EVERNA Ring of Fire

HAMENTANE Part 1

In the darkness, under a cloud-filled sky, thunderbolts were welcoming, calling for a triumphant cheer.

But the torrential rain was like tears that kept pouring down, weeping over the pain of the end of the journey and the magnitude of all the sacrifices.

Win the battle, but lose the battle. That's what almost certainly happened.

Yes, Nirya would rather welcome death with her lover than try to run away. Because he knew, the escape tip was a life empty without meaning, mired in loneliness and tortured guilt because it only brings disaster, not peace.

When the opening eruption of Mount Dantonu greeted, Nirya was actually walking closer to the crater. Spontaneously the girl exclaimed at the man standing closest to the crater pit, "Sthira, watch out!"

The man called by Nirya was about to turn around to run away. But suddenly Shtira rebuked, as if seeing something at the peak of the eruption.

When the eruption subsided, the object that turned out to be a double-edged mace fell, freefalling back into the hole. However, suddenly the weapon floated like it was bewitched. The direction of the fall changed from the crater hole to the person who had toppled Vrithra.

Nirya's footsteps stopped. Sthira stretched out one arm upwards. He smoothly caught the mace and held it tightly.

The next sounding was Taksaka's cry, "Let go, Sthira! That's Vajra, the weapon of the spirit god Vrithra! Throw the weapon into the crater, don't let Vrithra get back up and bring the tempest!"

Sthira shook her head. "No, Rai. Just think, even if I threw Vajra into the crater, the aftershocks would definitely spew it back into the open air. Let me, the lightning user alone be the new owner of this god weapon. After all, Vajra is a far greater substitute for Gharma, the lost Mandauku."

"Yes, but...!" Before Taksaka could protest any further, suddenly Sthira convulsed. Lightning ran through the entire body of the young man from Kalingga.

Not only that, the form of Vajra turned into a bolt of lightning. Then the double-edged mace-shaped lightning struck and possessed the body of Sthira, his new master. A black figure appears in the middle cleavage of the field of Sthira.

As the former caretaker of Dantonu, Taksaka instantly recognized the figure. "God! That's the key magic script of Mount Dantonu! This mountain will completely erupt at any moment, we must run now!"

Nirya also turns to run with Arumi, Taksaka and Dhaka. There was no time to handle Vajra now, let alone the weapon had seemed to possess and fuse with Sthira's body. The salvation of the souls of all the people in the caldera is the main thing now.

But, how could they escape safely from the subsequent eruptions that would be far more devastating than the first one?

As if answering Nirya's question, Dapu Dapu appeared in the cleft of the caldera wall and exclaimed, "The Watas hawks are coming! We survived!"

Nirya turned to the sky, in the direction that Dapu Dapu pointed at. Right, a group of huge hawks seemed to fly over. The one leading in front of them was none other than the human-cendrawasih demon, Canirwa Krana.

Rescuers arrived as the rain had stopped for some time, making it safe for flights.

"Look, Sthira! We survived...!" Nirya turned her head and rushed over to her lover. But what he saw was the body of Sthira who was face down, unmoved on the ground.

"Sthira!" Without a second thought, Nirya dropped herself on the side of Sthira and flipped over the young man's body. Seeing that Sthira's chest was still going up and down, Nirya heaved a sigh of relief.

"Huh, he must be pretending to faint again," said Dapu Dapu in a cynical tone. "Saran Dapu Dapu, just leave the Sthira here."

Nirya rebuked, "What the hell are you? Sthira has helped us by subverting Vrithra! After all he is still alive, there is no way I would leave him to just die here!"

"Whatever. Dapu Dapu only gave advice. But remember, twice Sthira was conscious but pretended to faint. And in the second time, he just took the best opportunity created through the braking of the Dhaka family. Sthira is really unbelievable. Careful, Nirya. Be the true bearer of disaster."

Before Nirya could protest again, Dapu Dapu had climbed up and rode an eagle-horse and flew away. Nirya snorted in annoyance.

An eagle-horse approaches Nirya. But Nirya shook her head and walked away saying, "Please take this person first. He's still alive." He pointed towards Sthira.

Instinctively, the eagle-horse lifted up Sthira's body and flew while tightly grasping the body with claws on both of its front legs. The second eagle landed on the side of Nirya. This time Nirya just rode the magical animal.

Just for a moment soaring in the air, Nirya turned her head towards the caldera. The rigid bodies of Dibu Anam, Tikha and Rambu lay, lined up neatly near the mouth of the crater. Dada Nirya feels tight, it turns out that Dhaka can be very hearty to make this mountain eruption burn the body as well as deliver the souls of the commodore to the afterlife.

If Sthira had been killed earlier, Nirya would have had her lover's body brought to be interred in a safer place, even if possible, in Kalingga.

Nirya said, If you are not like Dapu Dapu's suspicion earlier, quickly regain consciousness. We're definitely going to Kalingga, and you're the main mainstay to drive us all.

　

　

　

　

Somehow more devastating, the eruption of Mount Dantonu or Tubar'e. To be sure, all kinds of objects, small or large that spewed out both eruptions that brought massive destruction in the areas around the center of the disaster.

The eruption of Tubar'e has destroyed the city of Dabongsang located at the foot of the mountain.

The town of Wulantra which is quite far from Mount Megaswari also collapsed due to the volcanic eruption.

While the destruction due to the eruption of Dantonu actually hit the nearby Watas Country and the city is a bit far from Dantonu, namely Kaunawa.

As Dapu Dapu predicted, the destruction in Kaunawa, the most important trading city in the Akhsar Kingdom, completely crippled the economy of the entire country. So far the merchants trade secretly in Kaunawa, because the prolonged war situation does not allow trade between countries. The destruction of Kaunawa brought the black trade to a halt altogether. This would force Hantas, King of Achsar to relinquish his hold on Bethara and seek peace, an end to the war in Antapada.

As a young girl who was a laywoman in politics, Nirya did not think too far about the impact of the weakening of the Akhsar due to today's disaster. Right now, he only felt a heavy burden lifted from his mind, then replaced by a new heavy burden.

On the one hand, Nirya was very grateful for himself and his companions, especially Sthira survived the eruption of Mount Dantonu. But Dapu Dapu's stern warning continued to ring in his mind.

Is Sthira really unbelievable?

Is the entire mission of carrying this series of disasters not solely to force all countries in Antapada to stop the prolonged war?

Are Nirya, Arumi, Dhaka and many other people only used by Sthira, so that those who have lost everything have hope to fight for? Or like Dhaka, who because of this struggle even lost everything?

Don't you think Sthira's feelings for Nirya are just part of the charade?

In that case, all this time Nirya was just one of the worst sinners in the world. It left a trail of destruction and death. But the trail leads the way to a new war, and more destruction and death than the war they were supposed to end.

Although his soul is very tortured now, Nirya's mind is still healthy enough to remember the moments of separation with Dapu Dapu, Rai Taksaka, Rai Savitri, Canirwa Krana and other Watas residents.

"We will evacuate for a while, living moving from the forest to the forest. Once it's safe enough, we'll go back to Watas Valley at the foot of Mount Dantonu, rebuild our country."

There is a difference between Rai Taksaka's speech and Wiranata's plan, King Rainusa in exile. Wiranata has no interest in rebuilding Dabongsang. He chose a village as the cornerstone of his resistance base to reclaim the throne. If Wiranata chooses to stay in Dabongsang, sooner or later the puppet king's army, Bakangga will come and return to make the former city of criminals flat on the ground.

However, the real similarity in the plan of the two leaders was that they both still had hope. As long as life is still conceived the body, the destroyed land can and will be restored, even more prosperous and victorious than ever before.

After thinking back to maturity, then Nirya, Arumi and Dhaka realized one very important thing. Most of the locksmiths and volcano guards they have faced so far are disaster bearers as well.

Sabailuha made Mount Ratauka erupt because she was desperate. Even if he ran away, Jayandra's fleet would not be destroyed and instead bring the tempest in Swarnara.

Kamaja influenced Admiral Begarwana and could have been Arumi as well. Begarwana may be an ambitious figure. With the support of Kamaja he would revolt, seizing the reins of the highest government in Jayandra, with a pile of corpses in the mountains.

Beto'dila in collaboration with the Dabongsang Brothers manages a city of terror and chaos, a real threat to Antapada as a whole.

While Cayari Aronawa, Cayari Yamano and Vrithra have a similar way of working. They both control one country as a base to later spread chaos, weaken and control all of Antapada.

If their plans go smoothly, more casualties will occur and there will be more destruction throughout Antapada. Even leaders like Wiranata and Rai Takakapun will lose hope.

"Because of all that, there is no way for us but to complete this mission" Arumi said, ending his presentation. "Remember the mandate of Mpu Galahasin. We cannot fail at the end of this journey. If that happens, curse whoever started it."

Picture Reference for Sthira Tarunaga, Fantasy Dayak Warrior by Admira Wijaya

Source DeviantART and Tantraz Comics Bali