The King’s Cloak
Surely it was no coincidence that he was in possession of the missing royal fringe. Maybe he was a descendant of the king who had appeared in his dream?
Warriors of Transcendence, Part 28
Ulu remained alone at Sea Point during Tzalaii’s imprisonment in the Tower. The hapless prisoner faced Mahn, listening to his words apprehensively.
“All of the world’s entities undergo transformation,” explained Mahn as he began his investigation, casually leaning against the wall and confidently gazing deeply into Tzalaii’s eyes. “The world is composed of many circles, life and death, growth and destruction. Even simple men are compelled to adhere to the laws of transformation, and are controlled by the great circle of change. Eventually, man’s dreams, passions and disappointments vanish in the wind like fleeting dust, worthless and meaningless. Do you suppose that we, in the Tower, are evil, that we yearn to control and enslave everyone and everything? 
Whether you like it or not, you have already been enslaved. You have been a slave to the Law of Transformation.”
Whether you like it or not, you have already been enslaved. You have been a slave to the Law of Transformation.”Tzalaii remained contemplative for a moment before managing to overcome his fear of falling into a trap, and then he asked cautiously, “How is your regime superior to the regime you refer to as ‘the Law of Transformation’?”
“We carry the message of redemption,” explained Mahn. “Every man needs a higher purpose with which to live his life, and the purpose we believe in is liberation from the forces of nature. This results in true liberation from the dreadful loneliness that affects everyone.”
“How is that possible?” questioned Tzalaii.
“Those in the Tower are never alone,” explained Mahn, the Inviewer. “They are a part of scores of others just like them, many thousands who together are maintaining something incredibly astounding. Even death has a different meaning. They do not return to the circle of life and death, they rise upwards.”
Tzalaii was silent. The Inviewer’s words about the loneliness of man, his meaningless existence and worthlessness, echoed within him, causing him to feel a sense of shame. He peered directly into the eyes of this self-confident Inviewer who seemed to be able to read the thoughts of others.
In a flash, for a single enlightened moment, an image appeared in Tzalaii’s mind. He ‘saw’ the peaceful and smiling face of a man wearing a crown on his head. The smile washed away all of Tzalaii’s doubts, like waves washing away the sand. Tzalaii quickly resolved that the Inviewer was mistaken, although he could not explain his conclusion. He knew his questions were, in fact, valid, although the true answers would not be found in this place.
Once again, Tzalaii found himself in the large stone cell. Day after day, interrogation followed interrogation. Surprisingly, he was well-treated by his captors. None of his belongings were taken from him, he was given a comfortable bed, and food was served regularly. Looking out through the narrow window, Tzalaii was able to study the colossal structure of the lower City and its markets. He wondered why his captors were not concerned by his access to the view of the Tower and its activities.
Were they not worried about exposure? He did not understand the reasons for his trial. His captors continued to bring up his unfortunate act, stealing the stone from the wall.
They badgered him with the same questions time and time again: “Who sent you on your mission? Why were you sent?”
His claim that it was just a childish idea of his own, merely a failed adventure, was never accepted by his interrogators. He carefully avoided any mention of the Magnathought Crystal, hoping that it would be returned to him someday. Tzalaii’s thoughts often turned to the blue Magnathought Crystal.
If only I had it now, I would use it to aid my escape. If only I hadn’t given it to my sister Sihara…
Yet, in truth, Tzalaii had no idea of the actual difficulties entailed in accomplishing a successful escape from the Towered City, even if he were fortunate enough to possess a sword of the Ancient Progeny.
But deep within his great despair and frightful wait, Tzalaii had one ray of hope: He still possessed the golden fringe, which he had found next to the blue Magnathought Crystal. He had no knowledge of its origin or possible special powers. But each time he removed it from his sack, out of range of the investigators’ prying eyes, its lively, luminous hue strengthened his faith. Its wondrous beauty, symbolized the vanished promise of the past.
One night, Tzalaii had trouble falling asleep. He was kept awake by the maddening sounds of the soldiers’ voices in the lower City. To distract himself, he began to recall his dream of the sea. The image of a peaceful and royal face accompanied him. He ‘saw’ the man’s gentle glance, and felt that he was trying to tell him something. In his misfortune, with nothing else to ponder, Tzalaii focused on every detail of his dream with all his might, as though it were the source of salvation, and asked, without knowing to whom he spoke, “Please, help me!”
Suddenly, as if a window had opened in his consciousness, another detail, a hint of salvation was revealed: The king who had appeared in his dream was wearing a golden cloak but part of the fringe was missing! Tzalaii trembled. He reached into his bag, removed the golden fringe and stroked it slowly and gently, immediately charmed by its presence. His dream had merged with reality.
A new thought entered Tzalaii’s mind: Surely it was no coincidence that he was in possession of the missing royal fringe. Maybe he was a descendant of the king who had appeared in his dream? He perked up momentarily, but his spirits deflated just as quickly as he wondered sadly: Maybe this is all just a figment of my imagination? Maybe I am just a delusional prisoner, being led to a miserable death?
Once again, he felt pursued by the guilt resulting from his original impulsive act. Resting his head on his knees, he wept.
Tzalaii fell asleep on the ground, curled up in the fetal position, and he began to dream.
In his dream, he could see himself in a lit tunnel in the center of the earth. The air in the tunnel was clear, filling him with fresh vigor. A bright light illuminated the long stone corridors, and the ceiling was so high, it appeared to be endless. As he walked, the tunnel appeared alternately as a large chamber and then as a narrow pathway between high walls. The winding path was covered in colorful stone stalactites. Water dripped from them, silently descending into pools on the floor of the cave. As Tzalaii drank water from each of the pools in his dream, he found himself gazing into the water and thinking deep thoughts. The thoughts varied from pool to pool, as if each pool was a portal to a different world.
As he trekked seemingly into the belly of the earth, his mission unknown, he took pleasure in the magical underground world that was now exposed to him. This enchanting world of immense near- silence, broken only by the soothing sound of water dripping into the pools, engendered a deep feeling of peacefulness in his heart and, at the same time, sharpened his senses. He felt comforted by the myriad of lights and colors. The blessed silence healed his soul, though the loneliness he experienced was somewhat disheartening. He recalled his friends, and longed to share his experiences with them. Sihara’s illuminated face now appeared in his dream. If only she were here, he thought in his heart, if only she were here with me in this wondrous place! He stopped walking, sat down by a pool of water and gazed into it with deep concentration. The water in the pool was motionless. A vision of the past was revealed to him.
He now saw himself walking down the street of a great city, the sun shining brightly above. The street was wide and paved with large reddish stones. Elegant stone houses stood on either sides of the road, rows of marble columns supported their porches, and wide stairs led to their arched doors. Ceramic pots, bursting with plants, stood between the pillars and beside the doorways of each house. The plants cascaded onto the earth and wrapped their intertwining vines around the marble columns. The wide balconies were decorated with stone or wooden designs, and tall turrets adorned the roof tops.
As he walked, Tzalaii encountered clear springs of water, surrounded by fences, the warm breeze carrying refreshing droplets through the air. Although the street was crowded with passersby, the atmosphere was calm. The city’s inhabitants were on their way to an important affair, dressed in delicate golden cloaks trimmed with white and blue threads. Many of the people carried musical instruments, and some carried swords or bows and arrows, solely for decoration. These weapons had not been used for warfare in ages. Joy abounded.
“Where are we going?” Tzalaii asked a man near him.
The man looked at him and smiled warmly. He was not suspicious of a stranger’s presence in his city, and answered: “To the King’s Palace. Today is a festive day! We are celebrating the Festival of Simple Wisdom.”
As the procession continued, they crossed several wide stone bridges over streams of water. More golden turrets were visible now, and the anticipation of the crowd grew. They reached a garden, surrounded by a crimson stone wall with a gate over twenty feet high. The gates had been opened and the people walked freely through into the garden.
“The Festival of Simple Wisdom?” asked Tzalaii hoping for an explanation.
The man was happy to respond: “In our kingdom there are three halls, the hall of music, the hall of creation and the hall of wisdom. Every child in the kingdom attends one of these halls of study in order to gain knowledge. After years of study, a small number of the students advance to the hall’s pinnacle, where they are able to gain knowledge through Simple Wisdom. Today, the graduates are celebrating the completion of their training. It is a day of celebration for us all!” he stated, his face gleaming with pride. The sound of flutes was heard from a distance and the crowd grew even more eager.
“We are nearing the castle,” whispered the man in awe. “The graduates will speak before the king, and then the king will give them his blessings.”
Suddenly the vision changed. Tzalaii now dreamed of a large illuminated room in the interior of an impressive stone home. Smoke obstructed his view but Tzalaii noticed a large, open window across from where he stood. Through the window, he was able to see the magnificent homes, marble columns and golden turrets of the city, all ablaze!!
Sitting in low chairs in the room were three elderly noblemen. Their white clothing had become blackened by soot from the fires, and they seemed to know that their end was approaching. Suddenly one of the men looked up and noticed Tzalaii. He whispered to the others whereupon they immediately arose and bowed to their visitor in great respect. Tzalaii was astonished! He closed his eyes. Now he could hear only their faint whispers, as if from a great distance. They were, at the same time, vague yet clear.
“It is undoubtedly him,” whispered one with great excitement.
“It is possible,” answered another, “But he is oblivious to what is transpiring.”
“There is no time for speculation,” said the third hurriedly. “He will wake up shortly, and then we will miss our chance.”
“We must reveal the secret of the cloak to him,” said the first.
In his dream, Tzalaii opened his eyes wide and looked at them. The fire approached them and the smoke grew thicker and more concentrated.
“You shall remember nothing of what you have seen here,” the second man said to him. “You shall only remember the song of the Transparent Ones. This song is the key to the King’s Cloak. When you utter the words of the song, the golden fringe shall become whole again.”
“The final verse of the song,” continued the first “shall reveal the map of the Tunnels of Time on the inner side of the cloak.”
At that very moment in his vision, Tzalaii realized the identity of the wondrous underground tunnel with the pools of water, where he had walked in his dream. It was, in fact, the Tunnels of Time. But as his thoughts returned to his miserable captivity in the Tower and his imminent trial, the magical revelation he was experiencing began to dissolve, dimming the clarity of his dream.
“Listen!” cried the three elderly men.
Their cry made it possible for Tzalaii to fully grasp the words of the Transparent Ones’ song:
In the end of time, a man in white
Shall lift a great canopy.
A white desert, close in sight
Conceals gates within.
Tzalaii awoke. He stared at the walls of his cell, dumbfounded and confused. For a while he did not know where he was, but was brought back to reality upon hearing the voices of the soldiers from the lower City. The dream was disappearing from his memory. The celebration of the Kingdom of the Ancient Progeny was all but forgotten. All that remained were the words of the song. Tzalaii held onto them with all of his might. He repeated them over and over, beseeching his heart to hold on to them, never to forget the words. He held onto the cloak’s fringe with trembling hands and his lips uttered the words of the song: “In the end of time, a man in white shall lift a great canopy. A white desert, close in sight…” Tzalaii struggled to remember the final words: “conceals gates…within!”
Light rushed into the cell, as Tzalaii realized that the entire cloak was now in his hands! It was delicate, beautiful, and luminous; an assurance of redemption. It was the cloak that had belonged to the King of the Ancient Progeny! His hands shook as he inspected its lining, and saw the map of the Tunnels of Time embroidered within.
To be continued.
***
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