Halfway Between Worlds: Bloodline of the Pure

by S. B Terra

  Alice’s nausea had for the most part gone but she now felt exhausted.

  “Good, just tired” responded Alice as she sipped on the tea, it tasted surprisingly sweet and soothing.

  A moment of silence went by.

  “Ask your questions, I know you must have a lot, we don’t want you to take in too much tonight though, you must rest first” said Bella, smiling kindly at Alice.

  There was another short moment of silence.

  “That woman in the forest, was that you who - “

  “Yes” Bella interrupted kindly.

  “Is she dead?”

  “Probably not, but she will be unconscious for a while, you don’t need to worry about her, you’re perfectly safe now.”

  “Who was she? And that other man that was there?” asked Alice nervously.

  “That’s a long story, but there was a war that ended here a few years ago. A very old, powerful monarchal family was attempting to take back power, the war officially ended three years ago when what was left of their army fled into hiding. From what we know, the majority of those that fled, fled to the Wild Lands, the place where you landed tonight. There must still be bewitchments on the crossing channels which I’m guessing is why you landed there, you were not supposed to be there, you were supposed to go to the watchers. The Wild Lands is a very dangerous place, you are extremely lucky that I found you, if there hadn’t been a raid tonight who knows what would have happened, but strange things happen for strange reasons.”

  Bella had a comforting smile and her eyes were gentle and welcoming to look at.

  Alice took a moment to process what Bella had said, the thought of landing in the Wild Lands alone now seemed terrifying.

  “Bewitchments on the crossing channels?” asked Alice after a short pause, she was quite shocked at the thought.

  “Yes, ideologies exist in this world just as they do in the world that you have come from. One of those ideologies is that the unmaterialistic state of the higher, natural world of magic is diluted and lessened by the presence of too much analytical thinking. Therefore, the people that follow this ideology have the belief that souls who are born into the material worlds should remain in the material and should not be allowed to cross into this world.

  “The family I just spoke about believed in this, but the ideology is not a mainstream belief here and has been proven wrong time and time again. Some of the most powerful people throughout history were born into the material and crossed into this world. During the war, the other side took control of, bewitched and closed the crossing channels, as a result there were no crossings for years. The People’s Forces took back control of the channels when the war ended, the watchers have been testing and working to neutralize them for the past few years, I didn’t know they were active yet, but that is another story for later.”

  “What’s the People’s Forces?” asked Alice curiously.

  “A defense force, or army if you like to call it that. It practically became the armed forces of our city when it was created over four hundred years ago, it’s the most powerful army currently in our world. It is made up of people from all around who represent the best interest of the people and the goodness of the higher, natural world of magic.”

  Another moment of silence went past.

  “That woman in the forest called me an analyct, what does that mean?” asked Alice, breaking the silence.

  “An analyct is a term used to describe analytical souls, in other words, souls that develop analytically through the material worlds instead of intuitively and spiritually.”

  “I see. When you do magic with your wand, how do you do that?” asked Alice attentively, there were so many questions she wanted to ask.

  Bella laughed.

  “Belief, willpower and imagination, don’t worry, you’ll learn soon enough when you start your education.”

  “What do you mean by my – “

  Alice was stopped mid-sentence as someone knocked on the front door.

  Bella walked over and opened the door and then a woman, followed by an elderly man walked inside. The woman had long, brown hair and was wearing a dark blue robe, and as Alice looked at her, she realized that it was the woman she had had the contact with. The man was wearing an old, dark brown robe and had long, grey hair and a beard.

  “Hello, Bella, we came as soon as we heard” said the woman as she looked at Alice.

  “Hi, Bella, this is a lovely home” said the man, also looking at Alice.

  “Katie, Nigel, thank you guys for coming, here she is” said Bella before walking back over to the kitchen.

  The man and the woman walked over and stood in front of Alice.

  “Hi, Alice, it’s a pleasure to meet you in person. We are terribly sorry about what happened, everything will be explained to you after you rest, how do you feel?” asked Katie kindly.

  “Hi, guys, nice to meet you. I’m feeling fine now, just a little tired.”

  “Do you mind if we examine you quickly? It won’t take long” asked Katie.

  “Sure.”

  Katie and Nigel both walked over and stood next to Alice, Katie proceeded to open Alice’s eye lids and check her eyes whilst Nigel checked per pulse and forehead.

  “All good” said Nigel, taking a couple of steps back.

  “Do you mind standing for me, Alice?” asked Katie.

  Alice got to her feet and Katie walked around and stood behind her, placing her hands on the back of Alice’s neck and slowly making her way down Alice’s spine with her two thumbs on either side.

  “You’re all fine, my dear, welcome to the higher, natural world of magic” said Katie as she walked around and faced Alice with a friendly smile on her face.

  “Welcome, Alice” said Nigel, also smiling at Alice.

  “Thank you, guys.”

  “Now, get some rest, you have a big few days of adapting ahead of you, Bella has offered for you to stay here with her, so we will be back tomorrow to run you through everything once you have caught up on your rest” said Katie as she walked towards the front door.

  “Thank you very much, Bella, we will see you tomorrow” said Katie.

  “Thank you, Bella, safe journeys” said Nigel as he and Katie walked outside and closed the door behind them.

  “Come, I’ll show you your room, no more questions until tomorrow” said Bella kindly as she walked out of the kitchen.

  Alice followed Bella into the next room and up the wooden staircase that was around the corner and out of view from the living room.

  “You can sleep here” said Bella as they walked into the first room on the left.

  The room was nice and cozy, there were window doors that opened onto to a small balcony outside overlooking the trees, a large bed, drawers, a private bathroom and a large closet. The floor was decorated with a large, black and white mandala rug and there were paintings and framed photographs of beautiful, natural places that hung on the walls.

  “This is really nice, thank you so much” said Alice, admiring the layout and presentation of the room.

  “Feel at home and shower as long as you like, there are clean towels in the bathroom, if you need anything, I will be down the hall and to the left, the room at the end of the hallway” said Bella, walking back over to the door.

  Bella paused in the hallway and looked back at Alice.

  “Welcome to your new world, see you tomorrow” she said, smiling at Alice.

  “Thanks, Bella, goodnight.”

  Bella then left the room and shut the door behind her.

  Alice walked over and fell backwards onto the bed, letting all her exhaustion out, and after a moment of staring out the window at the trees, she fell asleep.

  The Natural World of Magic

  The sun was shining through the windows lighting up the room as Alice’s eyes slowly opened, she felt extremely comfortable and relaxed. She sat up and looked at the clock that was hanging on the wall and when she saw that it was 12pm, she quickly jumped out of
bed and went into the bathroom to shower. On the bathroom bench was a folded, black robe with a note next to it.

  This is a new, unworn robe for you to wear until we go shopping, it should be your size. I will have breakfast ready downstairs whenever you are ready.

  Bella

  After showering, Alice walked downstairs to the kitchen, she felt slightly embarrassed as she had never worn a robe before. There was no one in the house and on the kitchen bench there was a silver plate with croissant like pastries, a bowl, two large, silver pots and another note.

  One pot is a vegetable stir fry mixed with herbs and spices, the other is oats, cocoa and fruit, eat as much as you like and help yourself to the pastries. I will be back around 1pm.

  Bella

  Alice was starving, she had eaten nothing but fruit for over three days whilst being in the forest, so she helped herself to a large bowl of each, the food was still warm and fresh and tasted delicious.

  Alice washed her bowl her in the sink and then went and sat on one of the couches, and a few minutes later, the front door swung open.

  Bella walked inside followed by a man wearing an elegant, black robe with a small black and dark red emblem pinned at his chest. The man had dark brown, greying hair and had an aura of importance about him.

  “You look great” said Bella as her and the man walked over to the kitchen, “you have a special visitor, this is Darius Bane, he’s the President of the Magic Council, he wanted to come instead of the watchers.”

  Alice stood up and walked over to greet Bella and Darius.

  “Lovely to meet you, Alice, welcome to the world of magic” said Darius, his voice was deep and gruff.

  “Nice to meet you, Darius” said Alice, smiling back at both Bella and Darius.

  “How do you feel?” asked Bella.

  “I feel good, a lot better.”

  “Did you get a good sleep?”

  “Yes, I woke up quite late” responded Alice as both Bella and Darius smiled back at her. “I’ve set up a small table and some chairs outside on the balcony. You must be curious, Darius is going to run you through some things, I’ll bring you guys out some tea soon” said Bella.

  Bella then tapped her wand on the letter she had written and a second later it scrunched itself up, flung into the air and exploded into a very fine, clear energy looking substance and then disappeared.

  “Come, Alice, let us take a seat outside” said Darius.

  Alice followed Darius outside onto the balcony where there was a small, wooden table with a couple of comfortable looking couch chairs on either side.

  Darius and Alice both sat down, it was a warm, sunny, cloudless day and there was a slight breeze that softly blew the leaves of the trees that rose up around the balcony.

  “I just want to start by saying how very sorry I am for what happened when you crossed, we are all extremely glad and happy that you are safe” said Darius in a serious and sincere tone.

  “It’s okay, it wasn’t anyone’s fault.”

  “There was a highly advanced bewitchment on the crossing channel that the watchers were not aware of, the crossing channels are now closed until further investigation. You were the first person to cross in over ten years.”

  Alice looked back at Darius in shock.

  “Yes, the war that ended here a few years ago lasted for twelve years, the crossing channels were taken over and bewitched in the early years of the war and the watchers have spent the past few years trying to neutralize them, it is a tough job, but they have come a long way.”

  A moment of silence ensued.

  “Do you have any questions?” asked Darius.

  “Yes. The people that met me in the forest and helped me cross said that the watchers became aware of me when I was twelve, is that true and if so, how?”

  “Yes, it is true. Even though the crossing channels were closed throughout the war, the watchers still presumed their activities of locating intuitively developed souls. You were apparently seen sporadically by the watchers starting when you were at the age of twelve, you were not aware of the encounters, but the watchers were able to gather information about you, especially within the past year when you started journeying more frequently.”

  The thought of being known to people in another world since she was twelve years old gave Alice a strange but scary feeling of wonder, she would never of had any idea and would never have even thought that it was possible.

  “Can you tell me about the war?” asked Alice.

  Darius paused for a moment.

  “Of course, it’s a very long story and you will learn more about it when you read up on history and start your training, but the war started roughly fifteen years ago. An old, powerful family had grown their influence significantly in the years leading up to the war, secretly building a large, powerful army.

  “The family’s rhetoric and propaganda regarding analytical thinking, the purity of the natural world of magic and the high number of crossings started to intensify and the war officially started when their forces took the city of Narz. Soon after, the crossing channels were attacked and unjust persecutions of those who had previously crossed started taking place. Their reasoning was the bills that their politicians had been putting forward through the Magic Council had been ‘unjustly’ ignored or rejected, and that they needed to save the higher, natural world of magic from materialistic dilution.

  “This was a ploy to take power, the bills that they were putting forward were filled with prejudice and were never meant to pass. The family was a monarchal family that had ruled previously at different stages throughout history. Three years into the war the then family heir was killed, proceeding him was his son, who was killed five years later, he was the last living member of their family and his death had a big impact on the war. Over the next four years their army took several heavy defeats and were slowly driven apart, which eventually led to the remaining elements of their army to flee into hiding.”

  Darius paused for a moment.

  “The war is over now, our world is safe again, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about.”

  “You say start my training, Bella also said something about me starting my education, what do you guys mean?”

  “One of the most important things in this world is a person’s education and training. Being in the higher, natural world of magic comes with a responsibility, a responsibility to discipline and to progress yourself to the fullest of your ability, not only for your self-defense, but for the development of your soul.

  “You will undertake your education and training through the Terra Education Department, there is an introduction program specifically designed for those who have crossed, whatever age they may be, which is usually completed within a few months depending on the progress of the individual. You will also of course be able to sit in on any lectures you wish to attend and take part in any events or activities that the Education Department has to offer. You will, however, have to wait until you have completed your introduction program before undertaking any practical tutorials.

  “You will also have full access to the library and all the facilities at the Education Department. After your introduction program, you will be able to pursue a range of different subjects, practices and courses of your choice.”

  An excitement filled Alice as she took in what Darius had said, she now had a whole, new world to explore and discover.

  “What’s Terra?” she asked.

  “That is the name of our city, the capital of our world” Darius replied with a smile on his face.

  “I don’t have any money here - how will I pay for my education?”

  Darius continued smiling at Alice.

  “Education is free here, accommodation in the Student Village will be free for you as well whilst you are studying. Also, for your information, the Magic Council has a fund for those who cross, each person who crosses into our world is given $5000 to get them started comfortably with everything that they need. You can go to a
Terra Monetary Reserve center to withdraw and deposit gold and silver, there are a few TMR centers throughout the city.”

  “That sounds amazing, thank you so much” said Alice, smiling back at Darius.

  Bella then waked outside and placed two cups of tea on the table.

  “You guys need anything else?” she asked.

  “I’m fine, thank you, Bella” replied Darius.

  “I’m okay, thank you” said Alice.

  Bella then smiled and walked back inside.

  “Every student that goes through the Terra Education Department is assigned a mentor. This can either be a family member, or someone randomly assigned to you. Everyone who goes through the Education Department is obliged to undertake a two-year minimum mentorship once they have graduated from their respective specialties. This can be extended if it is willed by both parties, which happens quite often.

  “Students are encouraged to go to their mentors if they have any difficulties or troubles regarding their education or other matters. Mentors are required to spend a minimum of five hours per week with their students for practical training. Bella formally applied this morning to become your mentor and I just heard from the head of the department before I got here, the application has been accepted. You are very lucky Alice, Bella is one of the most powerful and respected people alive today and I’m sure she will be a great mentor, I advise you to learn as much as you can from her.”

  A warm feeling flooded into Alice, she felt touched that Bella had applied to be her mentor.

  “You can officially start your introduction program any time you like, although I advise you wait a couple of days to catch up on rest and to give yourself some time to adapt and to see some of your new world. As you are the only new crossing for quite some time, there will be no introduction program lectures running, however, all the lectures are available on hologram and you will have access to all the books and materials that you need.

  “You can complete the program in your own space and time, this will all be explained to you further when you have your introductory meeting and tour at the Education Department, and remember, you are welcome to attend any lectures you wish. Bella has also offered for you to stay here with her for a few days until you find suitable accommodation in the Student Village, I believe she plans on showing you around a little” said Darius, smiling. “Is there anything else? I must be getting back to the Council.”