The Hidden Stories of the Undead

"Didn't I tell you, Elia, this is a Ruang Hampa, a place where your nightmare deposits were recreated," Elia told herself. She tried to keep herself calm but failed. The heat, the smell of corpses, burning horses, armor, until the wood and burning flags became one crawling on her body like asking to be returned intact to life.

I told you, this is what you have been afraid of all this time, the thing you have imagined from kindergarten, the Undead!

Elia mocked her poor memory. She got goosebumps and only realized that she was already among the corpses that were now starting to move. They announced something, words that seemed to come from the afterlife.

Elia did not want to understand death nor did she want to be visited by them, so she covered her ears and tried to get out of the circle of the undead.

I remember now, this is from one of the horror movies I saw! I didn't expect the subconscious to take all this seriously and present it now! or is this what Dalang, the puppeteer's doing?

Elia searched for who was to blame for the existence of the undead who now made her run away, dodging with all her might, screaming hysterically as her face was piled with other undead who appeared out of nowhere.

"Haish! fuck! Please stop it!" Elia shouted silly. She kept running and dodging.

"Wait a minute! It can't be like this! if this continues I will only be exhausted and it seems that they have no intention of disappearing from my mind!"

Elia suddenly stopped her leg. She doesn't want to run anymore. She strengthened herself again. She changed her trembling legs to upright and more confident. "You guys are just my mind made! go away!"

The furious sound of the afterlife is getting louder and louder. They did not hear Elia's fear.

"So what do I have to do to get rid of them?"

There's no time to think. If she stands too long, they will catch her immediately. Elia then ran again, anyway to a place where there seemed to be no undead. She thought so, but in fact, when she ran to the right, there was a newly awakened undead. When running to the left, there was also another undead.

"Haish!" Elia kept circling, her head began to get dizzy, and had begun to run out of breath. "But what the hell am I afraid of them? Ah right! I'm not afraid, I'm just..." Elia stood up like she was daydreaming. She began to use her ears.

"I just don't want to hear their voices," Elia groans.

The group of undead stopped about half a meter in front, behind, on the right, and Elia's left. They formed a circle and Elia became the center.

Elia realized she was their center. That awareness makes her listen to what they want to say. When she was willing to open up to them, the burnt faces, the bodies damaged by the war, and the horses that were also killed began to look intact and normal. They all look like ordinary humans and friendly mighty horses. It's just that there is a white light emanating from them. What a very different transformation from a few seconds ago.

"They just want to say something," Elia whispered to herself and at that moment she discovered the meaning of listening. She felt that there was a voice in her heart that guided her into an adult human being.

"They all want to say something," the voice whispered once more and somehow Elia became moved and began to open her hand to receive their palms.

The people who had become corpses were now sticking their hands to Elia's hands or shoulders, depending on how they touched her. While the horses bowed their heads and the humans would touch the foreheads of their horses with the palm of the other hand.

When they touched each other, they connected, and Elia began to feel warmth flowing throughout her body, spreading and permeating each of her cells. The warmth awakened Elia. She felt they had no desire to hurt her. That feeling made Elia think accepting their story wouldn't hurt her but might strengthen her and give a way to face the challenges ahead.

Then as if someone was ruling, Elia closed her eyes. There was a wave of frequency that slowly touched her brain. She could feel a slight sting at several points of her head, neck, and back. All that tickled her in a moment, then everything changed, the cold began to feel in her face, which then turned into a rush of warm air to the vicinity of the ears. She could feel her head like she had just been wearing a protective helmet, thin, but strong enough to make herself have to try to hold it so that her head would not fall.

All those 'listening' preparations are over.

Not everything can be captured clearly by Elia at first, fortunately, all are helped by the appearance of visuals that make it easier to catch some things. Elia could see how the cavalry prepared themselves, practicing in a hall guarded by natural cliff walls. Every scene went fast. Elia was able to capture the moment when they weren't just practicing empty martial arts. There were times when they practiced martial arts with weapons. There are a variety of weapons available. One person can master one to three weapons. They train hard until their bodies sweat and their body muscles enlarge.

The scenery shifted to another practice field. Some people practice using crossbow guns, spears, and various other long-range fighting weapons. Elia watched it all like an action moviegoer. She was stunned and amazed.

From the scene of strength and determination, turn to the strategy-making situation. There were only a few people between the round tables. They are like commanders or great generals. They devised attacks, methods of war, and so on. There are some pictures on the table. It looks like a map. There are also wooden dolls on the table that look like replicas of the team.

The whole preparation scene was fun and an experience in itself for Elia, but everything felt wrong. There's something that shouldn't have happened there. She saw a general being pensive. She was the main general who had been leading the strategy meeting. She looked at a gun. It looks like a dagger, but the design resembles a peg. I don't know what Elia didn't know, she ignored the thing and noticed the general's expression.

Is he not willing to fight? But why? If you don't want to fight, don't you have to fight, right?

Elia moved backward when the General rose to his feet and slipped the dagger or stake to his waist. Elia still remembers the design. It seemed hard to make, Elia thought. There is a carving of a polar lion on it and the handle... Waw... I've never seen that detailed art. This era must be extraordinary. Both the artwork, the intelligence of war, and the General is also handsome, Elia can't help but be fascinated.

The general walked out of his room. He headed to the training field to review the progress of the soldiers. On the way, he met someone. Elia tried to sharpen the visuals to see them more clearly.

Ah, that person is ... a woman. Why is there a woman in a place like this? Ah, could she be his wife?

Elia kept a close eye on the way they communicated. There was an intimate atmosphere between them, but it was restrained because they were in a public space. The woman looked worried and he, the General, revealed something.

"This is not about the king. I'm doing this just for your safety. I want our children to be born in a peaceful and safe country."

Elia was surprised because she could just hear the general's voice. She covered her mouth. Then she saw the woman's belly. Soon, she will give birth, Elia thought. Elia then swallowed hard.

I think I understand what this war means to the General. He didn't save the country. He tried to save his child and wife. If the country is colonized, what are its fate and future? He must not be able to think about it. What about the king?

The general liked hearing Elia's question, he replied, "The king also has a future baby like us. He has the same thoughts as me. Sounds selfish, but you understand it, right? Then not only the King, I, and you will have a baby, but some civilians are also waiting for the birth of their baby. They want to live in peace."

The woman asked, "Why should something like this happen?"

"I don't know. We cannot get an answer from the Mastermind," the General said in his metaphorical language.

Elia began to get used to the language they used. She understood it even though She knew very well that it was not her colloquial language.

I don't know how I understand their language. What is Old Javanese? Ancient Sunda? Ancient Bali? or even Sanskrit or older than that? well, the point is I can understand now and I'd better listen to the end.

Elia sums up her decisions right now in her heart. The General said something more. Elia had the resume from his words, that the King also has an empress who is about to give birth? Perhaps he was the crown prince, even though he was a crown princess, the King still wanted his empress to be able to raise the child in peace. He has also heard of many new couples in the kingdom who are welcoming the birth of their sons and daughters. Some of the soldiers were also waiting for the same thing.

What is this? Is there no peaceful path? Why did the King or General not take diplomatic action?

"Why didn't the act of diplomacy work?" asked the General's wife, which shocked Elia. She thought between herself and the woman there was telepathy.