Fifty shamans bathed in azure glow lined up in front of the palace gate's archway, performing a strict, rigid dance in whispers. Their movements were attuned to each other—they had to be, for every step carried meaning and power, undone if their hands were too stretched, or the dirt strokes of their shoe soles too short. And the moment they raised their hands and bellowed at the Moon Eater, the heavens roared in vexation.
Giant, nearly invisible tendrils with a glimpse of cerulean materialised from the rippling air, snaking and enveloping the Giant's Head. The exertion of skyscraping inner strength imbued with Arcane was a new challenge to them, and at that very moment, many came close to stumbling, some even almost lost their foothold on the ground and were taken flying. But despite it all, Bathara Kala was barely climbing.
Fifty others gathered behind the previous assembly with a giant strand of hair. The first half sprinkled flowers and herbs, then raised their hands to invoke incantations. The rest chanted loudly, banging mortar and pestle. The hair strand crackled with Arcane energy, and the heavens rumbled once more!
As the horizon began to blush with a gentle orange glow, plumes of smoke tongues ascended to merge with the cottony fluff of the cumulus clouds. Bathara Kala's thunderous voice blared a siren of curses upon the sizzling inner realm of his mind, prompting all those with ears to seek out a confined, cramped space and clamp their ears shut. The Shamans could not feign indifference to that shared sense of horror.
"Scalding! Stop it! It's scalding, you imbecile! Scalding!" Bathara Kala howled. "Thralls' Bastards! When the time comes for me to ascend to godhood, I shall ensure you spawn tenfold offspring, solely to torture and slay! Cease your meddling!"
"This is all we can muster with Kalimasada," the Uwentira Governor informed Alicia, his hands trembling near the long, thick black tendril like the others. "Our lives are safe as long as Kalimasada flows in our blood. But with Bathara Kala's immense power, we can only attempt to slow his ascent, and our hex's endurance is limited."
Alicia gestured towards Bagong, who was already carrying a large vessel filled with Divine Grace. "Should Kalimasada cease to blend with your mana, Bagong will supply you with more," she said. "I ken my request's too much, but I beg you to mobilise all yer mana to stop Bathara Kala."
The governor shook his head. "You don't need to say that, Miss. Only a madman would think that Bathara Kala served any purpose when spared," he said, turning to Wisesa. "No offense."
Wisesa just shrugged. "No, no. You're not wrong this time."
"Enough talking, then! Hasten your efforts to contain that hovering head!" The Governor ordered.
Before Alicia and Wisesa could soar again, Barong emerged from Wisesa's body. "I may not be very useful against Bathara Kala, but I have another magic that can help your fellow shamans. We must go to the banyan tree in the palace garden. Even a little Arcane power will come in handy."
There was no need for persuasion. Alicia immediately channelled her Arcane energy towards Wisesa.
The lad sighed reluctantly, but his body flew to said banyan tree anyway. There, surrounded by puddles, they ignited the incense fire situated before the tree, adhering to Barong's explicit directives.
"Trees are a part of me, especially those who have flourished into towering giants. By my blessing, they hold knowledge of the earth and its manifold facets. With a quarter of my power, you can control a tree at a time," Barong elucidated, its orange-furred spirit flexing its arms and fingers, as Wisesa mimicked its motions flawlessly.
"Join me in chant," Barong added. Wisesa's lips obeyed. “¹Dhuh wit raksasa, rungokna panyuwunku. Nyilih kula sulur. Panjenengan, siji lan kabeh. Kanggo nggawa bali sing ngungsi menyang bumi. Lan paringi kawilujengan ingkang ageng. Dening kuwasane tanah kuna. Miturut roh saka tangan mistis. Kanthi daya pangreksa tanah. Nggawa ngungsi mudhun, bali menyang dhataran.”
The first verse was done. Alicia witnessed the leaves rustle.
"Second verse, Wisesa," Barong urged. “²Kanthi oyod ing jero lemah ing ngisor. Lan cabang tekan dhuwur lan alon. Sampeyan ngadeg minangka menara kekuwatan. Nggawa imbangan kanggo awan lan wengi. Dening kuwasane tanah kuna. Miturut roh saka tangan mistis. Kanthi daya pangreksa tanah. Nggawa ngungsi mudhun, bali menyang dhataran.”
The second stanza ended. This time, hundreds of roots hanging on the tree branches lifted upwards, waving before returning to stiffness with their tips aiming up into the sky.
"Last stanza, Wisesa! ³Kanthi godhong-godhongan sing njerit ing angin. Sampeyan bisik-bisik rahasia ngeculake angin. Supaya swaramu keprungu maneh. Lan nggawa target menyang lantai alas Dening kuwasane tanah kuna. Miturut roh saka tangan mistis. Kanthi daya pangreksa tanah. Nggawa ngungsi mudhun, bali menyang dhataran!”
This time, the tree was not the only thing that stirred. The irregularity was in the sky where the hanging roots were aiming...
"No way!" Alicia churned with excitement as her eyes followed the roots' direction. "Wisesa, did yer tree really draw back Bathara Kala?"
"The Knowledge of Tarik Sulur," Barong boasted. "I granted my blessing to this majestic tree, allowing it to move Bathara Kala's particles through its hanging roots and draw him closer to the Earth's magnetic field. Quite impressive, don't you think? I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner!"
Wisesa was so taken aback by the descending giant head, which exploded and spewed curses in the tongue of Yawa, that he too was at a loss for words."Okay, Cat. Maybe you're not so useless after all," he managed to admit.
Alicia and Wisesa were not to squander this golden opportunity. Thus, each of them took to the sky in their distinct manner. They watched as Petruk and Gareng moved to the front, aiding Semar with a flurry of punches, while Semar himself urged his khodam to grow its torso almost as large as the Moon Eater's own head and hold him off. With the help of Lojitengara's hundred shamans and Barong's Knowledge, Semar's khodam managed to land a powerful punch on Kala's nose bridge that pounded his head back into the first layer of the heavens.
Although the pair of Barong Heads from Wisesa were not as large as Bathara Kala, the Arcane content infused inside them was still potent enough to erode the outer layer of black magic and allow the missile blasts from the zeppelins to burn and blister the Giant Head's skin. The sea of spikes and razor blades had ceased to downpour ever since, but that did not mean the flying ships were conserving ammunition. Instead, Alicia doubled their impact force with Arcane blessings. In the end, one selfish giant would not prevail against hundreds of dwarf creatures working hand in hand. Bathara Kala's face was peeling off into flesh, and his magic power was barely holding up against the magical attraction that prevented him from ascending. His eyes were narrowed by stings and sizzling.
They may have had their gods to thank, but the reign of mankind was short-lived.
Alicia soared atop the zeppelin balloon, taking a sip of spice milk mixed with stillmajik before moving in close to Bathara Kala's face. Purification must be done at once.
But the moment Arcane threads made contact with the points of Bathara Kala's head, a bolt of lightning jolted inside her mind.
The world was upside down.
Her hearing caught nothing but a piercing ring. Blood poured out from her ears and nose. Even her scleras were tainted with crimson. Alicia slid from the skin's slippery surface into freefall, and so did her consciousness.
"Wisesa! Your friend!" Barong's voice pierced through the chaos, drawing Wisesa's gaze to Alicia's plummeting form.
"Gods! What's wrong with that girl now?" Wisesa immediately swooped down, grabbed Alicia and her Arcane orb, and then alighted them quickly on a zeppelin balloon so that the man's shirt would not be burned by Orb's rejection.
"You crazy ass! What were you thinking?" Wisesa rebuked sharply.
Alicia still found her vision adrift and her ears ringing. The shock was so intense that she was left gaping in spasms.
"Alicia? Alicia, Wake up!" Wisesa shook her shoulders. The lass could not move her lips. "Jolt her or something, Orb!"
But Orb knew better than to shock the already shocked heart. Let her recover. She lives!
"She's crying blood!" roared Barong in fury.
Shortly thereafter, Alicia drew a gasp. Her moans crescendoed as she coiled inwards, clasping her Arcane orb. "Hurts...! Hurts! It hurts! It hurts!"
Wisesa steadied her and offered a consoling embrace too. "Hey, hey, it's alright! It's alright! Which part of your body hurts?"
Alicia's dilated eyes slowly met Wisesa's astonished countenance. She groped around her chest and head. She wiped her tears only to be surprised to find blood on her gloves instead of tears. The swabbing of her moistened ears yielded the same results. However, Alicia could still hear Wisesa's voice, as well as the thundering roar of missile blasts and Bathara Kala. "I'm alright... I'm alright," she murmured, almost in tears.
Wisesa regarded her with worry. "What's wrong with you?"
"The Empathy Curse, Wisesa!" Alicia exclaimed, her voice quivering. "But… this was different. The Power of Khaos fragmented my mind like lightning—no, like being shot by a gun—I don't know! It was quick, painful, and deafening. I was… terrified."
Was this the foretold Curse of Empathy that claimed the lives of Arcane Wielders? She had barely initiated the purification back then!
However, as she heard her own words, the lass shook her head. "No, no, no! This cannae happen! This cannae happen! I can't be afraid!"
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Alicia tried to find solace through Orb, but before the tranquillity could settle, Semar's voice rang out with grim news: Bathara Kala's eyes had opened again. The giant head's stare appeared vacant, his eyes bloodshot, veins seemingly on the verge of rupture. He was somewhat immune to all the external and internal attacks thrown upon him.
And for the first time in a while, the giant head pivoted once more.
His eyes were now fixed upon the quintet of practitioners and the entire celestial armada.
"Behold, for I am not yet a god," his voice boomed, even as his lips remained motionless. "And already, you have tried my long patience!"
Bathara Kala's maw stretched wider, leaving Alicia still in a daze. But Wisesa immediately thrust his hands forward, trembling as if stopping a charging carriage.
Alas, Wisesa seemed the only one able to react quickly.
Inside one of the zeppelins, a crew member felt his stomach churn with nausea. His body convulsed violently until he vomited right then and there. But instead of food, he disgorged a stream of razor blades and nails, with blood serving as an unholy lubricant.
The man's retching persisted, and soon, the rest of the crew succumbed to a similar affliction. They vomited ceaselessly as if endeavouring to expel their very being. Panic swept through the zeppelin, and observations from neighbouring crews revealed the entire vessel being buried in sharp metal fragments that ripped through the windscreen, shattered the machinery, and ultimately, exploded the ship!
"Alicia! Wake up!" Barong called out.
Alicia blinked, and in that fleeting moment, the Arcane dome materialised once again, shielding them both from the deluge of razor blades and nails accompanying the explosion. However, Alicia's lapse in vigilance led to her own misfortune, as several razor blades managed to score her ribs and cheeks.
Misfortune befell not upon that zeppelin alone. The crews of the other ships met the same fate, and one by one their ships were exploded by the sharp pelts. Some were falling due to showers of metal debris infiltrating and disrupting their engines. The tempest of razor and spikes consumed the first zeppelin wave.
Wisesa eased his hands after the Arcane barrier enveloped him. Resisting Bathara Kala's curse with inner strength left the Divine Grace within him all but depleted. When Alicia saw that the remaining zeppelins were about to meet the same fate as their fallen comrades, including the ship she treaded on being tossed about, she extended her dome reach to envelop the remaining zeppelins and endured the immense pain of the cursed aura that surrounded it.
"We must abandon ship and perform purification on the big head's blind spot!" implored Wisesa. Barong supported him as well.
Alicia grimaced. "And let all these flying ships be destroyed? You're joking!"
"Do I look like I'm joking?" Wisesa pointed at his own face. "You're the only one who can kill Bathara Kala now!"
"But... I cannae let them all die."
How stubborn was this Western girl! Wisesa felt his irk mounting and scrambled for another idea. Thankfully, Barong was quick to come up with a solution, having intently studied the Arcane orb.
"You kept the blue force field alight using your hands, didn't you?" Barong observed. "Why not create an independent version of it? You can generate a self-sustaining circle of energy that will protect these ships while allowing you to focus on something else!"
Alicia squinted. "Y-you think I can—wait!" She looked at Orb again. "Maybe I can!"
"Surprised you never thought of that!"
"Well, thank goodness you two are here!" Alicia exclaimed.
"And Orb didn't tell you anything about this?" Wisesa questioned.
"I usually come up with the abilities myself!"
The revelations shall unfold unto her one by one. Orb confirmed.
Barong recoiled in shock. "What the—what kind of excuse is that?"
"What? What did he say?" asked Wisesa.
"The orb said it would divulge everything about Arcane might one by one, like a baby!"
Now even Wisesa gasped. "If you had told her everything from the start, perhaps her life and the lives of those she encountered would have been better!"
It's too much. Alicia cannot comprehend everything all at once! the orb defended itself.
"Oh, I think I have a good comprehensive ability to swallow all that information. She’s just stupid!" he retorted after being translated by Barong.
Alicia was triggered. "Oi, pardon me, What in the bloody Hades—"
No one can fully comprehend all of these revelations at once. Alicia will understand little by little about me and the world, Orb explained.
Barong looked at its host with a quivering lip, sneering, "'In time.' Classic evasion tactic."
"Yeah, sounds like a lazy writer grasping for flimsy excuses to fill plot holes," Wisesa connected the beast spirit's statement. Another rare occurrence, when a Land Guardian spirit and its host could gossip about others without thinking of slaying one another.
Alicia took a deep breath. Venting her anger would only multiply her pain. "Yer not gods, in my opinion, nor are ye Arcane sources that have their own consciousness. So I beg to differ that you have no right to speak like that...!"
Alicia closed her eyes, and together with Orb, slowly disconnected the plasma connection from her hand, yet the Arcane force field remained sure as it was, and she no longer felt any pain from the Empathy Curse. It occurred to her that some of Barong's words might be true. However, Orb had never let her trust down so far, so now she assumed her ballmate was wiser about everything.
Alicia may have gained new abilities. However, she did not have time to organise a small celebration because another problem arose: Semar and his two children did not fall under Arcane's protection. They were stuck in a state of limbo, resisting the curse with their own inner strength. As expected, the Khaos power of the Giant Head was too great, and the wisdom of the trio's longevity could not subdue it.
Wisesa only realised this when he turned around and saw Semar, Gareng, and Petruk restrained by Bathara Kala's magic, spitting out nails and razor blades, creating a deadly rain mixed with blood.
Barong saw that the trio floated no more, roaring, "Wisesaaa!"
"Threesome idiots!" Wisesa immediately ran and jumped.
Wisesa has not yet merited his new blessing! Orb gave a warning, causing her to shake her head in frustration and follow suit.
Alicia created a new force field of smaller size as she swooped down to catch the young man in a blangkon cap. Wisesa summoned the two Barong Heads and sent them to Petruk and Gareng while he himself reached out to Old Man Semar.
Bathara Kala was not done with his curse. His form rotated towards the court shamans, and their Arcane veils flickered under the onslaught of Khaos' curse. When the Arcane was no longer with them, the elusive tether disappeared, and they, too, caught the curse of vomiting razor blades and nails. Bagong and Cahyaningrum also succumbed to the curse; their powers ebbed, their retch shattered the Arcane vessel, and its glimmering remains melded with Khaos. The unclean magic exacted its toll, not only on the humans but also on the banyan tree in the palace garden. It was uprooted and submerged in a man-made lake, as razor blades and spikes materialised from within and hacked it away.
Bathara Kala's supernatural shackles no longer bound him, and now he greeted the sky again, now ablaze with the morning sun. The Giant's scalp pulsated with veins of mauve light that rivalled the sky's brilliance. A sign of his fury. The smoke that once clouded his head now transformed into a trail of purplish flames, propelling him skyward at twice his previous speed.
"You, my intruders, shall be the first to never receive my absolution," Bathara Kala declared in a resounding echo. "The next high tide shall engulf Yawadwipa, and you shall serve as an example to others!"
Alicia and Wisesa landed, only to find that nearly half of their comrades were dead, with metal splinters still jutted out from their lips.
"Clipe!" Alicia expanded her force field to cover the entire Sunanate palace, while Wisesa placed Semar and his two magical children onto the grass, coughing up blood that still cut their throats. But at least they no longer vomited foreign metal. Cahyaningrum and Bagong were also spared from the gates of Hades, but those who were still alive were staring with wide-open mouths, each hand clutching their throats. The only sounds that escaped their mouths were wind breaths and hoarse whistles.
"No, stop, don't speak anymore!" Alicia knelt on the grass, ready to spread her Arcane blanket over them all. She endured the pain while healing one by one their damaged throats, starting with Cahyaningrum, and then the other soldiers. "Do not worry. I will heal all of you," she promised. "You’ll recover in no time!"
"Miss... please don't!" Semar halted her, coughing as his voice grew hoarse. "D-don't... waste your energy and time. When... Bathara Kala... is freed... from the confines... of the earth, we... surely lose."
"Semar speaks the truth," Barong confirmed. "No creature that requires air can survive outside the earth's boundaries, except for the Thunderkeeper and Sun-Rower Amon, and Bathara Kala. You must purify him while he is still in our sky!"
But Alicia could not let them go. "But all of you—"
"We shall recover," Semar replied hoarsely. "Those who survive... shall recover." His forefinger then jutted out and aimed towards the lass' bloodstained white shirt, straight at her ribs. “Prioritize… yourself…”
Alicia's eyes flicked downwards to her injured side, her horrified face shown for a moment, again, reminding her of pain throbbing like a fiery brand. But she shook her head anyway. “No, dinnae mind me. A wee scratch! Just a wee scratch!” she exclaimed, the words tumbling out of her mouth in a rush.
“Alicia…”
"Not just that… Listen to me!" Alicia scanned her surroundings once more, and a sense of despair crept into her bones. "I... need all of you."
"I'm sorry, Miss Alicia. It's not... possible... now."
Alicia gazed down at her cherished orb, which remained silent yet comforting, emitting warm vibrations that soothed the girl's turbulent emotions. It allowed her to collect her thoughts. It believed in its wielder.
After taking a deep breath, Alicia nodded to Orb and got up. Her healing power was directed to Semar, Gareng, and Petruk
“No! Why?” Semar asked.
But she remained heedless of their pleas. After the healing session was complete, Alicia handed each of them a bottle of stillmajik spice milk to boost their mana levels.
"Not everyone, but I still need you," Alicia said, her gaze steady as she spoke. "Please drink. I beg you!"
The three men quickly downed the potion, and before long they were standing on their own two feet once again.
Wisesa raised an eyebrow. "What were you thinking?”
Alicia turned to face him. "I'm thinking of not just slowing Bathara Kala down or pulling him back. I'm thinking about him staying put."
She then turned her attention to Semar, Gareng, and Petruk. "I'm sorry, Orb, but I think we have to play dirty. I believe the building near the inn has my aunt's Nightmare Snare. Someone should find it, then tie it to Bathara Kala's hair."
Semar managed to stabilise his body. He felt no longer the sting in his throat as he rubbed his neck. He offered a small smile and nodded in agreement. "I see. Good idea, Miss." His body shuddered as he tried to levitate again. He patted Petruk and Gareng, and the three of them darted towards the inn on the other side.
The bespectacled lass turned back to Wisesa and Barong. Her voice was softer. "My stillmajik potion has run out, and I'm definitely going to pass out after this purification. May I hitch a ride with you?" []