***

Ouch-od-Dry was huge, the ruins covering square mile upon square mile. It would take them about two hours to reach the large tower in the center. The sun was about to set, it was raining once more, and a strong westerly wind let their cloaks and Danas open blonde hair flutter.
They made camp about a mile outside of the ruins, planning to enter them in the next morning. The weapon maids erected the tents, tended to the horses and lit camp fires, just as every evening.
The friends enjoyed cigarettes after the long ride and stretched. Dana went over to the place where the two captured elves were kneeling, bound to spears thrust into the ground. They hadnt up to now  made a single sound into their gags.
Erynn had explained to Dana that the team carried canteens with nonperishable magical human blood for just the purpose of feeding elven captives with it. The elves would not drink it at first, but after one or two days, depending on their individual strength, they would surrender and do so.
Out of an impulse, she removed the gag of the left elve. The guard of the captives warned her:
"Attention! She might try to bite you, Mylady."
Dana nodded. She was careful, ready to immediately draw back her hand, but the elve remained totally calm. She didnt even look up at Dana.
The blonde took her cigarette pack and put a stick between the elves lips, which were blue like her eyes. The elve hold it with her lips. Dana knew there were "delivery points", as the witches called them, of cigarettes in Medusas head too, so the elves had cigarettes and according to Erynn they smoked them.  
She lit the stick for the creature, and the elven scout took a deep first drag. The other, still gagged elve looked at her smoking comrade, than at Dana.
The blonde removed the second captives gag and gave her a cigarette too, lit it. The elves smoked for a while, Dana taking the cigarettes in intervalls and ashing into the wet grass, before putting them between the captives lips again.
When both were finished with smoking, Dana gagged them again, and returned to the campfire of her friends.
Neither Tashmal, nor one of the others commented on her action. No one seemed to be in the mood for smalltalk, not even Marule, who quietly filled a bowl with meat for Sirf, who sat in his basket beside her and seemed half asleep. Sleeping seemed to be his favorite pastime anyway, as he did it during the day while they rode, as well as in the night, very seldom leaving the cushioned basket at all.
Zusha went to fetch their meals from the cooking fire, a thick soup with meat and vegetables swimming in it, returned, and they ate in silence. Finished, they lit new cigarettes.
Dana broke the silence and asked:
"Will someone tell me now what strange and dangerous things happen in the ruins of the Ancients?"
Marule did so:
"Oh, there are many stories, many of them from trustworthy sources. Living dead going about, out for  womens brains. Iron warriors, creatures of iron and steel, indefeatable, attacking and killing everyone entering with lightning like the combat spells of our witches. Pain in body and head, blood running out of noses, ears and mouth. Sudden sickness, women fainting from one moment to the other.  Strange voices speaking out of thin air, screams in the night where there is no one  to scream. Likewise weeping and howling, of unseen ghosts."
"Sounds more like horror stories told after too many heavy wine or brandy." Dana opinioned.
"Oh, its the truth, Dana!" Marule exclaimed.
"Its because of the horrors of the GREAT WAR" Sirf suddenly said in Danas head.
"You know more about it, lazy cat?"
"Manners, young lady, please."
"You are the one who introduced himself by calling me "bug tits", remember?"
"UUhh, you got me there, young Lady. Darned! Yes, I know more about it. The stories are all true. You must be careful, alert and brave. But you are a heroine, so these things come natural to you."
"You are mocking me, Sirf."
"I would never dare too. And its Lord, or Mister. Such a Male is addressed."
"Interesting. Do you know more about this big old machine? ... Sirf? Sirf!"
Suddenly, Dana heard in her head a loud, deep snoring. She looked at the tomcat in its basket. It was asleep once more. Or pretended to be, as she suspected.
In the night, loud howling and weeping came from the ruins, robbing most of the team of sleep.
Dana tried to ignore it, succeeded easily once more, and fell asleep, dreaming about elves, Zombies, and Males.
She woke up a bit disarranged, but she went out of her tent and the fresh air and the light rain cleared her head quickly. Megan and Trish were sitting at the nearest fire and were smoking.
She joined them and lit up too.
"Good morning,"  Megan said and smiled.
"Good morning you two. Up so early? "
"Our Con-fy-Deth woke us up in our minds. They are eager to enter the ruins."
"Oohh. How come?" Dana poured herself some Kaff.
"They are very curious about the machine. Somehow they all think it will be able to answer yet more questions."
Tashmal appeared beside Dana, yawning.
"Good morning, cute whore."
"HHmmff."
"Gagged today?"
"Very funny, Dana. I have a headache. And there was a stone under my left hip."
"Poor thing. Some Kaff?"
"Grrmmff."
Dana interpreted that as a yes and poured her lover some Kaff. Tashmal drank, lit a cigarette of her own and stared darkly into the fire.
Dana smiled. She said:
"You snored tonight, Tashmal."
The two witches laughed.
"What? Nonsense, I dont snore, I am a lady."
"I see." The blonde chuckled.

***

They entered the city ruins after a short breakfast. Soon thereafter, the headaches and bleeding started.  Blood was running out of ears, nose and mouth of many of the women, and some had so heavy headaches that they had to groan in pain. Tashmal was affected the most. She was bleeding constantly, and ruined one handkerchief after the other.
Dana was unaffected, having no headache or other problems at all. They were underway for about an hour, just entering a wide plaza, as a small group of 5 ugly, smelling creatures emerged from a ruin to their right and attacked them. They had grey, rotten skin and were groaning deeply.
It were Zombies, living dead who could only be destroyed by severing their heads or splitting them.
They proved to be no match for the group. The Knights and weapon maids destroyed them in short order.  Dana watched the fallen bodies curiously.
"How can they still be around after two thousand years?" she asked.
It was Trish who answered:
"That is unkown. It is thought they lay about as corpses, somehow conserved, and rise from time to time, set into motion by the smell of human brains."
They continued towards the large tower in the cities center, and reached it an hour later without further incident.
The plan was that Geehl, the fourth witch, her knight and six weapon maids would remain outside with the horses, while the group would enter the tower.
The huge structure had a large gate, which stood open. The inside was lit by a light from an invisible source. They entered, and stood in a large hall, the ground littered with Shagjat pieces broken off from the ceiling. Some human skeletons were laying about.
"I already love it," Tashmal snorted, wiping blood from her still bleeding mouth. Dana touched her gently at the shoulder. The Achaian sent her an angered glance.
The knights and weapon maids had formed a circle around the witches and Dana and her friends, weapons drawn.  There was music coming from nowhere, or everywhere, Dana was not sure. It was a cheerful melody, and every minute it was interrupted and a sweet, friendly female voice said something in a foreign language, which even the witches didnt understand.
Dana asked Sirf in her mind about it, who was carried by Marule, but the cat didnt answer, just starred at her with its green eyes.
Suddenly, a large blind mirror at the wall to the left became bright, a moving picture emerged, the head of a very beautiful young woman, just mouthing a filter cigarette. She had red long hair, green eyes and perfect makeup. The cigarette adorned her face nicely. She lit up and smoked seductively. A loud female voice coming from the mirror spoke in the foreign language. The beautiful woman held up her cigarette pack, and the picture focused on the pack in her hand, one of red color, Malegos.
Everyone had stared at the magical mirror, which now went dark again.
Erynn, the Commanding witch, cleared her throat and commanded:
"Well, lets move. There is a staircase leading upwards."
They knew from Danas dream that the old machine was on the 40th level of the tower. The group ascended the stairs, climbing level upon level, without incidents. At the 28th level, Henna and the weapon maids in the vanguard stopped, and the Knight returned to Erynn und the other witches.
"There are two iron warriors ahead. They carry the lightning crossbows which are so deadly. They dont move, and the crystals being their eyes are dark, but they block our path."
The witches went forward to take a look, and the friends followed. Carefully, everyone looked around the corner. When it was Danas turn, she saw the two warriors were really of some bluish metal, like living heavy armor.  They had red crystals as eyes and carried heavy iron crossbows with red crystals were the bolts would have been.
"They sleep, or are dead." opinioned Megan.
"We cant be sure," Erynn said seriously.
“I have an idea," Tashmal announced, drawing a latexa club. "Zusha and I will throw clubs at their heads. If they sleep, they will wake up. Otherwise we can be quite sure they are dead."
Sirf suddenly said in Danas head:
"They are machines, walking and thinking machines of the ancients. They are called robots. The two here dont function anymore.  So no need to be worried. But let your friends find out for themselves that they are "dead"."
"You are full of knowledge, Lord Sirf. So you are useful after all."
"Always at your service, young lady."
Tashmal and Zusha threw the latexa clubs and quickly retreated back behind the corner. They hit both "robots" heads with a metallic sound, but the machines didnt react in the slightest.
Erynn decided they would proceed,  passing between the two warriors. They did so, and everyone had a strange feeling while passing the robots, but nothing happened. So Sirf had been right, they didnt function anymore.
The group continued up the broad staircase. On every level there was a large hall, mostly empty, save for the odd skeleton. Obviously the inhabitants of the tower had died a violent death, probably all at the same time, Dana mused. The GREAT WAR between males and females must have been terrible. Such must not happen again, Dana swore to herself.
Without further incident, they reached the 40th level and entered the hall there.  As was the case on every level in every hall, there were several doors of Shagjat leading out of it.  
They started to search the level, room by room, hall by hall. If there had been furniture in the rooms it had dissolved by now. Dana saw a colored dust on the floor here and there. It were the remnants of hard latexa, Megan explained. In many walls there were blind mirrors, some large, some small. No moving pictures started to run when they passed them.
There were no more iron warriors, Zombies or any other visible dangers.
After about 20 minutes, they entered another hall, empty save for a giant mirror on the wall opposite to the entrance. It was a real mirror, but it had to be magical nonetheless, because of their whole group, Dana alone could be seen in it.
"That must be the entrance to the machine," Erynn said.
"Entrance?" Tashmal asked.
"Yes, I gather its some kind of portal. One can pass the mirror and get to somewhere else."
"But why can one only see Dana in it?" Marule mused.
"Isnt it obvious," Megan said. "Only Dana may pass it."
"Wonderful," Tashmal said, starring darkly at the mirror. Dana could tell that she feared for her blonde. She had a warm feeling of love for her Achaian.
She approached the mirror and said:
"Well, then lets not hesitate. I will pass it, and speak with the machine."
"If it still functions," Trish added.
"Lets hope so," Erynn said. "Yes, Lady Danadeva, I think there is no other option now."
"Very well," Dana said and continued towards the portal.
"Wait!" said Tashmal. She followed  her, seized her by an arm and turned her rudely about. She took Danas head and lowered her face to her own. They kissed, hotly so.
When they parted, Tashmal said:
"Dont make any nonsense on the other side, silly one. If you are killed or something, I will come after you and you will regret it."
Dana smiled. "Sometimes, you are so cute, my evil whore."
The Achaian snuffled.
Dana looked at the others, nodded to them, turned again, and straightly walked through the mirror.

***

She emerged from another mirror, facing the big old machine now, and was immediately sized by two iron warriors. She struggled briefly, but the grip of the iron fingers was inescapable like manacles. They conducted her to a cushioned leather seat in front of the greatest blind mirror in the surface of the machine. With broad leather straps, she was quickly fastened to the seat. The robots retreated into the background.
"Hello, hello! What a beautiful young female!" a deep voice, quite similar to Sirfs, said, coming from the machine. The machine was "male" - wonderful, Dana thought and squirmed briefly in the leather straps.
"I am greeting you, big machine."
"Call me "library" or "lib" will you?"
"Ah, lib, very well."
"I gather you and the other females have come her for answers. The big lib has all the answers, or I had, ohm, but, ah, never mind."
"The women of Matria are in grave danger. Males will invade our world, coming through a large magical portal of some kind."
"Males? Oh no, we cant have that, can we, young female. How may I help you?"
"Is there a way to prevent the invasion? To close this portal somehow? "
"Oh, questions, questions. Well, I knew all the answers, but..."
"Yes?"
"The lib isnt free. You must pay me."
"Pay? With what? Gold? Magical crystals?"
"Dont need any of that. Run by Mana taken from the sun, the biggest Mana source of all. Entertainment  and suspense is the currency I lust for."
"What do you mean?"
"Do you play Kerkor?"
"Yes, I do."
"Oh, how wonderful. You might pay me with a game. If you win, I will answer your questions."
"And if I lose?"
"Then the lib will be closed for you. You may come back in, say, a hundred years or so."
"Very well. But we have no board?"
"Oh, that, wait a moment, young female, will you."
The big blind mirror turned bright and showed a Kerkor board, with the pieces in starting position as if one looked down on it from above.
"I am generous, you may have blue and begin."
Dana thought quickly. The machine called itself library, it had all knowledge of the Ancients, probably including everything there was to know about Kerkor, even more so, than Mareshes, the old general in Lashayette. Had she the slightest chance to win? She had to win, must win, under any circumstances. She hesitated.
"Your time is running, young female!"
She had to gulp. Suddenly, Sirfs voice said in her head:" Right Flank Lance Riders spearwoman to K3."
"Sirf, how could you follow me?  And you play Kerkor?"
"Unimportant know, big tits. Yes, I play Kerkor. Now let us show this tin can how the game is played. Announce the move."
Dana did so.
The spearwoman moved on the picture to K3.
"Ah, a flanking move. Interesting. You are not new to the game, I see. Thats promising..." the "library" said.
It proved to be more than promising. Dana, or better: Sirf, won in 68 turns. She had never witnessed a better game.
The library seemed delighted.  "How very wonderful, young female, you are amazing. I have to thank you for the game. Now, to your questions."
"Library, how to hinder the Males from entering Matria?"
"There is nothing to fear at all, no one can enter Matria from another world, the planet is sealed."
"Planet?"
"Never mind, I mean the world, Matria. She cant be reached from other worlds."
"But we saw in the dream world that she WILL be reached."
"Oh, well, then...yes, than the seals must be broken."
"Can they be resealed, restored, whatever?"
"This is possible though I dont know if you have the power to do so. For probably only you, young female, will be able to enter the seals chambers."
"How many seals are there and where are they?"
"There are seven. But... uh, I dont know anymore where they are."
"What? Beg your pardon, library, you said you had all the answers."
"Some of my files are destroyed. I mean, well, some of the books in my library have, ah, fallen victim to a fire, their knowledge lost."
"That is very bad. What shall we do now?"
"Dont despair, young female, there is a solution. There is a control station for the seals, and you will  be able to learn about their locations there. Most fortunately, I still now its location."
"Wonderful. Where is it?"
"The names of countries and realms have changed, so I better show you on a map. Wait."
On the big mirror, a picture appeared, a map of Matria. It was much more detailed than maps Dana had seen, showing even the parts of the world yet unexplored. The picture zoomed in, to Arankalor.
Dana felt relief. She had feared it would be far away, over the Endless Sea or something.
A red dot began to blink in the center of the continent.
"Thats in the Empire."
"If you say so, young female."
The picture zoomed in yet a bit more, and Dana saw it was the Kaisermark, the crowns own realm.
"They have built a large city above the place. It seems to be the largest city for many dozen miles around."
"That must be Weidfeld, capital of the empire and seat of the Kaisera."
"I see, young female."
"I thank you, very much so, library. I have another question, its not important, I am just curious."
"I am listening."
"How do you know and speak my language?"
"I analyzed your groups language while you ascended the tower. I have cameras, ah, I mean, magical eyes, everywhere around here. I saw and heard you on the whole way."
"I see."
The robots came to her and released her from the seat.
"Sorry for that, but I must be cautios. I had visitors some centuries ago who tried to damage me."
"No problem, library."
"I would really love to converse with you longer, but I must rest now. My Mana pool, you understand. My magazines are not all functioning anymore. The teeth of time, you know..."
"I understand. Goodbye. And thank you again."
"I have to thank you for the wonderful game. Goodbye."
Dana rose, headed for the mirror, cast a last glance back at the library machine, and then went through the mirror portal.