"Ki Semar! I won't give up Orb!" The cranky Alicia leaned back, her body tense as she fought off each of the soldiers' covetous hands, which greedily reached for the Arcane orb she clutched tightly. "I dinnae think handing us both over to Alas Purwo is the right choice!"

One Pulomas warrior managed to restrain Alicia, his rough hands gripping her arms with a strength that would have caused most to wince. But even as she swatted his arm away, two more soldiers descended on her with fingers curling around Orb's sleek surface. They underestimated its power, however, thus the crackle of electricity caught them all by surprise, sending them sprawling to the ground.

Ki Semar frowned at the commotion. Frowned at the glassy look in the girl's eyes that afraid Orb would disappear from her senses. Indeed, this was a perplexing decision for all. Unfortunately, all must obey. The Tumaritis headman must obey. The Arcane-wielder lass was no exception.

"Let go of me! Let go!" The bespectacled lass swayed to break free from the soldier's grasp at the back. She was even immersed in the looming shadows of her three captors. They did not deserve to be hurt like Wisesa in the past—they were only following orders, after all. Though reason dictated that they did all this to prevent the killing of other children, the lass's ego was still raging. In an instant, her priorities shifted; Orb remained of paramount importance.

In an act of defiance, Alicia unleashed an Arcane wave that sent the soldiers reeling! The rest of the unit instinctively aimed at the girl.

Wisesa's upper body had just finished being shackled. He looked weakly at Alicia, who was busy engaging in a show of Arcane might.

"Alicia, come on. The longer you delay, the longer we'll be at the border! Do you want to kill more children?" Wisesa grumbled.

Alicia fell silent suddenly. She looked up at the young lad. "I-I..." There was nervousness on her face. Her brow furrowed. Everyone thought that Alicia had decided to give up.

"Not anymore. I-I dinnae want to blame myself anymore... I didnae kill those children!"

"Guess what? The next ones will be your fault if we're late! Now, hand over the Orb—"

"No! I'll put a stop tae whatever cursed creature did all that! So let me go!"

"By the gods!" Wisesa looked up at the sky, groaning in exasperation. "Hey, Old Man, how about you do something? Instead of letting your droopy butt sag there!"

The three sons of Semar exchanged glares with each other. Orb returned to its orbit, and Alicia's stance was unwavering. Gareng, Petruk, and Bagong were reluctant to fight her—more like unwilling, truth be told. Their fantasy was to hug the lovable lass and shield her from the wrath of villagers' stones. Ki Semar was just as vexed as Wisesa. His stubby legs decided to amble towards Alicia.

"Please, Miss. Call Orb to come down. What if the villagers see it?" implored the headman.

Alicia's feet stepped back as Semar's drew nearer. The sporadic shake of her head signalled her disbelief. "Please, Ki Semar. I don't want Alas Purwo to take over my orb and my very being. We can unite against them!"

"Miss Alicia, it is impossible for Alas Purwo to take over you and Orb!" retorted Ki Semar.

Alicia's body had not stopped moving backwards. Her head swivelled in all directions. Her body was already trembling. Her voice was also getting louder. "Why? Why is that impossible?"

Ki Semar hastened his steps with urgency. The girl's trembling grew more pronounced until she lost her footing and tumbled to the ground. No Arcane might emanated from Orb. Her mind firmly said, "Don't trust anyone!" Yet, in her heart, she knew Semar was too kind to be cursed with Arcane's malevolence. Her determination was a facade; she was still beguiled by people's kindness. The bond with the Orb was severed. When Semar's burly hand gripped the girl's arm, Alicia was on the brink of tears.

"Miss Alicia, we're not what Wisesa says—who foolish enough to just hand you over." The headman lifted Alicia with a gentleness that belied his burly frame, and the soldiers, previously tense and eager to advance, lowered their weapons at his command. "We have the plan to infiltrate Alas Purwo secretly, then free you and Wisesa. After that, we will invade Alas Purwo directly from the palace of Ratu Panggaraknagara. I am very sorry that you will have to go through such a frightening time. However, we promise to collect you and Orb..."

A hiccup in her throat left Alicia speechless for a moment. When it subsided, she said, "But I can't be separated from Orb anymore..."

"Remember my words again, Miss. If the orb is part of your destiny, then it will return to you no matter what... Surely those words have been proven by now, right?"

Orb encouraged resilience. Alicia, there is wisdom in his words. We will surely meet again, alive and well. For our prophecy does not end at Alas Purwo.

At least Orb's advice provided a measure of serenity to Alicia, and because of that, Alicia's mind drifted in another direction—to her memories and adventures in Tumaritis over the past few weeks. All the joyful moments and painful ones. The encounters of new friends and foes. It was a shame that she had to part with the way she was now, and it bothered her. She just did not want to depart on a sour note from those who had been so kind. Thanks to "Deer Head", wishful thinking remained as such.

The silent presence of the people behind the gate was already an unspoken threat to her. An urge to forsake the village. Alicia turned to Semar and hugged him tightly. "I'm grateful that the Divine gave me a place among strangers. Thank you very much, Ki Semar, for taking such good care of me during my stay here. I owe you a lot..."

"I take care of all my guests as if they were my own family. Now, I beg you to place Orb in this seal."

Semar had already opened the seal box for Orb, but Alicia's noticeable tremor showed reluctance. It was as though her palms knitted tightly to prevent Orb from slipping through her fingers.

Alicia's focus was fixated on the seal box's hole, unaware that Semar was only using one hand to hold it. The other hand scooped up a mound of white powder and blew it into Alicia's face. The girl choked. A searing heat spread from her throat to the back of her eyes. Dizziness caused her head to weigh as heavy as a large barbell.

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"K-Ki... Ki S-Semar...! Wh-what the..."

The pristine sky was downcast in her vision. Ki Semar's bloated body appeared as a lump of clay. His voice reverberated in her ears like a deafening gong.

"Miss Alicia, once again, I apologise..."

The bespectacled lass crashed onto the ground.

After Alicia and Orb were safely dealt with, Semar turned to Wisesa. The lad's hands were already crossed in front of him by the sealing chain. His wrists were locked in narrow metal holes that only fit when his wrists were clenched. Behind Wisesa, Semar could see a metal coffin being carried by several soldiers. The lid was engraved with a human image from head to toe, its curves following the contours of the human body.

"Look at that. What a cool chest. At least it's not used in vain to bury the dead," cracked Wisesa.

Semar's gloomy face remained unchanged at Wisesa's joke. He was not ready to part with his adopted son, even though Wisesa had made his life closer to the grave. "We need to finish your shackling. Have you been doing your regular meditation?" Semar asked, trying to distract himself from the looming separation.

"Yes, yes, I did. What about that girl?" Wisesa's head pointed at Alicia lying on the ground. "I don't see any more coffins other than mine."

"I don't think that's necessary," Semar replied. "She's not fundamentally a witch. Sealing all her movements and senses would cause her torment."

Ki Semar was pensive. He then uttered again, "I think we can tie her up a little and seal her mouth. Who knows what will happen if she wakes up without the Kalimasada sphere by her side?"

Some of the soldiers finished the job of sealing Wisesa. The young man seemed unproblematic as leather strips entangled his legs, chest, eyes, and head. A small blue gas cylinder with a small hose had been inserted on the left side of the coffin, leading to an inhaler that covered the man's nose and mouth. When the gas cylinder seal was released, all Wisesa could do was stand still as his muscles grew weak. The flow of mana in his body was barely felt.

As for Alicia, another soldier brought a hemp rope and wrapped it around the girl's chest, then tied her hands behind her back. A long white handkerchief was placed over the girl's mouth after it was rolled up. While Kanastren was indignant at how Alicia was being treated, there was little she could do. Semar's sons could not help but feel a sense of unease seeing Alicia bound and gagged in such a manner.

The carriage carrying the two young prisoners rumbled through the allied border of Pulomas which bisected all of Alas Purwo—the village of Nusakencana, the front line of battle.

When their horses stopped galloping, the Alas Purwo army was waiting for them by the lush forest across. No, not just the Alas Purwo’s soldiers. Lines of figures shrouded in white caught the eyes as well. The Girahite Leyaks were somehow stood alongside the royal troops of all Yawadwipa.

The Pulomas' standard, bearing the coconut buds, and the banners of Alas Purwo, adorned with sun-dappled trees, clashed in flutters, without trepidation. Both sides were already facing each other, rifles firmly in hand. Petruk was at the reins of the prisoner's carriage, while Gareng and Bagong, the custodians. Two representatives from Alas Purwo and Girah approached the tall man leaning against the carriage's foyer.

"Children of Ki Semar," greeted the veiled Girahite shaman. "Indeed, so special is our delivery today that the sons of the most powerful warrior must deliver it to us."

A sardonic smile from Petruk. "It's a pity, isn't it, that the ones receiving the 'package' are Ratu Lojitengara's lapdogs? I was expecting someone as special as Ratu Lojitengara himself."

"Well then, forgive our impropriety," replied the shaman, "but the Ratu has fourteen states to govern."

"You mean, fifteen."

"Don't count on it."

One representative of Alas Purwo, a general with a giant gold belt depicting a tiger, spoilt the fun of the conversation with a deadpan appeal. "Take us to Wisesa and the Holder of Kalimasada!"

Petruk gestured with his hand, leading to Gareng and Bagong behind him as they approached the Barong-possessed human prisoners' crates that were set up outside. The Leyak examined the crate containing Wisesa carefully. Through the air hole, he could see a brown face with its eyes closed. A yellow symbol was painted on the crate's front—a magical seal, perhaps to keep Barong out of the cramped confinement.

"The coffin of Titiksa Nisala?" asked the shaman. "We're impressed. Calon Arang had once sealed Barong with this very coffin. I didn't expect you to spend so much rupyas on this."

"You didn't really think we'd drag Barong around without a powerful restraint, did you?" Bagong retorted.

"Point taken," the Leyak nodded. "And what of the Kalimasada woman? Did you make one for her, too?"

Gareng pulled Alicia to her feet and plunged her onto the barren ground, still fast asleep. The ruddy man's face twisted slightly with regret for having handled the lass in such a manner.

The general looked at the bookworm, who had her mouth biting into a roll of cloth. "I don't see any signs of Kalimasada on her."

"Intel says she has Kalimasada in the form of an orb," said the masked shaman, turning to the two Semar children. "Of course, you have not forgotten to bring it with you, have you?"

Bagong hesitated before replying, "You know, it's a shame the Kalimasada ball was left behind in the village—"

"Bagong! Stop messing around! Just hand over the ball!" Petruk admonished him.

The midget man snorted. He entered the carriage and came out with a black-coloured chest box with gold engravings. The orb was indeed there, and the general's eyes flashed like the beautiful lustre of its might. His laughter sounded parched, as parched as the arid ground upon which they stood. A number of Alas Purwo warriors answered the general's call to carry the great catch.

The opposing party was about to depart without a word of thanks or farewell. Petruk disapproved of their rude behaviour and grabbed the general's arm, causing both sides to suddenly bare the bores of their rifles.

"You have not informed us of the fate of our children tonight," Petruk whispered ominously.

The general looked alarmed but attempted to appear tough. The Girahite shaman thrusts out his hand in a bid to ease the tension. "Gentlemen, there is no need to ignite an unnecessary battle...!" he persuaded. He tried to separate Petruk's hand from the official cloth of the Alas Purwo army leader, but Semar's son's hand felt as hard as a hunk of steel, and the general was pinned down, as if by an electric pole.

"When these children are with us, your children are safe," declared the Leyak.

The general maintained a fierce expression but nodded in agreement.

The promises sounded too good to be true to the Pulomas personnel. Petruk was forced to let go of the general's arm.

"Until we meet on the Day of Judgment," the shaman bowed and joined the other practitioner group. The people of Girah and Alas Purwo vanished into the shade of the forest.

Alicia and Wisesa had crossed into the territory of Alas Purwo, swallowed up by the revving engines as they barreled through the evening. Alicia remained comatose, her eyes shuttered tight, while Wisesa remained confined within the wooden crate, his senses attuned to the raucous cheers of the Alas Purwo soldiers. But their jubilation was not for the capture of the Barong-possessed, nor for the tiger itself that they had already exhausted so many resources to ensnare. No, their excitement stemmed from the lass from the West and her radiant blue sphere, which had stolen the limelight from Wisesa and Barong. The thought stoked Wisesa's resentment and roused Barong to tear apart the confines of his subconscious. It desired to make its emotions known.

Had the chest not been sealed with mystical symbols? It seemed Pulomas was lying, as the symbol was not painted with sanctified ink.

Had Wisesa not professed to have meditated today? Apparently, he too had been deceitful. []