Hasan began to take out his cigarette and light a fire to light the cigarette he was holding.
"Rain like this, the best thing is a cigarette first," Hasan said, giving Riki a code to offer a cigarette.
Riki took one cigarette that Hasan gave him.
Rico also took one, except Keenan who didn't smoke.
"I want one." Hasan, Riki, and Rico faced outside the tent and started enjoying their cigarettes.
Keenan was beside Rengga while hoping that Rengga would wake up from his fainting.
Keenan took out a small book from his bag and started reading it.
The small book was titled, Earth Love by Habiburrahman El Shirazy.
Keenan read the book page by page until his eyes started to get tired, and he finally fell asleep beside Rengga.
"Tsk, it turns out he's sleeping too" Hasan returned to his original position.
Hasan, Riki, and Rico chatted in the middle of the rain that was starting to ease.
Only the sound of falling water hitting leaves and the ground could be heard.
"We have to go back quickly before those scary figures appear again." Hasan carried his belongings, put on a headlamp, and carried Rengga's bag, who was still unconscious.
Riki tried his best to wake Rengga up, he applied aromatherapy around his forehead and nose.
SSSTTTT
The sound of snakes was heard from outside the tent.
Hasan and Rico spontaneously looked for the source of the sound, as they looked for the exit of the tent.
Right in front of them stood a group of snakes ranging from large to small.
The snakes seemed to ignore Hasan and Rico who were watching them.
Meanwhile, Riki just watched from inside the tent with a shocked and pale face. He tried to shout calling Hasan and Rico to come into the tent.
"SNAKES... Rico Hasan, hurry up and get in the tent" As if disturbed from their reverie, they ran into the tent.
Their hearts felt like they were going to jump out.
Oh my God, what is this again?
Rico began to be afraid as he pulled his legs and hugged them with both hands.
"I want to go home, Dad."
Rico's voice was heard softly with a trembling voice.
They felt anxious about the incident they had just seen.
The snakes did not only follow the largest one but they were lined up like troops following a number.
The snake at the front looked different from the other snakes.
She was the only one wearing a crown and had a unique skin pattern.
"Could that be the one often referred to as Queen Amarpati?"
As is known, Queen Amarpati became a follower of the Saracana Snake until finally, she chose to serve and offer herself to ally with the Srinjani Snake Kingdom.
It is said that Queen Amarpati performed a ritual for 40 days non-stop at the peak of Srinjani.
With her, the kingdom's followers wore all-black clothes.
Providing offerings in the form of seven types of flowers, cemani chicken blood, cow heart, and blood from a girl who was used as a sacrifice to make Amarpati immortal in Srinjani.
The ritual is often called, the Ritual of the seven conditions.
When Amarpati successfully passed the ritual day by day to achieve immortality.
The last day, aka the 40th day, arrived. The ritual went as usual, there were no significant obstacles.
Until one day, in the middle of the ritual.
Something unexpected happened: Amarpati forgot to prepare the cow's heart, which was the main thing in the ritual.
This made the Saracana Snake furious until he finally cursed Amarpati.
"Sorry Queen, I forgot to prepare the cow's heart that you wanted. Allow me to prepare it first." When Amarpati woke up from his seat.
The Saracana Snake refused him and cursed all of Amarpati's followers to become snakes and would be his followers forever.
Amarpati who had indeed served Saracana.
Finally, he became a snake and became a half goddess until now.
This caused most of Saracana's followers to be black.
Hasan tried to calm Rico, who was still looking down in fear after seeing a group of snakes in front of his eyes.
"Don't worry Rico, they won't mess with us." Hasan calmed down Rico; besides, he was scared.
Hearing Hasan's voice made Keenan wake up from his sleep.
"What's wrong? Riko what's wrong?"
Keenan looked around the tent checking what had happened while he was asleep.
"There was a group of snakes in front of the tent" Riki explained and looked at Rengga.
When they were all scared in the tent.
A figure of a creature appeared outside the tent that was bright as if approaching them.
Rico and Hasan saw who the shining figure was.
They were half anxious opening the tent.
Ki Jaka and his two troops were seen approaching their tent.
Rico burst into tears seeing Ki Jaka's presence.
However, Ki Jaka's expression seemed to be holding annoyance towards them.
"why are you still here and not getting out of this mountain soon?"
"It's getting dark, and the sun will set soon" They seemed confused by what Ki Jaka said.
Ki Jaka entered the tent and approached Rengga, followed by his troops.
They surrounded Rengga who was still unconscious.
They closed their eyes and mouths and mumbled as if they were reciting prayers and mantras.
One of his troops held Rengga's feet while the other held Rengga's head.
Ki Jaka himself held Rengga's body.
In the middle of them trying to heal Rengga.
Rawrrrr….
Rengga woke up from his sleep with red eyes, his body like a tiger, and let out a roar.
Rengga was possessed.
Ki Jaka and his troops were thrown away by Rengga's hand.
Rengga's head remained as a tiger usually does with the position of his hands and feet like a tiger.
His eyes stared sharply with gaping teeth.
"You have no right to control this child's body, get out!"
Ki Jaka shouted holding Rengga's body and wiping his face.
Rengga roared and screamed even louder while reciting the mantra.
Keenan took out water and gave it to Hasan.
Asking to immediately pray for the water and spray it towards Rengga.
Ki Jaka's two troops tried to hold back Rengga's strength.
But Rengga's power was very great, he seemed angry and tried to escape.
"Ki Jaka, I heard that roar when we were at Post 1"
"Maybe he had been targeting Rengga from the start," Rico said while trying to remember the roar he heard.
"He was indeed guarding Rengga, it seems like this is an ancestral legacy that was bequeathed to guard Rengga"
"But he is not allowed to enter Rengga's body, this is very dangerous"
Ki Jaka tried to persuade the tiger figure to come out.