NO FORGIVENESS FOR YOU

Chapter #5 - White Eagle Cekak School

The sound of the bamboo flute cut through the thick air of the Laputra Forbidden Forest like a sword of light cutting through the darkness of the night. Its melodious melody, adorned with the rhythm of the ancient Ulek Mayang, echoed in the gaps between the meranti trees and giant trees.

Strangely, the longer they listened to the sound, the more the fear that gripped their chests disappeared. The sound of the flute was not empty, it was filled with the vibrations of secret memories that calmed their fast-beating hearts and cooled their boiling blood.

"Follow the direction of the sound, Zakil. Keep your steps away from me," said Faqur, his voice calmer now even though his breathing was still labored from the excessive use of mental energy earlier.

The parang lading was still held tightly, but the tip was turned downward, a sign of respect for the sacred entity that called them.

Zakil agreed without much question. He walked closely behind the young warrior, his hand not letting go of the coca rosary.

All the way following the sound of the flute, Zakil witnessed a miracle before his own eyes. The black and yellow mist that smelled of corpses seemed to split in two, forming small tunnels every time the sound wave of the flute passed.

To the left and right of the path, Zakil could see black shadows with stupid faces, long fangs, and bright red eyes struggling behind the trees. The gnomes, pelesis, and remaining sakas that had been cast out of the Laputra Forbidden Forest roared angrily, trying to pounce on them.

However, every time the gnomes tried to cross the boundary of the path opened by the sound of the flute, their magical bodies smoked and burned, forcing them to retreat back into the darkness while howling in pain.

"The sound of this flute... it acts like a shield wall," Zakil whispered in amazement, his eyes unblinking at the greatness of the knowledge that his mind could not reach.

"This is not magic, Zakil. This is called Sound Science which is part of the highest level of clairvoyance. Tok Kelinga is channeling the frequency of dhikir from his heart, blowing it through his breath into the bamboo, and spreading it throughout the forest to guide us.

Satan or devil is most afraid of sacred frequencies like this," explained Faqur, his steps accelerating as he climbed the sharp rocky slope.

After almost half an hour of climbing to pass the supernatural obstacle, the flute blowing suddenly stopped.

The situation suddenly became quiet. Zakil and Faqur stopped their steps in front of a very thick wall of fog that was whitish-gray in color, different from the unclean fog before. The wall of fog seemed to act as a secret entrance that closed off an area.

"We have reached the end of the road. Bismillah, we made it." said Faqur, then stepped towards the wall of fog. Zakil followed closely behind him, holding his breath.

As soon as they penetrated the thick layer of fog, Zakil had to narrow his eyes due to the shocking glare of light. His mouth was slightly open. His heart beat fast at the sight that made no sense at all.

If behind them was the dark, damp, and smelly hell of the Laputra Forbidden Forest, the area in front of them was the opposite. It was like a small paradise hidden on the mountaintop.

The morning sun shone brightly on the green fields with short grass. The air here was very fresh, comfortable, and filled with the aroma of tanjung flowers mixed with the smell of native deer musk. In the middle of the area, there was a clear spring flowing into a mossy green stone pool.

At the end of the clearing stood an old shaggy hut looking deserted made entirely of yellow bamboo and roofed with tightly woven palm leaves.

It was very simple, reminding Zakil of the rice field huts in the north of the peninsula. There were no carved bone thrones, no bloody craters, no black-robed followers. Only absolute simplicity was soothing to the soul.

And on a large flat rock near the spring pool, he sat cross-legged on one arm.

The man looked very old, perhaps eighty or ninety years old. His body was thin, showing old veins beneath his wrinkled skin. He wore a Malay robe, a worn white cotton shirt and a gray patchwork. On his head was a worn white skullcap. His white hair and beard were loose, reaching his chest. In his hand, he held a thin bamboo flute.

That was the way he had cultivated the body that made the name Kiwaii Gussur famous. That was Tok Kelinga.

Faqur immediately sheathed his machete, adjusted his headband, then walked respectfully towards the exposed rock. Zakil followed with awkward steps. Deep down, the young man suspected that Tok Kelinga was a muscular warrior wielding a magic staff, not a frail-looking old man like this.

"Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarokatuh, Tok Guru," Faqur said in a loud and polite voice. He immediately knelt on the grass, lowering his gaze to the ground. Zakil did the same next to Fazir.

The old man did not immediately answer. He placed the bamboo flute gently on his lap. Slowly, he turned his head to face Faqur and Zakil.

Zakil gasped. His chest groaned.

When Tok Kelinga looked at them, Zakil realized one fact. Tok Kelinga's two eyes were completely white. No child had black eyes.

They were not the creepy white like the eyes of the undead controlled by magic, but rather the cloudy white due to a thick cataract membrane. Tok Kelinga was an old man who was blind.

"Waalaikumussalam... an uninvited guest, but fate determines," Tok Kelinga's voice echoed. His voice was hoarse, wet, slow, but had a strange authority and echo that pierced straight to the depths of Zakil's heart.

"Enter this unfortunate courtyard, young man. Even though the smell of dead blood and camphor from your body slightly taints the air this morning, and don't bow your head too much as if you are worshipping me, that is not good and not good for your faith."

"Forgive me Patik, Tok Guru. Patik Faqur is from Kolej Helang Dang Putih in the lower valley. And this is Paqur's friend, Zakil. We had to enter Tok Guru's area because we were hunted," Faqur composed his speech very carefully, aware of the taboo against visiting visitors.

Tok Kelinga smiled thinly, revealing his gums that were no longer full of teeth. He fumbled with the wooden prayer beads on his lap, turning them one by one.

"Hunted? By the dogs of Guruh in the village over there?" Tok Kelinga asked, although he was blind, his tone indicated that he 'saw' everything that was happening down there.

"I know the smell of foul magic. The smell of the blood of worship. That thunder from young to old, the desire to lift the sky never ends. God is lust.”

Tok Kelinga then turned his blind face straight towards Zakil. Even though his eyes were covered with a layer of white, Zakil could feel the sharp magic penetrating his rough body, continuing to read his deepest heart. Zakil suddenly felt small as if he was standing naked without any secrets in front of this old man.

"And you, young man from Bandar Batu Bertangkup, your left arm has been torn off by the claws of a large ghost. If it weren't for the inner breath of your friend on the other side that stopped him, you would have become a ghost that has been crawling in this forest since long ago.

What is your real intention of coming to find a blind old man like me who can jump into the sky?" Tok Kelinga reprimanded, referring to Putrajaya.

Zakil swallowed. He took a deep breath, gathering all his courage. He raised his face, looking straight into Tok Kelinga's face.

"I have only one desire, Tok. I want to learn. I want to learn white magic, the knowledge of clairvoyance that Tok has. I want to find God's way to protect myself from the evil of magic," Zakil replied seriously.

Tok Kelinga was silent for a moment. The morning breeze gently caressed his white beard. Suddenly, the old man chuckled. His laugh was not mocking, but the laugh of a father who sees his little son lying.

"Seeking God's way? Or seeking a way to avenge the evil that is brewing in your chest, Zakil?" Tok Kelinga snapped. His voice was now a little louder, breaking the natural silence.

Zakil gasped. His eyes widened. How did this old man know his name? And how did he know about the inner struggle in his heart?

"You just said you repented for quitting your illegal job at Chow Kit. Your mouth just said you wanted to find God. But in my mind, you clearly see the black dot pulsating in your heart! You wandered everywhere looking for white knowledge, not because you sincerely wanted to know God but because you wanted to use religious knowledge as a weapon to kill people who have lost the souls of your mother and sister! You want to use God as your tool for revenge! Is that true?! You have an impure heart." continued Tok Kelinga, his finger pointing directly at Zakil's chest.

The echo of Tok Kelinga's voice slapping Zakil's face was stronger than any physical blow he had ever received. Zakil's chest heaved rapidly. His tears suddenly stopped.

The hypocrisy he had tried to hide under the layer of repentance had been mercilessly exposed. It was true, deep in the corner of his heart, the fire of revenge against the enemy who killed his mother was still burning brightly.

He wanted knowledge of immunity and wisdom so that he could return to Putrajaya and destroy the enemy.

Zakil lowered his face, his manly tears dripping onto the green grass. He was incapable of deception.

"That's right, Tok. My fire is still there. I can't forget my mother's face when she spat out that bloody hoof. I'm not strong enough to extinguish that revenge."

The atmosphere was silent for a moment. The only sounds I could hear were Zakil's small sobs and the sound of the spring water flowing into the pond. Faqur next to him was silent, sympathizing with the emotional burden of his new friend.

Tok Kelinga sighed deeply, his expression returning to being soft and compassionate. He descended from the rock with very smooth movements, immediately without using a stick, and walked slowly towards Zakil as if he had a pair of sharp eagle eyes. He stood in front of Zakil who was kneeling.

The old, moving and cold hand was raised, then placed slowly on Zakil's forehead. Instantly, a very peaceful heat flowed from Tok Kelinga's palm through Zakil's skull, flowing down to his chest, calming all the anxiety and anger that had settled.

"Revenge is like drinking poison but you hope your enemy dies. Zakil, the knowledge you seek is not the art of village self-defense, nor magic that can be bought with blood. The Knowledge of Enlightenment is the knowledge of knowing yourself, peace and God. If your heart is still dirty with revenge, this sacred knowledge will never enter and unite in your body. It will reject you completely." Tok Kelinga whispered slowly.

Tok Kelinga pulled his hand back.

"But... I see the sincerity behind your past sins. Last night, you were willing to risk your life to try to save a village servant from being slaughtered by Thunder, even though you didn't know who that servant was.

That's a sign that your spirit is still alive. Alright, young man. I accept you as my disciple. But remember, this training is to remove the 'dirt' in your soul and body. The pain is worse than dying many times. Can you do it?”

Zakil raised his face, tears welling up in his eyes. His eyes now shone with pure and innocent determination.

"I can do it, Tok. Even if my flesh is destroyed, I will not retreat a single step."

Tok Kelinga smiled contentedly.

"Good."

The blind old man then turned his back on Zakil. He walked to the spring pool, washing his hands.

"We don't have much time. Kiwaii Gussur is not the same as before. I smelled a worse smell than him last night," said Tok Kelinga, his tone turning serious and dark.

"The Lotus Tattoo of Harmony is Broken. The forbidden knowledge from the Land of the Thunder has entered Malay territory.

Guntur has allied with the Seven Continents. If they succeed in preparing the Bloody Eclipse ritual next month, the entire peninsula will become a field of demonic slavery."

Faqur, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke.

"That's why Patik brought Zakil here, Tok Guru. We have killed two of Kiwaii Gussur's tattooed mange dogs. Patik knows that only Tok Guru has the key to destroying this ancient magic from its roots. Patik is willing to risk his life to help Zakil learn."

Tok Kelinga's hand movements, who was washing his face in the swimming pool, stopped. The previously peaceful atmosphere suddenly turned tense again. The wind stopped blowing. The cape flowers stopped falling.

Tok Kelinga did not look back. He simply stood with his back to Faqur and Zakil. However, his echoing voice that broke the silence this time sounded very foreign, filled with a very deep disappointment.

"Are you willing to risk your life to destroy Gussur, young man?" Tok Kelinga asked slowly.

"Yes, Guru Besar! Patik's life is at stake!" Faqur replied with heroic enthusiasm, while patting his own chest.

Tok Kelinga turned his body slowly. His blind face was aimed straight, straight at Faqur's face. Even without eyes, the thought felt like two butcher knives tearing at the heart.

Tok Kelinga pointed his long, thin index finger straight at Faqur's face. The veins in the old man's hand looked reddish.

"Don't act like a hero in front of me, you son of an eagle," Tok Kelinga's voice began to rise, echoing on the walls of the Laputra Forbidden Forest hill.

"You said you wanted to destroy Kiwaii Gussur from the roots... but how far do you want to deceive yourself? How far do you want to hide the smell of your lineage's blood from your friends?!"

Zakil gasped. He looked at Faqur's face full of confusion.

"Wh...what do you mean Tok?"

Faqur was stunned. His tanned face suddenly turned pale as cloth. His eyes widened, his jaw clenched.

Cold sweat the size of corn began to drip down his forehead. His right hand reflexively gripped the hilt of his machete sheath, a terrifying instinctive movement.

Tok Kelinga stepped forward, his voice breaking all the secrets that had been hidden for decades.

"The blood that flows in your veins, Faqur... the hot inner energy you used to protect old Zakil is not just from the White Eagle Cekak School. The blood that beats in your heart is the same flesh and blood as the devil in Kampung Liputra Forbidden Forest." Tok Kelinga dropped a deadly secret bomb.

Zakil stood stiff, his breathing seemed to have stopped. He took two steps back from Faqur.

To be continued…