___~V~___

Nazzares abhiseka - The beginning of destiny

On a quiet night in Gousan Village, a small village on the outskirts of the western Blora forest in the Majapahit Kingdom, stands a simple house lit by an oil lamp. Inside lives an old man named Abail, a former royal physician who now chooses to live out his old age peacefully with his only son, Nazzares Abhiseka.

Nazzares, a twelve-year-old boy, had long black hair and a pretty face, reminding anyone of his late mother. The red pupils of his eyes - a trait he inherited - give a unique impression to his appearance.

In one corner of the house, Nazzares was busy examining the rows of potions on the table. Her hands deftly arranged the small bottles of colorful liquids, making sure everything was in order. When she was done, she breathed a sigh of relief, then looked at her handiwork with satisfaction.

"Mmm... looks like everything is ready," she muttered softly as she wiped the sweat from her forehead.

From the study, Nazzares' voice could be heard calling out. "Father! I've finished everything. I'll leave the rest to you!"

Abail, who was preparing the last potion in the other room, smiled slightly at the sound of his son's voice. "Very well, my son. You go to sleep," he replied warmly.

As Nazzares' steps slowly moved away towards her bedroom, Abail returned his attention to his worktable. In front of him were several half-finished concoctions. He picked up an empty bottle, poured the liquid from several vials, and stirred it carefully.

"Hmm, just one more," he muttered as he glanced at the order list beside him. He smiled a little as he read the name of one of the potions. "Strong 'wife love' potion... always a favorite of the royal noble family. Hahaha," he said, chuckling softly. Painstakingly, he continued his work, making sure everything was perfect before dawn.

The next day, a bright morning enveloped the village of Gousan. In front of a simple house, Nazzares stood with a large basket hanging on her back. The basket looked too big for her tiny body, but she was used to this morning routine.

"Father, I'm ready!" she called, her voice echoing around the house.

From inside the house came Abail's reply. "Just a moment, my son!" His father was still busy preparing everything necessary for their journey to search for medicinal plants in the forest.

This routine was part of Nazzares' life. Every morning, he would accompany Abail into the forest to search for different types of medicinal plants. Usually, this activity lasted until noon, but there were times when they would return just as the sun was about to set if the plants they were looking for were hard to find.

As Nazzares sat in front of the house waiting for his father, a girl's soft voice called out to him. "Nazzares..."

He turned around, and there stood Kandhita, a village girl known as the village flower. "Uh, Kandhita? You're here early," he said with a smile.

Kandhita smiled back gently. "Yes, I just wanted to make sure you and your father were okay. Do you want to look for more plants today?" she asked.

"Of course," Nazzares replied with a big smile.

Kandhita, who had become part of the Nazzares family, had a habit of cooking for them. This morning, too, she came with the same intention. "Alright, I will prepare food for you in the afternoon. Don't forget to eat well," she said with a sweet smile.

Nazzares nodded enthusiastically. "Your cooking is always delicious, Kandhita. Thank you!"

Not long after, Abail came out of the house, carrying the extra equipment they would use in the forest. He was surprised to see Kandhita already there. "Wow, my son-in-law is here early," he said in a joking tone.

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"Yes, Father. I'll cook a nice meal for you guys for lunch," Kandhita replied politely.

Abail chuckled. "All right, I'm trusting you with the house. Take care of yourself."

"Yes, Father. Be careful on the road, Father, Nazzares," Kandhita replied with a wave as they started walking towards the forest.

Along the way, Abail contemplated the relationship between Nazzares and Kandhita. They had been betrothed as infants, a common tradition in the village. At the age of fifteen, they would be officially married off, following the custom of the time. Abail believed that a girl like Kandhita was the right companion for his son, and he was relieved to know that his home was always safe in her care.

Abail and Nazzares walked down the path that led to the forest, where they used to forage and pick medicinal plants. For a long time, Abail had had his own medicinal plant garden nestled in the forest, away from the bustle of the village.

"Father...!" called Nazzares, breaking the silence between their steps.

"What is it, my son?" replied Abail as he turned to his son walking beside him.

"You said you're 52 years old, right?" asked Nazzares curiously.

"Yes, why?" Abail was a little surprised to hear that question.

"Why am I only 12 years old? Don't people get married at a young age?" asked Nazzares with honest astonishment.

Abail chuckled, reminiscing about the struggling past. "Hahaha... Well, your mother and I had a hard time having offspring. It was only after many years that we were able to get you, my son." Abail smiled faintly, slightly remembering his late wife who had passed away.

Nazzares was silent for a moment, pondering. "Mm, well... So, for today, what do you want? I'll make it happen!" she exclaimed excitedly.

Abail laughed, teasing him a little. "Grow up quickly, and give me grandchildren, that's what I want... Hahaha!"

Nazzares blushed and smiled a little embarrassed. "Well, if that's patient, dad. I'm still a child," she replied, unintentionally remembering Kandhita.

Abail laughed with satisfaction at his son's innocent reply. "Hahaha, take it easy, my son... I will wait for her," he said with a warm smile on his face.

Since his wife's departure, Abail has been raising Nazzares alone. Although he was devastated by the profound loss, time has helped heal the wound. Nazzares' growing resemblance to her mother has eased the longing in Abail's heart.

Moments later, they arrived at the medicinal plant garden in the middle of the forest. They immediately began their work, sorting the plants they planted, tending to them, removing rotten parts, and harvesting the plants that were ready.

"My son, you take care of the plants over there. I'll take care of this one," Abail ordered gently, breaking the focus of Nazzares who was engrossed in his work.

"All right, Father," Nazzares replied readily, immediately resuming the work assigned.

In the midst of the scorching sun, they both work with a smile. Despite the heat, Nazzares continues to carry out his duties with joy. There was something happy in every step he took with his father in the garden-a strong bond between father and son, formed with time and love.

As daylight approached, Nazzares and Abail hurried back to their home because the baskets they both carried were full, and Kandhita at home would be waiting.

"Nazzares let's go home, kandhita must be waiting" said Abail while carrying his big basket on his back.

"Yes, Father" replied Nazzares. Then they returned from the forest to the village.

___~V~___

Meeting with the raksha creature

In the middle of the day, under the hot sun, they returned home with enough crops for a week's supply of medicines.

"TAP TAP TAP" the sound of their footsteps in the tranquility of the forest and the moderate breeze.

But the tranquility was soon shattered when a creepy creature suddenly appeared to confront them.

"Dad, what is it?" asked Zares in a trembling voice.

Abail tried to calm him down. and hid his son behind his body and said "Calm down," he replied briefly. However, his eyes remained alert.

It seemed to have a human-like body, but with sharp teeth and eye holes that penetrated to the back of its body, in the chest. Its footsteps were slow, scraping the ground.

"Why is Raksha here? What are the royal soldiers doing? They should be on guard and eradicating creatures like this," Abail thought as he sweated, looking at the terrifying Raksha in front of him.

"Son, when I attack that Raksha, run like hell!" said Abail in a worried tone.

"What about you, Dad?" asked Zares, his voice full of worry.

"Hey, don't talk so much..." His words trailed off as he realized the Raksha was standing right behind him, making a creepy little noise.

"HARGGKK" the Raksha's voice made Zares scream in fear.

"AAA!" Zares shouted with wide eyes.

Abail, full of courage, tried to attack with his knife. "SlASH!" However, his attack only caused a small scratch. The Raksha seemed unaffected.

"RRKKHH" the Raksha's voice echoed as its gaze was full of murderous lust.

Deftly, the creature strangled Abail until his body was lifted.

"HEGHK! HEGHK!" Abail's voice faltered because of the raksha's strong grip.

Seeing that, Zares without thinking immediately attacked, the raksha realized the boy wanted to attack him, responding by slapping the boy until he bounced into the tree.

"BLAM!!!"

"AAA!" Zares shouted as his body hit the ground.

To be continued...