Kisah Masyitah Rukyah

Bab 21: Sarang/Nest, Bahagian 1

Makira examines the blueprint of a building layout on the ground. I can see the finer details just fine in the night's darkness, being an ahli sihir and all. She can't. So, she turns her trusty LED flashlight on and shines it on the creased paper.

The floor plan for the Putrajaya Religious Complex.

"Amazing how you can get everything from the Internet nowadays, huh," notes Casey, sitting on a kerb close by and fiddling with his cross bracelet. Harmony and Xiao aren't far off with the former trying to engage in Mandarin small talk.

"Ramya has her uses, believe it or not." I hear a scoff from behind.

The Federal Territory of Putrajaya is a highly-developed area of Malaysia, as you'd expect for one of the country's two capitals. It appears that the controller of my destiny loves alleys, since this is the third time I've been in one recently. The cleanliness of this particular alley is no match for my last two. The people here actually throw their rubbish into the bins instead of on the ground. 

I kneel next to my focused Makira. Anyone would shake in their boots looking at her stern face and assortment of weaponry. 

"This is the umpteenth time you're going through the layout. You've memorised half the Quran, I'm sure you've memorised this."

"I can't leave much more to chance. Making the choice to bring you here was already a big one. Although, I reckon leaving you at the Towers to worry about my safety isn't a better alternative. Now that we're..."

"...girlfriends?" I whisper. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

I give her a sappy smile. What can I say? I can't help myself. 

"I hope your bandages are comfortable, Kiah. Stay frosty out there."

I feel her cold hand pressing on my shoulder, so close to my neck before she lets go and stands up. She looks great with her black jeans, black hoodie and tied hair.

All of her loose brown strands are in a neat bun with a thin bang going down the non-eyed side of her face. Moonlight strikes her at the perfect angle, showcasing her blemishes and battle scars—determination and experience.

"Tonight will be an important night in this country. It will be an important night, especially, for you. Your people, your kind... your futures will be decided by what we do and what we achieve in the coming hours. The historians of tomorrow will mark tonight as the time the ahli sihir fought back; freeing Jaxon Amputong from right under their noses."

She sweeps her head across every single one of us.

"Remember. This is not an attack. I know how much you despise JAKIS, but the public will not see killings in a good light. Nor will I. Be blinded by hate, and you'll be blind to justice." She sets a cautious eye on me.

Qatila feeds off of negative emotions. Remember.

Makira makes sure Hanto and her (somehow) folded naginata are tight on her waist and back respectively. Harmony puts on her brass knuckles. Ramya adjusts her magnetic bracelets. Casey says a short prayer and draws a cross on his chest. 

Xiao opens up his wrist wound with his balisong, but I quickly look away. Seeing blood makes me feel uneasy. 

I have to repress those memories. For the sake of everyone.

I inhale. I exhale.

>>

I fix up the strings on my hoodie. My bun doesn't fit well under the hood, so I leave the hood hanging behind my neck.

I take a rare look at myself with the help of Hanto's pristine blade. It's been wiped with oil from hilt to tip, causing it to form a reflection on the damascus steel via moonlight. I sigh at the sight of my singular bang.