Time sped forward and another memory played out.

 *****

“DaeNoth, look!” Ionee cried out to the lagging DaeNoth, as she stood on the edge of a small, rock-filled vale. It had taken her forever to convince DaeNoth to venture outside the Forest of Reflections, and she only got him to agree because she promised they wouldn’t venture into any populated areas. Now that they were outside the protective shell of the Aurisen enclave, DaeNoth had grown fearful of every little thing. She had wanted to see the crystal fields ever since she had heard some of the other Aurisens talking about them, and this was the first time she had managed to convince DaeNoth to venture forth from that artificial bubble of synthesized life inside the Forest of Reflections.

The one time she had snuck out on her own, DaeNoth had become so hysterical. After that, he rarely left her side so she had little opportunity to sneak away. However, because he insisted on following her everywhere, she managed to coax him into trying more and more things, as her desire for new experiences continued to draw her. Her need to experience real life was too compelling, so her only recourse was to convince DaeNoth into trying things with her.

Ever since she had heard of the crystal fields, she had connived and coaxed DaeNoth until now, here she was. One of the first things she had noticed was that the crystals of this world sang to her. They touched a place deep within her that only some of the most ethereal of compositions had ever spoken to. To be able to immerse herself in a place containing so much music and power, was simply too much to resist.

As she waited for DaeNoth to catch up, she let the energies flow over and around her. She stood at the edge of the first crystal field, her eyes closed, just listening with her whole being to the call of the crystals. One crystal, in particular, seemed to stand out from the others, and she allowed its call to lead her through the rocky terrain.

When DaeNoth finally caught up with her, Ionee held the newly freed crystal to his forehead, “Can you feel it now?”

“It seems very vibrant, yet soothing…” he turned to look at Ionee, who was smiling widely. “What type of crystal is it?”

“I do not know what it is named, only that it is some type of beryl. But you are correct, its song tells me that it would be a powerful healing crystal—offering both revitalization and comfort.”

They clambered over the rocks, Ionee following the voices of the crystals as they sang to her. As they scrambled over a particularly cumbersome stretch of loose rocks, DaeNoth lost his footing. His right ankle twisted and his foot wedged itself between several of the larger boulders, and as DaeNoth fell forward, a loud cracking sound echoed in the air.

At the sound of DaeNoth’s ankle breaking, Ionee stopped her mad dash across the rocks to see what had happened. Seeing DaeNoth sprawled across the rocks, she hurried back to help.

“DaeNoth! DaeNoth, are you all right?” She cried out as she crossed the loose jumble of rocks back to where DaeNoth’s body now lay. As she reached him, she noticed that a second DaeNoth stood next to the body. Drawing nearer, she realized that this second DaeNoth was not a solid image. She could see bits of the landscape through him. Hesitating, she looked from this ghost-like DaeNoth to the DaeNoth lying on the rocks.

“DaeNoth?…” she reached out to touch the not so solid image that stood near, and her hand connected with nothing. The only sensation was a light prickling of the hairs on her hand and arm as it passed through the image of DaeNoth.

*It is I, Ionee…yet it is not,* the image spoke directly into her mind. *I jumped out when the ankle broke. I could not face the impending pain.*

*But what of …* and squatting, she reached out and touched DaeNoth’s hair, and caressed the cheek of the fallen DaeNoth. *It still lives…* she turned her eyes up toward the translucent image of DaeNoth, *but how…?*

*I am still connected to the body, but I do not feel what it feels. I do not sense what it senses.*

*But how did you manage this? I thought once we accepted the physical form, we had to remain with it or it would perish.*

*There are levels of integration. You are fully integrated, while I am currently only minimally integrated. I can maintain the body, but only in a minimal way. I need you to help me heal it, so that I may return.*

His comment brought her back to herself, and she realized that her hand still rested on the body’s back. Looking back toward the physical form of DaeNoth, she saw that she would need to free his foot before she could heal it. Moving down to where the rocks wedged against his foot, she carefully began prying at them until she managed to shift one enough to free his foot. Gently, she unwedged his foot and straightened his ankle. Then holding her palms above it, she focused her energies on healing it.

As the ankle returned to normal, the ghost-like DaeNoth flickered as it hovered above his physical form. Then it just seemed to merge into the body, and the DaeNoth beneath her hands began to moan and stir.

Ionee helped DaeNoth sit up, then she gave him several more healing boosts to remove some of the bruises and cuts he had received when the body had fallen against the rocks. As she did so, she kept thinking about how he had freed himself from the body. When he was once again healthy, she could no longer put off her curiosity. “How did you jump free of the body? How long can you remain that way? Can you see and hear everything that goes around you?”

“Do you not even care that I was hurt?” DaeNoth grumbled, though in truth, he was rather touched to have so much of her attention, no matter the reason. Standing, he brushed the dirt from his robe, and tried to neaten himself as best as possible. Ionee also stood, but her eyes continued to probe his as she awaited some answers.

Finally giving in to her silent demands, DaeNoth found a medium sized boulder to settle himself on and Ionee found a spot next to him. “One of the elders explained about the seven connection points between us and the physical forms that we have created. Each one has a different purpose. Any of these points can be released without harming the body, except one—this one, here,” and he touched her abdomen, placing the flat of his hand just beneath her breasts. “If this one is released, then the physical form will die,” and he pulled his hand back.

“But how do you release the others without releasing that one, also?” Ionee persisted.

“I told myself to step free of the body and I did. So, as the body fell forward, I remained standing. However, you have to make an effort to sever all connections, and I did not do that. I merely wished to save myself from experiencing the pain, which I assumed would occur once I felt the bone in the body break. Therefore, I focused on releasing only those connections that would hold me within the body.”

“Are you saying that the body can be animated without our actually having to be within it?” Ionee leaned forward as if afraid to miss a single word.

“Yes…I suppose someone could,” DaeNoth said thoughtfully. To animate the body at a minimal level you would need two connections. This one,” and he indicated his abdomen, “and the one here,” he touched his forehead. This one directs the body’s basic movements and thoughts, while this one,” he touched his abdomen, “directs the body’s basic life force.”

“What about the others? What do they do?”

“The lowest connection, there,” and he indicated a spot at the base of Ionee’s pubic region, “connects the body, and you, to the planet. The next one, here,” he touched a finger to her stomach, “gives you a connection to self. It helps the body understand who you are. The connection near the body’s heart, lets the body feel and react to your emotions. This connection,” and he touched a finger to her throat, “lets you use the body to communicate.”

“Very interesting…” Ionee ‘s thoughts turned inward for a moment. “So, how do you release these connections?”

“Well, you just let go,” DaeNoth paused to try to come up with a better way to explain it. “It is similar to taking off these clothes, only in this instance, the clothes represent the physical form.”

“I want to try.” Ionee sat up straight, then her body began to slump forward. DaeNoth jumped up and caught Ionee as her body slid from the boulder, and eased her onto the ground.

*This is fascinating,* a ghostly Ionee said, as she watched DaeNoth lower her body onto the rocky ground.

*Ionee!* a frightened DaeNoth admonished. *You should not do this. Return this instant!* He demanded from his position next to Ionee’s physical body.

*Why? If it was all right for you to do this, why is it too dangerous for me to try?*

*I only did it because I was frightened. It is not something you should take so lightly. You could harm yourself.*

*How can I harm myself? I am simply in my natural state.*

*No, you are not. Not for this world. For this world, you need to retain your physical form.* DaeNoth scolded. *You need to return. If you remain absent for too long, the body will die.*

*What if it does? I will simply create another.*

*You know that is forbidden. If the body dies you must return to the transitional plane.*

Ionee’s hovering image shook her head in disdainful frustration. She had heard all the rules and explanations, too. So, she knew that what she did was up to her. It was her life and her choices, and his restrictiveness was becoming intolerable. Just once she wished she could do what she wanted, without all of DaeNoth’s attempts to control everything. And what I want is to see where real humans live, she thought.

Suddenly, she was standing near the edge of a busy cobblestone street. Several people walked by, and another nearly walked right through her. As a horse-pulled carriage came near, the horse reared. Shaking its hooves nearly in her face, she ducked. When she opened her eyes, she was lying on the ground at the base of the boulder, with several large, pointy rocks digging into her back.

Startled to be back at the crystal fields, let alone back inside her physical body, Ionee stammered, “Wha…what happened?”

DaeNoth, happy to have her back, gripped her in a hug and held her tight. “Thank goodness you came to your senses and returned.”

Ionee barely returned DaeNoth’s hug, but he didn’t seem to notice. Her mind was on what had just happened. She was positive that she had actually been in one of the human’s cities, even if was just for a few moments, she had been there. Slowly, a smile curved her lips upward and she started planning how she could use this new technique to see more of this world called Danaria.

Isn’t love keeping God’s commandments?

“If you love me, keep my commandments. Blessed is he that keeps my commandments, and teaches men likewise; but cursed is he that breaks my commandments, and teaches men likewise. He shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven.”

If keeping God’s commandments is the essential factor in love and loving God,then it is central to God’s salvation plan; and if the Jews reject the false Jesus being presented by the Roman controlled Gentile Churches, and keep God’s commandments, they believe in Jesus and are saved, even though they don’t know it.

It is not essential to say I believe in Jesus; but it is essential to do it…  I will show you my faith by what I do, said James the apostle!  It is the works of charity that fulfill all the commandments and the prophets.  Love is being your brother’s keeper.  If your brother comes to you naked and destitute and you do not give him his daily needs, your religion is worthless.

I don’t care what name you claim to believe; that’s the bottom line!  Jews don’t have to learn to care for others, they are doing it, but just look at the mess the Gentiles have made in the world.  Those are their brothers and sisters who are poor and homeless.

Where are the billionaire Gentile Christian Churches?  Take a trip to Israel.  I defy you to find homeless in the streets.  Don’t worry about the Jews being saved, worry about the Gentile Christians and their converted blind Messianic Jews!!!

My advice to you Jews, who struggle with whether Christianity is right or wrong, forget it, search your Bibles to see how to live your lives in peace with the world and your brothers.

My advice to you Gentiles, whether you are Christians or not, is to leave the Jews alone, and raise up your Messianic converts to teacher status.  Then listen to them or get ready to receive your consequences, which is the only reason Jesus is coming.

My advice to you Messianic Jews, who are sure that God called you out from amongst your nation Israel to become a bridge to the Gentile world:  Your sole purpose is to bring salvation to the Gentiles, and not the other way around.  Wake-up from the hypnotic spell the Romans have cast upon you, by using sorcery, intrigue, and murder.

The Gentiles have stolen our Jewish heritage, which is the kingdom of God Jesus brought to Israel.  Your Jewish Messiah Jesus, your Jewish Bible, and the good news Jews possess, have been taken from you by the Gentiles who have trampled them under their feet.  They are the thieves that have stolen your rightful heritage.  Leave the non-Christianized Jews alone.

My advice to Gentiles, who are neither Christians nor Jews, is to give up the lies pushed upon you by your perverted religious leaders and get the truth directly from your Bibles, concerning your fellow man and how to love God.  When you hate anybody on this planet, you’ve crossed over the only boundary God placed around the heathen.

For not all Israel is of Israel; neither are all Christians of Jesus.  For it is not whom you follow, or what you say you believe that will save you; but what you do that will save you!

To be continued…

Neerah pulled back from the Pyramid of Echoes just far enough to pause the memory, but not enough to remove the bubble of energy that encapsulated her. She had paused because of the amount of fear which DaeNoth was feeling. It had almost overwhelmed her several times during the memory, and even now, she could still feel the stirrings of panic at the edges of her awareness. She had never realized just how frightened DaeNoth had been in coming to the physical plane. I…or rather, Ionee, had been so intent on her own pursuits and her own pleasures that she had failed to observe or acknowledge what poor DaeNoth was going through. Ionee had just assumed that he was enjoying the experiences as much as she was. It never occurred to her that he might be absolutely terrified.

Neerah took several deep breaths to clear her emotions. She wished she could somehow go back and at least apologize to DaeNoth; let him know how sorry she was for being so inconsiderate and not even trying to understand the amount of fear and anxiety that he was feeling. Just then, Yarrie’s voice filled her mind, *Understanding often results in regret. But only through acknowledgement of that feeling can you then not willingly repeat those actions or choices that resulted in the regret. This is change. This is growth. This is the beginning of balance.*

She nodded to herself as Yarrie’s voice faded away. Small steps in a long process, that’s what she was taking. She truly hoped though, that she wouldn’t need several centaras to fully understand and accept all the choices that were made, and that had led her to where she was now. Her impatience wasn’t just about wanting to be with DaeNoth again, either. She couldn’t fully explain, but it felt as if there was an aura of urgency surrounding her and everyone she was close to. Shaking off her qualms, she turned back toward the pyramidal crystal. 

Determined to reach that point of balance that the Ethereals said she needed to achieve, she let the resonance of the crystal encase her again. Releasing herself to her memories once more, she again found herself as Ionee in another fragment of memory. Neerah had the sense that this was another part of the earlier memory and that the elapsed time between the two was less than a day.

*****

Ionee was capering. That was the only term for it. She was dancing and hopping about on the springy mat of green grass that covered the ground, and she was enjoying herself.

DaeNoth had returned soon after leaving her last night, so she hadn’t really had a chance to experience everything that she had intended to. On his insistence, she had finally joined him at the main village, where they had spent the night in a wonderful place called a home. Constructed of stones, with glass cutouts so you could see the out of doors, it had contained many fabrics and cushions. Although, the stated purpose for their going to this home was that they were to rest for the night before attending some informational sessions the next day, she had actually been too excited and inquisitive to truly rest. Instead, she had spent the night touching and examining everything that she could.

This morning she had again managed to convince DaeNoth to go to these informational sessions on his own. So, with DaeNoth off learning all about how to be a physical being, she was exploring in her own way. She knew all about the physical world in an intellectual way—about how you needed to eat food and drink water in order to maintain the body, and the names of many of the objects that they would encounter—but she had never dreamed that something with such a bland name like grass could feel…well, so cushiony. The word grass just didn’t seem descriptive enough. She thought it should be called something more like green-cushion-ground. Laughing just for the fun of it, she started running across the wide meadow.

She stopped suddenly, aware of a strange sensation in her bare foot. Standing awkwardly on one leg, she tried to bring her left foot closer to her face. Unable to twist herself in such a way, she finally plopped onto the ground. Holding her left foot with both hands, she turned it so that she could clearly see the bottom of it. A streak of red oozed from a spot near the ball of her foot and she stared at it curiously. She touched the redness with the index finger of her right hand and it came away with a small bubble of red liquid on it. Dropping her foot, she puzzled over the red spot on her finger. Although, the red had moved from her foot to her finger, it was still her foot that felt oddly. She touched the tip of her finger to her tongue and was surprised by the taste. So, that’s what blood tastes like… if that’s blood, then what I’m feeling in my foot must be…Pain! Somewhat excited, she grabbed her foot again, and looked at the small slice. The cut was really rather small, so small, in fact, that it had already stopped bleeding.

Holding her right palm over the spot, she extended her energies to making the body perfect again. The small cut simply vanished. At the same time, the pain also ceased. Smiling, Ionee bounced to her feet again and did a little jig-like step.

So, that was pain, huh? Interesting… and she resumed her dash across the meadow.

*****

Neerah felt the anger and the frustration as DaeNoth tried to understand the surge of emotions that kept flooding through him. Neerah could tell that the overriding emotion seemed to be fear. He was frightened of almost everything—of what he saw, of what he felt, and of his own reactions to his feelings.

There were so many different feelings, and he didn’t even know how to identify them all. It was so confusing. Neerah felt sorry for him, and wished there was someone there who could help him understand what he was feeling and experiencing.

As she continued to follow the experiences within the crystal, Neerah felt time fly forward. She somehow knew that the next images she saw had occurred months after the last memory she had just experienced. Information seemed to simply pop into her head as the images appeared, so that she knew where the incidents were taking place as well as the time of day and any other information that might be needed to understand what she was experiencing.

On one level, she knew that the information was coming from inside her, from her own internal memories of when she was Ionee. Yet, it all seemed so new and bewildering. It was like reading a book where she knew all the characters, but had no idea of the plot. So, she simply allowed the images to flow around, filling her and encompassing her.

*****

“I wish you would not do that, Ionee,” a worried and querulous DaeNoth stated.

“You always worry so, DaeNoth,” Ionee laughed as she clambered out onto the tree branch in an effort to grab one of the last fruits dangling there.

“I simply do not wish any harm to come to you.”

“What possible harm could occur? And anyway, if perchance I do injure myself, I will simply heal myself as I did the other day,” Ionee persisted. Then reaching the piece of fruit, she began to scoot backwards on the branch, back towards the trunk of the tree.

“What do you mean ‘as you did the other day’? What happened?” DaeNoth was extremely agitated and glared up at Ionee’s back.

Glancing down at DaeNoth’s rigid stance, and angry face, Ionee laughed. “It was nothing. Do not carry on so. I merely cut the bottom of my foot. It took but a mere second to fix it.”

Sighing audibly, DaeNoth continued to chide Ionee, “I have told you how fragile these forms are. You must be more careful. I forbid you to go about without some sort of protection on your feet.”

The gaiety turned to anger and Ionee glared down at DaeNoth, “You forbid?! Who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do?!” In her anger, she released the branch she had been holding and tried to put her hands on her hips. However, she overbalanced. Sliding to her left, she reached forward and grabbed for the tree branch, but her body had already tossed most of its weight to the side. Her hands scrabbled against the bark, but she couldn’t keep herself from pitching sideways off the branch. She fell little more than six feet, and landed with a whump on her left hip.

DaeNoth was frantic and stooped to see if she were all right. Meanwhile, Ionee was laughing almost hysterically.

“What is so amusing?” DaeNoth’s voice was accusatory. “You could have been severely injured!”

“Oh…” she started, “the feeling…the feeling of falling was wonderful,” the laughter calming down into spurts of giggles, “but I do not care much for the landing.” She started to stand, and DaeNoth instantly reached out to help her. On her feet once again, she straightened the sleek outfit she wore. She had refused to continue wearing the traditional robe-like attire because she found it too inhibitive. How could she run or climb trees or any of the other of myriad of things she wanted to do with that on. Instead, she had created an outfit that fitted her form more closely and allowed her to move about more freely.

Rubbing at her backside with one hand, she retrieved the piece of fallen fruit with her other hand. “Oh, but that was an interesting experience,” her eyes sparkled with life and she felt the giggles just waiting to burst forth again.

The first thing that the male Aurisen noticed was how the air touched against his body. It tickled the hairs on his arms and caused small bumps to appear on his skin’s surface. The second thing he noticed was his inability to see much of his new surroundings because his eyes did not function well in such low light. Although for him, the sensations were not wholly positive, they were memorable, therefore, he decided that his name would be DaeNoth of Darkwind. When he turned to see what Ionee was doing, he saw that her attention was on the sky. Tilting his head, he watched the bits of light streaking across the sky until his attention was drawn back to Ionee. She wrapped her arms around herself, then spun in a circle letting her arms swing outward. When she stopped spinning, she wobbled on her feet, and DaeNoth lunged forward to help her. However, she plopped onto the grass, a large smile on her face. DaeNoth reached out to help her up, but she ignored his hand. Instead, she rubbed her hands through the grass enjoying the feel of the vegetation. When she brushed against a pebble, she picked it up, looking at it curiously. She rubbed her fingers across it as if she were trying to memorize each crease and dimple of its surface. Dropping the pebble back into the grass, she finally clambered to her feet, admiring the way her body worked. She paused momentarily as the trilling of a night bird filled the air, and DaeNoth realized that there were a great many sounds filling the night, though he had no names or descriptions for the sounds or those making them. He peered around cautiously, wondering just how safe they were in this strange environment.

He felt overwhelmed. There were too many stimulations here; too many sensations that he just didn’t comprehend. DaeNoth wrapped his arms around himself protectively and watched in horrified fascination as Ionee gave out a loud and vigorous whoop, before bending her knees and jumping straight up. Then, as if startled by her own vocalizations, she touched her throat. Giving another, even louder whoop, her grin grew even larger. Laughter erupted from deep inside her and she raced across the lawn.

She wore an expression that DaeNoth didn’t quite understand. He swore it seemed as if she loved the way the grass cushioned her feet as she ran, the feel of the dew between her toes, and the way the cool breeze flowed against her naked skin. He watched as her hair flew back off her shoulders as she skidded and streaked across the grass, and he shivered—not with cold, but with fear. How could she possibly be enjoying herself, when any moment they might be attacked, or these fragile forms injured?

*This is wonderful!* she called to DaeNoth mentally as she raced across the grass again. *I do not understand why all Numinousens do not want to come and try this.* Her face was lit with an inner giddiness, and her laughter was almost manic as she skidded past DaeNoth.

DaeNoth, though, wasn’t so ecstatic with this new world, and Ionee’s exuberance frightened him. Watching her as she streaked back and forth across the grassy expanse, he decided that he would have to gain control of her and quickly. If he didn’t get control of her now, she would lead them in a direction that he had no desire to go in. He could already see that she was becoming too enamored of this world and of the physical sensations that came with it. As he watched her come racing back toward him, he realized that the more she seemed to enjoy herself and this new world, the more frightened he was becoming.

Grabbing her arm as she streaked past him again, he brought her up short. “That is enough,” he heard himself saying and realized that vocalizations were much different in this plane. The language was not as musical nor as full of visual color as on the ethereal plane, and he almost let Ionee go in his confusion.

“It is not nearly enough,” Ionee responded, then giggled. “Listen to that. Is not that the most wonderful sound you have ever heard?” She shouted out a note, then sang a scale. “I cannot get over how marvelous it all is,” she said breathlessly. “Come,” she turned away from DaeNoth of Darkwind, his hand still around her upper arm, “let us both run.”

“No,” fear tinged his new voice and his grip tightened on her arm.

“Why not?” Her eyes glowed in the moonlight.

“The guides said we should seek out the elder Aurisens when we got here, so I think that is what we need to do,” DaeNoth said decisively.

Ionee shrugged, then shrugged again, “See how the muscles work,” she shrugged a third time, “It is all so fascinating.”

DaeNoth took her hand and led her toward the area where they were told other Aurisens would help them. As they went, Ionee continued to touch, smell, and stare at everything she could. They would only take a few steps before Ionee would stop and have to investigate something—a flower, a rock, a night bird as it flew across the sky.

*****

As they passed by one of the many trees, Ionee saw some interesting looking objects dangling from the branches. Breaking free of DaeNoth, she plucked a couple of the objects from the branch. They were yellow and coral colored, with a slightly fuzzy skin. She rubbed one against her cheek, and thought how pleasant it felt. Sniffing it, she noticed an aroma that was both sweet and spicy. Taking a bite from the juicy yellow and coral colored fruit, she giggled. “DaeNoth, you must try this,” she held out the second piece of fruit toward him, “it has the most delicious flavors. It is tangy, yet sweet.”

DaeNoth looked at the proffered piece of fruit as if it might bite him. “Are you sure that you should be eating that? What if it makes the body sick?”

“Oh, DaeNoth, do not worry so!” She wiped at the dribble of juice on her chin.

“I am merely being cautious,” he responded pedantically. “After all, we have only been corporeal for a few hours, and we do not yet know much about the care and maintenance of these bodies. I would think it would be wiser to spend time with the elder Aurisens. Perhaps, by learning from them, we can spare ourselves major traumas.”

“The whole purpose of being here is to have fun,” Ionee chided, “to experience life as a corporeal being. I cannot do that if I am sitting confined somewhere listening to another’s memories of their experiences.”

“And I cannot enjoy my experiences of life if I must constantly worry about what you are doing,” DaeNoth growled.

“Then stop worrying, and join me,” she countered, discarding the core of the first piece of fruit and biting into the piece DaeNoth had rejected.

“It is not safe. What if you damage the body? Why can you not at least try to consider the consequences of your actions before you act?” DaeNoth lectured.

Ionee sighed. If I damage the body, I will simply heal it again. And if I damage it beyond healing I will just create another. I do not understand why he fusses so. “What if you go and listen to these elders, while I remain here in the gardens?”

“How do I know that you will not take off and do something foolish?” DaeNoth challenged.

Putting her left palm against her heart, she looked solemnly at DaeNoth, “I promise I will not be the cause of anymore worries for you.”

She watched DaeNoth study her eyes and face, looking for any signs that she wasn’t serious. Finally, he nodded and she put her hand back down. As he turned to continue on to the guidance center, she heard him sigh. He seemed so frightened by everything, and she shook her head as she wondered why since everything so much fun. When DaeNoth was finally gone, Ionee smiled. Now she would have some fun. She was sorry that he didn’t want to venture out and try new things, but why did he have to try to force his way on her? If he wanted to sit and listen to some silly lectures on what they should and shouldn’t do, that was his choice. As for her, she was going to try as many things as possible in this new environment.

Neerah, as Ionee, glided through the music and watched as the colors shifted from the pleasant rainbow of blues, greens and yellows, to the more strident reds and oranges causing the chords to become inharmonic.

“Oh, I do apologize, Ohna,” she offered the other Numinousen her regrets at ruining the composition.

“What is it that troubles you so?” Ohna sang as she allowed the other colors she had been holding to dissolve, fading back into the ether where she had gotten them from.

Ionee sighed, then plucked one of the crystal notes from its place and tried to shape it into a more pleasing sound and color. “I cannot decide whether to try being an Aurisen or not,” she put the note, which was now more golden, back with the others. “I have become of two minds. There is a part of me that longs to experience all things physical, yet there is another part of me that seeks not to experience these things.” She took several other notes out of the discordancy that displayed around them and turned them into starbursts.

“Why do you not simply become two Aurisens, then, if that is the way you feel?” Ohna scattered more blues and yellows into the composition. “For then you can experience both the world of the physical, but also remain apart from the physical, if you wish.”

Ionee flared blue, then white, then back to gold. “You are so wise, Ohna.”

Ohna shifted the composition from blues to greens and added several notes of purple. “I only propose what you already said,” Ohna trilled, pausing in her composing long enough to note Ionee’s improved mood.

“I must speak with Ryal, then, immediately, for I would participate in the upcoming ceremony,” Ionee tossed several emerald sparks into Ohna’s composition, before hurrying away.

* * *

It was the ceremony of Becoming. Those Numinousens who wished to experience physical life would gather together, and form themselves in a circle. The Numinousens who monitored and guided the newly physical beings would form a large circle around them. Then, at the appropriate moment, each of those wishing to try life as a corporeal being, would create a physical body. That body would then enter the Forest of Reflections on the planet of Danaria. In this form, they were referred to as Aurisens—a blending of Numinousen and physicality. Although, they wore a physical form, part of their essence would still show through, creating an all over golden aura. As Aurisens, they also retained all the knowledge gained as a Numinousen, which included their abilities to manipulate all energies existing within and between the physical plane and the ethereal plane.

While an Aurisen, they could dwell within the Forest of Reflections for as long as they wished, then when they wanted to return to the ethereal plane, they would simply deconstruct the physical shell they had created, and return to being a full Numinousen. The physical body was just another way in which they manipulated resonance. The body, a physical shell that could exist within the vibrational frequency of the physical plane, is what gave them the means by which they could then function and exist within the physical plane as a corporeal being. With the body they would have the ability to taste, touch, smell, and experience all the things within the physical plane. Without the body, their experience of the physical realm was limited, because Numinousens couldn’t experience physical reality. They could travel to and within the physical plane, but as a Numinousen, they didn’t have the ability to touch, taste, smell, or fully explore and take part in a physical life.

Becoming corporeal was not an easy decision for most Numinousens, so the majority of those that became Aurisens remained within the Forest of Reflections until they returned home to the ethereal plane. Occasionally, a Numinousen would become corporeal so that they could follow the Circle-of-Life path. Following the circle-of-life path was not something that most Numinousens or Aurisens took lightly, though. It normally required many choices and much planning before committing themselves to such a venture. There were a few Aurisens, though, that made no plans or gave it no thought, but simply involved themselves with man and his dramas. By doing so, they ended up committing themselves to the Circle-of-Life path whether they wanted to or not. Sometimes those along this type of path did fine, more often than not, though, the first few lives were very difficult, and the lessons exceedingly painful.

Ionee wasn’t thinking about any of this, though, as she floated into the inner circle being formed. Her mind was filled with joyous expectations. She had observed the physical world several times, and she had even visited there once—though without permission—when she was still a very young Numinousen. So, she was filled with unbridled anticipation, and laden with many second thoughts. It was the part of herself that had all the misgivings that she planned to separate from. As she tried to calm herself, she concentrated on grouping all those shades of trepidations and hesitations together, while holding onto her enthusiasms and joys. As her being alternated between these two vibrational frequencies, her golden essence began to flicker. Slowly at first, then faster until it appeared as if two Ionees were hovering there. When both beings were complete and distinct, the flickering stopped. Now there truly were two Ionees—one who couldn’t wait to go into the physical plane and try being a corporeal being, and one who wasn’t at all sure that becoming corporeal was a wise thing to do.

Looking around, the happy Ionee noted that several other Numinousens had also created a twin, so she knew that at least she wasn’t alone in her duality. Now, those going to the physical plane needed to create a body, so both Ionees began to do so. Soon, where two Numinousens had been, there were now two Aurisens. While most of those who had created twins had created bodies of the same gender, several had not, including Ionee. The happy Ionee had created a tall, lithe, blonde female form, while the hesitant Ionee had created an even taller, dark-haired, rather rugged male body.

The newly corporeal beings were guided to the Forest of Reflections where they were directed to meet with the other Aurisens who lived there so that they might gain some insights. However, once in the world, the blonde Ionee Aurisen was so fascinated by everything, that she merely stood and stared around her. The first thing that really caught her attention was a star streaking through the sky above. This was quickly followed by another, then two in rapid succession, then one more. Deciding that she would like to be named for this event she had just witnessed, she named herself Ionee of Starfall.

“She’s about to let loose the flames of hell itself”, shouted the elder priest Karissa as she retreated to a wall of the cave. “Get to the sides of the cavern, or you’re sure to perish”. All of the group could feel the tremendous heat from a fireball the size of a large ox that hit the ground where the majority of the group had been standing just seconds earlier… As some struggled to put out the flames on their clothing a dark cloud gathered above the group, friendly magicks it was, and began to pour welcome rain upon the party dousing the last of the flames… The smell of seared cloth and burning hair filled the air as the group instinctively renewed there attack.

Fireballs, Arcane & Lightning Bolts, and streaks of light filled the air and illuminated every corner of the expansive cavern as the casters worked to bring the beast down from overhead. The fight continued as Onyxia flew overhead, seeking a sanctuary from the pain. A force of nature, she continued her attack, breathing fire down on the 19 creatures that had invaded her lair. Her attacks had been successful in the minutes since she had taken flight. Her fiery breath managed to find five members of the group and they now lie scattered across the floor of the underground cave. Looking up from his two handed attack, Kif noted that the dragon appeared to be laboring to maintain her position above them…” She’s tiring…. I…. don’t think she can stay aloft much longer”, he shouted, “Keep an eye on her…. She may come down at any moment.”

True to the young elf’s prediction, and without much warning, Onyxia screamed loudly, and her wings ceased the mad flapping that was keeping her aloft. Suddenly, she came crashing to the ground, landing on and killing two more of the party in the process. Back on the ground, the dragon renewed her attack, using large claws to tear through the light armor of another of the casters that happened to be within reach. Mendanbar’s shout could again be heard as he ran with abandon, crashed into the chest of the creature, and opening up new wounds. Onyxia screamed, and turned to face the warrior as he retreated to a more strategic location near the rear wall of the cavern. The dragon charged forward, and as she reached the warrior, swung her tail from one side to the other in a huge arc that sent three of the party flying through the air. Saelnis, an elf hunter was sent sailing to the far corner of the caves. Stunned, he quickly gained her senses, and could see her companion pet still pressing her attack on Onyxia.

As she stood up, checking for injury, Saelnis could see that the beasts tail had shot her up into the air and she had landed nearly 50 feet from where she originally stood. Looking around, she realized that she was now standing amongst nearly two dozen giant eggs that were as tall as she was. Carefully, she began moving out of the nest, avoiding sudden movement or contact that would draw attention to her. Despite great care on her part, a handful of the eggs behind Saelnis began to pulse… something inside them was not moving. Instinctively, the hunter began to run and whistled to her pet as the eggs erupted in unison.

Dragon Whelps emerged from the eggs, unfurled their wings, and clumsily made their way headed towards the elf and her pet. Noticing the commotion at the rear of the cave, others turned and ran in the direction of a dwarf who had joined Saelnis and her cat. Although short in stature, Ahiga’s loud whistle had achieved the desired result. Help was on the way. Three of the group took the fight to the whelps that had descended upon the hunter who now held blades in each hand and flailed wildly at the small dragons. Ahiga, a plated healer like Alfamehl,  poured out healing spells on the hunter while the new arrivals waded in to eliminate this latest threat.

With the whelps dispatched, the group returned their focus on Onyxia and the fight at the far end of the cave. Avoiding the swinging tail, the smaller group made their way back to the melee. The entire party could sense that Onyxia’s attacks were beginning to slow… Time between fiery breaths had increased and the beast was beginning to move sluggishly. Shouts rang out from many of the party to press the attack. Mendanbar made one final thrust deep into the chest of the creature which shuddered and dropped to the ground.

Onyxia was dead.

Rome’s only defense, from the 13th to the 16th centuries A.D., against the Protestants, was to cause the nations under her control, to clean house every so often.  Hence Jesus said, You will hear of wars and rumors or wars.

The Spanish Inquisition was the first tool Rome used to sweep Europe clean of the Protesters known as Protestants.  The witch-hunts reached as far as the new land of America in the 17th century.  The nation of France was used to accomplish the same feat in the 19th century.  The Napoleonic war reached World War proportions, reaching from Russia to the United States, making it a World War fought on the same scope as World War I and World War II.

All these wars were attempts to genocide the Jews.  Rome was good at covering up the true reason for its wars, which is always the genocide of the Jews!  In spite of Rome’s ability to deceive the world, World War II was destined to reveal the truth about Rome to the world.  The new technological advances would cause events to happen so quickly that even Rome could not cover up the truth; as they had done for the past two thousand years, after all the World Wars in the past.

The technological advances and the new inventions that Rome ushered into the world, through their use of sorcery, would now cause the world to see the true reasons for war; which are extermination of the Jews and other races deemed undesirable!  Their true intentions leaked out into the world, and yet the Christian World is still in denial.  It refuses to realize what has really happened.

Even in the face of wide spread homosexuality proven to be ramped within the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant Church as a whole, the cover up continues to this day with lying documentary films, the allied armies destruction of evidence, and the promises and rewards for conquered peoples keeping their mouths shut.  All of which can easily be detected from the recorded written documents and films in existence.  Such large-scale cover-ups would make the JFK assassination look like a kindergarten episode by comparison.

While the Christians decide to remain blind, the Jews have turned a blind eye to get monetary support, but the Muslims are neither stupid nor blind, and have declared war on Rome: which includes the entire Western Hemisphere.  You are seeing the Winds of War build up in the East, which will travel over to the West like lightning.

Incidentally, this is how Jesus described His 2nd coming would take place in Matthew Chapter 24, verses 27 & 28:

“For as the lightning comes out of the east, and shines (travels) even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man (Jesus) be. For wherever the carcass (dead body) is, there will the eagles (Roman soldiers) be gathered together.”

Jesus Himself told us in Matthew Chapter 24, verses 23 to 26, that He was not going to come back (the 2nd Coming) as a human Man, but would return as War to bring the wrath of god upon the nations of those who hate Him and God.  This is commonly referred to as “Armageddon” in the Bible.  Therefore, Jews became the unsolicited dubious inheritors of persecution down through the ages, because of the Bible that the God of Israel gave to the Jewish people.

The Bible contains all the secrets about the past, present, and the future.  It contains the truth about the secret doings of the Antichrist, whom John the apostle told us has been here prior to the birth of Jesus.

This fact, made the Jewish people unsuspecting targets, because they did, and could, bring down the Roman Empire again.  A peace loving people, the original Christians, whom Rome has made an endangered species.

Are the Jews dangerous to the Roman Empire?  Yes!  Since the truths contained in the Bible do reveal the truth about Rome and its unholy synagogue.  Those truths could bring down their unholy Empire again.

Rome is an unholy Empire that has lied in the name of Jesus, and is deceiving the world through Christianity.  The Jewish people accepted death rather than deny the truth about their God to survive.  Unknowingly, the Jews became the true followers of Jesus without uttering His name or accepting the name Jesus, by adhering to the Biblical principles that their God inspired the prophets to write for them.

For the true name of Jesus is the ‘Word of God’, which is another name for the Bible!  Therefore, it is not the utterance of the name ‘Jesus’ that saves people, but the acceptance of the ‘Word of God’ and its principles, statutes, judgments, and laws that saves people.

“Therefore lay apart all filthiness and slipperiness of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted (written) word (of God), which is able to save your souls.” (James 1:21 )

To be continued…

The messengers God would choose from amongst His chosen people.  The Jews would be given the ability to understand the hidden mysteries in the Bible.  These Jews were chosen to do the same work of exposing the lies fabricated about Jesus.  They would then set out to teach those truths, as they are recorded in the Bible, and wouldn’t need a Bible to accomplish it.  They would also experience the persecution of Rome, which the New Testament explains is the result for daring to go against Roman lies spread about Jesus.

For Jesus, who is the Holy Spirit, would develop a personal relationship with that chosen person.  This would enable the Holy Spirit to use the person’s mouth.  Jesus alone knows the Bible and its cryptic language.  Thus, enabling the person to speak Biblical passages without memorizing them, but only the chosen Jew would know it was not their brain that had memorized the Biblical passages being spoken.

Therefore, the Apostle Paul admits he had nothing to brag about, for having the unique power of God to recite the Bible to others without a book and without memorizing the passages.  Therefore, Rome could never genocide the Jews, or to keep the truth about Jesus from reaching the world.

No matter how many times the Jews are offered as sacrifices upon the Roman altars of holocaust!  Rome had no way of knowing that the God of Israel had a plan; and that plan was simply based upon people hearing and believing the words written in the Bible; any words, cryptic or not!

Sorcery would not help Rome with this problem, since the last thing demons wanted was the Romans believing the truth about Jesus and the Bible.  Therefore, even the demons wouldn’t prepare Rome by revealing the truth about the Bible; and that the power of God is unleashed by simply hearing the words in the Bible.

Rome had become a victim of the lying spiritual world, upon whom it depended.  It was too late!  Rome had too much time and money invested in false Christianity to turn back now.  It would have to accept the fact that Rome would have to hunt down and kill all newly-born teachers of truth, concerning Jesus and Christianity, until the end of the world.  For their newly established Roman Catholic Church, founded upon the Roman Empire, could not easily be revamped.

It would take a thousand years to return to a state-controlled Roman Empire without Christianity as the basis of its New World Order!  Roman Churches began splintering into groups protesting against Rome’s lies about Jesus.

The Protestants were born.  How was this possible?  There were no writings available to instruct people about the truth.  Rome had made sure of that during the Crusader Wars.  There were no teachers left alive to carry on the work of Jesus.  Rome kept the Bible secret by writing it in the dead language of Latin.  No one could read it except themselves.

Rome had made certain that the actual Biblical information read to the people wouldn’t add up to one hour’s teaching per year, and that depended upon a person coming every Sunday.  (Compare that to the Apostle Paul teaching a group for 48 hours straight, without breaks.)

Rome quickly labeled the Protestants as heretics!  Rome controlled all the pulpits, which is the same as controlling the media today and yet they failed to stop true Christianity.  So, the witch-hunts began with the Inquisition!

To be continued…

The new holy Roman Empire was ready!  The Crusader Wars were successfully behind them.  They had accomplished the complete genocide of the Jews reformed religion, and in its place stood the Roman Catholic Church with Roman bishops manning the pulpits.

Rome had taken God’s Kingdom by force, the original church, just as Jesus predicted to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, a thousand years before the Crusader Wars.  The Roman politicians were now in control of Christianity.  They worked feverishly to draft the Roman Latin Vulgate Bible.

The Latin Bible was to be used in their new church controlled empire.  A council of Roman politicians, now called Cardinals and Archbishops, decided which of the original Apostles’ letters would best serve their purposes.  The present day New Testament came into existence.  It represented only a small portion of the original written instructions to the original churches.  The Roman Crusaders captured the writings of the original Apostles of Jesus.

Remember, Rome could use sorcery to get advice from the demonic spiritual world.  Therefore, Rome knew any attempt by them to reconstruct the original writings of original Scriptures would easily be detected as frauds.  Since, no one can imitate another author’s style of writing, which style is quite unique throughout the Old and New Testaments.  This testifies to the author of the Scriptures being the same author.

Since the writings in the Bible span 1,600 years and the lives of many generations of human beings who were responsible for writing the Scriptures, it proves God alone was the One who inspired all those writers; causing them to write the Scriptures with an identical style, which is a human impossibility.  Therefore, Rome had to depend upon using the original Scriptures to deceive the world.

Rome erred!  They did not believe the God of Israel really existed!  They did not believe the man Jesus was anything special; especially not a representative of a divine Jewish God.  They believed Jesus was an ordinary man, who had started something that caught on!  Rome believed Jesus’ original Church was like any other movement started by a person, just like Spartacus or themselves, seeking to raise themselves up upon the shoulders of the people; like any other politician.  They believed His church was like any other man-made organization; and anything man makes can be stopped.  They believed the original movement caught on like so many other fads that come and go in the world.

A fad that suddenly takes root and spreads throughout the world often dies out when something new comes along.  Since this fad, known as Christianity, hurt Rome, and refused to die out, they decided to help it die out.  Then Rome could replace it with something new.  Something like the Roman Catholic Church!

Rome was ready to present its Latin Vulgate Bible to the empire.  The Roman bishops and priests were only allowed to speak a few words from the Bible for a few minutes at each meeting.  The rituals and sorcery would take up most of the allotted time and tire the people.  Thus keeping the amount of hand-picked, spoon-fed information, from the actual writings to the barest minimum.  Insuring no resurrection of Jesus’ Christianity would ever take place again.

Suddenly, in the 13th century A.D., after all the precautions, safeguards, and murders, an old problem began to haunt Rome.  Ordinary people attending their forty-five minute masses began spreading the truth about Jesus; that he was a man and not God.  They began spreading the truth about Jesus being the Son of God, and not God the Father!  They spread Jesus’ teachings.  They somehow understood the messages hidden beneath the cryptic language in the Bible.

Rome erred!  They did not believe a God of Israel existed.  Neither did Rome believe the Jewish book known as the Bible had power.  The same Bible the Romans used to control the world.  Hidden beneath the cryptic language and parables were messages revealing the truth about Jesus, the Jews, the original Jewish Church, the Roman Empire, and its transformation into the Roman Catholic Church.

Messages that revealed the future, as well as the past and the present.  Messages that Rome had no way of knowing they were delivering to the people around the world for the God of Jesus.  Messages delivered unto ordinary people who became messengers of God.  People whom God would choose from amongst the congregations hearing the Bible presented by Rome.  Rome had no way of knowing that it had unwillingly become the seed spreader it tried to stamp out of existence.

God’s messages that would serve to undermine the Roman Empire, over and over, until her utter destruction comes, which will soon take place.  Messengers born out of Rome’s own misguided dreams, who would survive all the holocausts wrought upon the world in vain attempts of Rome to stamp out the residue of God’s chosen people, the Jews who are always under Rome’s feet.

To be continued…

Rome erred!  They did not believe there was one God of creation, since they evoked things to happen through many different rituals.  They believed in magic and the sorcery of Egypt.  They used the art of exact formulas to cause things to happen.  Their belief did not include one God who was in total control!  Rome learned their practices from Egypt; which was the Chaldean Religion of Babylon.

Rome’s use of religion had two purposes:

1. They used sorcery to cause things to supernaturally happen, good and evil.
2. They used their gods and rituals to appease that inner feeling everyone experiences that causes people to seek their God.

The Roman gods (the specifically named idols) were simply tools.  A tool to make people believe their leaders were the mediators between the ordinary people and the gods.  Rome had many centuries of practice, plus thousands of years of records from Egypt, to perfect their sorcery.

Sorcery is the use of formulas, any formulas, even repetitious prayer, which is used in every Christian Church of every denomination and non denomination, besides all other religions in the world.  Sorcery is the human connection to the demonic spiritual world.  The Roman practice of sorcery gives them access to new inventions, ideas, and solutions to problems.

Access to the spiritual world gave Rome the edge over other nations; maintaining control of their empire by the use of magic, not tricks, but real magic, which is abominable and rebellious to God.  The art of sorcery and magic was performed in Egypt.  God used Moses to perform three miracles in Egypt.  The Egyptian priests duplicated the exact phenomenon, turning a dead wooden staff into a living serpent.  Proving men can evoke demonic spirits who can produce phenomenon far exceeding the normal behavior of natural phenomenon.

This power is still used in Rome today.  It is referred to in the New Testament book of Revelation as lying miracles, signs and wonders performed by the false prophet, which is another name for the “Antichrist”.

The difference between lying miracles and true miracles is not that a lying miracle is a fake miracle, nor slight of hand, or a trick.  The lying miracle is just as real and supernaturally evoked as the true miracle.  The difference between the two miracles rests upon who performed the miracle: whether it is demons or God!

Do you believe there is only one God?  Good!  The demons believe, and tremble!  Rome used religious rituals (sorcery) and gods (idols) to control the masses; to dupe the slaves into working hard for a small portion of what their masters receive from their hard work.  Then their masters trick the public into giving two parts of their small portion back to Rome.  Thus keeping the masses under control and happy all over the world, until today; making the general public believe they’ve received a fair pay for a day’s work: while the masters actually take two-thirds of their earnings back again through taxes and churches.

Somewhat like the company store.  Where the worker had to buy what he needed, and the prices were calculated to relieve the worker of the nice high wage he thought he had received for his work rendered.  Yet, the company store was a devise to keep the worker working because his salary seemed fair; while the company store was owned and used by the boss to get those salaries back into his bank account.

Thus, the rich get richer and the poor remain poor.  It’s no different today, which is why King Solomon said, there is nothing new under the Sun; and Jesus said, the poor will always be with us… .

To be continued…

Phessari forged ahead even though the path she struggled to follow wasn’t always easy to find. Sometimes it hid beneath the ice crystals, and at other times it seemed to fade into the underbrush. She took the amulet from around her neck and set it on the frosty ground. She knew the small bit of polar wood would help her determine whether she was still headed in the right direction.

While she knew approximately where the stronghold was, navigating by the sun’s position was difficult, since it seemed to spend much of its time hiding behind the sullen clouds that covered the skies so often during cold season. She watched as the piece of polar wood spun. When it stopped she noted the direction and nodded to herself.

Having reassured herself that she was still going the right way, she placed the amulet around her neck once more, and started pushing her way through the brambles that had swallowed the path.

She had been traveling now for several days, and with each day her anxiety level increased. Over the course of the past couple of days, she had tried several more times to contact Joelnar. Each time she had been thwarted. No matter which method she used—following the cords that connected them, using the communication crystals, meeting him in the dream plane—she couldn’t get to him. More and more she was finding that most of her non-standard means of communications were being cut off. She felt isolated and alone. Many of her inner senses were becoming blurred, almost fuzzy, and she realized that the majority of her input was now only on the physical level. She worried that her protection spells would falter, but they never did. Her ability to use the resonances around here remained steady; instead, it was if something or someone were trying to isolate her.  

At times she wondered if the isolation were being generated by the creature whose presence she had momentarily felt. Although a brief touch, she wondered if the creature had recognized her and so was manipulating the resonances; preying on her fears.

She hadn’t felt it since that one touch, which she knew should alleviate some of her anxiety, but instead she found herself more bothered than ever. With her communications not functioning properly, she had no “early warning” triggers anymore. Nor could she reach out and investigate on her own. So, she had no way of really knowing what the creature was doing, and most terrifying of all, she had no way to determine whether it had recognized her.

She reached out on a resonance level trying to contact anyone even remotely attached to her. Every avenue, every cord, seemed to simply disappear into a blank nothingness. Becoming desperate, she reached out toward the Forest of Reflections. When that also ended in a blank wall of nothing, she began to tremble. She didn’t know what to do. Frightened like she had never been frightened before, she wondered if she should return to the Forest of Reflections. Only when her mind replayed the images of the slaughtered warriors, did she realize that she couldn’t give up. No matter what, she had to warn Marek. Still shivering, she curled up next to the fire and tried to sleep. At first sleep wouldn’t come, and when it did, it was light and every sound seemed overly loud.

She shivered and scooted closer to the small fire she had built. Although mostly embers it brought her a small measure of comfort. To calm her mind, and still her thoughts, she began to focus on the heat and warmth emanating from the embers. Moments later, she felt a comforting resonance surround her almost like a warm hug.

Focusing on that soothing resonance she reached out and touched Orrin. His calming resonances spilled over onto her and suddenly she felt less cut off and isolated. She listened to his pleasing banter and insightful quips as to what was happening in the Aerisens’ world and she let his resonances calm her. He invited her to share her worries with him, but she declined. Somehow, when she connected with him, her worries seemed trivial and less pressing.

Several times while connected with Orrin, she experienced the shaking tremblings of his land along with him. Concerned for him and the Aerisens she asked him about the quakings, but he always reassured her, saying that they were nothing. Wanting to believe him, and needing to enjoy those moments of quiet communication, she let his reassurances stand. However, deep inside, she knew that there was something wrong. She sensed the warnings from the planet as they tried to resurface, but she tamped them back down, letting Orrin’s warming resonances surround her again.

She struggled through the ice crystals and cold each day bolstered by the connection she had found with Orrin. While he couldn’t alleviate all of her worries, she felt isolated knowing that he was there when she needed someone to talk to. She still fretted and worried about Joelnar, but even that had become like a distant memory. As for the creature whose resonance she had touched ever so briefly, she had to presume that since there had been no further contact, that it had not recognized her, and for that she was grateful.

* * *                                                                                                                                       

She felt as if she had been traveling forever, yet she was only now starting to pass through the southern most portion of d’Oessler’s land. The bleak barrenness did little to help her shake the feeling that she needed to hurry. Now there was only rocks and cold. There was little cover from the wind, which continuously crept inside her cloak and tried to steal what little warmth she had.

The sun was a sad silver disk that was barely discernible from the gray sullen skies. Phessari had stopped for a brief rest and was just placing her amulet of polar wood back around her neck when she heard a clatter of smaller rocks up ahead. Fearing that it might some of d’Oessler’s soldiers patrolling the area, she quickly and quietly ducked behind one of several large boulders, which she had been using as a wind break.

She crouched behind the boulders and listened. At first there was nothing, but then she heard a scuffing sound, as if a boot had rubbed against a rock, and a few more pebbles clattered. Cautiously, she peered out from between the boulders toward the sound. Still expecting to see several soldiers, she was surprised when the painfully thin young boy stumbled into view. His skin was dark, as was the mass of curls that surrounded his face. And his clothing was a mismatched collection of items.

She saw that he was having difficulty walking; he was limping, favoring his left foot. She wondered where he could have possibly come from,. He muttered something in a vaguely familiar language and dropped the makeshift pack onto one of the boulders near where she hid. A moment later, he plopped down next to the pack, and gently rested his left foot on a nearby rock. She heard a sigh slip through his lips, and he closed his eyes.

As she studied him, she looked beyond the surface. She checked out his aura, which told her everything she needed know about him—he was no threat to her. She started to shift her sight back to normal, when she saw something else. There was something in him, some power about him that shone as a bright golden light. This golden resonance was restrained, almost hidden, but it was there. How curious, she thought.

For the moment, though, her attention needed to be on how best to make her presence known without frightening him. She knew she could simply stay hidden behind the rocks and in a few minutes he would continue on his way, never even knowing that she was there. However, something told her that that wasn’t the best course of action for her to take. She had a feeling, and that feeling was telling her that he was important. There was also a deep sense of recognition, almost as if she knew this boy. Yet, she was positive that they had never met.

The boy eased himself back up, and while still favoring his left foot, he reached for his pack. She had to make a move now or he would be gone and the opportunity would be missed. Hoping for the best, she slowly stood and stepped out into the open. The boy yelped in surprise and fear, and dropped back a step. His hand whipped down to his waist, and a moment later he was holding a knife.

Holding her hands palm outward, she spoke in her native tongue, “I am Phestle-Phessari. I intend no harm.”

The boy’s face grew puzzled, but the knife wasn’t lowered.

Phessari tried again, this time using the little bit of Rheandorn that she had learned.

The boy’s face remained guarded, but the knife dropped to a less aggressive position. “What do you want?”

“I want to help you,” she answered and pointed her chin toward his left foot. She had seen the redness in his aura in that area, and judging by the way he was still favoring it, she suspected the pain was caused by more than just his ill-fitting boots. “I am a healer; a medeor.”

The boy seemed to think over what she had said, perhaps deciding whether she was worth trusting and weighing it against the amount of pain he had. Finally, he lowered the knife to his side and waved her forward. She knew she could probably overpower him if she really had to—he looked as if hadn’t had a decent meal in quite a while—but she hoped it wouldn’t come to that. She really wanted to just reach out and hug him; however, she knew that that was the wrong approach to use with him. He was too shy and frightened. She would have to win him over the same way she used to coax the aguilar’s from the depths of the forest. Trust and love.

She took two steps closer to the boy, then quietly motioned for him to sit back on the boulder he had just abandoned. Once seated, she knelt on the hard, rocky ground and placed her hands several inches from his foot. As she reached out towards his ankle, the boy tensed even more, but the knife remained at his side and Phessari took that as a good sign.

She slipped into a light trance and focused on the angry resonance of his ankle. As she had suspected, it appeared to be badly sprained. She soothed the resonances and blended some of her own health resonance into his. Soon the red spiky resonance that had surrounded his ankle became smoother and more green. As she continued to focus on it, the green turned golden, and then finally white.

She rose slowly, so as not to alarm him, and took two steps back. “Try it,” she motioned for him to stand.

The boy rose cautiously, placing most of his weight on the right foot. She watched as he shifted his weight to the left. When he experienced no pain, a smile blossomed on his too thin face, and his dark eyes lit up. However, it lasted only a moment, and when his eyes again met Phessari’s she saw that the distrust and wariness had returned.

He snatched his pack from where it had fallen when she had startled him and started to scoot past her. He kept his back to the boulders and his eyes watched her warily. Feeling pressured, yet not wanting to frighten him, she said quietly, “Please…wait.”

The boy stopped and looked at her questioningly.

“Please, I need to know,” she paused and she allowed the fear she was feeling to show on her face, “are there many of d’Oessler’s men patrolling up there?” and she indicated the way from which the boy had come.

The boy’s dark eyes studied her intently, and his hands clutched the pack even tighter to his chest. Phessari feared that he would simply run toward the rocks she herself had so recently hidden behind, but she prayed that he would see how much she really needed him. She pushed thoughts of calm reassurance forward, as much for herself as for the boy. Finally, he dropped his hands to his side, the pack still clutched in his left, and spoke.

“I saw only one patrol,” he spoke softly and hesitantly. “Back there,” he raised his right hand and pointed.

She smiled, but remained still. A glimpse of the boy’s aura told her that he was struggling to decide whether to follow his fear or his curiosity. A moment later, he was still there and he spoke again, “Why would you go there?”

Still weighing her words carefully in the hope of not frightening the boy away, she answered, “Beyond d’Oessler’s territory is a friend, and I must warn him of a terrible danger.”

Again, the intense scrutiny, but he hadn’t fled. Not yet.

“This friend,” she noticed the slightly mocking tone he gave the word, “he makes you do this. He makes you spy for him?”

“Oh no,” the shock in her voice and on her face were not contrived. She simply could not conceive of Marek forcing anyone to do something they did not wish to. “He is a friend. Someone I have known for many years. Someone I trust and respect very much.”

This time his head tilted as he studied her. “And you would do this on your own. With no help? Why?”

Now it was her turn to appear puzzled. Why? What a strange question, she thought. “Because he is my friend. Because I care what happens to him.”

* * *

T’khara studied the woman before him and puzzled about what she had said. It had been so long since anyone had shown him any kindness without wanting something in return. He felt something in this woman, something warm and almost motherly. He pushed those feelings away. If he trusted her, he would end up being betrayed—just like always.

He started to edge away from her. He would simply continue on his way and let her do whatever she would. He was grateful for her help with his ankle, but it was no concern of his if she were to fall prey to one of the many traps that d’Oessler’s troops had placed around the area, was it? He looked at the woman again, and bit his lip.

T’khara remembered his own anguish when he had stumbled into one of the many traps that d’Oessler’s men had set.

He had finally snuck away from the wyverns nesting cavern during the early morning hours. The baby that had become so enamored of him had pushed him toward the nest where it was supposed to be sleeping. Unable to stand against it and the monitor, he had complied. Within a few hours, the baby had finally fallen asleep, and T’khara had succeeded in sneaking away.

He had clambered over rocks and through crevices trying to put as much distance as he could between himself and the wyverns. But he also wanted as much distance between himself and the d’Oessler beast as possible, too. So, he had continued through most of the morning without rest. Around mid-day he had finally relented and had taken a break near a small stand of straggly-looking needle trees. Something about the trees bothered him, so he curled up beneath a small group of shrubs that fronted the trees.

The voices of several men woke him up. At first he couldn’t remember where he was, and then he realized that he was outside. Outside the castle and free. The sky was now orange and purple, and T’khara realized that several hours had passed since he had decided to take a break.

The low rumble of voices accompanied by male laughter came again, and he grabbed his things together and hunkered down behind the bushes that screened the small copse of trees. The voices seemed to be coming from the side. He poked his head up, but saw nothing. He grabbed his pouch and hesitated. He didn’t want to be caught, yet he still didn’t like the feeling he got when he looked into the small clump of trees.

The voices sounded again, and fear of being caught won out. Remaining in a crouch, he took off into the trees to get away from the men whose voices he heard. It seemed only moments later, he was sprawled on the ground. Something had grabbed his ankle; actually, something still had his ankle.

He tried twisting around to see what had grabbed him, and he was jerked backwards several feet. Twisting around again, he saw a dark gaping hole in the ground near the base of one of the trees. He knew it hadn’t been there a moment before. He clutched at the ground, trying to grab anything to stop the vine or tentacle or whatever from pulling him any closer to that hole. His hand found a small root and he clutched it as tightly as any drowning man would a life ring.

The jerking and pulling continued on his ankle. At one point, he heard and felt something snap, and small gasps of pain erupted from him. If he didn’t let go, it would pull him apart. His knife was in the pack, and the pack was now out of reach, resting in the dirt where he had dropped it when the thing had first grabbed him.

As the thing yanked at him again, he remembered the discarded wyvern tooth—probably from one of the youngsters—that he had picked up. It was shoved inside his pocket. Maybe, just maybe he could use it to make the thing let go of him. He let go of the root with one hand, and the thing (perhaps sensing its victim’s weakened position) pulled again. His palm was sweaty and he felt his hold on the root slip a bit, but he managed to keep his grip.

He fumbled trying to get his hand into his pocket, and he sliced the side of his thumb when it slid against the edge of the tooth. He pulled the tooth free, and then gazing back toward his ankle, he gauged the amount of time he would have. Praying to the gods to help him, he released his grip on the root and twisted at the same time. Aiming the tooth at the thing around his ankle, he managed to slice it just as it started to pull again. The thing tore itself apart, and T’khara scooted forward towards his fallen pack.

His hand fell on the pack, and he grabbed it and lurched to his feet. The left ankle barely held his weight, but the adrenaline kept him from noticing. He lurched away from the thing, which he thought looked a lot like a tongue protruding from an open maw.

The shudders started almost as soon as he cleared the scraggly needle trees. He collapsed behind some people-sized boulders and just waited them out. Eventually, the shaking subsided, and he was able to think about what to do about his injured ankle. He didn’t want to remove the boot. He was afraid if he did, the ankle would swell too much to put the boot back on.

Finally, he knew that he would simply have to keep going—injury or not. He had to put enough distance between him and that d’Oessler beast as possible. He grabbed up his pack and hobbled away. He had made fairly good time, despite the injury. And being even more wary after his encounter with the creature in the trees, he managed to avoid the four other traps that he came across before meeting this Phestle-Phessari woman.

Now, he was torn. He didn’t trust her; he didn’t trust anyone—not anymore. Yet, something about her wouldn’t let him just brush her away as easily as he would have liked. Before he realized what he was doing, the words were out of his mouth, “There are traps.”

The woman’s amber eyes met his, and T’khara felt such a yearning to be mothered and comforted by this woman. He tore his gaze away, knowing he was too old for such foolishness and daydreams. And besides, she is probably like all the others, he thought angrily.

“What types of traps?” Phessari asked.

“Different traps in different places,” he said evenly.

“Is that how you were hurt?” she glanced down at his now healed left foot and T’khara nodded.

Phessari nodded back. Then hitching her pack up, she said, “I will be doubly careful then.”

T’khara watched as she took several steps toward where he had come from. Part of him knew he would come to regret this, but sighing to himself, he gave in, “Wait.”

The woman turned and her calm amber eyes studied him. He squirmed inside, hating himself for doing this, yet knowing he would hate himself more if something happened to the woman. “I…I will go with you. I will show you where the traps are.”

Islamic Exorcism and Evil Eye or Nazar

The evil eye is the name for a sickness or misfortune transmitted, usually with or without intention, by someone who is envious, jealous, and covetous or even a pious person from among man or jinn. MashAllah, it could affect children, adults, livestock, and any kind of materialistic items, and the most vulnerable are the very young, the wealthy and the beautiful. To cast out an evil eye its not necessary to see the victim, the evil-eye can be transmitted even just by visualizing or imagining or even with a very limited description of the target person for example a person can cast-out an evil eye even on himself just by imagining or while look at himself in the mirror or even a blind person can cast out an evil eye just by visualizing the target person or a mother could herself un- intentionally cast out a evil eye on her child..etc. Our Prophet[SAW] has therefore advised us to recite ‘MashaAllah’, to prevent the casting-out an evil eye, therefore one should say ‘MashaAllah’ when praising or looking at anyone or any thing with excitement, in-order to avoid casting an evil eye to them.

Proof of Evil Eye / Nazar in Quran and Hadith

Quran

“..And from the evil of the envier when he envieth.”[Quran Surah Al Falaq 113]

Hadith

Prophet(SA) said: “The evil eye is real, and if anything were to overtake the divine decree (al-qadar) it would be the evil eye.” [Muslim]

General Symptoms of Nazar[Evil Eye]

Primary symptoms of evil eye are feelings of physical and/or emotional tiredness, unexplained bad luck or un-favorable incidences and illness. It is thought to cause drowsiness, drooping eyelids, listlessness, fatigue, weariness, lack of concentration, restlessness, discomfort, cramps, convulsions, headaches, hiccoughs, clumsiness, stomachaches, dry coughs, diarrhea, itching, hair loss, dry skin vomiting, the drying up of the milk of nursing mothers and livestock, problems with the blood and eyesight, impairment of sexual activity, impotence, sterility, disorders in menstruation, problems in pregnancy and childbirth, deficient breast milk, mastitis, and among babies and young children, incessant crying and fretting, a baby’s refusal to suckle or drink milk and other symptoms include lack of rain, the drying up of wells, the withering of fruit, sudden loss to business, and so on.

Treatment by Amal-e-Shariah or Holy Ritual against Evil Eye or Nazar

Step1 : Amal to make one i.e the healer or exorcist or any pious person doing the exorcism “Spiritually Strong” before the main Amal for treatment. Recite the following 40 x to 100x, more the recitation more will our amal be powerful and strong, InshaAllah.

• Any Istiqfar -40 x – easy one – ‘Astaghfirullaahi wa ‘atoobu e-lay-h
• Third Kalimah or Tasbai Fatimah – 40 x – Subhaan-Allahi walhamdu-lillaahi, wa laa ilaa-ha illa-la ill-lal-lahu wallahu Akbar
• BISMILLAAHI YA HAYYU YA QAYYUM YA ZAL JALAALI WAL IKRAM YA ARHAMAR RAHEMEEN. AMEEN. YA RABBIL ‘A-LAMEEN – 40X
• Any Darood -40x – easy one – ALLAH humma Sali’ala Muhammad

Step 2: The exorcist should ask the patient to make wadhu first, then the exorcist should place his right hand on the forehead of the patient and recite the following.

1. Auzubillaah hi Mi-nash Shyataan Ir-rajeem BisMillaah Ir-rah-maan Ir-ra-heem -1x
2. Any Darood -3x – easy one – ALLAH humma Sali’ala Muhammad
3. Dua/Intention: YA HAYYU YA QAYYUM YA ZAL JALAALI WAL IKRAM YA ARHAMAR RAHEMEEN In the name of Allah I give you in protection (of Allah) from every thing that pains you, from every thing and the (evil) eye, self-indulgence and the jealous. In the name of Allah I give you in protection (of Allah) Allah is the greatest, and His might is the mightiest – 3x
4. Surah Al-Fatiha – 1x
5. Aytul Kursi – 1x
6. Last three Surah’s / last three Quls – 7x each
7. ‘A’oozu bi-ka-li-maa-til-laa-hit-taam-maati min sharri maa kha-laq Wa-la-huw-la Wala-khu-wa-ta El-la-bil-la-hil-‘Ali-yil-‘Azeem – 7x
8. Any Darood -3x – easy one – ALLAH humma Sali’ala Muhammad
9. Blow 3x times on the patient and also 3x times on some water and olive or blackseed oil [the quantity of water and oil should be sufficient enough to be used for about 7 days]. Remember every blow should be powerful and with full force.
10. Ask the patient to drink some water and wash himself or make wadhu with the recited water [adding few more glasses of normal water] and also anoint him self with the recited oil daily.
11. The patient should drink and wash himself with the recited water and also anoint himself with the recited oil for at least one week, till he looks normal.
12. Repeat this procedure whenever necessary or after a week or if the victims runs out of recited water or recited oil.

Remember even if your pet or plantations or farm or land or house is suspected of being under the effect of ‘Evil Eye’, the recited water should be regularly sprayed on them all daily till things look normal.

Joelnar, the captain, and the crew removed as much of the land-based items from the deck area as possible. The remaining sails were furled, and everything else was taken below decks. The fog was even denser now, and although Joelnar couldn’t see the towering walls of water, he could sense them.

It felt as if the walls were just feet away from the edge of the ship. But peer as he might over the edge of the ship, all he could see was gray swirling mist. He was actually afraid to reach out past the ship’s rail; afraid that if he touched the walls it would make them all too real, and much too close. He also had the strangest feeling that if he actually touched the column walls, he would be sucked into a watery vortex and drowned, like in his dream.

He shuddered and then hurried down the stairs to the crews’ quarters where everyone else was. The plan was for the first mate to use his spell-casting abilities to cover the ship in ice. They hoped that that would disguise it enough to let it slip past the wall of water that surrounded them. Everyone would remain below decks except the first mate. Although, risky, Forrest claimed it was the easiest way for him to do what he needed to.

Forrest had assured the captain that he would be able to encase himself in ice, too, just before the column they were in closed up on them. That way, instead of sensing a land-based creature, hopefully, it would sense the water instead. Furthermore, he insisted that the difficult part was maintaining the temperature needed to keep the water in solid state.

When Joelnar and several other crew members entered the room, the first mate was giving some last minute instructions.

“Try to stay together so you can keep warm. You will not be able to use the stove or any other heating device, and the temperature is going to become very cold quite quickly. I do not know how long I will have to maintain this coldness, so just be prepared as best you can.”

The captain took over, “There are plenty of blankets piled there,” and she pointed to a large stack of brown and green folded material. “Everybody take a blanket and try to make yourself as comfortable as possible.”

There were some whispered comments and a few grumbles, but everyone grabbed one or more blankets and either clambered onto a bunk or pulled up a piece of floor. Meanwhile, Forrest left to go topside.

Joelnar found himself sitting on one of the bunks near the captain. They each sat cross-legged with a blanket wrapped around them. The first indication that the temperature of the ship had dropped were the little puffs of vapor that formed whenever someone breathed or spoke. Next, Joelnar saw laceworks of frost begin to decorate the walls and other surfaces.

At first there a few low-volume conversations and he could bits of friendly banter scattered about the room, but as the time dragged on the voices began to still. One of the crew grumbled when the drink she had been enjoying froze. Joelnar huddled beneath his blanket and tried to keep from worrying.

Something wasn’t right. He didn’t know why, but he had the worst feeling that they had missed something. Something vital. Images of crystal ships, the captain stepping around icy patches on a dead ship, and the taste of saltwater in his mouth, kept plaguing him. He wanted to contact Phessari, he needed some reassurance that what they were doing was right.

He looked over at the captain. She, too, was huddled into her blanket, apparently deep in her own thoughts. A bit of sparkle caught his eye, and he saw that she had the pearl out and she was rolling it about in her hand. He watched the pearl as it caught the meager light from the nearby frosted porthole. Back and forth, she rolled it. From index finger to pinky and back.

He pulled his eyes away from the hypnotic motion and blew warm breath onto his freezing hands. Shivering lightly, he wished he could at least tell Phessari that he loved her. Oh how he hoped this would work. A father. He didn’t know if he knew how to be a proper father, but he certainly wanted the chance to try.

His eyes started tracking the pearl again. Back and forth. Back and forth. The rhythm seemed to echo in his mind. It was accompanied by the same three images. Back and forth. Dead ships. Back and forth. Icy decks. Back and forth. Crystal ships. Back and forth.

Oh my gawd! We’re wrong. We’re absolutely wrong. It wasn’t ice that would hide them.

As calmly as he could, he caught the captain’s hand, stilling the motion of the pearl. She looked up startled. Seeing something in his face, she started to speak, but Joelnar shook his head, and motioned toward the door. He didn’t want to say anything in front of the entire crew. This was a matter best argued in private.

He knew it would be an argument. After all, wasn’t he the one who had led them to try encasing the ship in ice in the first place. To now suddenly call it off; to change tactics at this time—well, it was madness. And he didn’t even know if they had time. He had to see how close, if possible, the column walls were.

Joelnar slowly uncrossed his legs and made his stiff and frozen body move. Without displaying any signs of haste, he crossed the room, the blanket still wrapped around him. He looked over his shoulder at the captain, who acknowledged him with a small nod.

Out in the hall, he paced a bit to try to bring some warmth to his limbs. When he heard the door open behind him, he headed for the stairs knowing that the captain would follow. She joined him by the galley.

She had knotted the blanket around her shoulders like a cape, and when she turned to face him it flared slightly. “Do you want to tell me what this is all about?” Her face was pinched with concern, but her eyes flashed with the inner heat of suppressed anger.

Before she could ask, Joelnar said, “We’re wrong. I’m wrong. Ice won’t work.”

“What do you mean, ice will not work? It was you who said the dream was a message from the gods telling us that we must make the ship into something of the Sea.”

“I mean I was wrong. Think about it…the ship you found before. Didn’t you say that it had patches of ice on it, but no people? The ice won’t work.”

She started to argue back, but then stopped. He watched her think over what he had just said. A moment later, when her eyes widened, he knew she had seen the same problem he had when. Just as swiftly, she was back in charge. “I presume you have an alternative and did not seek me out just to tell me that we are all going to die.”

“I do have an idea, but I need to speak with Forrest, and I’m not sure we have much time.” With that pronouncement, he turned and headed toward the deck.

He knew that Forrest was on the quarterdeck trying to maintain the icy exterior that they had hoped would let them survive the Columns of VnoV. He needed to interrupt Forrest’s concentration to find out whether his idea was even feasible. The Ethereals and Phessari had told him about the resonances in a few of the many different gems and stones, so he hoped he was right. But it was a pretty giant leap, even for him.

When they stepped topside, Joelnar saw that much of the mist had been turned into ice flakes, and the flakes now littered the deck. With the reduction in the fog surrounding the ship, he could see that the column walls were almost within arm’s reach. He didn’t know if they had enough time, and he didn’t even know yet if Forrest could do what he was going to suggest. Swallowing his fear, he stepped onto the frosty deck and as quickly as he could, climbed the stairs to where the first mate sat in total concentration.

Ferren-Forrest sat cross-legged by the hatch on the quarterdeck. His hair and lap were covered in white ice flakes. His hands, which clutched a blue stone with patches of ice flakes on its surface, were grayish blue. The captain’s quick inhale of breath told Joelnar just how concerned she was about her son’s condition. She knelt next to the young man and brushed away the ice flakes from his face. She then placed the palms of her hands on his cheeks and very gently called his name.

At first, Joelnar couldn’t see any reaction from the first mate. His eyes remained unfocused and his body stiff. However, as she continued whispering his name, Joelnar saw just a hint of movement. A softening of the young man’s posture was followed by several eye blinks. A moment later, the first mate reached up with one hand and clutched at his mother’s hand, which was still cupping his cheek.

“Mothe…uh, captain, what are you doing on deck?” His eyes seemed to adjust even more and his eyes met Joelnar’s gaze. “Both of you, what are doing up here? You need to get below and I need to get back to keeping this ship covered in ice.”

Already, the bits of ice and frost had begun to return to their original foggy and misty form. Forrest started to tune them out again, and Joelnar quickly spoke up. “Actually, I’m not sure the ice is going to work.”

Forrest looked toward his mother for confirmation of Joelnar’s outburst. When she nodded, he turned his puzzled eyes back to Joelnar who continued, “I think we need to use something created from the Sea.”

“What do you mean?” Forrest queried. The captain was also looking toward Joelnar with bewilderment.

“I think you need to use the pearl the captain has to encase us in a pearl-like bubble, if possible.”

Instead of the derisive laughter or outrage that he expected, the captain and the first mate actually appeared to think about what he had just suggested. Forrest gazed at the returning mist swirling around them, and that at the pearl his mother now held displayed on her palm.

When Forrest answered, he weighed his words carefully. “I might be able to use the pearl’s resonance to capture the mist and make it appear to be pearl-like.” He glanced at the walls of water that now stood inches from the ship. He didn’t need to finish his thought. They could all see that time was not on their side. The captain slipped the pearl into her son’s hand and closed his fingers over it.

Joelnar looked away from the private exchange of looks between Forrest and his mother. When he turned back, Forrest had slipped back into his deep meditation and the captain had stalked toward the stairs to the main deck.

Joelnar followed the captain to the bottom of the stairs where she decided to wait. Joelnar thought about urging her to go below again, but knew it wouldn’t make any difference where they were. If he was wrong, or if Forrest failed, they would die down there just as easily as up here on deck.

He slipped over to the side rail near the captain and sat down to wait. At first nothing seemed to be happening, but then he realized that the swirling mist seemed brighter, as if it had some inner light glowing through. Brighter and whiter the mist grew, while at the same time he saw that the swirling was no longer random. Instead, the mist was moving upward to form a sort of dome above them, and it was coalescing into a solid mass.

Without realizing it, Joelnar found himself standing and staring at the newly formed bubble around them. He turned to the rail and could no longer see the column walls. Now, he saw what seemed to be the inside of a giant pearl.

He knew they were at the defining moment, and he nearly held his breath. The walls from the columns of VnoV had to be right against the pearlized mists. If this deception worked, they would be safe; if not, the façade would crumble and they would all drown. A dark shadow moved across the outer surface of the pearlized mist, but the shell held.

The only sound was the gentle creaking of the ship as it floated within its pearl of mist, and Joelnar turned to check on the captain and the first mate. She was as mesmerized by what was happening as he was, while the first mate looked tired and strained. A swirl of mist crossed the deck, and he wondered how much longer the first mate could maintain the bubble.

A shadowy darkness began to slide down the outside of the bubble, and light glowed through the top. It took a few moments for Joelnar to realize that he was seeing sunshine filtering through the bubble.

The storm was gone and the walls of water that had surrounded them also seemed to be gone. He knew there was only one way to be certain without endangering the entire ship and crew.

He started to head for the stairs that went below, and the captain looked at him questioningly. He held up a finger, and quickly slipped below decks where he grabbed a coil of rope. Back on deck, he tied the rope to the rail and lowered it to the water.

By now, the captain suspecting what he was up to, tried to stop him placing herself between him and the railing.

“This is foolish. You might die, and then who will fulfill the gods’ mission?” she hissed at him.

“Someone has to check it out, otherwise how we will know?” Joelnar countered.

“Then let me. It is my ship,” the captain commanded.

Before she could move, he slipped off his boots and vest, and with a quick feint to the left, he climbed over the rail and dove into the Sea.

He dove as far as he could, sliding through the water away from the ship. He encountered no barriers, and as his lungs began to strain, he headed back to the surface. When he looked around, he saw that he was several yards from the encapsulated ship. The effect from this side was quite impressive. He thought it definitely looked like a larger-than-life replica of the pearl that the captain had had. He was intrigued by the way the sun reflected off the surface creating little rainbows of opalescence.

With that thought, he realized that the water he was treading was calm and the sun was shining with a dazzling brilliance. But best of all, the Columns of VnoV were completely gone. He spun around, checking in all directions, but there was no sign of the tall watery columns anywhere.

Smiling broadly, he swam toward the pearly bubble. He reached out to touch it, but his hand slipped right through the illusion. While curious, he was glad he didn’t have to swim underwater to return to the ship. With a few strokes he swam to where he had hung the rope, and used it to clamber back on board.

The captain stood there waiting. Around her were several other crew members who had already found their way topside, probably due to their curiosity regarding the abeyance of the cold. Several of them saw Joelnar climb over the side, dripping wet, and they started asking questions. However, he wasted no time with explanations and the captain needed none. She could see the answer by his huge grin. She ran to the quarterdeck with Joelnar fast behind. Small bits of mist were floating about, and Joelnar could see how strained the first mate was. His face was gray, and there were lines of stress around his eyes and forehead.

Joelnar knew how draining these types of resonance tasks were, and apparently so did the captain. She knelt in front of Forrest and gently brought him back from his intense meditation.

The mist that had created their pearl bubble evaporated in the bright sunlight, and soon they were surrounded only by blue skies and bluer waters. As Forrest awakened, he relaxed his hands from the pearl. The once opalescent gem was now cold and gray. The resonance completely drained.

When the captain touched it, it fell to dust. The gentle breeze scattered the pearl’s remains, carrying them back to the Sea from where they had come.

Rafe’s eyes crawled open, and he looked around blearily. It had been a long night of partying and he wasn’t really ready to be fully awake yet. As he lay drowsing in his comfy bed, he found himself smiling as he thought about some of last night’s activities.

He was thoroughly enjoying life with the Aerisens. Not only did they know how to party, they let him sleep as long as he wanted to, and they never gave him any chores to do. In fact, if he didn’t feel like getting out of bed to find food, he could always convince several of the Aerisens to fetch him something. There were always a handful of ladies hanging around, and they were more than willing to do whatever it took to make him happy.

Life had never been so good. Occasionally, he would remember about that pesky chore that Joelnar wanted him to do. But Joelnar was off on his quest, and as far as Rafe was concerned there was no hurry. He’d worry about it later, at least that’s what he kept telling himself whenever he thought about that pesky little chore at all.

He rolled over onto his stomach, which grumbled. Ignoring it, he glanced at the doorway and saw that it was nearing half-day. Giving a half grunt, he thought, It’s almost time for the start of today’s games.

Rafe had never seen a group so happy to learn about all the different games that he knew. It was as if the Aerisens and he were made for each other. Today there were several rounds of races—stripes versus dots, females versus males, and the ever popular, hoppers versus croakers. Afterwards, there were contests using the pasteboards and throwing cubes.

The Aerisens were so into the games that they had taken to inventing their own. Once they understood the different concepts behind the various games, they had become very creative. They had created a type of betting game using the leaves of the snore tree—the leaves of the male trees released a sap that actually made you fall asleep, so if you got stuck with one of those leaves, you could lose the whole game. It was very challenging, and could become quite hilarious when played while drinking the Aerisens’ version of ale—made from the nectar of the dewsberries, it was very potent drink.

Yes, he and the Aerisens were definitely made for each other. He would have to remember to thank Joelnar for introducing them.

The world shook, and Rafe found himself lying on the floor of the modified tree house in which he had taken up residence. That was a nasty one, he thought, as he lazily got back up and sat on the edge of the bed.

He wasn’t happy about the constant shakings that occurred in this land, but it was a small price to pay for all the fun he was having. He had heard some of the Aerisens buzzing about how the shakings had started to become much more frequent. But then others said it was just their imaginations, and things were just fine.

Rafe was inclined to agree with the latter group, but just lately he had begun to wonder if he might be wrong. Sometimes it did seem as if he was being tossed about a bit more than he had been when he first arrived. He was deciding whether to go back to bed or get up and start his day, when the tree house shook again. It shook much more lightly this time—more of a shudder than a shake. The Aerisens called these secondary shakings shivers, because they said it seemed as if the world shook, and then continued to shiver for a few moments afterwards.

Smiling at their inventiveness, he stood and stretched. He supposed that if he wanted to get something to eat before the first races of the day he would have to get moving.

Two days back I posted about a video I watched. The video showed five elderly people being beaten and burned alive in the western district of Kisii in Kenya. Why? They had been accused of witchcraft and/or sorcery and they were being punished for their crimes by being burnt.

After further research I found that I came a bit late to this particular party. The original video I posted appears to have first surfaced in April of this year. This is also not the only incident of people being burnt, beaten, ostracised or otherwise tortured for supposedly practicing witchcraft or sorcery. This is, according to this article by the BBC (http://bit.ly/WYaSP) is so common a practice that there are no longer any elders to consult.

In my previous article I spoke at length about how stunned I was that such a thing could happen in the 21st century. My husband reminded me that it isn’t really the 21st century there. In remote villages in Africa, it IS 200 years ago. Perhaps some of modern civilization touches these areas but not enough science and logical thought are being introduced to these cultures.

This article from the New York Times (http://bit.ly/3t7NkW)  blames apartheid for the burnings. The article further claims that these burnings have been growing steadily since the 1980’s. The Chief talks about the “ungovernability of the young” and talks about how the old ways are being lost. There was once a less violent way to handle “bewitchings”. Now the youth are taking things into their own hands and the police do nothing.

Another opinion posed by this article (http://bit.ly/2I7u0c) by the Associated Press blames the increase of Pentecostal churches. According to the reporter, the number of burnings have increased in proportion with the number of churches. “Some of the churches involved are renegade local branches of international franchises. Their parishioners take literally the Biblical exhortation, “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.”". Some parishioners who attend churches have taken the teachings back to their village where it gets mixed with African traditions. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

Then there are those who let the power go to their heads. There are pastors who perform exorcisms and extort exorbitant fees from the parents for this “service”. Children have been hurt and maimed during these supposed exorcisms. The mere mention of certain church names is enough to cause a group of happily playing children mentioned in this article to become frightened.

Unfortunately this is a complicated issue and there doesn’t seem to be a solution. If you remove the churches, then you remove food and medicine that secular organizations simply can’t cover. I would be interested to know what, if anything, the UN is doing about this. Are there any human rights organizations addressing this problem? There is still research to be done on this and I will be talking about it further in the future.

Destroy And Banish the effects of Black Magic, Demonic Possessions and Evil Eye the Easy Islamic way

In The Name Of Allah, The Most Beneficent, The Most Merciful. Exorcism is a ritual or a practice of banishing or cleansing or curing a person or a place from evil influences of Jinn’s also called as ghosts, sprits, demons, etc. Islamic Exorcism procedures include the usage of ‘Ruqyah’ or ‘Incantations’ that comprises of all lawful incantations, Quranic verses and Prophetic supplications that call upon The One and Only One, True God of the Heavens and Earth, in-order to seek His help and mercy for cure and protection against evil influences of Jinn. These lawful incantations are termed as ‘Ruqyah Ash Shareeya’ and its usage is based on a authentic hadith reported in Sahi Muslim in which Prophet[SAW] said: “Present to me those who provide treatment by way of ruqyah. There is no objection to ruqyah ash long as it is free of polytheism.”.

Sickness or Disease in human’s could be a result of (1) Purely Medical reasons or Physiological reasons and /or (2) Paranormal reasons caused by Jinns, Black-Magic and Evil Eye that finally reflect as medical disorders in patients.

Medical treatments are only useful and beneficial while treating diseases that are caused by ‘medical disorders’, whereas, Islamic Healing or Islamic Exorcism or Quranic Healing procedures can MashaAllah not only effectively treat ‘Paranormal Disorders’ caused by Jinns and Sihir / Magic, but all kinds of deadly and incurable ‘Medical Disorders’, as mentioned in the Glorious Quran “We sent down in the Quran that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe.” [QURAN 17: 82]

Terminologies:

• Sihir –> BlackMagic or Sorcery or Jadoo or Witchcraft.
• Jinn –> Demons or Spirit or Ghost or Satan or Aatma or Saya
• Ayin –> Evil Eye or Nazar or Drishti
• Exorcist –> Amil or Raqi or Spiritual Healer or any pious person doing the amal/treatment[can be a pious relative,friend of the victim or the victim himself doing the self treatment]
• Victim –> Person suffering from Sickness due to sihir, jinn, ayin or medical reasons.

The Quranic healing therapy during Islamic Exorcism is 100% safe, as mentioned in the QURAN 17: 82, that Quran is a healing and mercy for the believers, but loss to the unjust. Usually people under sihir or influence of Jinn, react to the Quran negatively, because the Quranic verses tend to punish and burn the evil/unjust Jinns that are nesting in their bodies and that’s why they react negatively, and these reaction are very noticeable in the victims. However, this is just during the initial phases, with continued Quranic treatment all the Jinn’s will be forced to leave and once they leave or get burnt and die, there would be signs of improvement visible in the victims.

Islamic Exorcism, Sihir / BlackMagic and Jinns

Sihir or BlackMagic is done with the help of Jinn’s, there could be multiple Jinns involved in the process, that are sent by the magician or sahir to trouble and cause loss to the victim. The target could be a man, his family, his livestock, his business, his wealth, his health, his relationship with mother or wife…etc. Using magic to break magic or to visit fortunetellers and magicians is considered a major sin and is Haram in Islam. To deal with them one should only use the Quranic verses and Lawful Amal / Dua / Supplications, and this is only the best and the most effective treatment against cases of Black-Magic, Possession or Evil Eye.

Black magic is condemned and declared as unlawful and as a major sin in Islam, the Prophet (SAW) said, “Whoever blows on knots practices magic, and whoever practices magic is a mushrik (polytheist).” (Tabarani). Even visiting the magicians is declared as a major sin in Islam, Hazrat `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud[RA] reported, “Anyone who goes to a diviner, a practitioner of magic or a soothsayer, asking something and believing in what he says, denies what was revealed to Muhammad.” (Reported by Al-Bazzar and Abu Ya`la).

Proof OF Sihir In Quran and Hadith

Quran

1. “And [I seek refuge] from the evil of the witches who blow on knots.” [Qur’an, 113:4]

2. “Their magic caused it to appear to him that they were crawling.” [Qur’an, 20:66]

Hadith

Hazrat ‘Aisha[RA] narrates: Magic was worked on Allah’s Apostle so that he used to think that he had sexual relations with his wives while he actually had not (Sufyan said: That is the hardest kind of magic as it has such an effect)[Sahi Al-Bukhari]

Proof of Jinn And Possessions / Mass in Quran and Hadith

Quran

“Those who devour usury will not stand except as stand one whom the satan/jinn by his touch Hath driven to madness.” [Qur’aan, 2:275]

Hadith

1. Hazrat Safiyyah[RA] reported that Prophet (SAW) said: “Verily, Satan flows in the bloodstream of Aadam’s descendents.” [Sahih Muslim]

2. Hazrath Ya’laa ibn Murrah[RA] said: “I saw the Allah’s Messenger(SAW)do three things which no one before or after me saw. I went with him on a trip. On the way we passed by a woman sitting at the roadside with a young boy. She called out, ‘O Messenger of Allah, this boy is afflicted with a trial, and from him we have also been afflicted with a trial. I do not know how many times per day he is seized with fits.’ He said, ‘Give him to me.’ So she lifted him up to the Prophet (SAW). He then placed the boy between himself and the middle of the saddle, opened the boy’s mouth and blew in it three times, says, ‘In the name of Allah; I am the slave of Allah. Get out, enemy of Allaah!’ Then he gave the boy back to her and said, ‘Meet us on our return at this same place and inform us how he has fared.’ We then went. On our return, we found her in the same place with three sheep. When he said to her, ‘How has your son faired?’ she replied, ‘By the One who sent you with the truth, we have not detected anything [unusual] in his behavior up to this time…’ [Al-Musnad Ahmad]

The Warder spit flame as it shrieked from the wounds received from a multitude of weapons and spells. Gunshots and the near silent twang of bows were accompanied by the crackle of fireballs and lightning bolts that slammed into the giant dragonkin. All the while, Mendanbar led the assault, his shield, a giant flaming skull in one hand repeatedly slammed into the beasts chest, while the glowing blade in his other hand opened deep gashes in the creatures scaled flesh. Finally, with a loud sigh, the Warder stiffened, exhaled it’s last breath, and then crashed to the ground, showering those nearby in a combination of soot, fire, and blood.

“Now…. That”, exclaimed Mendanbar with a chuckle, “was fun!”

Behind the dead creature, the tunnel widened into a larger path, and in the distance, another Warder could be seen marching back and forth. All in all, the group repeated this initial battle three times without surprise or serious injury. As the group stepped past the last of the warders, the path broadened into an expansive cave larger than any of them had seen underground. And in the center of that immense space laid the object of their quest. The dragon queen Onyxia wrapped in her enormous wings, stirred from her slumber, snorted with an awareness of the intrusion, and immediately set her gaze on the 19 individuals that had invaded her private chamber. “This is it”, whispered KIF, “This is the pla…”, but the young rogue was cut off by Mendanbar who began shouting as loud as he was able. “Pick a group”, the warrior yelled, “Two groups to flank each side of the beast… Let me get her attention and then pour it on”.

And with that he turned, and began his charge directly at the dragon. The remainder of the party split into two groups and began their run following Mendanbar’s lead. The speed of the warrior’s attack momentarily surprised the dragon queen, allowing Mendanbar the time required to land a blow that opened a three foot long gash in her chest. Much to the surprise of the group, Mendanbar did not stop at the feet of the beast. He continued running past his target, and Onyxia realizing this turned and began her pursuit of the little creature who had caused her such pain. Reaching the rear-most wall of the expansive lair, Mendanbar turned, and set his stance to receive the inevitable attack. Onyxia descended on the lone warrior as the remainder of the party took up flanking positions on each of her broad sides.

As blades and spells began to crash into Onyxia, Mendanbar sundered the softer scales at her breast opening deep bloody wounds that demanded her immediate attention. She responded with crushing blows that slammed Mendanbar’s shield back into his chest. The blows shook the tank to his bones, and he was certain that he felt ribs, spine, and shoulder bones snap from the force of the attack. It was a familiar contrast of sensations, the unbelievable pain of broken bones was immediately replaced by a wonderful rejuvenation as his wounds were magically repaired, only to replaced again by the pain cuts and snapped bones moments later. As devastating as the pounding was, Mendanbar was not prepared for the fire that shot out of the dragon queen’s mouth, burning his clothing and hair and driving him back against the wall of the cavern. He re-gained his footing, spat at his attacker and renewed his assault, all the while, feeling the pain of his injuries and the tingle that came with the healing spells that he knew were keeping him alive.

The group assembled to bring down the dragon queen included many whose sole responsibility was to inflict damage; Rogues, Hunters, Mages, and Warlocks all brought with them specific skills, and their assault on the dragon was beginning to take its toll. The dragon was bleeding from uncountable wounds and was beginning to slow in it’s attack. Then without warning, Onyxia reared up, unfolded her immense wings, and took flight, retreating to the uppermost regions of the caverns dark recesses. “What do we do now Kif?’ yelled Mendanbar to the rogue. As fire and smoke begain to billow from Onyxia’s mouth it was clear that the dragon had changed her strategy. She was about to let loose with a fiery breath intended to kill everybody in the room. The elf responded, “I’m not sure, but whatever it is, we better figure it out… and quick!”

A pale green glow filled the blackness, and for a moment T’khara thought that at least one of the wispers had returned. However, when he looked for the source of the light, he saw several spots of wisper dust on the wyvern’s back and side. “Must be where they collided,” he muttered. “Well, at least we’re not in total darkness.”

It wasn’t quite enough light to show him much more than a step or two, and only if he stayed as close as possible to the wyvern. He peered ahead into the darkness, trying to decide which tunnel held the door to freedom.

“So, which tunnel do we follow?” He asked the baby wyvern. “Can’t you remember how you got here?” he questioned hopefully.

He knew it was a forlorn hope, expecting a dumb beast to remember how it got lost, but he was out of ideas. If he took the wrong branching, they could wander aimlessly for days. They could even die in these chaktarian tunnels, he thought miserably.

Suddenly, the baby wyvern cocked its head as if listening to something. T’khara strained to hear what the wyvern was listening to, but all he heard was his own breathing and the blood pounding in his head. The wyvern shifted its head back and forth several times, then with a short hoot, it started running into the tunnel on the left. Not wanting to be left alone in the dark, T’khara took off after it.

After a few moments of running, he began wheezing, and he felt a stitch start pulling on his left side. Reaching a hand out to lean against the wall of the tunnel, he realized he couldn’t keep up with the beast. He watched as the pale green light disappeared, and he was left in absolute darkness.

Because he couldn’t see, he had to slow down or risk stumbling. There were plenty of loose rocks and small cracks and fissures in the tunnel floor just waiting to capture a wayward foot or twist an unwary ankle. As long as he could see the bouncing green glow ahead, he felt okay. It helped keep him oriented. So, he followed at a slower pace. He ran one hand along the tunnel wall to help him maintain his direction, and alternated between watching his feet and the green glow.

He finagled his way past several small cracks in the tunnel floor, and looked up just in time to see the green glow slide right, and then disappear. Muttering a curse he had heard the cook use, he tried to hurry. He tripped on some loose stones, and nearly fell. His hand scraped across the rough surface of the tunnel wall as he caught himself, and he hissed in pain.

He slowed down again. He couldn’t really risk injuring himself. He had no healing potions, nor any desire to sit here in this dark tunnel waiting for someone to ‘rescue’ him. He knew if he fell now, he would most likely die in this tunnel, and that wasn’t an option he cared for.

T’khara pushed his foot forward, skimming it along the surface of the tunnel floor. When it didn’t encounter anything, he would plant it, and bring his other foot forward. Then he repeated the process. He inched his way forward in the dark, footstep by footstep. No matter how hard he peered at the ground, still he could see nothing.

One foot; then the next. It seemed as if hours had passed. He reached forward with his hand and found only blackness. The wall was gone. He realized that he had finally found the turn that the baby wyvern had taken. As he turned the corner, he noticed that the tunnel floor was inclined, and he seemed to be climbing upwards.

He slid each foot forward, and paused to catch his breath. The incline had steepened over the past hour and the air had become warmer. There was also an odd aroma—acrid, like when the eggs from the layers went bad. He found himself puffing a little, as the incline finally seemed to level out, and his eyes watered from the bitterness of the air. He paused, with his hand against the tunnel and wall, and caught his breath.

As he looked forward, he questioned what he was seeing. Was it his imagination, or was the tunnel ahead more gray than black? He closed his eyes for a moment, but when he looked again, it still seemed as if it were lighter ahead.

Feeling hopeful, he resumed his forward motion. Slide, step, slide, step. He didn’t know how many he had taken, but when he looked up again there was a definite grayness ahead. He clamped down on a whoop of joy, and concentrated on getting to that light. Because it had to be light; what else could it be? He was finally nearing the end of the tunnel.

It took almost another hour, but as he drew nearer, and he could see where he was stepping, the walking became easier. He almost ran through the opening, he was so glad to get out of the tunnel. Emerging from the tunnel, he stepped around a series of large gray-green boulders, and stopped. T’khara’s eyes widened and he gulped.

Chaktar! He thought, There are hundreds of them! T’khara felt his knees go weak, and he stifled the urge to simply sit down and cry. After all he’d been through; coming so close to freedom, only to be stopped like this.

Standing at the back of a huge cavern, he looked across the sloping floor toward the cavern opening. He could see blue sky and just the top of a spire tree. It was the freedom he had dreamt of for years, just beyond his grasp. Tearing his eyes away from the prize, he scanned the room again. It hadn’t changed. There were still hundreds of nesting wyverns between him and the opening, and no way to get passed them.

Some of the mothers were sitting on their nests, while others seemed to act as monitors for all the baby and toddler wyverns. He watched the toddler wyverns as they wandered about the chamber, exploring and playing. The smaller wyverns were kept in several groupings, and were hovered over by at least two of the monitoring wyverns.

Suddenly the large gray-green boulders to his right moved, and he realized that he was standing next to the toes of one of the monitoring wyverns. He scrambled back to the tunnel opening, one hand holding in the gasps of panic that threatened to erupt. Slipping into the darkness of the tunnel, he slid down the wall into a crouch and peered out at the cavern full of wyverns.

Nesting mothers. Why did it have to be nesting mothers? He had heard some of the wyvern handlers talking when he had worked in the kitchens. The handlers had said that those assigned to the nesting chambers were lucky to come out alive, let alone in tact. A nesting mother was extremely protective, and they perceived everything and everyone as a threat.

Tears welled in his eyes as he thought about the freedom that lay just beyond that chamber. He banged his fist against the rock wall. He clenched his teeth and stood back up. He would not be denied. Not now. Not when he was this close. Somehow he would find a way to sneak through that chamber.

* * *

He continued to watch the wyverns. He thought that if he could figure out their rhythms that he might be able to sneak past them. T’khara had noticed that all of life consisted of patterns and rhythms, and if you wanted to fit in you needed to match the patterns around you. He had used that skill to keep him and his sister alive when they were orphaned in Sandia, and then later, to keep himself alive while in d’Oessler’s castle. Hopefully, he could use that same ability to get past the wyverns while remaining whole and alive.

The light began to drain out of the cavern while he continued to observe. As the opening to the outside filled with the purples and navies of twilight, he noticed that the monitoring mothers herded the groups of young wyverns over to several large nests. Once inside the nests, the monitors fed both the youngsters and the nesting mothers from several stockpiles of vegetable matter—fruits, leaves, nuts, and some items that T’khara couldn’t identify—that were scattered throughout the chamber. Soon afterwards, he heard the cooings and flutterings of wings as the wyverns settled down for the night.

However, not all of the monitors slept. He could still see at least a dozen patrolling the cavern. That was going to be a problem. He had hoped to sneak out while the wyverns slept; however, now he realized that not all of them would be asleep. His stomach grumbled, and he hastily looked toward the chamber to see if any of the wyverns had noticed. He wasn’t sure how sensitive their hearing was, although he had heard that it was superior to a Danarian’s.

For the moment, none of the wyverns seemed interested in him, and he quietly dug into his pack for something to eat. He thought he would give it several more hours before trying to escape. That way he hoped that most of them would be solidly asleep, and less inclined to notice one puny Danarian sneaking across their chamber. However, he didn’t need his stomach rumblings waking them up.

As darkness filled the opening to the outside, a soft bluish light filled the cavern. T’khara noted that the ceiling of the cavern seemed to flow like water. As he looked more closely, he realized that what seemed like water was actually some type of slitherer. They coated the ceiling of the chamber, sliding in and out of the cracks, and creating the pale blue light.

While he appreciated the light, he had no idea whether the creatures were dangerous or not. Praying that they weren’t, he decided to go ahead with his plan.

* * *

The acrid air burned his eyes, and he found himself fighting to stay awake. If he didn’t go soon, he was afraid that he would succumb to sleep’s siren call, and his opportunity would slip away.

Cautiously he got to his feet, and peered into the cavern again. Nothing much had changed. The majority of the wyverns appeared to be sleeping, including some of the monitors that were supposed to be on guard. He had a route sketched out in his head that would let him use several of the nests as cover. He had to keep to the shadows as much as possible, so that those who were still awake didn’t notice him. That wouldn’t be quite so easy with the slitherers making that blue light, but he had noticed that there were some areas that the slitherers seemed to avoid. That meant that these areas were also darker than the rest of the chamber.

Adjusting his pack, he stepped into the chamber. Keeping his back to the wall, he moved to his left, staying in the shadow of a large slumbering wyvern. He continued scooting left, following the curve of the chamber wall, until he came to the next nesting mother. He was just about to slip past her, when she snorted. A puff of hot, acrid smoke settled over T’khara and he had to choke back a cough. He swallowed convulsively, trying to coat his dry throat.

Quickly, he slid past her and dashed forward past her nest and into the shadow of her tail. He followed that for several yards, ducking several times as a monitor came too near. Once at the tip of her tail, he scooted forward to hide next to one of the nests filled with babies. The monitors were on the other side of the nest, so he slipped through the shadows to the tail of the next nesting mother.

So far none of the wyverns had seen him, and he was beginning to feel pretty confident. He followed the tail of the wyvern up towards the nest. He paused in the shadow of the nest as he thought about his next move. He saw one of the monitors coming his way, so he crouched as low as he could. The tail of the wyvern in the nest twitched, and he had to flatten himself on the ground as it nearly took his head off.

The monitor stopped. It stared at the place where T’khara lay, and T’khara’s heart, which had already been racing, started pounding. He was sure that the whole room could hear it, yet he willed himself to lay absolutely still. What seemed an eternity later, the monitor snorted and moved on. T’khara silently breathed a sigh of relief. Then, carefully and slowly he got to his feet. He had planned on going to his left, but now the wyvern’s tail was there.

He debated with himself about climbing over the wyvern’s tail or going to the right. To the right was less shadowed and more open. He looked to the right, and then stared at the huge scaly tail lying near his feet. The tail was so thick that it was nearly waist high. As he contemplated just how he might climb or jump over it, it twitched. He jumped, banging against the nest. Afraid that the nesting mother might have felt him banging into her nest, he hunched down and waited. When nothing more happened, he decided to go toward the light.

Creeping forward he went to the edge of the shadows and paused. He tried to measure with his eyes just how long he would be exposed, when a monitor came into the area that he needed to cross. It turned its head all around sniffing at the air. T’khara felt a pool of sweat gather at his waist as he waited for the beast to move on. After a few more sniffs, the monitor started prowling again. T’khara continued to wait. A few more steps and the monitor’s view would be cut off by one of the other nests. He gently wiped the palms of his hands against his pants, and a moment later the monitor disappeared behind a nest.

T’khara counted to three before silently running across the pool of light. As the monitor came around the other side of the nest, T’khara crouched in a puddle of shadow he had found. The wyvern’s head came up, and T’khara jerked. The monitor snorted and started to head his way. He wasn’t sure that it had seen him, so he carefully crept away from the front of the nest towards the back. The nesting wyvern was now sitting upright, and the tail was thumping against the floor of the cavern.

T’khara could now also hear a distinct tap, tap, tapping sound from somewhere inside the nest. The nesting wyvern shifted to the side, and T’khara could now see that one of the eggs was rocking a bit in the nest. Something inside the egg was tapping on the shell, and soon several cracks appeared in the egg. As he started to move away from the nest, the mother shifted positions and her tail nearly knocked him flat. He ducked and flattened himself against the nest.

Looking back at the nesting mother, he saw that she and the monitor were gazing raptly at the egg, which was rocking and twisting like some frenetic top. Hoping to use their preoccupation to his advantage, he darted toward the next bank of shadows. However, he failed to see the irregularity in the cavern floor, and sprawled against one of the other nests.

A high-pitched squawk from above him was echoed by an even higher-pitched mewling as the baby wyvern broke free of the egg. He looked over his shoulder, but it appeared that except for the baby he awakened in the nest, none of the wyverns noticed him.

Perfect, he thought. If I can get this nest between me and them, I’ll have a good chance. He looked around the nest toward the cavern opening, and then cast one more quick glance at the nest where all the monitors seemed to be gathering to welcome the newly born wyvern. He slid around the curve of the nest, until they were out of his line of sight, and then broke into a run.

Whumpf. He ran into a wall and landed on his butt. Rubbing at his head he looked up to see the lost baby wyvern grinning at him. He knew it was the same wyvern because of the spots of wisper dust all over it. Chaktar! You think it’s funny? he thought. He pushed at the baby’s head trying to make it move out of the way. Instead, it thought T’khara was initiating a game, and it butted at his shoulder nearly knocking him over.

Clambering to his feet, he pushed at the baby wyvern again as it tried to continue the game. He was focused on the cave opening as he tried to get around the playful baby wyvern, so didn’t hear the monitor until its foot stomped right behind him. His hand still on the baby’s head, he slowly turned sideways. There behind him was one of the monitors, and it didn’t look happy at all.

Realizing that his hand on the baby’s head was probably seen as a threat against the baby, he whipped his hand away, and tried to smile. But his face felt frozen, and his bladder suddenly felt full. His mouth had gone dry, and he couldn’t swallow the frozen lump that clogged his throat. The monitor gave out a low growl and it rumbled throughout the entire cavern, marching up T’khara’s legs through the very stones on which he stood.

The snout of the monitor pushed at the baby next to T’khara, and very gently shoved it away. The monitor snorted at him, blowing his clothes around with its acrid breath. His eyes watered, as it raised its head and gazed imperiously at him. However, he tried to meet the wyvern’s steady gaze with his own. It snorted again, and he tried not to flinch, even when it growled a second time.

Out of the corner of his eye he could see the monitor raise her foot. Yet, still he continued to meet her eyes. He had no idea whether staring was good or bad, but he was afraid to turn away. She was going to stomp him flat, and there was nothing he could about it. As the foot swayed dangerously above him, he felt something sinuous wrap around him. It took him a moment to realize that the baby wyvern had wrapped its tail around him.

Was the baby holding him steady so the monitor wouldn’t miss? Petrified, he could feel himself panicking. He wanted to crouch with his hands above his head; run somewhere and hide; he wanted to flee through the cavern opening and taste freedom just once. But he continued to stand there, because there was nothing else he could do.

The monitor’s foot crashed down, and the whole cavern thundered. The monitors grouped around the newborn, cooing and clucking, looked up. However, seeing no emergency, they returned to their clucking and cooing. T’khara opened his eyes, and realized that he was still alive. The monitor and the baby, whose tail was still wrapped around him, were clucking and clicking at each other. A moment later, the monitor grunted and sat.

She may have accepted that the baby approved of this intruder, but she was still going to keep an eye on him.

So I’m trying basically to make a book. The book is a printed version Of my personal book of shadows. But I am drawing a complete blank on what to call it. Basically the book is meant to be direct and to the point. It has simple spells for beginners more complicated ones for more experienced people. It has a brief explination under the titles in brackets. The herbs are in italics. There are herbal lists, tarot layouts and brief thingy on runes. The book is meant to be a spell guide not a teacher. It’s somethin I don’t see enough. I get a new book it’s say 200 pages and contains two or three small spells or charms that a child could have come up wight them. This book has love spells, curses, blessings, prayers, healing spells and rituals, crossing ceremony, a “wiccaning” ceremony (in quotes cuz I’m not a Wiccan), it has protection things, and banishings, things like the withes creed and witches rune and Wiccan rede and all that hubabaloo. The book will contain almost everything my books have. I will leave out some things like all that I copied from the goetia and the keys of Solomon an the necronomican (a book I put little faith in) or some of the stuff like comand and compell oil for which I made a ritual to to strip someone completely of their own freewill. I know “zomg that’s like really bad black magick! You shouldn’t do that!!!” *rolls eyes* not to be flip, but who cares!? I don’t use it permenantly, just to get a job done. Then end it. *shrugs*
My problem is I do not know what to call the damned thing. I don’t want some cocky ass title like “grimoire of the dark mother” pshh this is a book of random spells, rituals and beliefs thrown together. It’s not a teaching guide and it isn’t made on the behalf of any goddess or group of people. Though I could name it after the coven I have been trying to make and if I get it published give a copy to each member. Change it more to target the coven. *thinks* I don’t know. Tell me any name ideas you have and don’t mind getting used.

Magic and study of occult arts successfully survived Renaissance and entered the Baroque era. And even more. the study of the occult arts remained intellectually respectable well into the seventeenth century. It only gradually divides into the modern categories of natural science versus occultism or superstition. My web analytics research shows, that brilliant Age of Reason was on the rise in the seventeenth century , while belief in witchcraft and sorcery, and consequently the irrational surge of Early Modern witch trials, receded. This process only completed at the end of the Baroque period, somewhere around 1730s.

Contemporary scientists still met resistance, though. Christian Thomasius encountered fierce opposition as he argued in his 1701 dissertation that it was meaningless to make dealing with the devil a criminal offense, since it was impossible to really commit the crime in the first place. In Britain, the Witchcraft Act of 1735 established that people could not be punished for consorting with spirits, while would-be magicians pretending to be able to invoke spirits could still be fined as con artists.

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Saul had just questioned Samuel as to what he should do, but he already KNEW what to do. He had banned familiar spirits and wizards from the land but now when God failed to answer him, he turned again to the beggerly elements for counsel. Samuel confirmed that by saying, “Why then do you ask me, seeing the Lord has departed from you and has become your enemy?” 1 Sam. 28:16. Zing!

Samuel then added that the Lord had torn his kingdom from his hand and given it to His servant David. “Because you did not OBEY the voice of the Lord nor execute His fierce wrath upon Amalek (1 Samuel 15:3-9), therefore the Lord has done this thing to you this day” 1 Sam. 28:18.

If that were not enough for King Saul, Samuel then told him that the Lord would deliver both him and Israel into the hand of the Philistines and ended with this zinger- “Tomorrow you and your sons will be with me” 1 Sam. 28:19. At that Saul fell headfirst before Samuel in great fear. But it was too late. Now what did Samuel mean when he told the king that he and his sons would be with him on the morrow? “Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had committed AGAINST the Lord, because he did not keep the word of the Lord and also because he consulted a medium for guidance. But he did not inquire of the Lord therefore He (God) killed him” 1 Chron. 10:13-14.

Saul did die the next day as foretold by the brought up Samuel. You might want to read, for yourself, just how that occurred (1 Samuel 31).

From MAC’s Magic, Mirth, and Mischief holiday 2009 collection is the Devil May Dare eyeshadow palette ($36). This collection of 6 new, exclusive shadows was described as “warm” on MAC’s website, and therefore, I never considered trying it (I’m a cool). But when a MAC artist applied it to my eyes, the effect was stunning.

More product shots after the jump.

The combinations within this palette are endless. At first, I tried a smoky eye with Oh My Darling, Sorcery, and Devilishly Dark (a shimmery plum). It was amazing. For work, I experimented with a layer of Oh My Darling all along the browbone and lid, with Prankster (shimmery earthy green) in the crease and Dare Ya (metallic pink) in the inner corners. The Prankster and Gold Tease also complement each other and can be daytime appropriate, or layered for evening drama.

Warm, cool, or anywhere in between, you can wear these colors!

At $36, the price is certainly right. This palette will last you quite a long time, provides an endless combination of looks, and can be worn long after the holiday season has come and gone.