Sign of the Zodiac: Aries
[Sign 1: Aries] Uluwero

A full day of training with the stigi tree on his hands and feet. Now his shoulder felt limp and like it was coming off his hinge. Anaru crumpled in the cold white sand. The night has come. Airyung made a bonfire and burned some small fish that he caught in the shallow sea. His hard smoked lamb meat had already run out at breakfast earlier.

“Where did you put your boat when you got here, Airyung?” ask anaru.

“Behind the clump of the stigi. I landed on this beach,” replied Airyung thrusting one of the fish that have matured. Anaru received it and blew the fish to cool immediately. His stomach has been rumbling since this afternoon. Especially after a hard physical workout all day.

Anaru ate voraciously as if there was no tomorrow. The bonfire rattled in the occasional sea breeze. Airyung tethered Tsagan to a nearby stigi tree. The horse does not seem to get hungry easily. Anaru rarely saw him graze. Or perhaps Airyung fed the horse when Anaru did not see it.

“How many villages are there in the Khitai tribe?” airyung asked while poking the bonfire to keep it burning.

“As far as I know there are seven large villages and about twenty-three small groups scattered all over the island. I don't know for sure right now. But maybe my eyes know better. We live in the same village where the Chief, Princess Aroha lives,” replied Anaru.

Airyung breathed heavily. It's counting. Khitai may indeed be a relatively small tribe compared to other tribes in the main plain, but still the island is quite large with a population that is not small. The condition of small villages that spread also makes Airyung have to spend time to get around.

“What kind of characteristics of the person you are looking for?” ask Anaru later.

Airyung. “I don't know either. In the forecast is not mentioned about the characteristics of the chosen people.”

“Then how will you find it if you don't even know what you're looking for?” said Anaru who was surprisingly able to comment sarcastically. Anaru never cared about the affairs of others. But it seems like he is starting to get interested in this topic.

“The tribal chief only said that I would recognize him immediately when I met. But so far I have not found anyone who comes close to the clue. Shouldn't at least the person in the prophecy be at least strong?”

Anaru clucked in annoyance. Again Airyung underestimated his tribe. Why does Airyung constantly consider the Khitai people weak? Just because Airyung happens to meet people who are not too strong, does not mean the whole uluwero is weak. But Anaru undoes his intention to debate Airyung's opinion. The young man chose to take one more skewer of grilled fish.

“Who is the strongest person in the Khitai tribe?” airyung asked as he watched Anaru who was biting a grilled fish the size of a fist.

“Orong forkoat?” Anaru seemed to be thinking hard. When it comes to body strength perhaps Tangaroa, the leader of uluwero, seems to fit that criteria. The body is large height with a body filled with figures symbolizing the ancient animals of the Khitai tribe.

“What is no?” Airyung asked again because Anaru did not immediately answer.

“Euhm bokon..” Anaru tries to talk with full mouth. After successfully swallowing finally Anaru could speak clearly. “Tangaroa. He is the leader of uluwero,” replied Anaru.

“Is he very strong?” tanya Airyung made sure.

Anaru megangguk's. “Tangaroa can carry five sheep at a time alone.”

Anaru's efforts to describe the strength of the leader uluwero actually made Airyung sigh tired. If the strength of the Khitai people was only measured by how many sheep he could raise, then perhaps Airyung could become the strongest person on the island. He can even lift a horse.

“Isn't it too simple to measure strength only by the number of sheep that can be lifted?” Airyung tried to comment without offending, although it was difficult to find a choice of words that did not sound dismissive.

“Healthy sheep are very heavy, Airyung. Moreover, the fur has not been shaved,” said Anaru sounded very confident.

Airyung just nodded. It seems that the standard of strength of the Khitai people is different from that of Giyatsa, where it originated. But there's no harm in Airyung trying to meet this guy named Tangaroa. If indeed for the size of Khitai he is a strong person, it could be a fighter from this tribe is only that limited.

Suddenly the bushes behind them crusted hard. Airyung swiftly jumped to his feet. Next to him, Anaru was standing on guard while still grasping the skewer fish. In the next instant, two men and women dressed in the Khitai tribe emerged from the bushes while hugging each other tightly. The two people seemed too busy with their affairs to the point of not realizing that there was someone else – even the campfire and horse – behind him.

The man and woman stopped their personal activities and turned to the direction of Anaru's voice.

“Kotu?! Anaru!” the man was no less surprised. Even the woman who was with him looked shocked and covered her mouth with both hands.

“He kotu mahe kei kone, Hope?![1]” exclaims Anaru shouted furiously. “Ma Ngaio?[2]”

A man named Kaharap spit on the ground, then walked puffed up his chest to Anaru.

“He ahwa? Nail e pie [3]?” Kaharap looked to challenge Anaru with a look of disdain. Anaru's emotions are ignited. While glaring furiously Anaru launched a punch towards Kaharap's face. But Kaharap dodged at the right time while hitting back on Anaru's stomach. Anaru could not escape. He slouched because of the impact on his stomach that causes heartburn. Ngaio, the woman who was with Kaharap shouted loudly.

Kaharap already will launch a second attack when Airyung suddenly shot while launching a deadly blow towards the head of Kaharap. The man immediately fell down, fainted. Ngaio shouted louder and louder and immediately ran away from the place, terrified.

“Urgh.... What are you doing?” said Anaru who was still bending over withstanding the pain in her stomach.

“He attacked you,” Airyung replied in self-defense. “He also looks annoying,” Airyung added while frowning.

“Pfft...” Anaru can't hold back his laughter. “He does suck. But if you directly knock a uluwero unconscious like this won't that add to your bad reputation?”

“I don't think that far. So how?”

“We have to leave here before Ngaio calls people,” said Anaru tried to influence Airyung not to return to the village immediately. Anaru still had to train with him.

“But doesn't that make things worse? You can explain the situation to the villagers. You ‘kan get to know them,” Airyung logical response.

“But I'll have trouble explaining about you. If I was strong enough, and proved to the villagers, I could say that you are my teacher. But I'm still weak.”

“Not reason! I know you just don't want me to go to the village and stop training you, ‘kan?” sergeant Airyung who can instantly read the mind of Anaru. “You are very sneaky, Anaru,” Airyung continued while clucking slowly.

“You! You're more cunning! You promised me! But you're just playing around and not seriously training me! I'm ready to help you. You should have been serious about helping me too!” Anaru looked desperate. He didn't want his chance to be strong to just disappear.

“Good, good. Tell you what, take me to the village and you explain the situation. I promise I'll keep training you after we get back to the village. Isn't that more effective? While I'm looking for the person I need, you can accompany me and practice. I can train you for longer too. When is uluwero's recruitment?”

“Late this month.”

“Means there's still twenty days. That's more than enough to make you strong. How?” Airyung tries to convince Anaru. The lure in Airyung's last sentence seems to have quite an impact on Anaru. The young man immediately nodded in agreement.

...***...

[1] What are you doing here, I hope?

[2] With Ngaio?

[3] Why? No like?