Grizzled
#S2 Episode 26
A bunch of fireflies in the distance seems to be swarming someone, or actually someone himself emerged from a bunch of fireflies? I don't know! Its existence could not be hidden in this space that only existed completely and it was not at all strange if I approached it. Because in the darkness, anyone just wanted to go to the point of light.
A few steps away from him, the human form turned its head. His white mane gasped as his body also turned around, looking at me fixedly.
“Sakti ..” gumamku slowly. The man called my name back and I called out his name even louder once more, enthusiastically approaching him closer, hoping to grab his hand or anything after the memory circuit with him I had again. However, it turns out that currently Sakti is only a bunch of light that is penetrated when I touch.
Regardless of the figure that I can not touch, I still feel happy because I got the opportunity to see his smile that is still as friendly as before after appearing in my dreams so far only a very foreign little Sakti. My own smile refused to be hidden, but had not had time to mince words, Sakti first said something.
“Relations and guilt are terrible indeed! Both can be dark shadows that imprint in the depths of the heart, appear at any time and weaken instantly,” he said without me knowing why suddenly discuss this, “then from that, regret should not exist. There should be nothing to regret.”
I was silent for a while, digging through my heaps of memories of regret, a mountain of guilt, and an unpleasant past. Last time I remembered about it, a name came to my head.
“What do you mean Eagle?” my many.
“Not only Eagle, but me too, you too. There are always consequences to every situation, including in doing the good we believe in, but there is nothing to regret because good is good
The next second the figure of Sakti vanished just before I could reply with a word or two. I was alone in the black room that was silent for a few moments. Then the touch from nowhere on my forehead felt warm, giving me the strength to open my eyes.
Highlight those typical half-sleepy eyes became the first thing I saw.
“Although not seriously injured, you still wake up last. The queen of molor!”
I just blinked for a while. If there is a nomination for the best bakot trigger award, then Dirgaraja Eagle is at the top. After my memory returned, the image of his chatty and annoying that imprinted in every togetherness we could not deny. Ah, no chatter, he's quiet, but his talent started the bickering, you know! Geez!
“Who are you?” I was lazy to run a scene. It was unexpected that the two words I said earlier changed the Eagle's facial expression in an instant. His cold face and martial will changed into shock mixed with dismay.
“No way, Shir ... Something wrong with your head?”
I had to shut my mouth to hold back the laughter. Did the eagle really take my words seriously? Well, I managed to work on it even though I didn't intend to! I'm sure Kak Garuda will also be twisted to see his sister's expression now.
“Heh! Be quiet! Not funny!”
My laughter had not stopped even as the Eagle toyed with my cheeks growling furiously, swallowing back the rest of his anxiety.
“Once again you joke like that I'll hit for real! I hit real, know!” he said that it was not at all scary to bully with such a flushed face.
“Aduh, yes, Lang ... yes! Sorry, deh!” my answer is back to muffling laughter. Someone who had been standing in the doorway of the room caught my eye.
“Oh, hi, Luska!” my sap made the Eagle turn the same way, “eh? Aren't you in Nigra?”
“Um, yes, me and Aquila are home,” the answer came to us both, “ happy to see Your Majesty recovering, Great Knight too. Alba residents definitely welcome the joy of this good news.”
“Eh? Why are you and Aquila home? Our business there how?”
“The head of the Council is reviewing everything after the conquest of the Grey World succeeded,” replied Luska.
“Ah, right, we did it yes, Lang?”
“And you will feel good to sleep for days after that, even though your injuries are not at all severe compared to the previous!” reply Eagle.
“Oh yes? How many days have you been?” my many.
“Eight days,” Luska replied. Heh?! That long?! Am I sleeping or hibernating, anyway?!
“Jadi ... I've missed anything during those eight days?” my many. Somehow the Eagle even left, as if not tasteful to follow the conversation. He said he wanted to see Garuda. Ah, right, Brother Garuda was also injured that night ‘ right?
“I just returned to Alba three days ago and have seen a lot of progress. Your Majesty can see for himself later. In essence, most of the surface has been clean from the Grey World,” explained Luska.
“How much?” my many.
Luska smiled for a moment before replying, “Ninety-eight percent.”
“Wah? You kidding?! The Grey World we defeated was only a patch of school area, the conquest was almost two months, the clean area in Alba was only one small town. How could one last conquest that was only less than twenty-four hours be able to clear that much territory?!” my cecars don't believe it.
“I don't really understand myself, Your Majesty. The order back to Alba before counting down to a week since departure took me by surprise, but the news of the disappearance of the Grey World as much as that was the only good thing I ended up hearing,” Luska replied.
Good news, huh? Is correct. Now it's my turn to work on my own good news.
***
Not wanting to lie down for long, I forcefully left the treatment room. A scan of my health condition showed that my physical and psychological performance improved. There's no reason to stay here any longer. I want to quickly find out the progress of the situation.
The head of the Council greeted me upon arrival at the castle. He wore an eye patch on his left eye. As I remembered the moment before Labe opened the portal to the Grey World dragging me with the Eagle, the attack that day.
“Compared to the lost, I and the whole people of Alba get back something much more valuable. The disappearance of most of the Grey World from the surface made me unreasonable to regret this eye defect!” answer Ladra. This old man could not hide the joy that was seen from the wrinkles around his eyes when he smiled.
“That's all thanks to Your Majesty!” he added.
“Ah, ma'am .. It's not just me alone fighting behind it all, Head of the Board!”
“True, Great Knight Eagle and Young Knight Garuda as well. We have thanked the two first.”
“Not only the two of them, but all the people in the other departments who also supported this mission. Say thank you to them as well,” I added remembered Professor Cakra and Miss Yastra, “I am sure until now those people have not stopped working following up on the latest situation.”
“Yes, Your Honor. If you don't mind, I'd like to explain a lot about that exhilarating recent situation,” Ladra said.
The clean surface of the Grey World not only restored the Alba region, but also left the moon crystal with an energy hundreds of times greater than the previous moon crystal. It makes sense because the Grey World that was eliminated is very broad and the positive energy that is released automatically also gets bigger. The defense department has deployed a number of troops to deploy magic deterrents and neutralize negative energies in areas of liberation while besieging the remaining Grey World. In the near future, the relocation of the population to the surface will be done immediately after the stability of security really becomes a definite thing.
The point is, everything is going well as expected. Too good in fact! The mission on the surface that day was only intended to find the sword belonging to the Eagle, but it was unexpected that the demon lord of the Grey World itself had invited us to enter there and everything ended as well as this. I thought the conquest of the Grey World would last a long time and we would have to go in and out of it over and over again. In reality me and the Eagle only needed to go in there once more to clear the remaining two percent of the Grey World.
I remember Kak Garuda once promised me a way and now is the right time to charge it. Bamitan after hearing all the reports of the Head of the Board, I want to quickly meet Kak Garuda. I thought he was still being treated because I heard that the Eagle was going to look at him, it turns out that Garuda's sister is not in her room, nor is the Eagle. The guard had seen him come out with Aquila just a moment ago. Ah, yes, Aquila! I also want to have a chat and ask this about the home and school affairs because he was the one who replaced my position over the past few days.
Some guards at the castle gate did not allow me to go out –heh, since when did they dare to ban-forbidden?! The residents will soon begin a celebratory parade of my great victory. All of that I can safely enjoy from the top of the front tower. For security reasons, I'd better not leave the castle first, they said. Ah, fine, whatever! I went back in, thinking about seeing Kak Garuda later. For the time being, I was somehow curious about the parade the guard was referring to. I climbed the stairs to reach the top of the tower they were referring to.
Apparently there's someone else up here. His position was behind me, facing the expanse of Alba cloud land below.
“You already know about the parade huh, Lang?” I approached her, somewhat keeping my distance from the edge of the wall as high as my chest. The hustle and bustle of the land above these clouds is still quite visible from where I stand. Then the people who seemed to walk on the fog, the checkered building with various heights had lit some lights, and at some point the center of the crowd seemed to be people lined up long, long, the parade really begins. I'm not sure if the Eagle's attention is really on that scene because it looks like ... Dreamy eagle?
Maybe not really. He heard my question, but then just turned his head and responded with a straight look without saying a word.
“A ... What's up?” tanyaku.
“I already know,” she replied, “parade to celebrate your victory!”
“ Celebrating our victory more precisely!” I replied, “for now the proud inhabitants of Alba are not just me, you know! They didn't forget you! Don't worry!”
“I don't care if they don't consider me,” replied the Eagle, “their praise and flattery is not something I need, let alone make me want to linger here.”
A moment later then I understood the thing he was worried about –yah, I had known it since the beginning of– but Eagle so easily worried just because of today's parade.
“Take it easy, Lang! The deal I still remember. No matter how much the people of this country worship me, I will still go home!” my answer is sure, even though I do not know how to know the consequences. Clearly, I still have the desire to return to where I came from!
“I'm not worried about that, Shir,” said Eagle. Dih, but it was clearly headed there.
“You're worrying too much at the same time, Lang!” my answer.
“I do get used to feeling anxious when things are going too well,” he said he suddenly stunned me for a moment, flailing over the term ‘too good' in my memory. Too good, huh? It was as Maurin had said.
“Entah why I want to be careful when everything goes very well and smoothly. Conquest of the Grey World is so easy, do you think it will be that easy, Shir?” ask Eagle.
“Oh, it shouldn't be like that, but I think it's only natural that we're experienced and no longer fumbling for the truth. No more weird mysteries that make it difficult for us,” I replied. The eagle just nodded in response to my words.
“Ya, yes .. hopefully there is no,” he replied.
“You know something, Lang?” my question, “you must have realized something I didn't realize.”
“Come,” replied The Eagle sniffed his shoulder, “I don't like to indulge in feelings, but it feels weird, weird ... Ah, forget it, Shir! This feeling is not based on anything!”
After saying so the Eagle went with all the hassles in his mind.
***
I know meeting someone at night is actually disrespectful because I would most likely interrupt his break, but I've been waiting since the afternoon. Now seems like a good time to talk about it.
Knock on the door of Garuda's room. Since being recognized as the guest of honor, Kak Garuda's room is separate from the Eagle's room although it is still adjacent to its own building complex in this castle. It is not so far from my room and I can go back and forth without getting lost –yeah!
“This is Shira, Sister. Is Kak Garuda inside?” I asked after a few minutes of no response while I heard a voice in there.
“Hai, Shira! We haven't seen each other since the evacuation and you fell asleep for a long time!” said someone who finally appeared behind the door, still with his friendly smile meaki was a bit pale. Tear wounds on his right eyebrow also left stitches.
“Yes, here! Brother Garuda is okay?” my many.
“Hey, I even woke up the earliest even before Aang, you know! I'm obviously fine!"
“Oh yes? Whoa, whoa!”
“Shira wants to talk something?” tanyakanya. My answer is a nod.
“Kak Garuda do not mind if I enter? I want to ask you that time ... Eh? Brother Garuda!” seruku panicked because he suddenly fell on the floor.
“I ... it's okay .. it's okay ... We'd better talk about tomorrow ... I understand what you are going to ask ..” replied Kak Garuda stammered as he lowered his forehead with an irregular gasping breath.
“I .. Yes, but Kak Garuda why? Is anyone sick? Let me call someone ...”
“No, no! No need!” replied Kak Garuda hurriedly pulled my hand, “don't call anyone ...”
Something that made me silent next was not only Kak Garuda's voice that suddenly raspy and sounded different, but the pain in my hands as well. Kak Garuda's sharp claws that had grown out of nowhere automatically scratched my skin.
“Kak Garu ... da ..”
A pair of eyes that always look in line because they often smile it now looks like snake eyes, peeking slowly when Kak Garuda raised his face. His grip was getting stronger along with a grin that was also widening. I was just about to scream before Garuda finally looked aghast, back to his normal form.
“Shi ... Shira!”
He hurriedly removed his grip from my already bloody hand, looking at me in shock and panic for a moment. Geez! What the fuck was that?! I immediately edged back, avoiding Kak Garuda's eyes.
“You ... You saw it? You've seen it! Please, Shira ..”
Yeah, I saw it! I saw Kak Garuda momentarily turning into a demon! Who still wants to linger?! I hurriedly darted through the door, but Brother Garuda first pulled me back, closing the door tightly.
“Please, don't go anywhere first ... I can give you an explanation!” the door is hopeful. My legs have not stopped shaking even though Garuda's legs look has returned to normal.
“I have an explanation ... Please, listen ...”
.Seriate.
