, there were ten horses that managed to follow the pace of Nirmala and Sekar's horses. Despite trying his hardest, the horses could not exceed the speed of the demon. Finally the rear line warriors gave up, they turned around to challenge the demon.

“Rubby creatures! You won't scare the bodyguard.”.

Before the sentence was finished, the soldier's head had filled the mouth cavity of the saint. With one slow pull, he gouged the soldier's head out of his body. The horse without the master neighed in fear, even before it left the corpse of its rider, the claws of the saint had hooked the ribs of the horse. He lifted it high and threw the horse to the ground. Instantly the loud buk thud.

You see that's human? This is the impact of my wrath for killing my partner!

Remaining eight horses, they ran forward, through the thickets, towards the edge of the cliff. The neighs of their frightened horses echoed in the stuffy air. The last demon to lash out came among the troops like a whirlwind.

Just exclaiming, “My spear... I don't have a gun anymore!”

“Free this chain, I also want to fight!”

“Don't try!” sahut Sri Sekar, as they turned towards the edge of the descending cliff.

“What is this included in your plan?” ask Wikrama towards Nirwala as their horses align.

“Of course not!” the princess replied, she looked riled up, her bronze hair fluttering in the cliff wind.

As they struggled to escape, the demon appeared from the valley. Fly away with the roar of the rushing wind. Two soldiers swore when the stealth managed to knock out their horse legs, making the poor animal fall rolling around crashing into other horses. Sekar lost grip as his horse screamed and collapsed. While Wikrama slammed against the rocks on the edge of the cliff, until in that terrible moment, the chain got stuck on a crack of the cliff, making it hang facing the bottom of a dark ravine.

Sekar was less fortunate, his dark horse struck his right foot with a loud crackling. Pinched him, he thrashed around trying to get rid of the weight of the horse, but the horse did not move a single inch.

“Please me, my feet.”

Seeing the helplessness of his prey, the Bati Man twisted again in the air, with a gloomy snort, he flew towards Sekar. However, ready, the three bodyguard soldiers jumped up and unsheathed the spear, precisely injuring the left wing of the Bati People.

The membrane of his wings was hollow, blood as black as ink was pouring down the soil. He tried to fly again but when half floated, his body lost its balance. The demon did not want to stop. His long, squeaky hands of air-cloaked mangais were like spider-fingered, as if he did not want to lose balance. He clenched violently, and in quick motion his fangs smashed the skull of one of the soldiers.

The attack re-opened the lower side of the bati, the other two warriors rushed to draw the spear towards the thigh. Their spear eyes stuck in the joints of the Bati people accompanied by the sound of fleshy jleb. The Bati man was wrathful, struggling to pull out the spear thrust with his fangs. However, he instead opened his wound deeper and made it limp.

Die up! Die up! Shouts scream. Nirmala had fallen off her horse, she could no longer bear the heavy noise that struck her mind like a wall had collapsed.

After that, various things happened simultaneously. Nirmala crept towards Wikrama still hanging on the brink. With a breath of breath he grabbed the Wikrama chain, pulling it towards the mainland.

“This is crazy Mr. Princess.”

“You still want to discuss that? watch out!”

The fathered, staggered walk. Waving its wide wings in an attempt to scare the soldiers. While frustrated turmoil crept across Sekar, he pulled out the dagger at his waist. With a fists that shook violently, he sliced his right leg, while twitching and shouting. It took a tremendous effort until at last his legs were broken and he managed to escape the burden of the corpse of the horse.

The two soldiers were pressed to the edge of the cliff, as the saint led him with staggered steps. They clasped their daggers awkwardly in their hands, slowly they tried to retreat but the more they stepped back, the darker the bottom of the abyss awaited more and more.

“Free! Free this chain of male princesses!” wikrama said as he extended both of his arms.

Sekar was groaning while holding his puffed right leg, he was unable to respond. The pain felt overwhelming as if the wound was burning its flesh. “In my dagger... turn the handle..”.

Wikrama is galloping with skipping steps. The feeling of nausea came when he saw the sekar leg piece still tucked behind the back of Sekar's horse corpse. He quickly grabbed Sekar's dagger, turning the hilt apart, the other dagger's eyes forming an intricate lock serrated. When the two chains slipped from his legs and hands, Wikrama ran over the corpses of horses and soldiers.

He grabbed the spear that was lying on the ground, and darted with antelope steps. With a single high leap, he stabbed into the back of the saint, piercing through his heart until the spear's eyes were sticking out from the side of the person's front body.

The demon whined, screamed and snapped loudly. His steps seemed to falter, moving staggered. The two soldiers were out of luck. The Bati who had lost their lives collapsed to the bottom of the ravine on the two soldiers. They fell together and were lost in the darkness of the bottom of the abyss. After a few seconds, only the rushing sound of river water and gusts of wind were heard.

Wikrama turned to where Nirmala wrapped the wound and tied Sekar's stump wound with a scarf from the corpse of a soldier. His blood continued to drip incessantly like a water faucet.

My face is pale, “I... will not survive.”.

“Not yet,” said Nirmala stroked her sister towards the white horse, helped her up, then she followed up on the horse, hugging Sekar from behind, to keep her seated.

“He was right Princess, a knight without one leg is not a knight,” Wikrama approached them.

“Bawa Sekar to Wangsa, healers will do something.”

“Bringing someone who killed Wyat and his sworn brother,” Wikrama said frowning, when he saw Sekar's blood flood the body of his white horse. “You certainly know, what happens if you take Sekar to Wangsa.”

“You all who brought that fate of death upon you!” Nirmala insisted, leaving Wikrama shocked. “Wyat, warriors, and warriors, they fell in defense of your own self-esteem. But Sekar is not dead, and I want to save him, just like I want to save you Wikrama.”

Wikrama felt so tired, but she could not dodge it anymore, and she did not want to argue in that situation. He rode on his white horse, gently rubbing the horse's neck, while thanking the gods of luck that the white female still survived to this day.

As they galloped down the cliff at high speed, Sekar said in a soft voice, “So... on the full moon... Nirmala..”.

For a moment he did not answer. Her soft fingers rubbed against Sekar's forehead, her mind drifting on small memories as Sekar was injured while hunting and she cried hugging him. Ten years ago...

In a soft whispering voice, Nirmala replied, “My heart is not for Nusantara or the full moon... My heart... for Wikrama.”.

***