EVERNA Ring of Fire

SRIWEDARI Part 3

“Traitors! Turns out you conspired with Begarwana!” tukas Niryas.

“Listen to me first!” Arumi rebuked no less hard. “I once said, Begarwana is one of the few people who made it out alive from the Sriwedari Forest. If we kill him, no one else will be able to guide us out of this misleading forest!”

Begarwana. “Truely it. I don't have to repeat his words anymore.”

Sthira and Nirya were flabbergasted. Begarwana must have taken this into account when he decided to enter the Sriwedari Forest alone. They were furious when they saw the man standing relaxed and smiling confidently since then. However what power, their only life expectancy at the moment depended on this person.

Stylistically, Begarwana's tall-bloom body turned back to Sthira. “Follow me. Leave yourself to the soldiers outside the forest later.”

Sthira snorted angrily, he was forced to lower his machete and follow Begarwana, Niryapun walking beside him.

But even Arumi who exclaimed, “Wait, Begarwana! If indeed we will be arrested out there, is not it the same as we will face the death penalty?”

“It's definitely. But at least you still have a chance to show devotion and return your teacher's favor there, rather than you dying or getting killed in this remote forest, right?” Although he may have known that Arumi had exposed the teacher-student relationship between the two to Nirya and Sthira, Begarwana did not admit it openly.

“Stupid. I owe nothing more to a teacher who would not save his own student's life.” The drastic and sudden change in Arumi's attitude again made Nirya and Sthira tickle. Add another tickle to them as Arumi sighed and walked in the same direction as Begarwana.  “Come, friends. Let the Mahesa decide our next fate.”

Nirya, Sthira and Begarwana looked at each other. Begarwana shrugged as if saying, “Don't ask me. Although I have known Arumi for years, I myself sometimes overwhelmed with his attitude.”

Determined to get out of Sriwedari before dark, Begarwana walked with quick steps. The homesick faces and dishes did not dampen the steps of Nirya, Sthira and Arumi, although it felt like coming out of the tiger's mouth, into the mouth of a crocodile.

However, the expression of frustration that slowly etched on the face of the man with a bushy mustache did not escape Arumi's observation. Every time Arumi approached to ask, Begarwana instead kept his distance from the three “followers”. So Arumi can only assume, maybe the age factor that is no longer young, memory decline and the desire to restore prestige and honor in the eyes of Prabu Narendralah that makes Begarwana behave so.

For some time, Begarwana walked forward, retreated and turned around. It might be an unusual way of exploring in the forest, not even following the path. Unlike Arumi-Nirya-Sthira who just keep going forward.

Arumi had no choice but to follow Begarwana's chosen path. But he began to doubt the memory of his teacher.

Eventually, Begarwana's frustration broke out already. “A-odd... I've already pummeled the path out of this forest. But why has the road changed? It should not be here, there, and there anyway.!”.

Begarwana shakes haughtily. “No. I'm still an admiral because of my intelligence, strength and self. If I forget, it is impossible for me to commit suicide by entering this forest again.”

“Whatever it is, just do your thing.” Arumi cut things off by staring intently at Begarwana. “If we are really made to stray to starvation, I will make sure you are the first to die.”

Begarwana just snorted and continued walking in front. His hands were shaking violently. He wanted to swing the big mace hanging from his back, smashing the heads of these people. However, his intention was scrapped as his face turned bright.

Arumi approached with a long, unsheathed keris. Apparently Begarwana's attitude was not a trick. Soon, the trees before his eyes grew more and more tenuous.

Suddenly, the background behind the trees that were supposed to be open was instead tightly closed in rows of trees. Arumi gasps. “What is this trick?”

Begarwana. “Kurasa no. I know, it's the right path to get out of the grove.” Then he hops annoyed. “Do not let the trees are deliberately placed here to prevent us from getting out of the forest.”

“What, really? In that case, we have to cut down or burn all those barriers and break out,” said Sthira, the lightning energy that wrapped around his blade grabbing ferociously.

However Nirya moved forward, blocking Sthira. Said, “Wait, Sthira. Try to think, maybe once from the beginning there are trees that deliberately move silently, covering the road until we just circled in place. Now we're being led to this place. Surely some of the trees here are magical demons. Therefore, we should not destroy any of them, lest this forest get angry and surround us.”

“Lantas, what do you mean?” challenge Begarwana.

“Somehow about you guys, I will try to sneak between the trees all the way to the other side,” replied Nirya. The girl then darted and infiltrated between “ betis” fencing the trees to untrace Arumi's jelly eyes though.

Instead, there was a rustling sound of branches and leaves, no sound of Nirya at all. Arumi gasps. Was Nirya hit by those moving trees? After a faint rustling sound, Nirya's voice was never heard.

So, without a second thought Arumi sneaked in. The movement is no less agile than Nirya, plus a slender and flexible body, making Arumi able to pass through the obstacles of the trunk and the sweep of the branches of the magical trees without much difficulty.

Until finally both feet Arumi landed on the ground, behind the “fence betis” it.

However, when his gaze was fixed on the stretch of scenery in front of him, Arumi's eyes widened. This isn't a jungle exit to Wulantra.

Image Caption: Reference to Admiral - Senopati Begarwana from 3D image of Arya Wiraraja, Senopati Singasari (Source: IDHistory).