"R...."
Just as she uttered "R...."
Everyone stumbled back, racing to squat down.
"....un....!"
Maya continued her command. Naturally, the people who had previously been racing to squat were now in utter chaos, jumping and running, colliding with each other while laughing heartily. Maya herself was doubled over with laughter watching their antics. Maya taught them various children's games, which made the people extremely joyful, causing them to regard Maya as a member of their own family. They played in that spot until night arrived, then they invited Maya to return.
"Return? Return where?"
Maya asked. The old woman wearing a necklace took her hand,
"Come, follow me. We are returning to eat!"
After saying that, the old woman moved her legs and began running, followed by all her people. Maya nearly screamed in shock as her body felt as if it were being carried through the air. Their speed was truly extraordinary.
They brought her to the slope of a rocky hill, then they entered an extremely deep cave, which was a stone tunnel. It turned out that the interior was vast, and these strange people lived inside the belly of the mountain! Their number exceeded thirty, and their leader was that old woman. Their life was extremely simple, yet they were always cheerful and playful at every moment. When they arrived in front of the cave, a pack of wild wolves greeted them with fierce, noisy barking. Maya was initially prepared to defend herself because the group of animals were not tame dogs, but wild and savage wolves. However, the moment the old woman let out a growl and barked like a dog, the pack of wolves crouched down in fear, and then a ten-year-old child herded them away with a whip made from a tree branch.
The pack of wolves obediently departed, like a group of well-trained dogs! In the vast chamber inside the belly of the mountain, Maya was invited to eat and drink with them. What they ate were fruits and meat roasted plainly—she didn't know what kind of meat it was, but it tasted delicious. They drank plain water. Because her stomach was extremely hungry and her body was tired, Maya ate ravenously and with enjoyment until her stomach was full, and she fell asleep right there at the dining spot. Thus, the Princess of the Khitan King, who usually lived a life full of glory and luxury, was now accepted as a family member or friend by a group of wild humans who had yet to know civilization! They were a collection of children who had grown old, for only their bodies were mature and aged, yet their character and way of thinking were still like children under ten years old!
Maya was forced to stay with them because she considered that place the safest, as she was still worried that the two Indian devil-humans might still be searching for her. During the several days she stayed and played with them, Maya observed them and realized that, on average, from the youngest to the very oldest, they possessed an extraordinary lightness of body and speed of movement, far beyond that of ordinary humans. However, even though their strength was great thanks to their wild way of life, they did not know *ilmu silat*! She truly felt extremely surprised, and one morning, when the children were leaping high to grab fruits hanging high on a tree by jumping and snatching the fruits with their hands, she asked one of the children, a girl her own age.
"Where did you learn movements that are so light and fast?"
At first, the girl did not understand what Maya meant, but when Maya invited her to jump around and Maya's jumps proved far inferior in height, the girl looked timid. Maya pressed her, and the child looked left and right, then took Maya's hand and pulled her away, running out from inside the belly of the mountain.
"Hey, hey, slow down.... wow, I might fall....!"
Maya was panting heavily because her friend was running extremely fast through the very steep tunnel, along the cliff face on the ridge of the cave—a place that seemingly could not be accessed by humans except through the tunnel path inside the body of the mountain.
"Eat that!"
The child said, pointing her index finger toward a tree growing on the slope of the steep cliff. After saying that, the child ran away, leaving Maya behind and saying,
"I'm scared! Scared!"
Glossary
- Khitan King (Raja Khitan): The ruler whose daughter, Maya, is the protagonist currently living in exile or hiding. The Khitan were a historical nomadic people who established the Liao Dynasty.
- Ilmu Silat: A general term for martial arts or fighting techniques, often implying formalized training and internal energy cultivation in a Wuxia context.
- Manusia Iblis India: Literally "Indian Devil-Humans," referring to the two antagonists from India who Maya fears are still pursuing her.