EVERNA Ring of Fire

WATAS Part 5

"Oi, get up old man!"

The cry of the little boy made Dhaka jump, rising from his bed on the wooden floor in the hull of the ship. Not only that, the instinctive reaction of Komodoai fighters who have been trained for almost half a century was triggered. Dhaka grabbed the dagger that was always in bed and threw it towards the bully.

However, Dhaka's common sense instantly worked. His arm swing stopped, the dagger stopped darting right at the end of the nail in front of the skin of his target's neck. Drowsiness disappeared instantly, Dhaka just saw clearly the person turned out to be Dapu Dapu.

The hue of the little boy's face was pale instantly, he stammered, "Oh, no need to, old p-sir!"

Dhaka quickly put the dagger back on his belt and said, "Remember, remember. Never wake a sleeping commodore."

"I-yes, yes." Dapu Dapu nodded, but his attitude gave the impression he had heard the expression before.

Suddenly, Dhakapun remembered something. "Oh yeah! We people have to ascertain the direction of the cruise. Also about rewards for Dapu Dapu services...!"

"Peace old man, all Dapu Dapu discussed earlier with Kak Sthira and Pak Nahkoda." The green-haired boy smiled widely.

"Kok they didn't take Dhaka? Are Dapu Dapu satisfied with their decision?"

Dapu Dapu nodded once steadily. "Sure! Dapu Dapu is big, right? So all their Dapu Dapu wishes are fulfilled."

Dhaka wants to know. "What is that want?"

"One, Dapu Dapu wants to rest and sleep on the ship."

"Didn't they fill it?"

"Yes. But on condition, the direction of the course should remain to Akhsar."

"But why did Dapu Dapu want to go to Akhsar?"

"Because Dapu Dapu's second wish is to go home."

Starting impatient with the answer of the interlocutor who was a piece, Dhaka rebuked, "Just explain everything. Where does Dapu Dapu want us to drive home?"

"Why didn't you say that?" answer Dapu Dapu while sticking out his tongue. "For a long time Dapu Dapu wanted to return to the home country of Dapu Dapu, the Watas Kingdom in the Akhsar region. But Dapu Dapu can only go home now, and must be with you."

"Lho, how can you?"

"Dapu Dapu ran away from Watas because Naga Vrithra wanted to eat Dapu Dapu. I don't know how long Dapu Dapu has been fishing the sea as a porpoise and rarely come ashore as a human. Just yesterday Dapu Dapu heard the sound of the ocean. He said, Dapu Dapu can go home as long as he managed to guide the Pinissi Ship out of a terrible storm. In the Pinissi Ship there are four magic warriors who will help Dapu Dapu and free the Watas Country from the power of Dragon Vrithra."

"Dragon Vrithra? Please explain about him."

"Vrithra was originally an alien dragon spirit from across the sea, which transformed into a divine weapon called Vajra. A Rishi, the powerful priestess of Arcapada bequeathed the Vajra to Rai Taksaka, ruler of Watas Country to be guarded. Perhaps because it was never used again, Vajra again transformed into the spirit of Vrithra and possessed the pangolin who happened to enter his storage at the top of Mount Dantonu."

It was at this moment that Dapu Dapu sighed, then continued his story. "Vrithra transformed into a dragon-trenched demon lord of thunderbolts. He conquered and captured the caretaker post of Mount Dantonu from Rai Taksaka and colonized Watas. Forced me to flee to the high seas, instead of being a sacrificial victim for Vrithra."

"Ah, so that's why," Dhaka said as she nodded. "Dhaka understands now what Sang Srisari means to send Dapu Dapu in a miraculous way. Oya, is Dantonu a volcano?"

"Yes. It is located in the southeast of Akhsar Island. Although far from the center of the country, Mount Dantonu is close to the most important trading city in Akhsar, Kaunawa."

"If Vrithra were to spill, Dantonu would have erupted. If the city of Kaunawa is affected by the disaster, trade in Akhsar will be destroyed, and the whole country weakens. Perhaps the conquered areas of Achsar will rebel and seize independence. Would that be?"

"That's possible. I don't know, Dapu Dapu doesn't know for sure."

Dhaka held his breath, stunned. The new information he got was more complete than he originally thought, due to the origin of a ten-year-old child. "Well, Dapu Dapu knowledge is a lot of yes."

"Well, while wandering across the ocean, Dapu Dapu so learn this-that." Dapu Dapu again smiled widely.

"Did Sthira and the others know about what happened at Watas, and about Vrithra?"

Dapu Dapu shook his head.

"Dapu Dapu doesn't understand Dhaka's intentions. But all right, Dapu Dapu will tell them." After saying so, the dreadlocked boy darted away.

Only Dhaka shouted, "Don't forget, tell me about Mount Dantonu too!" Then the Komodorai sat with his head bobbing, trying to put a smile on the snout of the commodity.

\==oOo==

Dapu Dapu's story about Mount Dantonu, Watas Country, Dragon Vrithra, Kaunawa City and the relationship between all of them turned out to be sweet.

Now, under the shade of the dawn sun, the Pinissi Ship has docked near the mainland of Akhsar Island. The lifeboats have been taken down, and the passengers are Sthira, Nirya, Arumi and Dhaka. Certainly, Dapu Dapu the guide swimming in the sea in the form of porpoises.

While setting his foot on the warm snow-white sand, Dhaka was relieved and comfortable. It was a feeling that he did not feel long enough since the previous time he stepped on the sand for the first time on the beach of Dhuraga Island.

The difference with Dhuraga, this time the forest is bordering with the beach looks not too dense trees. There are bushes and grassy fields on the sidelines of various types of trees.

The shadow of several mountains loomed in the distance. Could one of them be Dantonu? There may be among the crew of the ship that the Akhsar people can confirm. But Watas is the only way to Dantonu and is a hidden stealth, even foreign to the citizens of Akhsar himself. Therefore, the only one who knows the way to and across Watas is only Dapu Dapu.

The question is, where is the driver now? Dhaka and his colleagues looked back and forth.

Nirya commented, "If Dapu Dapu does not appear, maybe we should ask Daeng Hasan. There may be another volcano close to the center of Akhsar State..."

"Hus! We don't want anyone from the Pinissi crew to know about our true mission" Arumi said. "Later they misunderstand the disasters that arise because of our arrival!"

"Oh yeah, that's right." Nirya shut her mouth.

Sthira said, "But still, if it turns out Dapu Dapu just leave...!"

"Dapu Dapu did not leave you!" shouted the porpoise while jumping from the surface of the sea. He changed his form in the air and landed on the sandy soil as the little boy.

Dhaka rebuked, "Where is Dapu Dapu? We people misunderstand, you know!"

Dapu Dapu scratched his head by displaying a plain face. "Hehe, Dapu Dapu was eager to enjoy the moments of being a porpoise before living on the mainland again. Sorry yes."

Dhaka shakes. Children are always less serious. Though this mission is very important for the future of Watas, the homeland of Dapu Dapu itself.

Sthira interjected, "Here you go, let's go."

The journey through the forest this time impressed much more relaxed than in Dhuraga. Only the guides, Wufabwe and Dapu Dapu whose behavior is similar to each other, namely cheerful, full of enthusiasm and talkative.

Once at a time, Dapu Dapu pointed in one direction and chattered, "Look, that animal is called an anteater. The skin all over his body was thick and very hard. Not only that, when his life is threatened, the pangolin will roll his body until it looks like a ball. The fangs of the predators that bite the ball will surely grieve beyond death, haha!"

Only Nirya laughed at Dapu Dapu's clumsiness. Instead, Dhaka tried to remember every description of the pangolin and imagine what happens when the thick-skinned animal has the shape and size of a dragon.

In addition to pangolins, the Dhaka troupe was introduced to two other Akhsar animals. The first is a buffalo or forest cow called anoa. The body of anoa is smaller than that of a regular buffalo or bull. Its long horns were towering and its face resembled that of a deer, but its body was larger than that of an adult male deer.

One more animal is the babirusa, a type of ****wood forest whose only adult males have teeth sticking out of their lower jaws and curved, almost like elephant tusks. The function of the arch teeth is the same as the horn on the rhino, which is as a weapon to defend themselves from predators or fight between fellow males.

Dapu Dapu continued to talk while chuckling. "Imagine, what if there were a combined demon of anoa and babirusa that you would encounter?"

"Well, as long as we don't have to fight them all, we will definitely meet the unique people in Watas with pleasure" Arumi said.

"It depends on your attitude and behavior in Watas later. Anyway, if you want to cross Watas peacefully, just follow Dapu Dapu's directions." The boy patted his chest. But Dapu Dapu patted too hard so he coughed himself.

All that Dapu-Dapu behavior makes Dhaka quite tickled. But the old Komodo dragon's mind was still struggling with Vrithra, the dragon-angolin. He tried to design the body of Vrithra, his lightning attacks that might not be much different from Sthira, as well as ways that could be tried to quell the enemy's attack.

But when thinking of how to penetrate the defense of thick skin, especially if Vrithra can roll like an anteater, Dhaka's mind is still deadlocked. So Dhaka will try to discuss it with Sthira or Arumi throughout this journey.

Unfortunately, before the discussion came to fruition, Dapu Dapu already said, "Well, we have arrived at the gate to the Land of Watas. Take care to step, and open your eyes wide all the time."

Picture reference to the concept of the monster Vrithra, the dragon-angolin is an image of an anteater. Image source: The Nusantara Voice site.