"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 he 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."

Feng sensed that she was tense and decided to redirect her attention. The snake pointed at the ground with the tip of its tail and said, "Let's go back to training."

Raajimera let out a sigh, nodded, and put the blindfold back on her face.

Her learning progress was tedious; she had difficulty getting the hang of her abilities, but Feng tried to make it as fun as possible. None of them, however, noticed that the tournament was already over, and they had been observed for quite some time now.

The handsome athlete was hiding behind a building, watching Raajimera. He stood there with his arms folded and the left side of his body leaning against the wall.

The chieftain appeared by his side. 

The younger man took a quick glance at him and said, "She's a weird one, isn't she?" he said. He then smiled and continued, "She's an enigma we will have to crack."

"I trust you know what to do, Seyed?" the chieftain asked and raised his eyebrow. 

He laughed mysteriously and replied, "Oh, believe me. I know just the way to play it around, Uncle." 

By the look on his face, Seyed was very full of himself. 

"You better," the chieftain said and ran his fingers through his short hair. "We can't let this opportunity get away."

"I think we all agree on that," Seyed mumbled to himself as he watched the beautiful, mysterious stranger. His eyes sparked with an emotion only he could know.