“Until we can make the necessary coloured glass and equipment, we have to use other healing methods,” she told him. Goram nodded and then spoke in a hushed whisper.
“Even I experience disturbing dreams of being killed,” he admitted. “She must not know of it!” he added with urgency.
Rhuna nodded and then reassured him that this was normal under the circumstances.
“Nevertheless, Lozira should not know about it,” Goram repeated. “Her condition is too fragile, and she relies on me entirely for comfort and strength.” Rhuna nodded her understanding and then slowly walked back to the shelter she shared with Aradin. Along the way, she noticed that some of the Guardians of Knowledge sat huddled together in a small clearing in the forest.
“They are attempting communication with the Master,” said a voice behind her. Rhuna spun around to see Seeker of Knowledge standing nearby.
“I didn’t see you there,” Rhuna said, still feeling startled by the sudden appearance of the strange woman.
“The Master has already answered them about Varappa,” Seeker of Knowledge continued, ignoring Rhuna’s comment.
“He answered them? How?”
“The Master has approved of their decision to journey to Varappa,” the woman simply stated, and then turned to walk away. Rhuna stood for a while watching her as she disappeared into the thickets which covered part of the hillside.
Later that day, when Rhuna found Damell practicing Inside Focussing under the shelter of a shady tree, she sat down beside him.
“Did you calm Lozira last night with the touch of your hand?” she asked him after a while.
“Indeed, I did,” he said smiling. “It is the healing power you, My Daughter, also possess.”
“My healing power only comes when I’m very distressed,” she answered.
“In time, with more discipline, you shall have complete control over all your powers,” he said, and then began a few unusual breathing exercises. Rhuna also practiced some relaxation exercises for a while.
“Father, I tried to summon mental visions of Varappa, but nothing happened! Is it still the exhaustion from the journey?” she asked him when they had completed their relaxation techniques.
“The only way is with your Extended Consciousness,” Damell said.
“So…is this why you wanted me to learn?”
He nodded, giving Rhuna a strangely grim look. He looked away into the distance and inhaled before speaking.
“The land of Varappa is extremely vast, and encompasses many settlements of various sizes,” Damell stated matter-of-factly. “The main city is called Judharo. It is a very pleasant city, highly advanced in every aspect, yet…” Damell hesitated. “Yet, what one perceives with mere eyes is an illusion. It is not as it appears to be,” he said frowning, and then looked at Rhuna.
“The other settlements differ greatly,” he said, suddenly cheerful. “We shall choose the settlement which most appeals to us!”
When Rhuna had become calmer and more settled, she was able to access The Infinite again, and following Damell’s advice to regain skills slowly at first, she made only short ventures in close proximity. After some days, Rhuna felt ready to explore further afield, and told Damell of her intention.
“Prepare yourself for new experiences when observing Varappa,” he said.
Rhuna wondered what he meant as she reclined and prepared to release her Extended Consciousness. Her first experience on this new venture to Varappa by means of The Infinite was a sensation of soaring through fluffy white clouds before entering a jumble of flashing colours. She floated and then tumbled around in the flashes of colour for a very long time until she began to feel disoriented. Becoming uneasy, Rhuna made another concerted effort to find Varappa, and this time focused on just the center of the Varappan community, namely the central city of Judharo.
Before long, she was floating upside-down in the sky above a city, and no matter how much she tried to turn herself upright, she could not take hold of anything to become oriented. When she thought she was seeing rooftops below her, strange waves of a sickening humming sound swooped back and forth around her, making her dizzy and disoriented again. She willed her Extended Consciousness to descend down onto a street, and in an instant she was hovering over a stone-paved road between houses unlike any she had ever seen before.
Rhuna thought she had never seen such a solid, thick wall all around a city, and she wondered why it had been built. The massive structure towered over the flat river plains, and only a few narrow gates allowed access to the many buildings within the enclosed city. She examined the houses as her Extended Consciousness hovered slightly above the rooftops, and although she could not see them, she sensed that the walls were made of many small hand-made blocks. Almost all the houses had several levels, which Rhuna found unusual, and as she directed her attention to one of the very long, straight streets, she saw many large and elaborate buildings with spacious courtyards or forecourts.
Rhuna observed many people walking around, going about their daily business, but something felt wrong. She noticed that the people either appeared transparent or were like dark blobs. Before she could examine the people more closely, she was distracted by an unpleasant vibrating sensation. She looked up to find the source of the loud and irritating humming sound, and saw two giant birds in the sky above. The noises were grating on her nerves and making it difficult to concentrate, so she willed herself back into her body.
“Oh!” she gasped as she sat upright.
“What was it?” Aradin asked.
“Everything feels wrong in Varappa!” she exclaimed.
“Maybe it’s because you are out of practice,” suggested Aradin.
Rhuna shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. There were giant birds in the sky making a strange humming sound,” she said as she described what she sensed through her Extended Consciousness.
“They were not birds,” said Aradin with a quick chuckle. “They are Rapid Travel Enclosures. People are inside, going from one place to another.”
Rhuna was speechless for a moment and then asked Aradin to repeat and explain.
“It’s one of the unique Varappan inventions,” Aradin answered with a hint of pride in his voice. “People can travel through the air, in a straight line, to their destination within a very short time.”
“I’ve never heard of such things!” Rhuna exclaimed, struggling to imagine the Rapid Travel Enclosures. “How is it possible to move in the air like a bird?”
“The same principle used by Atlans to make heavy stone blocks weightless,” Aradin answered. “In fact, they assume that the energies needed to make the enclosures defy gravity and propel forwards have disrupted the natural vibrations all around,” he said, gesturing with his hands. “That’s why it’s no longer possible to summon visions by means of the Gazing of the Waters in Varappa, nor can anyone summon visions of Varappa anymore.”
“Because the Rapid Travel Enclosures disrupt the earth energy frequencies?” Rhuna asked, slightly horrified.
Aradin merely nodded.
“How long have you known this? Why didn’t you ever tell me?” she asked, suddenly feeling outraged.
“It is one of the things the High Council of Atlán dislikes,” he answered flatly.
“Dislikes? You mean, they disapprove of it? Why?”
“The powers…are not traditional Atlan powers, so they reject it and refuse to discuss it. They have cautioned us not to talk about it at all.”
Rhuna felt stunned for a while.
“I was a member of the High Council of Atlán for many solar cycles, and yet I never heard any of this,” she said with dismay.
“Things are not the way they appear,” Aradin replied with a frown.
Rhuna awoke from a vivid and confusing dream about her impending arrival in Varappa, and decided to walk around the encampment until she felt better. She sensed intuitively that it was shortly before sunrise, and sh
e stopped in her tracks to savour the intense silence all around her. Even the sea seemed too still, so she began to walk in the direction of the beach until she could hear the gentle lapping of waves far ahead of her. She concluded that the tide must be very low for the water to be at such a distance, and after feeling the soft sand with her bare feet, she sat down to look out towards the sea where the first rays of sun were beginning to lighten the horizon. Rhuna admired the soothing, soft colours of the sky and sea as the sun began to rise, watching the fog gather above the sea.
Rhuna suddenly thought she saw a movement on the horizon and looked more intently. Out of the morning mist, a human form began to emerge, and Rhuna gasped at the uncanny sight. The human shape appeared to float towards her, his feet shrouded in the mist. When his feet became visible, Rhuna saw a man wearing a flowing dark red robe and holding a long stick, like those of Atlans who walk long distances. A strange sense of familiarity struck her, as if she knew the walk, and wondered for a brief moment whether she might know the person walking towards her.
Rhuna stood up and waved at the robed man, and he promptly returned the wave. As he came nearer, she recognized Voyager of the Ocean, and thought he was even more striking in appearance than in the visions of the Gazing of the Waters. A plain-coloured piece of cloth was wrapped around his head in a stylish yet simple manner.
“We are saved!” called someone from the encampment behind her, and Rhuna looked around to see Aradin briskly walking towards her. Amongst jubilation and hand shaking, back-clapping and kisses, Aradin handed Shandi over into Rhuna’s embrace. She turned so that Shandi could also see who was causing all the cheerful elation.
The small child lifted her arm and pointed at Voyager of the Ocean.
“Dead man!” she said.
***
Rhuna’s adventure continues in Rhuna: New Horizons
About The Author
Barbara Underwood was born and raised in Sydney, Australia; the only child of German migrants who provided a rich and diverse childhood environment. Already in third grade she wrote a short children's book for a class project and realized that she was deeply satisfied with creating stories. In sixth grade, for another class project, her teacher was so impressed by the lengthy story she submitted, that he commented at the end "I see we are going to have another author".
Over the years Barbara kept writing one thing or another, but only as a hobby while she pursued other interests and goals. In the 1990s, she completed a correspondence course in professional writing, doing it in her spare time after work. This led to having a few short stories published, but what she really wanted to do was write a proper novel.
At this time, Barbara had travelled extensively and gained a wealth of knowledge and experience in subjects that held special appeal for her, namely ancient history, myths and legends (such as Atlantis, the builders of megaliths around the world), folklore (the belief that a god-like race gave mankind its technology), human psychology and the culture of other countries. What better subject for her Urban Fantasy series than to combine all these elements into one big adventure!
Read more at:
http://www.rhunafantasybooks.com
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More Books by the Author
Rhuna, Keeper of Wisdom (Book 1) 2014
Rhuna: Crossroads (Book 2) 2016
(Sequel to Rhuna, Keeper of Wisdom)
Rhuna: New Horizons (Book 4) 2017
Kindle Box Set – Books 1 – 3
Rhuna, The Star Child Page 31