Two Crowns

Warriors of Transcendence, Part 59
 
“Help me,” he whispered trying to verbalize his deep needs, but he found himself repeating the same words in a weak whimper: “Help me”…”Help me”…
 
Finally, far away in the distance he heard an answer to his whispers. The echoes of an ancient calling made their way to his heart: The strength of the sender.
 
Many moments passed until the words trickled into his consciousness, and slowly Tzalaii began to feel that he was no longer alone in the mountain core, facing the forces of darkness threatening to consume his sister.
 
His existence was only a small part of the light that surrounded and revived everything: The Light of the Transcendor.
 
“Summon the Light, and you shall be redeemed!” he whispered to himself. “Hurry, Tzalaii!! It’s now or never!”
 
He was filled with strength one moment, and then flooded with fear the next. He was not at liberty to summon the Light of the Transcendor. If only he could be precise and humble, he would be able to summon the Light of the Transcendor but he didn’t feel capable at this point. He had worn the king’s cloak twice and sinned with arrogance, a life-threatening error. His eyes wandered to the corner where the drums had been placed, and a new wave of terror nearly overcame him. “I cannot!” he thought to himself, “I cannot ever do it! I am not worthy!”
 
If you can relinquish your being, said the Master of Transcendence during their last journey in the forest, you shall become worthy of the crown of royalty.
 
Sihara stood by his side, silent and frozen. The Deathliners became more and more raucous as the tempo of their drinking increased. Tzalaii forced himself to shut his eyes. He detached himself from the cave, from the danger, and with difficulty from Sihara and finally from himself.
 
“Whether I survive matters not, nor do the sufferings I may have to undergo.  I do not ask for Tzalaii’s existence, but for You, Transcendor, for Your royalty and glory. Evil dominates here, in the depth of existence, concealing the light, suffocating hope, capturing pure souls and seizing their faith. I desire to fight Your battles, Transcendor! Send me as your messenger to purify Your world, grant me the honor to revive Your primal splendor.”
 
At that very moment, deep in the Northern Forests, the Master of Transcendence continued his infinite Unification and now directed his words to Khivia: “You have no existence in the simple One, your eyes are dead, your kingdom demolished, your shadows crumbling into  dust!”
 
The forests filled with winds of purity and hope. The heavy clouds, high above the massive mountain made way for a patch of deep blue sky in which an eye-shaped pale spot appeared, and from it cascaded a line of light, glistening like a thread of pure silver, clear as a tear. The line of light touched the Ohn Mountain and became absorbed within the stone like a raindrop is absorbed into the earth. The Deathliners, sensing danger, grasped their swords in fear. But before they were able to approach the chained prisoner, a blinding, paralyzing light illuminated the area. Unable to move, they saw Tzalaii in a great glow of light, a hazy halo encircling his head. Inside of the halo, lines and shapes glowing with diamonds and precious jewels appeared in an endless array of colors. The crown, intended for him since ancient times, now rested majestically upon his head. The ten dark-skinned warriors released their swords, and their faces paled like the light surrounding their enemy. Tzalaii reached his hands toward them and saw them immediately consumed by the Light of the Transcendor. Not a sound was heard. Only Sihara remained with him in the cave now.
 
Tzalaii gazed at his sister, waiting. A luminous crown hovered over his head, while a red crown of darkness hovered over hers. His begging and pleading eyes met her blank stare. Tzalaii knew he could be aided by the Transparent Master and the Transparent Ones, but he refused to summon them. He did not want his sister to be seen in this condition.  He reached out his hands to her. His light surrounded Sihara but did not touch her.
 
“Warrior of Transcendence,” he spoke to her.  “Find the place where you were touched by the rain of light. Activate your Memory Shield. Your enslavement shall disappear in the line of light forever.”
 
The light flowing through him intensified, the red crown lost its glow, and Sihara trembled.
 
“Princess,” whispered Tzalaii. “Remove from your midst a disguise that is not your own, reveal your strength, toss away the crown of darkness!” 
 
Shadows and light flashed by her face, struggling to dominate her. Tzalaii gazed at the light with all of his strength, begging for it to be revealed, to intensify.
 
“Entire worlds are waiting to hear your story,” he pleaded, “of how a fragile, delicate soul, with pure intentions, devoid of weapons, transformed molten steel into still waters.”
Sihara was shaken, her eyes revealing a slight, flickering tenderness, a weakness and vulnerability, like a candle about to become extinguished.
 
“Remember, princess, listen!” Tzalaii held onto his words, drawing strength from them. “Many worlds are attentive to your teachings, to your strength, to your splendor which creates palaces from hissing ashes and shattered fragments. You must believe!” She nodded a faint, almost invisible nod, as though she had been waiting for this cue.  Now the healing, protective light neared Sihara and enveloped her.
 
“The voice of your heart shall guide the way, and the Light of the Transcendor shall protect you.”
 
His eyes filled with tears.
 
“Come, my beloved,” he said as he turned to the entrance.
 
Sihara followed him silently. He went out determinedly, and waited for her to follow. As she passed through the threshold, her crown disappeared and her eyes became clear. She hesitantly smoothed down her hair. 
 
“Tzalaii?” she asked weakly. “Tzalaii? What is this place? What happened to me here?”
 
Tzalaii tensed. He wanted to return quickly with her to the Transparent Master and the Transparent Ones in order for them to comfort her, but Sihara stopped abruptly, looking behind her, trembling.
 
“It really happened, didn’t it?” she asked. “The creatures of darkness, the black waters, and me…they said I was a queen, that I was there alone… At first I called for you, but no one came. Later I ate and drank, and much time passed. They told me that everyone had died, that the world outside was demolished, and I believed them, Tzalaii. I had forgotten everything! How is it that you came here?!”
 
“To save you!” replied Tzalaii.
 
“What for?” she asked, troubled. “I am no longer myself. I have ceased being Sihara. I was a creature of the darkness, like them! Here, in this very place…” she hurried back inside. Tzalaii watched her through the opening but did not dare to follow her.
 
Sihara continued: “My life ended in this place and nothing of me remains. Why have you come here?!”
 
“I was sent by the Master of Transcendence.”
“For what purpose?”
“He said that I must return you to the gate.”
“What shall I do?”
“Keep going!”
 
Sihara smiled bitterly, “You want me to keep going? Me? Tzalaii, you are dreaming! You are all hallucinating…This is a mistake!”
 
Tzalaii did not know what else to say. They were both silent for a long while, and then he finally heard himself say: “I cannot help you, Sihara. I have no answers for you. You must turn to the Transcendor and ask him.”
 
“Here?” asked Sihara, shaken.
“Yes, here.”
 
Tzalaii turned his back to Sihara and walked around the bend.  
 
“Transcendor,” he whispered in a trembling voice, “You helped me to find and rescue Sihara. Now, please help her to save herself.”
 
Sihara wandered through the cave of the Deathliners, opening and then closing her mouth repeatedly.  She searched for words, but did not dare express them. She desired to turn to the Transcendor through Unification, but was filled with deep shame and anger for all that had befallen her.
 
Why? Why had this happened to her?
 
“What did you think of me, when I was Queen of the Deathliners?” she suddenly asked, “Did you despise me?”  She paced more quickly now, agitated. “They gave me black waters to drink. I pretended to drink three times, but I succumbed the fourth time. I thought no one would come to help me, and I hoped that the waters would bring back my lost will to live. Something indeed did flow into me through the waters- an exciting, vivacious sensation, but it was so dark and full of despair, that I was filled with apathy and indifference. After I drank from the waters ten times, my reality had become so dark that I believed all I was told. I had become a creature of the darkness, just like them…”
 
Sihara sensed disagreement in the silence that surrounded her, some sort of inner objection that demanded her to be more precise.
 
“Maybe not dark like them, exactly,” She said hesitantly, correcting herself, “but their darkness clung to me, enveloped me entirely. When Tzalaii arrived, I didn’t even feel joy!” She now knelt on the floor and cried. “They took everything from me….everything! Even the hope of being rescued…When Tzalaii destroyed them, and advised me in the name of the Master of Transcendence to keep going, I did not believe him. Even now, I do not believe him. Help me, Transcendor, help me believe!”
 
Sihara sat on the ground for a long time, hunched over and aching. Finally, she raised her eyes to the passageway.
 
“The mission awaits me,” she said to herself as she arose. “My mission. I have a task.” Slowly, she made her way. “At least I am no longer afraid of the etched horses,” she said, in utter exhaustion. “I have already met their masters. And I know how to deal with them!”
 
“Tzalaii?!” she raised her voice. “Where are you? We must leave this place!” Tzalaii could see the light in her eyes expressing a new determination, and he felt relief in his heart.
 
“Are you alright, Sihara?” he asked gently.
 
“I will be fine,” she smiled. “The Master of Transcendence shall cure me. But before I forget what I have learned here, I must pass through the gate.”           
 
To be continued.
 

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