EVERNA Ring of Fire

RATAUKA Part 1

In the middle of the blue expanse, I looked up at the sky

Who began to dance, to welcome the rising sun

Then I asked the high clouds

Will I go back to boating full of fish again?

As the dawn lantern of Sang Mahesa began to lift into the sky, a sailboat with three people hitchhiking seemed to ride down and down while speeding slowly between the waves, wading through the Pariung Strait that connects Swarnara Island and Jayandra.

The two passengers, Sthira and Nirya, sat face to face on the left and right side of the boat. Minata the blue-haired young man sat at the stern of the boat, occasionally moving the steering wheel with both hands. He whistled merrily and melodiously, stirred by the chirping of seagulls from a distance. Occasionally, there are also some white birds that pass by, soothing the view as an addition to the cool sea breeze that blows quite well to the east.

Yes, even the wind and sea waves seem to support the journey of these three people. Could it be that the Mahesa had indeed sent them to drop his murk on Antapada?

That thought then made Nirya feel claustrophobic and restless. The girl is voiceless, “Mina... uh, Sabailuha, what interested you in our mission? Though Sthira has not explained much to you about the purpose, expected results and the impact of this series of disasters for Antapada.”

“Call me Minata only,” replied the strange blue-green-eyed youth. “Again, I don't need a lot of reasons to come. Wherever there is great upheaval, that's where I show up to mess things up. I love watching the world around me burn, then I flood it all with my water.”

“Tuh ‘kan? Minata's mind is in line with us, I don't have to go out and explain this - that again,” said Sthira, shrugging her shoulders and both hands.

Nirya protests, “But still she should know..”.

“I discussed it with Sthira when you were sleeping earlier,” interrupted Minata while winking her green eyes. “To be clear, as a fellow volcano caretaker I know the eruption of Mount Barkajang is not natural. Then I deliberately waited in the city of Nurbaiti and stole the talk of everyone in the only store near the port.”

Sthira concluded, “It's only right that he followed us to the port, then saved us from the wobbles of the great warriors.”

The novice adventurer girl listened to all of that with her mouth open. Want to say what else, the fight at the dock last night has relaxed his physique that is far from the word mighty. Most horrifyingly, he slept between two young men, anything could happen back then. It was fortunate that Sthira and Minata were more concerned with the mission by ensuring the honor of Nirya, their important companion was kept awake.

Realizing that, Nirya's mind and heart now seemed to be swayed like this boat he was riding. Sthira always looked dashing under any circumstances, but the silence of her thousand languages and the look in her eyes that always led to her mission goal like an eagle stalking prey made the young man look stiff like a statue. It was as if Sthira was building a defensive fort around her heart, making herself as if frozen, immune to any warmth that wanted to infiltrate the recesses of her soul.

On the contrary, Minata always smiles whenever Nirya's gaze is on him. The girl's heart pounded a little harder, in a storm of strange charms, inclined to the supernatural. The question is, does Minata often use her divine charm on many other girls? Is he really interested, or will he just make Nirya one of his “girls conquer” only?

As Nirya opened her mouth to talk to Minata, suddenly the blue hair pointed forward. “Well, we're almost there! That's my home.”

Almost simultaneously, Nirya and Sthira turned around. Nirya's eyes were fixed on a mountain towering over an island in the distance. There are almost no plants growing on the island, because volcanic dust emitted every time this mountain erupts is always wasted into the sea. Surprisingly, there seemed to be unceasing smoke billowing from the mouth of the volcano's crater.

“I-it... Mount Ratauka?” pekik Niry.

“Yes. Ratauka may be the only island that is entirely a volcano in the world, not suitable to be a home of any creature, too,” said Minata with eyes full of interest. “But that's okay for me, as long as I can dive and explore the ocean, wherever I want. I just came here to pass, make sure this mountain will not erupt anytime soon.”

Sthira asked, “Lantas what about that smoke?”

“Mount Ratauka is always active, the magma it contains is always moving and dimming. The rapid explosions that come out in the form of smoke through the mouth of the crater.”

Nirya and Sthira were stunned to hear Minata's story. Mount Ratauka always seems unstable and can erupt at any time. But the blue-haired locksmith even casually wandered everywhere, both by land and sea.

The closer to Ratauka, the mountain loomed higher and higher, covering its background. Cold sweat started pouring down Nirya's forehead. How not, now the girl felt like she was sneaking, passing near a giant figure who was sleeping snoring. What if the “giant” woke up and got angry, showering Nirya-Sthira with hot smoke, lava spouts and stones?

Worse, Nirya just realized that they are with the most capable person “wake the giant sleep” at any time. He and Sthira did not yet know what Sabailuha looked like, as well as its size and strength. If until Minata betrays, does not change shape or blow up the mountain, two very tough warriors are not necessarily victorious when fighting on a boat or in the water,

Fortunately Minata did not show any signs. His gaze was instead fixed straight ahead, to the horizon in the distance. He even exclaimed, “Nirya, Sthira! Look there!”

The two young warriors then turned their heads in the direction Minata pointed. Countless dots seemed to be creeping up from the end of the horizon, approaching towards the mountain-island. Over time, the dots look bigger, and only clearly visible shape.

“I-it...marine fleet!” sthira exclaimed at the peak of her shock.

Nirya chimed, “They formed a posse, as if they were facing us!”

Instead, Minata even said flat, “You need to know, actually they are not here to block you.”

“A-what do you mean, Minata?” Sthira quickly got up and unsheathed his machete. “Don't be convoluted, man! It's obvious they formed a posse!”

The dichromatic eye raised one hand. “Know the flags of those ships. It was the coat of arms of the Jayandra Kingdom. Before Mount Barkajang erupted, I had time to spy on Jayandra as Sabailuha. It turned out that they were preparing to attack Swarnara suddenly. Disaster in Ringidatu, especially to cause King Tanakara died so a beautiful coincidence for Jayandra. In this way, they will snatch Swarnara like taking candy from a baby's hand.”

Sthira and Nirya were stunned. Not one bit they thought, the action to end the great war between islands even opened a wide, straight and free path for the achievement of the ambitions of one country. Their mission is to keep the countries in Antapada independent, not interested in colonizing each other, let alone destroying each other. The problem is, what happened was the opposite.

“For this reason, I brought you here intentionally, so that you realize the real consequences of the ‘ Destruction mission for peace’ it.”

Sthira shook her head. “Whatever the consequences, the only way to fix it is to continue our mission to completion. You're still interested in helping us, aren't you?”

“Of course,” replied Minata steady.

“But what can we do to penetrate Jayandra's Fleet? We are just three ordinary people!” Both of Nirya's hands held the left-right side of her head temple.

“Do you guys forget? I am far beyond ‘bia’. Sthira, take control. Go forward slowly, I will open a path for you. Let you see for yourself the power of Sabailuha. When the road is open and I shout ‘advance!’, you guys break through as soon as possible!”

Without waiting for the response of his two comrades, the blue-haired young Minata plunged into the sea, still holding his sword and fully dressed.

Seeing Minata never coming out of the water, Nirya stuck her body into the bow of the boat. Sea levels that were originally just surging are now starting to fluctuate.

Far in front of Nirya and Sthira's boat, a gigantic figure burst out from the surface of the sea, spouting water in all directions. The upper body of the creature was the form of a six-armed human man. His head resembled the head of a rhinoceros horned dragon, with long blue hair decomposing like a grove of seaweed. Its lower body was like the body of a giant sea dragon, extending to its tip in the form of whale fins.

Very loudly the dragons cried out towards the row of sailing ships. “Armada Jayandra! Turn around and go back to your country if you still want to go home intact! Otherwise, I, Sabailuha will crush all of you mercilessly!”

In the bow of the largest red-flagged ship appeared a very sturdy man and very handsome. He was about thirty-seven years old, and he wore a set of golden-coloured armor.  His short silvery hair seemed to stand upright defying the sky, incompatible with his neatly shaved black whiskers. His skin color is rather dark, a sign he has been exposed to a lot of sun every day.

“What the hell is this, Sabailuha!?” The silver-haired man's voice boomed. “Didn't you swear before the Mahesa, the Angkara and the Srisari that you would never interfere in any battle in your territory? I, Admiral Begarwana of Jayandra sue you!”

“True, I did indeed say that oath,” Sabailuha replied in a heavier, bluer voice. “But I did it because I regretted having made the fleet of both sides crumble in the battle between Jayandra and Swarnara two centuries ago. Now, you're not fighting, are you? Even your enemies are nowhere to be seen. You know, this is a sign Swarnara is not ready at all. Jayandra State wants to take a golden opportunity in narrowness and melalap Swarnara easily. So me, Sabailuha won't let you do it!”

Illustration: Example of the Swarnara (and Jayandra) Fleet - Reference from the Yellow Lancang Ship from Riau.