by Rama Nugraha
“Only Sir Joris could call me that!”
“Fine! I will never say your name ever again!” Datan reassured him. He tried to show a pitiful gaze to combat Ferids’s enraged one. “Listen, if you kick me again, or hit me, then it will be over,” Datan took a moment to inhale, his heart still pounded abnormally. He felt miserable. “I realized that you can kill me whenever you want in a blink of an eye. But you don’t want that, do you? Come on, we’re just getting started, right? I want to see more of your mightiness. I want to see how great you are. This should be fun, right?” Datan swallowed hard.
“How about, we play hide and seek in the city. What do you think? And what do I call you?”
Datan starred at the Ludaj back. He did not care that people would find that his idea was idiotic. At the time of crisis, one must do whatever they could to get away safely. Ferid scoffed harshly, making a smoke coming out of his nose like a chimney. He was considering Datan’s idea.
In the meantime, Datan was thinking of something else. Why? Why is his first mission such a disaster?
Aside from that, the entire area in the center of the city was covered in a black cloud. It was as though rain would fell anytime. His smelling sense could feel the change of humidity in the air. His tongue could taste the sweet taste of the air. Ah, this was truly mindboggling. There was no moonlight, which means no Halo, and no Halo meant… Datan was terrified imagining what he should do were he to run away in the street.
Datan realized that he could no longer use the Halo effect. Afar, he could hear townspeople’s scream getting louder and louder. The sound of tok-tok-tok-tok echoed in his head, maddening. With his eyes glued to Ferid’s form, Datan knew his situation got worse by the second. Across the street, a woman shrieked hysterically at nothing, begging her father not to strangle him. This inexplicable happening made everything even more chaotic.
Datan refused to care too much, he could no longer waste his time.
Datan wiped his mouth, feeling thirsty. Only then did he notice blood drip at the corner of his lips. His entire body felt weak. His bones, muscles, and organs were on fire and throbbed. He wanted to lie down, but clearly, that was impossible. Glancing at his left arm, he wondered if it was broken. One thing for sure, he could not move it except for his fingers.
He was still grateful though, that he did not bleed out. He was scratched around the chest, right arm and left foot, but most of his body was protected by the night attire. Even if the cloth covering him was torn around his shoulder, elbow, and knees.
One kick and Datan was almost thrown into death door. Another kick, and I’ll die for real.
Ferid laughed proudly at Datan’s confession. His shoulder quaked as he did so. That particular part of his body looked odd like it was shielded by a layer of turtle’s shell. It was true indeed, Anag could modify the form he shapeshifted into.
“Alright,” he decided. He bent his knees, sat cross-legged in front of Datan. His chest was puffed, his eyes oozed arrogance and an evil smirk was formed in his face. It was an unsettling sight, really. “But how could you continue to play? You can’t even move now.”
“Okay, so here’s the idea,” Datan breathed slowly to calm his racing heart. “Sorry about that, I cannot breathe well. But don’t worry, I could still run. Just wait a minute. You have to be patient.”
Datan’s fingers searched for Cercila syringe inside of the pouch in his belt. It was hidden well for security reasons. Ferid’s eyes glowed in amusement at the sight of the green liquid inside of the syringe Datan had put out.
Ferid winced, leaning his body forward. “How did you—“
Datan’s face was as hard as a stone. He wanted to chew and swallow the syringe. “I don’t know.” His hand trembled, eyes popping out when he found the cap was broken and the needle was bent.
It happened to more than one syringe. It was embarrassing to try to get another one every time. Datan did not give up, though. He kept trying to find an intact one in his pocket. Ferid even made a remark that he was a Royan who was also a pharmacist.
Datan did not say anything when he found an unbroken syringe. He was ecstatic like he had just been served a glass of Naqi. Right away, he injected the syringe to his right thigh. He could feel the liquid spreading fast. After one minute, he could already feel that it was working.
Wonderful. He felt like he had been bathing in a river somewhere in a mountain. His mind and soul were serene. The pain ached all over his body faded.
Ferid looked dumbfounded. Datan could not tell what the other was thinking.
Datan’s body made a noise like a hiss as it fixed itself. His pores enlarged as his sweat evaporated out to the air, passing through the night attire. Scratches, bruises, dislocations, everything started to recover. It took a minute before no single pain was left in his body. He had become whole again.
Datan’s heart raced.
He opened his eyes, getting even thirstier. His throat was sticky and dry. Aside from that, though, his entire senses were heightened. He could feel different particles brushed his face along with the night breeze. He could smell the scent of a rusty pajama. He could hear the chaotic noises from afar, a baby’s cry in one of the houses, the distortion of Unuma’s chant in Suba Tower.
The sensation made him uncomfortable. Especially now that he could smell Ferid’s true scent. He smelt like a creature who did not know what bathing was. It was like he spent his entire existence living inside a garbage dump.
Courage, tranquility, willpower, and confidence boiled inside of him. He was burned with passion. He felt like he could throw Ferid with one hand. He stood as though he could beat anyone who got in his way. He was unbeatable!
Datan wondered if Cercila was actually meant for the user to be suicidal rather than for simple healing purposes.
“Woah! That medicine is no joke!” Ferid exclaimed in awe. “Your green eyes were on fire!”
Datan smiled proudly. He glanced at Ferid, calculating the distance, and then he attacked. He stomped Ferid’s bent thigh, clawing his hairy arm, and pulling his pointy ear. He took out his dagger and stabbed it through the three dots Qie next to its horn. He attacked from two. He was fast, not giving Ferid a chance to react.
Ferid gapped. A high-pitch sound rang inside his head. The flesh in his forehead melted like tar oil, creating smoke in the air and scent like burnt rubber. His body trembled greatly. Being wide-awake, Datan jumped. He rolled on the ground and stood up, making sure to keep a safe distance from Ferid.
Ferid roared wildly. He cursed, hitting the street with his fist. The impact was like a cannonball. Every building in every district in Fardas quaked. The glass of every lantern pole in the street around the radius of five hundred meters was shattered. People were running, screaming in horror. The entire city had woken up.
The sound of the guards’ pole can no longer be heard.
Datan stilled. He breathed peacefully when hot air hit him violently, trying to blow away the night attire. He watched the view before him closely. He should have speculated that Ferid would be that angry. But honestly, at that point, he did not find the creature terrifying. He stood tall still, not even a little bit rattled. Except for the fact that his wristlet vibrating violently, suddenly getting piercing cold, squeezing his wrist like it wanted to cut it off his arm.
“You attacked me!” Ferid screeched, his voice would make a grown man cry. He wobbled while holding the wound in his head. He panted, “You stab my head!”
Datan inhaled deeply. “You kicked me first!” he replied just as angrily.
Ferid growled in rage, his chest was puffed as he blew hot air from his mouth—
Datan threw his knife into the blast of hot air. As he heard Ferid screamed he pulled back his knife using telekinesis.
Sparkle of gold exploded into the air.
“You twat!” Ferid growled. “I’ll kill you!”
“Ha! Catch me if you can, Ferid!”
Datan turned around and ran. Cercila really pushe
d his adrenaline to the very end.
He bolted like a racehorse. In his head, he visualized the map of Fardas and the runaway route he had planned. He knew where to go. He had to go to Mana street number I to get to the Bueno I in the southern side of the town. He needed to take a turn in Malee Fish Shop to the Tunia II alleyway. It would lead him to Bueno IV which ended in front of Fardas Fish Museum. He would proceed to Middle Karangka and took a turn in Siput 1 alleyway next to Fardas Orphanage. And finally, next to it was Fardas’ southern gate.
Well, at least that was what he had planned. Now though? He was not so sure.
After all, he was chased by Ferid at the moment. Ferid broke through everything in his way like an angry boar. It did not matter where Datan would run, Ferid would follow him. Not to mention the hot air that made the air as hot as the desert air during midday.
Perhaps the entire townspeople had woken up by then. They ran out of their house, wondering why there was a man ran for his dear life in the street chased by a Ludaj. Mr. Buckbuk was startled when Datan passed through his motel.
“It’s the killer! He looks like a Royan!” someone yelled.
Soon, more voices followed. “Look at his attire! He is a Royan!”
“He came out of Thar Ubaga’s house!”
“This is insane! That Ludaj must be Joris’ pet!”
“Oh, no! What happened to our kind Thar?”
The air was filled with stomps of feet that broke the street, hot air that burned the trees, clangs of trashcan Datan threw, Ferid’s wild roar (which sounded like a real Ludaj by then), mockery and damnation, shouting of the guards, and the townspeople’s shriek of horror. Properties of the town were broken that predawn. The street, flower garden in the central park, Khuku train station, post boxes, including people’s private properties.
All the while, the moon was still hidden behind the cloud.
Datan found two Unuma trembled in fear in the corner of the street, they could barely stand as they fought against drowsiness, whilst keep chanting the prayer he did not understand. Not only that, but there was also a shadow following him. It moved fast. In a turn, Datan found Guma who starred at him with wide eyes, dumbfounded.
Every now and then Datan tried to launch an attack towards Ferid. He threw his throwing knife. He slashed and ran with his sword in the grip of his hand. But apparently, the more he fought Ferid, the more the creature looked terrifying.
Datan thought that perhaps the Cercila effect had subdued.
Datan took Ferid to the docking area in the southeast side of the town. He took him farther away from the crowd. He kept running until he reached a wide street between gigantic buildings that were dry docks. There was only silence in there, excluding two guards who chose to jump into the sea rather than helping Datan. Wise choice.
Datan was still trying to get away when a pair of daggers impaled Ferid’s foot from somewhere unknown. Ferid howled in pain as the daggers caused excruciating pain in his limbs, making him limp. His flesh and the curly hair of his Ludaj form were scorched. The wound had expanded, now producing a thick liquid substance with the smell of burnt rubber, which then evaporated into thin air.
Ferid stopped for a while. His broad chest rose and fell frantically. Whiffs of hot breath puffed out of his thin nostrils. Ferid looked down, his yellow eyes widened as he saw his calves. He cursed. Ferid stuck out his hand, using his bulging index finger and thumb, attempting to pull out the daggers.
Datan moved slowly as he noticed the absence of the thumps, it was a sign that Ferid had stopped chasing him. He stopped as well, turning around. His face paled, drenched in sweat and jaw clenched. Datan was tensed and exhausted. He watched Ferid who was now crouching down, digging something from his thigh with an utmost irritation in his face. What happened to him?
Sami emerged from the darkness in the corner of the street. “For Unum! You obtuse moron!” he screamed.
Datan frowned, both relieved and irritated at the sight of his colleague. “What?”
“You dragged him all around the city!”
“Well, all of this wouldn’t happen if it weren’t for your maniac of a friend!” Datan replied angrily. “The serial killer had Joris go insane and make him command this damned creature to kill me!”
Sami was taken aback. He knew who Datan referred to instantly.
Something caught their attention. Sami pulled out his curved sword right away, running towards Ferid who was almost got back to his feet. Ferid, though, had anticipated this. He flicked the air with the fingers of his right hand and Sami was instantly thrown to a fish cart in the side of the street. The cart was almost broken by the impact. Sami winced in pain as he a pile of rotten fish fell around him.
“How dare you!” Ferid growled viciously, his balled fist hit the pavement until it became dust. Rage was even more apparent in his face.
Datan panted. Was this how Royan’s battle usually go? Was this how fighting an Anag was, just like how Father warned him? Anag was truly a vicious entity of the Abyss. People said they ate children and killed for sport. Had the black wristlet not protected him, what would have happened to him?
Datan felt his knees ached, begging for rest. His left arm cramped because of his vibrating wristlet. He had no other choice. He slashed the air with his Royan sword. The unnamed sword made of Blue Steel clang as it detected the presence of the Anag. The sword became one with his arm. It was light and it fits his grip perfectly. Datan screamed loudly as he attacked Ferid in his left hip.
The creature jumped in surprise and swung his elbows backward. Datan dodge the attack, jumped back as he threw two knives simultaneously. Ferid got even madder, his tail whipped the street vigorously. Ever since he chased after Datan around the town, Ferid had been wounded multiple times. Now, his wounds hissed on their own. Regardless, Datan kept delivering attacks.
Never did Datan stopped. He threw more knives stashed in his chest.
“Enough!” Ferid screamed, slapping the air, throwing away all of the flying knives. It was as if there was an invisible force shielding him. “I will kill both of you.”
Sami threw a strange ball at Ferid. The ball exploded and covered him in a yellow liquid smelling like an animal carcass. “Pan! With that, you can’t use magic for the rest of the day!” he exclaimed, holding his breath.
Ferid’s face depicted pure horror. He froze as if he was afraid to move as the liquid dripped from his nape to his hairy underarm.
Datan pinched his nose. “What is that?” he asked.
“Mud Egg!”
Datan clicked his tongue, feeling a little jealous. That was a weapon for Royan Two.
Ferid panted as the two Royans approached him. He did not react, looking dumbfounded. His eyes were unfocused and shifted wildly towards many directions. His mouth was slightly open. The wound in his forehead, just right before the Qie, widened. Fear washed over his face like someone hold a spear right before his face.
“Hey, Sam, is the egg that great?” Datan asked in a whisper. “Does it paralyze the victim or something?”
Sami did not answer, he kept looking at Ferid. Sword was still steady in his grip.
“You are cunning ones, Royans,” Ferid hissed, his breath rumbled like a storm. “You surrounded Thar Ubaga’s house, didn’t you? My master Joris, he…”
Sami put his hand on Datan’s chest asking him to take some steps backward. Sami could smell something happening with Ferid. The creature’s eyes were on fire, looking at Sami and Datan back and forth. Both of his palms were balled like he wanted to have Datan and Sami’s body inside that grasp and destroy them.
“Hey listen, Fer,” Datan shrugged off Sami’s hand, took a step forward. “Neither of us surrounded his house. You can have my word—“
“LIAR!”
Datan swung his sword—just then he thought Ferid was actually about to decapitate him with his teeth.
Ferid’s eyes bugged, his breath became short. Smoke emerged from his body, this time it was not only from h
is wound. His Ludaj form looked as though it was burnt from the inside. Ferid whimpered and curled into a ball. He let out an agonized groan.
“Sir Joris…”
He exploded.
It was like a giant balloon popping as they were hit by screeching sound and cold air. It turned off the remaining lights from several lantern pole. The air surrounding that area becoming eerie as gleaming black dust dances in the air before whirring in and got sucked into nothingness. Knives and dagger which was once on Ferid’s body fell onto the street, making a loud clanking sound.
The whisper of the sea filled in the silence.
They stayed unmoving for a while in the darkness. The wind felt cold as it brushed tense faces gently. The black wristlet had finally calmed down for the first time since Datan saw the Anag.
Sami sighed. “It’s over,” he said, taking his dagger from the street.
Datan was frozen still. He felt unsettled. What happened to Ferid? Who surrounded Thar Ubaga’s house?
“Datan! Come on, we have to get out of here!”
At the end of the street, they saw lights floating along with the sound of footsteps and chatters. Sami looked around to find an escape route, while Datan was still disoriented. His left hand patted the top of his head, trying to think. It was until a light of hope emerged from between two buildings near them. The hope was drenched.
“Sirs!” Guma whispered, but clear enough to be heard. He waved his water lantern, glowing in blue. It looked like a glass ball with a wooden handle. “This way! Hurry!”
Chapter 23
The Side Effect of Cercila
Veins were forming around Datan’s eyes. Slowly it spread all over his face. The Elpa membrane inside of his nose itched because he barely used that anymore. His nose turned red. He felt like he was inhaling solid air.
Breathing with Elpa Membrane had never been easy indeed.
