EVERNA Ring of Fire

NURBAITI Part 3

At midnight, under the half-moon of Nirya and Sthira were seen settling in the port of Nurbaiti City. Seen on the dock, not far from the second position “ intruders”, ships and boats big-small lined almost regularly, lined as far as the eye could see. This view is very reasonable, because Swarnara is indeed a maritime country that most often conducts trade with countries outside the Antapada Peninsula, also the largest and best producer of fishery products in the region.

However, what is not natural is that when looking closer and clearer through the dimness of the night, there are many boats and ships that are damaged and half sunk. It is almost certainly the result of small battles aimed at weakening other countries. And since this ongoing war could suddenly be “panas” or “cold” without any meaningful breakthrough towards peace, citizens tend to let the broken boats just like that. Why fix it if sooner or later it will be damaged again?

The second arrival of “catastrophemaker” to this place is precisely in order to end the pattern of behavior that weakens the lives of many people.

“The situation in Kalingga is more or less the same as this,” whispered Sthira. “So let's ‘piljorrow’ first one boat, rather than not used at all. After all, they can make a new one after our mission goals are achieved later.” These words seem like utilizing the existing situation to find a justification. But for now, the truth of the words of this Kalingga swordsman is undeniable.

Approaching the edge of the pier, suddenly many armed men sprang up from their hiding places, blocking Nirya-Sthira. The girl was surprised, but the young man Kalingga stood tall and calm.

“Already expected, you must have followed us here and called the other warriors,” said Sthira as he mounted the horses with his cleaver. “We just have to wait until you guys just show up.”

The thin beard rebukes, “Hah, his snob, gradually mastering a large prana. But I'm sure, no matter what you are, there's no way you can keep living against us all!”

Nirya shuddered in horror. The number of bullies that were about close to a hundred people was many times more than the traitorous disciples of Bayunara. Although with the help of this powerful Sthira, not necessarily they can win. These people are warriors, not bats.

“Oh yes? I told you, we're not spies! But if you insist on killing us, we must defend ourselves! Forward all of you, losers don't love lives!”

Like the commander of the army, the man in red-yellow hat called for an order, “Attack the spies! Danyang until their bodies no longer shaped!” Swarnara warriors greeted with fierce cries, storming Sthira and Nirya from various directions.

There was no choice, Nirya had to swing her chain twin kerambit. With beautiful acrobatic salto-salto, he slashed the neck of the first attacker, then gouged out the eyes of one more attacker.

There was a sense of tightness in the chest of the Swarnara girl because it took away the lives of her demon-water people just because of a mere misunderstanding. However, from the eyes of the bullies, Nirya caught the impression they knew the sthira-Nirya was not just a spy activity or troublemaking. The proof, the death attacks of Swarnara warriors incised injuries in various parts of the body of the second “batas”.

The red-yellow hat rencong attack managed to slash Nirya's arm to bleed. The girl receded, but an axe was ready to welcome her waist. Reflexes, Nirya focused the wind prana on both her legs, turning and stepping very gently avoiding the axe.

The Breeze Step Movement from the Bayunara flow makes Nirya seem to disappear from view, then reappear behind the axe swordsman's back. Before the opponent knew it, both Nirya's kerambit had first lodged in the man's back, penetrating up to the heart and lungs.

“Give your life, traitor!” The second fighter was leaning towards Nirya. The girl then plucked her shell from the corpse of the opponent, high-caltoed, swinging chains and the tip of the blade broke the temple of the buttress.

Surprised wave after wave of seemingly endless gouging, plus the unbearable pain from the latest scratches on her body, Nirya finally shouted, “They are too much and spread out! Let's just run!”

But there was no answer from Sthira, but the colleague was only a few steps away from Nirya. The orange-haired girl turned to her left-right to find out if her partner was alive or dead. And that momentary negligence paid Nirya with a single crushing blow of the opponent's mace.

“Hehee, got you, sweet girl!” The ugly face of the supporting man changed drastically, from a wide smile full of lust to agape. He tried to shake his hammer, but the weapon was apparently bound by a kerambit chain.

“Death.” mercilessly Nirya thrust both ends of the kerambit blade into the left-right temple of the man. He then released his chain, then approached towards Sthira.

From close, it only appeared the young man Kalingga swinging his machete with all his might, if not blindly. Blood poured out from the wounds on his body, and the attacks of the opponent's weapons came in many rows as if endless.

In other words, Sthira was fighting like a fidelity.

However, Nirya who did not know about this condition instead continued to approach. His scapegoat slid and stuck in the chest of an assailant who almost beheaded Sthira who did not have time to avoid.

In a position that is quite close, Sthira instead slashed his machete flat, while turning towards Nirya. It was fortunate that the girl reacted quickly by stretching out her chains, fending off the blade of the machete. However he was bounced off by the power of Sthira's slash.

However, the encirclement of the warriors forces Nirya to remain far from Sthira, and they fight alone against the enemies who are prana users. The two “swords of peace” fighters are like two torches against small candles that fuse into a bonfire of agitation.

The natural consequences are predictable. The huge flame swallowed the small flame and scorched its user. Sthira's attack was no longer violent, he was more overwhelmed to stem the almost endless attack, far more powerful than the assault of the gang.

Desperate, Nirya jumped up and stroked forward to get out of the encirclement. But he was greeted with several machetes and various sharp weapons that were stretched out like a spiked floor below. Forced the girl to throw a pair of her kerambit down, right hit the blade of one of the machete. Utilizing that impact power, Nirya banged her body in the other direction.

Shortly after landing, Nirya felt a chill, it turned out that a piece of metal in the shape of a machete blade was rustling towards her neck shaft. This time, out of nowhere, a sword slashed out and precisely fended off the blade. Not only that, one sword thrust along the adult's arm was to thicken the machete, then the next thrust hit the machete user's chest.

Though aware that the attack had saved his soul, Nirya then receded back to safety, crossing a pair of kerambits in her grasp vigilantly. “S-who are you?” sergeant.

“Let's talk! We'll kick them out!” sahut the voice, which was quite melodious for the size of a young man.  Keeping his words, the figure of the man then stormed forward, breaking the siege like the Ocean Waves.

The loose siege made Nirya and Sthira like tigers grow wings. Plus the surprise help of a powerful swordsman mandaraguna, more and more besiegers fell.

“Crazy! The three of them are so strong! Go, run! Don't let us die silly here!” A shabby-clothed swordsman took the initiative to save his own life and warn his comrades, but his body was pierced by a merciless spear.

The spearman, the thin bearded swordsman who looked tough earlier snapped, “Just kill you, coward!” Then he pointed his spear at the blue-haired young man who had just interfered. “What the fuck are you, Minata? Didn't I think you were betraying your own country, siding with a spy?!”

“I act as I please,” said the man called Minata, swinging his sword as if warming up. “The two people you've been tampering with are not spies, and I have an interest in them. Anyone who tries to get in my way, please hope he was never born.”

“Congkak you, Minata! Let me, Mabuhar, silence your big mouth forever!” Mabuhar then lunged while thrusting dozens of spears, trying to finish the opponent in one move only.

But the blue hair moved very agile like a dolphin, avoiding all the punches and slapping his sword straight. A row of blue light flashed along the body of the thin beard, from the groin to the tip of the head.

“Aah... Unfair...” Mabuhar collapsed with wide eyes and mouth agape, his position was down, as if covering a large hemisphere that had taken his life.

Seeing this, even the red-yellow hat armed with a rencong turned around and ran away with all the other warriors. “Feel my revenge later, Minata!” yells.

Minata did not catch up, a handsome face with green eyes, a blue one heaved a sigh of relief. “Wah, the Mabuhar is only strong, but weak,” murmured.

Nirya then approached the short-haired blue youth while saying, “Thank you for saving our lives, Minata.”

“It just so happens that I stole your plan in the tavern,” said the green-blue-clothed man while cleaning the blood on his sword blade with water prana from his hand. “To be frank, I like this idea about ‘peacemaking’. And I am sure, I am the most appropriate, worthy and worthy person to help you.”

“What's the reason?” Sthira approached Nirya and Minata in a limp walk, with her body still bleeding. His forehead is wrinkled, and his hand grips his machete tightly – if he does not like Minata's answer later.

“One, because I mastered healing magic,” Minata replied as she touched one of Sthira's wounds with one of her fingers, and the wound gradually tightened magically.

“Lantas, what's the second reason?” tugut Nirya's.

“Because I am the host of Sabailuha, and I am the caretaker of Mount Ratauka.”

Illustration: Minata, a Sakti warrior from Nurbaiti