The Musafir
Meaning of Friend Travel
MANTINGAN pensively stuffed for a moment, while Chitra Anggini had run small towards his comrades.
Travel companions?
Mantingan certainly understood the meaning of that. Travel companions are actually much higher than ordinary friends. Traveling friends mean life-long friends. It's hard to be together. Peril is conquered together. Fear is faced together. All-all together.
Sometimes that's how friends travel closer than siblings, tighter than young lovers, even tighter than married couples.
Travel companionship usually ends by marrying each other or elevating each other to brothers. However, in the martial world such things are too beautiful and very rare; traveling companions must always end in death.
The mantang took a deep breath before stepping back short. His mind was lost in contemplation.
He recalled, it is not uncommon if some swordsmen form a traveling companion relationship. Usually, the swordsman takes a companion trip after successfully mastering the style of kandasangan, and the traveling companion he will take must also master the style of kaspartangan he mastered.
They will travel in no direction. Looking for warriors in the martial green jungle to be challenged to fight. Just like the other warriors, they sought the perfection of life in battle, even though this time it was no longer alone.
“Some warriors could not bear to tread the silent and quiet path of martial arts, some others felt that the martial world would be easier to conquer with both.” That's how Kiai Kedai briefly explained why some warriors choose to take traveling companions to take the difficult jungle green persilatan.
But the martial world is not a friendly place for friendship and love to grow. One day, sooner or later, must have run aground. So is the fate of warriors who take traveling companions.
“If you have wandered from the tip of the island until finally arrived at the other end of the island, then there is a friendship relationship after a lifetime they run aground,” added Kiai Kedai. “They will challenge each other to fight. Since they have never been defeated during the odyssey, it must be their own friend who will defeat them. In the end, one of them will die. Or both, because the living no longer feel able to continue life without the friend he just killed.”
It is said that after killing fellow travelers who have accompanied for many unfortunate years in the pejilatan jungle, most of them will immediately fall down. Crying out. Hugging the lifeless body of his friend who was still warm.
Some will immediately flicker away, although one or two blink eyes then they will fall down. Crying all over again.
However, a small percentage of them would not cry. Will not mourn the stiff body of his fellow travelers who have been killed with his own two hands. However, it fell on the ground, covered with blood. They are the ones who take the decision to immediately end their self-history without further ado. Without saying goodbye to his friends, because they know they will soon follow and meet again.
“Fight on the beach. With the waves calming. Sometimes the wind is warm and sometimes cold. In the western horizon, the sun is ready to be swallowed by the ocean. Isn't that beautiful, my student?”
Mantingan's thoughts returned to target Chitra Anggini. Will the story of the two of them end with what Kiai Kedai has told? Dead on the beach? Staring at the blue expanse of sea water that seems to have no boundaries?
The mantel smiled thinly as it continued walking. Chitra Anggini stated that they were traveling companions. That has proven his worth. He's ready to die.
The mantle kept his feet. Short, but sure. Both arms are still crossed behind his back. At that time, using the Science of Hearing Dew Drops, he listened to a conversation.
“The woman referred to the young man as Mantingan. Was he the Man Hero of Tarumanagara, the talented young swordsman who had the seat of honor of the Sky Starter?”
“Eh, I don't think so. There are so many Mantingan names in Javadvipa. Even from the news I got this morning, the name of the famous Mantingan has been used by many young men to replace the original name. They are willing to change the name given by parents, just because they are so amazed by the lunge of Hero Man.”
“So they changed their name to Mantingan?”
“True.”
“Aih, after all who likes the name given by parents? Always full of expectations that are too difficult to achieve.”
“Forget about his name. What a name means. I have something to ask you, but would it be dangerous if I would also offend His Majesty the King?”
The conversation stopped for a moment. The mantle waited, but his feet kept going. The path does not decrease in the slightest. Wouldn't that make the warriors stalking behind him suspicious?
“Will our king consider Hero Man a threat? Isn't it obvious that we are preparing a talented swordsman to occupy the Sky Stake?”
“Your Majesty the King does not consider it a threat at all. Instead, he hopes that Hero Man will join Koying. She opened the palace door wide for him.”
“Wow! What if those two Sky Stakeholders were to fight inside the palace instead? Won't no one be fast enough and powerful enough to stop them?”
“How can it be like that! Between fellow Sky Stakeholders is forbidden to fight. They are the ones who will keep the balance of the martial world. What would happen if they fought? There will surely be a very great chaos in the world and the public world.”
“Hmm. Also true. After all, I guess no one will be able to defeat the Sky Stakeholder.”
“Trust there.”
“What is it?”
“Of course love.”
Hearing that, Mantingan could only smile bitterly.
***
The dancing RINK has been completed. It was a field with a central line of five fathoms. It's a perfect circle.
At the edge of the circle was illuminated, but not from the torch rod, but from the dyes, which were lamps made from small clay bowls fueled with coconut oil. The light was dim, giving off a serene feeling.
Right in the center of the circle, a medium-sized campfire had been built. Unlike the dips on the edge of the field that the light is dim, the rays from the campfire are actually bright. It gives a feeling of spirit combined with passion.
The series of lighting fires under the gully of the night formed an order that refreshed the eyes.
Incense burned. Spreading a faint fragrance because some of it is blown by the night wind.
The mantan sits on a tree with large branches as its footing and its backrest. Without any intention of hiding at all. Anyone will understand that he does not want to sit with a thousand Koying soldiers on the mat, so it is not a matter of question. Swordsmen who originally followed him became urung.
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