MATRIA 28

“Quite easy, so far.” Rowenn said and looked over the rocky terrain with the caves. Dana nodded and glanced in the other direction, to the village on the far side of the lake. The sun was just rising behind it.
“When we enter the caves, theses rocks will shield us from view. Even if someone in the village is already awake and look over here, she wont be able to spot us,” the knightress continued.
“So lets not waste any time. Who knows how long we have to search for the seal in these caves.”
The landing at the beach the night before this one had went smoothly, likewise the two legs of their march. No encounter with inhabitants, be it human or animals.
The only thing memorable was when Dana couldnt help but taste a tomato from one of the plantations they passed. The damned tomcat had been right. It tasted extraordinary well.
Dana shrugged the memory off.
“Make torches and lanterns ready. We are going in now.”
One good thing after all was that down here the winter was astonishingly pleasant, no rain the last days and nights, and certainly no snow. Dana had learned that it seldom snowed at all around here.
The group left their hiding place and headed over to the nearest entrance to the caves. Inside, there was an eerie green light, emanating from mushrooms on the ground and walls. It was faint, so there own lights were needed nonetheless. There were three openings in the walls, leading deeper into the labyrinth.
Dana didnt hesitate and simple took the first one to their left, Rowenn at her side, both with drawn swords. The friends followed in pairs, Zoet and Tashmal guarding the rear.
The glowing mushrooms seemed everywhere in here. After several minutes and some twists in the corridor, they reached another large cave, with a small stream of water running through it. Small reptils fled before their feet into the dimly lit darkness.
Surprisingly, Sirf slipped out of the basket in Marules lap and jumped to the ground, heading purposefully for one of the no less than five holes in the walls.
The blonde changed glances with the others. Megan said:
“Lets follow Sirf, shall we?”
“As good as any other strategy,” Dana answered coldly.
In her mind she called out:
“Oh great Lord, you have decided to be of help again? We are grateful you deem this appropriate.”
“Is this sarcasm, oh my lady?”
“Whats that? Can it be eaten?”
“Surely, but it usually tastes bitter. I cant see the seal in dreamworld, but I am feeling the powers of the Ancients. Just follow me.”
Dana didnt respond, but she set after the tomcat, with the rest of the girls following. About half an hour and several caves and corridors later, they suddenly stood before a wall of blue Shagjat in another cave. They had reached their destination.
“Lets look for an opening,” Dana ordered, and they searched the shiny blue wall for levers, panels with buttons or the like. After a short while, Zoet exclaimed:
“Over here, to the left.”
It was a panel with 6 rather large, colored buttons.
“Which one to press, Sirf?” Dana asked in her mind.
“Not sure, heroine. Better not the red one. Lets go for blue.”
She looked down sceptically at the Conn-fy-Deth, then pressed the blue button. At first, nothing happened. Then there were mechanical sounds coming from the right, near the ceiling. Suddenly, there was a loud uproar, and a whirlestorm of dust filled the cave, blowing at the girls. Several coughed or bitched about the sudden assault.
Dana had gotten dust into her mouth too and retched, trying at the same time to shield her eyes. Instinctively, she reached out for the blue button again and pressed it once more. The uproar stopped, slowly the dust settled.
“What by Katakexu, daughtergoddess of bad suprises, was that?” Tashmal exclaimed.
“Probably a machine to clean and move the air for refreshening it,” Megan answered.
Dana assumed that Osh, her snake, had told her that.
“Megan, or Osh respectively, is correct,” Sirf announced to her. The cat was now brown and grey, its fur completely covered in dust. Dana noticed that everyone, including herself, looked that way. She spit out dust and dirt, several others doing likewise.
Reaching for her canteen of water, she said aloud:
“Just wonderful. That was obviously the wrong button.”
Megan and Trish raised their staffs and spoke a spell together. Dust and dirt rushed from the girls clothes and hair to the gound. In moments, their boots and other parts of outfit were shining again as if freshly creamed, their hair seemed only moments ago been attended to by a beauty mistress.
“Thats a nice spell,” Marule exclaimed delighted.
Trish explained:
“Its not taught at the academy, seen as pure vanity, but every girl learns it on her own. Older novices teach it for money and gifts.”
Tashmal chuckled. How could she do that, wasnt she in pain too? Had she so easily forgotten about their love? Dana shrugged it off.
“Next suggestion, Sirf?”
“The green one.”
“Your word in Danades ear.”
She pressed it down. With a screeching sound, edges appeared in the blue wall right to the left of the panel. A door opened, sliding to one side.
“Hurray!” Marule exclaimed.
Dana simply went in, Rowenn and then Zusha following.
A corridor of white shagjat, the usual soft light, closed doors and dark mirrors here and there.  Everything as expected. They started to search the complex, using buttons or the small levers to open the doors. The mechanics seemed to be in a better state than in the control station under Weidfeld.
In one room, a mirror was active, showing a blonde female speaking rapidly with fearful voice. After about a minute, the scene stopped, just to start anew.
“Do you understand the language, Sirf?”
“Its unimportant.”
“Never mind, I was just curious.”
“From Oshs communication with the machine under Weidfeld you should have deducted that we do – speak the language that is.”
“I asked Marule about it. The language of the Ancients isnt spoken anymore for thousands of years. Which leads to the question again how old you really are.”
“You are under Danades spell. Wisdom and cleverness are on the rise in you.”
“Citing a goddess, an alboran animal, well intelligent being?”
“One adopts certain phrases of the surrounding beings over time, especially if one is very old, as you suspect.”
“I see.”
“There is something, Dana...”
“What? Why do you hesitate, Sirf?”
“I would like to apologize to you. The matter with Tashmal didnt play out as I expected. It was because of my suggestion that the current situation came about.”
“Please dont dig in the wound, my Lord. It happened. I will get over it.”
“Doesnt seem so. Look, Dana...”
“Drop the matter, Sirf, will you? I have to deal with this on my own. I am surely not the first girl in the world experiencing a love gone bad.”
“As you wish, Danadeva.”
The group halted for a break, drinking from their canteens and having a smoke. Dana estimated that they had entered the caves about three hours ago. No, three hours and 12 minutes. She didnt understand why she was so sure about that, but just as with the number of people or items she saw, she somehow knew the correct time.
More Krosa powers, obviously. Well, every means at her disposal would help her in her mission. She smoked greedily, finished with her stick long before the others, immediately lighting a second one. She felt Tashmals eyes on her as she lit up, but didnt meet her gaze.
Ignore that now, Dana, will you. Concentrate on the mission, she chided herself once more.
After the break they continued their search. 22 more minutes passed. They had decided, on Rowenns proposal, not to split up if they could avoid it. The knightress had said something about bad omens. Dana had been surprised that the brunette Alboran was superstitious, but her surprise grew as everyone agreed.
Anyway, the word we are looking for is anyway... damn, that reminded her of the Achaian again.
A door opened to the groups right out of a sudden. A robot stepped out, shouting something in a deep, strange voice, aiming with his lightning crossbow.
“Down everyone!” screamed Rowenn. A red lightning shot out of the weapon, splitting the air where a moment before Zusha had stood.
Dana didnt think, she just acted. She gripped behind her for the blanket on top of her rucksack, jerked it free and cut the binding of it with her sword. The robot seemed confused by the large number of targets. He turned here and there, still shouting with his tinny voice, his weapon aiming at Marule, then Zoet, finally Niyi. Dana had freed the blanket. She jumped behind the walking machine and threw the woolen item over its head. Blinded, the robot started to shoot aimlessly.
The friends, some of them screeching like little girls in a catching game, jumped here and there in a frenzy. Hadnt it been for the danger to their lives, it would have been quite funny.
So far, everything had lasted only a few seconds. Sirfs voice screamed in her head:
“Say out loud the following: ATTAGO RE.”
Dana didnt argue, she spoke the words clearly:
“ATTAGO RE!”
The robot stopped shooting, his arms went to his sides, the lightning-crossbow pointing to the ground.  The machine went rigid. It looked weird with the blanket covering its head.
“It sleeps now,” Sirf said.
“In case I have forgotten to tell you, I am glad you speak the ancient language,” Dana thought dryly. Without thinking, she mouthed a cigarette and lit it. Most others did likewise, several of them with shaking hands.
They agreed easily that they didnt want to stay near this machine, so they quickly went down the corridor until it was out of sight, although Sirf assured Dana that the danger was over.
Before, everyone had been relatively relaxed, but that was a thing of the past now. Nervously they moved on.
It came as an anti climax as they found the expected mirror wall with only Dana visible a mere 5 minutes later.
Remembering her ordeal the last time, Dana smoked another cigarette before entering. On the two occasions before, Tashmal had shown her concern for her. This time she was silent, but Dana felt her eyes on her as she turned to the mirror.
She breathed deeply and stepped into the mirror.

The room Dana entered was surprisingly large, more a hall. In the center was a giant pool, filled with a glibbering black mass like plum pudding. Despite all her worries, Dana even smiled at the thought. But it REALLY reminded her of plum pudding.
She took this thing for the seal. Approaching the pool, she looked further about. On the halls far side was another big machine like in the other places.
“Dont go nearer, Dana,” Sirf ordered, and Osh was there too, adding:
“We must first check the parameters. Please head over to the computer, aaahh, I mean the machine with the screens and buttons.”
“So its called computer. You may use that phrase in the future, Lord Osh.”
“There is her sarcasm again, Osh.”
“Yes, lovely indeed. While we are at it, mylady, the panel with the letter and number buttons is called a keyboard. We will have to use one of those again.”
“I guess there is no avoiding that?”
“Unfortunately not, young lady.”
“By the way, my lords, there is another thought occuring to me lately.”
“She lives up to her name more and more. The goddess of wisdom would be proud. So what is it, heroine?”
While Dana went around the pole towards the computer, they continued the silent conversation:
“If you are so old and wise, know the language of the Ancients, and how to communicate with their computers, and if you seem even confident to be able to repair the seals... how come you pretended to be unaware of their existence? Once the danger of the males became clear, why didnt you tell the Spica, oh Sirf, hey, there are seals which protect Matria. Maybe they are broken. We should repair them.”
“The easiest answer to that is the one you already know. We interfere with womankinds actions and happenings as seldom as possible.”
“But thats not all...”
“You are right, child of Danade the Wise, there is more to it. Lets assume we ARE as old as you already suspect, having existed in some form already during the age of the Ancients. Lets assume further that we were quite simple beings at that time. Not at all involved in the making of the seals or such things. So we perhaps knew they existed, but didnt know their location or exactly the way how they work.”
“Thats plausible.”
“Where did you get that phrase?”
“From Lord Osh, he used it under Weidfeld while conversing with the computer. You are trying to distract me, Sirf.”
“I wouldnt dare.”
“So, its plausible, but I think you knew of their existence. So why didnt you tell the witches?”
“We did.”
“What? But...”
“We and the witches couldnt act nevertheless.”
“I dont understand.”
“First, we didnt know the locations of the seals or the control station. By the way, “control” is a joke in this respect. We hoped that under Weidfeld we would be able to use the computer to repair all seals from the distance, but the connections are broken, as we found out with your help.
But the decisive factor was that for us to enter the halls of the seals, or the “oracle” in Medusas head, our minds had to accompany a human being physically there.”
“And I am the only human we know who can pass the mirror portals.”
“You did grasp that rather quickly, I am proud of you, pretty heroine.”
“Very well, now I am feeling a bit better.”
“Starting to distrust us too? You are infected by this Redskinn. She had a very dangerous youth, and has learned to trust no one because of it. And no, I wont tell you more.”
“I was not planning to ask for more.”
She had arrived at the wall of the computer. But she had one last question:
“Do you know why I am the only one able to reach the machines and seals of the Ancients? It cant be because I am a Krosa, as Zusha is one too and she cant pass the mirrors.”
“Maybe you were chosen by the goddesses.”
“Sirf, please. No nonsense now. I am sure it has to do with the powers of the Ancients. Try to explain it to me.”
“Uuhh, how to go about that... Osh?”
“Young lady, just as different keys wont work on a lock but only one, your life essence, call it your soul, is special to these mirrors like said key to a lock or group of locks. The portal recognizes your soul as one allowed to pass. We have no exact explanation why this is so, but probably your soul is very similar to a soul of a person living while the seals were built.”
“I heard from one of the others that some cultures on Matria believe in reincarnation of souls.  May that be the case here?”
“Something along those lines.” Sirf answered.
“Now can we get down to business? I have a bad feeling somehow. Something is wrong. We should not waste more time. While you and Osh work, I will visit dreamworld, looking for danger.”
Dana nodded, which caused a chuckle from Sirf.
“What? You can see me somehow, so why shouldnt I nod?”
“Your mimic and actions during our conversations are quite strange to other humans watching you. You should keep that in mind next time we speak in the presence of others.”
“OOH. Never thought of that. Thats why Tashmal...” she stopped cold.
Osh said:
“You will win back your lover, I am sure. I am not fond of the relationship of my witch with the Achaian. You may love Lady Rakaros, but I strongly disapprove of her. Now, shall we start?”
The work at the “keyboard” went astonishingly well. Dana realized that she had already memorized the position of every letter and number on the board, and she started to use more than one finger to press the small buttons.
Osh dictated her the lines, the computer answered smoothly. She was so deeply immersed in the task, that she virtually jumped as suddenly, a loud humming sound filled the hall. She looked back and saw the “plum pudding” of the seal convulsing.
“Aaahh, Lord Osh, is that intended?”
“Yes, young assistant, everything works out as planned. The seal is now readjusting itself. It will take only a few minutes. I think over the millenniums it, well, moved a bit in its pool. We have now resurrected that.”
“Am I allowed to ask how it comes that you are able to do that? Readjusting the seal?”
“I worked with similar machines like these computers a long time ago. Actually, with the ones teleporting the cigarettes around the world.”
“Oh, so it is true, there is a giant machine producing and sending out the sticks somewhere on Matria?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“But, uuuh... all the tobacco, the paper, the filters. All this material! There are millions of women on Matria, and all smoke, many a whole pack daily. Where does it all come from?”
“The machine takes Mana from the sun and transforms it with a spell into the sticks. The suns Mana is so great that in a million years only a tiny fraction of it would be used up by that.”
“Could this way not provision and water be created too? And all other things, from clothes to dishes?”
“Very good, young lady, and in fact in the Ancients age it was done just this way.”
“No hunger, no poverty, this... this must have been wonderful.”
“You are quick to grasp the implications. But humans always find ways for strive and evil. The conflict between males and females destroyed the Ancients culture, and in the end, all the wonderful knowledge was lost.”
“Only you, Sirf, and the others remained. You must be very sad.”
“I am starting to like you, young lady.”