Grizzled
#S2 Episode 4
Hovering in the room with nothing but white, the nausea slowly stirred my stomach. There was no gravity, there was nothing to hold on to or the boundary I hit, all I did was flail through empty space.
The short needle of the watch clock in my hand stopped at the number eleven. My promise is to go home at least before noon, but can I go back home after I don't know what I'm going to face later? My niatan left this morning just to attend the exhibition. Next I never thought I would meet someone in my dreams and ... and Kak Garuda? What does this have to do with Luska? Also Luska's connection to me? Why is that person constantly sidling, calling me Your Highness?
If it happened thirteen years ago while messing with my friend, it might sound like fun. Because I have never been part of the role of princess or someone called Her Majesty, but for now being called so clearly makes me uncomfortable. After all, it was enough, my head was tired of being crammed with various questions. It's time to faint, hoping that when I wake up, all that happens is a mere sleeping flower.
Unfortunately, my consciousness had not yet evaporated. It was so excruciating when the dizziness got over the head, worsening the nausea that prompted me to vomit. I can't stand it! I can't stand it! Normally I would faint and no longer feel anything, but I didn't. Kite without knowing where it ends, I scream in shock when finally gravity starts to feel, pulling me up –or actually down because my body position is upside down– or I don't know! Anyway my body was sucked towards a point.
Someone shouted my name from a direction I didn't know. I looked over there looking for him. For a moment, this incident seemed familiar. Falling free and trying to reach someone who calls my name. Has this ever happened?
“Shira!”
The voice was suddenly next to me. A girl who sneers at me – is very, very helpful to me– reaches out her hand. I did the same thing, trying to reach this ‘kembaranku’. Gravity disappeared again. We were both floating in this white space.
“Waah, you're completely empty!” said this child close his face, as if peeking something out of my eyes.
“What?” my question does not understand.
“And the real game has just begun. Time, anyway, there was not the slightest bit left about the opening adventure of that time?”
“Aaargh! Why is everyone talking today about something I don't understand?! Why am I being forced to wonder?! You who? This is where?! Fuck what are you talking about?!” my frustration almost killed curiosity. My own figure was smiling obliquely.
“See ‘kan? Not fun, huh! Find out for yourself!”
After that he took me off, letting the sensation of gravitational pull regain control. I saw a black circle like a gaping hole down there, preparing to devour me. Before knowing what danger awaits, my mind panics first. I don't want to get sucked in there! Not want!
“Jangaaaaannnn!!!” I shouted resignedly, failing against gravity.
At least something I saw changed since entering that hole. As if in a well, my right-left was just a stone wall that was as wide in diameter as a stretch of hands, getting downwards wider and wider. The same floor made of stone grinned evilly, looking happy when I slammed on it. But something I didn't expect saved me from it.
A few meters before my bones broke because my body was blown away, I managed to float in the air. Maybe this time because of my own strength. I forgot that I mastered the technique of telekinesis. Evidenced from objects at the bottom of the well – which turned out to be a room– also floated around me. Fabrics, chairs, books, and other objects were still floating in the air even when my feet had already stepped on the floor. Hey, my telekinesis ability is able to lift this much? That means ....
My body soon collapsed followed by the fall of all the stuff. The noise was inevitable, but I didn't have time to clean up anything. That means I ended up limp losing a lot of energy after the telekinesis technique earlier. All I could see before my eyes were closed was an old woman, stooping down with her cane approaching me.
“Aquila? Aquila!!”
***
I woke up because of the heat sensation on my forehead. Climbing in shock, the old woman next to the bed I was lying on was even more shocking. Being stared at like that made me feel like a ready-to-cook mash. The smile –alias his grin– showed silver teeth which were the only teeth he had. Wrinkles around the eyes and wrinkles on the face made me guess the tens figure was about seven or eight. The whole hair has become a simple rolled gray hair up.
Well, the appearance of this woman is not much different from the grandmothers in general, but the knife in her hand is for what to bring?! Something hot on my forehead turned out to be soaking leaves somehow, the shape was dancing with mucus that was not comfortable to the touch.
“Do not remove!” this grandmother said unconsciously pointing with her knife that turned out not sharp, “let it be like that, Aquila! Your head needs hot temperatures to get better soon.”
“Aquila?”
Really, I wanted to stop asking questions a few hours ago. A few hours? Oh, I don't know, how long have I fainted? Well, right, ask again!
“This is where?” my many. Bodo! Shame to ask astray on the road! I have to ask a lot of questions to get a lot of explanations.
“Lay first! You must be exhausted after a lot of work. Messing up the room is indeed very naughty, but grandma forgives you,” replied the grandmother chuckled softly before finally leaving. My question is ignored and futile, believe me later I will find the answer.
My eyes were on everything in this room. Some things I recognized a while ago floated around affected my telekinesis. My place lay opposite the window where the light came in. Ah, how to explain it huh? The room is circular, so there are no angles and according to geometry, the circle has only one side. When I looked up, I felt as if I was living at the bottom of a well. Up there, the hole where I fell was sucked surrounded by a stone wall, but tightly closed. I can't figure out how to break in when it's like that?
Grandma had gone down the hole near the table to somewhere else under the floor. After he disappeared, I got down from the bed, peeking for a moment at the hole that turned out to be a ladder connecting with the other room below. Not daring to follow him yet, I was more curious about the scenery outside.
From the only window in this room, I looked up, finding a green expanse of hills and trees as far as the eye could see. Looking down, I dare not linger. I'm afraid of heights, hurrah! Look up, glare. Suddenly I felt like Princess Rapunzel in a tower. Unfortunately, I don't have a long golden blonde dangling down there or someone yelling, “Rapunzel! Lower your hair!”
No, there is no!
Yes, this building is a tower in the middle of the forest, next to the cliff of the hill, as if competing about height. Hey, like in a fairy tale! Am I really stuck in the tower of the witch who took Princess Rapunzel hostage? Ah, where is that beautiful princess now?!
My anxiety about the fictional character faded away on its own after I saw something darting out of space, flying low with a flaring wingspan after not so far from the window of this tower. Someone dressed in black, the direction of his flight headed here. I lowered my head when he almost hit me. Someone barged in, looking unprepared for the landing. He fell, but soon mastered the balance again.
“Why are you standing in front of the window and blocking me?!” ptotes that guy's upset. Straight ponytail hair looks dangling up to sepaha after he took off his helmet. Yes, let's assume that the head protection circle is a helmet. The black clothes attached to the slender body should look classy, it's just that the thin membrane on the arm makes the model look like a flying squirrel, or maybe this outfit is designed to function like that?
“You ... are definitely not from this world,” he said put something on his back.
“I'm glad you quickly noticed,” I replied, “where am I?”
Dream world, I hope.
So I just need to get up to get back. Before the girl could answer, the grandmother had appeared and was hysterical.
“WHO ARE YOU?!”
The girl's face was tangled instantly.
“Nek, it's me, Aquila!”
“No! Wasn't it! Please Grandma, Aquila! There are people who are trying to claim to be you! I don't know what he wants, save Grandma!”
The old man pulled me away while hiding behind my back. The girl who claimed to be named Aquila was just clucking.
“He's senile! Often does not remember his own grandson,”.
“Oh, yes, I understand how you feel. My late grandmother was like this too,” I replied, “calm down, Grandma! The one named Aquila over there.”
“You're not Aquila? So my grandson isn't there? I have no grandchildren!”
“Nek! I'm here!”
“Don't touch me! I'm a pathetic old man two strangers came to, who wasn't Aquila! Huhuuu, I will not be helped!”
“Ka ... we are not bad people, Nek!” I said trying to calm him down. For a moment he became calmer after seeing me. This old man finally wanted to lie down to rest at my place earlier.
“Who are you and come from where?” aquila asked after the grandmother fell asleep.
“My name is Shira, I came from above,” my answer is really pointing upwards. Aquila turned the eyeballs stifled.
“Alright, my question is wrong. First, from your clothes, you remind me of someone who is not from this country, so obviously you came from far away. Second, not just anyone from afar could come here. You must have had an important engagement. Just tell me, how did you get here?”
“By the way about arriving here, do you know someone named Luska?” I ask him to remember that he was responsible for my loss.
“Luska? You got in trouble with that guy? Worth it! Ah, next I can guess!” aquila moved from her place.
“Hey, hey, you can guess it while I don't! You don't understand how much my head wants to explode because it keeps circling around to find out the cause of this problem,” prevent me from holding Aquila, “besides, my question has not been answered at all since. Where am I? What important engagement do you mean?!”
“Wah, wow! Luska is still a jerk, acting arbitrarily without giving an explanation! It is true that his brain is no longer full!” aquila muttered.
“Don't even chat with the air! Answer my question!” pissed me.
“By the way, did Garuda not stop it?”
“Garuda? You know Kak Garuda?”
“Yes, he also came mysteriously like your arrival today, then it was soon discovered that he was from the black world and was a descendant of the Silver Knight, who was hoping to know how to solve the problems of this country.”
“Oh? Whoa! Then what country is this?” I followed Aquila who was walking towards the window.
“Welcome to White Country! The place of chaos has never subsided since the last decades. That's why I had to stay away from the city center, secure my grandmother here,” Aquila replied glaring far away, looking at the cloud-covered peaks of the hills.
“By the way about Luska and the others, I was too lazy to discuss it. Maybe tomorrow his entourage will pick you up, so let them explain to you themselves.”
“Puh, don't hang-hanging explanation! If you know anything, tell me right now! I'm afraid Luska is a dangerous person!” my answer was not calm, but Aquila instead chuckled softly.
“A part of us has been in danger, so what are you afraid to face?” reply Aquila lightly, leaving me staring in front of the window framing my troubled face.
.Seriate.
