Sign of the Zodiac: Aries
[Sign 1: Aries] Carnelian
Anaru was awakened by the seductive aroma. Suddenly, his stomach was demanding breakfast. It was still early morning when he opened his eyes. Outside the thick fog still enveloped. But Anaru chose to rise from the bamboo mat where he slept. It felt like he had slept for a while. After his conversation with Ngaio last night, Anaru slept in the front room of Ngaio's house. Airyung sleeps in the room with Ngaio. But Anaru suspected Ngaio was not sleeping all night and was just busy preparing this delicious-scented breakfast.
In the kitchen, Anaru found Airyung was rowing hot water from the floating cauldron. He and Ngaio were preparing a breakfast meal together wearing uniform brown aprons. The sight looked strange, especially strange to see the pale-skinned Airyung near the darkened pendangan. The color is too contrasting.
“What do you guys do?” tanya Anaru walked over to the dining table.
Ngaio turned to realize the coming of Anaru. Both hands carry a large plate of dishes in the form of green vegetables with concentrated sauce.
“You're up? Eat with Miss Airyung, I will prepare straw to eat your horses,” said Ngaio as he placed the dishes on the table and darted away.
“She's a good girl,” comments Airyung also sat near Anaru, preparing for breakfast.
The clay plates became their feeding grounds. In front of Anaru now presented some vegetable dishes and lamb meat. Anaru poked a few slices of grilled lamb that looked delicious.
“He even cut sheep for us last night,” Airyung continued his comments.
“He was good from the first time,” said Anaru responded.
“It looks like you're pretty close to him. Why would he leave you? I guess because you're too stubborn and cunning.”
“You eavesdropped on our conversation last night?”
“This house is just bamboo. You can't expect privacy from thin bulkheads like this.”
“I thought you were asleep.”
“I am sensitive to the slightest sound, especially when I sleep,” said Airyung shrugged. “I don't intend to hear everything,” he continued later.
Anaru did not answer. The young man decided to go along with his favorite lamb and vegetable meat. Ngaio used to make this dish for him. He didn't expect to be able to taste it again now that they were no longer together.
“Why didn't you tell me about the Carnelian Crystals?” tanya Anaru tried to shift the subject. He had actually been curious since yesterday, but only now was the right time to discuss it.
“For what? You don't even know about this Crystal,” Airyung replied lightly.
Airyung is not entirely wrong. Anaru did not know the history of the Crystal, so even though Airyung showed it earlier it would not have a significant impact.
“Minally? The stone was not lit at all. His power is long gone. Now he's just a regular rock.”
“But last night I saw the stone blazing reddish. Sometimes the light shimmered, swirling in the little rock. Like it will explode from the inside,” said Anaru insisted.
Airyung glanced at Anaru with furrowed brows. He did not understand what Anaru said. The stone he held was the same as the other stones, only Carnelian was dark orange. I don't know which part of the stone was lit according to Anaru's view. The girl finally just shook her head and responded to Anaru in passing.
“What does the stone have to do with the person in the prophecy?” ask Anaru again, do not give up even though Airyung does not ignore it.
“The stone is one of the Zodiac Crystals that will resonate with the corresponding strength of the Zodiac Hero. The crystal contains a power that can only be raised by a chosen person from twelve tribes,” Airyung explained at length. “But as you have seen, the crystal is now just an ordinary stone. I was only assigned to give the stone to the person in the prophecy after I found it later.”
Anaru wondered why Airyung kept saying that the Carnelian Crystal he saw last night was an ordinary stone. Clearly Anaru saw flashes of red that were bright enough for the small size of the stone. Maybe in Giyatsa there the stones are generally able to shine.
Time passes quickly. The sun is starting to come to the surface. Although it is still morning, but the activities of the residents of Khitai Village have begun to bustle. The people brought their cattle into the desert. Some of the pedicures came carrying dried straw and vegetables that were beginning to wither. Anaru explained that the pedicures came from the West. Reportedly in the West of the island there are still plants that can be cultivated with sea water distillation technology. The vegetables were then sent to other villages with pedicures. But due to the considerable distance, the vegetable had already withered upon arrival.
Airyung inspects Tsagan, who is spending the remains of straw given by Ngaio. The horse looked satisfied and full with his portion of the meal today. Ngaio and Airyung seem familiar because it turns out that Ngaio also learned the common language from Kaharap's older brother who is an uluwero.
After breakfast we come. Anaru is getting ready for trouble. But apparently Kaharap come to thank Airyung. He did not care about Anaru at all. I hope to just pass through it like Anaru isn't there. Anaru was quite furious with Kaharap's attitude. But remembering the incident last night when Airyung knocked unconscious Kaharap in front of him made Anaru slightly entertained and forgot his anger.
By noon Airyung released the mooring of his horse, then told Anaru to get ready. Airyung asked him to look for a man named Tangaroa, the man who was said to be the strongest person in Khitai, the leader of uluwero. Some uluwero questioned by Airyung said that Tangaroa was in the West, inspecting food subsidies from the area.
“But when are you going to train me to fight? Soon the recruitment of uluwero was opened. And I should've been here by then. The journey west took five days. That means we will spend ten days commuting, ” said Anaru about to protest.
“I can train you while walking. If we ride a horse, a five-day trip can be passed for three days at the longest,” Airyung. “I promise I will train you every night, during that trip,”.
Anaru finally complied. He packed some goods and decent clothes that are in the house Ngaio – clothes belonging to his death first while still alive –. Ngaio also provided them with delicious food wrapped in sheepskin bags. Kaharap and Ngaio let go of them. But Kaharap's face looked sullen, as if he was not happy to see Anaru adventuring with a beautiful woman from another tribe.
Until his departure, Anaru did not return home at all. The young man also did not see any matu or umanya at all. He can only promise in his heart, when he returns later, he will become stronger and accepted as a uluwero who boasts family. That was his vow.
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