Part 3

THE REALM OF THE WITCHES


***
As the dragon slid down to the landing site, a great meadow, they fastened the belts again.  
The journey by dragon from Lashayette to Albor had lasted about five hours. It was afternoon now, and here in Albor it wasnt snowing, but raining lightly.
The landing was a bit rough, and the poor Zusha vomited once again. Her face was covered in sweat, her skincolor had turned to an unhealthy looking grey, and she must have vomited everything she had eaten the last days.
As they climbed down the rope ladder, Dana feared her rondakian friend would fall off, but Zusha made it safely to the ground like the others.
The Rondaka went down to her knees, kissed the wet grass and looked then up into the sky, starting to speak loudly in her own hard language.
"Whats she doing?"Dana asked.
Tashmal, greedily lighting a smoke, like Marule and Megan did too, said:
"She is praying to her goddess. Thanking her that she is still alive and safely back on the ground. And she asks her forgiveness for having been weak and much in fear."
"I see." Dana supressed a smile. The prayer to the deities was a holy issue, one should not laugh about it. So, Zusha had been afraid? Zusha?
She mouthed a cigarette too. To their left, other dragons rested on the grass, one was feasting on a large pile of leafs and hay. To their right, a building with a high tower stood, the flag of Albor flying above it. From there people were approaching them.  Some miles to the north she could see high towers rising into the air - Thy-web-Rell, capital  of the witchdom of Albor.
Tashmal lit her smoke for her, and they all enjoyed their cigarettes save for Zusha, who was still praying. Megan put her funny hat on her head and controlled her hair - her makeup being magically fixed - in a small hand mirror.
The people from the tower reached them. It were a witch, a knightress  and several maids.
The witch wore a blue outfit, inclusive conic hat, and had white blonde hair in two plaits. She was carrying her magic staff, light brown wood with a bright red crystal.
The knightress had brown, chin length hair, freckles and green eyes, her lipstick was of a dark blue. She wore yellow long boots and gloves, a dress of the same color, and body armor with the red lion painted on it.
The maids were in the usual yellow outfits too. All Alborans were tall, thin, and had small breasts.
"Welcome to Albor. I am witch Rech-den-Tuch. Was your flight pleasant?"
"It was, witch Rech-den-Tuch. Thank you." This was Tashmal.
Megan introduced them to the other witch. Then, the knightress approached Megan and went down on her knees before her. Megan put her gloved hands on the brown hair of the warrior and said something to her in Alboran. The kneeling woman looked up to her and answered. The words of both women sounded like a ritual.  The knightress rose, and the women embraced. They exchanged a soft kiss without tongue, but nevertheless intimate.
"May I introduce to you" Megan said in Achaian and turned to them:
"This is my Sorn-Com-bater, this means sworn warrior, Lady Knight  Lorneth-bet-Vagsh. I have missed her for much too long, as she had to stay here in Albor while I was in Lashayette due to family business."
She introduced the friends to the Lady Knight, to Zusha too, as the Rondaka had joined them in the meantime. She looked okay again, Dana ascertained with a quick look.
Witch Rech-den-Tuch said:
"The rain is getting stronger. We should enter the coach and be on our way to the city. The Maids will fetch your  luggage."
"A splendid idea," Tashmal agreed and looked disapprovingly into the sky.
A short while later, the five friends and witch Rech-den-Tuch sat in the coach, which was already underway, while the Lady Knight with six soldiers was on horseback.
The white blonde witch turned to Dana:
"We are all very curious about you, Lady Danadeva. The dream wanderers see you for months now.
We already know much about you."
"Ahh, yes. I am curious too." Dana wasnt sure that she liked that these witches obviously could see her in their dreams. What had they seen? Anyway, as Tashmal would say. Keep cool, Dana, she told herself.
A small talk between the two witches, Tashmal and Marule followed. They changed from Achaian to Alboran and back. Both Marule and Tashmal spoke the language.
After about half an hour they reached the first houses of the city. Like Lashayette, Thy-Web-Rell had long since grown beyond the city-walls. Dana looked outside the window, eager to see more of city and people. The houses were of the same material as in Achaia - only in the remote empire, her home country, the people seemed to use the "normal" stone - but they were not as colorful as in Achaia, the roofs all in light red, the walls mostly tan or brown. The pavement of the streets were cobble stones and the lanterns for gas lights were in a dark green, while they had been in different bright colors in Achaia.
The people were tall, thin, and with mostly small bossom, as Dana had already expected. Their clothing was linen and leather and wool, in brown, tan or black. Only the few witches and soldiers she saw wore long boots and gloves and bright colors, the majority of the people were clad in dark colors and simpler clothes and footwear.
In an alley beside their way, she saw a group of young girls play football with a brown ball. She touched  Zusha, who was sitting opposite of her at the knee and showed the playing kids to her. Zusha nodded, but didnt smile. She was probably still angry with herself because of her fear during the flight.
They reached the city walls, which were tan too, high and strong, and passed the gate without being stopped by the yellow clad guards. Inside the walls, the buildings were higher, often with 4 or even up to 6 levels. The city was sprinkled with high, very slender towers - the witches homes - as Tashmal explained her. These towers were in bright colors, a stark contrast to the brown and tan other houses with their red roofs.
She asked Megan if her own tower was green. The witch laughed.
"It will be, Dana. I dont have a tower of my own yet. I am not far advanced in rank and magical powers. I am of the 7th grade. I will build my own tower when I reach the 10th grade."
"Which grade are you, witch Rech-den-Tuch?"
The white-blonde answered:
"I am the 9th grade. I have the exam to the 10th next sumer. Then I will built a tower, and as you can guess, it will be blue."
"Are the colors of a special meaning?"
"No, we choose the colors of our wear when we make first grade and stick to them. But we choose them only after personal preferences. Most choose the color matching best their hair and /or eye color."
"So even the witches are vain? Excuse me, I didnt want to insult you."
Both witches laughed. It was Tashmal who said:
"All women are vain. When you ask a captive which color her latexa sheeting and her gag should have, most will answer and will be concerned about the matter, even in such a situation as an abduction."
Dana thought about that. Tashmal was right. She herself wanted to be packaged in black or red, during pleasure games as well as in real abductions.
They had reached a large square in the center of the city. In front of them was a massive, yellow tower with pointed top - the seat of the Consell-en-Witch. Around it, about 30 of the slender towers were clustered together, and at their feet were colorful houses. A yellow wall with defence towers was around the whole complex.
"Thats the Fort-orl-Consell, the fortress of the Consell. You will live her during your stay in the city. The inner circle wants to see you right away, Lady Danadeva. "
Dana nodded. Wonderful. More witches like the Ambassador, even more powerful ones. Oh Dana, where have you gotten yourself into? she thought and sighed.

***

"She is pretty."
"No, she is beautiful."
"I can  tell she is very hot, a disadvantage for a warrior."
"She is so young."
"Young? She is a child."
"Are those big tits not a hindrance in combat?"
"She looks stupid."
The thirteen old women spoke without any order and discipline. They  sat at a long table in a semi-circle, and poor Dana was standing before them. All stared at her like buyers on a pleasure slave. Or more like peasant buyers on an ox.
They spoke Alboran, but due to a spell spoken on Dana she could understand them, as well speak the language. The effects would last only as long as she remained in the chamber.
The witches wore colorful clothes, conic pointed hats and were drinking water and juice, some were smoking. They all looked old, which told Dana that they had to be so very much, perhaps even older than 100 years.
Only the woman in the center of them, the oldest of all, her eyes of an intense blue, kept quiet.
Young girls in white clothes with small white caps were going around, offering juice and water, emptying ashtrays and such. The witches ignored them.
Dana wished desperately for a smoke. But... well, she suddenly thought. The women behaved like spoiled, stupid children. She produced her Laxagos and mouthed a stick.
There was a sudden silence in the room, even the young girls in white stopped dead in their tracks and stared at Dana, shock and disbelief in their faces.
Dana lit her cigarette with a match and enjoyed the first drag.
The old witch in the center started to laugh.
"Very good, young blonde lady. Very, very good. I like you, really. See? She is clever and brave. And strong. She is the one. - And besides, I for myself like her tits very much. - Girls, a seat for the young lady. And an ashtray and glass of apple juice, she likes apple juice."
The 12 other witches started to speak all at once. A seat was brought, then an ashtray and a heavy glass with juice. Dana sat down, enjoyed her cigarette. She felt cool now. The oldest witch smiled at her.
The other witches fell silent again, one by one.
"I am the Spica of the Consell, the Speaker. This is the Inner Circle, the oldest and - the people outside think - wisest witches of Albor. Wisdom is relative, as you just have learned. I welcome you to Albor, Lady Danadeva."
"Thank you, Spica."
"You already knew why you are here - there s a great danger coming, and you may be or only hope to save Matria. This sounds like a silly story in a silly book for simple people or for little children, but the dreams says its the truth.
Some of us have the power to see important events of past or future, or important people, in their dreams. These are the dream wanderers, and the realm they journey through is the dream world. In it, we have seen the danger, and we have seen you. We knew you are special insofar as you are a natural born warrior, though we dont know and understand how a single warrior can be able to defeat the danger which is coming.  
To find more knowledge about the way the danger may be defeated, we brought you here, so that you can join the wanderers in the dream world, which should enable us to see far more about you and your connection to the danger than was possible without your presence.
You have understood what I said?"
"Yes, Spica, and I am willing to join your witches in the search for truth. But I cant think of a way a young, inexperienced girl like me, with very few knowledge of world,  could save all of Matria."
"We will have to wait and see. The danger we saw is in the future, so we still have time. Maybe even years. Time for you to train, gain experience, and grow in strength, mind and soul.
Now go and meet your friends and rest. You will visit the dream world tomorrow night."



***
"And she started training only a month before? Amazing. On the other hand, shes a natural born warrior."
Lady Knight Lorneth-bet-Vagsh wiped her sweaty face with a towel. She took the cigarette offered by Tashmal, who took one for herself. Both women lit up.
Dana sat down opposite of them in the large training chamber and breathed heavily. The Lady Knight was a far better fencer than Tashmal, her first teacher. In a real fight, she doubted she would have a chance against the tall green-eyed brunette.
Zusha was farther to the left, wielding a rondakian double axe, a gift by the Weapon mistress of the fortress.  She seemed happy to have the weapon of her Tra-Ka-Dar order and was shadow - fighting with it for over an hour now. Her movements were very graceful, and she seemed very well trained with the weapon. Dana was thinking how she herself would fight a woman wielding such an axe while she eyed Zusha.
It was the next morning, after her first night in Albor. She had had wonderful pleasures with Tashmal and Zusha in a large room on a large bed and a strong breakfast, eggs and saucages and dark, warm bread. She had learned that the Alborans ate her breakfast warm. It was a bit strange at first, but she enjoyed the change.
Tashmal and the Lady Knight had finished their cigarettes and entered the combat lane. All four women wore holstered corslets, vambraces and greaves. Tashmal  and the Alboran put on helmets and masks. They started fighting. Dana watched in fascination.  They were so unbelievably fast! Their blades met, 18 times, then they parted. The corselt of Tashmal was destroyed right under her left breast, were the heart was.
"You are dead, Tashmal" the Lady Knight said.
"No, I have no heart, its only a flesh wound."
"You are slow, whore. You are too lazy to train enough and make your morning runs."
"You got me there, Rowenn."
So the Lady Knights first name was Rowenn. Dana smiled.
"Care for another round, Lady Danadeva?"
"Call me Dana. If I am allowed to call you Rowenn."
"You are bold, young blonde. You have to been too long under Tashmals influence. But as you seem to have caught the whores heart,  and the whore has caught the heart of my witch, we are in some complicated way intimate, so, well, you may call me Rowenn. Now, another fight?"
"Sure. Wait a moment."


***

"I am a bit nervous, I must confess."
"You dont need to be that, Lady Danadeva. There is no danger. I am an experienced dream wanderer, one of the strongest of all witches, despite my youth."
The Witch Rench-den- Tuch, who had welcomed them in Albor at the Dragon port, had been chosen for this as she was the one who would venture with Dana to the dream world. It was late evening of her second day in Albor now, and they were in Witch Rench-den-Tuchs sleeping chamber, sitting on her bed. They had undressed  down to their underwear, silvern panties and bra in Danas case and lightblue ones in the witchs one.
The witch had loosened her white blond her, which was falling on her back. Her light blue eyes mustered Dana with sympathy.
"Lets relax a bit. We should have a smoke before we start. Here."
She offered Dana from a pack of Kigumos.
"The brand of the Artists? Creativity and fantasy?"
"Yes. Both are not needed to reach the dream world or stay there, but the dream will be the more detailed  as greater the fantasy of the dreamer is."
"I see. Mmmhh!"
Both had mouthed a stick and the witch gave them a light. They indulged in smoking for a while, both watching the other do so. There was a bit heat between them, Dana felt a mild arousal, and she could smell the witchs love tube too. She was pretty, and her slender body with the small breasts had the appeal of being new and different.
Out of an impulse, Dana pressed a soft kiss on the witchs dark red painted lips. The witch let out a soft cry into Danas mouth and kissed back. The witchs hand touched her belly, wandered up and squeezed a breast. Dana groaned.  They parted and took another drag of their smokes.
They were now both quite hot.  The witch breathed heavily. She took another deep drag, her cheeks were sucked in.
"Uff...we..ahh..better begin now, " she said, clearly not  meaning it.
"Maybe later?"
"You will not be in heat anymore after the dream, trust me."
"I see. Well, then, okay, lets begin."
The witch gulped. With visible effort she straightened up, took a last drag of her Kigumo, and killed it in the ashtray. Dana did likewise.
They laid down on the bed, and the witch took Danas hand in hers.
"I am not sleepy. What..."
"I will use a spell to make you sleep. Just relax."
Dana closed her eyes. The witch spoke words in Alboran, soft words. A spell, Dana realized, yawning. I really like her.  And she is hot in her own way. I wonder what her first name is... and with that thought, she fell asleep.

***
The two women were standing at a beach, white soft sand under their naked feet. Small waves licked on the sand. The sea seemed endless. It was night, and a clear sky was sprinkled with what seemed to be thousands of stars.
They were stark naked, their underwear gone. Dana noticed that the sea was strange somehow. She had never been at the sea, had seen it only shortly from the sky yesterday as the dragon had flown across the small channel between Achaia and Albor.  She focused her vision and saw that the sea consisted of clearly defined bubbles of waters, each about the size of a ballgag. She had to laugh. What a comparison. She was clearly under the spell of Bonda, daughtergoddess of bondage.
The witch smiled back. Her name was Trish, Dana suddenly knew.
"This is the dream world. And this, is the Ocean of Events. Each of these bubbles is an event, a past one, or one in the future. The ones of the future are only possibilities, they might not become reality, or might be altered, at least. Do you understand that?"
"Yes, Trish."
Trish didnt seem surprised that Dana knew her first name, nor angered that she addressed her with it.
"I will show you one of the bubbles we have already seen, one of the danger. When you have watched the event, you will understand what the danger is, and how grave it is."
Dana nodded. Trish turned to the ocean, raised her other hand and spoke a spell. A single bubble rose from the sea of bubbles and moved until floating just in front of the two women. Small moving pictures were inside it. Dana reached out for it...
"No! Dont touch it. You would be sucked into it and would be part of the event, even if it were in the past. Thats both dangerous and forbidden. We will visit it only with our minds."
Trish spoke another spell. There was a strange, dizzy feeling, than Dana saw herself and Trish laying on the white sand, seemingly sleeping. She had no body, yet she knew Trish was beside her. She heard her voice in her mind:
"Now we can enter. Be brave and strong and have no fear."
There were many colors, like a rainbow, moving very rapidly about her, then the picture cleared.
A snow and ice covered valley, littered with many large rocks. Two women were moving through the valley. Their skin was light blue, they were slender and tall, their long curly hair manes were white like the snow. The ears were long and pointed - it were elves. They wore only a loincloth of red color, even their feet were bare. The cold didnt seem to affect them in any way.  Red signs and symbols were painted on their light bue skin. They were armed with daggers and short bows, quivers with arrows at their hips. Their bright red eyes without white searched the surroundings, their ears swiveled about, quivering heavily. They seemed very alerted, to the point of nervousness.
Suddenly large people rose from the rocks around them, about 2 dozen - no, 26. They wore black leather and were armed with broad swords, axes and longbows, two of them had magic staffs with dark red crystals.  Were it Orks? Or extremely broad shouldered and tall women? All had short hair but in different colors. Their skin color was different too, most were whites, but some had brown skin, two were yellow, and one black.
Before the elves had time to react, five, six lassos fell on each of them. The attackers were upon the squirming elven women in an instant. Very quickly and very expertly both elves were bound, with their arms in backprayers, and ropes not only above and below, but over their breasts too - parting them brutally in half. Large red ballgags were shoved into their mouths and buckled shut.  Finally, their long white manes were shaved, and red latexa caps jerked over their bald heads.
By now, the elves were very much in heat, screaming heavily into the gags and squirming in the bonds. Leashs were put on them, and they were led away. One of the attackers stood against a rock and opened her trousers. Dana felt suddenly a wave of terror and horror, for the woman was no woman at all - the person revealed what could only be a phallus, and pissed into the snow.
The attackers were - MALES!
Males were gone from Matria for over two thousand years. In ancient times, the Males had suppressed, raped and tortured the females, who finally rose and vanquished the males. Only a few males had fled Matria - were to was unknown. The females were able to reproduce among themselves and only female children were born. The reason for this unknown too, though most thought it was a gift of the goddesses like the filter cigarettes that appeared in the temples. Most cultures of Matria shared the legend that the males could return someday to reclaim Matria, and that the females of the world had to be prepared to defeat them once more.
So that was the danger Matria faced - the gravest danger of all. Danas horror subsided as fast as it had came. Curiosity thriumphed , and she eyed the pissing male. It was said they were ugly like Orks, but that was clearly untrue. He was not ugly, only different, his features angular, not as soft as a females. His body was large, his shoulders broad, very much so. He had no bossom, his chest was flat like that of a child. Dana eyed the phallus. It was much like a stallions phallus, only not so large. What would it be like to be fucked by it? Or to suck on it, be gagged by it? How would it be to kiss the lips of that male? She was not aroused, just curious. She reminded herself that all males were evil. But that was said about all Mambakas too, and Tashmals slave Ugumbe was far from being evil, the innocent cute thing.
But all that was beside the point. Males would return to her world, to enslave all women, and this had to be prevented under all circumstances.
The male was ready with pissing, closed his trousers and joined the others.  The males led the two elves through the icy surroundings. She had to now where they had come from, and....
A rush of colors again, quickly, for several seconds. A new scene. She felt surprise and even fear from Trish beside her.
A high cliff of blue ice at a grey, stormy sea. A large ship lay at the feet of the cliff. They moved nearer. There were Males on the ship, many of them, some in black leather, some in blue. The wqrriors and the seawomen - no, seamen. There was a hive of activity. Boats were on their way to the coast and others coming back, the boast shuttled. Gear, Provision, bondage material and the like were brought to the shore.
So they had come by ship. From where? Somewhere on Matria? She tried to remember what she knew about Matria. Across the Endless Sea there lay the Far Lands, home of the green skinned women in the jungles. Further north, there was land too, she knew, barely explored, but she had heard stories about women living there too.    The other way around, behind Xishaikalor far in the East was another great Ozean. Somewhere in this realm? But it was said they had been driven from Matria, the Males, completely so. She must see more.
Rush of colors once more, a scream of fear and surprise from Trish beside her.
A new picture. The ocean, some ocean, high waves, dark clouds. Suddenly, a lightning splitting the world in half. A ship - the Males ship, appeared out of nowhere, suddenly lay in the water. More lightning, and more ships appeared. Trish gasped. 3 ships, 12 ships, 30, 100, 360 ships lay in the water, all big, all strong, all full of Males.
Dana knew this was about four days earlier than the scene with the two elves. So a whole invasion fleet would come, and then split up, only one sent to deal with an elven tribe far up north in the icy wastes. Where would the others go? She had to...
Suddenly she was drawn back like a captive on a leash. She was in her body at the beach again, laying on the ground, Trish beside her.
The witch stared at her in disbelief and awe.
Then she woke up.

***
"So Lady Danadeva was able to move about in the bubble? Furthermore, to move the bubble in time and space? Speak, young Trish."
"Yes, great Spica, as I told you. And it was SHE who guided me around. We only left the bubble and the dream world as Lady Danadevas Mana was exhausted. My had been exhausted long before.
She is the strongest dream wanderer I ever met. And she was never  trained, she does everything on instinct. Only her low Mana limits her powers."
"How very interesting. My hopes are rising by this news. All this is new to you, Lady Danadeva?"
"Yes, Spica, I knew nothing about the dream world before." Dana answered.
She, Trish and the old Spica were in the Spicas sleeping chamber, Trish immediately after they woke up going over there and waking up the old witch.
"Calm down, young Trish, will you? Smoke a Jellrago, the violet ones, the calming and chilling ones. I will call a girl and have a pack brought. You might smoke too, Lady Danadeva."
Dana, barefooted and in her silken underwear had only taken with her her Laxago pack an matches, and now lit up. Trish seemed aghast how the young blonde could keep so cool. The Spica chuckled.
"I would really like to be young enough to make love to you, Lady Danadeva, I really would."
Dana was no longer embarrassed by such remarks. She smoked cooly and said, blewing out smoke:
"Is it not more important what I have seen? Should we not determine when and where the invasion fleet will appear? How many ships will go to what destination?"
"The warrior instincts are really strong in you. You speak like a general. Do you play Kerkor?"
"Yes I do, but I can hardly imagine anything less important now."
"Being bold again, the blonde big tit." the Spica in her nightgown giggled.
"So?" Dana made and took another drag. One of the white clad girls came with a violet pack of Jellragos. Trish lit one with shaking hands.
"There is no need for haste. None of our dream wanderers is able to do what you have done tonight, so it must be you who explores the realm further to answer your generals questions. Intelligence, its called in the military, I think. The problem is, you have exhausted your Mana, your magical energy. As you are no trained Maga, it is relatively low. Before you can return to the dream world and start hunting,  you need to refresh your Mana. It builds up again over time."
"I see. How long till I regain full Mana?"
"A week. Maybe sooner, given the surprising powers you have revealed so far. I have a question."
"Yes, Spica?"
"You seem not to be in fear or horror about the Males return. How come?"
"I dont know why. I feel no fear of this kind. Maybe its because I am a Krosa?"
"Maybe. What do you fear, young Lady?"
"I fear for those whom I love. I probably fear to be hurt in the heart too."
"Its said Benit is your favorite aspect."
"Yes, but you Alborans dont believe in the godesses at all. Now I have a question. Why do you witches deny the existence of the deities?"
"Several reasons. Not least is the cigarettes everyone and you not the least, love so  much."
"Beg your pardon?"
"They are gifts of the goddesses. They materialize in the temples when the goddesses are worshipped. Fine. So there are goddesses, sending the sticks. But in Albor the temples are empty for over 300 years, since the witches took over. No one is worshipping and praying there. Yet - the cigarettes still appear. We even have destroyed the odd temple, planting trees where one has stood, building a lake of deepwater at the place of another. The cigarette packs still appear in certain intervals, the ones in the lake in the middle of the water, in a few minutes soaked full of it, the cigarette paper dissolving, the tobacco swimming about, the filters soaked full of water - destroyed. "
Dana hadnt known that. She thought for a moment, killed her Laxago, took a new cigarette, looked down on it.
"But someone has to send them. For nearly two thousand years. All over Matria."
"Yes, blonde beauty. We witches think its a machine of the Ancients, still running over all this time, producing this sticks and sending them all around the world. Maybe in the time of the mighty Ancients the women of Matria built it to service the whole world and all women with the sticks. After all, it still functions just that way."
"But new temples have been built since, and there too cigarettes appear."
"Very good point, blonde lady. Its a pleasure to talk with you. I must say, we dont have an explanation for this yet. "
"So you cant explain all and everything." Dana lit up the second Laxago.
"Yes, but look. The knowledge of the Ancients has been lost in the GREAT WAR between Males and Females. The Females won, but they didnt know why the packs with this wonderful, tasty and useful filtered sticks   appeared regularly in some places. So it had to be goddesses  who sent them. To worship these powerful entities, temples were erected around the places where the cigarettes appeared."
Dana chuckled:
"So you witches explain all faith and religions on Matria with cigarettes? Dont let a priestress in the empire hear that."
"Those priestresses  are all just as greedy smokers as you, my dear."
Trish was sucking on her cigarette and looked from one to another, but said nothing. Probably didnt dare to interrupt the Spica, Dana thought.
"Well, in any case, we should go to bed now. I take it young blonde beauty Madamelle Tashmal and your Tra Ka Dar are waiting for you for the nights pleasures?
"They have probably already started without me."
"Really? The young people of today  just have no manners. This will be the downfall of civilization, heed my words."