After a long night of mildly interrupted sleep, a ray of the rising sun ultimately woke Raajimera up for good. 

The woman got up and stretched without leaving her comfortable spot. She was under the vague impression that something was off. Raajimera started moving around as she had the sensation that a straw of hay was sticking out from under the goatskin stretched on the bed.

However, it must have been just her imagination.

Raajimera looked at the extinguished oil lamp and began to wonder whether the things that happened last night were real or if it was just a fever dream. 

She reached under the colorful blanket in an attempt to find the peculiar talking snake. 

"Feng?" she asked quietly, yet received no response.

The animal silently slithered out of the blanket with an exceptionally unintelligent facial expression, raised its head, and stuck out its tongue. 

"Was it just a dream?" she talked to herself in the serpent speech. "I would have sworn that last night you were—" she was suddenly interrupted by loud knocking. She twitched. 

The knocking repeated; this time it sounded more dire and demanding. 

Raajimera quickly got dressed, rushed to the door, and opened it with an ear-piercing screech.

On the other side of the entrance stood Aya, greeting her with a vibrant smile. "Good morning!" she shouted excitedly.

Not waiting for any kind of response, the young woman grabbed Raajimera by the wrist and started dragging her out of the building.

"Follow me," the girl said. "We will present you with the candidates!"

Raajimera rapidly turned around, desperately trying to make eye contact with the snake that was still in her room. The animal stared at her cluelessly until she lost it from her sight. 

She was suddenly overcome with anxiety. Something about these people just didn't sit right. Raajimera had no idea what to expect from them; at least she formed some sort of connection with Feng. Or at least she thought she did.

Both women proceeded downstairs. Raajimera was overwhelmed with thoughts. She was unsure whether she could trust these people or not, but at the same time she would rather not seem ungrateful. After all, they have already done so much for her.

When Aya pulled the tavern door, a scent of fresh morning air hit Raajimera's nose, and her eyes struggled to adjust to the amount of light suddenly given to them. Despite everything, the village seemed dreamy to her. 

Raajimera looked up and sensed a strange connection with mornings, as if this part of the day played an important role in her past life, the life that she would never get back. 

The sky was brimming with longing, giving the feeling of being blue a whole new meaning.

The two women appeared in front of what appeared to be some sort of makeshift arena. Hastily put together, aged wooden logs tied with a worn-out rope marked the contest area. Raajimera could have sworn that it was the same place where they feasted last night; however, her mind was cloudy, and she wasn't certain about that. 

The village chief appeared in front of them and greeted them with a smile.

"Good morning," he said. "Today you will witness the village's finest athletes attempting to prove themselves as the potential Snake King." The leader gestured vaguely at the group of men gathering behind him. 

What do I need them for? Raajimera thought to herself. I still have to figure out, well, all of it. The woman 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. 

While he was speaking, a handsome-looking man in his mid-twenties waved at her from a distance. His face, chiseled like the finest sculptures of the old masters, seemed kind yet somewhat smug. The man's eyes were blue, and a lone strand of hair hung above his forehead.

Raajimera looked down at his body and noticed that his clothes were visibly too small for him. His vest was like two people hanging desperately off a cliff, holding on for their dear lives. It seemed like it was about to break if he tensed his muscles a bit more. 

She started wondering how a group of bulky men in their ridiculously small outfits was going to help her when suddenly the chieftain spoke once more, bringing her back to reality.

"Our scouts reported no suspicious activity in our area," he said. "We decided to organize a small tournament for you to see." The chieftain smiled and gestured for her to follow. 

Raajimera took a seat on what she supposed was a bench. The piece of furniture seemed like it was about to collapse, but it was in much better shape than the remaining ones, so she decided it shouldn't be a problem.

The chieftain shouted at the men to begin the games and heavily sat next to her. The wooden plank she was sitting on squeaked and nearly launched her into the sky. 

The woman was spooked, but she tried to hold it together. She thought it would be easier, but it proved even harder than it was for the buttons on the shirt of the young athlete she met before.

After hearing the chieftain's shout, the contestants took their places, and the championship began. Their first task was throwing spears. 

The villagers seemed quite skilled at handling these kinds of weapons. Their performance was quite on par, but Raajimera noticed that the rest of the inhabitants gathered around and cheered only for one of them, someone named Seyed.

Raajimera tried to make sense of the whole tournament. She was quite bored and confused. It was difficult for her to stay focused.

Next up was sparring. The situation repeated, although to her, it seemed like for some reason the participants held back against the handsome man who smiled at her.

She looked around and noticed the happy faces of his peers. "Seyed! Seyed! Seyed!" they chanted. He turned to them and waved with both hands; he smiled widely, which revealed his teeth. Raajimera didn't pay attention to it before, but some of these people had unusually long canines.

Their last task was weightlifting. Raajimera was even more disinterested and tired. She didn't see any point in watching the competition. The winner was the same man in every round. It was painfully predictable.

The woman turned around and noticed a small snake crawling nearby. 

Feng? She thought to herself. 

Raajimera took a quick glance at the villagers. They were too preoccupied with their sports games to even pay attention to her. Perhaps they wouldn't notice if she disappeared…

The woman quietly sneaked out and followed the small reptile. She needed answers. 

When she finally went out of their sight, the animal froze in place and looked at her.

"Feng?" she asked.

"It is me!" the animal replied with a voice full of joy.

"What happened?" Raajimera sounded worried. "I thought I went insane. Why didn't you speak to me again?"

The snake let out a tired hiss.

"You mean this morning?" the animal asked. "I was about to, but then I heard someone on the stairs, and I—" Feng paused and looked at her. "What did they pull you into this time, exactly?"

Raajimera sat down on the ground and sighed. "They wanted me to witness their tournament. Supposedly it's supposed to help me pick one of them as my helper, but I am not sure how."

The snake nodded quietly, showing that it understood.

"I don't get it, Feng," she said and rolled her knees under her chin. "They say their village is in danger, yet they could spare some time to organize some pointless sports event." Raajimera grabbed Feng and placed it on her palm. "If their situation is so dire, shouldn't they be doing something about it rather than waiting for a messenger of gods?"

"I agree completely," the snake responded and tilted its head. "However, I think some training would benefit you too."

"What do you mean?" Raajimera asked, clueless. "I'm not exactly built for strength."

If they needed someone to throw spears or fight, they already had a group of trained people. Making her do the same thing seemed like a further waste of time and resources.

"I know what you're thinking, and before you ask, no, I don't want you to do any physical training." Feng gestured with its tail while speaking. "By making you a demigoddess, Raa gave you a possibility to unlock some interesting abilities; however, you won't be able to use them unless you learn how to do so."

Raajimera rubbed her chin. "For example?" she asked.

"Bending sand, mirage illusions…you know, this place is almost a desert, and it's the domain of the Twilight Mother, so every gift of the snake goddess will be linked to it." Feng tried to gesture the vastness of her possibilities; however, it was difficult having only one tail and no arms. 

"Explain," the woman demanded.

"For example, you can move sand with your willpower." The snake tried to be as straightforward as it was possible.

Raajimera seemed dissatisfied. "That sounds pointless." She rolled her eyes and continued, "What could I possibly do with that power? Don't tell me this is what I wanted from her."

Feng narrowed its eyes as much as being a reptile allowed it to. "Have you ever gotten sand in your eyes?" it asked after a brief moment of silence.

The woman fell silent, stretching her mind, trying to find such a memory. "I guess not…"

Feng's face sparked with a sudden realization. "Oh, that's right! You remember nothing; I'm sorry." The animal jumped off her hand and landed on the ground with a quiet thump. "Sand bending is surprisingly useful, especially when combined with illusions. I will guide you if you are ready."

Raajimera hesitated. "I don't think I will ever be less ready… on the other hand, I don't think I will ever be more ready either; bring it on," she said.

"Alright," Feng nodded. "Close your eyes, then."

"Will I have to do it every time I attempt it?" Raajimera felt uncertain about all of this.

Feng shook its head. "No, just now. You have to learn to control your own body before you learn how to control everything that is outside of it." 

The woman kept staring at the snake.

"Just close your eyes already!" the snake hissed impatiently. It hit the ground with its tail in a way that made it look like a toddler throwing a tantrum.

Raajimera did as asked, but she had so many questions. "Why do I need to do it?" she asked.

"Oh dear, do you know why Raa gave you a mark on your forehead?" Feng asked, to which the woman replied with a shake of her head. "That seal allows you to activate your third eye and see the nodes of the natural energy; attune to them," the snake explained.

"How do I do that?" she questioned. 

"Calm your mind and try to bring all your focus to your forehead." Feng answered. The snake noticed that she struggled with the task. "When you weren't looking, I scouted the hidden pockets of the bottom part of your dress," the snake informed her. "There is something that looks like a black bandage in one of them. Try to wrap it around your eyes."

Raajimera put her hands in her pockets. She found the piece of cloth the reptile informed her about. The woman blindfolded herself.

"Is it any better?" Feng asked.

"No—hold on!" Raajimera said, but seemed confused. The mark on her forehead suddenly started shining. "I see something now," she spoke, raising her voice slightly. "I can see the world, but it's quite dark."

"Can you see lights?" the snake questioned as it kept observing her.

"Oh dear, yes!" she exclaimed. "They look like stars; it's so beautiful…"

"These are the nodes of life energy. You will use them for your powers." Feng wrapped its tail around her wrist and guided her to a spot on the ground. "There is a sandpile here. Imagine that its node connects to the one on your palm, goes through your arm, straight to the heart, and then up to the mark of Raa."

"It feels funny," Raajimera stated.

"That's normal," Feng assured her. "Now, you have to keep the connection with it and imagine that you make the sand levitate. You can control its movement with your hand."

The woman followed the instructions. With a great sense of accomplishment, she excitedly lifted the blindfold from her eyes and asked, "How did I do?"

The snake looked at the ground, then at her, and then at the ground again and responded, "If my calculations are correct, you lifted exactly… one grain."

"What? Come on," Raajimera shouted. "Why?"

"I guess you need more practice; you've just started," Feng answered. "I know you're upset, but on the bright side, it's still more than I could ever lift. I mean, look at me! I don't even have arms!"

"Well, I do, and I can use them to lift way more than one grain, behold!" Raajimera joked and grabbed a fistful of sand, only to throw it at her faithful companion.

"Hey, what did I tell you about sand in the eyes? It seems like you need to experience it on your own." Feng tried to sound offended. The animal quickly moved its tail, hurling some sand in her direction. "How do you like it now?"

A small amount of sand got in her eye.

"Ouch, that hurts!" she exclaimed.

It took Raajimera a moment to remove the grains from under her eyelids.

"That's it, we fight," she said while grabbing more material. The woman suddenly understood she was being unreasonable and put it away. "I am sorry; I promise I will stop sabotaging my progress."

Feng started laughing; the woman couldn't help but join in.

"Don't feel bad," the snake advised her. "It will take time; you also need to laugh every so often. You've been so tense ever since I found you."

Raajimera suddenly felt understood. She grabbed the snake and hugged it. "Thank you for becoming my friend. You know, it's so difficult for me to find myself in this village. I am not one of them," she said.

"I feel the same. To be frank, I thought you were going to drop me the second we spoke; you didn't take my link to Raa lightly." Feng rubbed its face against her cheek.

The woman finally felt a spike in her heart. She still didn't come to terms with her fate being intertwined with Raa. She laughed nervously but tried not to make her feelings show. "Drop such a nice companion? No way."