Shocking Ability

With a stutter, Jagat Wengi asked Gendis about the medicinal concoction given to him.

"It's just a concoction from my grandfather, usually given to people whose poison has spread throughout their bodies," Gendis replied. She seemed to have forgotten her original intention to go outside after seeing Jagat Wengi staring for a long time at the paper he held.

"Are you okay... Oh, by the way, I haven't asked for your name yet?"

"Jagat Wengi. Just call me Jagat."

"Alright, Jagat. I'll step out for a moment. Just call me if you need anything."

Jagat Wengi nodded quietly without looking at Gendis as she walked away, parting the curtains. He preferred to wait for her figure to reappear from outside his window.

After ensuring that Gendis had left and the room was empty, Jagat Wengi examined the empty cup of medicinal concoction he had consumed. He felt an inexplicable and peculiar change. When Arya Mandana performed his techniques, he was able to remember all the movements, including the smallest details.

From footwork to the count of each movement and even the height of his jumps. The same applied to Hasta Geni. He could calculate how much inner energy had to be channeled through breath and body.

Things that were usually hidden from the ordinary eye, but he could see them. He could also discern the number of lines adorning the pattern on Gendis' fabric and the type of thread used in the lining of her clothing.

And the scent of this cup? He remembered it to be like wild leaves abundant in the steep mountain valleys. Mixed in were hints of a strange, unfamiliar odor resembling the scent of animal organs.

If he didn't recognize it, it meant he could only recall what he had seen and touched. With that, he no longer needed to steal books but could simply read and copy them to sell.

But...

"Aarrgh!"

Jagat Wengi's head was suddenly struck by an excruciating pain, causing Gendis to run and Ki Wardiman to glance at the window.

"What's wrong?"

"Aaargh!"

Jagat Wengi continued to scream in pain, clutching his head. He even tried to bang his head against the wooden wall of the room.

"Hey, what's happening? Grandfather!" Without hesitation, Gendis held Jagat's body and embraced him until her grandfather arrived with Arya Mandana.

"What's going on, Gendis?"

"I don't know, Grandfather. He suddenly started screaming."

"Did you give him the medicine?"

Without waiting for an answer from his grandson, Ki Wardiman examined the empty cup and its contents. "What drink did you give him?"

"The one from the fireplace," Gendis replied.

Arya Mandana was still confused about what was happening and slowly took Gendis's place to hold Jagat Wengi's hands.

"Which side of the fireplace?" Ki Wardiman asked, walking back towards the kitchen. "What did you give him, my granddaughter?"

Outside the room, Ki Wardiman could be heard scolding his granddaughter for giving the wrong medicine.

"This was still an experiment. Why did you give him this one?"

"Gendis didn't know, Grandfather."

Ki Wardiman's footsteps quickened as he reentered the room, carrying a piece of rope. Jagat Wengi's eyes narrowed sharply, and his moans of pain continued without ceasing.

"Mandana! Tie his hands," Ki Wardiman said, throwing the rope. "He might harm himself."

Gendis followed closely behind with a worried and anxious expression. She arrived just as Jagat Wengi accurately and swiftly caught Arya Mandana's wrist.

This was undoubtedly surprising since Jagat Wengi wasn't in a position to do so. However, after he caught Arya Mandana's wrist, his strength slowly weakened and then instantly faltered.

Jagat Wengi gradually returned to normal. Ki Wardiman checked his chest, his breathing, and not forgetting the pulse in his wrist.

"How is he, Ki?"

"It seems he's back to normal."

"What actually happened, Ki?"

"Gendis gave him the wrong medicine. She was supposed to give him a preventive medicine to stop the poison from spreading, but instead, she gave him the experimental one."

"Forgive me, Grandfather." Gendis lowered her head in guilt, observing her feet coming close together as she crossed her hands in front.

"What's this?" Ki Wardiman asked after noticing a piece of paper on the floor.

"Earlier, he recovered briefly and asked Gendis for paper and a pen."

Arya Mandana became curious about the contents of the paper. He glanced over it briefly, but the more he read, the more intrigued he became by the organized sentences written below.

"This is like..."

Both of them looked almost simultaneously at Jagat Wengi, questioning the meaning of his writings on the paper. However, from outside the room, the sound of approaching hooves could be heard. Gradually, the sound became louder as more horses followed.

Illuminated by torches, as it was getting dark, Tantra had arrived with his selected troops to carry out the orders of Senopati Ranggalawe.

"Ki Wardiman, as I mentioned before, this is not about Kediri or Majapahit. This is about our country being colonized by foreign forces. I don't need a kingdom, even though I now bear the title 'Arya.'"

(Author Note: "Arya" is an honorary title given to distinguished individuals in ancient Javanese society. In Majapahit the government officials were called Tanda, each given a designation or title according to the position they held.

The three Tanda are:

1. Rakryan

2. Arya

3. Dang Akarya )

"I understand. You do resemble your mentor, Mandana. Go. Chase those Mongols wherever they may hide," Ki Wardiman replied, accepting the respectful salute from Arya Mandana.

"I'll leave Jagat Wengi here, Ki. I'll come back to get him later."

Arya Mandana quickly walked away, followed by Ki Wardiman, who escorted him out. Gendis peeked through the window, surveying every corner of the courtyard that was now filled with soldiers.

"Their faces are really frightening," Gendis murmured, unknowingly caught in the act by Tantra, who happened to glance at the window of the treatment room. Hiding her head beneath the window, she whispered again, "Apparently, there are handsome ones too."

It's uncertain how long Gendis hid there until the sound of the soldiers' horse neighs echoed loudly, accompanied by the rapid footsteps as they left the house.

"What are you doing, Gendis?"

"Oh, Grandfather. It's nothing. I was just looking for my hair tie."

Gendis quickly walked away, leaving her grandfather in the room, who was once again holding the paper with writings from Jagat Wengi.

"Who are you really? How can you write this?" Ki Wardiman asked, his voice reaching Gendis, who eavesdropped from behind the room's curtain.

Ki Wardiman soon took the paper outside and brought it to the fireplace. In a matter of moments, the paper, made of Ulin wood, burned completely, leaving only ashes.

His eyes turned to the brown jug, its bottom blackened from the flames.

His granddaughter had given the wrong medicine to the patient. He briefly recovered and then wrote notes about the techniques demonstrated by Arya Mandana. Suddenly, after that, Jagat Wengi screamed in pain while holding his head.

Based on his life experience, no one could record techniques based on mere observation unless the owner of the technique intended to pass down their knowledge.

However, this young man was able to do it in a very short time.

Ki Wardiman pondered over it throughout the night until the following morning when Jagat Wengi regained consciousness, and he observed the changes one by one.

A healer is not the same as a warrior or a soldier who would bombard with questions to seek a confession. A healer is a true observer who tests their observations through actions and tests.

For observation purposes, Ki Wardiman made a small hole to peep into Jagat Wengi's activities inside the treatment room.

Whenever he entered, he would only go to check, maintaining a friendly and amicable tone. He informed Jagat Wengi that Arya Mandana would come to pick him up once he recovered.

On the third day, Ki Wardiman began his testing. He gave Jagat Wengi several sheets of paper and two medicinal books.

He asked Jagat Wengi to read them quickly, glancing over the pages, and even Ki Wardiman himself flipped the pages.

Afterward, he requested Jagat Wengi to write down everything he remembered on a blank sheet of paper. Ki Wardiman left the room without bringing his books and peeked through the hole.

Gendis, who had been witnessing her grandfather's behavior for the past three days, became curious and wondered. At first, she didn't care much because she was also taking care of Jagat Wengi inside.

Initially, she thought the hole her grandfather made was to watch her in private moments with a stranger, ensuring her safety if the guest behaved inappropriately.

But his assumption was wrong. His grandfather had planned something when he saw the books and papers being brought into the room.

Haunted by curiosity, Gendis used the same hole to peek at her grandfather, who had entered to examine the papers written by Jagat Wengi.

"Do you still have this ability, young one?"

"I don't know, Ki. It just comes naturally."

"You have an exceptional memory ability that ordinary people don't possess. It's a rare gift. You must cherish it and use it wisely."

"What about the poison in my body, Ki? Has it disappeared?"

"That poison is easy to cure. It's not a problem for me. I have all the antidotes in this world, except for the ones from the world of spirits."

"Poison from the world of spirits."

"Because the antidote can only be found in their world. And I have never been there."

That explanation caught Jagat's attention, and he was always like that, not caring if his curiosity would lead him into danger.

"The world of spirits..."

"How many steps did I take when I entered here?" Ki Wardiman suddenly returned to their previous topic of conversation.

"Seven steps, Ki."

"And Gendis?"

"Eight."

"How many wooden beams are there on the ceiling of this house?"

"Eight horizontally, seven vertically. Ten small beams and five medium-sized ones."

"Extraordinary!"

Ki Wardiman then called Gendis to ask about the number of flowers on the fabric of her dodot clothes. Being observed like that, Gendis felt a little embarrassed.

"Fifty."

Ki Wardiman's right hand immediately rubbed his forehead down to his graying black hair. It was as if he couldn't believe what he saw and heard.

"Jagat Wengi..." For the first time, Ki Wardiman called his name. He wanted to say something, but it seemed like his mouth was sealed shut. He took a slow breath, and shortly afterward, he went out to the courtyard.

He sat on a wooden bench under a coconut tree, his gaze wandering far into the western horizon.

Gendis approached him and asked.

"Why, Grandfather?"

"There is one page from Sabrang Panuluh's Book that cannot be deciphered by anyone except the person in that room, Gendis."

"What should we do then, Grandfather?"

"We have to guard it until Mandana comes to pick him up," Ki Wardiman answered with a deep sigh. "Sabrang sabrang. Where are you now?"