Brotherhood

Gorakshana is still growling. He was filled with anger.

What's my fault? For leaving the mountain? They didn't accept and acknowledge me before, what's wrong with this? It seemed like he wasn't angry about it, but there was something else, Max wondered inwardly. He then relaxed his guard to defend himself. With this, he wished her brother had become calmer. At that moment, suddenly Gorakshana collapsed. His breath gasped.

Merah darted and checked his condition. The three Rang Rang leaders also approached him, they touched Gorakshana's body.

"It looks like it's an infection," Koko said.

Knowing the situation was insurmountable, Max backed out. He noticed the readiness of Rang Rang trying to save his brother. Max gulped, his head became dizzy because his brother was experiencing the same thing experienced by Byakki. It was a shame that his brother could still move and even attack him.

Is that the reason in perfect form? So that he could withstand the pain with the demonic power he possessed? He attacked me for thinking I was human, my human scent must have made him defend himself, without realizing it. Max was uncomfortable with part of what he did to his brother. He sits down. He doesn't make a request outright, but all Rang Rang knows, Max wants his brother saved. That made the four Rang Rang leaders do their best. The problem is that his condition is worse than Byakki's.

With the remaining power, Gorakshana returned to his human form. That way he was more easily moved under the Gayam Tree whose roots formed a fortress-like wall at ground level. Max didn't have to bother making the ceiling because the tree had branches and lush leaves. In addition, the weather was clear and there was no sign of rain, but Max still felt the need to make ceiling protection so that his brother could avoid the wind and dewdrops of the dense Gayam leaves.

Finished making a simple house, Max observed his brother's wounds that have now been covered with potions, derived from the leaves of medicine that had been pounded. It reminded him of his work as a tattoo artist in the human world. The job was just camouflage. His real job was to hunt down demons or half-demons that messed up in the human world. Getting a tattoo is only a small part to answer the desires of humans around it. Now, he wanted to know the events behind the misfortune that befell her brother.

He wasn't even with the others, muttering Max while still noticing his brother's eyes that were weakly asleep. The movement of his stomach up and down is a sign for Max that he still has the rest of the energy and can be restored. Max turned his head as Merah and Terice came to the modest house with a basket of medicines.

"You have to rest," Merah said.

"No, you have to say everything, everything you know, your words were cut off earlier," Max persistently reminded Merah.

Terice codes Merah to tell Max the truth. After that, Terice focused on replacing the dried herbs from Gorakshana's body.

Merah sits in front of Max. Her height of only 20 cm makes it look like a doll decoration on the terrace of the Sunshine Shop.

Max was waiting for a detailed explanation from Merah.

"That day..." Merah starts with a beating heart. She was like back in the day when she thought all living things would burn to death including herself. "A few days before the fire, Young Master Gorakshana took a walk around the northernmost forest plunging river with his flock. As usual, they did patrol, but..." Merah gulped like swallowing a stone, "I saw there was a hunter so I warned The Young Master as soon as possible. Young Master already knew so he tried to dodge, but it seemed like there was a debate among the herd, they didn't quickly return to the Pegunungan Sakral instead there was a fight amongst themselves. I don't understand what they're arguing about, but somehow hunters have appeared near them and are shooting at the herd."

"Shoot? That means people see them as wolves?"

Merah nodded.

"That day, The Young Master and his flock were not in their human form. I don't know why, but it was a very different day. I also feel like something is stuck. The Young Master's flock immediately collapsed shot, only The Young Master himself was still standing and trying to dispel the hunters. At that moment, the Young Master went berserk, so the hunters used another weapon and became like this. Those humans stopped using their weapons as soon as the Young Master had already been down," Merah's voice stopped.

Max is looking forward to the continuation. In his heart, he knew what weapon was being used. First is the drug, they must be targeting blue-eyed wolves to be sold in the illegal market. Their prices run into the billions. The second weapon is a rifle used to incapacitate something that threatens humans. Max clenched his fists.

"Then, the people brought another herd, put them in the cage. I think back then, the Young Master still had awareness and could see what was happening. I approached him and tried to help his wounds as much as I could. That's when he told you not to tell you about the bad."

"Why doesn't he want me involved?"

"I don't know."

Merah shook her head as she wiped away her tears.

Max gritted his teeth, but then he immediately calmed down, venting anger at Merah inappropriately. Max looked up. What are you hiding? Are you trying to handle everything alone? So why did the humans leave their brothers alone? Or because he was seriously injured and they assumed that big brother would die soon so it was useless to be taken?

Max began to feel the heat in his body. He kept himself from exploding emotions in the wrong place. He looked back at Merah.

"Thanks to you big brother being able to survive until now," Max said with sincere gratitude. "Now I understand why he avoided another Rang Rang. He didn't want them to know and then reported his situation to me. You all know how to communicate with me even if I'm in another world."

Max stopped talking and thought for a moment.

"Don't you know the reason behind his attitude? Why doesn't he want me involved?"

Max realizes he's asked this question before, but he asks it again in the hope that Merah's previous confession is just a form of procrastination to say the whole thing.

"Isn't it because he's worried about you?"

The question confirmed Merah didn't know. Max sighed again.

"I don't think it's because of that. There must be another reason."

Max then sank into his mind. Sensing that, Merah knew it was best to help Terice replace the dried herbs from Gorakshana's body. Moments later they are surprised by the appearance of an old woman in front of the door of the care homemade by Max.

"Looks like you're confused," the woman rebuked.

Max observed the figure of the old woman standing holding a stick, the soles of her feet plain with nothing. She had a simple appearance with a gray scarf on her shoulders.

"Granny Insun! When did you arrive?"

"It's good enough, I've also checked Byakki," Said Granny Insun while sitting near Gorakshana. Insun's grandmother was a human and teacher of the Rang Rang. For some reason, she lived a long life in the Pegunungan Sakral. Stay in a hidden cave and get out only when she feels the need to do so.

"You guys are doing very well," Grandma Insun praised Terice and Merah. The two students smiled humbly.

"Don't you have an urgent business? Leave your brother to me," Grandma Insun said to Max.

Max couldn't believe Grandma Insun could tell the turmoil in her mind.

"At least you should find out the reason why your brother was in the Hutan Paling Utara that day."

"You are right. Sitting here just gives me a headache. Does grandma know anything? Where should I start?"

Grandma Insun took a deep breath.

"You know a woman named Bibi, don't you? Your brother has been banning you from having contact with her for a long time. You're cheating and that's the consequence."

Max was struck by lightning in broad daylight.

"What do you mean this incident has something to do with her?"

"Indirectly yes. I don't know the details. You have to go find out."

"Then where do you know?"

"Gorakshana once discussed this with me. Gorakshana has been restless since he returned from the human world and saw you get along with a woman named Bibi."

That means you know what I don't know, what is it? Max's mind. If I wait for him to wake up, how many days will it take?

"Granny... Bibi is dead," Max said.

Max's words made Grandma Insun cluck.

"It means to be killed, doesn't it?"

Max nodded weakly.

"How long will you be sober?" asked Max. This is not a random question, but rather there is an ongoing calculation in Max's head.

"Maybe two or three more days."

"In that case, please let me know if he is conscious. I'm going out into the human world and finding out what's going on," Max said in a hurry when he realized his role here wasn't going to help his brother recover. Now when the misfortune that befell his brother turned out to be related to a secret kept tightly by Bibi, Max feels the angel of death is teasing him. He was upset and wouldn't budge. So, he decided to quickly reveal what Bibi had been hiding all along. If his brother knows something, then he should know too. The fact that his brother kept it a secret, means that whatever form of misfortune he is dancing to is currently related to himself.

"I'll be back soon," he promised in front of Grandma Insun. After that he leaves Pegunungan Sakral.