CESAGA

"Wow! What just happened? Is it moving now?!" Suria exclaimed, struggling to maintain her balance. 

"Indeed, Bertangkup stirs," Bedivere warned, his hand gesturing toward the yawning hollow behind him. "The journey will be rough—hold fast, lest you fall into its depths and find yourself colliding with our king."

Bertangkup opened its mouth slightly, and Lancelot stood firmly in the center. Through his helmet, a blue light illuminated his eyes, guiding their path. 

"Now, our path becomes clearer," Gawain spoke, his gaze steady as he stood with Bedivere and Lamorak. "Behold Lancelot—he has become the very eyes of Bertangkup." 

Purnama turned to Gema, a worried expression on his face.

"The sword is not from this world. The power it emits feels familiar. Why does Ria require such a dangerous object? Gema, you need to start talking." 

"Purnama, you know I do not involve myself in royal affairs. I simply need to deliver it to her in exchange for something precious to me. As my old friend, I implore you to trust me on this," Gema replied, his tone serious.

After a moment, Purnama nodded, choosing to trust him, and shifted his gaze back to the sprawling plains ahead.

As Bertangkup approached the vast canal, an abandoned port town came into view on the far right. 

"This town, once vibrant with the throngs of merchants and travelers traversing by steam bridge or waterborne vessel, now lies shrouded in silence. With the crossings restricted to the allies of the Darkseed, it has become a desolate and forsaken place." Gareth explained.

Near the town, they beheld a colossal gear, a silent sentinel of a bygone era, once crucial in securing the steam bridge. Bertangkup advanced, plunging into the tumultuous current. The rushing waters engulfed more than half its massive form, testing its stability. The turbulent crossing sapped much of Arthur's shakti, as if the very sea conspired to hinder their passage.

Dark clouds gathered ominously overhead, swirling like a tempestuous shroud, as rain fell in relentless sheets, drenching the land in a somber embrace. A splash of seawater surged up to strike Bertangkup's head, sprinkling those within its grasp.

The ascent of the hundred-meter-tall titan was slow, its progress through the churning sea a laborious endeavor. No steam-powered ship was spotted on the waters that day, leaving only the whisper of the wind and the roar of the waves.

Yet, in time, the outline of land emerged from the mist, marked by the silhouette of another massive gear anchored upon the shore, its bridgehead starkly visible beneath its embrace.

As Bertangkup approached the land, it reached down, its great hands forming a hook and a stair for those brave enough to ascend to the higher ground of Avalon.

With a mighty rumble, Bertangkup opened its maw wider near the stair-like hand, beginning to petrify and transforming into a monument of stone.

Though the dark clouds had receded, the air remained thick with swirling steam, and the persistent rain continued to fall, drenching the sacred soil of Avalon in a relentless cascade. 

"We need to climb up using Bertangkup's hand. Let's get going," Arthur said.

The hard surface of the titan facilitated their ascent. From their elevated vantage, they beheld a majestic city divided into three grand sections. Much like Aurea, Avalon was encircled by a ring of waterway, not only safeguarding the city but also harnessing the currents as a source of hydropower.

Three towering spires pierced the mist, continuously releasing plumes of steam into the air, a testament to the city's industrious spirit. 

"We could use Bertangkup to fight the Darkseed. It could be helpful, right?" Suria exclaimed. 

"Or it could herald our doom. Little do we know that the wretched beast, Kelembai, commands the soulless thralls. We were fortunate to escape with our lives... yet I mourn the loss of three noble knights. If Bertangkup were to enter the fray, it could spell our end. The bitter truth is, I bear the weight of my own knight's demise. Thus, I declare it a perilous folly," Arthur expounded, his voice heavy with regret.

"You hear that, Purnama? It sounds like Kelembai is a next-level soul eater. Not only can he consume souls, but he can also manipulate them to his advantage," Gema added. 

"Thou speakest true, Sir Gema. Kelembai binds the souls of the fallen to the soulless, wielding dominion over them. With the might of Bertangkup, it would serve only to enhance Kelembai's dark power..." Lancelot elaborated, his gaze unwavering.

"Well, that makes sense. Bertangkup is not a living creature after all. I almost forgot that while crossing the canal..." Suria said. 

"We need to report all this to Aurea later. The Darkseed are evolving to a different level," Purnama remarked, unease creeping into his voice at what Lancelot and Arthur had shared. 

"I'm sorry, Arthur. I didn't mean to bring up those bad memories," Suria said apologetically, unaware of the full situation.

"It matters not. None among us possesses full knowledge of this threat... We must press onward," Arthur replied resolutely, resuming his journey as his knights followed closely.

Gema, Purnama, and Suria trailed behind through the forest path that led to the Steam City of Avalon, rain still falling like a sorrowful hymn around them. 

Soon, Arthur and his knights stopped at a clearing where the path split into three junctions. The steam city of Avalon became increasingly visible, though fog and rain still hindered their sight.

"This is where we part ways. When you are near enough to the entrance, await the moment when the sun aligns with the great plate bridging the pillars of the towers. The city shall be cloaked in shadow for a fleeting instant, and that shall be our signal to strike. If there are no further inquiries, I wish you all fortitude and favor. Until our paths cross again," Arthur instructed, gesturing toward the massive plate atop the towers as he laid bare the strategy for their impending assault. 

Without further questions, Arthur's knights who would not accompany him knelt to receive a blessing before going their separate ways. Arthur tapped his Excalibur on the shoulders of Galahad, Gawain, Tristan, Bedivere, Lamorak, Palademes, and Gareth.

Despite the rain, rays of sunlight broke through the clouds, illuminating their path ahead.