EVERNA Ring of Fire

TUBAR'E Part 2

Armed with sharp eyesight, assisted also with crescent moon light that washed the atmosphere all dark around, and, Dhaka the Komodorai not too difficult to find the main gate of the headquarters of the Dabongsang Gang in the cave at the foot of Mount Tubar’e.

Staring at the place they were going to infiltrate, Sthira whispered also to his new friend, “You are amazing, Dhaka. Now, how do we get past the guards?”

“Utilizing the position of champion Dhaka,” replied the commodore while releasing a piece of mine he held. “Sthira follow and trust Dhaka only, yes?”

Sthira is actually never comfortable and always has a ball tied. But somehow, maybe hypnotized Dhaka, this time he just shut up.

A while later Sthira staggered to the front of the cave gate. While Dhaka walked behind him while poking around with a blunt tip on his spear.

“Hold! Oh, sorry, Mr. Dhaka.” One of the guards bowed, followed by his partner.

“Dhaka take the prisoner, who made a troublemaker and paralysed Paju Gulak earlier this afternoon,” Dhaka said while gripping Sthira's shoulder.

“Ah, so it seems. Please, sir!”

Next, Dhaka and Sthira pass through several more guards in the complex cave passageways like this labyrinth. Indeed, this reminded Sthira of the cave on Mount Idharma. The difference is, there are no traps visible along the way. There are also no carved relief walls and moving walls, there are only cave walls that bar the stones, complete with stalactites and stalagmites that are scattered only.

Sthira and Dhaka then pass through one room in the cave, where there is water flowing like a miniature waterfall channel. The water flowed through narrow sewers along the cave chamber, and down through its uneven surfaces.

Suddenly, a slim and tall man approached Dhaka and Sthira. The man's voice was somewhat muffled behind the green cloth mask that covered his nose and mouth. “Hold! Dhaka, who are you carrying?”

“This is a very strong man, a troublemaker,” Dhaka replied as necessary.

The green-clothed, brown-patterned man covering his entire body frowned instead. “Only that? Fellow champions like you should know, the Dabongsang Gang only holds captives who are ‘worth’ only. We sentenced the traitor to death, and the others were instantly killed on the spot!”

“Dhaka know. But this Sthira warrior is amazingly great. He lost to Dhaka only because of fatigue, after the fall of Paju Gulak and a hundred others who rattled him. Let him face Zakuay. If Zakuay likes it, Zakuay might lift Sthira to champion.”

“Oh so?” The mask is slipping. Then he mumbled, as if he were talking to himself. “Sthira beats Paju Gulak, meaning he is stronger than Paju, the fifth-ranked champion. Sthira toppled a hundred bullies and troubled Dhaka, the third-ranked. That means he's also stronger than me, Gega Napalam, the fourth-ranked champion. So, if Sthira is made champion, it will be fourth place. And I'm going down to rank five, or even a caretaker. Me, the most skilled spy and dark murderer in Dabongsang!”

Hearing this, Dhaka immediately stood on standby, ready with his spear. “So, what are you going to do, Gega?”

“Not it clear, Dhaka?” Gega's eyes lit wildly like a mad dog. “Those captives I must kill!”

Sthira had already taken a swing to break away from the tight-looking mine ties but it was loose in this body. However, a tug of war and a tacit hand signal from Dhaka seemed to ask that Sthira not act first. Let Dhaka himself handle Gega, the mentally ill bald champion. Capturing Dhaka's intent, Sthira remained standing in place, doing nothing.

“Hoi, hoi, hoi. You want to protect your captives, huh, Dhaka? Oh, I know! You two must have conspired to hinder my career, ‘kan?”

Gega's words actually made no sense when thought through deeply. However, for Dabongsang members including Dhaka, this unhealthy and deadly political rivalry is natural and should be taken seriously. This is because what applies in Dabongsang is the law of the jungle, namely the right of survival is reserved for the strong and worthy of it.

All these thoughts are summed up through the words of Dhaka. “No, Gega. Dhaka's not in love with this Sthira guy. But if Gega insists, the only cure for Gega's attitude is a hard blow to the head.”

The sounds of fighting the two champions made the other Dabongsang men appear in the large room of the cave. But they did not immediately act because they were confused about who to side with, Dhaka or Gega. They act as spectators only.

“Heh, after all that should be the third rank is not you, Dhaka, but me!” Without further warning, Gega “si crazy” moves very fast, his body seems to disappear from sight.

Sthira gasped, this enemy's movement was on par, even faster than Nirya's movement. Though the girl mastered the Science of Bayunara Wind which relies on speed rather than strength. Sthira gasped even more as Gega's deadly claws shot out of nowhere. Before his body was torn to shreds, it turned out that Dhaka was very agile to install the body. The claws were only bumping, unable to penetrate the body of Dhaka which was filled with Rock Cadas Scales.

Gega moved backwards while grumbling. “What I said! The only reason someone was protecting his captive was that he was conspiring with the captive and a rotten plan! Gega's not crazy! Everyone, arrest that traitor Dhaka!”

“Wait!” shout Dhaka. “Dhaka is proposing a new candidate, what's wrong with that? The one who stops Dhaka from making merit, Dhaka opponent! Dhaka's only business with this Gega! So don't interfere, if you still love life!”

The guards then sat with each other, then did not move to help anyone. Obviously they prefer to let the two champions settle disputes between individuals first.

"Dhaka Commodore! You have deliberately refused to kill the prisoner, instead protecting him! That means you're conspiring with your captives. The punishment is death!" Without waiting for Dhaka's answer or defense, Gega again "withered away".

Instead of protesting, Dhaka chose to raise his spear to the chest, ready to fend off his opponent's lightning strike.

Faster, more powerful claw strikes than ever came again threatening Dhaka. As fast as Dhaka fended off with his spear, he again mounted his body. Persistent punctures and scratches finally penetrated the scales of Dhaka which were hardened with energy in the soil elements. The wounds started bleeding everywhere. Dhaka yelled bitterly, his voice more like the roar of an animal.

"Well, enough of his 'lesson. Representing His Majesty Dabongsang, I'm putting you on death row!" Gega then approached and circled around, while thrusting and knocking his claws.

Gega's mainstay, Laskar Bee Gasing scattered, confining and further narrowing Dhaka's wiggle room. The Komodo man is now as tightly bound to a mine with thorns along the dagger. If not repelled or avoided, Dhaka's multi-layered defenses will collapse completely, and Dhaka is like a turtle without a shell.

However, in the midst of the attack, the eyes of the lizard Dhaka suddenly turned excited. "Because of you!" yells.

Proving his words, Dhaka ducked very low, his whole body almost touching the ground. Simultaneously, he spun very fast while sweeping his long tail full circle. The tail hit the foot of Gega who was still circling aggressively without defense. Gega lost his balance and slammed into the air.

Not wasting the gold, Dhaka concentrated all of his profound energy on one point, the tip of his spear. He thrust out the spear, mercilessly piercing Gega's body in the air.

Spewing black blood, Gega's eyes widened. His voice stammered, "I-I can't believe it...! Impossible this lizard demon...!"

Dhaka interrupts, "Komodorai. Gega is clearly superior to Dhaka in terms of speed and agility, but not in many other ways. That is why Mr. Dabongsang gave the position of Jawara Tiga to Dhaka, and Gega Jawara Empat. Now, due to Gega's stupidity, Jawara Empat position is vacant, and Sthira became the strongest candidate to hold the position. Since Dhaka introduced Sthira to the leadership, Dhaka's position will be safe."

"Oh, so so..." At the end of his life, consciousness greeted Gega Napalam. Although it was too late to correct the situation, there were still at least a few seconds before the breakup to regret all his sins and perhaps, still a speck of opportunity to rest in peace in Nirvana.

Seeing Gega finally bowed and closed his eyes forever, Sthira became inexhaustible. The smiley grooves in the mouth hidden behind the champion's mask may mean one thing. After all the sins he committed, could it still be that the cruel man Gega was accepted in Nirvana?

One thing is for sure, there has been another formidable obstacle on the road to the liberation of Wiranata.

So far, Sthira knows that the fifth champion is brutal, the fourth champion is hypocritical but able to insyaf at the end of his life, and the third champion supports Sthira.

Does this mean the top two winners are the slickest, strongest and most rancid?

Illustration of "Beto'dila" by Andry Chang