Chapter 355: Initiation into a Healer (10)

The scene of a hand poking a needle into a small ball before poking it into the back of a man, the scene of a pair of hands kneading some herbs to make a salve, the scene of a goatskin hung on the walls, containing some tattoo designs, etc. rushed into her head. The Shishya grunted in pain, her eyes turning red while her legs lost their balance.

What she had just witnessed, the scene of the presence in the ball being imbued in the man by the shaman step by step, before using up all the contents in it while greatly changing the presence of the man; this scene surfaced, forming the dominant portion of the scenes, acting as a conductor for the remainder to drill into her mind.

Knowledge, experiences, insights that she hadn't come across, all drilled into her mind, settling within her subconscious, as if they were memories she had honed through all her life. The voice of the teenager echoed in her mind once again, disjointed, like a being separated from reality.

"Imbuing the presence of a foreign entity in another being, making it carry it its whole life. The presence of the world, in the presence of an individual, such in this art. Aura Induction!"

The Shishya fainted, sprawled on the floor as her body shook, spasming from the information influx. The shaman looked at the scene with a frown, watching red mist gush out of the floor before seeping into the Shishya's head.

"The presence of the Crimson Desert." She crouched before the Shishya, muttering the term that popped up in her head. The process spanned for 30 breaths before disappearing. Until then, the shaman watched everything without interrupting.

She then picked up the Shishya, watching her turban fall off, revealing her feminine features. The shaman frowned, placing the Shishya on a nearby table as she touched a couple of areas, "I see, so only a shaman can be the Divya Vaidya. Everything makes sense now."

She picked up a needle and pierced it into the neck of the warrior on the stone slab, extending the duration of his unconsciousness. She picked up the turban from the ground and carefully covered the Shishya's head with it, in the same manner, she had worn before.

She patted the Shishya's head a couple of times, sighing once before looking into the open section of the wall, gazing at the vastness beyond. Beyond the tower was an empty area, bordering which were the houses. They were slightly bigger than the ones on the front side of the inner Clan area.

Beyond the houses was a vast pasture, an odd scene in the desert. The pasture was the same size as their Clan area, covered by cactus of various size. Some had grown large enough to resemble buildings, forming roofing structures underneath which grew leafed plants.

These plants were precious herbs, those that were valued beyond their weight. They grew in the shade, the protected environment created by the cactuses maintaining their moisture levels in the dry desert land.

The cactuses seemed to have been naturally shaped in such a way to foster the growth of the herbs. But on a careful look, the faeces of the hooved beast would be apparent, a sign that the Meka Clan's guardian beast was the one responsible for growing them.

At the centre of the pasture was a massive pond, its water sparkling clear. Cactuses had grown to roof the entire pond, with some of them forming pillars of support along the wide area. They fully housed the pond, only leaving a narrow entrance for entry and exit.

A small grassland existed in the pond, with a pathway connecting to the entrance; it was fully roofed by the cactuses. The hooved beast from before arrived at the area before sleeping peacefully, enjoying the silent atmosphere. Currently roaming in the pasture were sheep and goats, manned by some Meka Clansmen.

Beyond that was a massive wall, taller than the height of five grown men combined. Situated next to it were towers surpassing its height, two Clansmen stood atop each, surveying the area in alertness. Beyond the walls was the rock pillar domain, extending beyond the eyes could see.

"Our Meka Clan exists in an advantageous location. As long as we preserve our foundation, we would grow to surpass the Pakshi Clan soon." The shaman muttered, turning around before gazing at a massive goatskin hanging on a pillar.

The goatskin was framed into the rock pillar, its surface covered by a certain oil to prevent damage from the elements. It was longer than the shaman, extending to twice her height. Inscribed in it were various tattoos, shaped into the heads of various beasts. Inscribed into the centre was a tattoo of the hooved beast's head, their Clan's guardian beast.

The shaman gazed at in a daze, murmuring after a while, "I have passed on your life's research to him, mother. I hope he'll become someone worthy of using it."

"He will, Ancestor Strongest said it personally. That is one of the reasons I am imparting it to him." Red mist seeped out of the ground and condensed into the figure of Vaika.

The shaman nodded, turning silent for a couple of seconds before saying, "Mom, I'm bored. Send me to the Pakshi Clan, I want to play with brother. I've already finished fine-tuning this area."

"Alright," Vaika waved her hand, separating a presence from the shaman before sending it flying north. She then crumbled into red mist and seeped into the floor. The shaman's body staggered for a couple of steps before regaining stability, her eyes clearing up as she looked at the goatskin before her, "Strange, I seemed to have been thinking something just now. What was it?"

She then looked at the Shishya, "Only a shaman can become a Divya Vaidya. So, that was why the Chief asked me to train our youngest daughter too in the shamanic ways."

She arrived before the stone slab, massaging a couple of back muscles on the man, tapping his neck once to see he had gained consciousness. The warrior shook his head and oriented himself into a seated pose, sensing the changes in his body.

"Go, the other leaders will help you get used to your tattoo," The shaman said, pointing at the Shishya, "Thanks to the Divya Vaidya's Shishya, your tattoo has its own spirituality now. You have to express this gratitude for as long as you live."

The warrior's face beamed in uncontrollable happiness, tearing up as he bowed towards the unconscious Shishya, crouching as his head touched the floor, "As long as I live, I would be grateful to the Divya Vaidya's Shishya."

"Alright, you may leave now." The shaman waved her hands as the warrior bowed towards her and left the place. The moment he left, a stream of women filled the area, cleaning up the place. Just in time, the Shishya's eyes flickered as she regained clarity of mind, becoming conscious of herself.

…

A full moon shone brightly in the night sky. A crescent moon was situated on either side, their curved ends facing away from the full moon. The light they emitted brightened the Crimson Desert, slightly warming up the chillness of the desert night.

The sands absorbed the moonlight and radiated with a faint red hue, causing a traveller in the night to experience a surge in bloodlust. As the various beasts and animals exited the sands in the night, the red hue made them engage in slaughter.

A large caravan was proceeding forth through the sands, the sounds of their marching scaring away all the wild animals. Even the couple of beasts fighting far away turned tail and burrowed into the sand, watching in fear as the caravan passed by.

Horses marched at the front, seated on their backs were warriors, each containing a powerful presence. In the middle of the caravan was a massive carriage, its bottom sporting smooth slides that allowed it to glide on the sand. Pulling them were animals that were a mixture of a camel and a horse, possessing the gifts of both in their massive bodies.

They pulled the carriage and kept pace with the horses at the front. The interior of the carriage was laden with goatskin, carpeted to provide comfortable cushioning. The scent of milk filled the air as a man of massive stature sat cross-legged on one end, drinking a vat of milk.

He was bald, his upper body bare, wearing only short trousers made from beast skin on his lower half. Worn on his lower jaw, as if stitched into them was the jawbone of a clawed beast. He was the Mosali Clan's Chief. Placed before him was a tiny table, only spanning half a hand's height. Laid above it was a map, marking the various territories in their area.

"There are only five Clans of prominence in our southern part of the Crimson Desert. For the Meka Clan's Chief to summon all of us in such short notice, there should be something serious going on." The Mosali Clan Chief looked at his front, "What are your thoughts on it, Raga Clan Chief?"

The Raga Clan Chief peered outside the carriage, gazing at the rocks strewn about in the desert, their numbers increasing as time passed, "The Meka Clan Chief is not one to overestimate any situation. There must be a definite reason for his summons."

He then frowned, "Besides, I have a gut feeling…"

"A gut feeling?" The Mosali Clan Chief frowned.

"Yes," The Raga Clan Chief sighed, "I feel like I had once come to know something important but forgot it due to a rash decision. I can't point it, but I feel the reason is tied to the Meka Clan Chief's summons."

"The Divya Vaidya is also at the Meka Clan now." The Mosali Clan Chief muttered, "The timing doesn't feel like a coincidence."

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