The end of the school day was the moment Sancaka always looked forward to. As soon as lessons were over, he quickly said goodbye to the teacher and rushed out, dragging Gatot along with him.
The day before, Sancaka had been off from school. He had spent that time playing in the forest, where he discovered an incredibly beautiful creature. That was why he was so eager to bring his friends to see the wonder he had found.
Sancaka ran toward the neighboring school to pick up Abas and Tara. Behind him, Gatot struggled to keep up.
"Ugh, Sancaka, I'm exhausted," Gatot complained. "How is your stamina so strong?"
"I'm not tired because my strength is fueled by spirit," Sancaka replied proudly.
They continued toward a large wooden building that also served as a school. Students were streaming out as classes ended. Soon, Abas and Tara appeared before them.
"What are you doing at our school?" Abas asked with a grin.
"Your classes just ended, right?" Sancaka asked.
"They just did. We're heading home now," Tara replied.
"Don't go home yet! I want to take the three of you on an adventure in the forest," Sancaka said excitedly.
"What are we going to do in the forest?" Abas asked.
"Sancaka wants to show us something amazing," Gatot said. "I'm curious too."
"That's right. I found something yesterday," Sancaka added.
In the end, they all returned to their homes first to prepare. When Sancaka arrived home, he emptied his school bag and put away his slate and writing tools. He felt certain that this afternoon would be lucky—that nothing dangerous would happen, not even the appearance of a Kurawa. And if danger did arise, he could handle it. In his bedroom, he kept a sharp sword capable of cutting through various objects.
It had been a birthday gift from his father. At the time, his parents had argued about giving such a weapon to someone so young. The idea came because Sancaka had specifically asked for a real sword. His mother eventually agreed on one condition: it would only be used for training. His father promised to personally supervise Sancaka's practice sessions.
Later, the four friends gathered in the central park of Wanasura Village. From there, they followed Sancaka, walking past rice fields, through the market, and toward the village gate.
The gate separated the outside world from Wanasura. Carts constantly moved in and out, carrying local harvests and vegetables to be sold in the city, sustaining the village's economy.
Village knights guarded the gate strictly, inspecting everything that passed through. If a Kurawa appeared, they would immediately shut the gate and form a defensive formation. On that bright afternoon, one knight noticed four children heading toward the exit.
"Hey, you four! Where are you going?" the knight called.
"We're going on an adventure!" Sancaka shouted back before breaking into a run. The others followed, though Sancaka kept his pace slower, remembering that Gatot lacked endurance.
They entered the forest. Sancaka led them along a wide path—free of tangled roots, thick bushes, or sharp stones that could trip them. The previous day, he had struggled while walking home after discovering the beautiful sight. So before leaving, he had carefully searched for a clear trail without rocks, roots, or even soldier ants—ensuring they could return easily today.
As they approached a gazebo, Sancaka slowed down. They stopped and saw it was empty.
"There's nothing here, Sancaka. Where's the amazing thing you mentioned?" Gatot asked.
"It's not in the gazebo," Sancaka replied. "I stopped here to remember the direction."
He had used the gazebo as a landmark. If it was nearby, the next turn was to the right.
They continued rightward until Sancaka stopped and pointed at a tree.
"Now we climb that tree," he declared.
"Why didn't you tell us from the beginning that we'd have to climb?" Gatot protested.
"It's not that tall," Sancaka said. "We've climbed trees this height before."
"Even so, you should've warned us," Tara said.
"Wait, I can't climb trees. I've fallen before," Gatot added nervously.
"Then climb onto my back," Sancaka offered.
Sancaka handed his slate and writing tools to Gatot to carry. He knelt so Gatot could climb onto his back, then began climbing the tree while carrying him. Abas and Tara followed behind, amazed at Sancaka's strength.
When they reached a sturdy branch, they leaned back and sat. Sancaka brushed aside some leaves and twigs.
"There. This is what I wanted to show you," he said, pointing to a bird's nest containing several eggs.
"Where's the mother? Why are there only eggs?" Sancaka wondered aloud, glancing around for the larger bird he had hoped to show off.
Suddenly, a cracking sound echoed. At first, they thought a branch had snapped—but the sound came from the nest. The eggs began to split, and three tiny brown-feathered chicks emerged.
All four children smiled at the sight of the hatchlings.
Abas and Tara reached out, wanting to take one home, but Gatot smacked their hands away.
"They belong with their mother," he said firmly.
Moments later, a bird swooped past Sancaka's face and landed in the nest, carrying an insect in its beak to feed the newborn chicks.
The mother bird was breathtaking. Her feathers shimmered in brilliant shades of brown, red, green, yellow, and white. Her beak was long and curved gracefully.
Gatot immediately recalled a lesson from school. "That's a bird-of-paradise."
"How do you know its name?" Sancaka asked.
"Our teacher explained the different species of animals in Uranion," Gatot replied. "You were listening too, right?"
Sancaka only smiled sheepishly and scratched his head.
"My parents said birds-of-paradise are only found in the eastern regions," Tara said. "How can one be here in our village forest?"
"Maybe it migrated," Abas suggested.
"But birds-of-paradise aren't known for traveling very far," Gatot said thoughtfully. "If it migrated here, that's incredible."
Sancaka felt happy seeing his friends discuss the bird he had discovered. He distributed the slates and writing tools to each of them, and together they began drawing the magnificent creature before them.