"Isn't this strange to you?"
"What is so strange?"
"The princess was thrown from a high cliff into the abyss below which is the sea, then sank to the bottom of the sea, bound to the cross. How did the Royal Counselor dive to find and save the princess?"
Yes, this sounds ridiculous. At least, from his conversation with Lathifa all this time, Satya caught one thing for sure. In this middle of nowhere, there are no modern tools, say a car, let alone talk about equipment for diving that only exists in the modern world.
"Unless," said Satya, "if the sea is just a shallow sea. Well, say, the princess fell around the beach."
Lathifa smiled again looking at the seriousness on Satya's face.
"No," she said. "That's the deep sea, Satya."
"Well, then how can the Royal Counselor save the princess?" he asked with a frown. "This doesn't make sense!"
"Do you think Kencana Ireng is an ordinary person, do you?"
"What do you mean?"
"Oh, no Satya, no," said Lathifa. "Kencana Ireng is a man who has supernatural powers, although his power is not as strong as Pramudya's."
Kencana Ireng again, thought Satya. He winced. For some reason, he was a little bit familiar with the name of the Royal Counselor. However, no matter how hard he thought, he still couldn't remember for certain that he actually knew or at least, had heard of the name before.
Satya took a deep breath. "This is great," he mumbled. "From the modern world, I was lost to a world filled with magic and supernatural powers. Oh, the Great Gods, save me…"
Even though Lathifa was a little confused by Satya's muttering, she kept silent looking at him.
"You seem really confused?"
"Of course," said Satya. "Just being here, in this world, has made me dizzy. Plus your story is very, whoa… Gosh! I'm just getting a headache."
"Hmm, it's quite difficult for me to explain all this to you," Lathifa smiled sweetly. "Yeah, I guess you do come from the future. Many of your words I don't even understand at all. Also, about you being stranded on this island—I mean, you said earlier that you fell into the sea, didn't you?"
Satya nodded, then let out a long and heavy sigh. His gaze returned to the cleavage of Lathifa's large breasts.
Irritating! This is very annoying!
"Well," Lathifa continued, "that means you fell from a height. From what place? Or, how can you experience that? I have no idea."
"Yeah, that's pretty obvious. Even I still don't understand. If I tell you it's just a dream," he pinched his hand, patting his cheeks. "But why do I feel all this so real? So obviously, something has sucked me in and thrown me into this world."
"Well, that seems to be the case," said Lathifa. "By the way, about your question earlier."
Satya glanced at the beautiful face again. "Yeah, you have a better explanation? I mean, things that won't make me dizzier?"
"You're right, Kencana Ireng will not be able to dive to the bottom of the sea to release the princess and bring her to shore."
"Good grief!" Satya shook his head, he massaged his forehead. "You make me even dizzier, Lathi. You said earlier that it was the Royal Counselor who saved the princess, and now, you said that he couldn't possibly dive any deeper to get close to the princess's body. Oh, Gods…"
Latifa smiled again. "I'm pretty sure that you don't believe in mystical things, do you?"
"Yeah, so unbelievable!" said Satya. "I mean, part of it, of course, I believe it. After all, I have faith as a Hindu."
"Hindu?" Latifa frowned. "What else is it?"
"Oh, the Great Gods," Satya couldn't help but smile wryly. "Never mind, just forget it. In essence, I believe in the existence of gods and goddesses."
"Aah…" Lathifa nodded.
"Then?" said Satya. "About that Royal Counselor, who was that again? Haa, Kencana Ireng. Yes! If it was he who saved the princess, then, how did he do it?"
"With that blood symbol, remember?"
"Good grief!" Satya shook his head again. "Looks like this will have no end. Round and round without any definite clarity."
Lathifa giggled even covering her mouth to see Satya's expression.
"I mean," Lathifa said after she was able to hold back her laughter, "that the blood symbol provoked the appearance of the Sea God seven full moons later."
Satya glared. He certainly believes in the existence of gods and goddesses according to his religious teachings and beliefs. But about meeting a god in person?
"Wow…!"
"I know," Lathifa again had to hold back her laughter. "You definitely won't believe this."
"Yeah, that's for sure," said Satya. "But, forget it! After all, all the things I've experienced and heard since I stepped into this land, that alone is more than enough to make my head explode."
"You are so funny."
"Oh, Great Goddess…" Satya let out a long sigh, bowed his head, then said, "Never mind, go on with your story. Then what happened after that?"
"The Sea God feels sorry for the princess."
"Okay?"
"With his mystical power, the god untied the body of the princess, and brought the princess to the shore, far from the main territory of the Kingdom of Artapurana."
"Aah, so that's how it turned out, huh?"
"Yes. And isn't that the same as that Royal Counselor who saved the princess?"
"Yeah," Satya took a deep breath. "Of course. If it wasn't for the blood symbol that he had changed, surely the princess would not have been able to be saved."
"Exactly!" Latifa smiled sweetly.
"Then, where is the princess now?"
Lathifa shrugged her shoulders. "No one knows," she said, "even after almost ten years since the princess had the help of the Sea God."
"Hmm, I guess it's just a waste of time."
"A waste of time?"
"Yes," said Satya. "Why would the poor princess be saved if it turns out that she can't avenge the death of the king and queen, as well as the attempted murder upon her? Right? Or, let's say reclaim this country?"
"It's not that easy, Satya."
"Oh really?"
"Besides," said Lathifa. "Being saved by the Sea God is not a waste at all."
"Yeah, we have different views on this."
"No, I mean it," said Lathifa. "When the Sea God felt sorry for the princess, then with his supernatural powers, the god also gave a new face and form to the princess."
"Huh?"
Lathifa nodded with a smile.
"You might say it's a waste of time," she said. "But, maybe the princess is gathering strength or reinforcements—well, something like that before she takes back the throne of this kingdom and this Artapurana country."
"Hmm… I guess you're right."
"But, I feel sorry for Kencana Ireng."
"Sorry?" Satya frowned. "You mean?"
"Look," said Lathifa. "Supposedly, if Kencana Ireng made a symbol of devil worship on the princess's forehead, then in the seven full moons, Pramudya Antaguna would get even more powerful supernatural powers."
"Aah, looks like I can read this storyline."
"Yeah," said Lathifa. "I think it's pretty easy to figure this out. And yes, of course, that wasn't the case with what Kencana Ireng had done. Pramudya investigated it, and finally found out what Kencana Ireng had done."
"Oh, the Great Goddess…"
"Yeah," Lathifa breathed so heavily, that a shadow of deep sorrow crossed her face. "Kencana Ireng was tortured and mistreated by Pramudya Antaguna until he died in a horrible condition."
"Good grief!"
And then, silence enveloped the two within the vestibule of the hut. Now and then, the night wind sounded like a sharp knife cut in the ear. The sound of night insects mixed with the sound of the flapping of bat wings, or the sound of other nocturnal birds.
Suddenly, Satya remembered one thing. One thing the girl beside him had said before. He winced.
"What is it?" asked Latifa.
"Wait a minute!" Satya looked at Lathifa, from head to toe. "Y-You!"
"Yes? What is it, Satya?"
"Oh, no, no…" Satya pointed at Lathifa. "You, you are the princess in your story, Lathifa!"
"Hmm, did I ever tell you that?" Lathifa frowned, she tapped her chin with her fingertips.
"You did, Lathifa, you did!" Satya said with his eyes still wide. "Lots of reasons, of course!"
"Are you sure?"
"If I think back to all the things you've talked to me about," Satya could even feel that all the fine hairs on his body seemed to be running. "First, you said you knew Kencana Ireng very well. The Royal Counselor whispered the same words to you. Because there is a mission then destiny is created, remember?"
"Of course."
"You told me that Kencana Ireng said those words to you just as you were about to be killed by your husband. And your husband's name is also the same as the princess' husband, Pramudya Antaguna. Oh, Great Goddess…"
"Hey, it turns out that your memory is quite strong."
"Y—You, you are that Princess of the Artapurana Kingdom!" Satya said. "Please tell me, Lathifa. Is this all true?"
Latifa took a deep breath. She looked into Satya's eyes, smiled, and nodded.
"I don't want to lie to you, Satya," she said. "But you're right, I am the princess."
"Oh, the Great Gods…" Satya even had to rub his rumbling chest to calm his feelings. "So all of that is true? I mean, all those stories you told me?"
Again, Lathifa nodded with her sweet smile.
And silence again took over the atmosphere between the two. If that's true, Satya thought. It is very likely that the carving of the dancing girl on the wall of his house, in his world, was the figure of Lathifa herself.
But why? Or, how did this happen? Does my family have a bloodline that comes from the confidants of the Artapurana Royal family?
Suddenly Satya widened his eyes, he looked at Lathifa. And the girl, the princess just smiled very gracefully.
"Yeah," said Lathifa. "I think you must have understood now, right?"
Satya shows the copper medal in his hand. "T-This?"
"Yes," Lathifa winked. "If my guess is correct, you are the descendant of Kencana Ireng, Satya."
"Oh, Great Goddess…"
"That explains everything about the medal itself," said Lathifa. "About, you mentioned that the medallion was your ancestral inheritance. The inscription on the medal. And yeah, about the dancing girl carving on one of the walls in your house."
As if all things suddenly gathered in his head, making his head become heavier, throbbing, and even his vision blurry, Satya finally couldn't control his raging feelings until he fell unconscious, just lying on the ground floor.
"Satya!" Lathifa approaches Satya. "Hey, are you okay? Satya?!"
***