Morning arrived as the warm sun shone over Wijonayem. Residents went back and forth, carrying out their peaceful daily lives. Egrets flew low over the rice fields, gliding past coconut trees that obstructed the morning rays of the distant sun.
The three young men wore the signature wandering attire of their padepokan: dark green vests, black udeng headbands, and knee-length black pants wrapped in dark jarik cloth, secured by an otok belt equipped with gear. Simple, yet exuding the dignity of aspiring knights.
They ran through the plantations, setting out into the wild to forge their true selves. Until at one point in their journey—by a fish pond still adorned with a few villagers' houses—Handoko stopped running, prompting Agniran and Joko to come to a halt as well.
"Wait, where were we heading again, Ag?" Handoko asked, panting heavily. He cradled his spear while leaning his hip against the railing of a wooden bridge. His right forearm, wrapped in leather cords almost up to his elbow, reached for a silver water bottle from the bag slung at his side.
Agniran's fingers briefly reached for his otok belt, intending to give the golden plaque adorned with the snail emblem to Handoko. However, he suddenly remembered his master's advice not to tell anyone about it.
"Lataran Wijo," Agniran answered briefly.
Handoko noticed Agniran's hand pulling back from his otok belt. "So we really are heading north!" he said, still catching his breath. "We'll pass those mountains over there, then go down into the forest, and finally enter the Lumut Mountains!" His right arm, looking long due to his tall stature, pointed north toward a line of hills.
Joko snatched the silver bottle from Handoko's hand.
"Don't drink it all, Ko!" Handoko shouted, watching Joko tilt his head back, exposing his broad neck as he gulped down the water.
"Ahh..." Joko sighed in relief. "That's why... come on, let's go. Don't rest too much. It's still far!" Joko said enthusiastically, handing back the water bottle with his mouth still wet.
"Why don't we just walk instead of running, Han?" Agniran asked, leaning the back of his waist against the bridge railing, his eyes fixed on the northern hills.
"Yeah, exactly... This tall guy is running like he's being chased by a ghost. What's the rush?" Joko's hand reached out, trying to adjust Handoko's udeng. "Here... your topknot is supposed to be covered."
Handoko quickly dodged and swatted Joko's hand away while tidying his tied-up hair at the top to keep it neat. "Don't mess with me!"
"Yeeh... What, are you going on a date with a tiger out there? Why are you trying to look so neat?" Joko chuckled.
"Hey, don't you know that disciples of Agungdhijoyo Winoto look cool?" Handoko retorted, clearly preferring his own distinct style.
"Alright, let's keep going," Agniran urged, resuming the journey.
As the day progressed toward midday, they reached the steep hills that lay in their path. They traversed the rugged terrain with swift steps.
"My plan was that if we ran, we could spend the night in the valley, Ag," Handoko said as he climbed over the rocks, followed by Agniran and Joko, who were also busy navigating the path.
"Yeah... We'll see when we get there. We also need to conserve our energy," Agniran replied.
Navigating through the path filled with large boulders, Handoko used his spear to help himself move across the terrain. "Tell me, Ag... Why on earth are we heading to Lataran Ijo?" Handoko looked back at Agniran. "Do you have a plan once we get there?" he added.
"Actually, last night I met Grand Master Wandarimo..." Agniran answered while trying to climb a large rock.
Handoko turned around, surprised. "You met him!?"
"No... He approached me while I was on the balcony," Agniran clarified.
"Then what happened?" Handoko asked, returning his focus to the path ahead.
"I'm not really sure what he meant. He asked where our families came from..." Agniran paused, leaving his sentence hanging. "... After that, I..."
"What?!" Handoko pressed.
Agniran was still torn. Should he tell the truth about the golden plaque with the snail emblem to Handoko?
"He gave me the records of the past winners of the Seven-Year Contest!" Agniran answered while staying busy negotiating the terrain.
"What for? Even I know who has won the contest in the past!"
"So you woke up in the middle of the night, Ag? How come the Grand Master came up to you?" asked Joko, who was right below him.
"Yeah, I woke up because it was stuffy... so I went outside."
Grip by grip, Agniran's hands clutched the rocks as he climbed the gentle slope. A faint glint flickered in his eyes as he looked at the rough stones he was scaling. Deep down, Agniran felt guilty for lying to both of them, but for now, he chose to keep the truth to himself.