Orem and the warriors of Fox Village were amazed by the grandeur of the owl that had just arrived. And looking at its spirit they realized it was not of a malign nature, so they led it to where Kal was. The warriors took the Owl to Kurona, the priestess, who gazing at it, knelt in reverence to the animal.
"You are welcome to our humble home", she said.
The Owl, looking at everyone, asked:
"Where is the bearer of the Primordial Light?".
Orem immediately went to look for Kal to bring him to the temple. Upon arriving, Orem explained to Kal about the visit of the mysterious Owl, which seemed to arouse the young man's interest. So the two returned to the temple, where they came upon the sacred bird still conversing with Kurona:
When Kal arrived at the temple, the Owl turned to him and said: "So you are the one they say bears the primordial light?". Kal, not understanding anything, just sat down while trying to figure out how he could understand this owl, even though it spoke in an unknown language.
"Who are you?" asked Kal.
"I am Arath, lord of all animals, he who holds wisdom!", he replied.
Kurona and Katara were amazed to hear this: "Arath?" said Katara, and Kurona continued:
"There is a prophecy of our people that says that when the Lord of fauna awakens, a wave of catastrophes will occur!".
Arath then spun his neck 180 degrees towards Kurona and said:
"Yes, I myself delivered that prophecy to your ancestors, but apparently the prophecy was distorted over time. It says that in addition to evil, good will also arise to challenge the darkness. I awakened to guide the heroes, however a brighter light brought me here. And now I see it was good to have come."
Kal asked: "You said heroes?"
"Yes, as in the first era of this land, good and evil will rise up for the dispute of this world!", replied Arath.
"But you, my dear, you are the contradiction of this!", he concluded.
Katara then stood up and said:
"Kal is good, he would never side with evil!".
Arath, once again spun his neck 180 degrees towards Katara and said:
"Good and evil are relative, my child. It is up to him to decide what is fairest."
With Arath's large eyes glowing more deeply, they made Kal's eyes also react supernaturally. And suddenly Kal found himself again at the top of Domeh Mountain, without understanding how he got there. Kal called for Domeh and heard:
"Oh, so this is your refuge?".
Kal looked and saw Arath in that place.
"How did you get here?" asked Kal.
"You let me in!", said Arath.
"I can feel the flow of your power, and even if you tried, you would be trying forever to find its limits".
"So you know what this place is?" asked Kal.
"This place is you, young man, nothing more than you!", replied Arath.
Kal, not understanding anything, said:
"I don't understand anything, there is a person who always appears to guide me, his name is Domeh". Arath smiled and commented:
"Domeh? What a curious name".
Within that place, Arath again made his eyes glow, making Kal's consciousness return to the temple.
"Listen, young man, I do not have all the answers, however I will tell you that difficult decisions you will have! But always remember who you are!".
Kal asks Arath:
"Who are you?"
"I am an aspect of the world, I am a representation of God", replied Arath.
Kurona, Katara and Orem were impressed to hear this, while Kal still remained without understanding anything, as usual.
"You are not yet prepared to understand everything, Kal...", said Arath.
At that moment, Kal continued:
"Kal Launno!".
Arath shook his head in several directions.
"No... Absolutely not! You are not Kal Launno".
Kal became very confused by what Arath was saying, for a moment he thought it was because he spoke in an unknown language, but he pondered how he still understood every word.
"Again I tell you, you are like a lighthouse. Even though the history of this world was not waiting for someone like you, here you are. The beings of this land have ambitions, desires, dreams and destinies. All these things are predestined from the beginning of time - the birth of a Demon Lord, the rise of heroes. All of this is engraved on the World Tree since the beginning of time. But you, young man, you are the exception to all this rule!", said Arath.
The majestic owl opened its wings and, emitting a splendor of majesty, transcended. With eyes glowing with a celestial glow and voice of multitudes, Arath looked at Kal:
"I am Arath, lord of the animals, he who holds wisdom and now I have something to tell you, Kal Arkon".
Kal took on a serious expression listening to the word Arkon. But Arath suddenly lost his majestic form.
"As holder of wisdom, I was never lacking in knowledge to impart. I see the lines of destiny and, grasping them, I prophesy about the future. However, I received no wisdom to share with you. Forgive me!"
Kal's hope vanished and he just smiled, asking:
"How can I know more about myself?" - asked Kal
Katara assumed:
"If Arath could not share his wisdom, no one else will be able."
Arath looked at Kal and finished:
"I do not need to see your destiny to know you are special. Just continue being Kal."
Arath disappeared in a flash of light. Immediately, Kurona felt a terrible pain from the mark of her curse, this time it seemed to be more intense. Orem ran to get medicines while Katara tried to relieve the pain with healing magic.
Kurona said: "I can feel them, they are near!". Suddenly, they heard screams from outside. The villagers were screaming, frightened.
Orem and Kal went outside and saw a grotesque creature, with the face of a goat and a distorted human body. It dragged a twisted scythe along the ground. Orem immediately sent the people into the temple, summoning the village warriors.
The creature said: "I am Bephastor, I have come for the god of animals."
Orem, taking the lead, replied: "Arath is no longer here, vile creature, go away."
Bephastor, raising one of his hands, summoned 3 shadows like those that attacked the village the night before. Katara came out of the temple shouting: "You vile demon, you've returned?!". Kal asked her if she knew that creature. Katara said it was she who placed that curse on her sister Kurona. Kal replied: "Let me handle this."
Bephastor said: "I can feel the trail of light from that damned owl, give her to me!"
Kal looked at Orem and said, "Hold back the shadows, I'll stop this villain." Kal released his powers once more, emanating a very bright light, while the shadows withdrew. Bephastor remained motionless, waiting to see what it was: "Ah yes, yes, you also have a fine light, I'll devour you before getting that damned bird," said Bephastor, drooling as he looked at the young man. Kal attacked Bephastor quickly, but was surprised to see that he remained motionless, even though he had been hit with all his strength. Bephastor then moved his twisted scythe and attacked Kal with great force, throwing him against the temple wall. The people inside became frightened to see this.
Katara quickly returned to retrieve the hilt and hand it to Kal. Meanwhile, Orem and the village warriors fought ferociously against the shadows. Kal stood up and firmly gripped the hilt. Once again a glow enveloped him, his hair turned golden and his eyes acquired the glow of dawn. Bephastor realized that Kal's power had tripled and the aura emanating from him went beyond a mere powerful one. Then he finally took up a battle stance.
Kal just looked at the other shadows and, in a deafening sound, in seconds he defeated them all, relieving the weight of the village warriors. However, when he faced Bephastor, his blow was blocked, showing that this enemy was far beyond the shadows.
Bephastor let out a laugh: "So you are the person my mistress spoke of!". He and Kal began exchanging blows at an incredible speed, leaving all the warriors and Katara without any reaction. Suddenly, one of Bephastor's arms was torn off in the midst of the battle flashes, and even bleeding he still smiled, making a new arm quickly emerge in its place. Orem was frightened by Bephastor's speed of regeneration. Again, they returned to exchanging blows with immense speed.
The hilt that Kal held had transformed into a sword, and he wielded it with mastery in combat against the creature. From on high, Kal landed another powerful blow on Bephastor, who fell to the ground.
"You will not defeat me, aberration! Soon this continent will belong to the darkness!", shouted Bephastor, making his black mana overflow from his body.
With the arm cut off by Kal, Bephastor drew a black pentagram with his own blood and, uttering some words in the shadowy language, also overflowed with black mana and fetid blood. Bephastor reemerged from the midst of the mana explosion, different - his body was no longer twisted and his fighting stance was different. Quickly, he returned against Kal with everything he had.
Seeking to destroy everything in his path, Bephastor wielded his twisted scythe, destroying houses and objects. The village warriors tried to attack him, but were killed in a fraction of a second by his blows. Bephastor used the corpses in a new black magic ritual:
"I am the demon of witchcraft, one of the generals of Salacia, and I want to use you as a sacrifice!".
Kal, in an empty state of emotions, just observed seriously. However, his speed was superior, and once again he tore off one of Bephastor's arms. Proving his power, Bephastor picked up a strange finger-shaped object and charged at Kal, while the latter delivered the final blow. Seeking victory, Bephastor succeeded in piercing Kal's shoulder. His head rolled on the ground, still speaking and laughing. Leaving the empty state, Kal realized that the hilt no longer had any effect. A strong dizziness overcame him and he fell to his knees, injured.
Kal felt no pain, but he could no longer access all his power.
"HAHAHAHA, now you are common!", roared Bephastor.
His decapitated body ran and regenerated its head. Kal tried to fight, but he was weak.
"What did you do to me, demon?"
Bephastor raised the object, which evaporated.
"This blocked your divine powers. When it disappeared, you would lose them."
He charged at Kal, striking him relentlessly.
"She wanted me to hand you over, but I think it's better to devour you!"
"I am just a common boy now," thought Kal. He remembered his loved ones and stood up again to fight. But Bephastor struck him with a powerful kick, leaving him fallen and without strength. Katara placed herself in front:
"You will not win again, demon!".
But he hit her with a slap, throwing her far away. From the temple door, Kurona shouted:
"Stop, Bephastor! You cursed me and I bear your mark, but I discovered how to hurt you!"
Holding a dagger, despite Katara's screams, Kurona cut her own curse mark. Bephastor also gained a cut in the same place. Despite Katara's despair, Kurona realized that by bearing Bephastor's curse, she also shared his wounds with him. Nervous, Bephastor screamed that he would slowly kill the priestess with torture. At that moment, Kal stood up with effort. Orem threw the sword to him, which he plunged into Bephastor's forehead. In a final act, Kal released all his energy, making the sword glow.
Bephastor felt an indescribable pain, having half his body burned by the divine power. He jumped back and, turning, shouted:
"Cursed ones, I will return!" as he ran away, defeated.
Katara ran to Kurona and saw that she was not well, very weakened by the curse. However, self-mutilating to hurt Bephastor made everything worse. Katara cried with her sister in her lap:
"Why were you so reckless?".
Kurona extended her bloodied hand and, passing it over Katara's face, said with difficulty:
"When Arath was in the temple, his eyes shone. He told me my journey was over. You will be the next priestess and it is up to you to guide the light on the right path".
Katara cried a lot:
"You cannot leave me, I fought so hard..."
Kurona slowly closed her eyes, giving her last breath. At that moment, it began to rain heavily. Her brave sister had departed, leaving Katara in deep sadness.
Kal awoke hours later in the temple, beside Katara seated in front of a covered body. Approaching, he realized it was Kurona. Moved, Kal knelt and began to cry:
"I promised to return to my family and failed. I promised to help Morin and failed. I promised to stay with Lilla until the end and failed. I promised to help my friends and failed. Now I have also failed you. Forgive me!"
Katara, with a sad look, just smiled weakly.
"You did not fail us," she replied.
"I am not who you were looking for. These powers were taken from me and I do not want them back," said Kal.
Katara understood Kurona's teaching.
"Since I was little I fought to cure my sister, even lied to you. But it brought me here. You still have a promise to fulfill," she said, looking at Kal.
At that moment, he remembered when he had promised to be Katara's light. Wiping away his tears, he responded with determination:
"I will fulfill it!"