The Blue Swordsman

Bitter Reality

A pitch-black cloud rolled low above the sky, raindrops drenched thousands of corpses lying scattered along the vast plain.

The previous night there had been a great battle on the Beringin plains. The war of power struggles involving the two great empires that ensued had taken so many casualties.

Rajendra lay weakly among the corpses, gaping wounds from the sword incision visible on the front of his body. Crossing from his chest almost to his stomach, his body was squeezed by a pile of corpses. Wanted him to get rid of the corpse that was piercing him. Ah but let alone to lift, just to move his hand he is not able. His hands were almost numb.

"Pramana....." The screech but the one that came out of his mouth was no more like a whisper.

He realized his side had lost, Patih Pramana who initially thought the allies had secretly joined the enemy kingdom. When Patih Pramana began to attack at dusk, the road of battle was turned lame. Patih Pramana who already knew about the battlefield made the Rajendra troops in fog. It did not take half a day to be ascertained who has been in power since then, he was Maharaja Prabaswara King of Shaminari kingdom.

"I'm going to die.." Inwardly, the shadows about the younger sister and the people in her village were floating before her eyes. A moment later the ground rang out rows of hundreds of cavalrymen hurtling straight towards him. "Damn them back.." Rajendra's heart.

Rajendra also resigned to close his eyes and clutched the bodies that piled his body. Because there was nothing else he could do. In the blink of an eye the cavalrymen walked swiftly past him. The clattering of footsteps of the horse rang out in his ears, so close as to almost trample his body. Along with the screeches of war and the various weapons they looked like messengers of the god of death, hundreds of horsemen just passed by, ignoring the corpses that were lying around them.

"I survived..." As if I couldn't believe what had just happened. The shadow of death that had been in Rajendra's mind was now slowly turning into a living spirit.

"Maybe I'm not destined to die here." With all the strength he had, Rajendra began to move. Inching slowly he began to be able to release his body. Rajendra crawled slowly away from the cursed land and into the forest. For two days he had been stuttering in the forest, surviving on the wild fruits he had found. Although without enough food that can be filling, slowly Rajendra felt little by little his strength began to recover.

Rajendra is endowed with a strong body so that the scars on his body look quickly healed. His father, a swordsman who had resigned and chose to open a silat college in his village, he chose to teach young men in his village to become fighters or prospective soldiers. So is it inappropriate for him to enter the war scene, in order to prove to his father and the villagers that he is not just a village rioter.

He imagined he would make a big news that would spread throughout the country, a news about Rajendra who had succeeded in beheading the enemy commander. But reality slaps him hard in the face, when he comes to join the army, Rajendra is told that he will not become a soldier quickly. All he gets is permission to join and stay there, Rajendra will only be assigned to transport weapons, help the kitchen or guard the supply tent.

"Become a soldier hach. Rajendra continued to walk in limbo hoping to find an inhabited house to just stop by and heal the wounds on his body. That night the moon appeared full round, its light was able to penetrate the lush leaves of trees in the forest.

In the distance Rajendra is like seeing a faint light of fire, then strengthened all the energy he has to speed up his steps. A move that seems to be driven more by the instinct to survive than by the power within itself.

The fire was apparently coming from a house, or at least the remains. Because even though it looked like a house but one of the walls seemed to have collapsed. He could have just barged in through the hollow wall, but he chose to knock on the door.

"Excuse me...." Because he didn't get the answer, he continued, "I'm sorry, I interrupt at hours like this, but I need a little rest".

A light step was approaching, though,

"I am Rajendra, please allow me to rest at my father's house for a while" he said resignedly.

The old man opened the door of his house a little, apparently to make sure he was alone. "Come in" he said, opening the door wide.

"Thank you sir" said Rajendra,

Gratitude entered his heart, joy could not be hidden from the look on his face. He was then directed by an old man who introduced himself by the name of the yodha to a room behind the house. Even rooms that look dirty because they have never been lived in and only have a moth mat that even now look luxurious in the eyes of rajendra. These days he sleeps only on the ground or a wide rock.

Almost a full day he slept in that room, when he finally woke up he felt his body was very fresh. To treat the wounds on his body he was given a traditional plant herb that was applied to his wounds. And for the first time in several days he was able to eat a decent meal, one that could make him feel full. About a week later Rajendra was fully recovered. Although his scar will remain immortal even more so his inner wound.

He seemed to start talking with the host, Yodha told me that in the past this place was a peaceful and peaceful village. But when the machinations of power struggles begin to break out, one by one the men in the village begin to be recruited or rather forced to become soldiers. Many of the residents eventually chose to evacuate. Only a few survive now.

Rajendra felt it was time to leave, he wanted to go back to his village. He was curious about the state of his village after the war that occurred. Moreover, he misses his sister he wants to make sure himself that his sister is okay.

That same day he said goodbye to Yodha,

"Sir looks like I have to leave soon, I want to go home" he said.

"What is really strong, your village is far enough away from sin" replied Yodha as if reluctant to let the guest go.

"I think I have, never have I felt as good today" Rajendra said trying to reassure while twirling his right shoulder.

Although Yodha was initially reluctant to let Rajendra go, seeing his determination and youthful spirit was finally willing to let the guest go. He even prepared a bit of supplies that he could give.

"Thank you for all the good you've given me, I will never forget the good you've done.." Rajendra closed the conversation with farewell words. He did feel it was appropriate to say thank you for the person who saved his life, he realized that he owed his life.

"Yes take good care of yourself" said Yodha, releasing the guest in front of her house. He saw Rajendra bent down and immediately turned around, walking farther and farther until it became a point and lost in the fog.