High priestess moved her hand and the scenery around them changed. There were pictures around them, moving. They were going backwards. A lot of sceneries passed by until it stopped at the Tahaku village. Kanibora paid attention.
It showed that Tahaku was going through much worse than it was actually stated in the books. There were no food, only a little water. People were dying of hunger. Some were commiting suicide who couldn't endure it. It showed that people were worshipping the gods frequently and crying for saving them. Then it showed Aruka, the village chief, also to whom the villagers were seeking a solution. When Aruka came in the picture, Kanibora became shocked.
" Wait!", She said.
The high priestess stopped. The scenery was still and Aruka's face was clear in it.
He looked exactly as Danachi.
" High priestess, Is this-", she tried to ask.
" A certain someone you know? No dear, indeed he looks like him. But this person is his ancestor. The past I want to show you involves him greatly.", replied high priestess.
The scenery became mobile again. It showed that Aruka found out a way to save his people from misery. He wanted someone with immense power. Every night, he would go to the west cave of Tirana and sought power from the gods. Then one day, he summoned someone.
The scenery changed. It now showed Levora, which was prospering rapidly under the authority of Daritas. He carried his duties properly. It was clear that his powers was already growing rapidly.
When Aruka summoned someone powerful, Daritas heard his calling and went there. But Aruka realized that Daritas wasn't as powerful as he needed. But nevertheless, he wanted to make use of what he got. He wanted to persuade Daritas to save his people. But Daritas knew he couldn't go against Xarit, who was already very powerful than him. As a result, he declined.
Aruka got angry. It didn't show clearly how, but he seemed to trick Daritas. He pushed him into the river and acquired his powers. Kanibora couldn't belive what she had just seen.
" High Priestess! How is this possible?! How can a human ever acquire the power of gods?",she couldn't think of anything.
" Do you think what you just saw could be done by a normal human?", High priestess asked her.
" No, it's impossible! Even if we willingly give someone our powers, they won't be able to take it. Humans aren't made to acquire our powers!", Kanibora replied.
" It's true for normal humans. But humans with the greatest desires CAN acquire our powers, be it evil or good. Aruka was born that way. He was meant to achive the powers he wanted and hold them within him. "
" But - that doesn't explain how he got powers from my father.", Kanibora still couldn't connect the dots.
" Look closely, my dear.", The high priestess showed her the previous scenery. This time Kanibora seemed to notice it.
"The river! It's glowing! So you're saying...Aruka used magic?", Kanibora asked.
" Correct. When he sought powers to save his people, Ardhana had already given him knowledge. Knowledge using which, he could easily save Tahaku. But he didn't. He chose the evil way. He used his knowledge and enchanted the river. It became a sinkhole. When Daritas fell in the river, Aruka sucked his powers into himself.", Replied high priestess.
"Then, the one who challenged Xarit, wasn't my father, but Aruka?!", Kanibora exclaimed.
High priestess didn't reply. The sceneries started to move again.
It showed that Aruka, acquiring the power of Daritas, became much powerful combining Daritas's powers with his own knowledge. He then challenged Xarit and she accepted the challenge. They went to a duel. In that duel, goddess Xarit was severely hurt. Aruka had her caught and asked her to accept defeat.
Kanibora was burning with anger. She stood up.
" How dare a human plot conspiracy against us! He didn't want to save Tahaku anymore,he wanted to have Xarit's powers too!" ,She was talking in a high tone.
High priestess held her hand and said," Calm down dear. Do you really think we are that weak?" ,She was smiling.
Kanibora sat down and tried to bring back her cool. She concentrated on the scenery. What happened after, made her think that it served Aruka well.
Turned out Xarit had set a trap and was just pretending to be wounded and Aruka got caught in it. He set his feet into the counter spell and in a blink, all his powers went back to their rightful owner,Daritas. Aruka was left with nothing. Xarit wanted to end him for good but Daritas wanted to punish him more.
Now that his powers travelled through Aruka, Daritas had acquired his greatest powers. He had become a god. He used his magic and cursed Aruka. He gathered the sins of Tahaku and sealed them within Aruka, making him a vicious creature.
Kanibora grasped.
" Then the one who attacked me, was Aruka?!" ,Said Kanibora.
" Indeed.", Replied high priestess," He cursed Aruka that his mind would be solemnly his, but his body would turn. He would experience immense pain from the sins of the villagers to the last day he lived."
The scenery showed that Daritas buried the beast within the mountain, alive. Xarit was convinced by Daritas and she decided to make it rain. The people of Tahaku only acknowledged Daritas as their savior. He erased all memories of Aruka from their minds because he didn't want them to search for him and find out how he had turned out. He then left the village.
Kanibora let out a sigh. It was too much for her to take in. High priestess realized and stroked her head.
" Take it easy, my child.", She said.
" It makes sense now why many mountain spirits and our peers couldn't keep the authority of Tirana. The beast was still sucking their powers, wasn't it?",asked Kanibora.
"Indeed. It was still powerful enough not to die. It was waiting to gain more power until it could come out again. That didn't happen, until YOU went there.",High priestess replied.
" Why me?", Kanibora asked in surprise.
" Daughter of Daritas, do you still not understand? It's true Daritas's powers didn't reached its peak as how it's described in the books. But it IS true that he gained his maximum power in the shortest time ever. You are the same. You hold incredible amount of magic within you. You've just started to experience. There's more to come. Thus, you were able to put out when the beast was still sucking your powers all these years.", High Priestess held her hand firmly.
" I'm not sure about that, high priestess. You know everything. You know how I've been struggling to flourish my magic. And it even stopped working thrice!" , Kanibora was frustrated.
" I think you should know now why you became defenseless infront of the beast. You fell at the river, remember? It's still a sinkhole. And as for the second time, it had left it's mark in you . That's why you became powerless."
" But, I did tame it once. I think it was because I wanted to save someone. I heard a voice then.Was it- was it you?" , Kanibora asked.
High Priestess smiled, " You could say it was me. You could say it wasn't. But it's true that power you flourished that time was your own."
" But I still have the marks that the beast gave me!."
" Where?", High Priestess asked.
Kanibora slipped her dress up and exclaimed in wonder.
" It's gone!" She said.
High Priestess laughed and said," They were long gone when you came here. Curses like these are temporary. You've suffered much worse before. But now it won't affect you even if you get two or three like this on you. But I won't recommend you to do so."
Kanibora laughed with her. The sceneries had changed. They were back in the palace. After taking for a bit longer, kanibora was about to take her leave when she remembered something important.
" Ah! I still don't know how to defeat Aruka!", She said.
" Concentrate on flourishing your power more. You'll come to a conclusion soon.", Replied high priestess.
" And I wanted to ask you something else too. You know ,don't you? That someone I know is Aruka's direct descendant. Then is there a possibility that he might turn like him too? He already seemed to survive my touch. Seemed like some of Aruka's powers reside within him", Kanibora asked in concern.
The high priestess face darkened. She put on a sad smile and said," The fate of Aruka was a lesson to many and from what I can tell, that man shares a similar fate with him."
Kanibora's heart dropped.
High Priestess continued," You're right. He does hold some powers of Aruka and if he wants , he can become a threat to you. But from what I can see, he has a strong will to protect you. But despite that will, I would advise you to stay away from him. You two....do not share a happy fate."
Kanibora had just heard what she didn't want to hear. She replied," I understand." And then took her leave thinking how she would deal with him now.