"Hey kids, I know you are upset that Guntur died, but Suhendra is still around, so why don't we hear more of his story?"

"Ok..."

Creeping out of the jungle and into a clearing, a large, hairy, muscular man covered in dirt and animal hides put down his pack, and began to strike some flint. It would be nightfall soon, and he would need a fire. On an island far from the towns and cities of Doebi, night brought with it the dangers of snakes, jaguars, and perhaps worst of all - cultists.

Thirty minutes later, the fire was roaring. Warmed by it, the man settled in for some sleep. Another hour later, he was woken by the sound of snarling. A pack of jaguars, nearly a dozen of them, had spotted the fire, and approached looking for a meal. They looked at the man with hungry, fearless eyes. The man, in turn, picked up his four hundred pound axe, turned to the animals, and sighed.

It only took the deaths of about four jaguars before the rest of the pack ran off in fear. Watching them run away, Suhendra - Raja of the Kingdom of Doebi - felt the blood trickle down his back. He ran his hand along the clawmarks, feeling how they intersected the two dozen other scars from claws, teeth, and rocks that covered his skin. Kneeling down over the largest of the dead jaguars, he got out a knife and began to prepare the hide.

.

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It had been nearly a decade since Suhendra had watched his best friend, Guntur, die in his arms. At first, he tried to comfort himself in the idea that Guntur had already, in a way, achieved immortality - through the deeds he had done, and the statue Suhendra built in his honor, his name and story would be remembered for generations. But he had seen the fear in the eyes of his friend, fear that he had not seen when fighting Ponderet's Monster or the Gajah Syurga. His fame, his titles, all of that was futile - it did not comfort him in his dying moments, when his only wish was to spend more time with Suhendra. Because none of those things were the real Guntur - he was buried beneath the ground, being eaten by worms.

Suhendra could not put this image out of his mind. If anyone on Doebi was his equal, it was Guntur, and even he was not safe from the fear and inevitability of death. So one morning, his mind made up, he made his way to the Majlis Besar, informed them that he would return, grabbed a 400-pound axe from the royal armory, and ventured onward, looking for anything that could bring him closer to finding eternal life.

For the first five years, this lead him on a series of fantastic journeys and attempts to find creatures, plants, or waters said to grant longetivity or wishes. These included, but were not limited to:

• Over a year searching the coasts for the ikan manusia - a golden fish with the face of a human that is fabled to give extreme longetivity to anyone who can catch it and eat its flesh raw. But trips up and down the coasts of Doebi, and even to some nearby islands, found no real sightings of the fish, just differing tales of what it looked like and the dangers that arose from catching it (like terrible floods and windstorms)

• Another year spent scouring the jungle for a legendary plant of the Gods - the tumbuhan hidup - that only grew under the water of rivers and ponds, surrounded by thorns, but that would extend the life of whoever could find it and eat it by hundreds, even thousands of years. But after countless near drownings, and a hand so scarred it looked like it belonged to a leper, he had found nothing

• Two years searching every vuölt on Doebi for the keremajaan - a spring of water said to literally wash away the age from anybody who bathed in it. Unfortunately the only waters he found in these vuölts were either dangerous underground rivers, stale ponds filled with mosquitoes, or waterfalls formed from nearby streams flowing into them. He did manage to find and destroy three cultist hideouts, however, so that he was proud of

And many others. But after over five years of these quests, Suhendra seemed to be out of leads.

But then he heard of the stories. The legends found in bits and pieces around Doebi. He had not given them much thought, being focused on whatever search he was undertaking at the time, but now it was his last lead. People spoke of a man named Sudiroprojo, supposidly the oldest man on Doebi, who had survived the Great Flood and been given the gift of eternal life.

The next three years were spent tracking down every myth, legend, rumor, and story that spoke of this Sudiroprojo. Eventually these too appeared to fall flat, but in these stories he heard of something that might be even better - a large island near the end of the world, on which rested a massive mountain with a tunnel at its base. Passing through this tunnel would lead to Hutanatuhan, the Garden of the Gods, where he could seek an audience with Cozmera personally, and make his case for immortality.

For the last three years he had sailed far across the oceans of Doebi, checking every island, large and small, for hints of this land. But finally, he had arrived at the largest landmass he had yet found, and he felt that through this jungle, he would find the mountain he had sought.

.

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After a few hours of work, Suhendra had finished preparing the hide. Draping it over his back like a cape, he pushed further onward through the jungle. But after a few hours, the jungle seemed to be getting less and less dense. Suddenly, he burst through the treeline. Ahead of him, rising into the sky, was a massive mountain. And at its base, flanked by two snake warrior guards, was a large iron door. Suhendra smiled. He had made it.

Meanwhile, the two guards looked at the edge of the jungle and rolled their eyes. Another burly vagabond had wandered up to the entrance to Hutanatuhan and would have to be taken care of. The guards were not worried, they were snake warriors - humanoid serpents with both venomous fangs and the ability to kill any mortal simply by looking them in the eye. They were a little surprised that he approached them, even seeing that they were snake warriors, but figured maybe he was drunk. Or stupid. Or both. So one stepped forward and called out to him.

"Hey! You there! Stop and turn around now! This entrance to the Garden of the Gods does not concern you! Leave now or face the consequences!"

The other guard looked at the first with disappointment. "Really? You're just gonna tell him the fantastic place that we are guarding? Fine, I'll go take care of him." Moving towards Suhendra, he looks up, and meets the gaze of the King.

Much to the surprise of both guards, Suhendra - unlike 99% of the men who met the gaze of the snake warriors and dropped dead immediately - seemed totally unfazed. The guard shook his head, and tried again, but Suhendra kept walking as if nothing had happened. It is not known whether this was due to the fact that he was three-quarters of a God, or simply due to his sheer strength and will, but because the job description for these guards really only entailed of looking at anyone who hoped to enter the pass, and disposing of those that died, they decided they were OK letting Suhendra through.

As they opened the great doors, however, they warned him: "Regardless of what you hear, or what you see, you must move in a straight line forward. Do not deviate until you find the door on the other side." Suhendra laughed - he had survived in the wilderness for ten years, and had literally just last night killed a pack of jaguars - he would be fine. So he stepped into the black void of the tunnel, and watched as the door closed behind him, enshrouding him in total darkness.

As Suhendra journeyed forward, he was constantly bombarded by false visions and trickeries of the ear. He heard the wails of a crying baby, just out of sight. He was a nice warm campfire, sat next to a spring. He heard the ring of gold falling to the floor, and he saw a dozen beautiful women, beckoning him into the darkness. He endured such trials for an entire day before finally seeing the door at the end of the tunnel. But as he reached forward to open it, he heard something that stopped him dead in his tracks.

"Sᴜʜᴇɴᴅʀᴀ...​"

He turned around, and saw Guntur, standing off to the side. He was covered in dust, his mouth caked with clay, and barely able to move.

"Sᴜʜᴇɴᴅʀᴀ, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ʜᴇʟᴘ ᴍᴇ. Yᴏᴜ ᴍᴜsᴛ ʜᴇʟᴘ ᴍᴇ, I ᴄᴀɴɴᴏᴛ sᴛᴀʏ ʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀɴʏ ʟᴏɴɢᴇʀ. I ɴᴇᴇᴅ ʏᴏᴜ. SUHENDRA..."

Suhendra could barely restrain himself from lunging forward to embrace his friend, but remembered the words of the snake warriors. Steeling himself, he turned from his friend, grasped the door, and yanked it open.

After his eyes adjusted to the light, Suhendra was met with the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. A garden that seemed to stretch for miles laid before him, with fountains made of silver and gold, trees containing all of the most delicious fruits, and small animals at play all around him. Looking to his left, he saw a grand table, at which sat many of the Gods and Goddesses he knew, enjoying a nice brunch with the finest foods and wines. He smiled. He had finally made it, and this was his chance.

He walked over towards the table, and the Gods looked in shock as they noticed the large, smelly, hairy man walk towards them, covered in scars and animal furs, and carrying a massive axe. But he approached Cozmera immediately, and prostrated himself before her.

"Mighty Goddess, I praise your beauty and kindness. This humble servant asks for naught but a private audience in which I shall plead my case."

Cozmera looked upon this man with pity, and smiled. "Rise, Suhendra," she said, "and come with me."

They walked together to a nearby fountain, and sat down. But before Suhendra could even begin to speak, Cozmera interrupted him.

"I am sorry Suhendra, but the answer is no."

Suhendra gulped, and the Goddess continued.

"You, a mortal, have made it to where no other mortal has come before, and to where no mortal will ever come again, and for that I commend you. And I have not been blind to your quests, your conquests, and your losses. I know of the gift you seek - the gift of keabadian, to have eternal life - but it is a gift that I cannot give to you, and that no God will give to you. Man is not meant to be permanent, life is to be a gift cherished for only its length, and yours is no different. So go now, return to your home, and live the rest of your life to the fullest."

And with that, Cozmera turned, rejoined the other Gods and Goddesses at the table, and resumed her brunch.

Now, if any other man had made the journey here, and been told by the Goddess of Life herself that immortality was not to be theirs, and to just go home and enjoy their life, the story might end here. But obviously Suhendra was no ordinary man, and would not give up until he was sure there were no more leads to follow. And he still had one card left to play.

Waiting until the brunch had ended, Suhendra laid eyes on his target. As the God stood from the table, and walked towards the beach, Suhendra snuck up and jumped out of the tall garden grass.

This, quite obviously, was extremely surprising to Teç, who simply saw a large, dirty man covered in animal furs and smelling like a vagabond jump out towards him. But as he readied his spear to put down this strange, insolent man who had invaded his home, he recognized him.

"Suhendra? Is that you?"

Suhendra immediately prostrated himself before the God.

"Your Godliness, I humbly beseech you as but a loyal servant of your good Grace. I -"

"Suhendra stop it, there is no need for that here. Come and embrace me."

The pair embraced, and Teç immediately got a noseful of stench and filth.

"Actually, why don't you stand back a few steps. Anyway, it's good to see you here. I am sorry your conversation with Cozmera did not go so well, I know how hard you have worked to get to this point. Unfortunately my answer can be no different than hers - I cannot give you the gift that you seek."

Suhendra snorted angrily. "And why can't you, exactly? Have you not given such a gift to people before? I have heard of the one they call Sudiroprojo, a man who survived the Great Flood. Do you deny that this is true?"

Teç seemed shocked to hear that name, but spoke carefully. "I... I cannot deny that we did give the gift of keabadian to this man, but it was not as simple as you make it out to be. That is a long story, one you will have to ask him about yourself."

Suhendra cocked his head. "Oh? And where exactly do you expect me to find him? I have already spent a decade scouring the world, where is left to look?"

Sighing, Teç continued, pointing out across the waters. "Far out from this shore, the sea meets the waters of death. Across those waters you can find him, though if he will talk is up to him."

Suhendra smiled. This was it, for real this time. He could talk to someone who actually did live forever! "How can I cross these waters, then?" He asked the God, full of excitement.

Teç pointed down the shoreline. "Do you see that man, working on something further down the coast? That is The Ferryman. He will take people across the waters of death, from time to time. But he is very picky about who he brings, so choose wisely how you wish to approach him on the matter."

With that, Teç turned to leave, although it did not matter, as Suhendra had started over towards the Ferryman before Teç was even done speaking. He hoped his warning had been clear, and would prevent another introduction like the one he had with Suhendra.

Suhendra, unfortunately, did not hear that warning. Instead, he thought about how asking politely for things had just failed two times in a row, and did not want to be rejected a third time. So he quietly approached the Ferryman, who was too busy working on his project to notice his approach. Then, with a mighty scream, Suhendra jumped out and brought his axe down hard upon the man's project. Getting up, he turned to the startled man.

"YOU!" he bellowed, "YOU ARE THE FERRYMAN, YES?"

"Y... yes...?" the Ferryman stuttered, clearly confused.

"YOU WILL TAKE ME ACROSS THE WATERS OF DEATH, TO SEE SUDIROPROJO. AM I CLEAR?"

The Ferryman sighed. "Yes, you are very, very clear, but I will not be taking you across the waters of death now, or maybe ever."

Suhendra's eyes flashed with rage. "AND WHY NOT?"

Rolling his eyes, the Ferryman pointed to the project he had been working on. "You see that stone sculpture of mine that you just so loudly destroyed? That was the prow of my canoe. I cannot take anyone across the waters of death in a canoe without a prow - if water gets in, you will literally die. Like, that's the whole point of the waters. And why I have a ship. See what I'm getting at with this?"

Suhendra calmed down. "Oh, so your issue is not with taking me across, its just that your ship needs repairs?"

"Yeah, basically."

"Well then why didn't you just say so? Get the prow into the most basic serviceable condition that you can, and I will take care of the rest."

The Ferryman looked at Suhendra suspiciously, but nodded. A few hours later, and the canoe was, well, as seaworthy as a few hours of work can make a ship with a shattered prow. They climbed in, but Suhendra took the paddles from the Ferryman.

"Just point me in the right direction. I will take care of the paddling."

The Ferryman shrugged and handed him the paddles. He pointed off out across the sea, and Suhendra began to paddle. Well, paddle might be underselling it a bit. He paddled so quickly, and with so much ferocity, that the prow of the ship actually lifted out of the water! The canoe moved forwards quicker than even the fastest boats powered by wind, and within just a few hours, the waters turned from a crystal blue to a serene turquoise - a beautiful color for the so-called waters of death.

Paddling even faster to avoid the front of the boat coming down in these deadly waters, Suhendra kept going. And going. And going. He even forgot to actually look where he was going, until suddenly the boat came to a sudden stop, throwing both him and the Ferryman forward. But instead of hitting the water and dying as they expected, they landed on a soft, sandy beach, with a man standing over them. Suhendra quickly stood up, and looked the man up and down. He was dressed simply, with a goblet of wine in one hand and a palm leaf in the other.

"Who are you?" Suhendra demanded of the strange man, "and what are you doing here?"

The man simply smiled in return. "My name," he said, "is Sudiroprojo."

"And that is where we will leave it for today, kids. Tomorrow night will be the end of this story, but not the end of Suhendra, if he has anything to say about it!"

"Alright! Goodnight mom!"

"Goodnight kids."