Nusantara Throne - Senandung Kebangkitan
Satria
The temple courtyard area seemed endless. Satria walked up the steps through several stone fences, bearing andesite rocks weighing twice his body weight. As he stepped, the slaves around him were busy rubbing and daubing the square-shaped rocks into intricate carvings.
After he climbed the main stairs towards the courtyard, the plains became flat with thin green grasses like tapestries. He then put and arranged the andesite stone while looking at the statue of the prosperity god that stood firmly as big as two palace towers. Did that god see our suffering down here? Thought angry.
Satria walked to the side of the court, outwitting the sight of the soldier who was pacing back and forth. He passed by dozens of slaves until finally stopped at a gate on the North side facing the Andamar Mountains. It was there that his close friends named Sham and Harsa were rubbing the gate wall with other slaves.
“I found a hermit in the forest last night,” said Satria, his presence startling his two different friends two years from him. After successfully sneaking out, he crouched between Harsya and Sham, Satria continued, “I need your help to help him.”
“You heard Harsya? The hermit said,” said Syam is still rubbing carving pictures of soldiers lifting keris. “What is some kind of trick?”
“Really! She's dying.”
Realizing his voice was quite loud, Satria then pretended to carve to outwit the soldiers who occasionally passed by while yawning.
“Then what about us? We are also dying,” Syam continued with a laugh, he thought Satria was joking.
To his right Harsya looked at Satria suspiciously, “Trust me, I'm more interested in hearing your story about the stars you saw in the woods than a recluse's grandfather. Come little sister, in this temple alone there are many old grandparents who are thinner than us.”
Syam nods next to him, “but you're brave enough to run away sneaking in the night, maybe one day the three of us can try it, maybe?”
“We will try it tonight,” said Satria does not want to hurt his best friend. “But I need help.”
“About that recluse's grandfather? Why should we help him?” Syam is a little doubtful.
“He owes me a great story. Maybe the three of us can hear that story later that night, a much more great story, beyond the beauty of the stars I found.”
“How can you be sure little sister?” harsya is now interested.
“Have you ever heard the story of the tiger man?”
Harsya and Sham goosebumps all of a sudden.
“What is a trick again?” Syam takes an interest, but he hates being cheated.
“That's what I want to know,” replied Satria. “You must believe me, that ascetic has eyes that you have never seen in your entire life. Even though it is injured quite badly, you will feel its presence like a wild beast.”
Harsya put the chisel down and looked at the knight seriously, “I believe a little, my father used to have a witch friend in Parawa, they lived from drinking cobra blood. I heard rumors of demons in this country as a child. Unfortunately my father's story has been buried with his body.”
Sadness crossed the face of Satria and Sham. They've been hearing Harsya's life story for years since they knew each other. Sometimes Satria imagined the atmosphere at that time, Harsya's father was in the law of trance by King Mahardhika as the king expanded his expansion into villages in the North and West. They consider Harsya's father a witch. The children of the victims of the witch massacre were taken captive and sold as slaves, their mothers were raped by the soldiers for being considered a disgrace.
According to King Mahardhika, the North was considered the hiding place of a group of dissident witches. Places in the North are indeed crowded with hilly mountains, cold weather piercing with forests that grow tight and dark. Its surface was overgrown with thorny bushes and knee-deep swamps filled with the whispering sounds of the dead. Until now the Northern region is believed to hold a powerful and sacred mystical aura.
“Maybe the hermit is a witch,” Harsya said as if convinced..
Sham's interest is getting higher, but his heart is pounding. “How do we help him?”
The question was floating between the three of them. Satria felt anxious, she let out a long sigh then replied, “help me steal food in the hut of the granary.”
Harsya and Sham were surprised to hear that, they almost fell down.
“Cursed be the kings, little brother, the plea is so scary!” Harsya.
Sham clasped Satria's cheeks and looked at her. Satria could feel the surface of Sham's squeaky hands on her cheeks like the rough bark of a pine tree sticking together.
“Are you sure? The hut was filled with sweet fruits, rice ores as high as sand piles, dried meat that was hung up to wine jugs lined up like a fence. But remember! Dhanu kept it for the stomachs of the soldiers, not for the slaves. You'll know the consequences if they're sober.”
“They are too lazy to be aware,” Satria interrupts Syam.
“Sorry?”
“Have you guys realized it? They always party at night. The soldiers ate very greedily like starving buffaloes. Their stomachs were full and full, but their brains were empty. Many times I peered behind the forest trees at night, the soldiers fell asleep on their soft mats. That's their carelessness, all this time the soldiers thought we were just stupid slaves, we were fed from waste food, whipped like a donkey, shouted like a fool. Precisely they are the donkeys, we will take advantage of the opportunity.”
Harsha and Sham looked at him in amazement, never seeing the fiery Satria. They both became excited.
“What will we steal tonight?” retaliating, he felt his heart pounding.
“Meats of course, and a little fruits, he will definitely be happy.”
From the center of the court, the sound of clanging was heard echoing with the sound of excoriating cries. Garung, the fat soldier who had sounded the kentung walked while kicking the slave.
“Master Dhanu is coming! Gather!” Shouted Garung.
“We'll finish first, we'll meet again later tonight, after we make sure the soldiers are asleep, we'll gather again in this gate and draw up a plan, please,” whispered Satria.
Realizing that the surrounding slaves were rising up and rushing towards the Middle court, Satria moved and blended into the crowd, followed by Harsya and Sham behind him. The temple courtyard was crowded by slaves who bowed in exhaustion. The scorching sun roasted their skin like dry wood in a barren land. They were very hungry but none of them were waiting for this meal.
A moment from the South courtyard of the temple, galloping a galloping horse. When the long-boned black horse was about to enter the temple courtyard. The slaves moved aside until they were hit and fell, hoping not to be trampled by the dark horse.
“All prostrate for Dhanu the son of the late Jagakarsa, the younger brother of the Southern King, Dharma!”
The dust billowed thickly when Dhanu stopped his dark horse, the color of the black horse was as beautiful as a marble, shiny and dashing as if the rider was the shadow of the horse itself. After handing over the horse's control rope to the guard soldiers, Dhanu walked towards the center of the courtyard.
“Oh the man, rejoice,” he then stopped for a moment to look at the hundreds of slaves before him. “What views did I see this afternoon? Why the hopeless sad look you showed me!”
On the slave does not flinch. They trembled hearing Dhanu's roar echoing all over the side of the courtyard.
“Remember that my arrival this afternoon is nothing but to bring you pleasant news. The harvest period is almost here, Condok Temple is almost finished. Fifteen years have passed and the king has mercy on you. All thanks to your hard work, loyal servant of the king.”
“Garung!” call Dhanu.
Garung the fat comes incline, he then prostrate beside Dhanu, “Garung is ready to serve Mr.”
“What is the total of all our loyal servants in this temple?”
“Eight hundred sixty-three Master.”
“Eight hundred and sixty-three tough servants survive, since the arrival of you as many as three thousand servants, fifteen years ago,” said Dhanu nodded. He then took a deep breath and continued, “Rejoice! once this temple is completed, the king will keep his promise. You will be released!”
From the corner of the courtyard sound– voices began to be heard. One by one the slaves cheered softly, followed by the others. It only took one minute, the entire courtyard was filled with the sound of merry slaves. They hum, prostrate, cry moaning, cheer and embrace.
“King will set you free!”
The cheers grew louder, they shouted the name of the King Mayakarsa, the Dharma King! Dharma King!.
“You will be free as slave in Mayakarsa because the king sold you to the Kingdom of Nusantara! You will be the loyal servants of the king of all kings, Patih Mahardhika!”
The sentence ended like a dagger in the heart, the slaves stopped cheering. Echoes changed into whispers, joyful looks turned into confusion. The slaves began to cry. They were begging for mercy on the god in the sky. They're roaring. Until on the north side a slave stood up crying, his face trembling with snot coming out of his small nostrils.
“Master what does that news mean! Will we never be free?”
“You're sassy!” shouted a soldier of the guard.
However, Dhanu swiftly raised his hand towards the bodyguard, hinting him to calm down.
“Say loyal servant, say heartfelt it.”
“Many of us have come to atone for sins! Fifteen years we were confined, we worked until our fingers were as small as a twig and our bodies as thin as a pebble, only to become loyal servants of the king!” cetus the boy, tears soaked his wrinkled cheeks full of dust. “We want justice worthy of Master! Now we'll be sent back as a servant? Nah! We are not loyal servants, we are just your lowly slaves!”
Some of the slaves cheered in support. Almost ten slaves stood up and shouted.
Be free! Be free!
Dhanu was amazed to hear the bravery of the slave. He bit his lips to withstand the blood turmoil in the body that flowed like a rushing river.
“Bring that brave slave here,” Dhanu's orders.
The slave realized this was his last day, he was downcast, the soldier came dragging his body violently until his feet were dragged away on thin grass. However, he was sure his last words could awaken the courage of the other slaves.
“Say, faithful man, do you hate this penance?”
The slave did not budge until Dhanu had to cleared his throat. Dhanu doesn't like being dumped. With a trembling voice the slave said, “hamba received it Mr.”
“Lies are not skills taught, lies arise from distrust, unbelief triggers betrayal,” said Dhanu, he raised the chin of the slave. enough to make his face drain parallel to the eyes of the slave. “Do you hate this penance?”
“Ha.. I want to be free sir, for many years we were separated from the family, for many years we served, we have no treasure, we have no treasure, we just want to live like a human being blessed by the god,” said the slave could not stand, tears dripping again to wet the back of Dhanu's hand.
Dhanu nodded, her black-patterned face showing an empty look as if she was a black statue standing. After looking at him with pity, Dhanu's hand grabbed the slave's mouth, pulling out a tongue that stuck out like pink tendrils. Hot blood gushed into Dhanu's face.
The slave immediately fell down, dumbfounded and tormented. His body wriggled like cattle slaughtered on a puddle of dark red blood. The slaves shouted at him and struggled to escape instantly. The atmosphere of the court became rowdy, the slaves were running around. However, when they arrived at the gate, the guard soldiers who stood guard in the way and kicked them one by one.
“Shut!” dhanu's shout echoed from the center of the courtyard. “Or you all will have the same fate! Two, three, four, even a hundred tongues I'll take out of your dirty mouth!”
The slaves were now kneeling, their fingers clawing at the grass of the courtyard, they were crying indistinctly. Some are still lying down while groaning. Behind him the soldiers laughed.
“Tabib! Where's that damned healer!” Dhanu now could not stem his anger anymore. He slammed the tongue in his grip right into the back of the slave without the tongue that had stopped moving.
“Hams... Servant ready to serve Master,” Asih replied, that's when she arrived, tears flooded her cheeks.
“Treat their wounded! I don't want to see any more dissidents in the temple!”
“Tuan...,” Asih said with a raucous voice.
Dhanu widened, her muscles twitching more and more. Dhanu reached for Asih's jaws, “Will the word that comes out of your mouth pluck out your tongue as well?”
“Mother!” mishik Satria did not accept. He was about to run crashing, but Sham and Harysa grabbed Satria before the bodyguards realized Satria's jump.
“Don't, little sister,” whispered Harsya, his hand buried the head of the knight into the grass, forcing Satria to remain prostrate. “Do not make your mother see you die in front of Dhanu, not in front of us.”
On the green grass as smooth as velvet Satria was helpless, she swore, and cried as she was. He hated the gods at that moment. Cursed are the guards and Dhanu, cursed is the king and his commandments! Satria continued to swear.
“Hamba will treat them Sir... There is no intention of fighting back, I need time to take care, they also need time to be treated,” Asih replied with a clear heart, his voice was suffocated by his fear.
Dhanu spat next to the love, the former slave's blood began to taste salty in his mouth. He then removed Asih's chin, and said out loud, “I don't care! You know what you're supposed to do. I just need to know that they can work back.”
As if lost in anger, he got up and called out to the bodyguards guarding his dark horse. While waiting for his horse to arrive, Dhanu called Garung.
“Give them leftover food as usual, make sure they keep complying, if they still dare to fight, whip his back as hard as you slash the banana stem. Surely they make me angry, I will go and return to the palace to meet the Dharma King.”
Garung nodded, along with the arrival of Dhanu's dark horse. Dhanu rode the dark horse and pulled his saddle until the horse neighed in horror kicking the sky. Dhanu's horse darted galloping like a dark shadow, until it was finally nowhere to be seen again.
***