Snakes and Scorpions
Ulu encounters two certain-death experiences in the desert: massive scorpions the size of donkeys, and venomous killer snakes; it doesn’t look like he’ll survive…
Warriors of Transcendence, Part 10
“Welcome!” a voice resonated.
A tall, charming creature appeared. His hair was light blond, his eyes deep and radiant. He wore a golden cape, light and airy. Visible through his cape, his human form was illuminated by an inner blue flame. It swayed in dance-like movements, and its color varied and occasionally turned lighter and livelier. Ulu recognized this creature as a Transparent One! He remembered that Transparent Ones, although not human, are creations of man’s spirit and products of his thoughts. There are transparent children and transparent adults, but there are no elderly. He had learned that more would be revealed to him in time to come.
Ulu knew that the Transparent Ones gained strength and encouragement from humans, and that human, in turn, obtained joy and vitality from them. They were fond of poetry and legend and their simple proverbs were known far and wide, though few knew of their true origin. Their existence and life span depended on their creator, though they continued to exist even after their creator perished. Nevertheless, if the inner will of its living creator were to be lost, the Transparent One would shrivel up and expire.
The hand of the cheerful Transparent One reached out to Ulu in peace. Ulu followed his lead to the desert, and together they walked towards the scorching terrain. A wondrous sunset shed its hue upon the sand, giving the exposed sand dunes a mysterious golden appearance. The weather remained mercifully calm for another hour before nightfall, when a cold frost covered everything in its path. The Transparent One told Ulu in length about the white snakes and scorpions, and the dangers they posed.
“Because you are a man of borders, I am allowed to divulge to you that the Transcendor has appeared just once in this desert.”
The Transparent One arose, shook off the sand that had accumulated on his cape, gently stroked Ulu’s cheek and said: “We need you, and others like you. May the blessing of the Transcendor be upon you.”
Ulu watched as the vanishing Transparent One’s inner light slowly disappeared into the distance.
An inner voice advised him to arise. He gathered his cape, wrapped it around himself, and continued walking into the heart of the desert. The desert was so flat and the night so dark, land and sky seemed to merge together as one entity. A perpetual blackness filled his view as he traveled through a seemingly empty void.
Some time passed. Finally, Ulu sited a light in the distance. As he approached the light, he witnessed an astonishing phenomenon. Beams of light created a circle in the desert. A man stood within the dim light, surrounded by massive white scorpions with raised stingers. They were as large as donkeys but Ulu was not fearful of them, and watched the scene as if he were peering through a glass window into a different world. The scorpions were preparing to kill their victim! They encircled him with their venomous tails lifted in the air; their stingers, facing the center of the circle where the man stood.
Will he not defend himself? wondered Ulu. Upon further observation, Ulu realized that the unfortunate man was paralyzed with fear. The white circle was closing in, and it was too late for escape. The man’s sorrow dissolved the glass wall separating him from Ulu. Without hesitation, without a thought of danger, without a plan, Ulu dashed forward, determined to rescue the hapless victim from a cruel and terrible death.
As Ulu rushed toward the luminous scene, the scorpions sensed his presence. The venomous circle was severed and they now stood in a row making their way towards him. Why did they prefer to attack him? Why had they abandoned their original victim? A chill ran down his spine and his determination weakened. Why had he exposed himself? What should he do now? The man remained paralyzed in place, like an inanimate object and Ulu wondered for a moment if he were indeed real. The scorpions continued to approach, their tails raised threateningly. Borders whispered an inner voice. What did borders have anything to do with his condition? He became annoyed at the voice in his head. His hands and legs felt paralyzed, and he wondered if the scorpions were responsible for this sensation. Did the scorpions have the power to paralyze their victims from afar?
The scorpions formed a closed circle around him, and when they were close enough to touch him, he once again heard the inner voice repeating the word Borders. With strength from an unknown source Ulu removed a staff from his satchel. As if guided by an invisible hand, he touched the staff to the sand, and drew a circle around himself. The moment the circle was completed, Ulu’s terror dissipated. His lungs filled with air and suddenly the scorpions looked like creatures in an imaginary drawing. Death, which had clutched his soul and stared him in the face, had suddenly vanished and Ulu was once again amongst the living. The original victim had somehow disappeared, as if he had never even existed. Ulu hoped that the battle was over. His body trembled as his entire being surrendered to fatigue and weakness. His arms fell to his sides and he breathed deeply, letting out a sigh of relief.
But the battle was not yet over.Snakes, glaringly white, appeared from within the darkness of the desert. Mounds of sand spilled over on all sides of the writhing serpents, leaving behind deep gorges, as though they had been created by oversized pitchforks. Ulu did not wait for the serpents to reach him. He immediately knelt in his circle and raised his hands to the heavens.
In this desert, he recalled the words spoken to him by the Transparent One, the Transcendor appeared just once.
It was clear to the man of borders that beyond all doubt, this was his only hope to survive the threat he now faced.
A warrior of Transcendence replaces fear with light.
Ulu remembered what he learned long ago in the distant Chamber. Words, and parts of words floated into his frightened consciousness, as the serpents came closer, surrounding him, as he knelt in the sand.
“Transcendor”, he finally managed to utter a single word.
An enormous snake approached him, opening its large mouth, prepared to devour him. Ulu looked away from the serpent and shut his eyes. His inner world was his border and the frightful sights could no longer enter his circle. His body still trembled, but with his eyes closed he was able to control his thoughts. The memory of the Master of Transcendence arose in his mind. Relieved by this memory, he was able to focus his powers of concentration turning his thoughts toward his Memory Shield. The snakes still slithered around him, and he was aware of their presence and of the stench of death emanating from them. But the Memory Shield prevailed, and Ulu began Uniting. The letters of the Memory Shield, like illuminated strings, threaded into words, which together were tossed as a rescue line into the heavens.
“I am an insignificant creature. Destitute, frightened and helpless.
What is my strength? What is my might? What is my life when faced with the terror of the serpents and scorpions?”
These words, when spoken, instilled confidence in Ulu. He continued speaking, his words increasingly adorned with majestic splendor: “You create and destroy worlds, your forms are many, but You are One”.
Someone, deep within, was listening. Someone, deep within, replied.
Not with speech, but by touch. Not with words, but with a deep sense of certainty.
A new voice arose from his heart, grew mighty and reached his lips. Words never before spoken appeared in his mouth and streamed forth like sunlight. Ulu drew his words from this newfound source, expressing his innermost pleas: “Only in You… Only in You do I trust…Creator of worlds and the Source of all existence. Come, my sole Protector, watch over me and remain near me. Reveal Your light to me.”
To be continued.
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