EVERNA Ring of Fire

MEGASWARI Part 1

Even when the sky lantern Sang Mahesa was about to retreat behind the horizon, was about to be replaced by the Night Queen of the Angkara service, the Angkara, the figure of the sacred mountain whose peak always reflected the smoke looked haunted full of authority in the distance of eye view.

Seeing that, accidentally Arumi muttered to herself, “I-it... Mount Megaswari.”

Nirya looked glued too. Benak the girl was also still trying to digest the reason they were all herded near the mountain, not out on the furthest side of the forest towards Wulantra. The barren land stretched as far as the eye could see. Smoke seemed to be billowing over the scattered rocks. The smell of sulfur is very concentrated piercing the nose, making his breath tight.

Shortly afterwards, Sthira and Begarwana also appeared to follow. They were stunned beside Nirya and Arumi. Begarwana even stuttered, “A-what the fuck? I'm sure this is the way out to Wulantra, why even to Mount Megaswari?”

Suddenly the voice of the mysterious woman hoarsely echoed, “I purposely led you all here, you know exactly the reason, Begarwana.”

“Don't I try to keep them away from the mountain? Don't fabricate! Pandulah us to the outer side of Sriwedari Forest!”

“No!” snaps the more delicate voice of the woman. “I'm the one in charge of this mountain, not you! Take them to the Watubara Altar on this mountain slope now!”

All listeners choked. Which creatures are able to survive in barren land full of sulfur and teak forests full of wild animals? Not to mention if you have to eat forest fruits that are either nutritious or toxic.

“Reply reply!” Turn the voice snapped. “If you do not answer or refuse, let my rukhan-rukhan bake you! Just so you know, they are more ‘beauty-api’ in this place than in the forest or anywhere!” The fire on the backs of the besiegers was blazing wildly, like never before, a fire that was shorter and waving like leaves in the wind of the field.

Even Arumi said, “Okay, we will go to Watubara Altar!”

Begarwana mendelik, do not want his “wenang” taken for granted by this snot girl. But the subtle-mysterious voice instantly echoed, “See, Begarwana. The young man is even more resolute than you. Anyway bring him and his friends here, let me decide their respective fates!”

“Huh, fine.” Half-heartedly, Begarwana walked in front of the group of four. Carefully, he observed the array of rocks piled up here and there, trying to choose the correct path to the altar.

On the contrary, a sense of familiarity as if at home felt like a fresh breeze in the recesses of Arumi's soul. The girl seemed to know very well every rock, every corner of the stone wall and the winding bends that she walked, as if she had lived in this area before. But still, the smell of sulfur made his breath sound and he grabbed his chest. These symptoms of shortness of breath are what might make Arumi not stay long in this uninhabitable place.

Thus, Arumi took a quick step and preceded Begarwana. He walked in front of the group as a guide in this very hot, hilly and rocky terrain. Occasionally it seems that some rukhan tail is on standby or engrossed in burning sulfur. But they remained in place, neither running nor attacking.

Nirya and Sthira put on a face of astonishment to see the behavior of the supernatural beings, let alone see Arumi. But they are reluctant to ask, fearing that Jayandra's concentration is disturbed. Only Begarwanalah who does not stop grumbling indistinctly.

The four men stumbled on, until finally a stone altar was clearly visible within Arumi's sight. The altar resembled a staircase, roughly as tall as Arumi when standing upright.

In the middle of the stone stage was a blood-red crystal statue, which constantly shimmered as if there was an eternal flame inside. The statue is a demon creature. His head and upper body resembled a woman who seemed mighty. Its lower body and two front legs resemble those of a tiger, the body and hind legs of a horse. The human-horse statue stood on two hind legs and two front legs raised, as if it was clawing.

The most interesting thing about the statue is a magical letter that lights up like a fire, and looks like a flame that is burning in a campfire. “Gosh, that must be the Fire Character Key of Megaswari Mountain!"

Arumi instantly recognized this sighting. “And the statue... It was the Immortal Guard of Fire, Kamaja!”

“That's great, you instantly recognized the thing in your memories. Though you just started to be able to walk when you left this place first.” The voice of the hoarse woman resounded.

All eyes were on the woman who was holding a wooden stick to walk. Walua was wearing a robe that covered his entire body to the ankles, there were oddities that he could not cover. Among them, the hand holding the wand looked wrinkled and skin-wrapped, while the other hand was white and smooth.

Begarwana rebuked while pointing his tone straight at the woman. “Do not fuck you! Let's get things done in this place, and I'm going home to Wulantra!”

“But your house is actually here ‘kan, Begar? Don't quibble,” the woman said with a smile behind a dirty hood that covered half her face. “And wow, you are so big and beautiful, Arumi! Similar to ourselves when we were young!”

Benak Arumi, Sthira and Nirya seemed to be stirring, seemed to want to explode.

“A-what-what-what-what-is-this?” Arumi was flabbergasted, this person was the source of the close familiar feeling that had possessed him since? “S-who are you? Why do you act like you know me so well?”

Therefore, the smooth side of the woman's face is what makes Arumi like struck by lightning. “K-you...your face.seems like me!”.

Although you can be fooled, your eyes cannot deceive you. “Of course it's similar, because we are Nyi Lara Sati, your biological mother,” said Lara, the young side of the woman's personality with her delicate voice.

The whole world around Arumi is spinning very fast. The girl's body was wobbly and about to fall down, but swiftly one foot was tracing the ground firmly, supporting her slender body so as not to fall.

Arumi shook her head strongly, raving like a mental disorder, “No. Impossible. My parents were farmers. They raised me, but both died when our house burned down. I had been a beggar for a long time and had been stuck in Wulantra. Until one day, I met Begarwana and he raised me as his disciple. Me...”

Lara cuts with a smooth voice, “Wah, pity. Looks like Arumi has forgotten all about us huh, Nyi Sati.”

Replaced Sati who looked at her side and displayed a wrinkled face, as if she was talking to Lara. “You're right. This is all because Arumi could not stand this environment when he was a baby. We asked Begarwana to take him away for treatment, but apparently he left Arumi to another family!”

“Ya, yes! Unpromising, not carrying out his responsibilities as Arumi's real father!” lara exclaimed with a witty.

Arumi was surprised not to be a bitch. “H-hah?! J-so Begarwana is... my real father!?” Nirya and Sthirapun stared furiously at the admiral Jayandra.

“That's right! Since then, Begar has never visited us again. News about our baby does not exist!” sati shouted, his voice getting hoarse like choking.

Change Lara's speech, “Over ten years we wait, and wait. Apparently the Angkara finally answered our prayers, bringing Arumi and the sinner, Begarwana here. Let Arumi, let your mother embrace you, pour out all long-buried affection.”

But Arumi remained unmoved. His eyes still shone sharply on the strange woman with multiple personalities. Nyi Lara Sati instantly reacted, “Lho, just shut up?”

“Prove first that you really are my real mother,” said Arumi in a very cold tone.

“Hahaha, this boy was nothing like us at his age. She was always careful,” Lara said.

Sati chimed, “Well, if we don't remember wrongly, Arumi has a black birthmark at the base of her left calf. Is that true, son?”

Arumi accidentally touched her left thigh. His facial expression turned bright for a moment, but the next moment came back cold.

Lara belittles. “What's up? I know, I don't remember. Won't you hug the man who gave birth to you? Dropping a speck of happiness on a heart that has long dried-up in this loneliness? What else should I prove to you, son?”

“No more,” replied Arumi. “Only, I have just betrayed a person closer to me than I thought I had been all along.”

“Who is he?” ask Sati.

“Who else if not DIA!” Arumi pointed straight with her keris towards... Begarwana. “The person who should have been my own real father!”

Begarwana subconsciously stepped back a step, his mouth agape wanting to refute.

“What has he done to you, son!?” ask Lara.

Briefly but densely, Arumi unfolds the events on Mount Ratauka, especially about the cowardly actions of Begarwana who fled without saving Arumi. She knows that Arumi is her own daughter.

The new fact made Arumi aware of one very vital thing. “Oh, I just got it now. Perhaps, because I am his bastard son, Begarwana wants to eliminate me, this disgrace and thorn in his flesh! He already has his own family in Wulantra, and all this time I thought he was just my teacher!”

Begarwana quibbles, “You misunderstood, Arumi! I have educated you hard, waiting for the right time to confess that I am a...”

Image Caption: Arumi Dyahrani's Chara Reference from Pinterest