Halfway Between Worlds: Bloodline of the Pure
Page 19
“Do you have the book ‘The Vision Plant’ by Lyra Valeria?” asked Alice politely.
The woman slightly tilted her head and stared back into Alice’s eyes as if she had gone into a trance, her eyes looked lifeless and slightly unfocused.
“Maybe we should go?” Brian whispered nervously into Alice’s ear.
A moment later the woman regained her composure and her eyes seemed to focus again. She continued staring at Alice for a few seconds and then slowly walked over to the next stall, whispering something to the young boy who was sitting behind the stall. The boy then quickly stood up and ran past Alice and the others and off into the market.
“What’s going on?” Alice whispered to Nate.
“I’m not too sure, but I assume the kid has gone to find the book or buy it off someone, she might then sell it to you for slightly more, that way both of the vendors get a sale” Nate whispered back.
Alice and the others waited patiently at the stall, the woman’s eyes were still for some reason strangely fixed upon Alice, and after a few minutes of awkwardly standing in silence, the young boy ran back with a small, thin, black book and handed it to the woman.
The woman held the book with both hands and stared at it for a moment before slowly handing it to Alice.
The book was all black and the title read:
‘The Vision Plant - Translated by Lyra Valeria’
“Thank you, how much do I owe you?” asked Alice politely.
“Ten dollars” replied the woman after a short pause.
Alice opened her money pouch and handed the woman two five-dollar coins.
“Do you have a bag or something that I can hide this in?” asked Alice.
The woman reached down and grabbed a black bag out of a box that was on the floor and handed it to Alice, it was similar to the bag that she had received from the Education Department.
“Thank you. What books do you like to read?” asked Alice curiously, she was slightly intrigued by the strange behavior of the woman.
Brian gave Alice a nervous look, and after a short moment of silence, the woman pointed to one of the books on the table, the title read:
‘Spirits of the Jungle - Aldor Arell’
“I’ll take that book too, then” said Alice, smiling at the woman.
The woman picked up the book with two hands and handed it to Alice.
“How much?” asked Alice.
“A gift” said the woman softly, slowly placing her hand down on the table over one of the daggers, when suddenly, in one single movement, the woman unexpectedly grabbed the dagger and threw it violently at a great speed straight past Alice’s head.
Natalia let out a loud scream and Alice stumbled back, almost falling over, and as she quickly looked around to see what the woman had thrown the dagger at, she saw a man in a robe lying on the ground with the dagger sticking out of his neck. Blood was oozing out of the man’s neck and had started accumulating into a puddle on the ground next to him.
Alice then noticed a second man in a robe who was walking quickly towards the entrance of the market as if trying to escape.
Alice attentively stared at the man as he tried to escape, and before he could make it out of the market, three shirtless local men carrying axes with tattoos all over their bodies walked out of one of the stalls, blocking the entrance of the market.
Alice instantly felt a bad feeling about the robed man, and as he turned around and started walking back towards them, remembering what Bella had told her about hesitation whilst in danger, she raised her wand and aggressively disarmed the man, sending his wand flying off into a nearby stall.
Two other local men quickly emerged from one of the nearby stalls as Alice disarmed the man, grabbing and aggressively throwing him to the ground, punching him in the face a few times before tying his hands behind his back with rope and then dragging him off out of the market.
Alice turned back and looked the others, they were all frozen and had looks of utter shock on their faces, she then turned back and looked at the woman behind the stall who had thrown the dagger.
“Thank you” said Alice, quickly placing the books into the black bag.
“Safe journeys, young ones” said the woman in the same soft, whisper voice, seemingly unmoved by what had just happened.
“Let’s go” said Alice, grabbing Natalia by the arm and heading back towards the entrance.
As they quickly walked out of the market and up the street, two of the axe-wielding local men that had blocked the entrance stared at Alice as they passed, while the other axe wielding man continued beating the apprehended, robed man who was now lying lifelessly on the side of the street.
“Holy crap, we need to get the hell out of here” said Brian in a panicky tone once they had passed the men.
“Yeah, forget about the tanja, let’s get out here” said Nate, his voice was also slightly shaky and panicky.
Alice and the others quickly made their way back down the cobblestone pathway to the transportation room, transporting back to the Magic Council and then through to the Student Plaza.
Brian, Nate and Natalia all looked like they were in shock as they walked into the café and sat down, Brian’s face had gone slightly pale and white.
“Do you guys want some tea or food?” asked Alice, breaking the silence.
“Yeah, I’ll come and order a tea, someone should have something if we’re sitting in here” said Nate.
“I’m good, thanks” said Natalia quietly.
Brian didn’t say anything but politely shook his head as if to say no.
Alice and Nate walked over to the counter to order and then returned to the table.
“I don’t know what to say, that whole situation was crazy, how did you even know to disarm that guy?” asked Natalia.
“They were up to something bad, or else why would that woman throw the dagger? I wasn’t going to take any chances, that guy was almost right behind us when she threw it” replied Alice.
“Yeah, that’s scary. I wonder what they were doing? I can’t believe how quick and ruthless that old woman was, she seemed so chill, and then all of a sudden that happened. She seemed to like you, though” said Nate, giving Alice a confused look.
As Alice quietly watched the reactions of the others, a slightly disturbing realization came over her. She didn’t feel shocked, anxious or worried about what had just happened in Agara, instead, what happened made her feel alive, present, and in a strange way, excited.
The Vision Plant
Alice walked into the kitchen, prepared herself a bowl of porridge and then went and sat down on one of the couches, it was a nice, sunny morning, and as she started eating her porridge, Blue flew inside and dropped the Terra Times onto the couch next to her.
“Are you going to bring me the Terra Times every day now, are you?” asked Alice, smiling at Blue.
Alice unrolled the Terra Times and as she saw what was on the front page, her smile quickly disappeared, and her stomach sank.
There were two dead, naked bodies hanging upside down from a tree next to the giant cypondra statue in Agara. The genitals of the men were blurred out and the locals in the photograph seemed to be walking around unbothered, and as Alice looked closely, she realized that one of the hanging bodies was the man who had the dagger thrown at him, and the other body was the man that she had disarmed.
MEDELLE LINKED MILITANTS VIOLENTLY SLAIN IN AGARA
Two men, who have been identified as wanted outlaws Lucius Mort and Martius Veen, who had previously served in the Medelle army and were wanted for numerous charges including murder, kidnapping and extortion, have been executed in an apparent violent statement to Medelle linked criminals still hiding out in the Agara region.
It is still currently unknown who was responsible for the killings, but according to sources familiar with the incident, the executions were carried out by a group of Agarian locals in response to a recent wave of crime, including the kidnapping of three innocent peopl
e earlier this month, that has driven tourism and trade out of the jungle city.
Magic Council spokesperson, Clara Valask, said that while the Magic Council does not condone the unsanctioned killings of wanted criminals, this particular incident marks a significant shift in attitudes among the Agara community.
“The Magic Council does not condone the unsanctioned killings of wanted criminals in any way, as we believe that everybody is entitled to a fair trial and judgement for the crimes that they have committed. However, we believe that this particular incident marks a significant shift in attitude amongst the inhabitants of Agara, as allowing outlaws and criminals to settle and to hide in the region has proven costly for them” Valask said.
The tribal Elders of Agara, who declared themselves neutral in the past war, have been known to turn a blind eye to Medelle linked militants hiding out and resettling in the region. P3
Alice felt slightly nauseous in the stomach as she finished reading the article, and as it sank in further, she quickly walked into the bathroom and vomited.
After regathering herself, she then picked up The Vision Plant book that she had briefly read through last night and then laid down on the bed.
Introduction
A great gift has been given to our family, a gift that has been sent to us from Alrus Arell of the ancient Arell family. Alrus Arell has granted me permission to translate and to release the knowledge contained in that gift in the form of this book, that knowledge is that of the Vision Plant brew.
After careful testing and exploration of this powerful brew, I can safely say with certainty that the Vision Plant brew is by far the most clear, pure and powerful aid for divination and journeying that is currently known to us today.
In this book I will describe and explain the process that is involved in preparing this enlightening brew.
It must be known that the Vision Plant brew is strictly meant for experienced and disciplined diviners and shamanic practitioners, as if it is experimented with by those who are unprepared, it can be extremely dangerous and potentially fatal.
Lyra Valeria
After reading over the introduction, Alice flicked through to the ingredients and materials page.
Ingredients & Materials
MATERIALS NEEDED:
TWO medium sized or large stainless steel or Terrawear cooking pots
ONE large mesh strainer or filter device (cloth is acceptable in absence of a mesh strainer)
Banana leaves or TWO pot lids
Stove or access to fire
Measurement cup
INGREDIENTS NEEDED:
55 grams fresh Pyrora Alithicantra leaves (leaves of the Vision Plant)
20 grams fresh Balasydria Farnidius leaves
15 grams fresh Caprolia Canivius leaves
10 grams Darnalia Afadrya (fungi)
12 average sized Bluehorn flowers
Blackbeetle oil (four teaspoons)
As Alice finished reading though the ingredients and materials page, there was a knock on the front door.
Alice quickly closed the book, placed it back inside the black bag and then hid it in the bathroom before walking out and answering the door.
“Hello, did you forget I was coming?” said Bella with a big smile on her face as she walked inside.
“Hey, no, not at all, I just lost track of time. How are you?” replied Alice, she had forgotten that they had organized their session for 9am.
“Everything is good, what have you been up to?”
“Not too much, finished another couple of assessments, went to a lecture, caught up with Brian, his cousin and one of their friends yesterday, that’s about it. How about you?” said Alice casually.
“Nice. Tracking Vordare, nothing too exciting.”
“You mean that you know he’s alive?”
“One of our viewers was able to spot him briefly before they caught on, he’s alive. Do not speak about that to anyone, we are keeping it quiet for now” said Bella seriously.
“Wow. Why did he disappear for so long and then return, do you think?”
“Can’t say for sure, maybe health issues, he was after all supposed to have died as a result of natural causes.”
“I see. Can I ask you something? What did you study?” asked Alice curiously.
Bella smiled.
“Military, politics and governance, history and natural medicine.”
“Wow, you must have been busy.”
“I was, I started when I was young. You ready to get started?” asked Bella, still smiling.
“Yep, let’s do it” replied Alice, following Bella out onto the balcony.
“Any questions before we start?”
“Yeah, is there a way to block the disarmament spell?”
“Yes, with the magic shield, as you progress further you will also be able to guide spells away from you with your wand, that will take a lot of practice though and requires great skill and reflexes, we will start on that another time.”
“Okay.”
“Today you’re going to learn about becoming unchained to the thoughts, opinions and beliefs of others, and the paralyze spell, which can be both a defensive and offensive spell. Being unchained to the thoughts, opinions and beliefs of others is very important and is one of the main ruts that people get stuck in on the path to true selflessness.
“When you meet somebody, they will naturally start to form subconscious thoughts, beliefs and opinions about you, and the more times that you see them and interact with them, the more that those subconscious thoughts, opinions and beliefs will reinforce and solidify. You will also be subconsciously aware of the subconscious beliefs that this particular person has formed about you, as they will also be subconsciously aware of the subconscious beliefs that you have formed about them. Unless one or both of you are truly selfless, this will become your connection with that person.
“Have you ever realized that you act slightly differently when you are around different people, as if you have a slightly different personality for each person? This may be the case, it may not, but the reason that this happens is because the subconscious thoughts, beliefs and opinions that you have subconsciously agreed on with that person will be different to the ones that somebody else has about you.
“Now, to get to the point, what you need to understand is that these connections that you subconsciously form with people are in fact subtle attachments. Whilst you remain attached to the subconscious thoughts, beliefs and opinions of others, you will naturally and automatically behave in a way around them that reinforces and solidifies the image that has been built up about you in their mind, therefore blocking and hindering you from being truly selfless and free as your actions, to a certain extent, will be governed by the attachment that you have to their thoughts and beliefs.
“The way to break the chains of this subtle and difficult attachment is the same way that you let go of any attachment, to become aware of it, understand it and then to let it go. You can also release yourself from it by breaking down the connection that you have formed with the other person by simply not reinforcing the beliefs that they have about how you will behave and respond. Any questions?”
“No, I understand what you mean.”
“Okay, good. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, lets start with the paralyze spell. Now, just as the name suggests, the paralyze spell will literally paralyze someone momentarily. The more power that you put into the spell, and if you successfully hit your target and it isn’t blocked, the longer that they will stay paralyzed for.
“The color that this spell usually produces is green, as it can be used both offensively and defensively, the cue for this spell is ‘Ixori’. You know the drill, I’m going to demonstrate a few times and then hand it over to you” said Bella, positioning herself in front of the troll.
Bella and Alice went over and practiced the paralyze spell out on the balcony for over an hour before making their way back inside.
“So, what are you goin
g to get up to for the rest of the day?” asked Bella.
“Not sure yet, I need to go and buy a few things and then maybe start on some more assessment materials, I guess. What are you up to?”
“I have some things to do at the council and then I have a friend’s wedding later this afternoon and tonight.”
“Nice, where is the wedding?”
“Up on the cliffs in Larisha” replied Bella, smiling.
“How beautiful.”
“Yes, it should be very nice. Well, I better get going, keep practicing that spell and don’t slack off on the other spells either. I’ll see you in a couple of days if I don’t run into you before then.”
“Okay, have fun tonight, I’ll see you soon.”
“Thank you, see you soon” said Bella, walking out of the apartment and shutting the door behind her.
Alice then walked back into the bathroom to get the book and then laid back down on the bed, opening to the Preparation & Instructions section.
Preparation & Instructions
Please read through and follow the following instructions carefully and in exact order
NOTE: DO NOT add more than the recommended doses of the listed ingredients
Place the following ingredients into ONE empty pot:
55 grams fresh Pyrora Alithicantra leaves (leaves of the Vision Plant)
20 grams fresh Balasydria Farnidius leaves
15 grams fresh Caprolia Canivius leaves
10 grams Darnalia Afadrya (fungi)
4 average sized Bluehorn flowers
Once ingredients have been placed in the empty pot, cover ingredients with fresh water
Cover pot with banana leaves or pot lid to prevent vapor from escaping whilst boiling
Place pot on stove or over fire and LIGHTLY boil – boil ingredients in pot for a total of four hours
After one hour of boiling ingredients has passed, carefully add two teaspoons of Blackbeetle oil and four average sized Bluehorn flowers to pot without allowing too much vapor to escape
After two hours of boiling ingredients has passed, carefully add two more teaspoons of Blackbeetle oil and four more average sized Bluehorn flowers to pot without allowing too much vapor to escape