Giri, the eagle flying from Giriwarsa's hermitage, gently hovered over the shoulder of Kebo Anabrang, who was praying. When the eagle gently pecked Kebo Anabrang's ear, he opened his eyes.
"Giri? What brought you here tonight?" Kebo Anabrang asked. He then got up from his seat, took a cup of water, and gave it to the eagle. Giri protested once again by pecking Kebo Anabrang's finger. He needs food, preferably small rodents, snakes, or lizards.
"I'm sorry, Giri. "For the time being, I only have fruits, and if you want to eat them, go ahead," Kebo Anabrang said, but Giri screeched, his head immediately looking the other way. The bird stomped his feet, impatiently. As if to show a letter from Begawan Mudarsana as soon as possible to Kebo Anabrang.
Kebo Anabrang smiled and took the letter that Begawan Mudarsana had sent to him. After Kebo Anabrang took the letter, Giri immediately flapped his wings and again disappeared into the darkness of the night.
"The lintang kemukus (comet) has been seen, Gusti Patih. A great calamity like the one in the servant's dream is approaching, and we do not yet know which child will be destined by the deity to become the incarnation of the Goddess who will protect the maespati and the entire archipelago."
****
Prince Swarpakala awoke from sleep when an iron-cold object clung to his neck. When he saw someone wearing a specially carved mask belonging to the warrior Baruna, his eyes widened as he saw the elite soldiers of the King's Special Guards Palace nearby with an unsheathed sword. The fifteen-year-old young man was immediately frightened and peed as soon as he realized what had happened.
Looking at the frightened and peeing prince, the masked man burst into laughter and spoke in a loud tone until his voice bounced throughout the prince's room in Swarpakala.
"Poor prince. I know you're terrified but take it easy. I won't kill you, but if you want to live, don't listen to this command of mine. You, Swarpakala, will not want to be king and choose your brother prince Kripala to succeed you as king."
"Bu..., but...."
"I don't want to be denied by the prince," the masked man said. "If you refute, then your neck will hurt even more."If you don't want your head to burst with blood vessels that spread blood like a buffalo when slaughtered, follow my orders, prince!"
Prince Swarpakala was even more frightened. She began to feel pain in her neck as sliced skin and warm blood flowed from her exposed skin.
"I don't want to kill you, prince, but if you argue, then your youth will be in the realm of death."
"We…, well, I'm not going to be king," Swarpakala said.
After Swarpakala agreed, the masked man suddenly disappeared, disappearing in his eyes like he was lost in the wind. Seeing him disappear, Swarpakala immediately fell unconscious.
***
Kebo Anabrang sat unmoved. A letter from Begawan Mudarsana made the burden on his mind increase again. And at this time, Kebo Anabrang was getting more and unable to trust anyone.
After a while, Kebo Anabrang made a decision. He took a piece of Daluang paper and started writing; after finishing, he waited for Giri to come back to see him, and it didn't take long; Giri the eagle came back to see him with a mouse. After patiently waiting for the eagle to finish his meal, Kebo Anabrang gave his letter to Giri, the eagle.
"Give this letter to Begawan Mudarsana, and hide in the forest, Giri. Because there is no longer a haven from now on."
Giri gently pecked Kebo Anabrang's fingers as if to understand what the patih was saying, and after drinking the water provided by Kebo Anabrang, Giri flapped his wings, and once again, the eagle flew back to the hermitage of Giriwarsa.
After the eagle disappeared in the darkness of night, Kebo Anabrang took his sword. Because if the prophecy by Begawan Mudarsana was true, then there were two places he had to guard at this time: the queen's place and...
"Prince Swarpakala!" shouted Kebo Anabrang in surprise. Why was he so stupid and only remembered his nephew after getting a letter from Begawan Mudarsana, even though at this time it was the safety of the prince who was in danger?
Seeking to protect the prince, Kebo Anabrang took one of his heirloom daggers that had been smeared with poison, after which he rushed to the prince's chamber, which was to the north of the king's palace, where the princes and princesses were.
****
Kebo Anabrang walked half a run, and some soldiers who saw him tried to catch up with him, but their steps came to a halt. Kebo Anabrang refused their armed guard, as he did not want his journey to be hindered by unpleasant palace formalities.
But Kebo Anabrang didn't know, there was a person dressed in all black and covering his face with a piece of black cloth, watching his every move from one of the roofs of the palace.
"As always, Mahapatih, you can't ever be patient. However, this is your last chance to save the dynasty established by the founder of the kingdom. Kebo Anabrang, this dynasty, will be destroyed as a result of all the sins they have committed over the past hundred years."
****
The door carved with a bird of paradise was immediately wide open as soon as Kebo Anabrang impatiently kicked the door after repeatedly knocking without getting an answer.
But the room was empty; Prince Swarpakala was not there, seeing that Kebo Anabrang was getting upset.
"Gusti patih," a eunuch timidly tried to speak to Kebo Anabrang.
"Where is the prince?!" asked Kebo Anabrang bluffingly.
"Prince... prince Swarpakala awoke from his slumber and went to the temple to pray."
"You guys are here and left the prince alone?!" asked Kebo Anabrang furiously.
The eunuch lowered his head in fright.
"Answer, why did you leave the prince alone?" Kebo Anabrang demanded angrily.
"The prince does not want to get an escort, Gusti Patih."
Hearing the eunuch's remarks, Kebo Anabrang became enraged and went straight to the temple building, which was not far from the prince of Swarpakala's main room, and ran towards the temple with his entire body drenched in sweat.