Halfway Between Worlds: Bloodline of the Pure

by S. B Terra

  “One of the six ancient bloodlines, they built Larisha” said Petra with a big smile on her face.

  “Okay, can you guys please give me a little history lesson on the ancient bloodlines? I have the book, but I literally haven’t had time to read it yet, I’ve been focused on reading my program books and practicing new spells” asked Alice.

  “Wait” said Lisa, stopping Petra from talking, “let’s tell Alice when we get to Eden’s, it’s only ten minutes away.”

  Lisa then faced Alice and gave her a funny look.

  “If we start on that now we’ll never leave, she’ll talk all day.”

  Alice laughed as Petra gave Lisa an unflattering look.

  “What’s Eden’s? asked Alice.

  “It’s a café we always go to when we’re in Larisha, it has a beautiful view and they have great seafood, vegetarian food, chocolate, deserts and coffee, Larisha has the best chocolate in the world” replied Lisa.

  “Sounds great, let’s do it” said Alice excitedly.

  Alice, Lisa and Petra all stood up and made their way through the plaza, transporting to the Magic Council and then through to Larisha.

  The transportation room in Larisha was smaller than the one in the Magic Council and had black marble with green and yellow tinges throughout.

  “Welcome” said Petra as they walked through the entrance wall and appeared in front of a black pyramid on top of a large cliff overlooking a dark blue ocean, the view was incredible and stretched for as far as Alice could see.

  “Wow” said Alice as she stared out over the ocean.

  “Yeah, it’s beautiful, huh” said Lisa.

  “And that’s Larisha” said Petra, pointing to the left.

  There was a trail leading down to a beautiful, white city which was slightly smaller than Narz and overlooking the ocean and there was a giant white castle built higher up on the mountain above the city.

  “That’s the Lavera castle?” asked Alice in astonishment.

  “Yep” said Petra.

  “This world is amazing” said Alice quietly, admiring the beautiful scenery.

  Lisa laughed.

  “We can transport straight into the city, but I thought we would show you view of the city and the castle” said Lisa as they started walking down the trail towards Larisha.

  “Yeah, thanks, this is beautiful, all of the places here seem to be beautiful.”

  Alice followed Lisa and Petra along the cliff and down into Larisha, the city was elegant and clean, all the streets were tiled with white marble and the houses were small and square shaped and all had amazing views.

  “What a nice place to live” said Alice as they started walking through the city.

  “Yeah, the ocean is so peaceful” said Lisa.

  The city was quiet like Narz and the view of the ocean gave it a relaxing, peaceful vibe, and after walking for about five minutes through the city, they reached the sign for Eden’s.

  There was a staircase leading down along the side of the cliff, and as Alice followed Lisa and Petra down the stairs, she soon saw that Eden’s was built into the side of the cliff, looking out over the ocean.

  “No way” said Alice as they reached the bottom of the stairs.

  Eden’s had an inside and an outside sitting area that had been carved out of the cliff, there were couches, tables and chairs and interesting art pieces and photographs of strange looking sea creatures hanging on the walls.

  “Let’s sit outside, yeah?” asked Lisa.

  “Yeah. This unbelievable” said Alice, looking around the café and checking out the view.

  “Yep, this is one of our favorite spots” said Petra as they sat down at one of the tables outside.

  “I’ll go and get some menus” said Lisa, walking inside.

  “Where do you think you want to live when you finish your studies?” Alice asked Petra.

  “Probably here or Terra I’d say, the other cities are nice, but Larisha and Terra are my favorites. Larisha is the nicest in terms of scenery but I like the energy of Terra” said Petra as Lisa walked back over and sat down, placing some menus on the table.

  “Have you eaten yet, Alice?” asked Lisa.

  “I did, I ate at the cafeteria at the Education Department for the first time quickly after the lecture, I might just have a tea or something.”

  “Have a hot chocolate, their great, and I hope you have room for some chocolates, you cannot leave Larisha without trying the chocolates, that just wouldn’t be right” said Petra in a serious tone.

  Alice and Lisa both laughed.

  “Well, what do you guys want? I’ll go and order” said Lisa.

  “I guess I’ll try the hot chocolate” said Alice, taking out her money pouch and sliding Lisa a two-dollar coin.

  “Hot chocolate and the chocolate croissant, please” said Petra.

  “Okay, be right back” said Lisa, standing up and walking inside to order.

  Petra leant her head towards Alice as Lisa walked inside.

  “Lisa told me that Bella Turnox is your mentor, is that true?” she whispered.

  “Yes, it is true” replied Alice, smiling at Petra.

  “Wow, you know she ended the Medelle bloodline, right? She will be remembered forever” said Petra as Lisa walked back over.

  Petra then leant back and pretended that she hadn’t said anything.

  “Okay, now we can tell you about the bloodlines” said Petra, she had clearly been eagerly waiting to get back on to the subject.

  “Get ready for it” said Lisa in a funny tone.

  “Don’t be a smart ass, Lisa” snapped Petra.

  Alice and Lisa both laughed again.

  “Okay, so, there were the Valerias, the Medelles, the Laveras, the Arells, the Axaths and the Sylats. The Valerias had a long line of diviners, mystics and shamans and Terra was historically their stronghold. The Laveras were for the most part mystics and built Larisha, they had some powerful diviners and shamans as well, but they were more all rounded and had a lineage of different specialties. They became natural allies with the Valerias when they incorporated The Natural Laws of Karma into their doctrine and teachings, until the Medelles and Sylats killed them off. The Arells were mostly shamanic and founded the jungle city of Agara, or otherwise known as the shaman city, they brought us the age of shamanism and had some of the most accomplished and powerful shamans in history. Syrus Arell cured the Black Death and A.V diseases which killed a lot of people, they say that through certain plant mixtures he was able to connect and communicate with the plants of the jungle, who taught him the cure. The last Arell king was killed by a cypondra, they are common in Agara, it’s definitely not a place for me – “

  “Wait, there’s a shaman city in the jungle?” asked Alice, having to interrupt Petra who didn’t seem like she was going to stop talking any time soon.

  “Yeah, it’s deep in the jungle, if you want to dive into shamanism then that’s the place to go, but it’s quite dangerous and unstable now days, they say some of the Medelle’s people may have fled there as well” said Lisa as the waiter came over with their orders, “I got a bowl of calamari for us to share as well.”

  “Nice, thank you. Is Agara nice?” asked Alice.

  “Yes, it’s very natural obviously, but snakes, insects and wild cats don’t do it for me” said Petra.

  Alice laughed as she helped herself to a calamari ring.

  “Sounds interesting” said Alice.

  “Yes, but anyways, the Axaths were devoted mystics and ruled Narz longer than any other family, they were also eventually killed off by the Medelles with the help of the Nazars, another family. The Sylats were a purist, imperialistic family like the Medelles and had all types of weird beliefs, they were mainly focused with war and power and their seat of power was historically the desert city of Marbor, which is practically deserted now. Their bloodline was ended as a result of an uprising by their own people, they were cruel rulers and harshly punished any civil disobedience or cr
iticism of their family” continued Petra, getting right back to where she had left off.

  “Well, you’re quite informed, aren’t you?” said Alice jokingly.

  “I like to read” said Petra, smiling.

  “Sometimes she thinks she’s a little more informed than what she really is” said Lisa.

  “Don’t start, Lisa, just enjoy the view.”

  Alice laughed, Lisa and Petra seemed to have a funny sisterly relationship.

  “How did the Valeria bloodline end?” asked Alice.

  “Ara Valeria died giving birth, the baby unfortunately didn’t make it either, she was the last of the Valerias” said Petra sadly.

  “What family was the most powerful?”

  “The Valerias and the Medelles, they ruled the longest” replied Petra.

  “Where did the Medelles live?”

  “The Black Cliffs, it’s a mountainous region not too far from Narz, the People’s Forces destroyed most of the city after the war and blocked transportation access, their castle still remains there though.”

  “Interesting history” said Alice, smiling at Petra. “Where are these book stores that you were talking about before?” Alice then asked Lisa.

  “There’s one near the castle, you can have a look while me and Petra walk around if you want, unless you want the full Petra tour of the Lavera castle?” said Lisa with a mischievous smile.

  Alice laughed.

  “I would love the Petra tour sometime, but I definitely want to check out the book store.”

  Alice, Lisa and Petra chatted for a while whilst finishing their food and drinks, they then went inside to buy some chocolates before making their way towards the castle.

  Alice could now see the castle in great detail as they stopped in front of the book store, it had numerous different levels, walls and reinforcements and was beautifully designed into the mountain.

  “Impressive” said Alice as she stared up at the giant castle.

  “Yeah, we’ll be back in half an hour or so” said Lisa.

  “See you soon” said Petra as her and Lisa walked off towards the castle.

  Alice walked inside the book store, it was fairly small and had stone floors and stone walls, there were a few photographs hanging on the walls above the book shelfs and a long desk at the end of the room with an elderly woman sitting behind.

  Alice walked around, reading some of the titles of the books, there were tables piled with books in the middle of the room and there was another girl around Alice’s age searching through the piles.

  ‘The Dalura Brew.’

  Alice picked up the book and read the back cover.

  ‘Detailed instructions on how to prepare the Dalura Brew. The Dalura Brew has been used since ancient times as an aid and a precaution by those who frequently journey out of the ordinary world. Please read through instructions carefully and stick to recommended doses.’

  Alice placed the book back on the shelf and continued through the store.

  ‘Intention & Navigation in Non-ordinary Worlds.’

  Alice turned the book over.

  “A practical guide on how to move and navigate in the astral and non-ordinary worlds.”

  Alice placed the book back and then walked over to the book shelf near the girl, who was quickly flicking through books on the table and was clearly looking for something.

  As Alice picked up another book, she noticed that there was a small photograph of a hooded woman giving a speech hanging on the wall above the shelf.

  ‘Snakes & Fire – Defense against aggressive entities in Non-ordinary worlds.’

  Alice turned the book over.

  ‘A guide on how to protect oneself in non-ordinary worlds. Imagination, intention and willpower – This book will explain the most effective defenses against aggressive and intrusive entities that you may encounter on your journeys in the non-ordinary worlds.’

  Alice placed the book back onto the shelf and then turned to look at the girl.

  “Hi, do you know who that is?” asked Alice, pointing to the photograph above the self.

  The woman giving the speech was standing on a stage and had a line of people sitting behind her that seemed to be riveted to what she was saying, except for one girl who looked around Alice’s age that was casually reading a book.

  The girl looked surprised as she looked over, as if she hadn’t even noticed Alice standing there.

  “Yeah, that’s Myra Valeria” said the girl as she walked over.

  “What about the girl reading the book?” asked Alice curiously, the girl had long, black hair and seemed to be in her own world, not paying any attention to the woman giving the speech.

  “That’s her younger sister, Lara Valeria, her diaries are a good read, they were never meant to be released but it gives you an insight into how the Valerias thought and looked at things” said the girl, smiling, before walking back over to the table and continuing through the books.

  “Thanks” said Alice, she felt a strange curiosity about the two sisters in the photograph, so she walked over to the elderly woman sitting behind the desk.

  “Hi, do you have the Diaries of Lara Valeria?” asked Alice.

  The woman looked up and curiously stared at Alice for a moment, she had relatively short, black hair, black eyes and looked as if she were in her eighties.

  The woman stood up without saying anything and walked over to the opposite side of the store near where Alice had been looking at books. The woman reached up and took out out a small, black book from the top shelf, walking back over and handing it to Alice.

  “Thanks, how much?” asked Alice.

  “Four dollars” said the woman quietly, her voice was whispery and croaky.

  Alice opened her money pouch and handed the woman a five-dollar coin.

  “Safe journeys” croaked the woman as she handed Alice back her change.

  “Thanks.”

  “Bye” said Alice, speaking to the girl who had told her about the book on the way out of the store.

  “Bye, good luck.”

  Alice walked out of the store and saw that Lisa and Petra were walking back down the street.

  “Nice timing” said Alice as they approached.

  “Yeah, we just had a quick walk around. Did you get anything?” asked Lisa.

  “The Diaries of Lara Valeria.”

  “Nice, I never read it. Should we head back?”

  “Yeah, let’s go. You can read it when I finish if you like.”

  Alice, Lisa and Petra took the scenic trail back to the transportation room and then transported back through to the Student Village.

  The Student Plaza was busier than it usually was, the cafes were full, and people were appearing and disappearing through the T.Ps every few seconds.

  “Pretty busy, huh” said Alice as the others walked out of the T.P.

  “Yeah, today was the busiest day of lectures this week” said Petra.

  “Well, I better get her home. Thanks for coming with us, Alice, we’ll see you soon” said Lisa.

  “Bye, Alice” said Petra.

  “Bye, guys, thanks for the invite, see you soon.”

  After saying goodbye to Lisa and Petra, Alice quickly stopped into the Natural Foods store to buy some dinner and then made her way back to the apartment.

  Diaries of Lara Valeria

  Alice walked inside and sat down on one of the kitchen stools, unrolling the Terra Times that she had just picked up from the Student Plaza. There was a large moving photograph on the front page of a man who looked to be in his late sixties or early seventies standing in front of a large group of hooded men and women. The man’s face was aging and scary looking and he had average length, brown, greying hair.

  MARAX VORDARE BELIEVED TO BE ALIVE

  It has been confirmed that the People’s Forces have been conducting interviews with witnesses of Friday night’s festival attack who claim to have seen Marax Vordare moments before the attack took place. According to sources famili
ar with the investigation, two of the surviving members of the People’s Forces who were standing guard during Friday night’s ceremony and were targeted during the attack are also claiming to have seen Marax Vordare as the attack took place.

  President of the Magic Council, Darius Bane, told reporters today that while the reports are yet to be confirmed, there is a high likelihood that Marax Vordare is still alive.

  “The investigation is still ongoing and the reports regarding the sightings of Marax Vordare are still yet to be confirmed. However, we have heard reliable and trusted witness testimony, and recently obtained intelligence points to there being a high likelihood that Marax Vordare is still alive and may have been behind the attack. I urge any citizens that may have any useful information regarding the investigation into Friday night’s terrorist attack to come forward. I would like to stress that the People’s Forces will remain on high alert until the criminals responsible are brought to justice” Bane stated. P2

  Alice placed the Terra Times down on the kitchen bench and walked into the bedroom, grabbing her assessment scroll and then walking out onto the balcony. She had watched a few lectures on her hologram device and finished another assessment last night after getting back from Larisha, which was on Geography of the Higher, Natural World of Magic.

  Alice addressed the scroll to the Education Department, rolled it up and then gave it to Blue, who flew off into the distance.

  Alice then made her way back into the bedroom and opened The Diaries of Lara Valeria.

  I write these diaries not only as a memory of my past inner states, but as a hobby and a therapy of sorts, as when I write I feel that the words naturally flow out of me, unobstructed by any mental hindrances, giving me greater clarity into my self-exploration and awareness and into that which I am trying to conceptualize and explain.

  These diaries are private and are not meant for publication, but in the case that someone does find and read, they will not be dated and will be in no particular order.

  Today during my meditations, I again perceived the subtle, emotional energies that have recently been puzzling me. The energies seem to be their own force and seem to originate from outside of me, they feel almost like a feeling of perception and a way of looking at and feeling life rather than a physical energy, what is this force? Myra says that because I have cleansed my mind and purified my soul to a certain extent, I have now been able to start perceiving the invisible, universal ocean of currents, energies and knowledge from which our divinations originate. But this is an in-depth topic and I feel I will not be satisfied until I have comprehended it for myself, do divinations really come from the universal, collective consciousness? Or do they come from the communications of higher spirits or the spirits of nature that are able to perceive beyond what we can see and understand, like Lyra once said? Or are they our own communications upon connection with our own higher spirits? Are these perceptual energies simply energies floating around the universe? Or is it some type of karma that has accumulated onto my soul during previous lifetimes that is washing away from me now that I have become pure enough, as sometimes the energies are accompanied with a slight feeling of loss? I hope that with time I will come to be able to comprehend these mysteries.