The Musafir

Captivated

I chose not to hold my breath, because it would only make me more tormented. And that's how I let the water in my mouth and nose. All I thought about was a quick and easy death. When the water entered my lungs, then of course my life floated leaving my body in the blink of an eye.

But what I imagined was not real. I thrashed because I felt such tremendous pain. I've never felt my mouth and nose become so tight. My chest seemed to be about to break at that moment. But I did not die. The pain continued to persist, not decreasing the slightest item.

I'm starting to shit. All the calm I had obtained had evaporated away without rest. I was again afraid, very very afraid, as if this fear could not be matched by any kind of fear.

***

Mantingan's CONSCIOUSNESS had indeed been dimly lit, but he could still feel there was a rope tying his hands together firmly; he could still feel the scorching heat on his face which was certainly from a great blaze; he could still clearly smell the rancid smell of blood. Manten had tried to open his eyes, but all his gaze had been so blurry. He could see almost nothing but the blur itself, which was obvious that the blur could not display anything!

“Put there.” A voice appeared with a commanding tone, Mantingan knew the voice came from the Bloody Mantrekar Kelewang. “Force him to commit.”

No need to be forced though, basically Mantingan can not stand. He was forced to stand up and walk. To make the Mantingan rest, then the two people who originally held it just need to release the handle. The mantle collapsed helplessly. Struggling with head bowed in.

Silence created momentary goods. Even the insects of the night were afraid to make a sound. Before the end, the voice of the Bloody Kelewang Swordsman was heard again. “You are Mantingan, the swordsman who is touted as a great hero to Tarumanagara in Javadvipa.”

I don't know if it's a question or a statement. The mantan remained silent, because it was difficult for him to open his mouth and make a sound that was even just that. But even though he can open his mouth wide to be able to swallow whole coconuts in one go greedy, and can also talk at length telling the Book of the Unnamed to the end that is not playing its length, The mantle will still choose silence. In this state of helplessness with all kinds of limitations, it is better if someone is silent while reading the circumstances around, hoping to use everything to be safe.

“You are one of the two warriors who will gain the authority of Sky Stakeholder throughout Dwipantara.” Back Bloody Kelewang Swordsman said. “And know, I have defeated you. That Sky Stake Wizard will be mine, Bloody Mooligan!”

The mantel can only smile in his mind. He remained silent, and it was as good as it was to remain silent. But in that silence, the Book of the Unnamed was read again. If for now, that's all he can do.

***

I kept drowning and the water kept rising, giving me tremendous pressure. I felt a pain I had never felt before, and this pain did not gradually subside with time.

No more air bubbles coming out of my mouth and nose. I think my lungs have run out of air, which is immediately replaced by water coming in through my mouth and nose.

I keep on revolting. I've lost all the skills I've gained from my long training. With my condition sandwiched between the two walls of this very narrow gap, coupled with the water that had melted me, it was perfectly natural that I felt fear and anxiety. Stuck at once drowning, can't you imagine how scared I am?

I was tormented in body and mind. It was so painful that I could no longer speak with words.

As soon as I closed my eyes with my forehead shriveled as a result of enduring the excruciating pain, I felt the breeze of the wind that hit my facial skin. Then I opened my eyes wide.

What I felt was clearly the wind, and not the water that ran through my face. Between wind and water, I can clearly distinguish them. In fact, I think everyone can also distinguish it very easily!

The wind like this I had felt before, when I first stepped into this gap. The wind that I felt at that moment entered from the other end of the gap across there. I clearly know that the wind is blowing madly out there, but is it still strong enough to be able to penetrate the gap that has become full of this water?

And even though the wind was strong enough, it must have been air bubbles that hit my face. However, I did not see any kind of air bubbles around me at all.

Is it possible that I actually did not drown or get stuck in this crack? Doesn't what happened earlier make no sense to humans? Why are the two slit walls that are two large rock hills that can shift to make me squashed in the middle? Where did this flood come from that drowned me?

I closed my eyes again. And until now, I am still alive. There is no need to speak of my story in that gap, for as soon as I come out of unconsciousness, what I face is a bloody battle with all its horrors. The gap I came across was later named the Skull Gap, because so many human bones filled the gap, and all of them were victims of Savrinadeya's violence.

***

ONLY up there is the story of the Unnamed Woman facing a strange attack while on a mission in a gap between two rocky hills. Although the Unnamed Woman has absolutely no explanation for how she was able to get out of such an extremely frightening situation, Mantingan has known what she must do.

But unlike the Unnamed Woman who closed her eyes to face her fear, Mantingan opened her eyes wide, but still not with clear vision.

Open sight! Open sight! Open sight! his shout was loud in the mind that was clearly shown to himself, this was all a trick of the eye! Be aware!

The vision of the mantan slowly returned. No longer blurry. Can be seen Pendekar Kelewang Berdarah who was sitting on a pile of puppets dancer corpses. The man smiled widely, revealing his row of teeth that had become as deep red as fresh blood.

“If you want to snatch the Sky Stakeholder's authority from me, then you really don't have to bother beating me.” The mantle spoke in a pressure-filled voice, out of nowhere it gained its power. “I never received the Sky Stakeholder's authority. Anyone is free to take it from me. But if it is done by fighting, especially to the point of endangering my soul and the souls of those I care about, then I will serve.”

The mantle stood up. This time, the Bloody Ferret Swordsman could no longer maintain his smile. “How can you ...”

Now, it was precisely Mantingan who smiled widely. “Unnamed Woman taught me many things.”

The mantle flashed forward. With a raw bogem, he managed to crush the head of the Bloody Molewler. Right after that, everything became a temporary waste, until it was finally replaced by a new sight.