Page 121 of Tiger's Destiny
He selected the golden bow and arrows next and asked the same questions. I told him about infusing the arrows with my fire and he seemed pleased by that, but indicated that the arrows had even more power that had yet to be tapped.
One by one he showed us our other weapons—thechakram, the trident, the brooches, and the swords. Then he picked up Fanindra and she came alive. He stroked her golden head.
“She is perhaps the most underutilized gift of all,” Phet accused gently.
“But Fanindra only helps whenshewants to,” I said.
Phet peered at me, and Fanindra turned her green-eyed gaze on me. “Did you ask her for help?” he prompted kindly.
“No,” I admitted, “I didn’t.”
As he ran his fingers over her gleaming coils, he said, “Fanindra’s bite can heal. She has influence over other natural creatures, more so over reptiles with close ties to her, but she can even calm large predators. If they look into her eyes, they will be caught in her spell. Supernatural creatures such as those created by Lokesh naturally fear her. She lights the darkness, but she can also discern darkness in others. Were you at all aware of this?”
All of us shook our heads, and I felt regret for not truly appreciating what an incredible gift Fanindra was.
“All of these golden weapons will display their true powers when properly wielded by a goddess.”
I raised my hand in the air like a student in a classroom. “About that—”
“All will come to light soon, Kahl-see. First, I must teach you the proper way to use the Gifts of Durga.”
He dug through the bag and found the Golden Fruit, the Rope of Fire, and my Pearl Necklace. Then he politely asked Anamika to hand him the Divine Scarf.
“When used alone, these gifts have great power, but when they are combined they can become something more. For example . . .”
He took the Necklace and the Scarf, one in each hand, and touched them together. When they connected, the Scarf wound quickly around the Necklace and shifted colors until it displayed a rainbow. The fabric soared into the air and the length of it encircled Phet and then it whipped around and between each of us. As it did, we were freshly cleansed and clothed in new garments. I touched my face and found it slightly damp, as if I were covered with morning dew.
After the Scarf finished its work, it settled back into its original form, softly draping itself over Phet’s hand.
Anamika marveled, “This power is truly amazing!”
“We’ve seen this before,” I remarked. I glanced at Anamika. “Durga used this power on us in the temple before we met the dragons.”
“Yes.” Phet smiled. “That is right.”
Anamika’s gleeful expression changed to one of sobriety, and I felt sorry for her.What must it feel like to have your entire life mapped out by unseen forces?Actually, it seemed like all four of us suffered from something similar; we were just lucky that for at least a while we felt like we were in control and making our own decisions. As it turned out, Phet or the cosmos had orchestrated everything.
I looked at Ren and Kishan and wondered if destiny chose one of them to be with me—and for a moment I wondered if that was why I loved them.No. My heart is my own. But, what if that is why they love me, because destiny told them to? Certainly if destiny was in charge it wouldn’t have picked both of them, I argued with myself.There would be only one.
Ren interrupted my thoughts when he asked Phet, “What happens when you combine the Rope with the Necklace? Will the fire and water cancel each other out?”
“Let’s try them and see.” Phet picked up the Rope of Fire and said, “Kahl-see, if you would.”
I stepped forward and gripped the Rope’s handle, infusing it with my flame. Phet wrapped the Necklace around the end and snapped the Rope into the air.
It produced a large crack and a boom in the night sky, and soon I saw what I thought were fireflies falling all around us. I held out a hand and caught one. It sizzled, burning briefly and then extinguished in my palm.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Fire-rain,” Phet responded. With another snap, the fire shower ceased and the little fires that started in the grass disappeared. “When these two are put together, water will take on the properties of fire and vice versa. You can create a lake of fire or you can make fire flow like a river. You can also create a liquid that burns. The three of you would call this acid.”
Ren nodded as if he understood all this.
“The other thing to keep in mind is that when wielded by a goddess, the Rope burns blue. This is a cleansing flame. It seeks out the dark places in men’s hearts and scalds them, not physically, but it causes great inner turmoil for one who gives pain to others.
“You also know that you have been able to travel to the past using the Rope of Fire. This is because the Rope has the ability to open a cosmic string. When you asked the Rope to take you to meet your destiny, it found a crack in the fabric of the universe and opened a doorway, allowing you to follow the string to this place.”
“I do not understand such things,” Anamika said. She turned to us and asked, “Are the three of you not from this world then? Are you gods who travel on strings?”
