The Undying Eye

“There weren't always dragons in the Valley.” Say’s a dark skinned older woman standing in the center of a circular stepped platform in a wintery garden. Beyond the garden are larger buildings that are part of a larger ancient sanctuary. Snow falls on the ancient one as she addresses a group of young adults in their late teens that wear heavy cloaks and have traveling packs next to them patiently sit circling its edge. They listen intently as the old woman continues, “This sanctuary has been here for centuries, long before the valley was littered with the bones of dragons. No one knows why they come here to die.” The old woman gestures to the edge of the garden where a large dragon skull rests partially covered in snow, she points at the circling youth’s saying, “Dragon’s are unique, like you, they are orphans. Born into a world where they have to learn to survive on their own. It is part of their evolution and like the dragon you too were left alone early in childhood.” Some of the teens are visibly affected when they hear the old woman’s words. The Old woman sees their fear but continues, “You started your journey in the streets of the city or in the forests surrounding villages and you learned to survive. You endured. You survived when many others did not. It was a time that you learned your perspective. You learned to feel fear and shame. You learned to feel anger and resentment. You learned to feel abandoned and hide. At some point you started to believe. You believed what others said about you. You learned to believe that there is a difference between self and others and to believe you are separate. You learned to believe the lies that others told you and the lies you told yourself and how to judge others and the worst of all how to judge yourself. You became your name and you learned suffering.”

One of the youths, a grayish skinned girl with long dark braided hair looks around at the others and meets eyes with a young light haired boy for just a moment. The old woman points at the girl, “But you survived. That suffering connected you to life and brought you here. Before you learned to survive but it is here now where we learn to love. It is here we learn acceptance without condition. We learn that we are not a name. Now you venture out to learn from the world what you cannot learn from this place. There will be challenges. There will be conflict but you do not need to resist life. Awaken to life. Trust that life knows the way.”

The old woman walks down to a set of large doors that opens to the outside. Outside the sanctuary is a massive valley that is littered throughout with the remains of dragons The sanctuary rests on the western slope of the valley while beyond in every direction are towering mountains.

The group of youths stands up and gathers their packs as a few other older teachers come to say goodbye. The old woman stands in front of the dark haired girl and places a gentle hand on her shoulder. The old woman say’s, “When you return you will no longer be Vee. Embrace the unknown.” With a nod and a smile she turns away as the girl, Vee, walks out through the doors along with all the others as they embark on their journey. Once outside the group all spread out and go their own way. Vee looks around as the others disappear on their own path when her eyes stop on the tallest mountain, she heads that direction. Walking for hours Vee crests the valley and heads into the forest eventually hitting a trail where, rounding a bend, she finds the light haired boy. The boy is walking down from another trail where, seeing Vee, he stops briefly and nods before moving on. They walk for a time close to each other but not together. As they approach a fork in the trail the boy, who is in front, looks up the trail to the right that looks to be heading straight up to the massive mountain, proceeds up the left trail that goes around the mountain. Vee stops at the fork before proceeding to the right. The boy looks back at her noticing she is going straight up the tougher trail, nods with a concerned smile, gives a small wave bye and leaves.

Vee climbs the mountain passing the occasional set of dragon bones and as she climbs higher and higher the trail becomes imperceptible and clearly not often followed. This does not deter the girl and she continues climbing until she is surrounded by massive high cliffs. Eventually Vee comes to a flat ledge that rounds a cliff edge and stops. In front of her she sees ancient steps that are broken and unused. Not having other options Vee follows the steps that lead ever higher as the steps eventually tunnel into the rock. Undeterred she continues into the darkness and spots light far ahead as the tunneling stairs spiral widely upward in an arc where eventually the stairs stop at an open archway that leads to a clearing. When Vee exits the archway she steps into the clearing she sees a massive ancient dragon that looks to have died recently at the far end of the clearing. Looking around she steps forward toward the dragon when, in her mind, she hear’s, “Who are you?” Startled and confused, Vee looks around and then realizes it was the dragon. She asks, “Was that you?” In her mind she hears a deep laugh as she comes closer to the Dragon, she says, “I am Vee.” The dragon replies in her mind, “Is that who you are?” Vee asks, “Who are you?” The dragon stirs and with a deep rumbling inward breath replies, “Who am I? What a great question.” Silence. Confused, Vee asks, “Do you not have a name?” The dragon replies, “What need are names? I have been called many names but what is a name without the mind that makes something of it?”

Vee sits down in front of the dragon and asks, “Are you dying?” The dragon replies, “What is death? Are we not the moment that is born and dies in every instant?” Vee continues, “But why did you come here to this place?” The dragon stirs slightly, “Long ago there was much need of this kind. But this is always changing. Now there is no need of this kind.” Vee shakes her head confused and the dragon asks, “Why did YOU come to this place?” Vee is uncertain, “I don’t know. I guess I’m seeking a way through this clearing and through the mountains.” The dragon growls low, “Why do you lie to yourself? Why would you choose the most difficult path?” Vee looks down despondent, saying, “I just…” shaking her head, continuing, “I don’t know…something inside… pointed me this way.” An audible sound rumbles from the dragon’s throat, “Ahhh…” says the dragon, “that is good. Follow those instincts.” Vee looks within searching and says, “How? How do I follow my instincts?” The dragon breathes softly, “Can you just be now?” Vee shakes her head irritated, “Do you answer questions?” The dragon laughs, “The answers come. Do they not teach you to listen?” Vee’s interest piques, “They? The sanctuary? You know of the sanctuary?” The dragon replies, “They point the way but do you listen? Why do so few listen?”

Vee stands up irritated and inspects the cliff looking for a way out of the clearing. The dragon continues, “Why do you rush?” Vee continues to look into the various cracks in the cliff walls saying, “Is there a way out of this clearing?” Vee looks up to the sun low in the sky realizing, “There is not much time.” The dragon’s voice very lowly replies, “Can there ever be more of time? What is time?” Vee tiredly rubs her hands over her face, “Why do you ask questions that can’t be answered?” The dragon whispers, “Always question.” Vee kneels down very close to the face of the dragon and asks, “Question what?” The dragon continues, “Everything. Question what you think.. What you believe.. Why you believe.. Question everything, especially when you don’t know the answer. Look within to find the only answer that ever was.” The hand of the dragon pushes forward opening up to reveal a golden orb the surface of which ripples like the waves of an ocean. Vee, shocked, say’s, “Is that your eye?” Looking at the dragon more intently Vee notices that both eye sockets of the dragon are empty. Vee looks down at the eye saying, “Where is your other eye?” The dragon weakly says, “Given to another like you long ago. Take the step backward to go forward.” Vee reaches out for the eye with both hands as reality melts and warps into nothing and everything. Vee is no longer Vee but flying over the valley without a body seeing the once dead dragons she passed in the valley below that are now alive replaying the past but seeing all of the pasts of each like it is just now in the present. Each interaction with the dragon is a human being given the eye. Once the eye is given the dragons die and the humans go off into the world. Some die. Some disappear into the unknown. The dragon speaks in her mind, “We come here because we are no longer needed. But others are needed.” Vee replies, “What happened to them?”, shocked that her reply came from inside her mind. The dragon replies, “They lived.”

Reality bends and warps as Vee comes back to her body. In front of Vee the dragon is dead and looks to have been dead for a while. Standing, Vee looks into her hands at the dragon's eye. Putting the eye into her pack Vee looks back at the archway and walks back to the stairs. Within the tunneling steps Vee notices another smaller tunnel that leads down another set of steps that she did not see before. In her mind she say’s, “Take the step backward to go forward, huh?” Dragon replies, “Now you learn to listen.”