4 Sastra Power

Hearing the life history of his best friend from his best friend's student immediately made Datuk Marunggul sad to tears. Destiny has told a story, how else can everything happen? Now only memories began to paddle to fill Datuk Marunggul's image of his best friend.

Since they first met at the beginning of the revolution in the Tirta, as people from different lands, Datuk Marunggul attacked Sheikh Sayuti. The battle took place day and night but no one lost. They both have healing powers that keep them in shape every time they get hit and finally agree that they will stop fighting.

From that incident, they traveled together to seek justice in the world. So amazed that he burst out laughing, Datuk Marunggul couldn't believe that his new friend was traveling in search of a faraway land that he had heard since childhood as a bedtime tale.

Now it is repeated in his old age. Meet two young people who are equally crazy and turn out to be students of his best friend to find the land of Galuh.

"Hahaa…" Datuk Marunggul laughed remembering the many fun times he had with Sheikh Sayuti. "Turns out he died first, but his struggle didn't end, while I..." He was sad again.

Several times Datuk Marunggul laughed and then became sad again, surprising the two young people in front of him who were reminiscing in sorrow. The old geezer in front of him quickly changed his facial expression without pause with evenness.

"Grandpa, are you alright?" asked Sandanu.

Datuk Marunggul was silent from his sobbing. Then laugh again, hahaha…. And sad again. Hu Hu Hu….

Sandanu and Mutia could only sit back and wait for the parents in front of them to realize their real condition, starting to get tired of paying attention to him. The boredom dispelled the sadness in their teacher's memories until they fell asleep until they didn't realize that evening clouds had begun to streak across the western sky.

A splash of water woke them up. "Kids get up, come on, help grandpa water the plants." Datuk Marunggul is better than before.

The two children woke up confused while rubbing their eyes slowly. They had to follow his orders. "Okay grandpa."

***

Joy was created on the faces of those who lost their tiredness. This was their first time playing in the water with plants, usually they used to play with books when they were in the Kubah Emas tower.

They watered the plants, while Datuk Marunggul prepared water from a water source in the pond. If the water in the sprinkler runs out, they return to Datuk Marunggul who is stirring the water leisurely.

"What an akik does grandpa control?" asked Sandanu as they drank tea after they finished watering the plants.

They sat on the trunk of a tree which was still rooted and the tree was so big it could fit three people sitting on its flat cut trunk. The tea concoction that is still warm also accompanies the relaxed atmosphere with a beautiful dim light full of mega overcast strokes in the twilight sky. The birds peacefully and the creeping creatures relaxed like lizards and chameleons.

"This is a batu mustika akar," Datuk Marunggul showed his batu akik. "And this is what I will give you."

Datuk Marunggul cast a mantra. "Bersinar batu mustika akar, health elixir." Instantly a bright green light came from an akik that Datuk Marunggul controlled and from the tip of his finger tucked into his akik ring, a drop of water appeared which was dipped in the two cups belonging to his guest.

"Drink, this potion will nourish you on your journey!"

"Thank you Grandpa!" Sandanu and Mutia immediately drank it.

"The health potion will stabilize the flow of sastra for a jewel," said Datuk Marunggul.

Sastra is a kind of power that resides in the body of a jewel which gives the power to control an akik. Without sastra, someone cannot control an akik. This sastra will also adjust the controlling body to the strength of an akik.

Then there was a mantra that was uttered by Datuk Marunggul. Mantra is sastra powers that are common techniques mastered by jewels. So, after the human body has a stable sastra flow, they can control an akik by using a mantra created by a sastra flow that gives orders to the nervous system in the brain so that humans can chant like the type of an akik they use.

"I feel my sastra flow become large and steady, my power to grow more and more." Sandanu is in high spirits.

Datuk Marunggul was pleased to see Sandanu who was excited and the child stood up from his seat to show the power of controlling an akik that Sandanu had mastered from his teacher.

"Bersinar batu mustika Siliwangi," his finger rubbed an akik that coiled as a ring and a white light shone. "White Tiger…." A large shadowy figure of a white tiger spirit came out through the sastra medium that was formed as a dimensional gate, the tiger roared loudly until the trees swayed.

AUWMMM…..

Sandanu proudly has shown the power of controlling an akik that he has mastered and Datuk Marunggul laughed with satisfaction. But, Mutia just stayed silent with a faint smile. She felt herself not great and bad, has akik but could not control it.

"This is what I will give you," Datuk Marunggul patted Mutia's shoulder. "I know, your teacher must not have told you that you have a sastra flow in your body."

"A sastra flow in my body?" Mutia was surprised.

She realized that while in the Kubah Emas tower, Mutia has never practiced concentrating on sastra flow and her teacher did not tell her that there was a sastra flow in her body. Only Sandanu always trains and tells how strong she is and will take care of Mutia even though Mutia doesn't have a sastra flow.

Hearing that Mutia has a sastra flow, Sandanu immediately approached curiously. "You have a sastra flow?"

"Yes, Mutia has a sastra flow but the situation is frozen," said Datuk Marunggul. "You must have a heavy burden in your heart, don't tell me if you don't want to open your wound."

Mutia knew what Datuk Marunggul meant. She was afraid of what happened to her parents. Due to removing all the control abilities of an akik, they had to sacrifice their souls until now Mutia has no family.

Yes, the wound was very big in her heart and she could not tell anyone including Sandanu. Sandanu was silent and sat beside the other Datuk Marunggul.

"But, if you can forget the bad events in your life and believe in your power, one day you will be able to control an akik you have, girl!"

"I don't know what an akik this is." Mutia remembers the gift from her parents, as well as their legacy which is the only thing Mutia has now.

"You ever heard of a batu legenda? That is the kind of akik you have, batu mutiara air mata duyung."

"Batu Legenda?" Sandanu is shocked to hear that.

"Batu mutiara air mata duyung?" Mutia seemed to have just heard the name of an akik she had.

"There's no mistaking it, you have a rare akik, girl." Datuk Marunggul smiled.

Sandanu is happy to hear that. "Wow cool, you can be better than me. I have a type of batu mulia."

"The greatness of controlling akik is not from the type of akik, but from the improvement of a sastra flow, son. Didn't Shaykh Sayuti tell you?"

Sandana shook his head. He only knew about sastra power to the point of inventing mantra to control an akik. About a batu legenda, he heard from people in the Tanah Karo who told him. His teacher really only emphasizes the search for true identity which is completely difficult for Sandanu to understand. Full of theory and philosophy.

Huff… Datuk Marunggul exhaled. He also told about the type of an akik.

"The first is a batu mulia, this type of akik is owned by a jewel and is created from natural processes. The second is a batu mustika, a type of akik created from the process of subtlety of the spirit. And the third is a rare breed, a batu legenda created from a legend."

"Then about the level of sastra. The first level of control of akik is a mantra and each mantra has a different power, according to the flow of controlling sastra and an akik it controls. The second is syair, an akik control technique that has a higher ability and the last is Khodam."

"What is khodam?" asked Sandanu curiously because Datuk Marunggul did not tell him.

"I don't know, I have never met a jewel with the level of sastra khodam."

"So, it is a secret technique." Sandanu concluded it himself.

"No, there are still secret techniques that only certain people can master."

"Wow!" Sandanu was surprised to hear an explanation regarding the control of akik, which in fact there were still many things he did not know.

"Then, how about me Grandpa?" Mutia spoke up.

"You can control a batu mutiara air mata duyung if your heart can believe and believe in your strength, you must overcome the fear that resides in your heart. That's all I can tell you."

The sun had completely set. The sound of a gryllotalpidae signaled that night was coming and the fireflies began to glow giving a beautiful dim light. And they said goodbye to leave.

Datuk Marunggul could not provide much provision but the health potions he had given would protect their bodies from injuries and health problems. He himself could not show the way to the land of Galuh they were looking for. So, here is their meeting.

"Hemz! on the red day tomorrow there will be a jewel contest at the Keraton Pagaruyung which is held by the Minangkabau chieftain at the end of the year, if you win the contest he will grant your reasonable request."

The Keraton is the center of government in a Tanah Negeri, as well as the residence of the chief who leads it. Then, regarding the names of the days, they are taken in order of the light of the rainbow. Red Day is the first day which is also a holiday for general workers.

"Ok, thank you Grandpa," shouted Sandanu. "I will win the Competition."

Before they left, Datuk Marunggul whispered something to Sandanu that Mutia didn't know. However, he also provided Mutia with one ronce of provisions, namely a bundle of benggol coins totaling ten pieces for their trip. []