The Arkana: The Demon Hunters
The smell of the storm

After breakfast, Mahari and Santi walked to the veranda to chat. As they sat on the terrace seats, Hittah and Mayang were seen who had just arrived.

"Morning, Mas" said Mayang and Hitta.

"Morning, morning," replied Mahari. "Well at breakfast?"

"It's true" replied Mayang.

"Let's go in, May. Just a pleasantry he mah, nawarin not," chirped Hitta who walked into Tantra followed Mayang.

Santi chuckled because because because of the girl's words, this morning he could see the face of Mahari's snob. "There's no pride in him being the boss" he continued.

Mahari sighed, then looked up at the morning sky with a smile. "Gua does not want to be a strict leader, San. The cave officials want the cave officials to consider the cave as their friend, as their family. Gua does not want to be typical of leaders who where if they again chat continue to cave dateng directly awkward, honestly cave want to listen they chat even join nimbrung. Caves do not want a wall that makes the same cave they have many restrictions. After all, there's a time to joke, there's also a time to be serious."

"The cry." Santi smiled. "Never change you from the past, and the cave hope until whenever you will be a familiar Mahari cave."

"Yes, kiss dong first" said the man close his face to Santi.

"The new gini-gini must be changed!" The woman pushed Mahari's head, then got up. "Cave your ass first."

"Yahh ... Do you want to go?" Mahari's face looked disappointed. "Handering doang."

Santi walked away from Mahari, but after five steps he stopped back while half-turned. The woman's gaze was somewhat different. Either sad, or worried, which is clearly like a person who is not okay.

"Dark activity has increased in recent days, with many low-level missions suddenly changing as was the case yesterday. Cave hope this is not a bad sign, but somehow the cave feeling is not good. Gua hope you be careful," said Santi.

"Look down, don't worry about it. As long as there is a Mahari in the world, everything will be fine," Mahari replied to her pride.

"Now we both live ...," lirih santi. "Although you are disgusting, but the cave hope the cave does not lose you. Gua please, you take good care of your team. Don't let them be our team."

Mahari. He put on a grin. "Yes, the cave will take care of them so that they don't lose each other like we used to."

"Gua pamit first, if there is news from the association later kabarin cave again." Santi walked away from Tantra. He passed through the archway, then turned and disappeared from Mahari's sight.

...****************...

On the other hand, Manta and Mayang looked at each other. Today was the first day they met. As expected by everyone in the house, the sweet girl was stunned by Darmanta's face.

"This is called Darmanta, May," said Hitta introduced Manta.

"Manta" continued Manta introduced himself in a cold tone.

"Mayangsari, call Aja Ayang, greetings Manta," replied Mayang who suddenly misbehaved.

"Oi, oi, that's just a special call from me, right?" ask Bowo who accidentally passed by and caught the moment where Darmanta and Mayangsari met.

"E-no, Manta can too," replied Mayang with a reddened face.

Hitta held back a laugh when she saw Bowo's suddenly sad facial expression, she patted the man on the shoulder. "Patience, yes."

Wibowo now looked towards Manta full of sparks. "Take it all, Ta, take it," he said.

Manta. "Take what?"

"Take everything the cave has," replied Bowo.

"And you don't have anything. What can you take away from you?" reply Manta.

Manta's words made Hitta flounder and more and more so. Darmanta is a stiff man. It's kind of plain and what it is. Sometimes something that comes out of his mouth contains an honest poison.

"Daddy, Manta!" call Hitta. "You like PAS!" The girl burst out laughing at Bowo.

"Here it's hot, the wind-seeking cave is outside." Bowo left the three of them in the living room grumbling softly.

As Bowo moves, Hitta approaches Darmanta. He smiled at the handsome man, then patted him on the shoulder.

"Eh, Ta. Cave tipped Mayang, yes," said Hitta. "Today's the cave's permission to go home first, so can't help him go home."

"Oh, okay," replied Manta flatly.

"Eh, no need. I can go home alone" said Mayang.

Hittah chuckled thinly. "Udah, there's nothing between Manta. Yeah, right, Ta?"

Manta nodded in response. "Today there's no show, so there's nothing" he said.

"But Manta's leg hurts again" Mayang replied.

Hitta put on a wry smile then left the two of them. As high as Hitta, the atmosphere was suddenly silent. Maybe because Manta was quiet, the atmosphere became awkward. Mayang decided to go to the bathroom to end the conversation.

...****************...

Time rolls, now dusk picks up night. The wind blew boisterously accompanied by roaring gleams. The sky darkened even faster this afternoon, as the sun was already dredged by the hordes of black clouds in the sky. The thick scent of the storm.

Mayang stood in front of the door staring at the twilight sky that lost its beauty. He hugged himself because of the afternoon wind. The girl didn't have a jacket today.

"Cold, May." Bowo put his black varsity jacket on Mayang.

"Eh, Bowo. Tumben didn't call, 'Yang' again?"

Bowo threw out a face. "It's just that there are two people calling that call."

Mayang is not a stupid girl. From the beginning, he knew that Wibowo liked him. Only, the girl did not have the same feeling. Hittah Bowo said he loves a million women.

"Sorry, Wo ...." There was a bad taste in his chest.

Mayang was about to reply, but suddenly Manta appeared and walked past the two of them.

"Come on." Manta went to his black duck bike.

Mayang pinned a farewell smile on Bowo. "I came home to Manta, Wo. Thanks for the offer. Can I pinch the jacket first? I'll go home tomorrow."

"Oh, okay." Bowo tried to smile even though his heart was crying. "Be careful on the road."

Mayang walks away and rides in the back seat of the Manta bike. After the girl ascended, Darmanta drove slowly through the piercing afternoon wind. While Mayang sat in the back while holding his own, the girl was still wearing Bowo's varsity jacket.

"Not to think about it" said Manta. "Bowo is a strong man. She's been heartbroken a thousand times, and the fact is she's still alive now. After all, there's no girl who's a match for him yet."

Manta rarely talks much. Mumpung the man has already opened his mouth, there is no harm in doing a little conversation on the way to deliver Mayang.

"So she said this morning that you took everything from her, Ta. What does that mean?" ask Mayang.

"Every girl he took off was always gone. Not a few also benefit Bowo to deketin me," replied Manta.

"You know from when? I think it's been a long time, huh?"

"We live in the same neighborhood. Although it's often noisy, but it's just outside. Even when I got to college in Jogja, he did not want to lose and chased me to get here. Many say Bowo is stupid, but he can."

Mayang smiled at Manta's story. "Boy friendship is interesting."

"So don't feel guilty about Bowo's heartbreak" Manta continued.

"Okay, I tried. Eh—but I'm curious, Ta. Of the many girls you get, isn't there anything you like?" ask her with a red face. He hopes at least if Manta doesn't like it, at least the guy doesn't like other girls.

"The majority of girls who like me are Bowo-killing perpetrators, and 90% of them are bad girls. Those who had Bowo decetin always said bad things about Bowo in the back. Of the many people who like me, there is nothing I like because they are not good people. All that hurts me is the enemy."

Mayang was silent with a gloomy face.

"Of course you're not one of those enemies. You're a good man."

"I'm not as good as you think, Ta," said Mayang gloomily, but still trying to smile. His expression this afternoon was exactly like the overcast sky above him.

"It is only good people who feel guilty because they have hurt the feelings of others. Rejecting the feelings of men is natural for girls, because each heart has different tastes about taste. So don't feel guilty, Bowo's just out of luck."

Mayang smiled. "Okay, thanks, Ta."

Manta did not reply with words. This time the handsome man simply smiled towards Mayang.

...****************...

The journey ended when Mayang arrived in his index. However, because the rain fell blindly, Manta pulled his bike over at the patrol post sebrang Mayang kos.

Of course the girl accompanied Manta because the man forgot to bring a raincoat. In the Mayang index, men are not allowed to enter into costs that are devoted to women. So they had to both take shelter in a patrol post that was bigger than the costal core.

While being silent to each other accompanied by rain instruments, the man's eyes twitched and suddenly looked up. He had just felt an unpleasant aura before him. More precisely next to the Mayang index which is a large two-story house.

"Whose house is it?" ask Manta.

"Oh, that's the new guy. I don't know too well because people rarely go out and interact with the surrounding residents. Why, Ta?"

Manta shone a sharp glance towards one of the windows on the second floor. A girl in red was looking at him from up there.

"That house was empty for long?" ask Manta.

"Yes, how do you know?" ask Mayang back. The girl squeaked in wonder.

"It's not good" replied Manta. "Is there any history you know about the house? Or the previous owner?"

"That's an empty house for a dozen years, Ta. During my almost three years here there was no strange incident really," said Mayang. "But ...."

Darmanta threw a gaze from the house towards Mayang. "But?"

"A lot of strange things happened even when this new person moved here and occupied the house" replied Mayang.

"Do you know who took this house?" ask Manta again.

"No idea, Ta, but the horrors of these people are the home of a puppeteer. He's got a lot of stage schedules, so it's rare at home. Do you know what that puppet is? Not intended to drop one of the archipelago culture anyway, but usually some puppet shows are thick connection is equally mystical."

"How many people live in this house?" ask Manta again.

"After I only have two," replied Maya. "The Mastermind is with his wife who is now seeing us from above." Maya pointed towards the woman in red. "All I've ever seen is the two of them."

Manta pulls Maya's hand down while looking at her with a cold look that makes Mayang feel a little uncomfortable.

"Why, Ta?"

"You indigo?" ask Manta.

Mahari forgets to tell Manta, Bowo, and Yasa, that Mayang also has eyes that are able to see something invisible.

"Kok you know?" ask Mayang who is currently confused. "You're a fortune teller, are you?"

"The woman on the second floor never existed" replied Manta. "Never point him again because some of the creatures are disturbing humans who can feel, what else see them. If there's anything, please call me. Wanna?"

"O-okay."

They glanced back at the second floor of the house, but now there was no one there. The figure had already disappeared from the sight of the two of them.