EVERNA Ring of Fire

DANTONU Part 7

For the peasants, the black clouds rolling across the sky were a sign of a blessed rain coming down. This means their rice fields will have enough water. One of the conditions to reach the harvest period will be fulfilled, famine and famine will be avoided.

However, Dhaka actually views this phenomenon as a very bad sign. Something terrible is waiting for Dhaka and Taksaka up there, which will be even more terrible thanks to the intake of something from within the black cloud.

Also, Dhaka was climbing a mountain while carrying Sthira on his back. When talking about the plan and tactics with Taksaka earlier, suddenly the leader of the group fell unconscious again. Initially they intended to leave Sthira in the plateau of the mountain plateau with Dapu Dapu. But Dapu Dapu insists on coming to the top as well, guiding Nirya and Arumi. So Sthira had to come too, carried by Dhaka who was very strong and experts climb the mountain while carrying heavy loads.

Instead of thinking about all the obstacles that would even be difficult, Dhaka with all his experience chose to focus on snoring for the sake of the stone slope wall that he had to climb. One thing that is a bit of a relief, the slopes of Mount Dantonu are not too steep and high like Yamkora, the highest peak in Antapada.

As a result, the combination of all these thoughts and facts led Dhaka to finally trace the summit of Mount Dantonu.

As he looked around, Dhaka gasped. It turns out that the top of this mountain is actually a giant crater called the caldera. Dantonu must have erupted several times. Each eruption was very powerful but directed, as if "carving" the peak into a plain that was slightly curved like a cauldron. Furthermore, the plains seemed to be confined, surrounded by towering stone walls with pointed jagged peaks. Surely Taksaka entered through the "gate", which is the opening gap between all the walls.

Whatever the opinion of people, in Dhaka's mind this is not a mere view of the peak or crater of the mountain. This is the portico of hell.

While stepping, suddenly a dagger-like pain stung Dhaka. It turned out that his feet were stepping on the hot, smoldering red lava flow that was branching out from the magma-filled pond in the middle of the plains.

All the visible signs of the eye clearly indicate that lately Mount Dantonu is indeed active. The problem is, is this a coincidence? Or is there someone or something that triggers this activity?

The answers to those questions came almost instantly through the sound of the flapping of giant wings. Dhaka looked up at the source of the voice and saw a bat-like figure. So large was the figure, his entire body seemed to cover a speck of sunlight behind thick clouds and cloudy skies, until the atmosphere became darker.

The originally bat-like figure continued to descend like it was about to land in a caldera. Although a bit slow, the more firmly seen the change of the figure to its true form, namely a dragon.

Taksaka quickly knelt down in reverence, Dhaka followed him while putting Sthira's body gently on the ground.

"Greetings, Your Highness Vrithra. Rai Taksaka, His Majesty's loyal servant has returned" cried Taksaka.

Vrithra's dragon shrieked its long neck, facing its head full of long horns like a crown towards those kneeling men. His giant body then landed on the caldera surface with a thud. Even Dhaka felt the shaking like a powerful earthquake from below his knees and continued to spread to his thighs and even his body.

Flashes of lightning struck along Vrithra's upper body, replacing the mane and spines of the common dragon. Vrithra's pair of eyes also seemed to glitter, complementing his show of strength and compassion. The dragon-angolin seems matchless, even compared to the strongest supernatural creature in Antapada though.

Even Vrithra's voice was like a thunder boar. "You brought a guest, hey Little Snake. Explain it!"

"For His Majesty" said Taksaka. "Hamba ushered in Dhaka, a commodore from the tribe under the mountain who wanted to serve His Majesty. He had conquered an intruder swordsman and brought him here as a testament to his devotion and loyalty to His Majesty."

Vrithra's eyes momentarily shifted between Dhaka and Sthira. The dragon then said, "Hmm, that's great, hey Little Lizard. It seems that the swordsman you captured is extremely powerful, so your strength must be equivalent or at least slightly below that of the Little Snake. Hahaha, Little Snake and Little Lizard, a fitting combination for the flagship slaves of the Divine Dragon."

"Good, good." Vrithra's head nodded slowly. "However, as my closest prospective servant accompanied the Little Snake, I must give something to you first. Well, come closer to me."

Dhaka secretly gasped. As expected, Vrithra intends to control Dhaka's mind as well as Taksaka and Savitri. Dhaka's worst guess is that Vrithra immediately attacked like a wild animal, about to kill himself and Sthira. But in reality, living like a puppet and making a land like a hell the world is obviously worse than dying.

However, Dhaka continued to advance closer to Vrithra.

Has the Komodo dragon gone mad, about to challenge the magic power of the divine equivalent?

Gathering all the courage, Dhaka's eyes could not be seen Vrithra's eyes. Taksaka did not tell about the way Vrithra affected his mind, but Dhaka assumed the mind control shir will be channeled through hypnosis aka eye gaze. As with previous experiences facing the cayari in Dhuraga, as a Dhaka demon will again rely on its natural defense against mind control magic.

When he was only about ten steps away from Vrithra's neck that stuck towards him, suddenly his head, hands, legs and body felt like a lightning strike. It turns out that Vrithra exerts magic through streams of lightning threads intertwined into a net that pierces certain targets, not by hypnosis.

"Blessed, Little Lizard! With this gift from me, Net Kendalisukma, you will definitely become my brother with unwavering loyalty!"

Dhaka groans not artificial. Lightning energy flowed, coursing through every inch of his body. All that destructive power flows into one target, that is his brain.

Despite continuing to suffer extreme pain, Dhaka forced himself to quell the feeling by saying stammering, "Think again, Vrithra... True loyalty is not. d-come from the mind. but from the heart. B-stop... deception..self."

"Ha! As expected, you must be just pretending to be a subjugate, Little Lizard! Instead I should use this method to guarantee the loyalty of anyone! No one can be trusted, human, demon, even god!"

"It depends.the way you. If you always.. use force."

"Omong empty! Just look at it for yourself! I still have a loyal servant! Little Snake, finish off this little lizard right now! Answer, Little Snake!"

"You want an answer? Feel this!" Suddenly Taksaka pierced the base of Vrithra's neck with a borrowed spear from Dhaka.

Not only that, though, Nirya dna Arumi who has since followed at the top and sneaked when Vrithra's attention was seized by Dhaka also hit the stomach beside the dragon-angolin with a chain kerambit and long keris full of wind prana and flames.

However, in a scornful tone Vrithra said, "You think those cheap weapons can hurt me? Taste hell!"

With a single burst of lightning energy, Vrithra bent the buttresses like a cow driving away the flies that perched on his body with a flick of his tail. As a result, warriors including Dhaka and even Taksaka bounced off in all directions.

The worst is certainly Nirya who is the lightest in her group. The girl floated uncontrollably until she hit the wall of the caldera. Nirya collapsed instantly, it is unclear whether the girl was unconscious or never moved again forever.

Illustration of Vrithra, the first variation by Andry Chang.