HIKAYAT ZACK: PENDEKAR SELAMBA
Chapter 1 — Keris Berkarat
The morning sun rose over the busy port of Melaka.
Ships from distant lands filled the harbour. Merchants shouted about their goods, sailors carried heavy crates, and traders from different kingdoms moved through the crowded streets.
Melaka was alive.
And somewhere in the middle of all that chaos…
A young man was sleeping on a wooden bench.
His black Baju Melayu was slightly messy. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, his kain pelikat was hanging loosely around his waist, and his tanjak was tilted to one side.
His name was Zack.
Or, as his mother liked to call him—
Zahirul Akmal.
But almost everyone simply called him Zack.
He was supposed to be working.
Instead, he was sleeping.
“ZACK!”
A loud voice suddenly exploded beside him.
Zack opened one eye.
A woman stood in front of him with her arms crossed.
Zara.
Her dark blue headscarf was neatly arranged, her clothes were those of a trained female warrior, and a short keris rested at her waist.
She stared at Zack.
Zack stared back.
Silence.
Then Zack closed his eye again.
“I’m not here.”
Zara’s eyebrow twitched.
“You are literally lying in front of me.”
“That’s only your opinion.”
“Get up.”
“Can’t.”
“Why?”
“I’m busy.”
“Doing what?”
“Thinking.”
Zara stared at him.
“About?”
Zack opened his eyes.
“Why fish don’t have legs.”
Zara’s expression became completely blank.
“…I hate you.”
Zack smiled.
“Many people do.”
Before Zara could kick him, another man came running toward them.
“ZACK! ZARA!”
Khai arrived while gasping for breath.
His clothes were covered in dust.
His face looked terrified.
Zack slowly sat up.
“What happened?”
Khai pointed behind him.
“GUARDS!”
Zack looked behind Khai.
Nothing.
“Where?”
Khai pointed again.
“They’re coming!”
Zack stood up.
“Why are they coming?”
“I don’t know!”
“Then why are you running?”
“Because they’re guards!”
Zack paused.
“That is not an answer.”
Khai grabbed Zack’s shoulder.
“Just run!”
Zara sighed.
“Both of you are idiots.”
Suddenly—
CLANG!
A sword struck the wooden stall beside them.
The three froze.
Several armed men appeared at the end of the street.
They weren’t ordinary city guards.
Their clothes were different.
Dark clothing.
Hidden faces.
Weapons drawn.
Zara immediately became serious.
“Those aren’t Melaka guards.”
Zack looked at them.
Then he looked at Khai.
Then Zara.
“Can we pretend we’re not here?”
“No.”
“Worth a try.”
The men began moving toward them.
Their leader pointed his sword.
“Hand over the document.”
Zack frowned.
“What document?”
“The royal document.”
Zack blinked.
He looked at Zara.
“Do you have a royal document?”
“No.”
“Khai?”
“No.”
Zack nodded.
“Then we have nothing.”
The enemy leader narrowed his eyes.
“Don’t lie!”
Zack sighed.
“Look, brother. If I had a royal document, do you think I’d still be sleeping on this bench?”
Khai whispered,
“That actually makes sense.”
Zara elbowed him.
“Not helping.”
The enemy charged.
Zara immediately drew her keris.
“Zack!”
“I know.”
Zack reached for the keris at his waist.
He slowly pulled it from its sheath.
The blade appeared old.
Very old.
There were dark marks along its surface.
Rust.
Khai stared at it.
“Your keris is rusty.”
Zack looked at the blade.
“It’s not rusty.”
Khai pointed.
“That’s literally rust.”
Zack frowned.
“It’s historical.”
“It’s rust!”
“Historical rust.”
Zara covered her face.
“Can both of you stop talking?”
The first enemy attacked.
Zack’s expression suddenly changed.
The lazy smile disappeared.
His body shifted.
His feet moved.
His hand tightened around the keris.
The sword came down.
Zack stepped aside.
The blade missed him by an inch.
Zack twisted his body.
His elbow struck the man’s chest.
BAM!
The enemy flew backward.
Khai’s mouth dropped open.
Zara glanced at Zack.
That movement…
It wasn’t random.
It was Silat Harimau.
Zack’s eyes became sharp.
Another enemy attacked from behind.
Zara blocked him.
CLANG!
Her keris met the man’s sword.
She twisted his wrist and kicked him away.
“Zack!”
“I see him.”
Three men surrounded Zack.
Zack looked around.
He sighed.
“Three against one?”
He glanced toward a nearby fruit stall.
A coconut sat on the table.
Zack smiled.
“That’s unfair.”
The three enemies charged.
Zack suddenly grabbed the coconut.
Khai screamed.
“WHY DID YOU TAKE THE COCONUT?!”
Zack threw it.
THUD!
The coconut hit one man’s face.
He collapsed.
Khai stared.
Zack casually walked past him.
“See?”
Zara blinked.
“…You could have used your keris.”
Zack shrugged.
“Why damage a perfectly good keris?”
Khai pointed at the rusty blade.
“Perfectly good?”
Zack ignored him.
More enemies arrived.
Zara tightened her grip.
“There are too many.”
Khai immediately stepped backward.
“I agree.”
Zara looked at him.
“Where are you going?”
“To get help.”
“From who?”
Khai paused.
“…God?”
Zack laughed.
“Finally, a smart decision.”
“You’re coming with me!”
“No.”
“Why?!”
Zack pointed at the enemies.
“Because someone needs to distract them.”
Khai’s face went pale.
“Who?”
Zack smiled.
“You.”
“ZACK!”
Khai ran.
“HELP! HELP! I AM TOO YOUNG TO DIE!”
Zara sighed.
“Useless.”
Zack looked at her.
“You like him.”
“I tolerate him.”
“Same thing.”
The enemy leader stepped forward.
“You have interfered with matters of the palace.”
Zack’s smile disappeared.
“The palace?”
The man raised his sword.
“The document belongs to someone who will soon control Melaka.”
Zara’s eyes narrowed.
“Who?”
The man smiled.
“You will meet him soon.”
Suddenly, a whistle echoed from the harbour.
The enemies immediately retreated.
Zack watched them disappear between the crowds.
He looked down at the rusty keris in his hand.
For the first time that morning, he wasn’t joking.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
Zara approached him.
“Zack.”
“Hm?”
“Why did they mention the palace?”
Zack sheathed his keris.
“I don’t know.”
“You’re lying.”
Zack looked at her.
Then he smiled.
“Maybe.”
Zara grabbed his collar.
“Tell me.”
“Later.”
“Now.”
“Later.”
“Zack!”
He pulled himself free.
“Come on.”
“Where?”
Zack pointed toward the fruit stall.
“I’m hungry.”
Zara stared at him in disbelief.
“People just tried to kill us!”
“Exactly.”
“What does that have to do with food?”
Zack smiled.
“Nearly dying makes me hungry.”
Zara took a deep breath.
She looked toward the harbour.
Something was coming.
Something much bigger than the three of them.
And somewhere in the shadows of Melaka…
A man wearing expensive black robes watched them from a distance.
He slowly smiled.
His name was Megat Iskandar.
And his eyes were fixed on the rusty keris hanging at Zack’s waist.
“So…”
Megat whispered.
“The heir has finally appeared.”
He turned away.
“Begin the next phase.”
The game had begun.
