We continued to listen to my Aunt Ai and Aileen I, Arlene's grandmother.
"Now it's time to backtrack a bit. We're heading back to Water Sources to study another unique property of Rivers, River Networks" Aunt Ai said.
"River Networks?" Ciella asked curiously.
"I said earlier that most Rivers flow from Springs that burst out of Mountains and Rocks in the Highlands didn't I?" Aunt Ai asked.
"You did" Ciella said.
"When obstructions cut off a River's flow, very often Lakes and Lagoons which are stagnant pools of Water form but this is not always the case" Aunt Ai said.
"It's not?" Ariel asked.
"It's not. When the flow of the River is too strong, an obstruction may not be capable of completely cutting off the flow of the River to create a Lake or Lagoon. In cases like that, the River bends and flows in another direction. This trait connotes 'Flexibility'. As the River encounters more obstructions, if it's able to sustain a strong flow, it may actually split into multiple Rivers each heading in a separate direction. These splits leading off from a Major River are known as 'Tributaries'. The Tributaries like the Parent River also flow towards the Sea. The ability of a River to split into Tributaries connotes 'Multiplication' and can in a sense be associated with 'Genealogy' or 'Family Trees'. By the time a River eventually reaches the Sea, it may have split off into a vast network of Tributaries, each triggered by an obstacle or obstruction in the path of the River's flow. However, follow each of these Tributaries upstream and you may actually find them connecting to the same Parent River. It's one way to think of 'Bloodlines'" Aunt Ai explained.
"These Tributaries usually start off as narrow Rivers but as time passes and changes in climate occur, they may flood their banks and cause an alteration to landscape thus Water is believed to possess the ability to exert dominance over Earth by causing 'Alteration' to landscapes. When a River flows about some landscapes over long periods, crevices and the like may be created as well. Alterations may also be made to the Earth weathering away loose particles of Earth from solid particles to cause 'Solidification' as in the case of a River carving out a pebble from a stone. This trait is believed to connote 'Refinement'. You may have heard the myths about a Pearl being formed from a grain of sand in a Clam for instance. In a sense, it's a proverb talking about the ability of certain environments to bring out the best qualities of a person which may not always be obvious at first glance. This Myth alludes to the ability of Water to 'Purify'. The three states of Water I mentioned earlier and the ability of Water to alter its form depending on variations in Temperature with each form possessing its own unique properties and functionalities connote 'Versatility' and 'Heteromorphism' or simply put, the ability to take on multiple forms" Aileen I explained.
"Furthermore, Water is the only other element aside from Earth with the ability to cause alterations to the paths of Light Rays. Needless to say, it is the only other element aside from Earth with the power to cause 'Reflection' which is 'the self-revelation of form to any creature that stares into it'. Without Water or Earth, no one would be able to perceive their own 'Faces' and the perception of 'Face' is the commonest means to 'identify' a person aside from 'Names'. Water as such is associated with 'Purity' and 'Kindness' as well as 'Birth' and 'Rebirth'" Aunt Ai explained.