Ulu Meets the Master
Ulu meets The Master of Transcendence, who teaches him the key to survival in battle; Ulu prays that he never the beauty and wisdom of his mentor…
Warriors of Transcendence, Part 11
Purple clouds circled above. A silver string descended and revealed a light.
The terror ceased, and morning came. Ulu, drenched with perspiration, opened his eyes. No trace of the night’s terrors remained in the white sands. Once again, all was clean and pure, as if the menacing beasts had never existed. Across from him, within his reach, sat the Master of Transcendence. His royal cape created an incredible contrast with the barren desert. Ulu gazed at the Master’s widening smile and even the desert seemed more hospitable…even regal.
“My dear child,” began the Master of Transcendence, “there are encounters in the Chamber and encounters in the desert, and each encounter beholds a secret. Each encounter has its own special significance. I regret that this is part of your training, but only this kind of experience can prepare you for having to face the threats of the Tower and its Obliterators.”Ulu covered his face with his hands and wept. The Master of Transcendence gazed at him for a long time.
Sometime later, Ulu finally recovered his composure. The Master of Transcendence gathered a handful of sand, letting some stream out to the ground, and said: “Draw a circle for me”.
Ulu did as he was told The Master of Transcendence pointed towards the circle and said: “Look.”
Ulu could not fathom what had happened; the circle had completely vanished.
“Even a slight breeze can erase this circle,” said the Master.
Ulu was surprised. “I thought there was no better protection than the circle…while inside, I knew with all certainty that there was no power in the world capable of harming me.”
“The first time you use it, it gives you true protection. But the next time, you will trust it too much, which will cause it to weaken. It may protect you from other scorpions or various other creatures. But there is always the possibility that you will face the risk of encountering the same creature twice. This is a risk we cannot take.”
Ulu felt himself weakening. Was everything he had learned the previous night worthless?
“So what must be done?” asked Ulu, exhausted.
“When you draw a circle”, smiled his mentor, “even if it is exactly the same as the previous circle, you must draw as if you are doing it for the first time, as if you are unaware of its powers, as if you have never defended yourself nor won a single battle. You must draw a circle simply because this is what is essential: To create a strong boundary between yourself and the deceptions of your adversaries. And from within this boundary, you must remember your true strength.”
Ulu gazed into the eyes of the Master, his heart bursting with happiness. His true strength, his guide and the source of his light, was sitting across from him. All he had to do was remember him.
“Yes, that’s it”, said the Master of Transcendence, as if responding to his thoughts, “You have access to your own Memory Shield, full of moments in which you experienced shades from my Chamber. These memories are brighter and stronger when inside the circle, but at times the Shadows may transform your protective circle into a prison from which you cannot escape. When the circle is detached from its source, the powerful sensations cease to flow through you into those in need, and instead the power becomes blocked and remains in your hands. At first you will assume that you have received a blessing, but later you will become trapped in the very same enchantment which has given you strength, and your every wish will be to remain in that state for evermore. In this way, the memories from your shield are detached, and you will be unable to recall them.”
“Is it possible to forget the beauty of the Master of Transcendence?” Ulu pondered aloud.
“That occurred to one of our warriors, after having been trapped in his own circle. The strength erased all of his memories, allowing the Obliterators to enter his spirit. You may need to face him someday.”
“Who can confront an obliterated Warrior of Transcendence?” questioned Ulu, a shiver running down his spine.
The Master of Transcendence approached him, touched his face, and said: “A single, special warrior.”
Ulu knew that the Master was referring to him.
The Master continued. “But remember, one cannot feel hatred towards an obliterated Warrior of Transcendence…because he is still one of us! He just needs to be peeled.”
Ulu’s thoughts of the past ceased as he returned to the reality at hand. Sitting by the sea and recollecting past experiences, he was able to rid himself of his fearful thoughts. Strengthened by the memories of his fateful meeting with the Master, he noticed that the moon had risen, brightly illuminating the sea. He stood up heavily, regaining his equilibrium after re-living the heavy memories of his past, and made his way back home. Now he felt more capable of dealing with his anxieties, though fear still lingered deep in his heart. He still pondered the question: Should he take Sage with him?
To be continued.
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