Pendekar Batari Mahadewi: The Journey to Find Your Self
Episode 4 The Crystal Ball of the River God
In fact, before the age of 7, Batari Mahadewi had experienced several other valuable experiences in addition to his encounter with the tiger which finally unsealed his first energy and his experience of being in a stealth stomach for seven days.
From these experiences, Batari Mahadevi began to doubt his self. He realized that the things he experienced could not be passed by ordinary humans, at least by children his age. But he did not realize that he was not a man, but an heirloom of a god in the form of a fully human being.
Whenever he had a strange experience, he would often be as alone for a few days as he had just experienced today.
When he helped his mother wash clothes in the river, he saw that the clear surface of the water reflected the shadows of the things that were above him; the sky, the trees, and his own face. At first he looked at the reflection of his face on the surface of the river, but over time, he saw a strange figure in the river.
The creature held out something in his hand. At first Batari Mahadewi did not believe, he looked at his mother and saw her mother was still busy with her laundry, then he looked back at the figure in the water silently without thinking to tell his mother because he did not want his mother to worry, panic, and immediately invite him away from the river.
A human-like figure in the river waiting for Batari Mahadevi returned a helping hand holding something. At first Batari Mahadewi hesitated, but finally he decided to dip his hand into the river, welcoming the outstretched hand of the figure.
Batari Mahadevi did not know that the figure was a river god, one of the gods that escaped the attack of Kalapati and his balatentanya because at that time, he was not in heaven, but in the river. He never came out of the river unless the king called him.
The river god is one of the oldest gods who also donated his mustika dewanya to create the heirloom of the god. Therefore he knew that Batari Mahadevi was an heirloom of a god, one part of him.
Of course every Batari Mahadevi followed his mother washing in the river, the river god always noticed his arrival. But he never appeared because the time had not come until that day he tried to communicate with Batari Mahadevi.
The river god gave something in his hand to Batari Mahadevi. A small blue Crystal ball. After Batari Mahadevi received it, the river god disappeared from the view of Batari Mahadevi.
Whatisit? Who was that? I'm no stranger to that figure, but when have I ever seen one? batari Mahadevi said in his heart.
“What are you daydreaming of my son?” Ask Nyi Turmeric.
“No mother, I only saw the fish in the water.” Reply Batari Mahadewi who tried to cover what he had just experienced.
“The water is very clear, many small fish are visible. If you open the rock crevices on the river bank, you can find shrimp and crabs. I used to look for shrimp as a child with your grandmother.” Nyi Turmeric told Batari Mahadevi.
“Does mom often get a lot of shrimp?” ask Batari Mahadevi.
“Iya, I collected it, then cooked it at home with your grandmother. It tastes really good.” Reply Nyi Turmeric. “If your father was alive, maybe he would teach you how to catch shrimp and fish in the river. Your father used to get big fish from this river.” Nyi Turmeric continued his story.
“Mother is done washing, have you finished your laundry?” ask Nyi Turmeric.
“Already, bu.” Answer Batari Mahadevi.
“Then let's go home while the sun is not yet high.” Nyi Turmeric.
“Good mother.” Answer Batari Mahadevi. Now Batari Mahadevi is not as stubborn as before he met a tiger. The incident killed Batari Mahadewi instantly.
However, he did not want to see his mother sad. Just once he saw his mother was frightened while trying to help him from the tiger attack, and enough once he saw his mother sobbing when he came home after being freed from the belly of the snake demon that swallowed him at that time.
After he finished helping his mother hang clothes, Batari Mahadewi went straight to his room. He took out a small crystal ball that emitted a blue-colored light that he got from the figure in the river this morning.
What is this thing? gumam Batari Mahadevi's. Although he did not know what it was, he knew that it had enormous energy.
Batari Mahadevi tried to grasp the crystal ball and tried to absorb its energy. Batari Mahadevi was surprised because he absorbed not only energy, but also knowledge.
Just for a moment he tried to learn new things through the crystal ball, his mother had knocked on the door of his room. “From my dear son, let's eat soon. I just finished cooking your favorite vegetable.” Nyi Turmeric's voice sounded from outside.
Batari Mahadevi decided to postpone her preoccupation with the crystal ball and continued it later that night after her mother fell asleep. “Iya ma'am, I'll be out soon.” Answer Batari Mahadevi.
“Eat a lot, my son, let you quickly grow into a strong beautiful girl” Nyi Turmeric said.
“Wah...veget spinach.” Batari Mahadewi said excitedly because at the dining table has been available his favorite food. Nyi Turmeric cuisine is always good for Batari Mahadewi, but spinach vegetables are her favorite food.
What makes Nyi Turmeric amazed with Batari Mahadevi is his great appetite. Since childhood Batari Mahadevi never choose food. He always eats well. And at this age, Batari Mahadewi is even able to eat more than the portion of the adult meal.
“Day, after eating later mom will take you shopping to the market, do you want to come?” Nyi Turmeric asked Batari Mahadevi.
“Iya mom, I want to come.” Batari Mahadewi said happily. He was always happy when his mother took him to the market. In the village of Cemara Seribu there is no market. The villagers had to go to the next village, the Land Lotus village which was much more crowded and spacious when compared to the village of Cemara Seribu.
There is a large market because it is the only market between Cemara Seribu village, Teratai Tanah, and another White Wood village.
Cemara Seribu village and Teratai Tanah village are separated by a hill. So to get there, Nyi Turmeric and Batari Mahadewi must go up and down the hill first, passing through a small forest that is overgrown with unique trees that have a winding trunk and small leaves.
Batari Mahadevi was very happy to see the trees because he could not find them around his house.
Those unique trees only grow on rocky hills. There was a small path in the forest. The only way used by the villagers of Cemara Seribu who want to go to the market.
Batari Mahadevi ran cheerfully ahead of her mother through a small path in the forest to the village of Teratai Tanah. For other children, maybe the forest with trees that wander it looks scary, but not for Batari Mahadewi. He never felt afraid of things that were frightening to others since his ability to capture and absorb the radiance of energy increased rapidly.
The shrill trees bore silent witness to the fight between the White Ivory and the black warrior, the Demon King, the ruthless swordsman who could kill his opponents with his terrifying eyes. Of course that will not happen if he is faced with a high-scientific swordsman.
The battle of the White Ivory ki with the Demon King lasted for three days and three nights. Ki Gading Putih ended the fight with the ultimate style, a lightning footprint that he almost never used because after he used that style, he used it, all his strength would be drained and he would not be able to fight back until his strength recovered.
That lightning path shattered the Demon King's body. His blood splashes spread across the trees and after, all the trees that were affected by his blood splashes would not grow normally. The stems shrink and twist. The leaves are no longer lush and shady, but become small leaves. The strangely shaped tree was later named as the tree of death because it had a poisonous fruit that was passed down from the blood of the Demon King.
During the day, the trees looked ordinary; a beautiful tree with a beautiful trunk. But as the evening approached, the trees revealed a terrifying mystical aura so that no one dared to cross the hill when it was dusk.
People like Nyi Turmeric would not choose that path if there was another way to the market. Usually the people of Cemara Seribu village will go together or choose not to so go if there is nothing together to go there.
Nyi Turmeric hoped that he would meet his village people who wanted to go to the market to go together, but today only he and Batari Mahadevi who passed through the road. There was a sense of worry in Nyi Turmeric's mind. But he had no choice, he could not bear to see Batari Mahadewi disappointed if he did not go to the market.
Batari Mahadevi saw the small forest as something else. Batari Mahadevi could listen to the trees sing sorrowfully and perhaps the tree of death was the only tree that could sing and was only on the hill. This is what makes Batari Mahadewi always happy if invited to the market and through the forest.
“Don't run Dance, wait for mom.” Said Nyi Turmeric who was left a little far behind Batari Mahadevi. Actually, Nyi Turmeric always creeps when passing this small road.
“Iya mother.” Reply Batari Mahadewi who then immediately turned towards his mother. The path began to decline. The Land Lotus Village was already beginning to be seen. The day was not too late and people still looked crowded in the market.
Arriving at the market, Nyi Turmeric bought some needs that he could not get in his village, such as salt, salt fish, oil, and some other kitchen needs.
Actually, for this kind of item, there is usually one of the Thousand Cemara villagers who sell it. It was Ki Untung. He was the only person who often shopped to the market to sell back in his village.
But already this month Ki Untung not selling. He fell ill when one day as he was returning to his village, a band of robbers came and took all his wares, his money, and beat him to pieces.
Luckily after that there were people who helped and drove ki Untung home. After that, the health condition of ki Untung did not improve. Imbasnya, now the villagers of Cemara Seribu have difficulty getting daily necessities such as salt and oil because they can not produce it.
Usually, once a month Nyi Turmeric goes to the market to sell some goods that can not be obtained in other villages, such as black spruce root that can be used as a medicinal ingredient. Such forest products that can be sold by Nyi Turmeric at a reasonable price to meet the needs of its purchases for a month.
While for other food ingredients such as rice, yam, corn, and so on, Nyi Turmeric and the people of Cemara Seribu village can get it by farming.
It could be said, Cemara Seribu village is fertile enough for agriculture and has a vast forest that can meet the needs of the village people. Suppose there is no village next door and there is no market, they can still survive with the natural results they get in the village of Cemara Seribu.
But this time, Nyi Turmeric did not bring anything to sell. He just needs to shop for salt and oil, as well as some other kitchen needs.
“You want to buy what my son?” Nyi Turmeric asked Batari Mahadevi.
“No need ma'am, I just want to take a walk in the market.” Answer Batari Mahadevi. Nyi Turmeric was lucky enough because Batari Mahadewi was not a child who likes to ask to buy something. As he recalled, Batari Mahadewi never asked for anything when invited to the market.
After a while they were walking in the market, suddenly there was a noise. Some people ran around shouting.