The Deep and The Surface

The man named Salian Oderahood kneeled down beside his friend who was dying in pain. Salian's face showed frustration, sad, anger, and grudge. His heart broke after seeing his only adventure friend, dying in pain caused by Snakeface's attack. "Ajona, hold on please. You can't die like this! Our journey is still long. We haven't succeeded to kill Karcak," he said in trembling voice. "I... I... I am sorry, Sal. This pain is unbearable. I will die soon. Please leave me before those Snakefaces coming. We have seen them killed all villagers savagely. They attacked me until like this. My body is going to melt, Sal. This wound looked like to be wider," Ajona moaning in pain. "No, jon. I can't leave you just like that. I am sure you can survive from the pain. I will take you away from here. Then I will look for herbs to heal you," Salian said to persuade Ajona. "No, Sal. You can't do that. You can't save me. The better for you is about to leave me immediately," Ajona begged to Salian in order the man leaves him. "Please, don't force me, Jon. I can't leave you when the Snakeface troops are coming back. I have to take you away before too late," Salian said as he trying to help Ajona getting up from his lying position. Suddenly Ajona screamed loudly. "Aaaahhhh.....! Salian, end me, please! This pain is very unbearable! Don't let me transform into the disgusting creature! I beg you, please kill me!" "What? No, I can't do that! There must be other way to save you, jon," Salian said in panic when seeing Ajona's body vibrating then shaking rough. The man was looked like going to transform into Snakeface creature. His skin melted until the bones shown slowly. "No!" Salian shouted in panic as he grabbing his sword handle. "Kill me, Sal! Or it will kill you after control me!" Ajona screamed as he jumping up. The man was in transforming state when getting up of his lying position. "No! But I have to. I am sorry, jon." Salian slashed his sword onto Ajona that was in transforming process. The scream of pain broke out from Ajona's mouth when his body was slashed by Salian. Then Ajona's melting body fell down to the ground. "I am sorry, friend. I hope you rest in peace. I promise to you. I will defeat and slay Karcak for you," Salian said loud while pointing his sword up to the sky. After ending Ajona's life, Salian burnt his friend's body to prevent unwanted things happen. After burning Ajona's body, Salian saw so many Snakefaces coming to the place. Maybe they had been attracted by burning flesh or boiling human blood that has been mixed with Snakeface's blood. "I have to go. I can't face them alone. I have to keep alive. For you, my friend." Salian ran to the southeast to the safest track. He ran to a way that blocked by stack of rocks. He climbed the stack of rocks then running fast when those Snakeface troops coming. Salian kept running until the Snakeface couldn't get him. After running so away, Salian stopped running. He fell his body onto a grassfield because he is very tired. Then he slept on it for a long. The man waked up when hearing horse hooves followed by yelling of some men. "Get him! We have to execute the traitor! Our king has ordered us to bring this bastard dead or alive! But we will bring only his chopped head!" "Alright! He is surrounded... He can't escape anymore!" Salian got up then running to behind a tree then peeking what happened front of there. A young man who weared torn clothes was being surrounded by at least ten horsemen who were in completed arms. "Please, listen to me. I am not traitor. I was just trying to defend my sister from uncle Soden. All of you must know that uncle Soden is my uncle, my late father's young brother, your former Url." The man looked like to be panic when surrounded by those horsemen. "We don't care about what your status is, traitor! Our loyalty is now for Url Soden Darjono," one of those horsemen said rude as he pointing his longsword to the man. "Yeah, you are just a traitor, a dissident, and a thorn of my Url's sovereignty. Your father, the son of b***h Adnu has been dead cause of his stupidity. Now, his first born will die like a slaughtered cow!" A horseman got down of his horse's back then approaching the man while drawing his longsword. "Please don't do that, Kalahad. My uncle will punish you to the death when knowing I am dead killed by you," the man said as he trying to persuade the horseman called Kalahad. "No, he won't! He has ordered me to bring you dead or alive. I choosed to bring you dead!" Kalahad replied as he slashing his sword to the man's neck. "Enough there!" Salian shouted as he throwing a pouch of small rocks onto Kalahad until the man failed to execute his hunt. "Who are you, bastard!" Another horsemen started to attack Salian. The fight lasted so horrifying. Salian who were using a longsword, slashed everyone who attacks him. The nine horsemen who attacked Salian fell to the ground at injured bady condition. Kalahad got mad. He attacked Salian blindly. "Who are you to prevent me to execute my hunt!" he swore as he slashing his sword. "I came to prevent you from executing surrendering man. Only coward who slaughts surrendering man!" Salian replied as he slashing Kalahad's right leg. "Aaaah!" Kalahad screamed in pain when his leg wounded and bleeding. Salian attacked Kalahad's back using his sword handle until the guy kneeled down on the ground. "Give up, now! Or I will end you here!" Salian threatened Kalahad. "f**k you!" Kalahad swore as he getting up then stabbing his sward at Salian's belly but failed. Salian succeeded to block Kalahad's attack. Even he slashed Kalahad's arm until the blood splashing from it. Kalahad screamed in pain then falling down to the ground. Salian grabbed Kalahad's sword then throwing it away. "No one must die today. I hope no one fight each other because of power struggle or another unimportant things. Our enemy for now just one, Karcak, and it's Snakeface troops," Salian said as he walking toward the young man who was helped by him. "Thank you very much, sir. I can't imagine what will happen to me if you weren't coming. By the way, are you a knight? Your fighting ability is awesome. Cause of that, these men lied on the ground seriously injured," the man said when Salian came to him. "Who are you actually? Why did these men want to kill you?" Salian asked curious. "I am Vandra Darjono. I am son of deceased Adnu Darjono, Url of Sandy Bread. The story is long. I can't tell you about the story right now. We have to move away from these Sandy Bread's horsemen. By the way what is your name?" Vandra told Salian about his name and who he is. "I am Salian Oderahood, a traveller. Alright, we have to move," Salian answered then moving away followed by Vandra. When in the journey to the safe spot, Salian asked to Vandra about who he is actually. "For a son of an Url, you are very weak. You couldn't fight those horsemen?" Salian said. "I can fight but not much. I can win in a single fight one by one. But fighting more than one person isn't good choice. Especially my life be at stakes. The better for me is avoiding from fighting like that. Honestly, I am a lazy learner. I learned martial art just in two months. So, I can't fight with fighting style like yours," Vandra answered. "That's so pathetic. Back to those horsemen's topic. Why did they want to bring you dead or alive to the Url? Are you a real traitor or just a accusation?" Salian asked as he looking back. "I hope they don't follow us." "I told you, the story was long. After my father's death, my uncle tried to take the throne and succeeded. Now, he is Url of Sandy Bread. But he is a tyrant. His policies made people miserable. The famine broke out everywhere at Sandy Bread territories," Vandra started to talk. "I just tried to defend people's rights. I talked about that to the Url but he bannish me then marking me as a traitor. Not only that, he ordered his men to catch me to be executed front of Sandy Bread's people." "I heard you mentioning your sister from your uncle. What was that mean?" "My only sister is a good woman. She was trying to help me but she couldn't because my uncle has prisoned her in a dungeon prison. I can't help her because my uncle already announced me a very expensive prey." "Was that a joke? A high price for an unskilled man? Your uncle is really really a stupid maniac. But it doesn't matter. Can I ask you something, Vandra?" Salian stopped his movement then turn back at Vandra. "Yeah, my uncle is a maniac. A stupid maniac. What do you want to ask to?" Vandra replied. "I have an offer, Vandra. I am looking for men or women who wants to join me to fight Karcak and Snakeface. If you will join me, I will pay you by helping you to take the throne back," Salian said made Vandra stunned. "What? Fighting Karcak? Only the crazy one who has intention like that. About the Url's throne. I really don't need it. I want my sister take the throne for her and Sandy Bread's people," Vandra answered in trembling tone. "So, you won't join? I doesn't matter because you can't fight as a true man. You need to take a needle and thread to embroider pillow then singing with a small guitar," Salian said as he moving away. "Hei, where are you going?" Vandra chased Salian. "To look for fighters who wants to join me!" Salian went hurry while seeing at a sillhoute of mountain in a distance. "Come on, man. I will join you. But teach me first," Vandra spoke loud when walking behind Salian. "Alright, I will teach you how to be a true man," Salian replied. "Oh, come on." Vandra shooked his head. Salian stopped his movement. He drew a short sword then showing it to Vandra. "Take this. You will learn everything along our journey," he said as he giving the short sword to Vandra. Vandra received the sword then observing it. "I need two of this kind. I had learned assassin's skill," he said. "We need to hit them down first," Salian replied as he looking at a group of woods criminals. "Please don't kill them unless forced." The group of woods criminals were coming to Salian and Vandra while drawing their close range weapons. "We have prey today! Take them down! Attack!" Salian and Vandra fought those criminals until sound of sword clanking heard like to damage ears. Salian succeeded to take several of them down. But Vandra couldn't do same thing like Salian did. Vandra was looked like recessive by enemy's assault. Even his arm was bleeding caused by enemy's sword slashing. But Salian didn't help him until he was in desperate. "God damn it! I am going to die!" he said in panic as he trying to block enemy's attack. Vandra slashed his sword but it hit empty lane. Meanwhile enemy succeeded to hit him by sword handle. "Aaaaahhhh....." Vandra screamed in pain then falling down to the ground. "Use your mind!" Salian shouted without trying to help. "Ah, f**k!" Vandra blocked enemy's attack when his position was in sitting position. When enemy's attack coming, Vandra blocked it using his short sword and a wood mace found of an injured criminal. After that, he hit enemy's feet using the wood mace. After his opponent falling down, Vandra slashed his opponent's back using short sword. "You die, asshole!" he swore as he finishing the fight. "No, no, don't let him die. Our goal is killing Karcak and Snakeface," Salian complaining without doing anyting when seeing Vandra executed his opponent.