The chants sounded clearer. Indeed, he thought, the Sirens are coming for him.
Woe is to him, Bobit, the Ember Serpent, a nobleman from the Royal House of the Flame, a warrior of the Guardian Order fighting valiantly alongside his comrades for the Holy Emperor at that last Battle in Leviathan--now no more than a handsome young concubine for despicable creatures in the depths...
NO, he thought, he wouldn't allow such fate to befall him. He summoned all the strength that remains of him and sat up.
But lo! Not ugly Sirens, but a gathering of people did he meet from afar.
As his raft slowly drifted closer, he gradually saw that that they were actually a group of women, wearing colorful robes and sitting on the water. It was indeed them who were chanting, though he has never heard of the language before.
His raft came to a sudden halt, just far enough for him to see the women clearly. By now the women should have taken notice of him, but none of them did. They remained in their places, deep in prayer, clapping their hands and chanting while earthen jars sat snugly on top of their heads. Bobit watched them silently. He was amazed over such show of pious devotion.
He took notice of someone among these women. The person sat just in front of them, completely covered in an elaborately woven veil that glimmered under the sun, a golden crown sitting on the person's head.
The women stopped chanting, and the veiled person stood up. Two women ceremonially took off the person's crown and veil. What met Bobit's eyes next was of pure delight.
For in place of the veiled person stood a beautiful young lady. Her delicate pale skin threatened to outshine the sun. She wore a distinct attire that cannot be described anything less than regal, and gentle flowing cloth on her arms gave her the impression of a sparrow. In her hand she held what seemed to be an ancient staff.
With her eyes closed, the lady raised her staff, and the women chanted once more. Waves encircled her as she encircled her staff around her. She danced, and the waves went up like crystal clear ribbons that she seem to command at will. Such power emanated from the lady that Bobit thought the whole sea will shake, but to his surprise the sea became calm, much calmer that it lay smoothly like glass. Bobit watched at how graceful the lady danced. He was taking notice of the serenity of her face when the lady opened her eyes. She stared at Bobit, and smiled.
That moment, Bobit wanted nothing more than to get close to the lady. And so, he stood up and stepped out of his raft.
But alas! Instead of stepping on shallow water, he plunged on an endlessly deep sea. What trickery has befallen him! He was absolutely sure the water was shallow enough to walk upon. How else could those women do so? But his realization came too late. The water pulled him deeper and deeper. Bobit took of his metal armor and struggled to swim back up, but couldn't. He tried and tried, until at last his strength left him. The sun now was no more than a rippled haze that became dimmer each time. It was his end, Bobit thought, and the sea would be his grave. For the last time, he thought of the face of the lovely lady that has brought him to this end. He closed his eyes, thinking of the lady embracing him in her arms.
Redam...Redam, sem citanlah...
Bobit slowly opened his eyes. It was as though he's still in a dream, seeing the face of the young lady in front of him, smiling.
Redam...jemang!
Bobit then heard giggles around him. At last he has fully awakened.
"Hariadang yang Sridama," Bobit heard someone seemed to scold. "Daarang tu mensamasama yang dariparang!"
"Ayu, Gadang!", the young lady replied, "Hatian sema da...miaherikherik ma dangan lehikanyang!"
"SRIDAMAYANG!", the woman blushed and covered her face in embarassment as everyone around her laughed at what the lady has said. Thereafter she stood up and helped Bobit on his feet.
"Forgive me dear Sir," the lady said to Bobit, "but the woman over there, Gadang, adores you so much. Actually...they all like you."
"You speak my language?", Bobit asked in surprise.
"I do, but not everyone here can," she replied.
Bobit looked around and saw the same women he saw a while ago looking at the two of them. It mustn't have been long since he nearly drowned, for they were all still there in that same place in the middle of the sea.
"Jemang lehikanyang!," the lady called Bobit, "Didn't you ever know that only the people who were blessed by the Water Goddess like us, the Mahisaioms, could walk on water? Well...it doesn't matter now."
The lady cleared her throat before continuing. "By Saiomie's leave the water has cleansed thee and healed thy wounds, and adorned thy garments and armor anew, lest we be accused of insolence to a nobleman."
Bobit stared at the lady who was proud to utter such a formal sentence. Her emerald-brown eyes sparkled as her moist lips shaped her every word. If only she would tell her name...
"What were you doing here, if I may ask?," Bobit said.
"We were doing a Desalting Ritual so we could gather unsalted sea water to use for cooking for the feast tonight," she replied. "But I reckon that is not what you truly wish to ask. The sweat on thy brows tell so."
The lady wiped off the beads of sweat that lined Bobit's eyebrows. She stared at his innocent, childish eyes. He truly is jemang, she thought.
"You asked, and I will answer. I am merely a humble servant of the Goddess Saiomie, the keeper of Her Holy Staff, the Awang--a priestess. In our tongue, I am Krisantung--the Sea Sparrow. But in your tongue, as well as of the Gods...I am Kirsten."
Bobit was about to introduce himself when Kirsten embraced him. Bobit was surprised, naturally.
"Do not worry, dear warrior, for this is no more than our custom for someone we expect to come. The Mage David has told me about you, Bobit. And you have come at last."
The Ember Serpent and the Sea Sparrow have indeed met, as was destined.
(Originally published at http://iam-datu.livejournal.com/18868.html#cutid1)
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