Solo Omah Geni Niskala

Kanthil Kinanthi

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Kanthil's Common Speech = #702963 Kanthil's Parseltongue = #702963 Niskala's Speech = #2F5D50

A day after third year graduation Omah Geni 754 words

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Speaking with snakes was easy for Kanthil. She had this talent since she was five years old. But did it make her able to control them? The answer was no. Not at all. Like humans, snakes had their own personalities. Some were rebellious, some were mean, and some were nice. Kanthil learned this from her interactions with the snakes she found at the woods near her house.

However, there was a snake that she often found coincidentally. A snake that has a unique colour on the body, something that Kanthil just found out that she seldom sees. She often wondered if the snake was a rare species or something that was far from a mundane snake. She also found that the snake got near her whenever they met, unlike other snakes. They often spoke and got to know each other. The snake was the reason why Kanthil always brought a raw chicken meat, which is clearly not Lesmana’s chicken, from her house whenever she wanted to visit the woods for her refreshment. Each time she met the snake, she would always give it the meat. Sometimes she brought chicken meat, sometimes beef, depending on what’s inside the magical cooler. Though she needed to make sure that Larasati wouldn’t notice the decrease in the meat stock in the process. If there was no meat in the cooler, Kanthil didn’t hesitate to buy something from the market before visiting the woods.

Each day, Kanthil learned more about the snake, as much as the snake learned about Kanthil. And this happened not in a short period. Not for some days or weeks. It had been almost four years since their first meeting. They met consistently, especially during the holiday period.

It was a day after Kanthil graduated from her third year. She went to the woods to refresh her mind after having a stressful month of exams. When she arrived, she was welcomed by the breeze. Once she sat under a tree, the usual spot whenever she visited the place. It was peaceful, the thing she needed the most at the moment.

She sensed something familiar nearby. It was the snake.

“You’re back,” the snake hissed.

Kanthil nodded to the snake. “Finished my exam. I’m here to relax,” she replied. The girl pulled her bag closed and took a lunchbox full of raw meat. She pushed it to the snake and let the creature process the food in silence.

Sometimes she stole a quick glance at the snake. And once it finished, Kanthil said in a soft hiss, “I’ve realised that I’ve never asked your name.”

“I have no name,” the snake replied.

“You don’t?” Kanthil surprised.

The snake crawled slowly, getting closer to Kanthil. “Name is given from humans to claim a snake as their companion,” he replied. "That was what I heard from the others."

Then they went silent. Nothing came from either party, only the sound of the faint breeze.

“You are basically my companion,” Kanthil said. “You ate all the meat I brought here,” she chuckled, but there was no response from the scaled creature. “How about you become my companion? I can provide your daily necessities.”

Another silence filled the space between them. “What should I give for the exchange?” it asked.

“Be the extension of my eyes and hands. Warned me every time you sensed danger.”

“That’s a pretty easy job, but also tricky at the same time,” it hissed. Given some time, he made the decision. “I don’t see any harm in accepting your offer.” He crawled closer, its head touched the hand of the girl.

Kanthil smiled softly. “I’ve been thinking of a suitable name for you.” She pats the scaled creature before continuing, “Niskala. From now on, I’m going to call you Niskala.”

The name was derived from an old Javanese word which associated with things that couldn't be seen by ordinary eyes. The name carried a mystical meaning, one that Kanthil found fitting for the serpent rather well. There was always something unusual about the creature, from the way it had attached itself to her so strangely.

With that, the bond between the girl and her companion had been formed. From that time onward, Niskala would live near Kanthil. Though it faced some problems since her parents disagreed with keeping a snake in their house, Kanthil eventually managed to keep her scaled creature always near her. Even with some hot-headed arguments with her parents, Aryamurti and Larasati eventually grew used to the new addition to the family.

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