He rode his horse back down the slope, following the edge of the massive landslide mound that blocked the entire main road to Kawi Village.
From a distance, as his horse kept galloping, a sound echoed in the quiet night. From behind the trees and mounds, voices calling out to one another grew clearer.
Clack! Clack! Clack! Crack!
Axe after axe struck the fallen tree trunks. Several people pulled the trunks using thick ropes, while others pushed them with long bamboo poles to roll them away from the path.
"Pull!"
"Hoo...!"
A dozen people pulled the ropes in unison until the tree roots still gripping the earth were slowly uprooted.
On the other side, several people were busy hoeing the ground. Others were lifting large tree trunks buried under the landslide, while some were arranging giant logs onto transport carts while busy pulling ropes.
Some were breaking up large boulders. Others were lining up large stones along the edge of the path as temporary retaining walls.
Not far from there, several people built up fires for illumination. Others held torches high, lighting up the work that continued despite the arrival of the night.
At the front of the path, a man stood overseeing the entire operation.
"The left side is still unstable! Nobody crosses!"
His order was immediately met with nods. No one shouted aimlessly. Every person seemed to understand their respective duties.
Amidst the bustle, his horse's footsteps slowly came to a halt. He gazed at the scene for a long moment.
"The Alliance..." he muttered.
Several people in white uniforms accented with silver and gold were visible at the location. At various spots, white flags bearing the emblem of a shield radiating stars—flanked by crescent moons facing each other on the right and left, with wings spread below—fluttered gently in the night breeze.
Noticing the bustle, Solor quickly dismounted his horse and walked toward the trees.
Solor's body slipped from trunk to trunk until he approached a member of the Alliance who looked busy directing the work.
"Tadaaa...!"
Solor's sudden appearance did not startle the Alliance member in the slightest.
"Hey! You were supposed to be startled!" With his tiny body, Solor actually got angry, cursing and pointing his fingers, making the Alliance member smile faintly.
"What are you doing?" asked the Alliance member, who wore a white uniform accented with silver and gold wrapped in a sleeveless protector.
"Never mind that! I'm really grateful you guys cleared the path for me," Solor said, tapping the white jarik cloth embroidered with silver and gold that covered part of the Alliance member's thigh.
The Alliance member lowered his head. His face was handsome and elegant. Being so tall, he had to look down as he stared at Solor standing beside him. "Pardon us, but this path has not been declared safe." The Alliance man stepped slightly, positioning himself to face Solor directly.
"Huh... But I just want to pass through," Solor answered. He walked a few steps, looking at the busy path being worked on by the Alliance members, then turned back toward the man. "Pity me, will you, son... I'm an old man, where else are you trying to direct me?"
"That is precisely what we are concerned about." The commander's muscular arm rose, his fingers pointing toward the terrain still filled with wrecked giant trees. Then, he bowed slightly with deep respect to Solor. "The ground beneath it is still moving. If it collapses again, we won't have time to rescue you."
"But I've already passed through ground sinkholes in the swamp before. I already know the risks, son..."
The commander shook his head gently. "The risks you choose become our responsibility as long as you remain on this path."
Solor went quiet for a moment. Now his index finger shot up, as if he had just stumbled upon a brilliant idea. "What if I sign a statement saying I take full responsibility for all the risks?"
The commander smiled, enhancing his handsome look amidst his gallantry. "If everything could be resolved with a single written statement, our job would be much easier."
"Hee hee..." Solor pointed his stiff finger, which looked like a fallen tree trunk, toward the commander. "That's a good answer."
Ffiiuuuuuuiittt...!
The whistle caught someone's attention in the distance. A man emerged from the group of workers and transport carts, walking over. Behind him, another member followed while carrying an Alliance flag that draped down to knee length, while his other hand held a torch to light the path.
Stopping beside the commander in front of Solor, the uniformed man of a similar build saluted. "Good evening." His face was handsome, elegant, and muscular, with his hand resting on the hilt of the sword at his side.
"Huh... Wasn't I calling my horse?" Solor replied with a bewildered look.
The newly arrived commander smiled. The light stubble on his face added a fierce touch to his handsomeness. "Because of that whistle, I suspect... you are Master Solor Jayusman." His voice became clearer. "Is that correct?"
"Aha, exactly!" Solor moved his hand, pointing at the commander who had just arrived as if pressing a button. He then held the reins and embraced his horse, which had just appeared from behind the trees. Solor stood facing the two gallant and elegant commanders under the glow of the torch held by the soldier behind them.
"In that case, let me through." Solor scooped his hand upward.
The commander, who appeared to be in his 30s, smiled again while bowing politely. "Forgive us, Master Solor. We cannot allow anyone to pass just yet."
Solor leaned his body against his horse, his legs bent to the side as he looked up at the two commanders. "Is it that bad?"
The commander made a motion to squat down. "Precisely because I know who you are, I am confident you understand why we cannot do so."
"Let me climb up!" Solor hurriedly mounted his horse. "I think you two are too tall. It forces me to look up, and I don't want my neck to cramp." Riding his horse, he slowly circled them.
The squad commander turned toward the mound of earth that towered like a hill. "The recent earthquake shook several areas and villages. The worst was in the Kawi Village area, triggering a massive landslide." He looked at Solor riding his horse past him. "The entire main path to the village is blocked. Beneath that rubble, there are still large rocks and giant trees that haven't stabilized. If forced through, it could collapse again at any moment."
From atop his slowly pacing horse, Solor turned to watch several squad members installing wooden supports.
The squad commander tried to follow Solor's movement, who had almost circled around them. "Our duty is not merely to open the path, but to ensure every single inch is truly safe before it can be used again by the public."
"Hiiyaaaahhhhppp!"
Solor suddenly leaped onto the back of the squad commander who had just spoken. His body locked into a piggyback position behind him, making him look no different from a backpack.
Solor turned to look at the light pillar softly glowing in the night sky. "So... the process is still ongoing."
The commander carrying him nodded. "There are a few things that have caused the handling to not proceed as usual."
"What on earth happened?" Solor replied from the commander's back. Both his eyes stared at the glow of light towering into the clear night sky.
"The Search Squad moved ahead first toward the center of the light pillar." The commander tried to turn his face back, showing his sharp, stubbled jaw. "We here are only ensuring the rear path remains safe for supply movement and evacuation, Master." The man joined Solor in gazing at the light pillar.
"Yes, but what happened? Were this earthquake and massive landslide caused by that relic?" Solor added, starting to feel comfortable piggybacking on the squad commander's back.
"Forgive me, Master, but to explain that matter, we here are merely subordinates tasked with opening the path..." His head lowered politely once more. "It is not appropriate for us to discuss something so important."
"Oh, come on, don't be formal! Just tell me what you know!"
The three Alliance members now stood side-by-side with Solor piggybacking with his back to his horse, gazing at the towering light that rarely displayed such beauty.
"When the gong resonated throughout the city that afternoon, we saw everyone panic. The entire surface of the earth trembled, including our hearts, as we noticed the glow of the reliefs far at the edge of the palace starting to shine brightly. We rushed immediately. Our superiors promptly organized all the squads and assigned duties."
"At that time, the entire line of the Alliance from the law enforcement squad moved quickly toward the light pillar, carrying brightly lit badges."
"Then we were dispatched along with other squad members who emerged from the evacuation hall."
"We arrived here well after sunset, working according to orders to clear the road."
The other commander turned and nodded toward the commander carrying Solor.
"However, while the light pillar has yet to fade, one of us heard that the legal process this time is much more difficult compared to previous light pillar events..."
"Hmm..."
"If you put it that way... then I wasn't wrong to feel it." Solor looked down at the ground. "Lately... nature hasn't been moving normally."
The two commanders exchanged anxious glances.
"In that case, when will this path be opened?" Solor cut in quickly.
"If there are no follow-up landslides, tomorrow." The commander standing beside him nodded in agreement.
Solor tried to get down from the piggyback with an anxious look. "Help, I can't get down...!"
Immediately, the other commander stepped in to support Solor's back. However, Solor held his grip even tighter, causing both of them to struggle to detach Solor from the team leader's back.
"Boohoo... Mom...!" Solor resumed his antics to entertain them, acting like a little child being lowered from a parent's arms under the rare night sky.
The two commanders blushed in embarrassment and then smiled. The Alliance member holding the torch behind them chuckled at their silly behavior.
Solor patted his horse's saddle. "I can't wait until tomorrow morning!"
The squad commander who had been piggybacking Solor took a step forward. "It might not even be tomorrow morning."
Solor let out a grumbling sigh as he climbed back onto his horse. He stared at the two commanders. "...That's too long."
The squad commander looked at Solor for a moment. "Are you chasing after something?"
Solor looked back up at the glow of the light pillar still towering in the sky. "I want to go there."
The squad commander nodded. "Let us leave it to the search squad and the law enforcement team." He also looked toward the light pillar with hope. "Surely everything will go smoothly."
"That way, what we call the circle of darkness will soon fade from our knowledge."
The commander Solor had met first stepped forward. "There is another route."
Solor smiled broadly. "Where?"
The commander took out a map tucked into his belt. "A detour. Much safer," he said as he handed over the map scroll.
However, Solor snapped back weakly, "That takes way too long, you blockhead!!"
Both commanders smiled again, even wider this time.
Solor took a slow step, leading his horse forward. His face approached the faces of both commanders in turn, while both maintained a straight, elegant posture in accordance with Alliance standards. "If your superior were here, would the answer be any different?"
"No."
"Because this rule was made by my superior."
Solor smiled. "Good."
The two commanders looked at each other, slightly puzzled.
Solor tightened his reins, then tapped his legs gently against his horse's belly to gallop away from the landslide site.
A slight smile spread across his face. "I'm glad... turns out the Alliance hasn't changed," he murmured softly.