EVERNA Ring of Fire

WULANTRA Part 2

For some people, entering the capital of a country by riding a horse carriage can be an honor in itself. However, the story becomes different like heaven and earth when the person is shackled and tightly controlled.

That's what Nirya is going through now. Caged in an iron-tested cage car, sitting down and curled up, face to face with Sthira.

Every now and then, Nirya rebuked and looked around. Wulantra is a larger city than Ringidatu. However, the arrangement and rows of buildings appear to be crammed, averaging one-story. Many buildings are wallless or the material is all wood. As if out of the ten houses in Wulantra, only three were stone-walled. Worse, compared to the golden-roofed houses in Ringidatu, the houses in Wulantra look like commoners.

As if to emphasize this seedy impression, the clothes worn by the residents were very simple. The men are on average wearing a breastplate vest or even bare chest. While the women's clothes were impressed only a piece of cloth that covered the chest and stomach, combined with a dull plain sarong.

Flies fly near muddy sewers, accompanying the inhabitants with lethargic faces.

The city of Damarwangi was even more magnificent than this.

It is possible that Nirya and Sthira were deliberately herded through the slum district of the city so as not to attract too much attention and cause unrest. It's more of a kind of imagery, as if they're both just petty-class criminals, living trash nobody will care about.

And this is exactly what happened. Not a single eye looked at the prisoners on the train. If Nirya and Sthira were to pass through this area in a bad car, those dirty, lethargic and hungry faces would surely swarm them, offering merchandise or asking for alms.

Thus, humiliation or not, important Nirya and Sthira now cross Wulantra, Jayandra's capital without significant incident. No tomatoes or rotten eggs were thrown at them, let alone pebbles that were scattered very much on the streets.

There were only a handful of small children who casually approached Nirya. Representing his friends, a boy asked, “Wah, a very beautiful sister. But why is sister locked up?”

“Because we are not Jayandra's people,” replied Nirya accordingly.

“Wah, mas’ can? Yes already. If the brothers will be sentenced to death, can the belongings of the brother for us?”

Nirya did not answer because of a jerk. He just shook his head slowly, not believing children as small as this educated to have such thoughts. On the other hand, the children thought Nirya's trousers were the answer to “not”. So they just stay away with the snob, saying vows like “pelit, suk” and a series of other indecent insults.

Only one thought came to Nirya's mind at that moment. If you were me, Arumi. If you care more about the state of this country than your own honor.

\==oOo==

Arumi's entourage finally arrived in front of the grandest buildings in Wulantra City, as well as all of Jayandra.

This is the Griyanagari Palace, the palace and the seat of government of the Jayandra Kingdom. This single-storey building complex stretches wider than the rice fields right in the city center. The boundary of this complex is a stone wall filled with sculptures or relief images that are detailed and beautiful, illustrating the history of the founding of the Jayandra Kingdom.

The stone-walled buildings in it lined up to form a very neat formation. When viewed right upright-straight from above, the layout pattern of the buildings looks like a four-leaf clover.

The center of “formation clover” was marked by a wallless hall and very wide, with a high roof towering like a pyramid. It was in the hall that the prabu reigned, presided over the daily congregation and enjoyed entertainment at his dinner break.

As the sun is now slowly descending into its contest, Jayandra State leader Prabu Narendra is preparing to leave the throne hall. However, the intention of the eighteen-year-old prabu and berparas elok full of charisma is urgently. Because just then, a palace attendant approached and knelt at a distance of roughly ten steps from the throne.

“Ampun, Gusti Prabu!” exclaim the soldier with a voice that is not too loud. “Senopati Arumi Dyahrani just returned from the field of action and begged to be allowed to face Paduka!”

Prabu Narendra gasped, his face turning very bright. “Jeez, Arumi!? Did you hear that, Admiral Begarwana? Arumi apparently survived the disaster in the Pariung Strait and returned to the capital! He didn't really fall like you said!”

Admiral Begarwana who was sitting cross-legged on one side of the hall quickly put both palms over his head. “Hamba dare not lie, Gusti Prabu! Impossible Arumi can escape the rampage of Mount Ratauka..!”.

The prabu interrupts, “Senopathy Arumi kuizinkan facing!”

The order was executed. Moments later, Arumi enters with Sthira and Nirya who are tightly shackled.

“Kneel!” A guard soldier poked Sthira's calf with the blunt base of the spear. Sthira groaned in pain, but remained on her knees. There's no harm in obeying orders, for now.

Without coercion, Nirya knelt down while looking down as low as possible, but not too low so as not to fall down.

The prabu spoke again, “Senopati Arumi, this is really a blessing from the Mahesa until you return home safely. And I see you're taking prisoners, too. Explain, what's wrong?”

Arumi was frustrated and sure that he would die. But Nirya and Sthira revived her consciousness and spared the Jayandra girl from the wrath of the dragon-man. It turned out that there was one ship from Jayandra's Fleet that was determined to return to Ratauka. As a result, Arumi's life was saved.

However, upon arrival at Jayandra, thinking Arumi was indebted to them, Sthira and Nirya unveiled their plan to bring about a series of disasters in Antapada, restoring peace in a very extreme way.

“For this reason, I pretend to be familiar so that they trust me. Then the servant trapped the two after thoroughly peeling off their plan. Gusti Prabu, please accept these prisoners as a sign of service and loyalty to the land of Jayandra who never fade.” Arumi finished her report.

The prabu was stunned for a moment, trying not to be impressed in a hurry to make a decision. Although it is a public secret that he privileged Arumi, and according to rumors Narendra will appoint Arumi as empress soon.

Precisely “pending” is used by Admiral Begarwana by interrupting, “Amun thousands of mercy, Gusti Prabu! I need to remind you, Your Majesty. On returning to the capital, I have reported that Arumi deliberately fought the two spies to conspire with them!”

“That's not true!” arumi. “I want to kill them both!”

“Close your mouth, don't be insolent in front of your Majesty!” hardik Begarwana's. “Be careful, Gusti Prabu! Arumi deliberately drags them before your Majesty in order for them to kill your Majesty at the first opportunity! Servants please arrest and punish the three of them now!”

“What!? No, admiral! I followed Jayandra's laws by dragging them to trial, not vigilante! Anyway.”.

“What's first?” sergeant Begarwana, twisting his thick whiskers across. “Just whoever I know has killed many people by triggering a natural disaster must be put to death on the spot! Otherwise, not only me, everyone would have accused the three of you of conspiring! Please judge Gusti Prabu!”

Narendra's face was pale in the face of this dilemma. Justice and law must be enforced, but he does not want to lose his “kesayangan”. Forced the prabu to turn the other way and exclaim, “Please his advice, Patih Uncle Mpu Galahasin!”

What Narendra meant was a long white-bearded old man sitting cross-legged in a row opposite Begarwana. Although wearing only a white cloth neatly wrapped his body, the man's eyes seemed to highlight sharp, full of wisdom and rich in life experiences.

Mru Galahasin, the old man put his hands together in front of his chest while advancing and facing the Prabu. Said, “Ampun, Gusti Prabu. According to the servant, suppose the servant becomes Arumi, the servant must do the same with his actions.”

“What do you mean, patih!? Don't convolve!” hardik Begarwana's.

Unlike Arumi, Galahasin's tone remained smooth and did not rise. “Try to consider first cooking. If Arumi really conspired with the enemy, he would definitely avoid Wulantra City and would not need to trap and capture them.”

“But they could've come here to kill Sang prabu, right?”

Galahasin. “Try to remember again the purpose of their mission, admiral. They want to weaken all the powerful countries in Antapada, not just Jayandra and Swarnara. If you were Sthira and Nirya, you wouldn't risk being surrounded by an entire army of prabu guards plus magicians and sorcerers like you and me.”

“Omong empty! They must have chosen the chance to kill Sang prabu instead of making the mountain erupt and become a mass murderer!”

“Although it is true that Nirya-Sthira is determined, does Arumi then have to follow them? It took a tremendous struggle to escape the cataclysm and get back here safely, getting the chance to restore Arumi's status and honor as Senopati Jayandra. It is impossible for Arumi to let go of everything for the sake of these people who are almost certain to die, no matter what they are.” Galahasin deliberately did not add about Narendra's preferential treatment of Arumi all this time, because he knew it would only aggravate Admiral Begarwana's malice.

The explanation is enough. No response from Begarwana. His tongue was like a mute, only to lose the sparkle of an almighty.

Prabu Narendra made use of this gelagat by saying, “By this Nirya, Sthira and Arumi are held in the palace prison. I will discuss the case further with Patih Galahasin, and I will give the final decision tomorrow morning.”

Begarwana exclaims, “But Your Majesty, justice must be served! Arumi was clearly a traitor, she should be put to death right now together.”.

“Please, Begarwana!” Narendra's voice boomed, emitting an unfathomable amount of authority from his gentle-looking appearance. “Sabda prabu is the absolute supreme law! Once again you interrupt, let alone refute my decision, I make sure you and all your relatives lose their heads! Soldier, execute the order!”

Begarwana recoiled backwards and returned to sitting neatly in his place, trying to cover up his arrogance, shame and surprise by putting on a frightened facial expression.

Without waiting for the soldiers to lead the three captives out of the hall, Prabu Narendra suddenly turned and walked away from the throne, immediately surrounded by a little four of his personal guards.

While walking, Narendra glanced a flash from the corner of his eye towards Arumi's eyes, sparing everyone's gaze in the room. At first glance, Arumi's eyes only glared sharply, full of hatred towards Begarwana, not returning Narendra's gaze at all.

So, Narendra looked straight ahead. Just then, a new resolve had formed within the deepest recesses of his soul.

Image Caption: Trowulan Site, a reference to the capital of Jayandra Kingdom, Wulantra.