Reborn As A Haier-Elvian: The Blood Hunter And The Warlock (Replace To New Account)

Chapter 03 "Mainlanding Towards an Adventure Path"

For some time, I was like floating around in a dark, empty room. An alien dimension, where there is nothing but cold empty space. There's nothing I can do here. Besides waiting where this room will take me.

Why is this happening to me? Am I really going to die?

I don't know what comes to my mind, dying like this is not a bad thing. I can finally stop bothering others. That's the thought in my head. But ... In my heart, I screamed out for this bad luck.

I still want to live. I want to be useful to others. At least I don't want to die doing nothing.

"I ...."

Suddenly I felt pulled by the strong force of gravity. I don't know what happened, the empty dimension I was in shrank and shrank, before finally disappearing without a trace.

My body was thrown from a high altitude at high speed. The cold weather pierced my bones from all directions. My breath was a little congested due to lack of oxygen and great air pressure. My five senses began to function. Full control over myself came back to me. The first one to work was my ear which caught the noise. The beginning was faint, but the longer it became clear to my ears.

"What the fuck is this ...?! What's going on!?"

"We will die like this ...!!!"

"Why are we suddenly up in the sky?!!!"

I opened both eyes, and realized the voice that sounded earlier was the screams of Dimas and the rest of the eskul club friends. Their figures somehow suddenly appeared beside me. Not yet able to think clearly, I was again made flabbergasted. When he looked up his head, a vast expanse of green forest was plastered before his eyes. On the other hand, the super-large morning sun peeked out from behind the arch of the sky. Although blocked by clouds, I am very sure the sun is several times the size of the sun that I used to know. My head feels spinning. But it didn't make me realize I was falling from the sky upside down.

Waitaminute! What the hell is going on?

When I traced the track record of events back, it all started when I picked up a pin from the bottom of the river. Then it suddenly shone brightly, giving off heat that roasted all over my body. After that no matter what happens, me and some people can miraculously be above the sky. My common sense really can't concern me with all this strange sequence of events.

But now that's not the center of my attention. Below is a forest that is getting closer. With a height like this, anyone would definitely die once it hit the ground. Plus I don't have anything like a parachute that can slow down the rate of gravity.

Suddenly, there was a man walking up my sleeves. The man also grabbed someone else's shirt with one of his hands.

"Hold me! Don't let go of whatever happens!"

The dimas?

At his command, everyone who was in freefall tried to hold each other. Not everyone does it right away. Because there are some people who are afraid or waiting to be saved. At first I fell into a disarray, but after gathering with this man, the direction of my trajectory turned. Dimas maneuvered above the air, and steered it into a large river that split the green forest.

Every second we walk, the more we cut our distance to the river flow down there. I get ready while closing my eyes. Alert the position of my body perpendicular to the bottom to reduce the pain due to collisions with the surface of the water from a height. Or maybe too scared to see what happens next.

Moments later, my body fell into the river. All my body ached like being forcefully fattened. The most grateful thing is the depth of the riverbed that makes me not directly hit the bottom. The clear waters of the river below the surface, made my eyes catch some shadows of others falling into the river. Unable to swim, I relied on Dimas whose arms I had been holding tightly since.

The man brought me to the surface. The air went straight into my congested lungs. Along with someone else, he tried to drag us to the edge. The swift flow of the river made it difficult for us to get to the other side. My head repeatedly sank beneath the surface of the river. Even we were almost washed away by the current before finally getting stuck in the rocks. Even though I can't swim, I try to shake my hands and feet as much as I can. Hoping to at least help us get a little away from the middle of the river.

After fighting for some time, we finally made it to the edge. I coughed and pulled water out of my mouth. My head is still a little shimmering. Hand trembling. I was so scared. I really can't believe I survived what just happened.

"Bring here! Put him here!"

Unbeknownst to me, Dimas was helping someone who had fainted after getting it out of the water while I was scared. Then he went again to the river to help others who were washed away. Not only is he one, some other friends who are still sane also help. It seemed like his actions had moved the hearts of people.

It took a while until everyone was saved. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured. Most are bruises caused by collisions with river water from heights and rocks times. Most people seem traumatized by what they have just experienced. So do I. Cowering under a tree while hugging my own wet body, to dampen the cold and fear trembling that penetrated into my body.

"Is everything safe?" ask Indra.

"Okay, but it looks like it's already."

"There are still others who have not survived" said Dimas who sat on a wooden stump. His face was filled with sadness. "People. We still can't find him. We don't even know what happened to him after he suddenly disappeared into that fog. I hope he's okay."

Wait, what did he just say? I'm glad he's worried about me, but he doesn't like being forgotten. Especially when I'm right next to him. But something's weird. It wasn't just Dimas who showed such a face. Everyone is also looking down. As if to regret what happened to me.

I returned to astonishment. Have they forgotten my presence?

Strengthening the courage, I raised my hand so that all the gazes were fixed here. "Anu .. I'm here."

After declaring my presence, they were astonished. They looked at each other with confused faces. It was silent for a moment to observe me closely, just like when someone was about to buy things carefully. I feel a little uncomfortable. It was as if being stripped naked by the intense gazes from them. Some of them whispered to the person next to them. Dimas turned his head towards me, then raised his eyebrows.

"I was curious. Who are you? I don't remember anyone like you in Eskul Karate. And also .. I'm curious about this. Sorry if I'm not polite!" The man looked at me with a strange and unfamiliar look, then gulped.

I turned my body back to hit the trunk of the tree, when Dimas extended his hand towards my head. His finger drew closer to the cheek, then revealed a long hair that had broken down to the chest.

Wait up! I never remember my hair all this time.

"Geez!" jolt Dimas when touching my ear. He stroked her gently like an old man twisting his beard. "Who and what exactly are you. Your ears are long!"

Kontan I hold both earlobes myself. My hands fumbled from the bottom up. There is a mismatch of the shape, texture, and length of the current earlobe with the one I have remembered before. My ears have a softer, more elastic texture. But the most prominent is its length which is approximately 20cm.

"W-What the fuck? What the hell happened to me?" my cry with trembling.

"Stranquilize moment! First of all, can you tell me your name? Then, did you fall with us?" asked Dimas while touching my goosebumps.

"I ... Angels. Anggi's a Mandatria."

Everyone looks at each other. They clearly look confused. I was also amazed by their reaction. Do they really not know me?

"Pig? Your name is similar to our members who are small in size," said captain Eskul who was drying his clothes on a tree branch.

"It was me, Anggi the Midget. Didn't you give me that nickname, Indra?"

In the moment when everyone was silent in astonishment, Dimas suddenly clasped my shoulders tightly. I was terrified to see his sharp look. This time he looked at me with such eyes. "Hey, we just lost a friend. I won't forgive if you lie like that."

"But I really am Anggi. What good is it that I lied?" reply brief.

"But you're different from the Anggi I know."

"Different? Meanin?"

The man stuttered. His mouth repeatedly opened, but made no sound. Instantly, my eyes were glued to his open forehead, revealing a clear beam of stitch wounds along two fingertips. It reminds me of something.

"The wound" I said, pointing to his forehead. "You got it when you fell out of a tree behind the school when we first met."

Dimas was immediately stunned. His eyes were wide open looking at me in disbelief. Maybe in his mind he wondered how I knew it.

But of course I know. How could I forget the evidence of my friendship with him? The wound happened because he was trying to take back my bag that was hooked into the tree. At that time I was often colonized by classmates, but I think this time it was outrageous. No one could help me then. It was late in the afternoon and the tree was a little away from the school. As I cried incessantly under the tree, it was Dimas who came to my aid.

He climbed a tall tree to return my bag, though he fell in the end because of a slip. He laughed and told me not to worry about him. That's what made me friends with him.

As I recall Dimas is not a person who likes to tell stories about the past and personal things to others. So I'm pretty sure, besides his family, I'm the only one who knows the origin of the wound on his forehead. If he still doesn't believe me after this, I'm confused what else I should do to make him believe. I know my ears are long, But .. Why does he doubt that I am Anggi?

Is the change in the shape of my ears so great that he and the others cannot recognize me?

"Why did it go that way, anyway? Why are you acting so strange?" ask me with a big question mark.

"Change? Oh, true! I wonder why my ears can be this long."

"You know? It's not just your ears that have changed" Dimas said. Then look the other way. "Can anyone lend me a mirror?"

One of the identical twins, Vian, reached into his wet sweater pocket and took out a folding mirror from inside. Dimas took it from the girl's hand, and then he gave it to me.

Everyone was silent and waiting for me. It's a little annoying, but I'm trying to ignore it. The slippery surface because it was wet made it difficult for me to open the mirror. After four attempts, I was finally able to open the folding mirror. The water grains seem to stick to the surface. I guessed it by hand so that the mirror could be used.

Saat itulah aku terperangah dengan apa yang terbayang di cermin. Di dalam sana, terbayang cerminan seorang gadis muda. Mata berwarna hijau permatanya tampak tegas, namun menyilaukan. Hidungnya kecil dan mancung. Wajahnya disempurnakan dengan bibir tipis nan sensual yang berwarna merah meskipun tak memakai lipstik. Namun yang paling menarik perhatianku adalah adanya sesuatu yang mencuat dari surai panjang dan tebal milikku. Kusibakkan rambut ke belakang telinga. Seperti yang kuraba sebelumnya, daun telinga itu memang panjang dan ujungnya lancip. Bentuk yang sangat berbeda dari orang normal.

Satu hal yang kusadari, bayangan itu bukanlah orang lain, melainkan diriku sendiri. Seketika itu aku terkaget, mentalku jatuh dengan cepat.

"I-Ini aku ...?" ucapku dengan gemetar.

Tak dapat dipungkiri lagi, sosok gadis muda yang ada di dalam cermin adalah aku. Seketika itu juga aku langsung mengecek tubuhku sendiri. Aku tersadar dengan keanehan-keanehan lain pada tubuhku. Kulitku yang berwarna sawo matang menjadi lebih putih mulus bak porselen layaknya gadis-gadis Asia Timur. Dengan kelembutan setara sutra dan mulus tanpa bulu. Pada bagian dada, tumbuh dua gundukan yang tidak seharusnya laki-laki miliki. Bukan hanya itu, aku juga tak merasakan keberadaan apa pun di antara kedua kakiku.

Aku semakin bergidik ngeri setelah mendapati banyaknya perubahan pada diriku. Tidak, dari pada berubah lebih seperti berganti tubuh baru. Ketakutan menelusupi dalam hatiku yang terdalam. Aku menjatuhkan cermin. Menundukan kepala selagi mencengkram erat rambutku.

"Tidak mungkin! Ini tidak mungkin!"

"Tenanglah dulu! Aku tahu kau pasti terkaget. Untuk sekarang, jangan panik! Mari kita pikirkan tentang hal ini bersama-sama." Kak Shella merangkul bahu dan mengelus belakang kepalaku, membuatku merasa sedikit lebih baik.

"Apa lagi yang perlu dipikirkan? Bukankah semua ini karena Anggi? Karena dia kita semua terperangkap kabut hitam aneh, lalu secara ajaib bisa terjatuh dari atas langit, dan terakhir ... kita terdampar entah di mana!" Tiba-tiba Kak Erik berujar dengan nada ketus.

"Tunggu! Jangan simpulkan seenaknya hanya dari dugaan seperti itu! Aku yakin, pasti ada penjelasan yang logis tentang insiden ini," protes Kak Shella,

"Penjelasan apa? Ini sudah jelas! Semua tampak baik-baik saja sebelum dia membawa benda aneh itu!! Kalau—."

"Berisik! Kau bisa diam, tidak!!?" Di tengah perdebatan, Dimas tiba-tiba berteriak kencang. Suaranya mampu menggetarkan hati orang-orang dan membuat hening seketika. Lelaki itu menatap tajam pada kakak kelasnya.

"Apa maksudmu berkata seperti itu, hah? Kau ingin cari mati?"

Kak Erik yang perangainya tidak mau kalah, sempat hendak meluapkan emosinya. Namun segera ditahan oleh Kak Indra yang berada di sebelahnya.

"Diamlah kalian semua! Dari pada bertengkar mencari siapa yang salah, lebih baik sekarang kita pikirkan untuk keluar dari sini. Apa ada yang ponselnya masih hidup?" Kak Indra menginstruksikan semua orang untuk mengecek barang bawaan masing-masing. Banyak dari mereka yang ponselnya mati karena konslet atau hilang di dasar sungai. Hanya ada satu orang saja yang ponselnya hidup. "Apa kau dapat sinyal? Bisa kau telepon seseorang?" tanya Kak Indra pada orang itu.

"Tidak, aku tidak dapat sinyal sama sekali."

"Sebenarnya di mana kita sekarang? Hutan ini sangat berbeda dengan tempat kita berkemah," gumamnya seraya mengamati sekeliling.

Aku mengikuti pandangannya. Sesuai perkataan Kak Indra, struktur dan komposisi hutan ini berbeda jauh dengan sebelumnya. Pohon-pohon di hutan ini tumbuh sangat tinggi dan bisa mencapai puluhan meter, tidak seperti sebelumnya yang pendek-pendek. Dengan rindangnya dedaunan, membuat beberapa pohon saling membentuk kanopi bertumpuk, meneduhkan siapa pun yang berada di bawahnya.

Intensitas cahaya matahari yang jatuh ke bawah tidak terlalu banyak, karena itulah lingkungan di bawah sini cukup lembap. Lumut hijau dan rerumputan tumbuh dengan subur di batang pohon dan bebatuan. Ditambah dengan aliran sungai jernih yang lebar dan besar seperti danau.

"Sepertinya kita memang bukan berada di hutan kemah. Padahal sebelumnya sudah malam, tapi saat ini matahari justru baru mau naik," ujar Kak Shella.

"Apa kita mengalami semacam teleportasi?" timpal Vani yang tiba-tiba mengeluarkan suaranya. "Seperti yang ada di film-film barat itu?"

"Entahlah, aku sendiri tidak tahu. Yang jelas kita benar-benar berpindah tempat."

"Hei, apa kalian dengar sesuatu?"

Atas ucapan Dimas, semua orang langsung menghentikan suara. Kucoba menajamkan indera pendengaran. Dari kejauhan, suara percakapan beberapa orang terdengar jelas. Mungkin ada sekitar lima atau tujuh orang, beberapa di antaranya perempuan, dan ada sebuah suara semacam binatang yang tak kuketahui dengan pasti. Meski dapat mendengar suara mereka, aku tidak tahu apa yang dibicarakan karena terlalu jauh. Suara langkah kaki mengindikasikan gerombolan itu tengah mengarah kemari.

"Mereka datang!" seruku dengan pelan.

Dimas dan teman-teman yang lain menoleh mengikuti arah pandanganku berada. Semuanya tampak berhati-hati dan waspada. Setiap detiknya, suara perbincangan dan langkah kaki itu semakin jelas terdengar oleh telingaku. Aku menelan ludah. Takut bila nasib buruk yang terjadi sampai saat ini, masih belum berakhir.

Satu detik kemudian, beberapa orang datang dari sela-sela pepohonan yang rimbun. Mereka tersentak dan mematung ketika berpapasan dengan kami. Orang-orang itu memakai pakaian yang aneh seperti orang suku pedalaman. Dilengkapi beberapa senjata tradisional seperti panah, belati, tombak, dan semacam parang.

Tapi yang membuatku dan teman-teman lain takjub adalah keberadaan binatang yang terus meringkik. Tampak serasi dengan bulu putih tanpa nodanya, ekornya yang panjang terurai hingga menyentuh tanah. Bentuknya nyaris mirip dengan kuda. Namun yang membedakannya adalah adanya tanduk tunggal yang mencuat dari kepalanya. Entah mengapa, hewan itu mengingatkaku pada cerita fiksi yang sering muncul dalam dongeng peri, Unicorn.

Di kali berikutnya aku mengambil napas, orang-orang itu langsung dalam posisi bersiap, mengarahkan anak panahnya, sementara yang memegang belati serta tombak maju mendekat dan mengacungkan senjatanya ke arah kami. Sontak aku refleks berdiri dan berlindung di balik pohon. Sedangkan yang lain mengambil langkah mundur.

"Tenang! Kami tidak berniat macam-macam pada hutan kalian! Kami tersesat. Bisakah kalian membantu kami?" pinta Dimas yang maju ke depan sambil mengangkat kedua tangan seperti hendak menyerah.

Mereka membalas dengan tatapan dingin. Kurasa bahasa yang mereka gunakan bukanlah bahasa daerah. Yang jelas, itu adalah bahasa yang asing di telingaku.

Namun entah mengapa ... aku bisa memahami perkataan mereka.

"Apa yang dia katakan? Orang-orang ini ... kelihatan tidak seperti penduduk sekitar sini," ucap seseorang yang memegang tombak.

"Kau benar. Pakaian mereka aneh sekali!" balas seseorang yang bertubuh ceking.

"Bagaimana? Yang jelas keadaan kita bisa gawat kalau berita tentang kita menyebar ke suku Elvian."

"Kita habisi saja mereka. Tidak akan ada yang peduli dengan berita sekumpulan mayat yang ditemukan di dalam hutan seperti ini. Aku akan mulai mengoyak wajah si tampan ini! Dari dulu, aku memang tak suka dengan bocah yang tampan." Wajah jelek si ceking itu tampak muak melihat Dimas yang kebingungan.

"Baik! Dalam hitungan ketiga." Dua orang itu mengangguk serempak tanpa mengalihkan perhatian mereka. "Satu ... dua ... ti—!"

"Tunggu sebentar!" Entah apa yang kupikirkan. Sesaat sebelum dua orang itu menghunuskan senjata, aku tiba-tiba saja melompat ke depan Dimas dan menahan mereka, seakan melindunginya dengan tubuhku. "Tahan senjata kalian! Kami tidak bermaksud jahat. Kami tersesat, dan ingin segera keluar dari hutan ini."

Keduanya saling menatap satu sama lain. Kemudian menoleh pada rekan-rekan yang ada di belakang. Orang-orang itu mungkin tak menyangka, akan ada salah satu di antara kami yang mengerti bahasa mereka. Aku pun demikian. Walau tahu bahasa itu sangat asing, telinga dan mulutku seperti sudah mengenal lama. Jadi aku tak kesulitan memahami bahkan berbicara dengan bahasa mereka.

Setelah beberapa waktu, salah satu dari mereka—yang sepertinya pemimpin kelompok ini—datang ke depanku. Tubuh pria paruh baya itu besar dan berotot. Wajahnya tampak bengis, namun berwibawa. Seakan menegaskan aura kepemimpinan yang dimilikinya. Sorot matanya tajam, mampu memberi intimidasi semua lawan bicaranya. Ia menatapku beberapa lama. Kemudian tanpa basa-basi langsung menyingkap surai yang menutupi telingaku.

"Elvian! Perempuan ini ternyata Elvian!" teriak si ceking. Mereka pun tampak tercengang setelah melihatku, lebih tepatnya ke arah daun telingaku.

"Dia bukan Elvian," sergah sang pemimpin. "Rambutnya berwarna cokelat gelap, bukan cerah keemasan. Kulitnya juga bukan kuning pucat seperti ras bertelinga panjang itu. Secara fisik, dia tidak berbeda jauh dengan kita para manusia."

"Lalu apa dia itu sebenarnya?"

"Haier-Elvian," ucap sang pemimpin dengan dalam. "Salah satu ras terburuk yang pernah ada."

Orang-orang itu terkejut. Menatapku lekat-lekat dengan mata yang nyaris meloncat keluar. Sementara aku terdiam di tempatku berdiri tanpa mengetahui maksudnya. Sebagai orang yang baru saja terdampar di tempat antah berantah, aku tidak memahami istilah-istilah yang berada di tempat ini.

Mungkin sekarang aku hanya menganggap itu sekedar angin lewat, dan berpikir semua akan kembali ke sedia kala. Tapi ini adalah kesalahan besarku. Karena semua rentetan peristiwa aneh yang baru saja kualami, akan menuntunku ke jalan yang penuh dengan bahaya di masa depan.

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Glossarium

Elvian: Peri

Haier-Elvian: Setengah Peri