2. The Messenger

After school was over, Kiki walked home with Darza. Their house was quite close to school. Unbeknownst to them, a cygnet with a jewel bracelet on her head followed them.

"Dejan, is there anyone else who likes to bully you?" Kiki asked while walking alongside Darza.

Darza said nothing. The boy did not want to depend too much to his best friend. Especially if Kiki's help actually harms herself.

"Dejan, you better tell me what happened instead of enduring something like that again," Kiki said. Darza remained silent. There was silence for a few minutes. A breeze blew between the two of their bodies.

"Dejan, I just don't want you to suffer. What's so hard about you being open with me?" Kiki asked.

Darza suddenly stopped. Darza saw Kiki who was as tall as him through his glasses. He pulled a sleeve of the girl's uniform. "Kiki, someone is following us," Darza said.

Kiki looked back. A beak and the tail of a swan was sticking out from behind an electric pole. The appearance of the animal made Kiki tremble with fear. She hid behind Darza's body. "Dejan ... that d-d-duck ... p-p-please g-g-get rid of it," Kiki said.

"I'm not a duck, I am a swan!" the animal said. She came out from behind the electric pole so that Darza and Kiki could see her form clearly.

They could see a cygnet with brown feathers and a bracelet with an emerald rock on her head.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaah, the duck can talk!" Kiki exclaimed in surprise.

"Let's leave it alone, Kiki," Darza whispered to Kiki. He felt that they must leave this creature with no clear identity. This animal could be dangerous. The two of them then walked away.

But the swan ran and tried to intercept them. "Hey, wait, listen to me first!"

"Okay," Darza muttered. Darza and Kiki paused for a moment until the swan opened her mouth.

"My name is Eri. I am one of the Acritucygnises, a few of the swans called Cygnian who hold super powers," the cygnet explained.

"Sounds unbelievable," Kiki commented.

Darza thought that the fact that there was a swan who could talk in front of them alone was hard to believe.

"This is true. And the bad news, they are not good creatures, and they have come to colonize Indonesia. Except me. I want to prevent them, but I need your help, miss," Eri said, staring at Kiki.

"Me? Why me?" Kiki asked in confusion.