TCO: Chapter Ten

The warriors spent the next two days eagerly exploring the temple's grounds with Sorda as their guide. Gyan was amazed by the grandiosity of the temple. It was much larger than the Temple of Kya, for it housed members of the Light Warrior Order but also many students, like Sorda, who lived there and studied there.

The number of rooms within the temple seemed endless. Many were set up like the typical classrooms in the schools of Yevani, stocked with educational texts and tools. The temple sanctuary was similar to other temples that Gyan had seen in that it was reserved as a place for individuals in the kingdom seeking solitude, meditation, or guidance from the temple ascetas. The décor of the sanctuary included angelic sculptures and numerous white candles that aligned the sanctuary walls, giving the room a magical glow of warmth and comfort. A choir of temple ascetas was often heard humming soothing tones in the main chamber at various times of the day…or so Gyan had thought. It wasn't until he decided to tour the temple grounds one evening during the sans scheduled study time that Gyan discovered one of the sanctuary's secrets. While opening a large sanctuary door slowly to peer inside at the choir, he heard a voice behind him.

"What are you doing in this part of the temple?" Sorda whispered near his ear.

Startled, Gyan immediately straightened and turned right into Sorda. Gyan swore aloud as their heads clashed. He grabbed his forehead as Sorda fell back against a small table near the door, knocking over several lit candles.

Sorda hurriedly moved to gather the candles as he kept one hand over his eye.

"Shhhh! San Gyan!" he hissed.

"Sorry!"

"Never mind…let's go before someone comes."

"Wait. I wanted to see who was humming," Gyan stated as he attempted to peer through a crack in the door again.

Sorda sighed. "You will not find anyone singing, San Gyan," he whispered.

"What for you mean?" Gyan turned back to Sorda with a confused expression.

"Walk with me, and I will explain."

Gyan followed Sorda outside.

"The voices you hear are only a recording during the day," explained Sorda. "The ascetas generally sing only during our community weekly service. The recorded music helps to keep up the facade that we are an old-fashioned temple with proper religious proceedings in case we have unwanted visitors."

"And you're…not an old-fashioned temple?"

Sorda shook his head. "Not for many years. Many of those customs are now viewed as outdated. However, we maintain the impression that we follow old traditions to remain as inconspicuous as possible. It helps avoid unwanted attention from those who wish to see the Order fall. This is best achieved if people believe the temple represents old-fashioned beliefs and structures."

Sorda led Gyan toward the dining hall.

"Sorry, I don't understand. Is this place not a real temple then?" Gyan asked.

"Yes, but not in the way many people assume. It's not a traditional temple that endorses specific faiths, as many believe it to be. For example, there is no hierarchy of leaders in the temple other than the elder masters and instructors, so there is no overarching asceta. The temple residents still answer to the old religious title 'Asceta' for the public to mask our purpose. The only way I would say that it represents a traditional temple is that it offers a peaceful place of refuge, solitude, or counsel for the community. As you already know, when people are attached to old ways, they have to be slowly introduced to the new or they will panic and cling desperately to the old ways while rejecting the new."

"That makes sense. So, what do you do here?" Gyan asked as the two entered the dining hall and stood in line for their food.

"We study just as you. This temple is really more of a school for those of us who were not accepted to apprentice elsewhere. We study subjects such as matters concerning the economy, social or civilization issues, alongside self-mastery. But, much of the time, we are apprenticing in the task we choose to learn. Mine is art—mostly sketching."

"You said that the temple used to be a traditional monastery, right?" Gyan asked as they sat down across from each other to eat.

"Yes, long ago."

"How did the warriors come to join the ascetas at this temple then?"

"Well, after the warriors began to appear on the planet, they originally trained at the Temple of Kya, as you know, learning many of the basic skills that you have already been trained in. Much of the extended knowledge that you'll learn here at this temple was not taught or even discovered until the ascetas undertook the teachings of a star wizard. Old dogmatic religious traditions began to fall away during that time."

"A star wizard?" Gyan stared at Sorda in disbelief. "Right." He shook his head.

Sorda gazed back at Gyan with a look of amusement for a moment and then shrugged.

"Anyway," he continued, "as the ascetas shared their knowledge with the warrior Order, the light warriors soon switched their training grounds to the Celestine Temple to make it convenient for the warriors to learn the star wizard's teachings."

"So, how did the warriors even find this place?" Hoshi asked from behind Gyan. She sat her meal tray down next to Gyan and smiled at Sorda curiously.

Sorda swallowed and dropped his gaze. "Um…"

Several moments passed before Hoshi spoke. "Well, did you forget?"

"Forget what?" Sorda replied quietly as he stared at his plate.

"Where you were in your story?"

Lorcan and Jarek joined the others at the table, sitting on either side of Sorda.

"What story?" asked Jarek.

"Shush," demanded Hoshi. "Sorda is telling us the story of how the warriors and the ascetas came together. Ok, Sorda. Go on then. Just ignore the interruptions." She looked pointedly at Lorcan and Jarek.

Sorda shifted uncomfortably and looked at Hoshi with an expression somewhere between adoration and intimidation.

Gyan smirked and lightly kicked Sorda under the table.

Sorda turned to Gyan with a questioning look.

Gyan raised his eyebrows and laughed.

"Right," Sorda said, his ears reddening. He shook his head once as if to clear his thoughts. "Okay, well, what I have been told is that a young light warrior long ago was wandering through the streets in Solara and stopped to observe an asceta speaking with a man in the marketplace. The man attempted to steal food at a fruit and vegetable stand while the vendor was busy with other customers.

"The asceta, who was standing nearby, quietly confronted the man without raising notice to the vendor. He asked the man his reasons for stealing the food, and the man rushed to explain that his family was starving. The asceta stared at the man for a moment before calmly replying, 'You should not lie to an asceta.'

The warriors around Sorda listened raptly, forgetting about their food as Sorda continued in his best story-telling voice.

"The man's eyes widened in surprise at the asceta's accusation and reacted defensively. 'The vendors steal from us with these outrageous prices! I am tired of all my earnings being used up for food!'

"'You should not lie to an asceta,' the asceta repeated.

"The thief did not reply but stood staring at the asceta in silent anger, unsure if his accuser would speak of his crime to the vendor.

"'Your truth,' the asceta stated expectantly.

"When the thief still said nothing, the asceta continued, 'Perhaps it is that you are ashamed when you wildly spend your earnings on things that do not serve you, such as an overabundance of whiskey. Your frustration with not feeling free in life leads you to drink, but drinking only leads to more frustration, for then you only have a minimal amount of money to bring to your family.'

"The warrior, who stood nearby, noticed that the asceta appeared to be staring at the ground rather than looking directly at the man. The asceta's hood from his black robe concealed much of his face, so the warrior could not be sure.

"'Ah, yes,' the asceta continued after the thief remained silent. 'That is your truth, I think.'

"The asceta raised his head and peered intently at the thief, who showed no objection to the asceta's words. The thief stood still, avoiding the asceta's eyes. Then, the asceta simply smiled and handed over his basket of fruit and vegetables to the man. 'Understand this,' the asceta said. 'It is your expectancy of shortage that creates your shortage. When you have altered your expectancy, your behavior naturally alters, and an abundance of money will begin to fill your pockets so that you have enough coin for both whiskey and food. Then, because of your altered belief and the satisfaction that follows, it is likely your overwhelming desire for a drink to numb your senses and perception will lessen, and your actions will become more balanced to fulfill greater desires.

"'How so?' the thief asked.

"'Your perception of limitation and a desire to feel good is what causes you to crave drinking. When you feel deprived, the desire to feel better increases. The tools you use to fill the emptiness and the feeling of limitation will shift when you believe there to be a healthier way to fill the void. You then will not need the things that only serve to temporarily satisfy your pain, such as whiskey, but will indulge in behaviors that bring lasting purpose instead. I ask that you think on these things.' The asceta walked away, leaving the man to stare after him in silence.

"The light warrior witnessing the event began to follow the asceta, intrigued by what he saw and heard. The asceta turned down a narrow pathway between two buildings at the edge of the marketplace. As the warrior turned to do the same, the asceta immediately stepped into the warrior's path, facing him.

"'You wish to speak with me,' the asceta stated simply. Startled, the warrior jumped aside, causing the asceta to laugh heartily.

"Without waiting for the warrior to reply, the asceta said, 'Follow me, light warrior,' and led the warrior to a small temple…this temple."

"This temple?" asked Gyan.

Sorda nodded.

"I wouldn't claim that this temple is small," Lorcan stated.

"It was not always this size…it has been restructured. So," Sorda continued as the others listened intently once more, "the asceta and the warrior decided to have tea together.

"'You are curious of something,' the asceta stated.

"The warrior stared at the asceta. 'Yes,' he responded. 'How did you know the man in the market was lying?'

"'Do you know when someone is lying?' the asceta asked as he poured their tea and sat down opposite of the warrior at a wooden table in the corner of the kitchen.

"The warrior nodded. 'Sometimes I sense it, but it is usually confirmed by the nervousness or uneasiness people reveal in their eyes or body language. It appeared that you knew of his lies without watching the man's face.'

"'You are more perceptive than many, young friend.' The asceta sat his tea down on the table and placed his hands around the cup. 'You feel the warmth of this tea in your hand although you are only touching the cup and not the tea itself, yes?'

"'Yes.'

"'The same concept can be applied to others that surround you. I knew the man was lying because I felt him lying.'

"'How so?'

"'The energy emitted from a person when they are lying is different than when they speak their truth because chemicals within the body alter when someone lies. I could hear the fluctuations in the man's heart rate and feel his body temperature rise. His heart rate increased as he was stealing the food and increased slightly more when he spoke his lie. Yet his heart rate jumped dramatically when I spoke his truth. If someone is unsuccessful in hiding their truth from another, their heart rate will generally increase.'

"'You heard his heartbeat?' the warrior asked skeptically.

"'Yes. All you need to do is train yourself to pay attention. If you simply condition your senses to become more attuned to elements that are normally unheard or unseen by the majority of people, a whole array of information concerning your inquiry is revealed to you. When you silence your mind, you begin to hear what really matters.'

"'But how did you know what his truth was? It could have been that he was feeding a friend or something else other than wasting his earnings on whiskey.'

"'Ah, yes…that is slightly more difficult to assess, and relies more on communication skills and acute knowledge of behavior. The fact that the man blamed his behavior on high vending prices led me to believe he was wasting his earnings. Blame is a typical response for most people engaging in behavior that they do not want to take responsibility for. His excuse for stealing, which was not having enough wages, was proportional to what he was ashamed of, which was spending too much of his earnings. Accusations or excuses are often a direct reflection of shameful behavior. For example, one who is overly fearful of being controlled is often too controlling of others, just as one who criticizes others for being judgmental demonstrates the very behavior he criticizes.'

"The warrior remained silent for several moments, pondering all that the asceta had said. 'Do all the ascetas know of these skills?' he asked.

"'Yes,' the asceta said. 'The ascetas are taught to increase their sensitivity to their surroundings. This includes becoming more sensitive to the behaviors of others so that they are more aware of the needs of people seeking their guidance. Sometimes those who are accustomed to living in a way that is in opposition to the heart's desire lie, even unto themselves. They are often confused by the discrepancy between behavior and thought but do not understand that this discrepancy is the cause of much of their pain. So, the ability to tune into another's senses allows for a clearer assessment of these issues within an individual, and thus serves the ascetas when helping others.'

"'Can you teach me and the other warriors these skills?'

"'I will have to consult with the other ascetas about your request, but since I am sure it will assist you in your duty at maintaining the balance of energy throughout the kingdoms, I foresee it as being nothing other than a great partnership.'"

Gyan learned later that the thief in the marketplace, Omari Tomé, soon became the wealthiest man in Solara, seeking continuous counsel from the ascetas. He used his wealth to turn the small temple into the magnificent Celestine Temple in exchange for the ascetas' guidance.

After the first interaction between the warrior and the wise asceta, the light warriors soon joined the ascetas at the Celestine Temple to train. The ascetas taught the warriors even more than they knew about the connection between internal and external energy and how to increase sensitivity to internal states of being.

The warriors applied this knowledge in their physical training. As the warriors learned to intertwine their intuitive senses with their physical abilities, they naturally increased their sensitivity to the energy of their opponents during battle. As a result, their success in the quest to maintain harmony throughout the kingdom increased dramatically.

Combining the knowledge of the ascetas with the superior physical skills of a light warrior was just the beginning of understanding the power and extended abilities that could be obtained by a warrior. Although this may have been one of the first lessons that the warriors learned in their beginning weeks at the Celestine temple, as their length of stay at the temple lengthened, Gyan and the other warriors discovered that knowledge of a warrior's ability was still considered fairly new despite the evolutionary leap in the discoveries of their ancestors.