EVERNA Ring of Fire

WATAS Part 6

Dhaka glanced around. The scenery he saw was only a forest, a tributary that split in the middle of the forest, a cliff and a waterfall in the middle of the cliff.

Water from the waterfall is accommodated in a lake, then flowed directly into the river. The rumbling sound of the pounding water that constantly indicates the flow of this waterfall is quite swift. However, none of the entire scene was similar to the gate or entrance that Dapu Dapu meant.

"Come, come with Dapu Dapu! You guys aren't tired yet and want to rest here, are you?' exclaim the driver.

"Not yet" replied Sthira. "Come on, guys."

Dhakapun did not want to protest because he did not know this area. As a hidden country, the entrance to Watas should be hidden. Never mind, looking at the direction Dapu Dapu stepped, the gate was behind the waterfall.

The group then walked up to the cliff wall on the edge of the lake. The problem is now, in order to reach the curtain of the waterfall in the middle of the cliff wall that someone must swim across the lake or climb, crawl the cliff wall. That's the clue that Dapu Dapu gave next.

"Ah, Dhaka the cliff termite only," said the Komodorai. Nirya, Sthira and Arumi both choose to swim, thinking it is easier than climbing and crawling cliffs.

Surprisingly, Dapu Dapu the pesut-human instead chose to creep on the wall with Dhaka. Dhaka did not ask the boy for reasons. His mind was centered on the handrails and feet that were firmly attached to the cliff wall.

Suddenly something hit, then swayed like a burden on Dhaka's back. The Komodo dragon looked back and looked back. Dapu Dapu's face was smiling with a grin, revealing a row of yellowish-white teeth.

"Geez, you little boy." Dhaka grimaced, enduring the pain in his hands, feet and back. The next steps taken by the Komodo dragon are more careful and a little slower, but definitely.

When approaching the curtain of the waterfall, Dhaka just saw there is a gap between the cliff wall and the curtain of water. Those who take the creeping path on the cliff wall can directly enter the gap with less risk of being flushed down and pushed down by high-pressure water.

"Dapu Dapu first, yes!" Without waiting for the answer of the commodore he was riding, the dreadlocked boy released his grip and crept quickly through the gap.

"His "load" slipped off, Dhaka breathed a sigh of relief. But suddenly he remembered something and looked down. Down there, Dhaka's colleagues swimming in the lake are blocked by a curtain of water.

The waterfall is very swift constantly hit the surface of the lake water to make the foam soar high. Anyone who swims through the wall, even diving into the lake will be hit by water whose strength is approximately equivalent to the avalanche of the Yamkora snow peak.

Arumi, Nirya and Sthira swam to the edge of the lake as close as possible to the cliff wall, but they remained blocked by the froth wall. There is absolutely no gap to enter, except by crawling the cliff wall and arriving above the lake.

The problem now is, the current generated from the collision between the waterfall and the surface of the lake water is constantly pushing the swimmers away from the cliff wall. If this is the case, they must swim back to the lake where the current is not too strong, then begin to climb and crawl the wall again. But no matter how strong the warriors, the action will drain their physical energy.

Taking all that into account, Dhaka went down the cliff until it was right above the foam wall. He stuck out his pointy nails, gripped tightly against the stone wall with his first hand, then his second hand stretched out the base of his spear and exclaimed, "Come, grab Dhaka's spear! Dhaka lift one-on-one into the crevice!"

Not believing Dhaka can be as strong as he said, Sthira chose to swim around and climb the cliff alone.

Nirya who immediately believed tried to extend her hand, but did not reach Dhaka's spear. Not out of sense, the girl threw a kerambit chain so that the tip tightly wrapped the spear of the commodore.

Without throwing away the moment the kerambit and spear hooked each other, Dhaka shouted loudly. With a single jolt, Dhaka pulled and swung his spear towards the crack. Nirya's body was lifted from the water, carried by Dhaka's entanglement until it entered the gap. Yes, Dhaka is that strong.

But Nirya instead released her chain kerambit which is still tied at the tip of the Dhaka spear. What does Nirya mean? Did the girl make a mistake?

It turns out that Dhaka used the weapon entrusted to him to help his fellow Nirya. Like a fisherman swinging his hook, the Komodo dragon again swings his spear. "The tip of the hook" which was one of Nirya's kerambit was splashed in the water, and Arumi quickly grabbed the kerambit.

In the same way as catapulting Nirya, but with greater energy, Dhaka makes the girl passionate as if flying. Arumi clutched tightly against the cliff wall, releasing the kerambit and creeping in through the gap as well.

But with determination Dhaka also opened a new possibility. "Sthira, hold the tip of the kerambit!" yells.

Without a second thought, Sthira grabbed the tip of the creak, but missed. Twice again he tried to reach it, but the kerambit or chain was not held. Sthira crept up to approach again. The next time, Dhaka's swing instead caused the tip of the kerambit blade to scratch Sthira's arm until it bled. Sthira cried out in pain, her grip on the cliff almost missed.

"Try on!" shouted Dhaka while swinging his spear again.

One more time it failed, Sthira shouted. He exerted all his strength, creeping ever closer towards Dhaka. This time, he had only managed to grasp the kerambit chain.

"Hold tight!" This time, Dhaka put all his strength into it. The spear swings and the kerambit chains carried with them Sthira's body like flying into a narrow gap.

However, either because suddenly ran out of energy, suddenly the handle of Dhaka on the cliff wall came off. The Komodo dragon fell mercilessly towards the torrent, close to the point of collision between the waterfall and the lake surface. Reflexes, Dhaka closed his eyes, raised his hand and clasped his spear tightly, trying to protect himself from the whirring forces of nature.

Suddenly, the base of Dhaka's spear jolted violently. It turned out that there was a force that spread from the end of the chain, then pulled the spear and the body of Dhaka up and continued to enter the "safe gap".

Then, Dhaka felt his body stumbling on the solid ground. He opened his eyes and found himself in some sort of cave mouth niche. His position is safe, now at least he avoids danger.

Dhaka then rebuked and saw his helpers, who were none other than Nirya, Sthira and Arumi. Thus it happened, Dhaka helped his colleagues and behind the help of his colleagues as well. The four people exchanged smiles of gratitude.

Sthira who was also exhausted fell to the ground, while Arumi also sat down slowly for a short break. Only Nirya was busy removing her scapegoat from Dhaka's spear, then rushed to stop the bleeding on Sthira's arm with the magic of the Blowing Wind Healer.

Suddenly Dapu Dapu rebuked, "Oi, don't just sit around! Hurry, we must enter the gate to Watas before the gatekeeper hears our arrival!"

"Can't...!" Sthira groaned in pain as her wounds docked. "We took a moment, the action was really draining!"

"But...!" Dapu Dapu could not finish his words. That's because from inside the cave there were heavy steady steps.

Dhaka gasp. "Oh, my God, is this gatekeeper a giant creature?" If it is, it means that the creature has managed to "catch" Dhaka and his group who are in a state of exhaustion.

"Oh, maybe yes!" Dapu Dapu had long since left Watas, so he himself did not know for sure who or what the guard was.

A little while later, a tall and large creature came out of the cave. Dhaka does not know if he should breathe a sigh of relief or just be suspicious and ready to fight. The creature stood upright like a human and was very moody. The good news is, his size is not a giant as Dhaka previously thought. But the bad news is that the guard appears to be bigger than Dhaka, the biggest member of his group.

Dhaka recognized the creature's face from two animals that Dapu Dapu recently showed him in the Lasuardi Forest they just crossed from the beach. The head of the creature resembled a babirusa, with horns sticking out perpendicular and elongated like the horns of an adult male anoa.

What makes Dhaka so wary is the tail of the demon's anoa that wags around as far as possible. At that moment he remembered the warning of Dapu Dapu. "Revelation! That's a sign that the anoa is angry or feels threatened by danger. Slowly retreat as far as possible, and he will not attack."

But this time there was not much room to back down. So Dhaka and his colleagues had to stand up, preparing for this seemingly formidable demon.

Surprisingly, the anoa-babirusa stealth did not directly attack blindly. He just looks around. After that, his eyes were fixed on the guide, followed by a reprimand, "Dapu Dapu, are you tired of living?"

Dapu Dapu looked trembling, his voice was trembling, "T-mister Banoamak! What do you mean, sir is here? Shouldn't you be the master of...?"

Human-anoa-babirusa, Banoamak. Illustration by Andry Chang