Lunesday, 27th of Maia, 470th Year of the Fifth Era

The great Mataniluat lake was a vast lake within the inlands of the Banuan continent. It was the lifesource of the Halak peoples, held sacred by adherents to the old ways along with the Matanitao isle in the middle of the great lake. The great fleet of Goria had entered the lake several hours ago and were now on their course towards the Isle of Matanitao.

The day was well within the afternoon as the sun's golden-orange rays were reflecting marvelously upon the surface of the water. It was like the lake was glistening golden waters with how it sparkled beneath the shine of the sun. A few schools of fish could also be seen swimming close to the surface of the lake.

Josias was enjoying the view of the lake along with his younger siblings and cousins at the side of the boat. They had spent a relatively relaxing night, sleeping straight beneath the stars of night on carpets upon the boat. Luckily for them, throughout the journey there was neither rain nor storms that could have gotten them wet. Were there any signs of bad weather, the fleet would have chosen to temporarily drop anchors and make shelter near one of the riverbank villages.

Josias was holding onto Julia who was leaning against the ship's edges whilst standing upon a box to get a better view of the lake. Standing next to her was Tiur who was being held by Serena. The rest of his family were each spending their time on the ship in their own ways.

His father and mother were busy conversing with his grandfather and the Lord Archbishop along with Timotheus. Jakobus was playing with Janus and Tigor as they were running around the deck of the ship while playing with their toy swords. The ship's crew had eased up a little on their rowing. There wasn't a great rush to get to the isle quickly and the weather was quite amiable.

"The lake is so big, abang." Julia said as she was smiling at the beautiful view. "Look at all the fishies!! Swim, swim, swim! Abang, I want to swim in the lake too!!"

"Woah, slow down there, little tigress. It might look pretty now, but the lake's deeper than you think." Josias ruffled his sister's hair. "Besides, you don't even know how to swim."

"No one wants to teach me!!" Julia pouted as she complained.

"I want to learn too!!" Tiur said as she looked at Josias with hopeful eyes.

Josias couldn't very well keep up a tough act, especially at the adorable pleading voices of his two young sisters. "Tell you what, when we get some free time on the isle, I'll see if I can't find a nice shallow place on the lake's shore where I'll teach you two how to swim, okay?"

"Really??!! You promise, abang?" Julia asked with a hopeful smile.

"Mhmm! And Kak Sere will help teach you too!" Josias flashed a playful grin as he roped his fiance into the promise that he made himself. "Right, Kak Sere?"

Serena merely rolled her eyes at him, but nodded cheerfully when she was faced with the toddler's pleading faces. She was just as weak as he was when it came to dealing with adorable children. Though even for them, these kids could be a nightmare to handle sometimes.

"Abang, we want to swim too!!" Janus said as he all of a sudden latched onto Josias' legs. Tigor followed along not long after him. "Swim! Swim! Swim!"

Josias was surprised that the little toddlers had heard his offer to Julia and Tiur. When he scanned the deck to find where Jakobus was, his little brother was sprawled on the floor of the deck with both his arms outstretched and breathing heavily. It was obvious that the little balls of energy had managed to suck out all his energy.

Josias shook his head before he laughed. He then proceeded to ruffle the hairs of the boys who were now clinging onto his legs. "Alright, alright, you little rascals, I'll teach you all too! But only if we get free time and find a suitable spot, okay?"

"Yaaayyy!!" The little boys jumped around in excitement as they started chanting. "Swim in lake! Swim in lake! Swim in lake!"

"If you lot manage to keep your energy and harness it into marvellous aura. Our clan's future would be bright." Josias was honest in his assessment. These children just had such amounts of energy that they would've left even him tired if he were around their age. But regardless, they were adorable to watch.

"Speaking of swimming in the lake…" Serena started to speak as she looked at the young children. "Do any of you know of the legend of how the lake was made?"

The little children only exchanged glances with each other before they shook their heads. "I've never really thought about that, kak…" Julia scratched her head as she looked like she was thinking. "Maybe it was during Noah's flood…?"

"Or maybe, the sky was sad and then… it cried alot!!" Tiur said "Mama told me rain was heaven's tears."

"Well, it isn't quite like that…" Serena said as she pet Tiur's curly hair "But I bet your Abang Josi can tell the story of how the lake came to be. Isn't that right, abang?"

"Wait a minute, you're the one who brought up the story, why do I have to be the one to tell it?" Josias put his hands on his waist as he raised an eyebrow.

"Oh but you're so much better at telling stories than me… Pretty please?? It's still a while until we reach the shore… Isn't that right, my little lovelies?? Don't you want your abang to tell you the story?"

The children nodded their heads in excitement as they looked at Josias with pleading eyes. "Pwetty pwease…!!" Julia held onto his waist as she looked up at him.

Josias couldn't help but crack at such an adorable show. Truly it was his only weakness. His beloved Serena and his beloved younger siblings. He gave a sigh before he eventually sat himself down on Julia and Tiur's box.

"Alright, gather round here, children and listen well…" Josias cleared his throat before he put on his best narrator's voice. "The story I'm about to tell you are the legends that have been passed down to us by our ancestors. It's a tale as old as time itself. Even before the time of the Raja Halak…

"Long ago, during the time just after the dawn of the creation of Banuatonga and Portibi-on. When the sun was young and the so-called gods still walked upon the earth. There was but the mighty river Arus upon this land! This entire lake was not in fact a lake long ago. It was a huge mountain and the Dolok Mulajadi on the Isle of Matanitao was once its peak.

"There lived a young god near the river, his name was Luat. Luat was a great fisherman. Each day he would catch fish for him to cook and eat. Very delicious fish indeed…"

"Mmmm… Fish!!!" Janus said as he rubbed his stomach. "I like fish!"

"Janus, you like everything that's yummy and can fit in your stomach." Josias laughed as he poked his little brother's stomach who could only laugh while shooing his hands away. "Anyways, where was I. Oh yes, Fish! He was a fisherman after all, but lately, he had failed to catch any fish. Obviously, he felt terrible as he didn't know what he was supposed to do about the lack of food. After all, even the old Pagan gods got hungry and could starve. That's why they're not true 'gods' but regardless.

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"Luat was surprised because when he got home, he was surprised because there was already food prepared on his table. He didn't know how it got there, but he wasn't one to ask too many questions. And this pattern of going out fishing to catch nothing and returning home to a mysterious dinner continued on for days.

"One day, when he was out fishing like usual, he had caught a marvelously large and colourful fish. A very beautiful fish with a special aura to it. And wouldn't you know it, the fish started speaking to him!"

"Hahahah! Abang, you're silly! Fish don't speak!" Julia laughed as she pointed to Josias.

"Ohhh, but this one did. Because this fish was… special!" Josias said he widened his eyes to convince her younger sister. "That was because it was no ordinary fish. The fish was in fact a goddess! She had been using the form of a fish because she was hiding from the Terrible Ulok Naganjang! Because she refused to become his wife, he was determined… TO EAT HER!! Gargargargargarg…!!"

"Eeeeekkk!!! Hahahahah!!"

"Ahhh!! Monster!! Hahahahah!!"

Josias had playfully started biting his younger sisters in act of 'eating them'. He was being gentle though and it just made them laugh because of the ticklish feeling.

"Bang, get your stink breath off of our sisters!" Jakobus said as he was sitting up, seeming regaining his energy from being tired out by Janus and Tigor.

"I was just making my story more believable. Besides, as long as you have your abang here, no monster is gonna get ya." Josias shrugged as he continued his story. "Anyways, the fish goddess' name was 'Siboru Ihan Narara'. What was more interesting was that she was the one who was secretly preparing food for Luat because she felt sorry that her presence was causing his source of food to disappear.

"When he heard her story, Luat was very moved by it. Seeing his pure heart who sympathised with her, Narara was comfortable enough to show Luat her true form! And it was truly beautiful. So beautiful in fact that Luat immediately fell in love with her."

"Wow. Was she as beautiful as Kak Sere?" Julia asked as she pointed towards Serena.

"Not even close." Josias answered curtly, inciting his fiance to blush. "But regardless, Luat still fell in love. However, Narara was still being chased by Siulok Naganjang. And when she had shown her true form, the Great Serpent had appeared from the waters of the river to finally eat her. 'I have you now!! If I can't have your love, then no one can!!' the Old snake said.

"However, Luat was in no mood to let the woman who he fell for fall victim to the Scaly snake. And determined to save Narara, he brandished his weapons to fight off Siulok Naganjang. The great battle lasted for days, causing earthquakes and storms around the river. However, eventually Luat had the upper hand as the snake tired himself out. Once the snake was exhausted, Luat cut off the serpent's head – slaying him in the process. And thus, he had saved Narara in the process who married him as she too fell in love with the powerful young god."

"And they lived happily ever after…!!" Julia raised her hands excitedly before a confused expression emerged upon her face. "...But what about the lake? Abang hasn't told us yet."

"We were getting to that part before you cut me off, my dear…" Josias pinched Julia's left cheek and stretched it a bit. "...You see, Siulok Naganjang was a son of the Ruler of Banuatoru, the Underwold Serpent of Chaos, Si Ulok Naga Padoha. When Naga Padoha heard of his son's demise, he ascended upon Banuatonga from the depths to punish his son's killer.

"Luat was not afraid of the Chaos Snake though, and was determined to fight him. However, not even Luat was strong enough to defeat the Serpent of Banuatoru. Luat was about to die when Narara showed up to plead for her husband's life in great tears and explained her plight to the Ruler of the Underworld.

"Moved by her devotion, Naga Padoha decided against killing Luat. He had decided to spare him on one condition. And that was by placing upon the couple a curse. Naga Padoha had called upon the powers of the Debata Natolu (Three Gods) to curse them to only have one child. In addition to that curse, Naga Padoha made the two swear an oath that they would never tell their child of his mother's origin as a fish."

"As far as curses go, that doesn't seem too bad." Jakobus said, chiming in as he was also invested in Josias' story despite them both already knowing it.

"Right, but, this is a myth after all…" Josias continued "Anywho, the two eventually did have a child and they named him Tao. But you see, this Tao here was a real piece of work. Unlike his father, he was lazy, prone to fighting and arguing with his parents. Real troublemaker. Sort of like your abang Jakobus…"

"Oy! Go and look at a mirror, bang! I'm not the one mom's constantly shouting at!" Jakobus protested.

"Regardless, that's besides the point. Anyways, one day when Luat was working out in the fields, Narara had sent their son to bring a meal for him. But, I admit, this is where I do see myself a little in Tao. Because in the middle of the road, Tao got really hungry. And there was nowhere else to get food so… He ate his father's lunchbox…"

"Uh-oh…" Tiur said as she closed her mouth.

"Uh-oh's right, dear sister. Because when he came across his father, imagine how angry he was when he found out the lunch his wife had promised him was eaten by someone else. He was hungry, upset, and most importantly furious. Furious at his useless, good-for-nothing son who had eaten his food. In his rage, Luat shouted and cursed at his son, 'YOU SON OF A FISH!!' he said.

"And with that, the oath was broken. Broken in a fit of anger and rage. Needless to say, there was no more time for regrets. Distraught by what his father had said, Tao ran back home. When he told his mother what had happened and how his father had cursed him, Narara couldn't stop her tears as she realised her husband had broken the one oath that should not be broken.

"In that instant, Narara transformed back into her fishy form, floundering upon the land. At that moment, the skies darkened as a great storm was unleashed upon the land. The Great Arus river overflowed and it was as if the Pusuk Buhit mountain was shattered as the great waters of the Arus and the ocean filled in the crater where the mountain had sank, leaving only its teep unsubmerged by the waters.

"The lake that formed became the Mataniluat while the sunken mountain became an island and was named Matanitao… And so ends our story…"

As Josias concluded his tale, Julia and Tiur couldn't help but show a distraught expression on their faces as they started pouting.

"I don't like that ending! It's sad! And Bad!" Julia said as she protested.

"Yea! Abang's story is scary!!" Tiur followed along as she crossed her arms.

"Well, yes it's not the best ending, but there is something you all can learn from it." Josias explained. "Don't break your oaths, don't disobey your parents, and don't worship pagan gods who have a habit of cursing their followers. Though the last one is obvious… Speaking of which, We're already close to the shore! Look over there!"

The children excitedly started climbing the box to see past the boat. Josias, Serena, and Jakobus quickly got into position to keep the kids from falling overboard. The children had sparkles in their eyes as they saw the great luscious green cliff sides of Matanitao. There was even a marvelous waterfall falling into some shallow part of the great lake. However that wasn't what captivated the children the most.

"Abang, kakak! Look! Elephants!!" Julia pointed excitedly around the waterfall.

True enough, there was a small herd of the majestic beasts bathing around the stony waterfall area and the shores around it. It's been a while since Josias himself had seen a herd of the tusked giants. However, these weren't wild elephants. It was clear from the presence of people standing around the animals, helping them bathe, that they belonged to someone. And considering that Matanitao was the realm of the Raja Malim, it didn't take a genius to figure out who.

It was not long after that when the great fleet had spotted the main lake-harbour of the isle. There were already quite a few ships moored at the jetties, but it mattered not. Their fleet would take precedence. Such was the importance of the Hulubalang.

Josias took out his telescope to gander a view of the port. It wasn't as large as even the river port of Goria. But considering that Matanitao rarely welcomed a high traffic of visitors, it was understandable. Regardless of that, it seemed like they had at least prepared themselves for the great Gotilon Festival.

Many flags representing the Great Halak Kingdoms and Realms were flying upon the jetties of the port. There also looked to be a great host upon the port and shores ready to give the fleet a greeting.

At the head of the party, Josias could spot several important-looking elderly people holding the tunggal panaluan, the staff of the priest-kings and shamans. Most of the welcoming party could also be seen wearing white turban-like cloths upon their heads. A distinctive trait among the more devout of the pagan heathens.

They had well and truly reached Matanitao. Was peace truly awaiting the Gorians or was it just more strife in disguise?

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