Hrakas laid out thick old clothes in the center of the shop after moving the tables and chairs against the wall with the help of the twins.
"Have a good rest. Tomorrow, I can show you around Jyala," Hrakas said.
"I need to clear my head for a while," Purnama muttered, pulling his scarf over his face and stepping out into the cool night air.
"Did... Did I say something wrong?" Hrakas asked, guilt flickering across his face as he watched Purnama leave unexpectedly.
"Nah, it's alright, Hrakas. He's probably just thinking of a good way to... discuss things with Erabis. Don't worry much about it," Suria calmly reassured him, glancing toward the door as if she could sense her twin's thoughts.
As Purnama stepped out, his gaze swept over the line of weathered wooden houses, each a testament to the village's struggle. The windows, glowing faintly with the light of oil lamps, revealed the hushed slumber within. The villagers, exhausted from a long day of toil, were already asleep, their soft snores a lullaby to the night.
He took a deep breath and began his walk forward, his footsteps echoing softly on the dirt road. As he approached the open square where the carriages were assembled, a sense of foreboding settled over him.
He moved cautiously towards one of the carriages, his hand hovering over the cloth that covered it. He lifted it and peered inside. A block of melted silver, its surface gleaming faintly in the moonlight, caught his eye. Moving to the next carriage, he lifted the cover and found the cart filled with raw coal. The third carriage held a different kind of offering – a colorful array of spices, their pungent aroma filling the air despite the darkness. He turned away from the carriages, his fists clenched. A wave of anger washed over him. He slammed the covers back down.
Then, in a single, fluid motion, Purnama leaped onto the triangular wooden arch, his balance impeccable. Standing tall on the arch, he paused, his gaze drawn to the hill to his left.
In the distance, hundreds of torches flickered, illuminating a fortress. It had to be Yurok, just as Hrakas had described. Purnama scanned the landscape, searching for Renok, but the hills obscured his view. He would have to pass through Yurok before Renok came into sight.
Purnama's eyes locked onto the intricate moose-shaped hilt of his kris, focused and unblinking as if waiting for some unseen sign to guide his next move.
Without a warning, a biting wind howled, carrying with it the icy breath of the winter storm. The air was thick with swirling snowflakes, obscuring the world in a veil of white. Slowly, a dark shape began to emerge from the tempestuous maelstrom.
It was Purnama's guardian protector, a mystical moose. His translucent body shimmered, revealing the intricate patterns of frost that flowed within. His eyes, a piercing blue, seemed to gaze into Purnama's soul. As he moved, the air swirled around him, carrying the chilling breath of a winter storm and wrapping him and Purnama in its icy embrace.
"You're fine," a soothing voice, as familiar as the wind itself, echoed in Purnama's mind. He circled Purnama, his translucent form a beacon of hope.
"... I know, Zirko," he thought. "But I must protect Suria. I hope I can wield this blade against any threat."
Zirko's icy form shifted, growing larger, his antlers gleaming like frosted branches. The translucent moose's body twisted, surrounding Purnama as if guarding him from unseen dangers.
"This time, I won't just scout without taking any action, Zirko," Purnama declared, his tone resolute, as he prepared to face the unseen dangers that awaited him.
"You worry not. I will assist and eliminate that wretch," the voice from the swirling ice-formed moose responded, the winds carrying his words with a low, icy hum. Zirko's presence felt like the heart of a storm—untamed, powerful, and protective, instilling a sense of security in Purnama. "Now, go and have a rest," Zirko's voice echoed before the ice moose vanished into thin air as if blown away by a sudden gust of wind.
Purnama jumped down and returned to Hrakas' shop.
As he stepped inside the shop, Purnama saw Suria asleep awkwardly while Hrakas had dozed off behind the counter. Gently, he took the cloth from Suria's feet and covered her, then leaned against the wall. Pulling his scarf over his head, he quickly fell asleep.
"Purnama! PURNAMA! Wake up!!"
Purnama opened his eyes, his vision blurry, but soon focused on the figure before him.
"Su-Suria?!"
Suria, appearing as a frightened child, stood before him, tears streaming down her face, calling out to him in distress.
Through the window, he could see flames engulfing a nearby house, debris falling from the ceiling, and people fleeing in panic, their screams mingling with the cries of children.
"Pur... Purnama, we have to go..." Suria pleaded, her voice filled with urgency and desperation, the impending danger clear in her tone.
Purnama touched his head, feeling blood smear across his hands. To his shock, he realized that he, too, appeared as a child.
The raging fire sent roof beams crashing to the ground. Despite the pain, an overwhelming urge to rise surged through him. But the blood loss left him pale and weak; his eyes began to close as Suria desperately tried to pull him back to consciousness.
"Purnama! Wake up! Purnama!! Wake up!!" Suria's frantic voice jolted him awake.
Purnama's eyes flew open with a gasp, and he found himself back in Hrakas' shop. Suria stood before him while Hrakas calmly counted the Sagga coins at the counter, placing them into a leather pouch.
"Hey, Purnama, go wash your face at the back of the shop. Don't be so heavy-headed! Tomorrow, we're heading into Renok. Let's enjoy some fresh morning air in Jyala today," Suria encouraged him.
Still dazed by the nightmare, Purnama rubbed his face, trying to shake off the lingering dread. He quickly got up and went to the wooden water barrels behind Hrakas' shop to wash up.
The morning atmosphere felt peaceful, as if something good was on the horizon, promising change after a long period of stagnation.
Hrakas pulled out a wooden wheelbarrow, a bit worn but sturdy, which he had crafted himself. He secured a leather pouch filled with Sagga around his waist.
"Do you want to come with me to the main route? I need to buy some raw ingredients for my satay dishes."
"Really? Sure, I'd love to!" Suria replied eagerly.
Just as they were about to head out, Purnama appeared and smiled at them, now looking fresh and clean.
"Purnama, we're heading out to buy ingredients for satay. Do you want to come along?" Suria asked.
"Oh, it's alright. You two go ahead. I need to figure out another way to get into Renok."
Purnama was determined to find a safer way to sneak into Renok, avoiding detection by Erabis' soldiers who could recognize a Celestion. Understanding her brother's concerns, Suria wore her scarf and followed Hrakas.
"Let's go, Hrakas. Purnama probably feels it's too risky to cross Yurok Fort as your assistant," Suria explained as if reading her brother's mind.
"Ah, I see..."
"It might be troublesome for all of us if the soldiers find out we're not locals, Hrakas," Suria added.
"I get what you mean."
As Hrakas pushed his wooden wheelbarrow, he began telling Suria the history of Jyala village.
"Once upon a time, Jyala was much more beautiful than it is now. We used to set aside part of our earnings for village development. But now, with constant hard labor, we barely have the energy for anything else," Hrakas explained with a heavy heart.
"Perhaps I could talk to Erabis and see if he might lighten the villagers' burden," Suria suggested confidently.
"Ah! Would you do that? Thank you!" Hrakas said, his face brightening with hope.
Hrakas then pointed toward the stall, which was selling raw meat on its left.
"Suria, let's go to the market over there. The meat is fresh and perfect for making delicious satay," he explained.
They moved closer to the stall, and Suria saw several pieces of fresh beef hanging, neatly arranged on a cloth-lined table.
"How are you, Joskah?" Hrakas called out to the butcher, who was cutting the meat.
"Good day, Hrakas! Huh...? Who is this with you?" Joskah asked, surprised to see Hrakas, who usually came alone.
"This is my guest, Joskah! She traveled from the west to negotiate with Erabis for our land development! Please, give me the best slices of meat you have today!" Hrakas eagerly requested, looking forward to the twins' meeting with Erabis.
"Great to see you full of energy, Hrakas! Hold on a moment; let me get this ready for you," Joskah said as he sliced the fresh meat for his regular customer and neatly placed it into the wheelbarrow.
"Hrakas, let me help you with the wheelbarrow," Suria offered.
"It's heavy, Suria. It's not good for a man to let a woman carry all the heavy stuff," Hrakas explained.
"Are you looking down on me, Hrakas?" Suria asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No, no... It's just that you're my guest. I don't think it's appropriate for me to ask..." Hrakas stammered.
"This is getting us nowhere. Just give me the wheelbarrow, old man! I'm a trained merchant; this is nothing for me!" Suria insisted, grabbing the wooden wheelbarrow from Hrakas.
"Oh my, you're strong, Suria!" Hrakas exclaimed, noticing how easily she handled the wheelbarrow filled with sliced meat.
They then bought onions, beans, dried chilies, cucumbers, cumin, lemongrass, coriander, turmeric, salt, and sugar to prepare the sauce and marinade. After finishing their purchases, they returned to the shop, only to find that Purnama was not inside. Suria parked the wheelbarrow beside the counter and examined the ingredients they had bought.
"Hrakas, is all of this for the tribute?"
"Oh yes. In addition to the sales income, I must prepare hundreds of special satays for Erabis' dining," Hrakas replied.
Furious and unable to accept the answer she had just heard, Suria felt her patience wane.
"Argh! Erabis is too much!! Who does he think he is?!" Suria slammed her hand down on the wooden counter, causing it to crack in two. "I'll teach him a lesson later!"
Hrakas, who was mid-preparation with the ingredients, stumbled back, startled by her outburst.
"Wh... w-who exactly... are you...?" Hrakas' voice trembled with fear, his eyes wide as he glanced at the broken counter.
Suria, realizing the intensity of her outburst, softened immediately. Her fierce expression faded as she approached him, taking his trembling hand gently into hers.
"Haha... I mean, teach Erabis the proper way to build his empire," she said, flashing a playful smile as if trying to lighten the mood.
"It's okay, Suria," Purnama's calm voice cut in as he stepped into the shop and locked the door. He helped Hrakas settle onto a wooden chair.
"Hrakas, we're Celestion," Purnama began, meeting the older man's eyes. "Our purpose is to investigate the Darkseed, the ones threatening humanity, specifically the Puaka. Erabis is one of them."
Suria raised an eyebrow, glancing at her brother.
"So, we're telling the truth now, huh?"
"There's no other way, Suria," Purnama said, keeping his voice steady.
"We need Hrakas' help, and coming in as assistants will alert the lesser Puaka at Yurok. We need to approach this differently."
"Well," Suria said, turning back to Hrakas, "everything Purnama said is true. We're sorry for deceiving you, but we can't risk exposing ourselves. Keeping our movements secret is crucial, or else our surveillance mission could be compromised by the Puaka."
Hrakas' eyes flicked between them as he processed their words.
"You... need my help?"
Purnama nodded, his expression sincere.
"We need your help to sneak into Renok undetected to eliminate Erabis. Our mission was originally to investigate, but with how things stand here in Jyala... we have no choice but to end this misery."
Hrakas couldn't find the words to express the deep gratitude and hope he felt listening to what Purnama had said. It was as if his prayers had been answered. Tears welled in his eyes and silently trickled down his weathered face as he bowed his head. Purnama's words echoed like a promise of salvation.
"We'll do everything we can, Hrakas. For now, though, we need to prepare."
Hrakas nodded, wiping his eyes.
"Whatever you need," he whispered.
The three gathered around the small square table as Purnama explained his plan.
Purnama had noticed Hrakas's collection of woodworking items near the water reservoir. He asked if Hrakas could modify the two large water barrels by installing two layers of round wooden panels with thick surfaces.
After listening to the plan, Hrakas finally broke the silence.
"I can do that," he said, his voice regaining strength. "I'll make those layers using the counter you broke, Suria."
"Sorry about that." Suria flashed him a sheepish grin.
"No worries," Hrakas said with a chuckle. "We'll make it happen."
The twins helped with other preparations, including grilling the satay, while Hrakas got his hands on the woodworking.
"Don't worry too much about how you cook the satay; it doesn't need to be perfect—you'll win against that bastard anyway! HARAHARAHARA!!" Hrakas' laughter boomed, filled with renewed hope. Purnama and Suria exchanged glances; it was the first time they had truly heard the infectious sound, and it warmed their hearts to see the old man smiling again despite everything.
They spent the rest of the day planning and preparing for the operation. Time flew by, and the moon hung high in the midnight sky by the time they finished. Purnama carefully inspected the modified barrel, ensuring it was sturdy, while Hrakas and Suria arranged the neatly grilled satay.
Their mission to invade Renok was ready to begin.