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