EVERNA Ring of Fire

YAMKORA Part 3

The further Nirya and her group ran, the more the Dhuraga soldiers did not recede. Understandably, while both are quite experienced in exploring the forest, the pursuers are more familiar with the terrain in which they live than the four "tricksters.

However, still holding fast to the last message of the local guide, Wufabwe, almost never once the Ring of Fire stopped or turned to attack the pursuers. Only one soldier fared ill, he ran too close to his hollow stomach was struck by a Dhaka spear.

So, the Nirya group is now like four fish that swim escape from the hooks baited in the water, while the fishermen are constantly swinging their fishing rods.

Nirya was not a war strategist, but she realized the enemy's movements were very strange. Sometimes the soldiers approached, but after throwing the javelins they instead deliberately ran slower, increasing the distance with the "hunters".

Tactics of tug-of-war movement apparently many primitive hunters do when targeting animals fast, strong, very savage and very dangerous such as tigers or equivalent animals. But Sthira, Nirya, Arumi are humans, and Dhaka is a half-human, half-animal demon who has the mind like a whole human.

So, learning from the unfortunate comrades, especially after losing the powerful squad leader, Hongke Jombe, the pursuers became much more cautious than usual.

Suddenly Sthira who had been a hunter exclaimed, "Awas, be careful! The pursuers are leading us somewhere!"

"As long as the direction is still to Yamkora, no problem," Dhaka replied in a calmer tone, as if the old man-commodo was guiding his fellow believers so as not to be rash and not to panic in any situation.

"Oh yeah, that's right." On the other hand, Sthira also shows his quality as an open leader and willing to face the chest if he is wrong. "It just so happens that our destination is the same as their slope."

But the innocent nature of Nirya remains recurrent. "But, doesn't that mean we're being clearly herded into a trap?"

"of course. Provided that in the trap there are Yori and Aswa, we become like once clutching oars, two-three islands exceeded," replied Arumi, quoting one of Jayandra's proverbs.

Nirya was shivering. His feeling said, speaking is much easier than reality. He did try to be more calm to face challenges like his colleagues.

Maybe the challenge this time is no more dangerous than in Dabongsang.

Perhaps the enemy they will face will not be stronger than Barong, the strongest living supernatural entity in Antapada.

So, once again Nirya was reminded that the biggest challenge this time was not from the enemy or the environment, but something foreign, which they did not understand at all in the terrain they would explore.

When he returned to focusing on Yamkora, Nirya realized that she had stepped into an open area. Apparently since then the escapees through the path uphill. Now they arrived near the top of a vast hill on the plateau.

Again Nirya shivered, but this time the cold was not a mere premonition. Although the air in this place is still warm according to its location in the middle of the tropical climate, strangely the wind in this plateau feels piercing and freezing bones. The winds in the highlands of Swarnara and other areas that Niryapun had visited were never as cold here.

Worse yet, Dhaka apparently also can not stand the cold and shivering violently. The warm-blooded Komodo dragon spoke as he hissed, "Jeez, cold...! Is this a natural wind?"

"Unfortunately yes," said Arumi. "In the Book of Manikrama there is written about the cold wind in the highlands near the Sorendo'reri Mountains, but there is no further information about the cause."

"Maybe it has something to do with the white peak of Mount Yamkora" Nirya said. Those words left his comrades dumbfounded, as if only realizing an important link, to be strung together into a picture of the intact Mount Yamkora, as clearly as possible.

Suddenly Nirya saw two figures, one man and one woman standing firmly at the top of the flat hill. Recognizing the woman, the girl subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief. At least Nirya's group did not need to climb up to the white peak, realizing his worst premonition. However, a very strong death threat is now pressing on him and other friends, making the momentary relief turned into a feeling of tightness in the chest.

The problem was, the pressure was other than coming from the woman at the top of the hill also emanated from the man beside her. The man is big. Although not as fierce as Dabongsang Hurek, the cold energy radiating from his body hit like a storm, fierce and full of real challenges.

Thick-lipped, dark-skinned, long-haired choppy, the man wore a kind of crown adorned with colorful bird feathers. That's the feathers of the cayari, because the shape is wider than the tail feathers of birds of paradise. All over the man's body and face appeared to be smeared with a kind of white, red, yellow and green chalk paint, with patterns of dots and lines that were quite complicated and slick. All the knick-knacks of that appearance were a sign that it was the great leader's war tattoo.

The man's voice seemed to be blaring like thunder, "Are these the troublemakers you're talking about, Aswa? The four of them, what do you need to fear from them?"

The woman crowned with furs, Aswa Rakwar uttered a subtle protest, "Look carefully Yori Mbeko, my dear. Commander Hongke Jombe does not appear to report now. He knew that kind of negligence was a death sentence, so Jombe must have been killed."

"really?" Aswa was surprised not artificial. "One of the little girls was able to kill Commander Dhuraga, let alone the man and the lizard-man!"

But the mighty Yori Mbeko laughed out loud. "You're overreacting, Aswa! Hongke Jombe is just a fool who only relies on physical alone, not diligently practicing internal energy, unlike us! Just look, those four losers will definitely be like eggs in a hitchhiker and pounded with stone pestle!"

It only took a moment for Aswa to understand, her grim face brightened instantly. "Yes too!" Then he pointed straight towards Nirya's group. "Your fate ends here, hey four troublemakers! Don't expect you to return to your respective lands bringing knowledge of the power of Dhuraga! Like I said, a united Dhuraga doesn't need allies! O nations of Antapada, be prepared to welcome Yori Mbeko, your new ruler!"

Without bearing any weapons, Sang Yamano, the King of Dhuraga King, just spread the freezing cold prana. But it is enough to provide direct pressure that can tear down the fighting spirit of his opponents.

With authority also Sthira lays out combat tactics to his colleagues. "Dhaka, than and drive out the besieging soldiers. We don't want them to interfere and waste their lives in vain! Nirya and Arumi, you fight Aswa. I'm going to have a fist fight with Yori!"

Re-pointing Mandau Gharma, without waiting for the opinion of his colleagues, with two clenched hands Sthira fled towards Yori Mbeko.

Nirya reached out wanting to prevent, but in vain. He wants to help Sthira alone, but Aswa who is armed with a rattan spear may be very difficult when faced by Arumi alone.

While the power of Dhaka was indeed equivalent to one army. After finishing dispelling the soldiers, Dhaka can help Sthira, Nirya or Arumi.

So when Aswa stabbed her spear into Arumi, Nirya ran towards the hard-booted woman. Entering the distance of the attack of his weapon, Nirya swept her chain twin kerambit. Instantly, the twisted tip of the kerambit blade threatened, about to immerse themselves and hook Aswa's body and skin torn.

"Eit, don't expect!" Aswa is curled to one side, the kerambit blades are hooked to the cold wind.

"Well, I got hit by two opponents at once? Doesn't matter! Let you feel the fast and flexible fighting technique!"

As if to prove his words, Aswa's body moved extremely acrobatically. Occasionally he held up while bending his body back, avoiding Arumi's long horizontal keris sweep. Then, resting on one hand he struck his flexible spear at Nirya's feet.

Not wanting his mainstay leg injured and losing agile, Nirya was forced to jump. Strangely, however, Aswa thumped the spear on the ground and the relief power reflected the spear upwards, its tip threatening Nirya's body as if it were a dead step in the air.

Yet Nirya's long wits use the knowledge from her previous combat journey. He turned out to be ready, his body spinning rapidly in the air, swinging his chain towards the opponent with the wind prana power of the Wind Splitting Clouds.

In that second Aswa Rakwar was in action. He decided to fend off the opponent's kerambit with energy in the cold that sharpens and strengthens the spear. Kerambit iron bar hit the rattan spear rod. For a moment the laws of nature seemed to be in effect, that is, iron broke rattan. But what happens is even the flexibility of the rattan is back to thicken the kerambit.

Although unharmed, when Nirya ended the first buzz by landing smoothly on the ground, she stood with a face full of question marks.

Arumi was even more astonished. "God, Aswa is more pliable than snakes and more agile than apes! Weapons too... Is not rattan more fragile than wood?"

"Well, curious huh? Let me satisfy that curiosity before you go to the afterlife" Aswa said. "This is no ordinary rattan spear. These rattan are woven very tightly, then soaked in special oils and herbs for many years. The result of that wait is a special rattan that is harder than iron or rare metals, but also more pliable than before."

Aswa Rakwar asserted that fact by deliberately bending his spear. Instead, until the spear was curved until it almost formed a perfectly round bracelet, there was no sign or sound that showed the rattan would crack, let alone break.

Seeing that, Nirya shuddered, a mixture of amazement and horror.

"Enough explanation and demonstration. Turn Spear Bungo'awe talk!"  Aswa smashed the spear towards the closest and not too agile opponent, Arumi.

Unable to dodge, Arumi was forced to fend off with his big dagger. In turn, the force of the spear and the cold prana made the power of Aswa, the mighty woman increased three times that of her usual attack. The rattan handle not only hit and pressed the blade of keris, but also swerved until the blade seemed to hit Arumi's chest.

Fortunately, Arumi's defense is more than doubled with magic armor and prana fire protective body. As a result, Arumi was only pushed back while embracing the chest in his armour.

Knowing that his attack bore fruit in the slightest, Aswa only smiled at a glance. But Nirya had already stolen the attack with a quick death move from the course of the Storm Shadow and swung a pair of kerambit, as if not giving his opponent a chance to catch his breath.

The reference image for Mount Yamkora is Puncak Jaya Wijaya, Papua. Source: It's time.