EA#34:
Read From the Beginning or the start of Trial Two or Three or Four or Five
The Mountain in the Clouds, Part Thirty-Seven
“
I awoke to the horns of war.
Wow, I thought in my waking mental haze, this trial is certainly true to its word.
I found quick energy and catapulted myself out of bed. Outside the tent I saw Gumpelthwomp standing at the far end of camp, looking out over a cliffside that I hadn’t even been aware of last night. Thank the gods I hadn’t wandered about in the dark…
“Gumpel, what’s going on?” I asked him.
“Army marching,” the giant replied and pointed to the vast landscape below us.
As I looked out over the cliff beside my enormous friend, I tried to place where we were. What land it this?
And I saw the army, thousands strong, maybe ten or twenty even. They were arranged in perfect lines, phalanxes that would make the T’hors envious. The soldiers’ golden armor shone in the morning sun, winking at us in myriad sparkling blinks of refined light.
The horns blared again, a resounding echo of notes that must put fear in any challenger who hears, while also building intense resolve in those summoned to honor its call to battle. It almost inspired me, warmed my heart.
Why did I feel drawn to this sound? Why did I get the sense that those soldiers below were fighting for some good? Why did it feel they were on the side of light?
“Do you know who they are?” I queried Gumpel. “Can you make out anything?”
“I see what you see, Magi Man,” he said.
“Well, yes,” I tried, “but maybe your great big eyes can see farther…”
“That is not the case,” Gumpelthwomp intoned. “Giant eyes not really that great. Just because they are big, not make them better.”
“Ok, sure,” I said. “I wonder who they are…”
“Stand where we can see you!” commanded a strong voice from behind us. “No sudden moves! Now turn around, slowly.”
We did so, my huge friend and I.
When I turned about, I saw who was before us. It was one of the army, gilded armor aglow and a tall red feather crowning his ornate helmet. He held a stout long sword pointed in our direction.
The man was accompanied by a dozen others wielding tall spears at the ready, standing in a semicircle on the other side of our camp.
“What’s this about?” I asked.
“Silence,” the soldier called back. “I will ask the questions. Who are you, and what are you doing here? And why are you traveling with this…”
The man’s face looked towards Gumpelthwomp with a mixture of disgust and trepidation, taking him in from the ankles up towards his big, menacing face, which was glowering down at the soldiers.
“May I speak now?” I said in some jest.
“Don’t be a fool,” the soldier spat. “I asked you a question, now answer me.”
“So demanding,” I returned, strangely unafraid. “I am a traveler in these lands, that is all you need to know. I am not here to interfere in whatever you are doing. I am not even sure who you are. I am not even sure where I am, to be certain…”
“What nonsense,” the soldier said. “How could you not know where you are when, lo, you are here?”
“It’s a long story…” I said.
“Well, I don’t have time for long stories,” the soldier went on. “You say you are not here to interfere, that you do not know who we are. While I find all this hard to believe, I must ask. What ARE you doing at all?”
“Trying to ascend my soul,” I smiled.
The soldier paused and wrinkled his eyebrows at me. I didn’t expect him to understand, but laughed to myself to see him so puzzled.
“And I must wonder myself,” I began again, “what are you doing here at our camp? Haven’t you got an army to march with down there? Perhaps you have better things to do than risk your lives to inquire what my giant friend and I are doing?”
“Friend?” the solder scoffed, looking again at Gumpelthwomp. The giant moved just slightly and the soldier jumped, much to Gumpel’s delight. “Who makes friend with a giant?”
“A Magi,” Gumpel interceded. “Magi my friend. Now Gumpel get tired of questions. Go away. Leave us now.” And my friend did something I still love to this day.
Gumpelthwomp took one small step forward, reached down towards the cowering group of men, and grabbed up all the spears in one great big swipe of his hand. As he pulled them up, most of the soldiers let go their hold, but a couple were either too stubborn or confused to do so and held tight as he lifted them off the ground. After a moment or two, they realized that their chance was growing slim and finally let go, dropping ungracefully to the ground below in a clump of metal armor.
The leader of the group gestured bravely with his sword, but looked behind him to see his troop falling back. I suppose he thought better of it, turned, and lowered his weapon.
“You have us beat, giant,” he said. “In one fell blow, you have bested us.” He knelt on his knee briefly, bowing his head, and then stood again.
“Gumpel said go away,” the giant repeated.
“Certainly,” the soldier answered. “I don’t suppose we could leave with our weapons?”
Gumpel glared at the man for quite a long moment, until the soldier began to quake in his boots. Then the giant lifted overhead the hand which held the spears, paused, and casually tossed the bunch of them down the hill over the heads of the other soldiers, who scrambled for cover.
“Uh, uh, thank you, I guess,” stuttered the man with the red-feathered helmet. “We’ll be going now…”
“Wait,” I said, halting him and his troops, who were down the hill trying to find their spears amongst the trees and rocks. “May I ask you a question now?”
The first soldier merely nodded.
“What is your purpose here?” I asked.
“Why, we are marching to end the war, of course,” he answered.
“I don’t get it,” I said. “I don’t know of any war. I don’t even know who you are.”
“I am Jall Hilgon, captain of the third scout troop. We came up here to find the source of the campfire we spied last night.”
“No, no,” I shook my head. “I mean, your army. Who are you? Where are you from? What war? Where are you marching?”
“You really are lost here, aren’t you?” Jall Hilgon replied. “This is the barrowlands of Holdor we march through. We come from the capital, Hemsworth Deep. We are the famous army of the Gilded Dragon. I can’t believe you don’t know of us.” His face was aghast. “In any case, we are marching to end the war in the east, in Dral Graf. There has been a bitter time of darkness there… A maniacal tyrant is terrorizing his own people and expanding his territory in any way that he can. His name is Etl Drilksbat and his army is powerful and dangerous. If you were even at all familiar with this land you would know all of this… Where did you say you were from?”
“I didn’t,” I said. “I am from far away. And I do not know these lands, or this strife in which you find yourselves. I am truly sorry to hear about the situation.”
Rise above it, the voice in my head whispered.
“What?” I said aloud.
“I didn’t say anything,” said Jall.
The voice in my mind continued: Rise above it. Do not agree to it. Do not placate. Do not be sorry. Do not adhere to the war. See a place beyond it.
What? I asked in my inner mind. What does that mean? How am I supposed to do that? I am told that there is war and tragedy in this land. How can I ignore that?
The voice was silent.
Why won’t you answer me? I demanded.
Nothing.
Relax, I told myself. Breathe.
You are too resistant to hear the answer, the voice suddenly piped in.
Why do you play games with me? I asked.
The voice: We don’t. But we can’t be heard if you are not willing. Relax. Breathe. All is well. Rise above the darkness. Do not throw rocks. Do not fight fire with fire. Do not climb back down your ladder and wage war with a hand axe. You are liable to get hit by the rocks yourself. Rise above it.
I don’t know what that means, I thought back to the voice. What ladder? How can I rise above war? When war is present, I must respond to it. I cannot but see it.
The voice concluded with this: The ladder we speak of represents all of this growth and ascension that you have thus far claimed. You have moved beyond so much of the lower realms of thought and energy, and you do not even realize this yet. You can always go back, you know. You can go back down and live the life that you once lived. That is always your choice. But we feel that you won’t, that you know too much now, know better than to go backwards. And what we are here to tell you and to remind you in this trial is that war is only present to those who witness it, who believe it must be there. You only have conflict because you are used to it, because you expect it. Rise above it. Do not look at it. Do not engage with conflict. Believe in the possibility of a world without conflict and that is what you will get. What you expect to see, you will. Remember these words.
Great, I thought. Another riddle? How is this supposed to happen? I mean, if someone comes at me with a sword, how can I rise above conflict? I have to defend myself!
No answer.
Right, I’m getting too resistant again.
“Um, sir,” said the voice of Jall, bringing me out of my inner dialogue. “Are you still with us?”
“Magi think deep sometime,” Gumpel offered.
“Thank you, I am fine,” I said. “I must go with you, Jall.”
“Excuse me?” the soldier was taken aback. Gumpel, too, was surprised.
I looked Jall right in the eyes and said, “I am Troy Desten of Ham, and it is my wish and desire that I follow you back to your army and assist you in any way that I can.”
Jall continued to look at me blankly.
And the horns of war blared once again from the vast landscape below.
“
Thanks so much for reading.
Please leave comments and share.
Blessings to you,
Matthew