Tau

The Element of Water

Nirgalen sat cross-legged on the cushioned floor; clearing the spice from his body.  In his mind's eye he saw a small, flickering candle, burning away the blue foggy haze of the powerful narcotic.  And what he saw with his mind, became reality.

Sitting cross-legged beside Nirgalen was the old man, Cauthen, dressed in the robes of a Shardahn Priest.  The old man looked intently at Nirgalen.

'Do you know what you are?'  the old man asked.

'I am Tau.'  Nirgalen spoke just those three words.

'Good... you have learnt well.'

'Simarl, who was brought here with me, his leg is infected.  Can you heal him?'

'That I can.'  The old man reached out beside him and picked up a small wooden box, which had a lock with a small keyhole.  'Please... show me your skill.  Open the box.'

'Is this the same as before?'  Nirgalen had a feeling that this time, in this world, there was still more that he had to do.  Another lesson lay here.

'What if I told you that you cannot touch the box?  And, that there is no air within the box?'  The old man raised an eyebrow towards Nirgalen and answered the Djara's simple question with yet more questions.

Nirgalen frowned.  'And Simarl's life depends on that box?'

The old man  nodded and then said, 'Yes... please open the box.'

Nirgalen sighed a deep sigh.  He pictured the key-hole and closed his eyes.  To Nirgalen, time slowed.  He held the image of the key-hole in his head and pictured his finger moving into the key-hole.  This was all familiar.  And yet, he found that there was no lock within the key-hole: no rotating mechanism.  The box was sealed.

In Nirgalen's mind, he could see within the lock.  Solid gold lined the box... a box within a box.  And yet, was the gold truly solid?  Looking closer and closer, nirgalen saw the molecules of gold vibrating with the heat of the room.  He looked closer still.  Between the molecules of gold lay tiny chinks of space.  He imagined his finger, shrinking, smaller and smaller, until he could poke between the tiny gaps and into the box.

Nirgalen gasped, as he felt what was inside the gold lined box.  It felt just like water and yet it was alive... and it felt just like him.  Nirgalen pulled his mind back.  He opened his eyes and looked at the old man.

'What is in the box?'

'I think you know.  What are you?'

'I am Tau.'

'And what was in the box?'

Nirgalen nodded.  'Tau.'

Cauthen nodded.  'The be all and end all... that is Tau.'

'But, what is in the box can heal Simarl?'

'Yes.  All you need to do is open the box.  I'd suggest, though, that you open the top of the box.  We wouldn't want the end all to pour out.'  Cauthen smiled.

Nirgalen closed his eyes once more.  He pictured the wooden top to the box.  He imagined the minute gaps between the pieces of wood.  He pictured his fingers forcing their way between the molecules of wood and pushing the wood apart.  A splintering sound came to Nirgalen's ears.

Beneath the wood, Nirgalen knew there was a solid gold box.  He thought of his fingers, smaller than they could ever possibly be, pushing the molecules of gold aside, to form a small, circular, hole.

Nirgalen opened his eyes.  Just feet away, the old man held the box firmly, but now the wooden top of the box had splintered open.  In the gold lining of the box was the small circular hole.  Nirgalen looked closer and saw light reflecting from inside the hole, as if it reflected from clear water.

'How can that liquid help my friend?'  Nirgalen expected the box to hold the key to stopping the infection that was fast killing his friend, Simarl.

'This holy water is from you.  It is alive.  It could kill Simarl, or, it could save him, which would you choose?'

'There is no choice.  We need to save Simarl.'

'Good, you have learnt all that I can teach.'  Cauthen laughed.  'Now, only time will tell whether you have learnt enough.'