The Chronicle Of Jawata (Compilation Trial Edition)
6.06
SLAVE TRADE (2)
The figure of the black-robed man, being the center of attention everyone watched. Her pale face, clearly visible after her hood was exposed. Not just a stranger, but his face was strange and frightening. Although he was not too old, nor too young, the gray hair on his head had not yet defeated half of the amount of his hair that was still jet black, straight and shoulder-length. But there was something strange about the look on the man's face as he faced Taja lying on the ground. The pair of eyes of the man looked dark, without the whites of the eyes, did not have the eyebrows like normal humans. The hue of her lips was the same as the pale skin of her face. And that black line under that eye, like it signifies an eye that never sleeps. But of all that was apparent from his strange look, more astonishingly glimpsed in his left right temple, there was a streak of blue muscles protruding, curling, and sometimes twitching, up and down from the forehead to the jawline.
Taja realized, the black-robed man had been watching him since earlier until he had to withstand the action of the bull masked man who almost killed him. It turned out that it was not without reason if the black-robed person unbundled his intentions. It was clear from the attitude that he looked down respectfully at the pale-faced man, so did everyone who was in that place, a sign that the pale-faced man had higher power.
The black-robed man pulled the arms of Taja who pretended to be hidden behind his waist, but almost managed to escape from the bond.
”Do not neglect!” His voice was not so loud, yet it was enough to draw all vigilance, while showing all the eyes that saw the child.
The black-robed man pointed his pointy-nailed index finger and its length was about the size of the index finger itself, moving up and down towards the ropes that bound the child's hand, along sounded a light hiss from his stiff lips. For a moment, the ropes were moving themselves tighter than before to the point that the child felt the blood flow in his wrist would break, aching once.
”Bring this child to Kakilangit!” with a single command from the black-robed man, it instantly made a armored troop leader continue the task with his men. They immediately moved, taking the boy back to the stretcher.
The pace of the hordes of people on armour left the fort, continuing the goal that Taja considered was-was. Half of the mob stayed on top of the slope with the worn-out robed man who had not stopped looking at it from a distance. While the figure of the man whose stature was typical with his pale face, suddenly shot into the abyss. Taja had seen his nimble shadow turn into a winged creature, flying across the slopes.
Taja returned in his own anxiety, thinking about a place called Kakilangit, indeed he had heard that name once while on a pirate ship. But until then, he did not know Kakilangit is what kind of place and how. Especially the fate that will happen to him.
”Lorr...? Neirra..?” Taja's own confusion on a stretcher moved between the shoulders of the armored troops. Recall of his two friends who until now have not known their fate since he opened his eyes and found himself bound.
Taja looked around the forest that started to fog. Sometimes he moved his tightly bound hands. He tried again the same spell to let the ropes loosen. But strangely, this time each tie loosened, as it also wrapped around back. Bahlan is tighter. He could not move much because the people who carried him were more alert.
Look around the forest. The trees there are too tall to reach. If only his feet were not bound, he could jump into the lush branches among the dense trees.
’Eh..!’
Taja slightly gasped, then watched his sharp eyes that had a glimpse, catching a shadow between the rows of trees around. One..two..three.and more green shadows darted to and fro, seemingly approaching the troops who were carrying them at that time.
The army leader stood down, accompanied by the team that followed his orders. He looked around the silent forest, except the shrillness of the forest birds burst forth, sounding ever closer and closer.
Taps! Tap ! Taps!
Suddenly, dozens of arrow blades stuck into the bodies of the people in armour. Within a short time, dozens of them fell, floundering and rolling onto the slopes. While the mysterious arrows are increasingly popping up more and more and hit the men of the army in armour.
”United...! United...!” the leader of the armoured troops brandished his spear high upon noticing the coming danger that was messing with their path. But there was no time, before the people moved, mysterious arrows first penetrated their bodies.
Ruuuuu.....................!!!
The sounds became clearer, as the green ninja figures flashed agilely, crashing into the soaring armored troops. For some time there was a struggle among the men of the army with the figures of green ninja. Their lunge was very quick to kill the men of the army to the finish, except a leader who still survives.
The armored leader was still holding out among the dozens of green ninjas who were besieging from all directions. Without buying any more time, one of the mysterious green ninjas threw a spear into the body of the armored squad leader.
Taja watched the body of the leader crumbled without twitching anymore. The thicket shrub where it crashed, seeping blood. The long spear still stuck in the chest of the leader who had just died. Next, the green ninja with clothes ranging from his feet to his head wrapped in green-green cloth, approached Taja who was slumped in the thorny bush.
Taja was terrified, to the point that his eyes were teary from watching the terrible massacre that just happened before his eyes.
”No...” he dragged his body between the lush thickets, no matter his back was scratched and his clothes were torn apart by sharp thorns. He just wants to get away from the mysterious green ninjas who are beginning to realize his existence.
”No...,” Taja keeps inching. Until his back felt hit by something unexpected. A bloody sword had touched his back skin. He gasped, turning away from the sword that was not without the master. Sharp and very unfriendly objects in the hands of the owner who was standing firmly in front of Taja. That time, he felt cornered among the dozens of figures that had surrounded him.
A ninja of similar identity to the others, splitting the formation that was besieging Taja. His light steps jumped over the thickets and approached the boy resigned in his place.
”Will... you guys... will kill me?” Fractured, Taja ventured to make a sound.
The face of the figure wrapped in green cloth shook his face. Only his pair of eyes were clearly visible from the green bandaged hemisphere that covered his face and head.
Then the figure opened his head, ”Are you the one named Taja?” asked the figure who turned out to be a man, his face was clearly visible without a head covering. Her hair was shoulder-length, not too straight, not even curls. It may be poorly maintained and allowed to grow long just like that. And his pair of shady eyes behind a firm countenance, like a delicate mirror that made him slightly relieved. At the very least, he wished that the stranger he met this time was a good human being.
Taja nodded in astonishment. It was only the first time he had seen this stranger, but it was astonishing that this person already knew his name.
”You...?”
The man pulled Taja's arm, for a moment cleaning the bushes that were stuck to the boy's clothes.
”Follow me...,” said the leader was brief.
Taja was silent for some time observing the behavior of the stranger who he considered dubious, but there was no other choice but to be forced to trust him after he had so many times changed hands from a foreign horde to another foreign horde. Not yet had time to know their ready, now he has been faced with an army of green ninjas who are also unfamiliar.
...* * *...
