The Story of the Little Beggar
The Artifact Guard Creature

Night has descended on the forests of Sumatra, and an adventurous group consisting of Melati, Dr. Javier, Irfan, Dian, and Adi are still hiding in the dense forest. They knew that they had to remain vigilant because the mercenaries searching for them were still nearby.

Jasmine sat under the trees with an anxious face. Dr. Javier was nearby, trying to calm him down. "We need to stay calm and think clearly. The most important thing now is to protect that cultural artifact."

Melati nodded, but her worried expression did not disappear. "I'm just worried about the Mentawai tribe. They're also involved in this matter right now."

Irfan and Dian took turns keeping watch on the other side. They were holding short-barreled rifles that they had brought from Jakarta. Dian said to Irfan in a soft voice, "We must continue to make sure they are safe."

Irfan agreed. "We should try as we can. They've helped us, it's our turn to protect them."

Meanwhile, Adi sat a bit apart from the others, looking a little moody. Dr. Javier approached her and sat down beside her. "What do you think, Adi?"

Adi stared at the forest with a blank look. "I feel guilty. All this happened because of me. I brought the artifact to Jakarta."

Dr. Javier patted Adi's shoulder gently. "You can't predict any of this, Adi. What matters now is how we handle this situation and make sure the artifact gets back into its proper hands."

The night passed quickly, and the group kept watch. They heard the gripping sounds of the forest, but there was no sign of the mercenaries searching for them.

Morning arrived, and they decided to continue their journey through the forest. They planned to find a safer place to hide and call for help from Jakarta.

The Mentawai tribe who had helped them earlier gave clues about the safe passage. They explain that there are remote areas within the forest that may be used for temporary hiding.

The group followed the Mentawai tribe's instructions and penetrated deeper into the forest. They had to pass through heavy rivers and heavy terrain. Adi continued to reminisce about the Mentawai tribe's words about the importance of maintaining harmony with nature.

After a few days of travel, they arrived at a very remote forest area. There were no signs of human presence, and they felt that they were finally safe.

Melati sat on the bank of a small stream that flowed near their hiding place. Dr. Javier sat down next to her, and they both stared at the calm water.

Melati spoke in a soft voice, almost like she was talking to herself. "It all feels like a nightmare. Who would have guessed that the theft of these artifacts would lead to an adventure like this?"

Dr. Javier looked at Melati with empathy. "Sometimes life can lead us to unexpected places. The important thing now is that we should stick together and try our hardest to make sure this artifact gets back to where it belongs."

Irfan and Dian joined them, bringing quite encouraging news. They managed to contact their team in Jakarta, and help was already on the way.

However, their calmness was interrupted by strange noises coming from the forest around them. They heard a rumble approaching, and the trees were swaying around them.

Adi approached them with a pale face. "I know this sounds strange, but it sounds like the sound of thousands of feet approaching."

Suddenly, from within the forest appeared a group of creatures that they had never seen before. The creatures had strange faces and scaly gray skin. They wear clothes made of leaves and branches.

Dr. Javier tries to speak English, but the creature just stares in surprise. They spoke a language completely foreign to this group of adventurers.

Meanwhile, a rumbling sound drew closer, and the group of adventurers realized that they were caught between these alien creatures and the danger coming from the forest.

As the rumbling sounds got closer, the group of adventurers trapped among these alien creatures started to panic. They try to speak the language they understand, but communication is not possible. The creatures looked confused and did not know what to do.

Adi tried to walk up to one of the creatures carefully, trying to show that they were harmless. However, the creature remained vigilant and did not respond well.

Meanwhile, the rumbling sounds drew closer, and the adventurer group had to decide what they should do. Dr. Javier spoke in a calm voice, "We should try to return to our hiding place. We don't know what will happen if we stay here."

Melati nodded in agreement, and they began to move away from the alien creatures, but continued to walk cautiously. The creatures followed them at a safe distance, but did not attack.

After some time, the group of adventurers managed to return to their hiding place. They thought that they had passed through danger, but it turned out that a new problem had arisen.

Help from Jakarta has yet to arrive, and they feel increasingly trapped inside this mysterious forest. They sat together under the trees, trying to plan their next move.

Irfan tried to contact their team in Jakarta, but the signal was very bad in this forest. "We need to find a higher place to try to contact Jakarta. Help must come soon."

Dian added, "In the meantime, we also have to find a way to communicate with these alien beings. Who knows they could help us."

Adi pointed out that the aliens did not look like a threat. "Maybe we could try talking to them again with body language or try to show our good intentions."

The night came, and they decided to sleep in turns to maintain security. They feel tense and alert at all times, not knowing what will happen next.

Morning arrived, and help from Jakarta still has not arrived. The group of adventurers decided to try to communicate with the alien creatures again. They walked closer to where they had last met the creatures.

However, when they arrived at that place, the alien beings were no longer there. They only found footprints leading into the forest.

Melati tried to follow the trail carefully. Dr. Javier and the others followed vigilantly. The trail leads them deeper into the forest, through ever-greater trees.

Suddenly, they arrived at a vast open space. They were stunned by the sight that was in front of them. The open space was inhabited by tens or even hundreds of alien beings larger than the previous one.

The creatures looked calm and non-threatening, even friendly. They gathered around a large stone statue that closely resembled a cultural artifact stolen from Jakarta.

Jasmine, Dr. Javier, and the group of adventurers saw that the aliens were performing rituals around the stone statue. They seem to respect the artifact.