by Rama Nugraha
“We’re sailing to Yardara. You will enter our home through the forest. It shall be an exciting experience.”
◆◆◆
At tomorrow night before the departure, harsh wind gushes hitting the boards covering the windows. Niri looked upset when they depart. She hugged Datan so tight—like a lover—saying that she regretted not talking to him more.
“I will miss you, Datan,” Niri sobbed. “Especially your beautiful eyes.”
Datan laughed dryly. “As am I, I suppose,” he muttered.
Datan saw the Black Wave in the harbor. It was a fast medium size ship with three crimson triangular sails, which belonged to the Royans. It was painted in the shade of red and black with a splash of gold, mesmerizing those who saw it.
Kanas named it Seekar. It needed to be sailed by two people and its small yet equipped cabin was enough for six people.
Datan could feel excitement soared in his chest, along with a dash of fear. “Make sure we’re not washed over by the wave, Ed,” he held on tight as he stepped into the deck.
“Of course, Datan! We will arrive at Yardara safe and sound.”
Datan Woudward’s first sailing experience was hellish. He got a bad case of seasick. He ended up unable to stand long enough to be productive. He could only watch the endless vast blue ocean and its waves in irritation and adoration. All he could smell was salt.
Datan felt like he was rolling in a hill, spinning endlessly to the bottom. It took him two days to adjust. Sitting, staring, laying down, sitting, staring, and retching. He reached a conclusion that he hated sailing.
Kanas only cackled looking at him.
Two weeks later Seekar reached shallower water. School of green-finned fish with gleaming scales swam against the wave. Ridge of black red coral reef emerged to the surface. Edgar turned the boat agilely, having Seekar pass the looming reef before ahead of them.
“Hold on tight, Gentlemen!” he shouted.
In front of them was thick fog, impairing their vision. It was blindingly white like a giant gas wall. His hands held a metal bar in the deck the moment Seekar was engulfed by the thickness. The temperature on the deck dropped abruptly, and the smell of soil got stronger. A soft rumbling noise was heard haunting the ship—hanging in the air. The deck vibrated, wetted by the seawater, as Seekar turned abruptly avoiding a gigantic coral.
The mysterious fog thinned, allowing them to see an island with an enormous volcano in its center. It was surrounded by a lush jungle of unfamiliar bizarre trees. Vaguely, covered in fog, a castle surrounded by dots of reddish light stood on top of a flattened mountain, it was surrounded by a spiraling rock fortress.
Kanas patted Datan in the shoulder. “All praises for Unum!” he exclaimed. “Welcome to Yardara, Datan!”
A wide smile made its way to Datan’s lips.
That night seemed dull. They stopped at an old dock lit by torches in the pole sconce made of black metal. Blaze of blue fire danced graciously within the humid and salty air. There was nothing but silence. There were no other ships, nor men.
They were on their own.
Chapter 7
Encounter in the Forest
Kanas had said it, “There is a treasure owned by the Leader. It’s a necklace. Robe it. Beware of Jelaga spiders. Try not to make any noise,” he handed the others some daggers. “Aside from those things, there are no absolute rules in this test. You just need to get out of there alive.
“Reach the southern gate in the base of Yar Mountain.”
◆◆◆
They took Datan to an old abandoned dock in the southern side of the island.
Datan assessed the air around him, steadying his footing on land after spending so much time in the ocean. The cold wind brushes the hair on his skin. The sound of the wave hitting the shore filled the air. Datan whiffed the smell of soil that had been rained upon. Across him was a silvery gleam like a spotlight which brightened a footpath cutting through the forest. The footpath was surrounded by giant trees and shrubs.
Datan wondered what Jelaga spiders were. He had never heard of it before. Also, about the Leader… must Datan face a bunch of bloodthirsty bandits later?
Datan heightened his guard as he stepped into the forest. He sharpened his senses, realizing that what awaited him were not alluring deer nor howling wolf.
There was an eerie sudden restlessness hanging above him. It felt like he stepped into the land of the dead. He was deafened by silence. His nose picked a scent of something like rotten mushrooms in the air, covering the fragrant of the soil and grass. Cold temperature filled his surrounding, it was dry and windless. A daunting silence.
The trees around him engulfed all the sound.
Through his night sight, everything was crystal clear in Ingra people’s eyes, though the farther they attempted to see, the more their vision turned grayscale. Prickled shrubs with black flowers grew along the way to the base of the mountain. Most of the trees were Yeklip, which grew crooked, lush with messy branches like it had been broken by a storm. Under the silvery light, in a glance, their shadow seemed like boney hands attempting to claw you, forming a canopy above the footpath.
It was the first time Datan saw Yeklip. He found it astonishing yet terrifying.
Yeklip was Carnivore. It lived by devouring animal carcasses. They grew close to each other, had thin leaves smelling like vinegar and coarse sticky vines with apparent pores. The vines which resembled hands were able to sniff the aroma of death, to find its source, and to tangle the preys before feasting them.
Their roots were fragile, they grew scruffily, spreading all over the surface of the entire soil of the forest. If they were stepped on, glowing yellow sap oozed out, and the sound of strangled shriek would tear through the silence. It was loud and terrifying.
Datan soon realized that the root of the Yeklip was what Kanas warned him about before. It was the one which made Datan’s journey as noisy as a group of trumpet dancers. Datan, though, was not worried. He did not care that the Yeklip roots shrieked in pain under his shoes.
Because Datan would slash anyone who got in his way.
It felt like he had been fast-walking for hours. Sometimes he avoided stepping on Yeklip, sometimes he did it on purpose. The footpath leading him to the north got narrower and narrower. Shrubs of sharp leaves eventually blocked the path as Yeklip trees grew tighter.
Taking a turn to the left, a faint sound of flowing water in the river was heard ahead of him, making him thirsty. Datan sneaked under a Yeklip tree as he heard a frightening sound. He heard a harsh coarse growl which sounded like it came out of a fanged giant who was woken up from a deep slumber!
Datan kneeled, holding his breath. The bandits would not produce such a sound. His hand held onto the handle of the dagger in his waist. He examined his surrounding frantically. His eyes did not catch any movement other than leaves. It was not a good sign. It might actually be a threat which he could not see in the dark, it could be really dangerous.
Datan chose to run towards the river. Tension flowed in his blood. The faster he got to the base of the mountain the better. But suddenly the ground vibrated, shaking. An acrid smell filled the air, suffocating him. Something came chasing after him! Yet Datan kept seeing forward, looking for the source of the splashing sound. Yeklip roots shrieked miserably under him.
The creature roared louder.
The leaves fell. Every corner of the forest shook. It sounded like a warning. Datan stopped abruptly, feeling the need to turn around. Datan’s heart nearly fell into his gut as he saw a creature thrice his size. It ran tearing the shrubs, slapping Yeklip branches easily like they were soft bread. Under the silvery moonlight, Datan saw Ludaj—a predator which he only saw as part of Beasts Collection in the library.
Ludaj was a type of giant ape whose body was as sturdy as a Neena. Its form was slim and built. It had a ruthless face. It had fangs in its jaw, clearly it was able to tear through horse’s flesh in one bite; the single horn in its forehead was sharp
; both of its arms and legs had fingers with extendible nails; its blue and white hair was thick, covering almost its entire body which smelled like vinegar; and its tail lashed like a whip.
Datan never thought he would ever see a Ludaj!
The Ludaj growled angrily until his white eyes widen like it was about to fell off its socket. Datan felt his bones crackled. Every inch of his muscle melted. He could not move.
The creature got closer, exhaling puffs of air from his nose and standing arrogantly in front of Datan. His eyes moved wildly, unable to focus. Ludaj’s vision was impaired at night. In contrast, their smelling and hearing senses were heightened.
Datan’s jaw was clenched and his breath was caught in his throat the moment the Ludaj crouched down, sniffing the air right in front of his face. Its ears moved and its snotty pug nose got closer by the second. Datan starred in disgust. His hand was balled into a fist, trembling. He took steps back, one a time—Yeklip root shrieked—
The Ludaj screamed hysterically!
Datan turned around, running, hitting shrubs. His face turned blue. His breath was shortened. Swiftly, he jumped over a pile of rocks, passing through a refreshing shallow river. The Ludaj came after him, destroying everything in its way like it was possessed, causing the thumping and shrieking sound filled the air as if there were canons. Yeklip’s shriek sounds like a mere mouse’s squeak under his gigantic foot.
Datan took a sharp turn to outwit it, jumping swiftly over a stone, rolling and quietly crouching under gapping fallen Yeklip. Datan froze, holding back his breath. He hoped to get away. Still, the Ludaj found him, destroying the stump where he took cover. His entire muscle tensed. Panic, he crawled away, pulling himself to his feet, attempting to run—as the Ludaj’s hand came slapping him hard, so hard that his body was slammed against a tree and fell onto the rocky soil like some ragdoll.
Datan squirmed and groaned in pain.
His whole body buzzed. His ribs ached. It was like being hit by a carriage! His sleeve was torn and the skin under it was injured. Mustering remaining power, Datan leaned his back on a vertical surface.
The ground was shaking as the Ludaj came closer. It smelt Datan’s sweat, listening to his chocked pant. Datan stood up slowly with his back still leaning on the harsh Yeklip stump when the creature crouched down, looking him straight in the eye. Datan shivered, the Ludaj’s face was full of scratches. The skin looked like cracked soil during a drought, it was creasy and spotted with white dots.
Out of nowhere, the Ludaj screamed. Its voice tore the air apart, blowing Yeklip off their branches as well as making Datan’s shoulder-length hair into a mess. Datan grunted while covering his ears. His chest grumbled. His face reddens, splattered with sticky saliva with a rancid stench. He pondered why the Ludaj screamed.
Then, Datan screamed as well, for the sake of relief.
The Ludaj roared back. It was louder, closer to his face. Datan was pissed, his hearing ached, in the verge of breaking. Datan should find a way out. He must kill it. Yes. There was no other way. He could not have a chance to pat its head and expected it to be tamed, right?
Ludaj was just an animal, his brain insisted. Just like any other quarry—it did not matter to kill it!
Datan pulled out the dagger. The sharp iron sheened, ready to slice some flesh. He stabbed it from under the creature, piercing through the open mouth. The Ludaj was startled, groaning in pain, chocking.
Datan did not want to be burdened. Feeling sorry, yet annoyed, he pushed his dagger so that it impaled the Ludaj’s head, leaving a gaping hole. The creature’s eyes bugged out, thrashing around as it tried to pull the dagger out, albeit unable to. Datan had pushed the dagger too strongly that he could hear the cracking sound of a punctured skull. Crimson blood flowed, staining his hands.
The Ludaj started to lose its power. It groaned miserably until his body tensed and finally stopped moving. It felt like there was a sudden drop in temperature in the air. Datan’s eyes widened. Sweat dropped to his left eyebrow. He could see a puff of air from his panting mouth.
Datan dropped himself under a Yeklip tree, taking a rest to ease the ache in his spine. It was unbelievable that he had just killed the scarce creature.
It was said that Ludaj was a wild creature that only lived in the Northern Land of Urimenil, a hollow land which stretched out in the North. They preferred to live in dry and warm caves; liked the scent of Yeklip trees; despised intruders who stepped foot on their territory; preyed on everything and was known as clever creatures. Also, they preferred hunting in groups.
Hunting in groups… see, this information made Datan felt unsettled.
What would Father said were he to see this? Datan had killed a Ludaj. He would get into a lot of trouble for that because Father admired Ludaj. Once, Father told him that he drank Ludaj’s urine as a medication for a skin disease—which for Datan sounded stupid beyond compare. Father said Ludaj was often hunted since nearly their entire organ was beneficial.
Even their saliva could be used as a mustache-growth booster.
Datan snapped, slapping the Ludaj harshly. Was he wrong? He believed not. His common sense right away insisted that he had made a correct choice. Because otherwise, Datan would be the one chewed by the creature.
Datan sheathed his daggers. He wiped his blood-stained hand to the bark of Yeklip tree. He knew he had to start moving again. His awareness of the Ludaj made him realize he had not the luxury to waste time. He stood up instantly. His body was still strong enough.
The silver orb floated in the zenith up above, covered by a thin coat of cloud. The moon watched him.
Datan walked into a muddy footpath. He passed through a bulging stone when he saw something dreadful. The strong scent of blood jabbed through his smelling sense. His eyes saw two Yeklip trees wiggling as they twisted their branches around a baby Ludaj.
The ugly trees crouched even lower. Every pore in sticky vines growing out of their branches bared some small yet sharp teeth—like the mouth of a predator. They spurted their saliva which was a strong acid. They fought for their turn to twist and suck the prey. All the while, they made a sound similar to a snore of someone chocking on some sludge.
Datan witnessed how Yeklip ate.
“You disgusting creature!” Datan pulled out his dagger. He slashed the vine until they release the bloody carcass, now full of bite marks. The Yeklip made a squeaking sound as if they were begging for mercy. Red sludge spurted everywhere. “Respect the dead, you moron! Why do you even eat carcasses?”
Datan hated seeing those who disrespect the dead. Death was a phenomenon of horror which truly puzzled for him. His mind pictured the worst case scenarios when thinking about being buried in the ground. Submerged in darkness and solitude. His body being eaten by worms and bugs until nothing but the skeleton was left… ugh, have you ever thought of how it would feel to die?
Datan shivered in fear and felt like he was going insane when thinking about death.
He assumed this was because he loved his life. Datan loved to eat well; to read amazing stories accompanied by a glass of fresh Naqi; to chat and laugh with beautiful Haedin girls; to steal; to hunt; to smell the fragrant scent of flower; to go on an adventure like what he was doing at the moment. He even loved standing still and feeling alive, breathing cold air in the dark of night on the top of a rock, in the midst of a silent meadow.
This was the reason Datan refused to ever accept manslaughter mission if he managed to be a Royan. Datan did not wish death upon others for his own pleasure. For him, everyone deserved to enjoy life—a chance of which we only got once.
Well, no one lived forever. Though Father believed in the afterlife. Datan, though, did not. The idea just did not fit his narrative. As a matter of fact, no one had been reported to come back from the dead, had it not?
Oh… truly, if he could, he refused to die.
All of sudden, he heard another voice. It was faint but definitely sounded like a quarrel. He heard a woman’s voice called out
a name. A woman? What kind of woman was having a quarrel in the middle of a jungle in the middle of the night? Was it another candidate? Datan heard them carefully.
He went through the shrubs, looking for the source of the voices.
Yeklip roots spread evenly under his feet. Glowing yellow goo was everywhere. Datan stepped carefully, almost tilting. He followed the thump sound of a tree being smashed followed by breaking rough trunks, a weak scream of a woman, and Ludaj’s angry roar. Datan whined, for a moment he regretted that his foot took him there.
Why would Datan even try to find out? His arrival at the end of the jungle should be more important than anything happening behind the trees over there. The others were none of his concerns.
Suddenly, an agonizing wail pierced through the trees. This time, it made Datan felt cornered and agitated. What kind of man was he to be heartless enough to left a woman in pain? The mockery made its way to his brain. Honestly, Aunt Fira did not raise him to be such man.
Datan sighed, annoyed at himself.
Datan moved carefully to obscure his presence. He was in the state of total consciousness and tranquility. He moved without being detected. He became one with silence in every breath and step he took. As quiet as the night, he thought. It was not difficult for him to do that. Father had trained him well. It was just very uncomfortable to hold that state for a long time—especially when he was in a hurry.
The woman’s whimper was then followed by desperate sobs. Something excruciating must have happened. Datan hoped he would not find a woman torn apart or missing any limb. He hastily scanned the slanted ground towards the direction where the gap between the trees was wider and the moon shone brighter. The surface of the soil was filled with pointy rocks, it was slippery and resembled a giant bowl.
In the middle of it was a woman leaning onto a rock with a burning torch. Datan peeked through the bushes, assessing the surrounding. He shrugged seeing a Ludaj sprawled in the ground next to her, it was unmoving with a gaping mouth.