Nimas ran between the bamboo trees with a pounding heart. The sound of dry leaves being stepped on made his guts suddenly shrink. He looked back, afraid that Karmo would see him. However, the girl had not run far, when two champions emerged from the bamboo grove and immediately blocked her steps. They forcibly pulled Nimas' arm towards the courtyard of the house.
Nimas tried to rebel, but his strength was inferior to the two champions. The cloth bundle on the girl's shoulder fell as she jerked her arm.
"Don't try to run away, Cah Ayu," said the champion wearing a headband.
"Let go of me, sir. I beg you," said Nimas in a pitiful voice.
Lasmi's eyes widened when she saw Nimas being caught and forced into a horse-drawn carriage. The woman wanted to run to save her daughter, but Karmo's grip on her arm kept her from moving.
"I know you want to help Nimas escape. Luckily, I ordered them to intercept him first," said Karmo while throwing a slap at his wife.
Lashmi is crying. "Have pity on our daughter sir, let her go. Or let us work hard to pay off all your debts."
Karmo just grinned at his wife's request. The woman did not know that the agreement that had been made with the Company could not be revoked just like that.
"I will obey your orders, but please don't hurt your mother again," said Nimas from the horse-drawn carriage. The girl was in tears.
Often Nimas saw the cruelty of his father. The man did not hesitate to beat and kick his wife if he was not given money from selling garden produce for fun.
Carmo smiled. He ordered the champions, Ki Demang's men, to immediately take Nimas to the city of Sala, to Mr. Barend's residence.
"You are an emotionless human, sir! After all she is our daughter!" Lasmi growled. The woman let go of Karmo's loosened grip, then rushed into his room.
Karmo's face became a little gloomy hearing his wife's words, but he was sure that Mr. Barend would take good care of Nimas even though his daughter was only a concubine.
The horse-drawn carriage galloped through the streets, sending dust flying in the air. Nimas really wanted to jump from the carriage. However, the thought of Karmo tormenting her mother made the girl discourage her. He could only weep over his misfortune at the hands of the ducth officials.
The horse-drawn carriage continued to pass through several villages whose condition was apprehensive. Children are seen playing with thin bodies, only skin covering bones. The mothers sat in the courtyard of the cubicle houses with gloomy faces, thinking about how to feed their families.
From time to time, the laughter of the champions could be heard, which made Nimas feel disgusted. The girl thought, why are natives like them and their father willing to help the Company colonize their own nation. Don't they realize that the invaders are only taking advantage of their stupidity?
After traveling all day, the warriors stopped the horse-drawn carriage in front of the inn to relieve their fatigue. The champion with his hair tied up dismounted from the horse and called out to the others to rest as the night was getting cold. They will continue their journey tomorrow morning.
The other three champions just nodded obediently. They also feel tired and hungry. One of them booked a cottage separate from the inn, then had a servant feed their horses.
Nimas was herded into one of the hut rooms with woven bamboo walls, in which there was a cot with pandan mats. The inn was surrounded by towering trees, their shadows as if they wanted to pounce in the moonlight.
A few moments later, the waiters brought the ordered food. The victors immediately ate it greedily. They also drank wine from several bamboo segments that had been delivered by the waiter. Until finally the wine made them drunk. In fact, they even forgot about the existence of Nimas.
"Ah, you forgot to feed the girl, Kang," said the champion wearing a headband. His eyes already looked bloodshot.
"Yes you're right. Master Barend would be furious to see his beautiful concubine starving." The most respected champion burst out laughing. He took the food that was still left on the banana leaf, then staggered towards Nimas's room.
Nimas was lying down on the couch with a blank look. Tears streamed down his exhausted thin face. Her messy hair makes her look even more beautiful. Suddenly the door to his room was opened from the outside. The long-haired champion was looking at him longingly from the doorway. The girl didn't move, she didn't want to turn around.
"You look even prettier. Your body is beautiful, Nimas." The warlord entered the room. He placed the food carelessly on the wooden floor so it scattered a bit.
Nimas remained unmoved with his gaze to the ceiling of the room. The girl really didn't care.
The champion approached Nimas, still staggering. The girl squirmed in shock, inched to the corner of the couch with a trembling body.
"Get out of here!" Nimas snapped with a frightened face.
The champion grinned, touching Nimas' feet. The man who couldn't restrain his desire pounced on Nimas like a wild animal. The girl screamed for help, but the champions who were still drunk in front of the hut only laughed at her screams. They thought his friend was just playing around with Nimas a little.
Nimas rebelled with all his might; her long legs kicking; her mouth bit into the champion's arm to free herself. However, all the girl's efforts were in vain. The champion threw a few punches in a fit of rage, then snatched his crown violently from him.
The champion came out of the room laughing after completing his wish. While Nimas sobbed with clothes that had been torn apart. The corners of his lips were bleeding and there were bruises on several parts of his body. That girl's fate is really bad.
"What have you done to that girl, Kang? She is Mr. Barend's mistress and Kang Karmo's daughter." One of the champions asked with narrowed eyes when the man who had raped Nimas was adjusting his pants in front of the other champions.
The long-haired man who had been burning with lust was silent for a moment, then squeezed his hair roughly. His face looked restless with bloodshot eyes. How could he do such a stupid thing, he thought.
"We have to find a replacement for Nimas. We can't leave that girl to Mr. Barend. Our heads will be cut off," said the long-haired champion in a knot.
"You've caused trouble, Kang. What reason will we give Mr. Barend and Kang Karmo later?" asked one of them.
"Let's just say we didn't kill Nimas on purpose for resisting and trying to escape into the forest." The long-haired champion made a suggestion.
Silence enveloped them, only Nimas's sobs could be heard. Until finally they nodded and agreed to replace Nimas with another girl. The champions looked at each other, then smirked. They took turns attacking Nimas one by one, even giving a punch if the girl resisted so that the girl's body slumped weakly on the couch in a pathetic state.
Moments later, the champions hastily lifted Nimas' body and put him in a horse-drawn carriage. They rushed into the forest by torchlight, then dumped the girl there without mercy. After that, they returned to the inn to rest so that the next morning they could explore the village to find a replacement girl for Nimas.
In the darkness of the forest, Nimas lay unconscious among the groves of trees and dry leaves that were slightly damp with dew. His body was barely clothed. Forest animals shouted at each other in the distance as if weeping over the poor girl's condition.