The journey to Jipal was not planned — it was summoned.
Two nights after the scroll was discovered beneath Nting Nji, Muutfwang dreamt of a girl standing barefoot in a circle of fire. She wore traditional gwosh long beads and held a small talking drum that beat itself.
She stared at him and said,
"Nji Mo so kas' mu le yit nka ya."
(The spirit never sleeps — and it has set its eyes on you.)
He woke with a scream.
That morning, Da Katmang Guyil met him at the shrine.
> “There is someone who knows what this all means,” the elder said.
“Her name is Na'Toh. She is from Jipal — and she is the last daughter of the woman who survived the 1932 cleansing.”
🛖 The Forgotten Prophetess
Jipal was quiet when they arrived.
Na'Toh lived at the edge of the village, near the abandoned footpath that led to the old Lu Kum cave. Her house was surrounded by carved stones with symbols only the oldest elders could partially interpret.
She did not greet them at first.
She stood at her doorway, watching Muutfwang in silence. Then she spoke:
> “You’ve seen the broken staff.
You’ve heard the name Kam Mishkagham Kum.
You carry a spirit that was never yours.”
Muutfwang stepped forward.
“I don’t understand. Why me?”
Na'Toh smiled — not kindly, but knowingly.
> “Because your bloodline was never meant to be clean.
Da Dakyen was not just a custodian...
He was a silencer.”
💀 What Happened in 1932
Na'Toh led them into her hut, where an old cowhide drum lay tied with three ropes.
> “In 1932, during the colonial uprising, Mwaghavul elders turned on each other. The priesthood was blamed for droughts and deaths.
The people demanded cleansing.
Men like Da Dakyen were sent to destroy the priesthood.
But he spared one — my mother.
And she gave birth to me in the sacred hills, before she vanished into the wind.”
She untied the drum.
A gust of air whooshed through the hut.
> “This drum will only beat when the time is right,” she said.
“And when it beats, the one who hears it... will face their blood.”
Muutfwang’s hands trembled.
He realized for the first time — his grandfather may have buried the priesthood not to protect the people, but to protect himself.
📣 The Drum Beat Once
As Muutfwang turned to leave, the drum gave a soft thump.
Everyone froze.
Na'Toh whispered:
> “The ancestors have spoken.
Someone from Da Dakyen’s line bears a curse.
And it is coming back to reclaim its place.”
🔚 End of Episode 3
> Next Episode: “The Drum That Called the Wind”
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