Nkauj Sheng POV

 

“Nkauj Sheng, it’s morning! Why are you still lying around like that?! Come help me work.” Mai Cee glared at me.

I took a look through the cracks of the house and saw that it was still really early in the morning. Why is Mai Cee in a rush?
“What are you looking at? Are you going to keep on laying in bed until the sun rises?!” Mai Cee rolled her eyes at me.

“Sister, can we tal—” before I can finish what I wanted to say, Mai Cee quickly left the room. I sighed and got up to get freshen myself before starting the day.

“Nkauj Sheng!” Nyiaj stood right in front of my house as soon as I came out to get some woods.

“Nyiaj!” I freaked out for a while. He looked like a panda. Like he hasn’t slept for days. “What are you doing here?” I asked him.

“Are you alright? Did that snake come and hurt you?” he asked me.

“I’m fine,” I told him unable to look away from his face. “You should go and rest, you look really unwell.” I told him.

“No, I’m fine. I won’t rest until I get rid of that snake!” he said.

“Nyiaj,” I took a deep breath. “I don’t think Peevxwm is as evil as you make him to be okay? Although he is a snake, that doesn’t mean he’s a bad person.” I told him.

“What?! You’ve met him?! What kind of other spell did he put on you?!” Nyiaj grabbed me and pulled me towards him looking around me.

“Stop it!” I tried to pull away but suddenly Mai Cee appeared and pushed me away.

“Nyiaj!” she hugged him. “I miss you!” she said.

I looked at the two of them not knowing what to do. Then I left the to go get some woods on the side of the house.

“Mai Cee get off of me, Nkauj Sheng wait!” he tried to push Mai Cee away.

“Nyiaj, let’s talk about this later okay? But for now, go rest.” I told him and entered my house with a few woods.

“Nkauj Sheng!” I heard him shout once more.

 

Peevxwm POV

 

“I sense that that sorcerer is getting near here.” I told Thaiv.

“How?” he looked at me confused.

“It’s just a gut feeling, a really intense one too. He’s probably heading to town right now." I told Thaiv.

 

Pobtsuas POV
 

“Mom, please let me leave. That uncle Hwi Chim has already left to come to go to Hua Cua Village.” I told my mom.

“No, if your friend is off to do bad, I don’t want you to go and get injured also!” my mom said.

“But mom, it’s to protect him and many more people.” I told her.

“But son,” my mom stopped cooking and looked over at me. “Do you think I want to see you hurt when you come back? No, I want to see my son alright and fine!” my mom said.

“I know mom.” I sighed and headed to my room disappointed.

 

Peevxwm POV

 

“Buddy, why are you sitting here so upset?” Thaiv asked me.

I looked at the view of the sea from the cliff and sighed. “Nkauj Sheng must really hate and be scared of me.” I said.

“Maybe she’s not the one.” Thaiv told me.

I looked at him and was about to speak back until I sensed something. “Duck!” I pulled him down with me as an arrow flew our way and almost hit us.

“Dang! He’s gotten better!” Thaiv half whispered.

“Thaiv, you go and check on Nkauj Sheng to make sure that socerer doesn’t go and do anything to her in case he arrives. I’ll distract Nyiaj.” I told him.

“But—” I pushed Thaiv away and transformed into a snake. “Fine, be careful!” he too transformed into a snake and left.

 

Thaiv POV
 

I found Nkauj Sheng and her sister at the farm with their mom. I kept a good look around to make sure that no one else is here except them. While keeping watch out, I saw Nkauj Sheng headed future away from her sister and mother into the fields deeper. This is a good chance to speak to her; I then followed after her.

“Nkauj Sheng!” I quickly appeared into a human form and faced her.

She was about to scream but covered . “What are you doing here?” she asked me.

“I want to talk about Peevxwm quick. I know you’re afraid that he’s a snake, and you also think that he has put you under a spell. But think, if he did such thing, would you even notice or believe in it? If someone is put under a spell, no matter what others say, they have no doubts. But you have a lot of doubts okay?” I told her.

She looked at me and became calmer after digesting my words.

“Also, if he really did put a spell on you, would he try so hard to win your heart by coming and see you everyday as much as possible? A spell would have you captivated by him in no time.” I told her.

“I know now.” Nkauj Sheng told me. “But I was afraid okay? I felt betrayed and afraid of him for a while. I wish he told me instead of someone else so I don’t have so much worries and anxiety.” She got teary.

“He was afraid to tell you. He didn’t want you to be afraid of him so he approached you as a human. He did it so that you won’t be afraid of him. And he did want to tell you. Before he left for a month so suddenly due to his father getting ill when he planned on telling you. So he decided to tell you after he came back because he didn’t want to tell you and then just disappear. That’s how much he likes you.” I told her.

“Nkauj Sheng! What’s taking you so long to pick some ivy gourd?!” I heard her mom approaching and then turned into a snake as I slithered away.

“Nothing,” Nkauj Sheng quickly spoke taking a glance at me and then started to pick the ivy gourds.

 

Peevxwm POV

 

I let out a powerful blow of wind and blasted Nyiaj down to the ground. I then went around him and squeezed him as tightly as I could. As soon as I heard him losing breath, I let him go and he collapsed to the ground. I then turned into a human and faced him.

“Dude, I don’t want to kill you but if you keep on acting ruthless like this, I have no choice.” I told him.

“I’m,” he panted hard, “Am going to kill you!” he grabbed his arrows.

I stepped on them and then threw them away. “I promise you I won’t hurt Nkauj Sheng. I know it’s hard to believe in some ways for you but I love her a lot.” I told Nyiaj.

“Lies! You can’t possibly love her more than me!” he shouted.

“Listen, I really don’t want to hurt yo—” before I can finish, he suddenly stabbed a dagger at my stomach. I looked down to see some green liquid mixed with my blood and new right away, he poisoned me.

“Hah,” he smirked before he fainted.

Idiot, I thought to myself as I left the scene holding onto my pain. I went deep into the forest and mediate to try to get the poison out of me. But the more I mediate, the more I felt the poison crawling through on my bed.

 

Nkauj Sheng POV

 

I woke up from my nightmare sweating. I looked around me to make sure it was just a dream. I just dreamed that a snake was bleeding a lot. And it made me worry as if that snake was Peevxwm.

“Honey,” I heard my mom’s voice from the living room.

“What is it that you have to wake me up for?” I heard my dad asked.

“I kept dreaming of our daughter Nkauj Sheng lately. I dreamed that she was going to get very sick. I saw two dark shadows around her.” My mom said.

“Well, is there any guys coming after our daughter lately?” my dad asked.

“There are two sons from other villages after our daughter. But the shadows are weird.” My mom said.

“What do you mean?” my dad asked.

“I’m sure in my dream, the shadows are of a man and a woman though.” My mom said.

“Honey, is this a bad omen for us? You said you dreamed about snakes, one of our daughter getting married, and then Nkauj Sheng getting ill with two shadows around her.Maybe should should have a ritual ceremony and ask our ancestors to protect us.” My dad said.

“I believe we should honey. Let’s prepare a date as soon as possible for our two daughters. After next week, don’t accept any more requests to be a shaman for the people. Tell them we have to do one for us.” My mom said.

“Okay,” my dad said.

Me ill? Why? What’s going to happen? I then went back to bed and tried to force myself to sleep.

+++

“Mai Cee and Nkauj Sheng,” our mom called us to her the next day.

“What is it mom?” Mai Cee asked my mom.

“We’re running out of banana trees’ boles to feed the pigs, could you two go cut some more?” my mom asked.

“Mom,” Mai Cee sighed. “I have to go to the farm and pick more corn for the pigs today remember? How about Nkauj Sheng go and get the trees’ boles while I get the corns.” Mai Cee said.

“Mai Cee, if it’s like that, then you two go together to get both.” My mom said.

“No! I don’t want to!” Mai Cee shouted.

And that’s when I realized; my sister is trying to avoid me even though we live in the same house.

“Mai Cee, can we talk?” I asked her as we headed out of the house.

“About what?” she gave me an attitude and then left.

I sighed and headed to the river area. I hoped to see Peevxwm also as I went and get some banana trees’ boles.

 

~~~

I know, she wasn't going mad, sad, angry, betrayed, scare or whatever she was with him that long but I can't bare to make her upset about him for long.

And the sister gets b*tchy.