Grizzled

#S2 Episode 29

I've thought. All of this has been going through my head since the beginning. I'm just being used ... with a story about the rightful heir to that shit .. with all the special treatment I never really asked for. I thought it was just a whisper of doubt to prevent me from doing the good I believed in. When I saw the crowd pleading with me to be saved at that time .. and look at my present self, I realized that the stage of the drama was so vast with infinite duration.

“I do not blame Your Majesty for refusing to join our plan. Please rest and watch after awarding the moon crystal. Thank you ... That's the most precious gift that the whole Alba will remember!”

My throat still felt narrow when there was a lot of anger lava I wanted to throw, stuck in my chest and even transformed into a clear puddle in the corner of my eye. Is this how they say thank you? Should this be ...the reward I receive for the good I believe in? But I really did not expect anything in return!

“Yang Mulia ... It's not what you think ...”

“Do not touch!” snapping beaver brushed aside Luska.

“Shoppers! You two are really assholes!”

“It's not like that, Your Honor ... I never ...”

“Do not touch!” I said brushed it away, “already expected! I thought you were the root asshole of all this! I shouldn't have listened to a damned person like you! Low-down! All you know is to use someone else!”

“Yang Mulia ..”

“Let me go, damn it! What prevents disaster?! You think your curse will vanish after this? It won't! Will not be forgiven!” my rage no matter what Luska said, banging him as I could with my hands was still blocked.

I don't wanna hear! I don't want to see this motherfucker! Overwhelmed with emotion, I twisted back Luska's hand that grabbed me, I threw it away. Ladra who was just watching from earlier smiled in satisfaction, throwing something near my feet. It exploded like a smoke bomb. An invisible nauseating scent penetrated into my lungs, snatching away my consciousness.

 ***

I shouldn't have helped them! Shouldn't be! Shouldn't ....

Those words filled my head, cornering me in such a way. All that exists now is regret and hope that everything can be repeated and I refuse to fall into this trap. My eyes opened along with the trajectory of my family's shadow at home, which had been fooled for the past few weeks, not realizing I was leaving just to usher in a disaster to them. Suddenly I was afraid to open my eyes.

The cold metal coiled around my wrist was connected to a chain linked to the ceiling of the room. I don't know what handcuffs make my hands and fingers turn blue, numb as if frozen. The floor where I lay and the walls of the room equally made of stone were so mute, in contrast to the sound of reddish-light bars glistening before me, occasionally splashing electric flashes, he said, warned me not to try to break through it occasionally.

It's not the only thing that scares me. Something that wanted to make me invisible for now was in another prison cell across the street. Eagle, looking at me expressionlessly.

I just want to die!

Or disappear and save myself from his gaze, but all I am doing right now is looking down as deeply as I can, unable to return the gaze across there to simply apologize or admit my stupidity. He already knew that I was this naive .. and perhaps he already knew that my naivety was doomed.

Brother Garuda even had to use that demonic power to protect me inviting disaster. I knew the Eagle would be so angry that he would never know me again. Maybe it was the reward I deserved, but these unbearable tears denied that speed. With all the rest of the silliness, I still dreamt that he would forgive me. Very presumptuous indeed ....

.

“Lang ..” my mummy is hoarse, still do not dare to raise your face, “maaf ... because it has involved you ... and your brother.”

Silent. It was bound and hung on only my hands, but my neck felt the same way. Suddenly as if suffocating from having to keep talking.

“Should ... I shouldn't .. never help ...”

Please, I can't take it anymore. The word should and should have poisoned me, the more inappropriately and tormented me. I didn't even realize the chains hanging my hands were cut off and hit my back and head. All I wanted to do was close my eyes in unison, driving away the rest of the tears that made me look good.

“Should and should ... We would not have murmured it had we known what happened today ..” said the voice of the Eagle suddenly sounded very close. My numb hand couldn't feel the warm touch there. The next second my blood seemed to flow back to usher in an overwhelming tingling sensation after the Eagle opened my handcuffs. Still subdued withered, I don't know how he got out of his own handcuffs and through two layers of laser-like light bars that separated us.

“Unfortunately we never know, Shir. We were given no choice to know. Murmuring should and should only make our situation even more wrong.”

That warm touch was now not only clinging to my hand, but also to my cheek, removing the wet traces there. My head was getting unbearably heavy, falling on his lap. I could not see the face of the eagle.

“But at least we've done the right thing by doing the good we believe in ... You have forced me to believe that ..” he said.

“And you have no regrets after knowing the reply for our kindness?” my many.

“Sorry? The silly jellyfish claimed to have no regrets after swapping its soul for demonic-powers for the good that it believed in. I still don't want to lose to him ... Nor am I regretting the kindness we believe in, Shir ..” said the Eagle then raised my face, “and the one who gave the recompense for our actions was not the son of a bitch. I'm not regretting anything .. or worrying about anything. This time I want to invite you to believe it.”

Crying, I really am a crybaby! For what reason I came back crying. This time my chest was like being freed from the tightness, some of my worries evaporated along with the sedu sedan that shook my shoulders. It really felt strange because the Eagle was now precisely stroking my hair as I was preparing for the explosion of his rampage. Relieved, it was the only feeling that filled my chest cavity.

“Heh, I am indeed not as good as Garuda in calming the crying little sister, but we have to hurry up from here,” he said helping me get up.

“Thank you, Lang! I'll make sure I'm responsible for all this!” my word.

Eagle is still on his flat expression, “we are all the ones who will be in charge, Shir.”

“Great Knight? Your Majesty?! You guys okay?” ask someone who suddenly appeared from the exit hallway we were going to. My half tingling hands slowly clenched to look at Luska. Then without warning this fist I thrust as hard as I could towards him. My distance with Luska was still about five steps, but the effect of my punch was as if it was delivered by air, propagating and targeting his cheek before he could avoid it. Whether it got strength from nowhere, my punch threw Luska all the way to hit the wall of the hallway.

“Wah .. wow! I'm not following!” said the Eagle raise his hand behind me. My chest was still going up and down as if I wasn't satisfied to see Luska being thrown like that.

“Again ... Your Majesty,” said Luska while rising to wipe the blood on the corner of his lips, “do it again .. if Your Majesty is still upset.”

“YOU CHALLENGED ME, HA?!”

“Ah, hold on first, Shir! We're gonna beat him up after we get out of this place, okay?” answer the Eagle holding my hand from the lust of killing, “nah, where's the way out?”

“Se ... here,” replied Luska walked first with a limp.

“Why do you trust him, Lang?!” my protest.

“He has kept his promise of hacking the prison guards to free us, so I want to see how far he can be trusted,” replied the Eagle.

“Yang Mulia ..”

“DIAM! I don't want to hear your voice!”

“Wah, the little cat that was crying just now turned into a wild tiger,” comments Eagle. I only snorted miserably, avoiding Luska's pretentious gaze. I don't want to be deceived even though Luska is actually leading this escape route. Somewhat surprised as well because the Eagle this time easily trusted someone.

We plan to escape to hide Kak Garuda and Aquila. He is known to have demonic powers. Riots are erupting out there. Some groups from the defense and technology departments did not seem to be taking my side, making Kak Garuda the reason for my arrest who had allied with the demonic forces, while the people who were still in the know were grateful even more, besieged the castle and managed to take control of the castle so far. Ladra was forced to retreat to his favorite department.

“For a favorable situation, we must quickly leave this cloud land. The Head of the Board controls two important departments and will soon turn things around,” Luska said. I still can't figure out why he even defected from his own father and seemed to be on my side. Only ‘seolah’ ‘kan? Just watch out if he ends up messing things up. Just watch!

The hallway we were walking through ended up in a circular iron door that looked solid. Luska fiddled with it for a moment, entering the access code that the security system requested. The system repeatedly raved about the risk of breaching security protocols by opening these doors, confirming Luska's repeated actions.

“This emergency exit is connected directly to the base of cloud land, we can escape to Garuda and Aquila hideout safely only through this door,” explained Luska.

“Bodo highly! Actually do you really know the code or just pretentious to know?” tanya Eagle can not stand also with this chatty system, “don't-don't the access code has been reset from the center. Ladra is in control of the people in the integrated system control center ‘kan?”

“Ah, correct. Then I should also deactivate my communication device!”

“You should have done that from earlier!” sebal.

“Um, it turns out that the access code to open this door was just reset ... and my communication device settings also ... suddenly cannot be deactivated,” said Luska.

“What does it mean?”

“That is, we can't get out and will be tracked soon,” replied Eagle took over the input panel on the door. This time he was the one who pretended to press any number and indeed the basis was that I did not know the contents of the Eagle's head. With just any number he entered, the circular door of thick metal before us managed to shift open.

“Where do you know the new access code?” ask Luska.

“Well, if you just reset the possibility of fate using the standard code up to five minutes ahead, the numbers one through eight. That's what I've heard from the audiobook at the database,” replied the Eagle sniffing his shoulders.

“Come quickly, Shir! This door only opened two minutes before it finally closed again!” said Eagle hurriedly pulled my hand, freefalling through the thin fog which a moment later greeted the vast expanse of oceanic landscape.

“What are our plans, Lang?!” I just need to scream while still tightening our grip.

“There are those who pick us up soon then drive to Garuda!” reply Eagle.

“A minute? Before we splash and sink ‘kan?”

“Ah, depends, anyway!”

“What do you mean?!”

“If you can slow down this free fall, maybe better! Use your power!” replied the Eagle.

“I've done it since, but you're heavy, you know! It is not at all easy to bear twice as much body weight as my own!” my reply had to draw both hands to maximize my efforts.

“Fight, Shir. In a moment!”

In the next second the familiar Garuda lithe sound was heard splitting the atmosphere. The wide stretch of paxii wings in the distance seemed welcoming, grabbing the two of us in time. With a completely unsavory position on the back of this beast, the Eagle and I had to hold on until they touched the shoreline. That's where we just fixed the right sitting position and continued the journey.

Paxii moves deeper and deeper into an island. I never thought how this beast knew the hiding place of Kak Garuda and Aquila, but in reality he drove us to the right place. At the foot of the limestone hill, the cave holes that only one person could pass through were where the paxii finally stopped. A person's head appeared from within.

“Oh, hi, hurry in and don't linger outside! This place is called a hideout! Let's use it best!” said Aquila. He examined for a moment the paxii we had been riding, whispered something and then the beast flew back.

“There was no sign of a tracking device on him, so I let him back. Luska might still need it,” Aquila said driving us in further. After a few meters the narrow hole felt squeezed, then the room in it felt so relieved. Almost as wide as the school hall with glowing rocks shimmered on the ceiling of the cave, giving a beautiful illumination inside here. Someone who pretended to lie down on one of the flat rocks immediately woke up to see our arrival.

“My sisters!”

“Kak Garudaaa!” seruku welcomes his warm greeting. Let it be, it's weird! Who is Garuda's brother?

“Silver is fine?” my many.

“Hum! I'm still handsome and healthy!” he replied with a completely undiminished level of confidence, “Shiralah that made me anxious after the arrest of yang ... Geez, this is your hand why are you bruising like this?!”

“Wah? This is a new talisman huh, Brother?” I turned my attention, seeing that there was a black beaded necklace with small pads containing the same black powder.

“Iya! Cool ‘kan?”

“The most important thing is its usefulness. Hopefully this is better than the previous talisman,” hope I. Garuda didn't want to talk about it. He greeted his own younger brother without leaving a special laugh that did not win the Eagle's heart at all. Her sister was more interested in chatting with Aquila about a serious topic that had occurred in the past few hours.

“You are aware or not? Aang and Aquila were eleven twelve, you know!” kak Garuda said. I blinked for a moment, watching the two, from the flat expression of uninspiredness, the same flat tone of speech, as well as the tension and seriousness on the faces of the two who refused to be seen. Aye ... The same!

“Regardless, Aquila's Aang in chick version!”

“Ih, right, Brother! Since the beginning of meeting Aquila I was confused guessing, the effect seemed familiar! It looks like an eagle!” my reply.

“Heh, what are you two doing?!” reply Hawk sewot.

“This, here, Ang! I want to tell Shira about the story behind my left eyebrow that there was a scratch until it broke like this. Do you remember yourself, Eenggak? Which finally makes you afraid of fireworks until now!” kak Garuda said.

“Heeh? Eagle's afraid of fireworks?” I just don't believe it.

“Fireworks, firecrackers too. Try, deh, take Aang out on new year's night if he really wants!”

“Wah, waah! Why is it like that, sister?”

“You ... stop serving om-om less that work! Geez, nothing has changed for you, Gar! Even after such a precarious situation! Sometimes think seriously!” reply Eagle.

“I really don't want anything to change, Ang! It is not at all pleasant if you are constantly tense and worried about me!” answer Brother Garuda.

“Sorry, Gar. We were already worried about you, so shut up!” aquila Sahut.

 ***

After Aquila's words earlier Garuda's sister was completely silent, choosing to go back to the bottom while closing her eyes with her arms, sleeping. I know this kind of situation is indeed bad for a person who can never be as serious as it seems.

“Conspirations soon spread among the people, attributing Garuda's former failure as his reason for allying with the devil to avenge the whole country, being with His Majesty seems to be a hero when there is a grand plan of conquest throughout Alba by using His Majesty as a puppet. Such is the nonsense that Ladra,” followers believe Aquila said.

“I don't care about conspiracies or civil wars that soon finish this country off. Most importantly how do I extract that demonic power from my brother?” ask Eagle.

“By sealing it with His Majesty's strength in the area named terminator, the boundary between day and night,” said a vote joined the conversation.

“Luska? Have you managed to disable your communication device?” ask Eagle.

“Yes, Great Knights ... I also while looking for some information,” replied Luska. I still have my regrets, but this time I'll hold back.

“By the way, your own device how, Aquila?”

“I've activated in advance,” replied Aquila.

“Anu .. how did you say, Luska? That demonic power must be sealed with my power?” my many.

“Yes, Your Honor. That evil power could only be neutralized by the lofty power of the rightful heir, sealed together in the crystal sword of the Great Knight. We need to do it on a remote island in the middle of the ocean when the real area is also the boundary of the two worlds was traversed by the terminator line, the limit of day and night,” explained Luska, “so the note I got from Miss Yastra.”

“Island secluded in the middle of the ocean? The terminator line, right? Where is the position of the area?” my many.

“Um, I don't know for sure. The place was actually also the boundary of two worlds, the most possible place to open the giant portal that the Head of the Council wanted for the invasion of Nigra. Sealing the demonic power along with the power of His Highness could also simultaneously permanently lock onto the potential of the giant portal. We can simultaneously undo the invasion plan and save two worlds!”

Luska's explanation made me more excited to think.

“Hm, briefly, a remote island in the middle of the ocean huh? Could it be ... the coral island where Griseo was imprisoned?” my guess. It's the only remote island in the middle of the ocean I've ever been to.

“Oh, right! Right, Your Majesty! That island! It also seems impossible to be called a coincidence if Griseo was imprisoned there. It must have been intentional so that no one carelessly approached the island before the Council Chief's plan was implemented!” answer Luska. That connection is too suitable indeed!

“Then, all we need to do is move faster than Ladra. While above the clouds there is chaos, we must finish things before Ladra's forces take control of the region!” sahut Eagle.

“Alright, don't buy time! Come on, everyone, we go there!” seruku excited. A promising solution was in sight!

“Lang, by the way where is your sword? I haven't seen him since we got back from the Grey World,“ I asked.

“Put on my back like that time. I can pull it when needed later,” replied Eagle.

“Oh, great! Come on, Brother Garuda is also getting ready ..”

My enthusiastic raut vanished knowing that Brother Garuda also disappeared from his place. He had slept on the stone, but now .. all that remained was a scattering of black beads from his amulet necklace that had been severed.

“Kak Garuda ...”

.Seriate.