The Thousand Mask Warrior

Jung

Jayaseta feels herself as someone who thinks and is self-centered. Too many have been killed or injured due to all their interests. Is he a doom for anyone near him?

"Then, the brother thought that I would be threatened with bad luck because of being the person closest to the brother, the wife of the brother?" almira said on an evening less than two months after their wedding.

Jayaseta could not deny the beauty of his wife is second to none. He ceaselessly admired the charm of the woman who had officially become his.

Their marriage was arranged in a very simple way. They invited a ruler to marry them, Almira's uncle from the city of Gede in Mataram as a witness - who laughed proudly for bringing Almira to her wedding, as well as the bodyguards of the 'Hyai' Almira as an invitation.

Though Almira can already be classified as a wealthy merchant, but he wholeheartedly understands that Jayaseta is not an ordinary man. Their marriage need not attract a lot of attention, which is important their relationship is legitimate.

Jaka Pasirluhur or known by his nickname, Sang Kudi Langit certainly attended. He smiled during the wedding.

After realizing from his drunkenness the other day, Jaka Pasirluhur felt guilty and ridiculous for making a mistake. The first mistake is of course because he was drunk at the time of the task, the second is clear because it was presumptuous to challenge the famous Thousand Mask Swordsman. Unfortunately, the swordsman turned out to be the lover of the heart of Nyai, his own jury.

Punishment in the form of cutting fees and prohibition of drinking wine can be received with a chest of air. Even the wound on his fist due to the three sharp bamboo sharp rods that had stuck there even made him proud to feel he had learned a valuable lesson in his life.

The bodyguards of Almira who were Banyumas people were basically humble, straightforward but brave people. So do not be surprised if Jaka Pasirluhur also acts as a knight by admitting defeat and mistake.

After the two officially married and became a married couple, Jayaseta and Almira thoroughly enjoyed their days. The Nyai relieved the duties of the servants and his men. He even often waived while the employees just for them to enjoy the days in Semarang.

Jaka Pasirluhur very understandably even smiled thinly when his Nyai was awake more daytime than ordinary days with a bright face followed by the husband also with a shining face.

"You don't regret having received my proposal, Almira? I'm not a businessman like you and your family. My life has always been fought and traveled. I will often leave you for long periods of time for things you might not really understand" Jayaseta said, still lying down and watching the bedraggled body of his wife.

"Jayaseta's back, did my brother get the remorse I saw during our marriage? Do I complain, wonder even seduce you so as not to leave me?"

Jayaseta shook her head slowly.

"I'm happy, brother. Never been this happy since my brother died. Kakang who returned my happiness many times," said Almira.

"I feel the same way, Almira. I've never been this happy either. That's why I don't want to lose you like I lost the people closest to me."

Almira smiled sweetly, "Don't worry, sis. Your wife is an independent woman. I'm not the woman who whines and stalks you anywhere. Follow your path as a warrior and heal the poison of the curse. I've been yours forever, I'm not going anywhere as long as you keep me in your heart, brother," Almira said as she hugged her husband.

***

The expected day has arrived. He stood in front of a port in Semarang with a frenzy that he was accustomed to but never became familiar. Jayaseta's observation of the harbor made his blood sigh, given the many events of the past. Slowly he took a breath and tried to dispel a passing thought that he would be stranded in the middle of the ocean without a edge for days.

He had to subdue the curse poison of Kanjeng Kyai Ageng Plered's heirloom spear that had already entered his body. He went to Sukadana to finish what had already begun. With Kyai Plered's curse poison subdued, Jayaseta can move on with his life more passionately.

With the loss of the poison Kyai Plered was infusing into his soul, Jayaseta would also be able to calm down as a swordsman who had nothing to worry about in his duties. The poison would not casually come to the surface and could not cause him to harm innocent people. He can also think and decide things clearly.

Jayaseta will ride a Javanese Jung belonging to a Chinese merchant, dinahkhodai by a man from Larantuka kingdom. Jung was large enough to match Jung's army which contained Mataram's combat troops who were on duty to Sukadana.

Jayaseta already has a name that is so big on the island of Java. Therefore, he does not want to complicate himself by traveling wearing clothes that can make him easily recognizable. Moreover, heard the people of Sukadana were at odds with the Sultanate of Mataram who conquered their kingdom a few years earlier.

Therefore, Jayaseta rejected the typical clothing of the people of Mataram recommended Almira, namely two striated clothes, long-sleeved clothes and buttoned on the chest and patterned stripes. This clothing is commonly worn by people in Mataram to Tuban. Almira gives it striated with a stretch pattern, which is a pattern of long lines in the direction of the fabric strands.

In addition there is another striated with a pattern of pox, namely with a pattern of smaller lines. To Jayaseta's knowledge, these striations were made from lawe, or threads from shrubs that were originally black and white. The stripes that Jayaseta wears are indigo and black in color produced from tarum, a fabric dye.

Jayaseta chose to wear a black beskap or surjan that is actually made from and the same type as striated and wearing iket as he usually wears, that is like the people of Blambangan or Javanese society in the east, but with the style of Mataram. This iket or udeng cloth is actually rectangular with a pattern of Mataram batik which is then folded in half to form a triangle and tied to cover the head limited to the forehead. While the long hair he looped or pigtail and stored neatly on the back of the head and covered by the iket cloth itself.

In the past, when Jayaseta was still living in Giri, many santri decided to trim their hair shorter and cover their heads with a turban. Jayaseta himself had a wide cultural influence in his family, so even though he was a Muslim, the use of clothing from various Persian influences from his grandfather, Chinese from his father and Javanese from a mixed blood of his father and mother form the current Jayaseta style of dress.

Farewell to Almira does not happen by touching. Almira let go of her husband with a sincere hug and kiss. Her heart was so wide that it was not heavy to part with her husband. This made Jayaseta's heart melt and proud to have a wife as great as Almira.

"The back has proven that the kakang returned to marry me, so I believe the kakang will return to Mataram after the kakang fate road is fulfilled" said Almira.

While Jaka Pasirluhur gave his flagship kudi to Jayaseta, "Broker, it is not good for a man to go across the ocean without a weapon. Take my horse. I know, you are a matchmaker, so any weapon doesn't matter when you have your hand. But give me respect by bringing my horse to accompany your journey," said Sang Kudi Langit.

The port is increasingly paraded by the lawyers of the crew. The ship of the Mataram army was set off first, while two days later Jayaseta will board the giant Jung ship that floats horribly in front of him. His stomach suddenly shriveled and nauseous, even though he had not stepped on the deckboard of the ship at all. The following days would be a nightmare for Jayaseta in the middle of the ocean.

Unbeknownst to the Thousand Mask Swordsman, a pair of eyes belonging to a middle-aged man was following him from the deck of the ship.