In a faraway land surrounded by lush mangrove trees and numerous bodies of water that had occupied the land, a group of people is seen busily loading and unloading crates from a huge boat.
[27] A young man with a fair tanned skin dressed in a formal Ghazi attire made his way towards the group of people who are busily loading crates and other heavy objects on a huge boat.
When he reached the end of the land, at a still lake surrounded with swamps and mangrove trees, One huge boat with a triangular sail standing in place under the tropical sun's noon-shine greeted his sight.
Among the group of people who are busily preparing the boat, his sight focused on a top bare-naked man with a huge scar on his back.
Its biceps are protruding wildly while his sweat glazed as his perfectly toned arms glistened, swelling under the tropical heat.
He immediately walked there in a carefree manner while inspecting the place.
And when he is ten paces close, the young man raised his arms and waved.
"Heeeeey!" the young man yelled while waving his hands up in the air, gesturing at the top bare naked man a greeting to get his attention.
Hearing the yell and seeing that it was a familiar person, the top bare-naked man stoped his tracks and laid down the crate he was about to move.
"Oh! Brother!" the bare naked man greeted the young man with a smile.
"I haven't set sailed yet and here you are, already missing me hehe"
Moving closer, the young man offered him a water jug, which then the top bare naked man readily accepted.
"Brother, I am worried about this mission that the Sultan had specifically tasked you about."
The young man's brows creased in a worried tone as he continued...
"Looking for new lands while trying to convert them is quite a difficult job. Look what happened with Banuk-Rhanuk? They haven't seen him for almost two years now."
The young man sighed as he nudged the top bare naked man who seems to be his brother, as they got close together you can see that they greatly resembled each other.
With their sharp jaws and chiseled chin, their eyes exuded an air of humble yet dominant demeanor.
[28] "I'll be fine brother, and besides Rashik is with me. He is one of the most skilled sailors among the Janissaries of the Sultan." replied by the young man's brother.
Hearing this the young man pouted.
"You could have said No, we are no ordinary clan and our families had served the past Sultans for almost three generations now. A request like this is better left under the responsibilities of a Janissary. I can't understand your decision. We don't lack wealth! Why bother?"
Complaining while his brows are knitted closely, the young man felt that his brother had suffered injustice.
And while speaking, his turban decorated with golden trimmings swayed and got itself disproportioned, at which he now was trying to fix from its deformed state.
All along awaiting his brother's response,
Of which his brother answered in a polite hushed tone,
"It is more of a personal reason my brother, and besides I feel like finding that Banuk-Rhanuk could give some answers to my questions."
The young man squinted his eyes "So you want to find that guy?" clearly surprised he asked
Squeezing up the last drop of water in the water jug his brother did not reply and shifted his gaze at the vast bodies of water.
Then, they are suddenly disturbed by a loud snoozing sound from a trumpet which signals that the boat is about to depart.
"Look! the boat is almost ready, I'll have to go now, brother." tapping his little brother's scrunched drooping shoulders, the young man's brother bid him goodbye.
From which the young man had weakly nodded as a reply.
And his brother carried the crate that he was about to move earlier, gesturing another smirk before faintly leaving.
The young man reluctantly waved his hands from the back of his departing brother while his brother fastens his pace to aboard the huge boat.
At a distance, the his brother is seen waving his huge hands.
At which the young man reluctantly replied with a light wave.
"May God bless your journey brother..." The young man softly mumbled, putting his head low while lightly closing his eyes.
It was a solemn prayer that contained his earnest wish that he hope the God could uphold, dearly.
And the huge boat was rowed by a small group of burly people.
The boat sailed, greeting the open seas through the swampy lakes.
.
.
.
***
Meanwhile below the trail for the grassy mountains,
A figure of a young man wrapped in white tattered clothes as his bandage were seen putting his mouth close to a gorilla-look-alike man's ears in front of the three suspecting trios of Alipins.
"Banuk-Rhanuk, do not get along too much with that Talto," Miguel whispered closely to Banuk-Rhanuk
And Banuk-Rhanuk hearing Miguel's serious tone, perked his ears while he unblinkingly stared below the ground.
"Badong, what are you saying?" confused, Banuk-Rhanuk asked.
"You see... earlier Haha" When MIguel remembered the trio's silly expression when they first saw Banuk-Rhanuk he could not help but to halt his statement in a fit of laughter.
Which made the poor Banuk-Rhanuk irked as he touched his non-existent hair, scratching his bald head.
"They thought you were a monkey or a gorilla... Hahaha" Followed by a boisterous laugh as he slapped his own thighs.
Banuk-Rhanuk immediately got himself red.
"I have never been treated like this." He thought as he squinted his eyes and shifted his stare towards the clueless Talto.
Talto who noticed his suspicious gaze, raised his brows. as if to gesture why Banuk-Rhanuk is acting that way.
Banuk-Rhanuk thought to himself
"Don't put up that silly 'why' expression or I'll smash ur teeth out. Hmph."
And he returned his gaze towards Miguel.
Which Miguel courtly answered...
"Well, now you know." touching his skin who ached due to his laughters.
"Alright, Halt!" Aen who is leading at the front suddenly yelled.
"We are finally here." he added.
Pointing towards a huge barricaded infrastractures near a fortified camp.
It was none other than the Lumin Tribe's Alipin Grounds.
Banuk-Rhanuk who is secretly observing the place thought to himself "For some people who still upholded a tribal customs, this teritory is huge."
Banuk-Rhanuk then conjured a plan among himself. "I must put this territory under mine. But first let me observe more."
As he thought that he stared at his limping foot who is still recovering from the damage it took from the crocodiles.
He really felt that he was unlucky that time, good thing Miguel and the rest of this trio found him.
Now his misfortune turned to luck instead.
"Then, what are you guys waiting for?" He asked Aen who is leading in the front.
And Aen who heard him immediately replied "You see, Malpi is already that exhausted from carrying the croc's hides and other useful materials. Let's take it slow and move in a slower pace. After all, the camp is already at sight."
"Alright then am not in a rush." Banuk-Rhanuk stated. Well, he himself had his own difficulty in walking, limping from the ache.
Miguel on the other hand, realized that it was a cue for him to leave.
Although his whole body hurt when he tries to move, he gnashed his teeth and slowly walked away from the group.
Trekking on the familar routes he had secretly taken when sneaking a journey outside from the Saman's Courtyard, he went to a bush near a tree.
A pile of clothes appeared and he painstakingly worn them one by one.
The unsuspecting bunch who heaved a sigh after deciding to slow down their pace did not managed to see where the known Badong went to.
Unbeknownst to them, Badong is already gone.
It marked Miguel's return as Captain Sneaky.
With the right amount of sticky slicky moves, his first journey outside the Lumin's Tribe had ended.
But Miguel will soon be shocked silly due to the things that would greet him.
Specifically from a person in particular.