by Rama Nugraha
“Don’t whine,” Datan said sternly. “You know the Get Well Soon Clinic is right around the corner. They are still open though there might be quite a few people there. I know because I just passed by it. Get up. The night is still long. Help each other. You can do it. Fight for your life, kids. Even if you have to crawl your way out.”
The girl sobbed. Her flushed cheeks glistened with tears. She untied the dirty Kirki around her, which barely had any feather left, and gave it to Datan.
Chapter 19
The Black Tongue
Gambler and drunk people crowded the Black Tongue pub. In every roundtable, there must be someone shouting and table-slamming, the indicator of victory. Their rival would refuse to admit defeat while chugging some drink. The smell of alcohol filled the air. He could barely see because of all the smoke from babag. Most of the people there ordered kuar, which looked like water if not for the blue bubble. It tasted like sugary lime and alcohol. It was known to cool people down, but it could easily make them fainted as well.
The black wristlet lit up. The mantra was glowing in red, it turned cold and was hissing the moment Datan stepped into the room. There was a magical element covering the Black Tongue. Everyone who was wearing dirty attire like some kind of executioner turned around, gulping in silence as a bell dinged loudly. They stood up in unison like soldiers, offering Datan tables which were initially occupied.
The waiters lifted their black straw hat, bowing. One with hanging eye bag shouted from behind the counter, “Welcome to the Black Tongue, Sir! Please pick your seat!”
Datan froze in the door, amazed.
Someone else peeking from the corner of the room. He spoke to break the silence. “Datan, pan?” he asked, squinting. He then looked around the pub. “Sit down, everyone! Lina, Finda, come! Halk, proceed with the game! Let that man sit with me.”
The air in the room came back to normal. The people sighed in relief.
Sami Famash, a Haedin man whose back was a little hunched. Even so, he was buff like a man beater in prison. He had a pointy nose, and his face was freckled. He had a thin hair which was covered by Kirki headband with a teal color feathers. He always spoke loud and clear, shaking the glass in sight.
Sami looked at Datan suspiciously. But Datan eased Sami right away when he told him that he was assigned by Kanas to steal something from Thar Ubaga. Sami gapped in disbelief as he told him.
“I guess I’m just lucky,” Datan said calmly. Curves were formed at the corner of his lips. “Kanas told me about your mission. How does it go?”
Sami shook his head, the back of his hand wiped his mustache which was drenched in Naqi. “Nothing is certain yet. I am still hunting her. I am sure she hasn’t left Fardas,” he said anxiously. “Two times… I met his woman. Two times, Datan. Once in the central park, and another time in front of the manor of Sher Suloni. I don’t know what she is after and she managed to escape both times. I have to admit, she is a strong one.”
“You are also one of our strongest one, Sam.”
“Yeah, I hope I was joking,” Sami jabbed. “That’s not the only thing that concerns me. Her eyes… something was wrong with her eyes. The way she looked at me was very odd. There was no fear, only curiosity as if she had completely lost her mind,” a bizarre tension colored his face. “He asked me several times, ‘Do you want to be my friends?’ she asked.” Sami shivered in fear or disgust. “That woman is mental!”
Datan frowned, but then he sighed as he remembered what Kanas said. Datan realized that it was not wise to be involved further. Sami took another grey wrapping from the table. He offered Datan one.
“Spit-up candy. Have you ever tried one, pan?” he asked. He then opened one of them in his hand, showing Datan a bright blue candy with red stripes. “It is food from my hometown. Try one. It would make you calmer. Just don’t swallow it. If the taste has completely gone, spit it.”
His curiosity makes him try one. It feels like he was chewing milk made of rubber. But he felt calmer indeed.
Datan started to talk about other things, like where to spend the night. Afterward, Sami introduced Datan to Jonda, the waiter from behind the counter. Jonda took Datan to the back of the pub, where there were special rooms used by Royan on duty, which currently there were only Datan and Sami.
◆◆◆
The next morning, after sleeping in the simple yet comfortable room, and had a mind-blowingly good ox tongue rice sprinkled with baked cheese for breakfast, he went to the town. He did not see the homeless kids from last night. In the bright yet cloudy day, Datan assessed the current situation in Fardas. He spent the whole day watching over the people and their movement.
Some houses around the central park placed daffodils in front of their door. It was Haedin people’s habit to show condolences towards a family members’ passing. Another unusual thing was that hospitals and clinics were full of people. Children managed to walk solely because their parents guided them. They were weak, disoriented, pale, and all in all grim. Claw marks were visible in their throat, just like what Datan saw in the necks of the homeless children he encountered yesterday. The parents looked extremely worried, and they looked so tired like they had not had proper sleep in a long time.
Datan visited the central government district. He observed the activities in the street and alleyways which he would visit for his mission. He also made sure the guards’ patrol route, which he needed to avoid at all cost. Through all of that, Datan still managed to spend some time observing Thar Ubaga’s manor in the corner of a hidden trail. He admired how magnificent it was. It had a vast yard surrounded by concrete fences as tall as half a meter. On it, though, were two-meter tall iron bars. The scary-looking guars walked around the manor. Datan honestly admired himself for even thinking to infiltrate that place.
Datan looked closely the moment Thar Ubaga came out of the house with his wife. They walked in their garden, walking around and laughing like a newlywed couple. Datan looked straightforward, his nerves tensed as he saw the gleam of the Zu stone in his fat neck.
◆◆◆
Back in the bar, Datan asked Jonda to prepare one kilogram of minced garlic, like those people use to cook.
“Where is Sami?”
“I haven’t seen him since yesterday, Sir.”
Datan met Halta who came visiting the pub to drink. He looked sullen. He greeted Datan, though did not congratulate him. That man brings the box wrapped in red ribbon. Again, he asked Datan to donate some coins to those who were less fortunate. Datan wondered why Halta did that. He suspected that it was his own saving he collected for his retirement.
Oddly enough, Halta gave something back in return.
“You cannot refuse.”
Halta took out something and put it in the table, shoving them to Datan. Those were chocolate candy wrapped by a light-colored leaf. Datan smelt a scent of banana from it. He shrugged, taking those candies and put them in his pocket.
When the night came, he drank the Anti-Halo which tasted like oil for massages. Afterward, Datan decided to walk around the town one more time. Everything looked in order, serene and quiet. Datan heard people talked about the Unuma’s preparation who were gathering in Suba Tower. The shops and markets were closed earlier. The guards were diligently patrolled around the place. Beautiful chanting filled the starry night, tickling his ears with praises and songs which shook the listener to the core.
In the western side, cold wind gushed.
That night was exactly when the Full Moon Ceremony took place, which was the praising and prayer to Unum the Creator. It is said that every Full Moon, Unum would bestow virtue upon those who kneeled all night long for Him. Jonda, who took part in that ceremony, said that the Full Moon Ceremony would be followed by a mass prayer to ask for recovery for the sick children.
Datan only nodded as he heard about the event, the least he could do to appear invested at all.
In the bottom of Suba Tower Datan saw most of the Unumas took an open lantern, which ha
d a glowing brown crystal inside of it. The crystal smelt like petrichor, inviting thousands of water fireflies whose bottoms were glowing in light blue. Those creatures followed wherever the light was pointed at, surrounding it.
The Unumas seemed like they applied some coconut oil to their face because they glistened. They looked serene and calm like they were at peace. They seemed unshaken even if, say, a massive flood washed over them. They smelt like sandalwood. As they passed another Unuma, they greeted the other with a hug, touching their temples to one another.
Suddenly from behind, someone placed a palm on top of Datan’s shoulder. He was a man with clear grey eyes, his mustache and beard were black and silver. He was one of the Unumas with a glistening face. He was wearing a yellow hooded robe with dark blue incision, reminding him of Eina trees’ leaves. They look holy if that made sense. On their robe was Unum symbol, which was a black line in a circle in the chest area. It meant The One Above All.
The man smiled. “What are you doing here, Son?” he asked so politely. “Won’t you join us?”
Datan lifted his head slightly, staring directly at the man’s eyes, frowning. “Join you?”
“Yes, to pray for Unum the Creator, present ourselves before him. In today’s Full Moon Ceremony, we will ask for the recovery for the Children in Fardas.
Datan fake laughed. “No, Old Man,” he said, shaking his head. “We Ingrans are an independent bunch.”
Datan lifted the man’s hand from his shoulder, he turned around, leaving the man stunned. Datan knew he had said the right thing. As the most complete creature that had ever walked the Surface, Neenas did not have to bow towards anyone, anything.
Chapter 20
The Ape’s Warning
The Black Tongue had a small tower at the back of the main building. The height was around twenty meters. It hosted a flat surface and bell at the top. Jonda said that a Royan could stand there, surveying the situation. He then could ring the bell to signal fellow Royans in Fardas.
Soon, he would perform his mission.
He was told that the sound of the bell would not be heard by the ordinary citizen. Datan could not wait to try it. He had been standing in the tower for a while, gazing down below. Fardas glowed beautifully amidst the dark of the world. Beside Datan was a structural pole connected to a steel thread. There was also a staff with a pulley mechanism which could be used to hanging, gliding down into a hidden alley.
For the first time in his life, he felt like he was at the top of the world. It burns his spirit. He stood tall. His cloak dances wildly with the wind as if it was about to take him into a flight.
He was watching the Full Moon Ceremony.
The air was filled with praises of the Unumas which got louder by the second, beating the gush of wind. Honestly, they sound like mantras. A full moon shone brightly in its zenith. It pushed through the cloud to show itself, showering its light to the entire land. Water fireflies danced along with the chants of the Unumas.
Datan felt alive. He could feel life itself coasting through his veins.
His green eyes lit up, observing every detail of Fardas under him. In the southern direction from Suba Tower, the town twinkled. There were still people in the street. While at the sea, there was a lighthouse guiding the ships in the shore.
Datan took his time, sharpening his senses. He heard the sound of all lives in Fardas, the chanting of the Unumas, the talking of the people, even the crashing sound of the waves in the shore. His excitement was overflowing that everything seemed small. It felt like he was holding the entire world in his hands. Courage and exhilaration filled his entire being. He was overwhelmed with pride.
Datan laughed. Was that how it felt? To be complete. To be alive.
Because this is why I am alive, to be a Royan, the Ruler of the Night.
His instinct told him that it was time for him to start. The town got dimmer and dimmer before fell into slumber. He took off his cloak, letting the moonlight washed over the night attire.
For a moment, Datan realized that there was an odd sensation in the air. It made the hair on his body stood. The red pattern which contained Halo suddenly emerged from the night attire. It glowed and hissed in the air, dividing itself into a straight long strand. It looked like veins. The symbol of a hooded owl was formed out of pieces of red metal, gleaming in his left shoulder.
Halo evaporated, becoming one with the air. There was no scent, no color, nothing. The substance fell upon the town, filling every corner, every open space, everyone.
Datan pulled up his hood, closing his eyes for a moment. Breathing slowly.
There were noises of bodies collapsing on the street. People’s chatter stopped. Everyone silenced. Datan got the perfect silence he wanted in the radius of a hundred meters. There was no gusting of wind, no singing of bugs, no sound of crashing wave. It was as if the universe was put in a pause.
It was then Datan decided to move for real. He reached for the metal staff, holding it tight and jumped. The mechanic worked on its own, once its wheel turned, it triggered something else. It pulled the pendulum of the bell, hiding it. Datan slid down fast through the steel thread as he heard the bong. The sound of the Warning Bell was like a ding of a giant trident. It echoed throughout the land.
The black wristlet froze for a moment.
Datan landed in a dead end of an alleyway. It was hidden and dark in the middle of the land crowded by houses. He proceeded to his target’s house right away.
He walked without making any noise, he walked in a gallant manner, mimicking a prince, and his green eyes lit up arrogantly beyond compare. His heart forced him to swallow down his doubt. He passed through the route he had decided beforehand. He took a turn, sneaking in a damp alley and finally he reached the main street.
Datan stood between magnificent houses with sculptures and beautiful garden.
“Hey! Wa—wait—“
“You! The one in—“
The guards in grey uniformed tried to warn him, holding up his baton even when their knees wobbled. But even before they reach him, they fell and start snoring on the street. Their face turned purple as if they were intoxicated. Their expression remained surprised with a gaping mouth.
Datan smiled at the sight. He tapped his shoes on the pavement in a tune. He swayed his body gleefully, humming as he stepped over the guards.
Perfect. It was truly perfect!
Thar Ubaga’s cubical house could be seen in the midst of the road. The building was not covered in any paint. It was the only sophisticated building in Fardas which was made of a giant pahatt rock from the southern mountains. It was known to be rare, tough but light and had a rather beautiful texture. There was a Fardas flag on the roof. The building had dozens of windows with blue frame in which the inside was covered in golden silk drapes. Around it was trees in the big yard.
From afar, Datan could see two guards wobbled in front of the iron gate. As one of them gained a little bit of consciousness, he looked around the empty street before entering a post made of stone. Both of them soon fell asleep in their chairs. They must be Jakak dan Jakik, brothers from different father who had been working as the guard of Thar Ubaga’s gate for the past three years.
Yes, Datan knew who they are. Datan even knew where they were born and what made them be gate guards. Actually, not only those two, Datan had learned about everyone in Thar Ubaga’s circle, including Joris Meik the Wizard. This was why he felt confident. Even so, he admitted that this mission would be nowhere near easy. But that was where it became fun. His launching mission should be a challenging one, and he would make a breakthrough with his achievement.
Tension thumped his chest, permeating through his bones.
Datan took deep breaths. He filled his lungs with salty air from the ocean nearby. He affirmed his courage. Even after all of this, every now and then his steps felt heavy. He walked closer towards the house. As he reached the gate undetected, he held the ornamented iron bars that were the fence and climbed it.
Once, his eyes glance at the brothers who was sleeping under the influence of Halo. Datan jumped onto the lawn, rolled his body once and agilely stood up right away. He proceeded to hide behind the bush quietly.
Datan widened his vision, penetrating through the darkness and the blinding light of golden lanterns in the yard. He captured every single detail and he heard every single sound, becoming wary of ones he found suspicious. He wanted to know where the infamous threatening Red Necks were.
The Red Necks consisted of seven chosen Urgut people who were hired to be the guards of Thar Ubaga. In the documents he received, they all had mastered Jyoza. It was a type of martial arts that focused the user's skill to make the best use of their weapon. A Jyozan was considered powerful and deadly with various weapons in their hand. Yet, they were weak when fighting with bare hands.
Datan observed in silence. The strange thing was, the more he observed, the more he felt off. Datan could felt the life surrounding him less and less. His ears could only hear the sound of his own breath, which got heavier, along with the sound of rippling water from the waterfall. The leaves in the trees stayed still, losing their scent. He could not even feel the wind brushing his face.
It was like the world froze.
There was no movement in the side of the artificial pond, neither was in the pathway to the house nor under the flamboyant trees. Even a chameleon who was in camouflage mode, latching to the tree trunks, looked like a wooden statue.
Something was wrong.
Datan decided to walk out of his hiding place, suppressing his doubt. He realized he could not hide forever. Not if he wanted to know what was happening. Was it possible for the Red Necks to be affected by Halo as well? But just as he took several steps, he smelt something unpleasant in the air. The smell of blood emerged from behind the tree near the pond. It was very strong that it left a bitter taste in his throat. It might come from a corpse left unburied for days.
