The forest, which had only been whispering softly, suddenly screamed. The sound of heavy wingbeats and the stinging stench of rotting carcasses invaded their senses.
"Prajurit! Amuk Langsuir te! Ela manalua ie manukep itah!"
(Warriors! Attack those Langsuirs! Don't let them near us!)
Keriya's shout pierced the silence. In an instant, the forest turned into a hellscape. The Dayak warriors unsheathed their mandau, silver metal glinting between the gaps of the ironwood trees, while the Melayu Kingdom soldiers swiftly formed a tortoise formation, their steel shields clashing tightly to protect Princess Agattha's carriage.
Tama did not wait for orders. He leapt from the carriage door with a movement almost impossible for the human eye to follow. He landed on a branch, then slid down right into the middle of the crowd of pale, long-fanged creatures with a slightly mocking smile. His mandau moved with a playful yet lethal rhythm—each slash was not just an attack, but like a dance mocking his opponents.
"Come on, ugly faces! Have you not bathed for a thousand years?" Tama cried as he spun his body, slashing the leg of a Langsuir until the creature shrieked in pain.
However, amidst the chaos, the sky above the carriage was suddenly covered by a large shadow. A winged Langsuir, a rarer and more powerful kind, dived down at full speed. Its red eyes locked onto Agattha, who had just stepped out of the carriage in panic.
"Agattha, get down!"
Tama realized he was too far to reach the Princess with his hands. With pure instinct, he plunged his mandau into the ground, his palm touching a protruding root of a giant ironwood tree.
"Kayu pambelum, gerak keton!"
(Wood of life, move!)
The sound of wood snapping and growing was deafening. The roots beneath Agattha's feet surged upward, forming a protective fence in an instant, while the tree branches above her elongated unnaturally, sharpening like divine spears.
Jlep! Jlep!
The natural wooden spears pierced the chest and wings of the flying Langsuir before it could touch a single strand of Agattha's hair. Thick black blood with a fishy stench sprayed out. Tama, not wanting Agattha's expensive silk gown stained by demon filth, stomped his foot on the ground. The earth beneath him seemed to explode, propelling his body into the air.
He caught Agattha, hugging her waist tightly, and spun their bodies in mid-air. The black blood fell onto the back of Tama's clothes, while Agattha remained untouched and clean. They landed softly on the supple ground.
"A gown this beautiful must not be stained by trash blood," Tama whispered with a sarcastic smile, yet his gaze was so warm, looking into Agattha's eyes which were still trembling from shock.
The tide began to turn. Keriya, with her ferocity, managed to drive back the remnants of Atiu's forces. The few remaining Langsuirs crawled back into the darkness of the forest. However, one bird-like Langsuir perched atop a banyan tree shrieked in a hoarse, heart-wrenching voice:
"Enjoy your small victory, humans! Atiu has sent his army to the East! When the Veil of Aji Talopo falls into our hands, Borneo will become a massive graveyard for you all!"
The creature prepared to flap its wings and fly away, but Tama snorted coldly.
"Your message is received, but the messenger is not required."
With the power of light wrapping around his mandau, Tama threw the weapon. The mandau spun like a solar disc, slicing through the air with a sharp whirring sound, and in an instant, beheaded the Langsuir in mid-air. The mandau returned to Tama's hand as if pulled by an invisible thread.
Tama helped Agattha stand, brushing the dust off the Princess's shoulders. "You are safe now, Agattha."
However, the romantic atmosphere was immediately cut short by the Melayu Kingdom's head aide, who approached with a crimson face.
"Release our Princess, Dayak! Do not be so bold as to touch the sacred hand of our royal family!"
Tama simply shrugged, releasing Agattha's hand politely but with style.
"Fine, fine. Put your keris away, I have no interest in stealing your princess..."
"At least for today," he whispered slightly to Princess Agattha, who smiled shyly while looking at Tama.
The Palace of the Ngaju Dayak Tribe
The echo of footsteps on the hard ironwood floor sounded like a racing heartbeat.
Tama, the prince usually adored, now looked helpless as the back of his sash was still firmly gripped by Keriya's strong hand. The ladies-in-waiting and prison guards passing in the palace corridors could only bow, hiding smiles at a sight that had become a weekly "tradition."
"Keriya, lepasan aku! Malu aku mita rakyat! Aku pangeran, dia ulih keton nampa aku kalotuh!"
(Keriya, let me go! I'm ashamed to be seen by the people! I am a prince, you cannot treat me like this!)
Tama whined while putting up a small struggle.
Keriya remained unmoved. Her face was as cold as the ice on the mountain peaks.
"Lekat ikau sunge sunget! Amun dia aku jiret, ikau pasti kabur mampandau putri te lagi!"
(Shut your boasting mouth! If I don't tie you up, you'll surely run off to meet that princess again!)
Keriya shot back without looking.
They arrived at the grand hall. The King sat on an ivory wood-carved throne, while the Queen stood beside him with traces of anxiety on her beautiful face. Keriya released her grip, causing Tama to stumble in front of his father's feet.
"Father, look at your son. He prefers flirting in a horse carriage over defending the village!" Keriya reported, her voice trembling with emotion.
The King let out a long sigh, his heavy and authoritative voice filling the room.
"Tama... narai je huang otakmu? You are a future leader, not a flirt who cannot stay still."
Tama looked up, trying to put on the most pitiful face he possessed.
"Forgive me, Father. But I only wanted to ensure the border security... the hornbills said Princess Agattha was in danger."
"Bahaya jetuh datang ulih ulahmu, Tama!"
(That danger came because of your antics, Tama!)
Keriya interrupted with a rising tone.
"This is the last time. Don't cause trouble again. If you do, I will have you meet the strictest traditional elders so you cannot even leave the palace!"
Tama bowed his head dejectedly, then slowly stood and walked out of the hall with slumped shoulders. However, as soon as the door closed, the atmosphere inside the room turned chillingly serious. Keriya approached the throne, her face becoming gravely serious.
"Father, the Langsuir's message was real. They are gathering strength to take the Veil of Aji Talopo in the East."
The Queen gently held her husband's hand, trying to dampen the anger and fear beginning to spread.
"If that Veil breaks, Atiu can no longer be held back. His darkness will swallow our village."
The King stared toward the door where Tama had exited, his eyes reflecting both doubt and hope.
"Keriya, take care of your brother. Force him to focus on training. If that Veil breaks, only his light power can stop Atiu. This kingdom needs a hero, not just a warrior who is good at flirting."
Keriya bowed respectfully, her hand gripping the hilt of her mandau.
"Yes, Father. I will ensure Tama becomes a warrior who truly defends the land of Borneo."
In a place far from the sunlight, deep beneath rotting tree roots and dark caves in the heart of the Meratus Mountains, the darkness had a ruler. This was where Atiu, the Giant King, resided on a throne made from the bones of enemies he had broken a thousand years ago.
The air inside the cave felt heavy, smelling of sulfur and dried blood. Green fire torches that burned without smoke provided eerie lighting, creating long shadows that danced on the cave walls.
Atiu sat in silence. His giant body looked like a stone mountain covered in pale skin full of ancient battle scars. His eyes, burning red like embers blown by the wind, stared intensely toward a large hole in the center of the cave hall—a gateway to deeper darkness.
"Tambunum..." Atiu's voice thundered, low and hoarse, causing dust from the cave ceiling to fall.
"En ikau manampa narai je aku lakaku?"
(Tambunum... did you bring what I asked for?)
From behind the darkness emerged a giant with muscles bulging like ironwood roots. Tambunum. On his back was slung a massive sword with a reverse blade that looked bloodthirsty. In his hand, he dragged a young girl in tattered Dayak traditional clothes.
The girl, a virgin from a border village, trembled violently. Her face was deathly pale, her eyes full of unspeakable horror. She tried to scream, but her voice was swallowed by the fear choking her throat.
"Here she is, my Lord," Tambunum answered, throwing the girl onto the cold stone altar.
"Darah perawan jetuh murni tutu. Cukup guna mampandeng kekuatanmu penda bulan jetuh."
(This virgin's blood is very pure. Enough to awaken your strength under this moon.)
Atiu rose from his throne. Each footstep made the ground shake. He approached the girl, and with his sharp thumb-claw, he lifted her chin so she had to look into his terrifying eyes.
"Do not fear, little human," Atiu whispered with a laugh that sounded more like the scraping of a tombstone.
"Your blood will not be wasted. You will become part of the rebirth of the true ruler of Borneo."
Around them, hundreds of Langsuirs crawled on the cave walls, letting out hungry hisses. They waited for the remains of the ritual like a pack of starving vultures. Atiu raised his giant hand into the air. A thick black aura began to envelop the room, causing the temperature to drop until breath froze.
"Bulan ndai parak!"
(The moon is near!)
Atiu cried.
"When this blood touches the ground, the Veil of Aji Talopo will open its door for me. Naga Basuluk!"
From behind the shadows of the cave hole, the head of a giant dragon with scales as hard as steel and eyes spewing heat emerged. Naga Basuluk let out a roar that made the entire mountain range tremble.
The girl could only close her eyes, calling the names of the ancestors in her heart, as Atiu unsheathed his rusty yet deadly sharp black sword. The aura of darkness in the cave grew thicker, signaling that time for humanity was being counted down with the first drop of blood on the altar.
The ritual began. The girl's piteous scream was swallowed by the cheers of the dark creatures celebrating the return of the apocalypse for the land of Borneo.
The Following Day
Dawn had not yet truly broken on the horizon, but the thud of wood and cries of pain already shattered the silence on the rocky cliffs behind the Betang Palace. Keriya gave no time for Tama to dream about Princess Agattha.
"Wake up, you sleeper! The sun is about to rise, but you still close your eyes!"
Keriya kicked Tama's leg, which was still wrapped in a deerskin blanket. Tama tumbled over, his face meeting the damp earth.
"Gosh, Keriya! You're like a hungry bahutai in the morning! I was just dreaming of meeting Agattha, who gave me the fruit of memories..."
Tama grumbled while rubbing his red eyes.
"No need for dreams! If you don't focus, Agattha will become Atiu's sacrifice!"
Keriya replied firmly while throwing a very heavy wooden mandau toward Tama.
The Training
Dawn in the land of Borneo a thousand years ago never came peacefully. The sacred flapping of the Hornbills' wings harmonized with the sound of waterfalls hitting sharp rocks. However, what broke the silence most were the wooden clashes and frustrated shouts from behind the Penyang cliffs. The hell created by his sister was about to greet him.
Day 1
Keriya did not start training with swords, but with inner endurance. She tied Tama's feet to a leaning ironwood trunk over a ravine, while Tama's hands had to hold the weight of two large water jars without spilling a single drop.
Keriya kicked the tree trunk until Tama hung upside down. Tama, his face reddened as blood rushed to his head, still tried to joke.
"Keriya! You're like a hungry ghost in the morning! I was dreaming of Agattha giving me the fruit of memories... eh, this instead gives me knee pain!"
Day 3
Keriya released five crows possessed by panyentana energy into a rattan forest full of hooked thorns. Tama had to catch them all without breaking a single thorn on his clothes.
"Fast, Tama! If you're as slow as a tortoise, my mandau will split your ear!"
Tama dashed, his clothes shredded by thorns here and there. He muttered, "Keriya, if these clothes are torn, I'll be naked in front of the people! Is that what you want?"
Despite the joking, Tama's eyes began to focus. He started learning to use his hearing to feel the vibration of bird wings behind the thick leaves.
Day 15
Keriya took Tama to a river with a very strong current. She asked Tama to sit still on a slippery rock in the middle of the rapids, listening to the whispers of the water and the fish.
"Hear the voice of nature, Tama. Don't use your eyes, use your soul! Nature is your friend, not your enemy."
At first, Tama kept falling into the water, swept away by the current until he coughed. Villagers passing by the river began to whisper.
"Look at our Prince, he's like a fawn who can't swim," said a fisherman laughing.
However, by that evening, they fell silent. Tama sat perfectly still. Forest birds began to perch on his shoulders, as if Tama were part of the tree itself.
Day 30
After thirty days of being tortured by physical, mental, and spiritual training, the figure standing on the training ground was no longer the playful youth who only knew how to have fun. Tama's body now looked denser, his muscles hard as ironwood, and his eyes emitted a calm yet lethal thin glow of light.
On the palace balcony, the King and Queen watched the development with mixed feelings. The Queen squeezed her trembling hands, tears welling up at the sight of the drying wounds on her son's back.
"Poor Tama, Father... his body is so broken. Can't we let him rest for a bit? He is still our child..."
The King embraced his wife's shoulders, his voice deep and full of authority.
"My wife... this world does not care for our tears. Atiu has gathered his curse. If Tama is not strong now, he will die on the battlefield. He must become a hero truly strong enough to defend the homeland."
That morning, the atmosphere in Lewu Dayak was very solemn. Tama wore his usual clothes. He knelt before his father and mother. All the traditional elders were present, giving blessings through the sprinkling of pure water.
"Father, Mother... I take my leave to meet our ancestors in the East. I will seek the power that can stop Atiu and open the Veil of Aji Talopo before it's too late."
The King placed the heirloom Mandau on Tama's shoulder.
"Seek prayers from the ancestors, Tama. Remember, you are the breath of the land of Borneo. Do not return before your task is done."
Tama stood, then turned toward Keriya, who stood stiffly with her white tiger. For the first time, Keriya did not scold her brother. She approached and gave a brief, strong hug.
"Brother..." Keriya called softly. "Don't look back anymore. Focus on your goal. If you win, that Princess will be waiting for you in a peaceful palace."
Tama went silent for a moment. He stared toward the northern horizon, where the Melayu Kingdom lay. In his chest, there was a deep longing for Agattha. He wanted so badly to sneak into her room, just to say, "Wait for me, I will return as the king of your heart." However, he knew the fate of the world weighed heavier than mere longing.
"I know, Keriya. But if I die, my spirit will still meet her every morning to guard her."
With one stomp of his foot, the ground beneath Tama seemed to propel him forward. He turned into a streak of light that sliced through the forest, leaving Lewu behind, which now prayed for him in silence. His mother's hand clenched as if pleading with nature to protect her stubborn eldest son.