The Chronicle Of Jawata (Compilation Trial Edition)
39. Alienation (3)
“Polester!!!” Suddenly there was a loud but heavy sound from inside the cottage.
“Constrate! Or will bewitch you!“ continued furious.
Taja was surprised and immediately turned back. But there was strength coming from within the hut, like sucking his body until it crashed into the entrance. The door was smashed, and Taja slammed into the weathered wood floor in a pitch-black room.
He groaned for a moment and immediately got up. Unable to move to escape, there was a frail figure flashing before him.
“Who are you?“ He sits at his feet. There was no voice to answer except the heavy breath and the sound of chains on the wooden floor.
”Food! Came by itself without being searched, I have long been hungry ...,” his hiss chuckled horribly and had touched the skin of Taja's hand.
Surprised at the cold touch of the figure, Taja quickly moved back and away from him. But the figure was chasing. Just when Taja hit the wall, the figure did not reach him. Apparently, there is a chain of shackles that bind tightly to the Old Ringkih that is not enough to reach Taja. The strands of hair rarely could be seen in the darkness and a pair of clear eyes lit up as a half moonlight reflected through the cracks of the cottage roof.
”I'm not food. Who are you?”
“Scented aroma of a boy 11 years?“ a heavy voice sounded again.
Taja fumbled against the wall and one of his right hands grabbed the tipped wooden fracture, once again the figure attacked more violently, directly hit him hard exactly on his head. He retreated and groaned for a moment.
When such a pitch was not wasted by Taja, he immediately cast a spell to make a little spark.
“My name is Taja, a milter disciple who is being punished in the Sawo Settlement. If you mess around and act to harm me, then I will not hesitate to bewitch you first!” Taja ventured to step near the shackled figure and curled up in the corner of the room. The dry torch in his hand lit up big.
The figure grew increasingly wrinkled in the light of the torch flames illuminating the old room. Sometimes his voice sounds weak.
The atmosphere in the room was so dark and stuffy, plus the smell of rat carcasses scattered all over, very closed and almost untouched. Dust lingered on his feet as long as he stepped.
There were some old windows, but none were open. Adding to the atmosphere looks more haunted. As Taja made his way to the center of the room, a sparse-haired figure with an old face, was not clear enough as only one torch lit up the room.
“Harum and sweet ...,” the figure hissing.
“Who are you?” Taja continued to approach the figure carefully, remaining alert in case he attacked again.
“Meats fragrant and sweet, it has long not kissed the aroma like this... reminds me of the cooking of minced meat,” his hiss so many times in a curled body state.
Undaunted yet, Taja stood up near that stinking figure, “You hungry? What can I help you with?”
“I'm always hungry, Sweet Boy ...”
“I'll find food for you ...”
“I prefer your ras... fresh meat directly from the bone,” hiss again.
“Really you want to eat human meat?“ Taja ducked right in front of the mysterious figure with his beard unraveling in disarray.
“You think human meat is delicious? absolutely not! I would rather eat leaves than eat human meat .. but, I already can't taste any food except fresh meat!”
“Why can that be?“ ask Taja.
“I am damned ... can not die with any sharp weapons, therefore I was exiled to this place ... I have been executed dozens of times but never succeeded, I keep living disgusting, I have been, my body refused to die, even though I had been bent like this ..” the voice groan of the old figure was so heartbreaking, prompting Taja to want to know more about it to this extent.
”Who are you?” It's getting closer.
”I feel care for you .. If only I could release your load!”
”Don't believe me, they think I'm evil!”
”Awicked wolf?”
”More, I'm damned for the misleading science of Fire Wolves!”
”So you are a wolf?”
”The Fire Wolf happened, only at the midnight of the full moon did I change. That's why I was tied up like this,” he replied.
”But you're still human, aren't you?” Taja saw a very alarming situation in the figure.
”Before the middle of the full moon,” said.
Taja looked at the cracks of the cottage roof. From there, the moon appears more than half on the dark ceiling.
”One thought ...,” said Taja.
The old man docked to the corner of the room as Taja ignited the fire into other torches mounted around the wall. Occasionally moaning in fear of it, ”Do not light the fire ...,”
”What's your name?” taja asked without caring about the fear that the figure felt.
”Call me, Mr. Black Dog. Although it feels like, I have some other names that I can hardly remember anymore,” old man mentioned himself, while avoiding the bright light of various torches.
”You are afraid of fire?” Taja was astonished to see the Elder admitting himself as the Black Dog Master, shriveling in fear while covering his eyes.
”Too long have you gotten used to being in the dark, making your situation even more tormented. Go back to the light, at least it'll make you comfortable. From now on, I am willing to help you for a few days. Looks like, you really need someone to take care of you,” Taja said.
“No need. I'm not that weak ...,” the old man opened his eyes.
“Not mean I underestimated you, but ..I sincerely want to help you!” taja said to convince her. Then the old man fell silent and stared from the plain eyes of the boy who was earnest.
“Will you open the shackles that bind these two hands and my feet?“ pinta the Old finally. He thrust out both of his hands that were wrapped in iron chains.
”What if the full moon arrives? You will break free and incarnate the Fire Wolf, will harm many villagers!”
”Only during the day, at night can you tie me again,” pinta Mr. Black Dog.
“Only noon?” For a moment Taja thought.
”Mmm, okay. But convince me first that you won't run away from me. Considering anytime you can change your mind,“ Taja agrees on conditional terms.
Old Man's eyes are confused, ”If I run away and dangerous.Kill me. As strong as I was when I became a Fire Wolf, but my weakness is on my back,” said the Black Dog Master pointing at the dagger of his back that was bent to resemble a hump. At a glance, he noticed, there is a diagram around the lump of hump.
”Jump my back, it's easier to die being a wolf than when I'm human. A secret that has never been revealed to anyone other than you,” said Mr. Black Dog.
”What if it turns out it was just a hoax?” Not directly believe. He wants to be more sure.
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