The Thousand Mask Warrior

Mumbling, Kagetan

The image of the beautiful face of Lau Siufan looms in Sasangka's eye pelupuk. He closed his eyes and felt his hands hugging his wife's slender body with skin as beautiful as the marble stone. Her waterfall-slimmer hair swept across Sasangka's face every time they made love and shared a taste.

When his eyes opened, Narendra and Katilapan were on foot. They seem to have started this adventure, somewhere and for what. Sasangka even saw Jayaseta, a person he knew so well, respected and even feared in the past. The man who was the original Thousand Mask Swordsman turned out to look fit, even more handsome.

Want the heart to push the body to the port and join a jungle back to Betawi to meet his wife and father-in-law. He wants to convey good results and good news in terms of palm wine business with the Malays and Chinese in Malacca. He also wants to let go of longing for his wife that he did not meet. But, after delaying the return of dozens of days since he was defeated by an unknown old middle-aged warrior figure and learned that Narendra's entourage, Katilapan and even Jayaseta were in Malacca, not to mention rumors about the lunge of the Thousand Mask Warrior who killed the warriors from Siam, then the direction of his life journey has indeed changed.

Sasangka will again delay his return to the island of Java and will follow the departure of Jayaseta and his colleagues, regardless of where they are. Although inside the day, Sasangka felt that Siam was their goal. The problem of news about the Thousand Mask Swordsman, who is clearly not Jayaseta let alone himself, must be the trigger for Jayaseta's departure.

It is seen that Jayaseta and his entourage have preparations to cross into another country. They were no longer wearing Malay merchant-style silk clothes. Their clothing is ordinary clothing that obscures the background of language and nation. Moreover, by carrying daab it is clear that they will go to Siam. That's Sasangka's mind. So he followed them too. Deliberately wait for a betel meal before following the group so as not to get too close to the distance between them.

***

Jaka Pasirluhur took a deep breath, feeling the smell of this Malay earth. I don't know why his blood rippled with a sense of high spirit. He wants to open all the secret curtains about the Jayaseta lunge which is rumored to have reached the border of Kedah and Siam. From the many preparations, knowledge about Malacca and surrounding areas is the main menu of the lesson. He found out all the intricacies of the Malay land to Siam.

But, of course, everything he had learned and imagined in his mind was almost useless when he himself had to experience directly with his eyes and body. Even just to reach the port of Malacca, he was made astonished, astonished, mumbled, amazed, with clothes, furniture, habits, language, language, and almost anything he saw in the port of the Malay state which was controlled and ruled by the Pranggi people.

"Damn it, I'm not going to this place on a trip or a trip. I have to focus on my main goal" Jaka Pasirluhur said in his heart. But he still chuckles. "Yes, but what's wrong with a little fun, right?"

Rumors and bird news about the Thousand Mask Swordsman who appeared in Malacca seemed to emphasize the image that the unknown swordsman had an attachment to Malacca. For example, at the time of the seizure and hijacking of the fort of Malacca city by the group of champions and warriors subordinate to Walanda, who allegedly is the Hell Earth Needle group, unexpectedly, the figure of the Thousand Mask Swordsman came to thwart him. All members of the group were brushed off and crushed.

Of course, Jaka Pasirluhur was not a fool who would take the news for granted. State affairs are not part of his main interests and preferences, although he is also aware, of all kinds of news birds must have spots of truth there. His heart told him to go to Ayutthaya, so that was what he had to do.

***

Yu let Pratiwi take a walk in Malacca. On the harbor deckar or around the fort. His wife wrapped herself in male-style clothes which in the meantime did not stand out too much. People don't pay much attention to the woman.

Sometimes he felt that his worries were too excessive. Pratiwi is a warrior. Not the ordinary warrior. He was a cold-blooded killer. Worrying about it is stupid.

After all, Malacca's air and atmosphere could have made Pratiwi's health a little better. After all, until now, they are still staying at a rental residence outside the city fort belonging to a juragan of mixed Malay and Javanese blood. Yu and Pratiwi waited for Fong Pak Laoya to go to villages in the Malacca region for a few days to find Laoya or a healer who he thought could help treat Pratiwi.

***

Pratiwi. His pair of eyes looked at the figure he was too familiar with. Jayaseta was walking in front of him, just a stone away.

His partner was cold, but I don't know what the female swordsman disguised as this man felt, let alone his pair of eyes looking fixedly almost unblinkingly at Jayaseta who was walking with his second wife, who was also close to him, Dara Cempaka, and other groups that some he quite familiar. Who else if not Narendra and Katilapan.