The Third Key (GUARDING THE LIGHT)

by Ramsey, V. K.

  “I need to go easy - forget all the events in the past. After all, he is a great wise man.” Jason tried to think clearly and come up with a strategy.

  Before one came, he saw the big lotus-like eyes on Durjay’s face opening and their eyes met. Out of respect that he actually felt, Jason bowed down. Just as he opened his mouth to offer verbal respect, the powerfully deep vibrations of Durjay’s voice stopped him. His words were calm, but his voice filled every space, making all objects and the spaces between vibrate - as if caught in a dance.

  “I see you do remember me, O human warrior. And you came again to demand powers from me.”

  “O glorious Durjay, who could forget your all-powerful grace.” Jason tried to sound as humble as he could, without being servile. “I was simply sent to you on a mission, I do not demand from you - ”

  “Of course you do! I, I, I…I this, I that. You have not changed much since our last meeting. If you came to ask me something then ask, human.”

  “In that case, with your permission, I was hoping that you could kindly bless me with the Armor, Powers and Weapons of a Guardian of the Light. It is the opinion of the Council that I am…”

  “Stop with singing your glories! You are playing with my patience … again. You came to me and want to become a Guardian of the Light again. And since we know you are eligible then you can just pass the initiation tests as is customary.”

  “All-powerful One, I was sincerely hoping that we could put it aside at this time.” Jason racked his brain for a way to please him. “Agents of Evil are a few moves ahead of us and - ”

  “You would spend your time better in preparation for the initiation test rather than flattery. Do we not know that time is short? It has ever been thus. No one has ever bypassed the initiation. What makes you think that you deserve special treatment?”

  “I humbly beg you to reconsider, O Ruler of Kailash.” Jason was getting desperate. “After all, saving Earth and its inhabitants is important for you as well….” Jason’s voice drowned out due to the tremendously powerful words pouring out of the mouth of the Demigod.

  “You seem to lack the ability to understand simple words! I think humans use this one expression…. I hope you can understand this: tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock.”

  Saying this, the mighty Durjay closed his lotus eyes and re-entered into meditation, entirely disinterested in more discussion.

  This way of dealing with him made Jason angry, furious. He felt frustrated and humiliated, mistreated and offended all at the same time, and wondered if Durjay was subject to the desire for revenge or if this was just an early test. But, he was determined to fulfill the mission that was given to him. Stakes were just too high and too valuable for Jason to indulge further in hurt feelings. And, he could see the reality; there was nothing he could do but surrender to Durjay’s decision.

  “It is just a pure waste of time.” His ego grumbled and ground its teeth, but he said nothing.

  He knew he could pass the test without serious difficulties, the same as he did the last time, but the Initiation test was never easy. There were three parts to the test: physical, mental and spiritual skills. Just as every man and woman on earth needs to strive with heart and mind while trying to achieve something big, one could pass the initiation test in the same way. However, these tasks were not of an ‘Earthly’ nature.

  IX.

  “All right. Let me out from this bulb and let’s start!”

  As soon he finished that thought, he felt a sudden turbulence and shifting around him. The next moment he saw the bulb, the energy layer that protected him from getting in touch with the atmosphere of Kailash, expand multiple times. In front of him, between Durjay and where he was standing, various objects started to manifest out of ‘nowhere’. Jason realized that despite his contemptuous words, Durjay was not willing to waste time either.

  Still trying to calm down from anger and frustration, Jason knew he badly needed to focus. “Great. This will go fast, let’s do it!” he said softly, as if just for himself. He took a few deep breaths and settled down in a lotus position.

  “Ready!” With a loud and clear voice Jason gave the sign, announcing that testing could begin.

  “I am Jason, 318th in line of the Guardians. I came to request the Armor, Weapons and Shakti (mystical power) of Light!”

  That was exactly how the initiation had to begin; it was a part of the ritual. He looked up but the face of Durjay didn’t show anything new, as if he didn’t hear his words. Nevertheless, the first part of the test had begun. Objects from every angle started to fly towards Jason’s body with no warning.

  In real time, it probably lasted about 20 minutes. Beginning at a moderate pace, attacks expanded in quantity and speed. There were different sizes of metal plates, wooden sticks and other objects (stones, metal balls, hard wood splinters, etc.) that tried to slam into his head, arms, torso and legs. The only task that a candidate had in this test was to keep his body protected. Anything preventing him from successfully blocking, punching, evading, kicking or just moving away from the attacks would mean failure and disqualification. Slow reactions, bleeding, moving slowly or any other sign of weakness increased the strength and power of the attacks.

  After a few minutes of fighting with flying objects, Jason’s muscles began to feel a lack of adrenaline. His muscular body moved fast as he was forced to use all of his martial skills. Blocks, steps, and jumps were just enough since it was better to break some objects before they crashed into his head or body, such as watermelons or ice crystals or wooden sticks. It was worse than playing a reality Wii game. Other sorts of objects were better to be avoided, sharp objects such as axes, swords and knives. Sharp blades flew towards him in no particular order, some in a straight line, some in zigzags, and some rotating in circles. Not a pleasant place to be.

  It looked like a special effects scene from Hollywood Studios, although a normal human eye would fail to recognize anything. A fog of movement and particles made of ‘everything and anything’ was splashing and exploding all over Jason’s fists, fingers, underarms, and legs – without the benefits of slow motion.

  Just when he started to fight for breath, it all stopped - like when you switch airflow inside a Bingo machine and all the table tennis balls drop down at the same time. Jason’s body was covered in sweat and his muscles shone in the bright light of Kailash. He was breathing fast and his heart pounded in his ears. He remained in the ‘neutral’ attacking position without moving, with his arms in full guard. His eyes quickly checked the space around him, space that just a moment ago was the source of deadly attacks. He looked up. No change on the face of mighty Durjay, the controller of destructive forces.

  “Wwwwwaaaaaammmmmm!” The space suddenly filled with loud and tremendously strong but pleasant sounds of heavenly instruments, announcing a victory.

  The muscles on Jason’s body relaxed, and he felt relieved.

  “I passed the first part. But for some reason, I think this was harder than before”, he thought briefly but regained his focus immediately. He knew that the next part – a mental strength test – would not be easy either.

  He could feel the power of Durjay’s look. The lotus-like eyes on the big face of the warrior were open, but somehow he sensed it was not necessarily a positive sign.

  Again, without any sign or sound or warning, it started. Time was ticking away (even there on higher planets) and Jason really wanted to end this fast. Illusory energy started to cover him like the smoke curtain of a magic show. He started to feel hunger and thirst of indescribable intensity. He just wanted to eat. Delicious foods and specialty cuisines that Jason loved to eat paraded past him, within easy reach. Drinks were served, and the air was filled with tempting aromas of fresh foods and spices. His mind and body trembled with desire; it was all right in front of his face.

  He did not fail!

  After that, he was exposed to the draw of lust and sexual desire. The urges he felt were like a burning volcano ready to ex
plode inside his brain. As he resisted, it felt as if his mind and body burned from within. Any Viagras or aphrodisiacs could not produce the intensity of these longings. He was exposed to feminine beauty that no human ever had the chance to see. Desire and thirst for sexual enjoyment that these women could evoke would make any man beg on his knees in a matter of minutes, casting into shadow all of the Heidi Klums and Rihannas ever born. They offered themselves entirely to Jason, dancing graciously, touching his body and softly whispering into his ears. Jason did not move! It was very hard but his mind remained focused. Not exactly calm like the surface of a mountain lake, but he did not move.

  Again, the sound of “Wwwwwaaaaaammmmmmn” filled the space, with musical instruments such as horns, bells and trumpets announcing the victory.

  “Such a relief!” Jason took a deep breath. He was enchanted by the ability to think freely again.

  “Boy, this was NOT like the last time. That was really close…” Catching himself admiring the fact that he got through, Jason tried to gather his mental power back.

  Before he could, the turmoil of the initiation test started to blast over him. He knew this would be the hardest one. He was confident but the expression on Durjay’s face reflected a doubt.

  Was it too much???

  X.

  All of a sudden, Jason’s consciousness was transformed without any warning. All of a sudden he began to ‘see’ everything. Those tri-kāla-jñā * powers are not easy to wrap your mind around while staying sane. EVERYTHING that occurred in the past, EVERYTHING that took place now and EVERYTHING that would happen in the future was there, easy to see, to understand and feel. It was easy to comprehend, as natural as breathing or blinking your eyelids.

  Constantly shifting possibilities of the infinite number of future time lines were all there, on the screen of his mind. He felt the powers of the Supreme. Never, ever had Jason felt power compared to this – and it went on, expanding and growing, reaching out to cover over the entire universe.

  The next moment he was charged with the ability to do anything to anyone, to change anything that had happened in the past, and create the future. He could manipulate Time and Space within the material creation as he wished. He could do ANYTHING and EVERYTHING – he was in full control. He could see it was real – not an illusion. His mother’s death … Josh and Kevin, the boys that bullied him regularly from 1st to 4th grade … a house in a fire and children screaming in pain … four men raping a young girl ... thousands of ready-made situations that were easy to undo, to change, and to influence. Every particle of his soul was tested – his whole body trembled with the severity of the experience and he was crushed in pain. He knew that manipulating the free will and destiny of other living beings was a demonic thing to do, but now he was able to DO SOMETHING…and surely that was a good thing! To stop injustice, catastrophes, genocide …

  Scene after scene, situation after situation, the pressure was becoming endlessly painful - intolerable. A new crescendo began. He saw Sumiko crying in fear, bruises on her face … she was trembling in terror, screaming. ‘Life streaming’ was plastic even as it was realistic, but this was as if he was right there. In possession of that power he knew – he could be there in a split second. Then he saw Matsumoto forcibly entering her room, obviously intoxicated and in a rage - he could smell the whiskey and stink of cigars. He weaved quickly towards Sumiko, obviously intending to beat the shit out of her. She tried to escape and from the corner of her room she was now crying, loudly begging her father: “Papa please stop! Please do not...”

  That violent scene was simply unbearable. Jason had to react! He used the power and in the next millisecond he was there in Sumiko’s room. He could burn Matsumoto’s rank body to ashes in one move – the desire for revenge was strong. Using the last particle of self-control that he had, he used the newly bestowed power and ‘quantum jumped’ to room 108 of the Four Seasons Hotel, where Gunnar stayed whenever he was in Prague. He had found a solution – he would approach Gunnar who would ‘solve’ Matsumoto, though perhaps not in time to save Sumiko. Jason could solve the problem without misusing the Divine Powers in any way. When he appeared in a room, Gunnar was working above his laptop in the corner of the big luxurious room. Jason was just opening his mouth when suddenly … whhoooommm!!!

  The entire scene vanished – he found himself back on Kailash, without the tri-kāla-jñā* powers … everything was gone, out of his reach. He was in shock and felt helpless.

  The familiar sounds of instruments announcing victory had begun but were stopped immediately. Durjay, raising his hand above his head, started to speak. He looked at Jason’s face in front of him, tired and lined due to the severity of tests but looking satisfied. Jason was thinking:

  “I did good. I gave it my best. It was close but I did it! I have to recover fast and…” he was already focusing on ways how to eliminate Quabil.

  Durjay, controller of destroying forces, spoke up:

  “You offered us a good show. It’s a pity those five years on Earth made you weak. You couldn’t control your mind and tried to misuse the Divine Power. For that reason only, you failed the test.”

  “What? What just happened???” Totally disbelieving his ears, Jason felt as if he had taken a heavy blow directly to the solar plexus. He was speechless! Shocked. But the heavy voice of Durjay rolled on, flattening him further.

  “Your attachments made you weak and vulnerable. You do not truly respect the offer of the Council of Light – you have appeared in front of me dressed improperly. Pride is the dominant feature of your character. I do not see you worthy of Guardian powers”.

  Jason felt like he was losing his mind and he couldn’t really say anything. Without a word, everything would be wrapped up and in a moment he could be back on Earth, without anything to help him in his mission.

  “So, it all ends here? Demons will just take over. Is that what you wish, mighty Durjay?” Jason asked in a humble tone. But inside, his mind skittered around, trying to figure a way out:

  “I have to make him change his mind! The whole future depends on that!” Knowing the power of the Demigod he faced, he simply had no other choice but to entirely and without reservations open his mind to the lotus-eyed leader.

  “I know you see my thoughts, O Glorious One. I humbly beg you to reconsider.” Jason said, looking straight into the large eyes in front of him. “Without the Powers of the Guardian, I have nearly no chance of tracking down or destroying that demon, supported as he is by all evil. Their army, the forces of the Demonic Alliance are eager to take over my planet… which of course you know. I merely speak from the overflow of my heart, my willingness to do all that is necessary to restrain evil and save my planet.” Jason held his breath, hoping against hope.

  Silence. No answer was offered and each new moment seemed as long as four Yugas*, eons of years. Looking into the face of Durjay, Jason gradually lowered his eyes to Durjay’s feet with another expression of submissiveness and humility. He still hoped to pacify Durjay and make him change his decision, and bestow on Jason the blessing needed to regain the full equipment of a Guardian of the Light - Armor, Weapons and Mystical Powers.

  Time passed but each and every moment of silence felt harder to tolerate.

  “You are no longer qualified. There is nothing further to be said.” Durjay’s voice rang out loud and clear into the open space.

  XI.

  “Your words confirm that your faith is weak and poor. All that happens in the life of any living soul is there for the sake of the highest good and it seems you have lost that knowledge, human.” Durjay had concluded, and there was nothing more to be done.

  In that moment, something cracked inside of Jason. It was an entirely fresh experience. In that very moment he couldn’t know that the “cracking” he felt was the ‘sound’ of his false ego giving up the control of his mind, body and spirit.

  Later, he would learn that in that moment he went through the one of the highest spiritual experiences that
a soul in a human body could have. With every part of his body and soul he realized one of the universal truths: all that exists and happens is controlled by higher powers but at the same time it all depends on our usage of free will. He realized that the secret of proper action is not at all complicated; it simply is made of two elements. One, ‘to endeavor as if EVERYTHING depends on that endeavor’, he had already practiced. The second key factor was ‘having the deep understanding that ALL existence is under the control of the Divine Power’; this was not easy to understand and apply. That was a piece of a puzzle that had been missing, and now he had got it! He was excited and felt an unknown inner peace and happiness in the midst of the terrible situation.

  “O human warrior, your intent is noble and the fire of your soul is now burning in full.” Durjay’s voice had changed in tone.

  “It is decided. You have my sympathy but you may not receive the gear of a Guardian. Keep in mind one thing, best of mortals – the fire of spiritual realization you have ignited here contains many times more power than the Armor, Shakti and Weapons for which you came. The energy of spiritual realization is always above the matter!”

  That was totally unexpected and rather shocking, but in a strange way Jason felt that it was a solid explanation of what had just happened inside of him.

  “Now you must leave. It is time, and you know your way – go in peace!”

  Before he could respond, the force of the Vimāna was all around him. The pressure of the ‘quantum jump’ travel followed by the familiar fizzing sound prepared Jason. In the next few moments he would return to Earth with a mission to track down and face dangerous enemy without the Armor, without the powerful Weapons of Light and without any familiar Mystic Powers. He tried, but really couldn’t understand how that would work. ‘Guardians of the Light’ used those supernatural abilities and tools in order to fight the demonic powers, their black magic and advanced technologies that they used. The worst thing was that as he exited the sphere of Kailash, his feeling of failure increased. Time had been lost, and he could not see a way to destroy Quabil, an opponent backed up by all the Demonic Alliance, with naked fists.