The Yard was still lively when Saluk arrived home. Few servants walk around doing their house duties. The Minggud house was originally owned by his late adoptive father, but when he died, the ownership of the house head and all the servants were transfered to his Tiyo Domam, he is the husband of his late adoptive father's younger sister. The house has around 30 or more residents, including the Minggud family, the workers and servants. The warriors that posts as guards were deployed by the Lifetree Clan are around 10. He is adopted so he should be within the family circle, but as an act of gratefulness, he choose to live with the servants and work in the herb farm.
The farm was in a big area so it was a divided labor. Around 10 servants work with him in the farm tending on the herbs. But Saluk, being a special case was assigned to a remote corner on the farm to avoid the people that come and go to trade with their herbs. Without those kids visiting him from time to time, Saluk can't imagine how boring his days would be, spending it alone.
Being careful not to be noticed, Saluk walked quietly close to the walls intending to reach his private quarters quickly without making a single noise.
"Why are you tiptoeing like a cat? Your Tiyo Domam is waiting for you for an hour already." a woman in her early 30s suddenly appeared in front of him.
"Tiya Sameng, I was just...." Saluk was startled, the woman in front of him was his late adoptive father's younger sister. The wife of Domam Minggud. His adoptive aunt.
"Yeah, i know, being famous with the kids makes you come home late most of the time." Tiya Sameng said, smiling to him.
Unlike his uptight and strict uncle Domam, His Tiya Sameng was rather sweet to him, even treating him like a kid sometimes. She has child around 4 summers old now and can walk around the house. When the weather is not good and he has to stay indoors, Tiya Sameng can sometimes let her child play with him. He is not sure if his uncle Tiyo Domam approves it, but his uncle does not say anything about it, so Saluk thinks it was okey.
"Wash your face first and go to your uncle." Tiya Sameng patted his shoulder.
"Yes, i will go now." Saluk smiled back.
"Okey. And you can remove that bandana now, you just have to wear it outside. Your eyes must be getting numb, being blindfolded the whole day." Tiya Sameng thoughtfully said.
"Yes, Tiya Sameng. Thank you." Turning away from his aunt, Saluk exhaled slowly removed the black bandana covering his eyes.
"You do not have to turn away from me, i have seen your eyes more times than i can count. It's okey." Tiya Sameng laughed softly.
Saluk paused, and finally relaxed. He chuckled and faced his aunt again. It has become part of his reflexes to turn away from people or to make sure that no one is around when he has to remove his blindfold. There was a time when he was still a child and he snuck out of the house to play outside. He almost caused an uproar when a group of passing warriors patrolling the village saw his eyes. His late adoptive father was a warrior himself with a higher rank so the situation was quickly put under control. But that was also the day that started the rumors of him possessing the demon's eyes. The rumor was even reinforced when it became a public knowledge that he doesnt' have a magic vien in his body. Eversince that day, he was forced to stay away from public and that he has to put a black bandana to cover his eyes when he has to go outside.
Saluk is fine with it. He is not very fond of noisy crowd anyways. And the black bandana that covers his eyes is thin enough that he can still see through it. He just view the whole set-up as part of his daily routine and the blindfold bandana a part of his clothing.
"Okey Tiya Sameng, i will go now. Have a good night." Saluk answered and walk away.
He is sure that his uncle, Tiyo Domam will scold him again for being late. His uncle, being the family head manages the supply of all magical and medicinal herbs in the village. The Minggud family is known even in faraway towns from the quality of magical and medicinal herbs they produce and trade every season. Some of their herbs can cure wounds caused by the demons, and some can even be used to poison them.
Saluk does not really know how to prepare the herbs to be of medical use, the workers are responsible for that. As to prepare magical herbs, the elders of the house are the only ones allowed to learn the skills for it. Saluk does not even know all the names of the herbs he tends to. It does not worry him in the least though, he know and recognizes the common ones and their uses, and that's enough for him. He just want to live his days peacefully, watering and growing them in the farm.
After making sure that he is presentable again, Saluk dashed out of his quarters and went straight to his uncle's place. The Minggud residence is separated from the servants quarters but still a short walk away. Saluk reached the front door. and smiled to the four guards in front of him.
"Family head Domam is waiting inside. You can enter now." One of the guards nodded to him and opened the door.
"Yes, Thank you." Saluk placed his right fist into his chest, making and audible thump sound. It was a salute.
Saluk walked forward and entered the main room.
Despite the hour, the main room for receiving visitors is still brightly lit by a lot of oil torches placed in the walls.
His uncle, Tiyo Domam is sitting in a big wooden chair, holding a cup of wine on one hand, while a bamboo scroll was being held by a servant in front of him. His aunt, Tiya Sameng is seating beside his unlce and quickly noticed Saluk.
Domam Minggud seemed oblivious to his presence, absorbed by the content of the scroll in front of him was elbowed by his wife softly.
"Uhhummm. It's okey for now, you can leave." Domam Minggud said and dismissed the servant holding the scroll.
Saluk waited silently until the servant left the room and heard the door closing behind him.
"Our family is Known for being the producer of top quality magical and medicinal herbs. As such, we have to maintain our reputation as is." Domam Minggud stood up from his chair and walked toward him.
Saluk gulped. This is how his uncle usually starts his speech when he make a mistake, He doesnt' know yet what he did wrong, bet he will soon find out. He braced himself.
"As the family head, i carry the burden of facing the of merchants and traders whenever they asks of something, i face the nobles when they have complaints about our herbs. So i have to make sure that our herbs are well taken cared of. Am i right, Saluk?"
Uncle Domam stopped in front of him.
"Yes, Tiyo Domam, you are correct." Saluk does not know where the conversation is heading, but he still answered politely.
Uncle eyed him closely, as if looking at his soul from his eyes. He nodded and started pacing to the side.
"To be able to make sure that the herbs in our farm grow healthy, It should be a given that the one who takes care of the herbs, should take care of themselves first, right? Or who will take care of the herbs if something bad happens to the person who is supposed to take care of them?"
'Shit, i'm doomed.' Saluk finally realized.
"I'm sorry, Tiyo Domam, something just held me up on the farm this afternoon. next time...." Saluk hurriedly said.
"I am aware about the kids visiting you. You can't hide something like that from me, you know." Tiyo Domam snapped.
"We do not worry about you coming home a little late at night, We know that you can take care of yourself. It's just that your uncle recieved a complaint this morning from the Pasimo family. They said that you are teaching the second son of their family head some weird stuff." His aunt, Tiya Sameng voiced out from her seat.
"We all know that the Pasimo family is responsible of the internal security of our village. Also almost half of our entire clan's warriors are from Pasemo family." Tiyo Domam faced him again.
"You may not mean anything bad for the kids, and those youngsters may even look up to you, but the Pasimo family do not think so. And that is entirely a different story. Do you know where i'm getting at?" His uncle continued on.
"Yes, Tiyo Domam, i understand. The next time those kids come near me again, i will chase them away." Saluk said, not meeting his uncle's gaze.
"Saluk, Do not get me wrong, i know that you are a good person, but given the circumstances, we cannot afford to get you into trouble. After all your father has done, just to let us our keep you here." Tiyo Domam's voice soften after mentioning Saluk's adoptive father.
"I understand Tiyo Domam, please guide me. You always know the best for me." Saluk quickly kneeled in front of his uncle.
He was too young when his adoptive father died. He can't remember much from him. Most of the things he know about his adoptive father all came from stories from his aunt, Tiya Sameng.
She said that his adoptive father was actually only out to gather some magical herbs that grow in the shallow waters when he found him. It was a moonless night, so when his father went home with a young boy, she, Tiya Sameng was so thrilled, she was still a single maiden that time. Tiya Sameng approved with his father's decision to keep young Saluk. Only to find out the next morning that he has a demon's eyes. By then, young Saluk has already captured the hearts of his adoptive father and his adoptive aunt. The Minggud family kept Saluk from the whole village for more than a year. Until that day young Saluk snuck out and played outside.
The village was against the idea of raising a boy with a demonic eyes, they want the young boy be returned to where he was found and to be left to die, as he should. But the then Minggud family head, his late adoptive father cannot be swayed.
The Minggud family then was almost cast out from the Lifetree clan, But fortunately the Babaylan on that time decided that it is fine to keep the boy. The boy can be raised in the care of Minggud family, but a trade should be made. It was said that the young Saluk was supposed to die on that shipwreck that eventful night if not for the family head of Minggud messing with his fate. The guardian of death will surely haunt the whole village if a trade was not made. The death of the young Saluk was already sealed. but the Minggud family intervened. To prevent the guardian of death from wreking chaos in the village, a direct family member of the Minggud family should replace him, or they can just return the young boy to where he was found.
Without a second thought, his father volunteered. For Saluk to live, the former head of Minggud family willingly offered his life to the guardian of death and was never seen again.
This is the story Saluk has heard countless of time from his adoptive aunt.
"Saluk, This year's harvest season is about to come. As you know, people from different places will flood our village again, same like last harvest season and the season before." After a few moments of silence, his uncle, Tiyo Domam spoke again.
"Yes, I know that, Tiyo Domam, then i will not go to the farm this following days then. I will help the other servants to prepare the fishing spears and carts." Saluk answered quickly. He is aware that the harvest season is coming, he can see some villager here and there preparing for fishing nets, fishing spears and carrying carts.
"Actually i want you to lie low this time." Tiyo Domam said after a moment, he seemed to be in deep thought.
"I do not understand Tiyo Domam, Do you want me to stay indoors while everyone is working outside? The look of confusion can't be hid from Saluk's eyes.
"No, before the harvest come, i want you to go to the southern forest and look for a patch of land that we can develop. You might notice that our small farm is starting to get over crowded. Sooner or later we will have to look for another area where we can grow and cultivate our herbs. We just might as well do it now." Tiyo Domam said, locking into his eyes again.
"Yes uncle, i will not disappoint you."
Saluk hurriedly replied. The task might be a little hard, it will take him a few days. But he knew he can do it.
"Take some rest now. You can have the whole morning tomorrow to prepare for your journey, that way, you can leave before sunset. Make me proud, Saluk." Tiyo Domam said before waving his hand, dismissing him.
"Yes, Tiyo Domam, i'm taking my leave now." Saluk gave a proud salute before turning to leave.