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There was a legend that one day, a young man named Tau fell crazy in love with the Emperor’s daughter, who was called Tsvetsho. Myth says that Tosho’s daughter was the most beautiful woman in the world, and Tau was an entrusted Emperor’s udoğan who often visited his palace. He asked the Emperor for Tsvetsho’s hand, but the Emperor became furious. Despite the fact that he was a very brave udoğan, he did not want his immortal daughter to be given to a simpleton. Since then, the Emperor forbade the men of the Itoshin people from looking at her.
He was going to execute Tau, but the brave young man admitted his guilt for betraying the empire and its sacred Code. Tau asked the Emperor to spare his life in order to try to pass through the Path of the Horror, which had not yet been conquered by anyone. Either perish there or atone for his crime by a great feat. Touched by the nobility of the young man, the Emperor granted him forgiveness and ordered him to find a settlement if he found suitable land beyond the Path of Horror. Several brave, young, strong men and women decided to support Tau, for they were also impressed by his noble impulses and brave heart.
Tau and his comrades went through the Path of Horror and found themselves in a beautiful land, which they called Ulu (Mountain, Majestic Mountains). In the mountain canyons, he managed to repel an ancient relic called the Demon Flesh, which gave the pioneers on the Path an unprecedented power and helped them not to go mad with fear.
Now a mature man who had seen and experienced a lot, Tau rethought his life. He realized everything that happened to him was not an accident. Unrequited feelings, his fall from grace, forgiveness, a path to nowhere, a sense of fear and the attainment of fearlessness, comprehension of power and, finally, a mountain valley made for life.
Even as an Itoshin, Tau heard stories about the Valley of the Ancestors and the morals that reigned there. The stories were about people who lived in contentment and welfare, and were primarily concerned with prosperity instead of their souls. They lived in freedom, not knowing that in the north, the Itoshins were defending the right to this life with a weapon.
Tau did not want his country to follow this same path. Therefore, for the sake of the life of his people, he laid a special teaching of the eternal path, aimed at improving their inner world. The sage Tau himself pondered the Flesh of the Demon and the power inherent in the relic. And he asked himself: can one gain power and absolute fearlessness in oneself without using the artifacts of antiquity? After all, if such artifacts stored true power in themselves, then this power could be obtained from outside as well! The people of Ulutau have since given themselves to eternal self-development and gaining power through constant meditation, tempering body and spirit, and self-contemplation.
Once, a huge bird flew into the mountain country. When she approached Tau, he saw a letter attached to the bird’s foot. Much to Tau’s surprise, the message was written by Tosho! The Emperor wrote that he had a wonderful dream where Tau created a city in beautiful fertile lands, and Tosho sent his birds out to find this land. The Emperor blessed the work of Tau as correspondence began between the Emperor and Tau, and, later, his successors.
Sage Tau died in deep, deep old age. His body was burned and ashes scattered all over his land, so that the soul of the sage became part of this country. Eventually, new sages began to interpret the teachings of Tau in their own ways. They did not deviate from the foundations laid by their great teacher, but began to build their own schools, each of which became separate settlements. And it was masters who led the schools.
The people of Ulutau started families, raised children, plowed the land, and engaged themselves in hunting and fishing, but devoted all their spare time to self-development. Each school lived as a separate community led by a master who was responsible not only for the spiritual development of his pupils, but also for their way of living. Each master assigned himself to an entrusted disciple who became a master after the death of the teacher.
And in the Bright Palace of Tokana sat Ino-to, a wise old man, who could interpret the teachings of Tau better than all others. Chosen by the masters of all schools, Ino-to did not have any power because the concept of power was absent in the country of the Ulutau. Even the masters didn’t impose their will on the disciples, but only helped them on their life journeys. If the master himself strayed off his path, he could always ask for advice from Ino-to the Wisest.
The Bright Palace eventually lost its own school and became the abode of Ino-to, who spent all his time there in constant meditation. Representatives of schools made regular pilgrimages to the Palace, monitored his condition, cleaned up, used archives and libraries, but never settled nearby. There was no violence, murders, or robberies in the Ulutau country, because the inhabitants of the Celestial Plateau strived for self-improvement, and human vices were alien to them.
Master Nao was a pupil of Master Mao in the School of the North Slope. After the death of Mao, he headed the school. At the time, he just turned six times six years. Nao managed it with dignity, instantly earning love and respect among the pupils. Martial arts and the ability to handle the sword were an indispensable part of his teaching, while so many schools began to practice meditation without perfecting their bodies.
Nao was as strong in spirit as in body, well-knit, incredibly courageous and mobile, and no one in the mountainous country could match him!
3
At first, Ulari wanted to be like his master in everything. However, Nao himself explained that each person keeps his own Tau in his heart, for his path is as unique as his soul.
“Think like Ulari and not like Nao!” the master once said to his pupil.
Since then, Ulari only consulted with the master, but made decisions independently. At first, he made many mistakes, but Nao only praised him for these mistakes for with each new one Ulari only became stronger.
“One mistake is one step towards independence and freedom! Awareness of this error is a leap to wisdom!” concluded the master.
When Ulari was three times six years and four years old, Nao appointed him to be an entrusted apprentice, and after Nao’s death, told Ulari he would lead the School of the North Slope. But Nao was not old, and things could still change – Ulari could leave the teachings, and Nao might choose another disciple. Masters and their entrusted ones were not forbidden to have families. Nao himself had a wife and a son, Inao. However, the management of the school did not allow him to spend enough time with his family. Each pupil of Nao – a mature man, a teenager or even a child – was a warrior who raised the perfection of his own body above worldly affairs.
“The Ino-to himself has asked me to the Light Palace of Tokana. I want to take three of my best disciples with me: you, dear Ulari, Mou’Kaa and Sa’Ea,” Master Nao told Ulari. His heart filled with joy at the chance to see the Bright Palace of Tokana in the Celestial Plateau and the Supreme Teacher Ino-to.
Never would Ulari forget that great day!
Ulari approached the Bright Palace with his mouth open – it was a huge monolithic structure of white stone compared to the School of the North Slope, which was only a small settlement. The Palace was surrounded by stretched alleys with evenly planted green dwarf pines. The fragrant aedels were flamed by scarlet tulips with a hint of lilac, like the pre-dawn twilight. The tall columns of the Palace supporting the arch above the main entrance sparkled in the sun, similar to the extraordinary whiteness of snowcapped mountain peaks.
Before the Palace stood a pedestal with a sculpture of the father of the people, the wise Tau made from granite by one of his disciples when. At the time, Tau just smiled and said, “Why go to the stone, if you want to address me? Let everyone see me as they want to see!” After his death, his followers wove the pedestal, but by the order of the teacher, the statue of stone never appeared on it.
As Ulari approached the pedestal, he was met by the face of the bright Tau, smiling at him and blessing his way while Master Nao and his disciples retreated deeper into the Palace, observing more and more new beauties. The floors were lined with pure marble, and the walls were decorated with semiprecious stones. Ulari already fantasized how awesome the hall where Ino-to sits would be. As Nao pulled the handle of the heavy door with the golden sun engraved upon it, Ulari held his breath, ready to see the greatest splendor. Instead, he saw only a raw stone, absolutely empty. The floor was covered with straw, and in the middle of this reclusory sat a gray-haired old man, wrapped in coarse woolen rags.
“Greetings to you, radiant and wisest Ino-to, a storehouse of knowledge and good thoughts! I, Nao, the Master of the School of the North Slope, and my disciples come to you in order to heed your golden words.”
Master Nao stood on both knees. Ulari, along with Sa’Ea and Mou’Kaa, followed his example, although he still hadn’t recovered from his astonishment. He eventually realized that having seen Ino-to, he knew the true greatness was not in giant marble columns and skillful gold engraving, but in the man himself.
“And I salute you, Honorable Master Nao!” Ino-to sang in a measured voice. “Do you know why I called you to the Bright Palace?”
“I can’t even begin to guess, oh wise one,” answered Nao.
“Then listen carefully to what I have to tell you, and do not interrupt. The falcon of Emperor Tosho brought wondrous news. We have all heard about the Valley of the Ancestors, which is far away from our beautiful mountains. I’ve never seen the Valley of Ancestors with my own eyes, but can imagine its glorious appearance, even though it’s been defiled by human vices. In the Valley, the inexplicable happened. Its population disappeared. Disappeared at once! What happened there, no one knows. However, the rulers of the Elinor people sent caravans to the Valley to resettle it. Let it be known to you and your disciples that the Valley has always been ruled by the burgomasters of the four Great Cities – Eavette, Mata-Mata, Dalaal, and Konolwar.
Their meeting was called The Council of the Four and all the rulers were equal amongst themselves, as well as the clans that existed in the Valley. Many of them pursued enrichment as a main goal and not self-improvement. For every one clan striving for knowledge, there were five clans striving for wealth and power. Do you know what money is? I can only imagine it and I am glad that I never held it in my hands. In our country, we do everything ourselves: we hunt and plow, erect majestic structures, and create works of art. Imagine that in the Valley no one does any of these things for free. To create the sun, such as at the entrance to my room, the man of the Valley will take a hundred gold roundels.
Do you know what “governing’ is? Governing means ruling people. You are a master, and you train your own disciples. The governing man doesn’t teach. Such power wants to see a person stupid and cowardly, weak and feeble, gloomy and humiliated, and all in order to make it easier for them to govern. Do you think, Nao, that the people of the Valley with such values brought into the rank of the benefactor will be able to resist the scourge that has fallen upon them? Will the mystery, as to where the people disappeared, be solved? I will repeat again: no. And praise heavenly wisdom that not only I think so. The rulers of Elinor decided the clans and the Council of Four could not, as before, rule the Valley, that they would again be immersed in strife and discord. Therefore, they’ve decided that this should be taken upon by someone who doesn’t care about wealth and power. And such a person can only be found among the people of Ulutau.”
Money, wealth, power…
Of course, Ulari had read about all this and heard about it from the Master. But for the time being he could not explain or imagine what this power could look like and how it could be manifested in reality. This power. The very word itself sounded both sweet and threatening at the same time. Power… money.
In the Valley, people chase money, although in fact it is just golden roundels.
“Did they turn to you, oh hovering over the sky-high distances Ino-to?” Nao asked once his respected interlocutor paused.
“They turned to our whole our nation! The rulers of Elinor decided one of the Ulutau must come to the Valley in order to rightly rule it and prevent people from getting bogged down in wars and conflicts.”
“Are you going to the Valley, teacher?”
“He-he!” For the first time Ino-to laughed, displaying the few teeth he had left. “I’m already too old for this. No, Master Nao, you will go to the Valley!”
“Me?” Nao jumped back, surprising Ulari.
“You, you!” the serene Ino-to replied, continuing to laugh.
“But why?”
“Because I decided so! Because you comprehended the teachings of Tau and were able to build your own teaching! Because you are strong in spirit and body! Because you have a bright mind! Because you will stand against the temptations of the Valley!”
“If it’s your will, Ino-to, I’m ready! But I do not even know what it’s like to govern!”
“To govern is to call people to order and justice, while remaining true to who he is and continuing to comprehend his own Tau!”
“Can I go to the Valley with my school?” he asked as Ulari, Sa’Ea, and Mou’Kaa exchanged glances.
So, will we share the journey with our teacher?
“You will definitely take your pupils! Let whole families that are not afraid of trials and changes follow you. Elinor is our mutual home and to carry enlightenment and reason to the world is our duty! I will address other masters, those who would want to support the will of the people. But remember, Nao, it is you who will be the main one in the Valley! From now on, you have accepted what has not been accepted by any Ulutau – power!”
4
The novices of the School of the North Slope walked along the narrow mountain paths toward the morning sunrise. Sometimes it was necessary to tread on slippery icy roads and risk falling into the misty cloudy abyss. But even the youngest travelers could, if necessary, balance on the thinnest rope stretched over the abyss. They were well prepared by Master Nao.
It was the Master’s will for the School of the North Slope to continue existence on the native land of the Ulutau. This is when the mountain people first encountered an unexpected problem. Previously, masters repudiated their schools; some went into solitude, some were afraid of responsibility and just joined the community, and some people left the country altogether. History also shows several masters were expelled by the joint council of the school community, but in all such cases, a new master was recommended by Ino-to.
As it turned out, Nao himself found a way out of this situation by leaving his wife, the most faithful supporter of his teaching and closest to him in spirit and reason, in the mountain country. Master Nao lived, prospered, and continued to practice the teachings as nearly half of the school and entire families decided to follow him to the Valley, including his son. Despite this, Ulari continued to be the first successor.
Master of School of Blooming Meadows Kuno, and Master of the School of Snowy Wind Ean, also followed the example of Nao, taking with them several families and leaving successors in schools, following the newly elected ruler of the Valley. The detachment advanced to one of Elinor’s greatest miracles – the Celestial Staircase.
How Ulari dreamed of seeing it, and how afraid he was! Everyone was afraid, for they knew that after descending the Celestial Staircase there would be no turning back!
Legends said the monumental structure was built by the First Race, whose representatives were marked with unprecedented strength, knowledge, and wisdom. No one saw the representatives of this First Race; however, the traditions persistently repeated the same thing: they existed! They were supreme creatures, different from people, and were able to build the Celestial Staircase!
There were only two paths to the country of Ulutau. One was the Path of Horror, and the second was the Staircase, although, to be more precise, it was an exit, not an entrance. Having descended to a certain stage, the traveler was caught in the swift water streams that carried him down to the origin of the Kawa River. It was simply impossible to ascend back along the steep rocks. Ulari was ready to question this, as he was firmly convinced that Master Nao was able to climb a sheer rock to a height of at least six hundred lue. At least for now, Ulari did not want to admit the impossibility of returning back, although he remembered perfectly well that everyone who left Ulutau by the Celestial Staircase disappeared forever.
It was terribly, terribly scary for Ulari. It was not a fear for his life, as it is, in principle, alien to the Ulutau. It was a fear for his soul.
And what if life in the Valley really turns out to be so terrible the heart can’t accept it? If the people in the Valley are so stubborn and insidious, then why should the Ulutau go there at all?
Elinor’s fate is in our hands Ulari thought, recalling Ino-to’s words at his reclusory.
Well, the Path of Horror was still there. But apart from Tau, only one person was able to pass through it, and that was Azir Amunjadee. He was from the Djunit people. His skin was dark with hair was like a crow’s wing. Many of his images were kept safe in the libraries of Tokana.
They say that when Tau thought he reached the limit of his inner strength, he threw the Demon’s Flesh into the waterfall of the Celestial Staircase and the waves picked up the relic and carried it away. But the Demon’s Flesh returned to Tokana with Azir Amunjadee, which helped him overcome fears and gain strength in order to defeat the terrible demons. The wise men of Tokana met Azir, but soon the outlander entered the philosophy of Tau himself, and in his heart, he was pure and selfless. The man of hot lands became a friend of the mountain people, having lived in Tokana for many years. When Azir’s hair began to turn gray, he asked the masters and Ino-to for permission to leave Tokana before his death. He wanted to see his family, his children, possibly his grandchildren, and most importantly – to give the other people of Elinor his books.
Ino-to and many wise masters blessed Azir’s return, believing his books would bring a lot of light to Elinor, so Azir descended the Celestial Staircase, taking the Demon’s Flesh with him. The years dragged on, and many people from the mountain began to yearn for the good old man nicknamed the Rogue Azir, who had conquered their hearts. And how much joy there was when once, from the east, Azir returned! It turned out that during his wanderings, relatives forgot about him and his children had scattered around the world and disappeared. Being an old man Azir decided to live his life until the end in Tokana and was able to pass through the Path of Horror for the second time.
5
As the days dragged on and the Ulutau descended even lower, it became chilly and damp as they walked in the thick, cloudy darkness. The disciples’ wet bodies trembled with cold, and the journey was hard even for Master Kuno and Master Ean. And only calmness, composure, and the iron will of Master Nao gave them the strength and power to move forward – more precisely, to move down!
Three days later, the cloudy veil dissipated and the rising sun quickly warmed the children of the mountains. A majestic landscape stretched across the bright green blanket below with thin, threadlike patterns wriggling along the river. After passing two stone gorges, the Ulutau finally found themselves at the straight, smooth, and perfectly peeled Celestial Staircase. It was worth traveling the dangerous foothills just to see the wide mountain rivers merging into one infinitely long stream with no end in sight.
Only the First Race could have created this! Truly, these people were powerful and skillful! For none of the present masters would not have been able to do this.
Perfect coordination and fighting skills were no help here, and at first, walking down the staircase was very hard. It seemed like one wrong step would have you at the foot of the Staircase before you would have wanted to be there. Hanging over the abyss to indulge in meditation was one thing, balancing the abyss was something entirely different. Ulari quickly adjusted and was able to help the others, as Master Nao caught two slow-moving children who were about to lose their balance. Again, the steadfastness of the leader helped his people feel confident.
Eventually the trek became easier for everyone, as they managed to sleep on small spaces throughout their journey. It was unknown whether people of that era could walk without stopping or sleep in unimaginable positions. But they took care of each other and the spaces really helped, giving the travelers the rest, they so needed.
By the end of the fifth day, the roar of the waterfall could be heard, as mighty streams of water slipped through the crevices that were under the last step of the Staircase.
The staircase was ending and the abyss, just beginning – a bottomless pit, into which the waterfall disappeared.
“Should we go straight there?” Inao asked his father in an alarmed voice.
“Remember, my pupil and son, that doubts give rise to fear!” Master Nao replied. “Listen to me all! Conquer your doubt! And if you do not believe me, know that this way was suggested to me by Ino-to, our brightest sage. Believe in yourself!”
After uttering these words, the Master was the first to step into the seething water and disappear downstream. Masters Kuno and Ean stayed back to step into the waterfall last. Ulari, no longer having any doubts, followed their example to help others with a kind word and support. First, with timidity, and then with increasingly greater confidence, the pupils of the School of the North Slope began to make their descent into the unknown. It now was time for Ulari to go. He knew there was no return!
As powerful waves picked him up and rushed him downstream, Ulari thought the water would cover his head and flatten him with its weight. But on the contrary, it carried him smoothly and easily as though it were taking care of him. He did not fly or fall down, but slid.
The stream carried his body into the warm waters of the river Kawa where Ulari dipped his head for the first time. After emerging, he saw his detachment, led by Master Nao, on the shore. All were safe and sound. They had to only wait for Master Kuno and Master Ean.
“So, we have descended from the skies to the ground!” declared Nao.
Henceforth, the School of the North Slope was divided into two parts.
6
And then the Ulutau met the Vedichs. Judging by the conversations, many mountaineers still feared these strange forest inhabitants. Quite explanatory! After all, the redheaded Vedich girl showed that they really could turn into wild animals. However, Ulari fully trusted the words of his master. Moreover, before them there were no warriors or men, but just children.
But this incredible skill continued to intrigue the Ulutau. Simple and understandable was the power of Master Nao, allowing you to immobilize the enemy. This was incredibly difficult to achieve such a skill, as the other forces available to the Tau masters, such as levitation, could be easily explained.
But to turn into an animal so easily! To change your appearance… how was it possible? After all, the bones must break, the flesh must change.
Ulari was convinced that even his master could not unravel such a secret, but for now the most important thing was that he called the Vedichian people harmless.
Together they all walked along the shore of Kawa for several days. Master Nao announced that the Vedichs were free to go. However, Wey-Leya asked to travel together; at least to the city of Kawa.