The Thousand Mask Warrior

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Antonio da Silva the skipper noticed Jayaseta cleaning the deck of the ship vigorously. He smiles. Jayaseta insisted on not being privileged on board. He will work anything and get paid and stay overnight. Jayaseta even convinces King Nio that he has enough ability so that the various jobs given to him can definitely be completed.

King Nio had absolutely no doubts about this, of course.

But another thing that makes King Nio happy is that Jayaseta looks alive. He thought that whatever was his business in Sukadana must have gone well.

Although Jayaseta was a swordsman who chose to compete, his courage to sail to the island of Tanjung Pura fluttering in the sea from the island of Java is another greatness, namely, considering he seems to not have much experience sailing and the fact that a Jayaseta is seasick.

King Nio would bet that this matter must be so important, because even for a swordsman, seasickness was as heavy as fighting fifty invulnerable pirates.

***

Today is the sixth day Jayaseta settles into the grandfather's wooden house at night.

It has been six days that Dara Cempaka has always been there. Although he went home more often, but Dara Cempaka always tried to continue to ask permission to his parents to be able to stay at the grandfather's 'prison.

The father, one of the sons of Datuk Mas Kuning is very familiar with the state of this state. At first he and his two siblings clearly objected to the behavior of half the important people of the kingdom of Sukadana who sided with Queen Jaintan who imprisoned their father.

However, Datuk Mas Kuning was not a person to worry about too much. As a high-scientific elder, the grandfather was also very wise. He wants his children to duck and have a cool head until the state of this hot state subsides, however he can still be visited at any time. The proof, the grandson can also come and stay overnight whenever he wants.

Jayaseta saw the exact reason why the granddaughter was always there. His silat pulut dance can be said to be almost perfect. The fluttering of the young girl's movements really illustrates the understanding of her body and her achievements.

Jayaseta could be said to be training under the care of two teachers, Datuk Mas Kuning as a command and direction and Dara Cempaka, an example and executor.

Jayaseta is asked to recognize his own body by imitating all kinds of hidden styles from silat pulut, as well as its development.

In short, Jayaseta is not only practicing this new silat as a means of defeating enemies, but also defeating yourself. He must be able to refrain from using his inner energy and be more self-rewarding.

Not so with Dara Cempaka.

He was present because of Jayaseta. That's obvious. He wants to see the face, the body and exchange words with the idol

He could not stop being fascinated by Jayaseta's ability to absorb the new knowledge given to him. Jayaseta was also very patient and painstaking to hear and do the orders and requests of Datuk Mas Kuning which can now be said to have officially become his teacher.

Not without reason why the grandfather asked Jayaseta to learn the Malay silat, especially the soft movements, beautiful but also devastating from silat pulut. The grandfather wanted Jayaseta to be ready to fight against the foreign inner forces within his own body, not just with other inner forces, but in a more refined and graceful way.

Jayaseta certainly doesn't mind. A warrior like himself abstains from rejecting science, let alone silat and new kanuragan.

Be Jayaseta and Dara Cempaka with amazingly regular and controlled movements, gleaming on the floor of the board without any commotion and meaningful noise.

***

The archipelago people have known the habit of watering for a long time. There are three main ingredients used, namely betel nut, betel leaf and chalk. Chewing betel gives the brain a sense of calm, especially from chalk obtained from crushed shells.

Watering is a friendly habit of the nation in the archipelago. Ma Huan, a Chinese Muslim follower of Cheng Ho's travels in the 15th century and wrote the story of the trip in Yingya Shenglan, witness that men and women in Java never separated from betel in their mouths. Even when they received a passing guest, they visited him with a box of betel and other complementary materials. This record was made in 1433 AD.

And so do the soldiers. They need it in order to restore their strength and courage as written in the Hikayat Pocut Muhammad during the reign of Raja Muda or Sultan Ali Riayat Syah, The 18th Sultan of Aceh briefly reigned from 1604 to 1607 AD.

Sometimes watering is also added with tobacco. Tobacco itself reached Java in 1601 AD, brought by the Caucasians. Tobacco used by being smoked has been recorded in 1602 among the meniyayi Mataram, 1603 AD in the hands of the ruler of the kingdom of Aceh and 1604 AD in the kingdom of Banten.

In essence, watering is an important habit for many people in various walks of life, including soldiers or soldiers. This is also what the soldiers did on the sixth day of Jayaseta's arrival to Datuk Mas Kuning's house.

As the grandfather asked, Jayaseta did not use internal energy at all to ease his body, or to strengthen the repulsion on his feet and fingers to climb wooden buildings.

He must use all his bodily abilities and his own senses and sensibilities purely.

A challenge that was a pleasure in itself for Jayaseta. A warrior like himself certainly still has pride and self-love, although little and does not help him become a pongah swordsman. So, doing all these things is tantamount to testing his ability, as proof, is it true that he deserves to be said to choose a match?

Jayaseta ducked, rolled and ran fast without a sound. Choose and sort the footing between twigs and leaves. Previously maybe he could have jumped up and down to play the power in here and there to relieve his body.

Unfortunately, Jayaseta may not have mastered the science that Datuk Mas Kuning teaches, because his sensitivity is still not perfect.

There was an unknown figure who had been paying attention to his visit for the past few days. The figure was crouched on top of a sturdy tree branch, hidden in dense foliage.

His thin, dry body was not wrapped in clothes. He only used a black loincloth and his hair was curled irregularly. But it feels like a high level of canuragan science that he mastered. Even Jayaseta with her short-sightedness was still unable to know that there was an unknown figure who was watching her closely.

After Jayaseta walked into the top floor of the building, the old figure spat out a thick red liquid, betel.

For days he hunted only squirrels in the trees, snakes in the land and ate them raw. Just two days ago he stole a box of betel nut from one of the soldiers who stood guard around the wooden house.

The old figure was holding his neck which was decorated with circular cut marks. He was tired of feeling bad to eat and drink, even chewing this betel. A vengeful view of burning anger is addressed to two people who are playing the role of teachers and students, namely his former best friend in the past, in the past, Datuk Mas Kuning and a young swordsman who had not had time to taste his canuragan, Jayaseta, the Thousand Mask Swordsman.

"Cuiih ...," the old figure again spat out betel liquid.

"I don't think Mas Kuning is pretending to be a wise teacher who gives knowledge to his exemplary students" he said slowly to himself.

"And you, young man, are not so easy you can avoid and get rid of the Poet Baka. I'll take my dagger back and implant the blade into your soft brain!"