
The rising sun woke Raajimera up after a long night of interrupted sleep.
She didn't feel good, like a piece of hay was sticking out from under her bedsheet. Maybe it was more than just her impression.
The woman was uncertain whether what happened last night was just a dream or a reality.
She reached under her duvet in an attempt to find the snake, and she felt something beneath her fingers. “Feng?” she asked quietly.
The animal crawled out, raised its head, and stuck out its tongue, but said nothing.
“Was it just a dream? I would have sworn that you spoke last night—” she was interrupted by loud knocking. Raajimera got up and opened the door.
Aya greeted her with a dazzling smile. The young girl grabbed her wrist, saying, “Hello! Come with me; you have to join us in the village center. We will present you with the candidates.”
“Candidates? What candidates?” Raajimera wondered. She glanced at her snake companion, who was in the room.
The animal was still in her bed, staring at her in confusion.
Her heart was filled with fear as the silhouette of the animal vanished from her sight. She didn't want to be alone with these strange people. Feng was the first character that made her feel understood.
The women proceeded down the stairs and across the main room towards the door.
Raajimera was overwhelmed with thoughts. She was still feeling stuck.
Her eyes saw the early morning light as she opened the door. The village was a dreamy place to be at this time. She sensed a strange connection with mornings, as if she had some sort of affiliation with this part of the day, back in her past life, that she was never going to get back. The sky was brimming with longing, giving the feeling of being blue a whole new meaning.
The village chief greeted her with a smile.
Several muscular young men accompanied him.
“Good morning! I hope you had a restful night. I would like to introduce you to our most talented athletes.” He gestured at his companions as he said, “We believe that their physical prowess will make them good candidates for the new Snake King.”
“Huh, physical prowess? What would I need it for?” Raajimera thought to herself and let out a quiet, dissatisfied moan. The chieftain noticed her reaction and laughed heartily.
“Don't worry. We will give you enough time to get to know them and pick one,” he assured her, “but between you and me, this one might be the fittest to advise you.” The chieftain pointed his chin at a smug-looking man in his mid-twenties, with his face chiseled like the finest sculpture of the old masters.
“Our scouts reported no suspicious activity in our area, so we decided to organize a small tournament for you to see.” The chieftain smiled and gestured at her to follow him.
The event took place in a small area on the side of the village.
The contestants took their places, and the championship has started.
First, they had to throw spears. Subsequently, there was sparring and weightlifting.
It was all the same for Raajimera. She was tired and uninterested. The woman looked longingly at something nearby that looked like a dry field.
Maybe nobody would notice if she went off on her own. She took a brief look at the people next to her. They were too absorbed in the games to even notice her. She took a chance and left them very quietly.
She took a seat on the dry grass. Nature made her happy. She took a deep breath.
She could still hear people cheering for the contestants, but it was much quieter here. Raajimera looked at the morning sky and was amazed by its beauty. She suddenly felt a small snake touch her leg. She looked down and squeaked,
“Feng?”
“It is me!”
“What happened? I thought I was crazy. Why didn't you speak to me again?”
“You meant before? I was about to, but then I heard someone running up the stairs, so I just waited to see what was about to happen. So, what did they pull you into this time?”
“They wanted me to watch some beefy guys do sports. I don't get it. Their village is in danger, but they seem to be oblivious to it. They claim that one of these men is going to help me, but I do not understand how.”
Raajimera lied down on the ground. “You know, Feng, these people are so confusing.”
The snake tilted its head. “I feel you. I don't know how any of these boulder people can help you, but I know what would.”
Raajimera looked at her snake companion, who was now right next to her shoulder. “Huh? May I know what it is?”
“Training,” the snake stated and nodded.
“Training? Do you think I should look like these guys?” Raajimera seemed confused and surprised.
“No, no, no,” Feng shook its head. “Not that kind of training. You see, when Raa made you a demigoddess, it came with some pretty interesting perks!” the snake coiled around her wrist. “It goes beyond physical training.”
“For example?”
“Bending sand or mirage illusions, to name a few…”
“What do you mean by bending sand?” Raajimera lifted her hand to her face so that she could get a better glance at her snake pal.
“You know,” the animal said, locking its eyes with her. “You can move sand with your willpower.”
“It sounds pointless to me. What could I possibly do with it?” The woman seemed dissatisfied with this answer.
“Have you ever gotten sand in your eyes?”
Raajimera took some time to reflect on it. “No, but fair point. I mean, maybe I did, but I wouldn't know that.”
Feng's face sparked with a sudden realization. “Oh, that's right! You don't remember. I'm sorry.” The animal returned to the ground, “Sand bending is actually very useful, especially when combined with illusions. I'm going to guide you. First, close your eyes and imagine little sparkling energy points across your body.”
“Will I have to close my eyes every time I attempt it?” she was uncertain.
“No, just now. You got to learn how to control your own body before you learn how to control everything that is outside of it.”
“Alright.” Her eyes were shut. It was hard for her to concentrate on the task, but she knew that Feng trusted her and believed in her abilities.
She decided to lie. Actually, it didn't feel like a lie, but more like avoiding the truth. “Okay, I see it.”
The snake was thrilled. “Now open your eyes and look at the ground.” The animal used its tail to mark the spot. “See this sand? Imagine the energy flowing from your forehead through your heart, straight into your palm, and extending beside it, allowing you to grab it.”
Raajimera followed the instructions, yet all she could do was lifting one single grain of sand.
“Is that it? Disappointing,” she mumbled.
The serpent looked at her and said, “It's something.”
“But all I did was lifting one grain of sand, one!”
“That's still one more than I could lift. I mean, I don't even have arms!”
“Well, but I do, and I could hold much more with them! Behold!” Raajimera took a handful of sand and threw it at the animal.
“Oh you!” Feng shouted and moved its tail quickly, hurling sand at the woman. “How do you like it now?”
“It's on! Don't move now.” Raajimera grabbed more sand and attempted to throw it at her companion, but the snake jumped out like a spring and dodged the attack. Both of them immediately began laughing. She said, “I'm sorry; I'm going to stop being silly and learn.”
“Don't feel bad. It will take time. Don't worry. You also need to laugh. You've been so nervous since I found you.”
Raajimera grabbed the snake and hugged it. “Thank you for becoming my friend.”
“Right back at you. I really thought you would drop me the second we spoke.”
“Drop such a nice companion? No way,” she chuckled.
The snake pointed at the sand with its tail tip, “Let's go back to training.”
She let out a sigh and reached out her hand. “Okay, I will do it with my willpower this time.”
The learning process was tedious, but they had such an enjoyable time that they didn't notice that the championship had already ended and someone had been watching them for a good while now.
The chieftain of the village observed them farther away. The young and handsome man from before stood there with him. “She is a weird one, isn't she?” he started. “She's a unique person. We will have to get to know her.”
“I believe you know what to do, Seyed?” the chieftain raised his eyebrow.
“Oh, believe me,” he laughed. “I know just the way to play it around, uncle.”
“You better. We can't let this opportunity get away.”