EVERNA Ring of Fire

RINGIDATU Part 2

The view of the trees, the flowers scattered and bathed in the bright sun behind the clouds is like a paradise for anyone who sees it, not least Nirya.

When the lentic hairy eyes of the orange-haired girl opened again, accidentally the sweetest smile on her pomegranate lips. Cool air hit his skin as white as milk but stained with blood and wounds, a fresh taste amazingly penetrated instantly, hindered by pain that suddenly came to greet.

Realizing that he was lying in the open air, Nirya tried to get up. But the girl sat back down, leaning against the tree. The rest of the burn he suffered was still very painful in his skin, proving that the girl had not moved the world.

“Hey, don't move yet!” The cry of a man made Nirya aghast.

The orange-haired girl turned to the source of the voice. It was obvious that a young man was walking towards her. Every movement from the body of this slender yet sturdy and muscular young man made Nirya's blood rustle, her heart pounding. Moreover, staring at the face of the man who was younger than his stature, as if it was the beautiful work of the Mahesa, the whole world and all the time Nirya seemed to stop at once.

Nirya stammered, “A-are you the one...”.

“Yes. I'm the one who prevented you from being roasted alive in that great burnt-out farmhouse,” said the young man. “My name is Sthira Tarunaga, and I am a traveling swordsman from Kalingga. I happen to be passing by, and I can't stay silent when I hear your screams from inside.”

“Ah, apparently Sang Mahesa still pity me,” said Nirya, her eyes began to glaze over. “Thank you, Sthira for saving my life. I, Nirya the daughter of Panigara really owe you.”

“Do not take into account the debt of gratitude, I only fulfill my duty as a swordsman,” said Sthira with a smile. “But, it looks like the one burning is your home, ‘kan?”

Nirya nodded while bowing listlessly.

“Do you know where to stay after this?”

Sthira's words this time seem awkward. It was inappropriate for a young man to ask directly about the personal affairs of the girl whose name he had just found out.

However, innocently Nirya shook her head instead. It is clear now that it is kara.

“How about you come with me on a journey, Nirya?” Sthira's offer was very sudden.

Nirya instantly frowned and looked at the brash man, the answer to that is for sure. “I'm not comfortable traveling far with a man I just knew his name.”

“Oh, sorry, Nirya. I don't know the social order in Swarnara was not as free as in Kalingga,” said Sthira as he put on a plain face and rubbed his nose with his index finger. “Look, I've already recovered some of your injuries with my man. So let's find a healer around here, and we'll talk about a secret.”

“And if I don't like the results of our conversation later?”

“Then you should try to convince me to keep that secret tight. Otherwise, I'll be forced to keep silencing you.” For a moment, Sthira's gaze looked and felt like a dagger that struck Nirya's heart, leaving the girl cornered. “Please choose, do you want to know this secret, stay here in the shadow of the calamity that befell you earlier, or wander in uncertain directions, facing all dangers alone.”

Nirya did not answer immediately. His mind is busy considering the various possibilities that can occur from each choice. Moreover, with the pain of a sudden recurrence of the wound, the choices of the girl are increasingly limited. This limp Nirya could have recovered with her own prana, but while doing so she would be very vulnerable to attacks by wild animals or even more savage humans.

So, Nirya's choice was one. “Not need healer. Just wait until I'm done recuperating, and I'll listen to your secret, Sthira.”

\==oOo==

Staring at his house which is now flat on the ground, various thoughts racing alternately in the mind of Nirya Panigara. Stepping over the scattered charcoal and ashes, the observant eyes of the girl stared around, as if looking for something on the ground.

Some time later, Nirya's eyes were fixed on the glint of sunlight reflected on an object. Immediately he rushed to near the sparkle. It turned out that the object was a kerambit blade that was apparently hit by the ruins of a collapsed roof ridge pole. Nirya tried to lift the pole with two hands, but only her eyes narrowed and her teeth clenched. The half-full pole was still too heavy for him.

“Mari, let me help.” Sthira immediately advanced, and without waiting for Nirya's approval began to lift the pole. The muscles of his arms seemed to expand, the sound of moaning signs of exertion blaring. Slowly but surely, the pole began to lift and shift to one side. “Come take, Nirya!” then shouted.

“Oh?! Oh!” Nirya who was apparently stunned to see “view beautiful man” in front of her was gasped for a moment, and swiftly took her double chain kerambit from the ground.  When he said “sudah”, Sthira then dropped the pole to the ground. Because it was already a bit fragile, the charcoal pole was broken when it hit the ground.

“Well, now I'm ready to listen to your story,” said Nirya as she and Sthira were sitting quietly in a corner, where the kitchen should be. “So, based on your words in the forest earlier, you crossed the sea from Kalingga and visited Ringidatu not just wander, yes ‘kan?”

“Ya.” Sthira glanced to the left, making sure no one around saw and heard them. Then he began his explanation, “Nah Nirya, do you know your country, Swarnara even the whole of Antapada has been more than ten years of war, and the Great War of Antapada is still ongoing?”

Nirya nodded, her eyes shining with vengeance as she recalled Badr and the traitors. “Yes, but maybe I belong to a handful of Ringidatu residents who realize it.”

“Tak wonder. Almost all the battles took place at sea, and the kingdom could easily cover it up from the people who live quietly in the interior.”

“So, what does this trip have to do with the Great War of Antapada?”

Sthira's face looked grim. “I am a former soldier. When I was a teenager, I was forcibly taken from my home, separated from my mother, a widow, but I was the one who had been taking care of her. I trained very hard in the army barracks. One of the squad leaders found power in the lightning element within me, so he trained me as his special disciple.”

Nirya listened almost without blinking.

“As a result, I became a young soldier who was feared by the opponent. I don't know how many enemy boats and ships I've sunk, just by relying on my man. My body was numerous, so I quickly rose to the rank of Officer. However, the more soldiers I lose their lives, the cries of conscience and common sense I'm getting louder and louder.”

“What's that voice say?”

“Intinya, it's free I carve services. The Great War of Antapada seems never to end. No country is strong enough to unite all of Antapada. Both Kalingga, Jayandra, Rainusa, Swarnara, Akhsar, Bethara and Dhuraga, are all equally strong and offset each other. If this situation continues, then Antapada will be very vulnerable to invading other countries such as Jerian, Moshaka, even large and strong countries such as Wushu, Taehon or Shima.”

Nirya. Unexpectedly, the teenage boy who was only two years older than himself had the same thoughts as an experienced strategist.

Sthira continued her story, “I was determined to support Kalingga as the unifier of Antapada. Shortly after being sworn in as admiral, I returned home to take my mother to live with me in the capital. But alas, the village and my house have been burned and plundered by a band of robbers, and my mother died at their hands.”

There was a sense of tightness in Nirya's chest, a sign she wouldn't like these next words.

Sure enough, Sthira spoke with fiery eyes, “Full rage, I raided the robber's den alone, everyone there I finished without a remnant. Shortly before the last breath, the robber leader blamed the prolonged war that forced them to turn from peasants to robbers. It was then that I realized, Kalingga was being gnawed from within and was extremely fragile, destruction threatening every moment.”

“Gazing at my burned-out former village, I got a new idea,” Sthira spoke with a smile. “What if other countries in Antapada were weakened in the same way, but far more terrible? As we know, in the Antapada Islands there are volcanoes located close to the center of the countries. Well, if the mountains erupted one by one at a time nearby, the countries whose centers are marked by disasters will certainly be very weak. In the end, the big countries will hold a ceasefire. The Great War of Antapada is over, and peace is created.”

Unknowingly, Nirya straightened her body, moving away from the young man. Benak girl smart but minimal experience was racing great, trying to digest and judge further Sthira's narration. Because if not, Nirya's conclusion must be Sthira must be stopped. And challenging people who – he said – has killed an army of robbers alone will certainly be very terrible, could-can Nirya will lose their lives like a candle in the wind.

Especially when Sthira conveyed his conclusion, “I've heard and read from scholars and libraries that each volcano in Antapada has a caretaker who each holds a seal of occult characters. When the occult characters are successfully captured and used to unseal, then the volcano will erupt unnaturally.”

“A-how many mountains do you want to make erupt, Sthira?” Nirya's voice was trembling.

“Six or seven, depending on the situation.” Sthira's tone seemed relaxed, as if the lives of so many humans were no higher than the lives of soldiers and war horses.

“Don't you realize how many lives will be sacrificed for this mission?” sergeant Nirya.

“Yes, I realized that. Sacrificing thousands to save millions of lives, that is the only way,”, said Sthira steady. “Well, since you already know my plan, it's my turn to ask. Will you help me on this mission, Nirya?”

Here comes. When the determination finally arrived.

Cold sweat dripped from the orange-haired girl's forehead. Nirya realized, her fate now depends on the decision she will make, choosing between following conscience or logic.

Whatever he chooses, his life will never be the same again.

Image Caption: Kerambit Dagger.