Warrior man, do not despair,
you are not involved in a game of solitaire
It is the strength of your heart which pulls tight your bow,
it takes the fires of love to defeat your foe
Available to you, is the power behind every breath,
an ultimate tool, which determines even life and death
You will not be defeated, if you understand these words,
It is the ocean, not the drop, whose power conquers …
Once long ago, before the stories of the great round table, there were kings. To wear the crown of king was a thing of consequence, and there were only a few true kings. A true king is a master, in touch with the mysteries of life and sworn to obey only the highest laws of light. This is what makes a man a king.
A knight is a man whose sole desire is to serve such a king. The devotion and loyalty of a knight to his king is beyond question.
As each day passed the knight waited for the summons of his king. Some days he was left to his own contemplations and other days the king invited the knight to the inner chambers of the castle to celebrate the mysteries of life with the ruler himself. These days were the knight’s favorite, for to be in the company of the king was his greatest joy.
On such a day as this, the knight mounted the castle steps with anticipation; his willingness to serve the king only surmounted by his longing to be in his presence. A page ushered the knight into the inner chamber where the king awaited him. The king motioned him to come near and presented him with a map and specific instructions pertaining to the protection of an outlying village.
The knight listened with all his attention to the details and specifications of the king’s plan; he knew that the responsibility for his own safety and the safety of all the villagers was about to be placed in his hands. He was honored to be trusted to perform this act of protection for the king. As he knelt for the king’s blessing he thought he heard this quiet whisper, “My grace and protection will be with you always. Go, and know that I am always with you and that it is I who will do everything for you.”
As he left the castle, throngs of people blessed him and wished him wellness and success on his journey, and many pressed sacred objects into his hands believing that these would keep him safe. The knight received these things but did not let his focus or thoughts wander from the king’s words, which he silently repeated as a mantra to himself. As he rode he kept his attention on the king and took courage and strength from the power and certainty that shone from the king’s face as he had spoken with him.
He reached his destination near nightfall and found everything as the king had described. There was a nearby stream and a hollow place in which to lay his bed. He rested and waited for morning.
As the darkness began to lift he felt a most thunderous shaking, as if the earth herself were being torn apart. He felt a searing white heat and smelled an acrid smell, which seemed to burn its way into his nose and into his lungs, making each breath he took a torture. He wondered if he were about to enter the very pit of hell itself. He raised his eyes and met the hooded eyes of the most enormous dragon he could possibly have imagined. The roar and the smell of the fire, which was breathed from this beast’s nostrils, threw him backward.
Then, he remembered the king, and the trust that the king had placed like a mantle upon his shoulders. He gathered his courage and kept the king’s face in his mind like a vision and he began to fight. It was a holy fight and he held back nothing, for he fought for the one thing that he held dear above all else, the defense of his king.
Despite every ounce of all his efforts, despite the bravery of his heart he began to fail, he simply did not have the power to destroy the immense beast, which he had been pitted against. As he was about to draw his last breath he saw again the king’s face and heard his voice. The king spoke to him across the great distance and offered the knight his aid. The knight gratefully accepted.
Immediately the dragon was gone, the only thing left of it was a thin spiral of mist. The knight’s wounds disappeared and he was filled with the purest sense of peace and love.
He rode slowly back to the castle and in wonder rode through its great heavy doors. Throngs of people cheered him for he had destroyed their mortal enemy and there was great celebration in the streets. But, for the knight there was only the king and the incredible grace which had spared his life and filled his heart with love.
He climbed the castle steps once more and was ushered into the inner chamber and knelt with deep humility before the king. The king spoke to him and said, “You did well, you forgot only one thing, and that is that I said I would be with you always and that I would do it all for you.”