(Chapter contains some bondage, including a short netting in silk spider)

“My ass is so sore, this journey is endless,” Tashmal sighed.
She and Dana were in a crouch over the waste pit, relieving themselves. Dana had by now learned to do that under the eyes of others, but she still felt uneasy while at it.
Two Tra Ka Dar with spears at the ready stood guard nearby. It was the evening of the 13th day of the journey. The savages hadn’t attacked again, and in the preceding days, only random encounters with ground dragons stupid enough to attack their column were worth mentioning.
Dana had to grant her lover that the voyage was indeed long, and she had enough of riding herself. And she longed for a real bed. Tashmal cleansed herself with her toilet paper and gave the role to Dana.
They were just finished and had put on their trousers again, as a shrill sound and the rustling of leaves let them turn in alarm. A giant spider had emerged between the trees, its numerous eyes glistening in the evening light, green stuff dripping from her fangs. Tashmal froze in place and stared in shock at the monster.
The two warriors called out for help and readied their spears. Dana drew her sword and thrust the motionless Tashmal behind her. The spider sent a long stream of silk towards one of the guards, which was in an instant encased in a tight silken net bondage and fell to the ground. The second warrior attacked and thrust her spear into an eye of the beast. The spider moved very quickly, and the Rondaka lost grip of her weapon. She sprang backwards and drew her doubleaxe.
The blonde gave Tashmal a push that her lover stumbled to the ground, and then attacked the monster herself, severing one of its hairy legs. Another stream of silk shot through the air. Dana jumped left, rolled over the ground and came upright again. The silken net had missed her.
Zusha, Lina Lir and several Rondakas with spears und bows appeared at the waste pit, weapon tips glistening with anti-spider-poison.
The animal rushed to the helplessly netted warrior on the ground and lifted her in its fangs. Several arrows and spears flew through the air, all hitting home in the spiders body or eyes. The monster shuddered, there was that shrill sound again. Lina Lir was before the thing, her shortsword hacking down on the fangs, severing them. The netted Rondaka fell down again, released.
The spider turned on its back, legs scrambling in the air. Then it lay still. Dana allowed herself to breath deeply. She went over to Tashmal, who knelt there, gulping, her hands shaking.
“Are you okay, my love?”
“Uhhh, yes, everything is well. Uff, I need a filmu.”
Dana knelt down opposite of the Achaian, produced her cigarettes and put one between Tashmals quivering lips, softly, delicately so. Slowly, she gave her a light.
The Dark Blade smoked avidly, slowly calming herself. Dana observed her a bit, then looked over to the others. The netted warrior had been freed of the sticky stuff and seemed unharmed. Several Tra Ka Dar were pushing and dragging the dead spider with spears and stout ropes away from the camp.
Megan and Rowenn had appeared too, coming over to Dana and Tashmal to learn that everything was okay.
Zusha had given Lina Lir a cigarette as a reward for her brave behavior, as she put it. The slave was smoking greedily, still short on nicotine as well as totally deprived of sex.
“Uuuh, spider again. Did you know, great heroine, that in Mambakalor some magas have their own kind of con-fy-deths, and these are usually spiders?”
It was Sirf in Danas head again. During the nights, Dana often trained with Sirf during her sleep, visiting dreamworld. Sometimes Trish joined them, as Sirf had decided to train her too. Dana had sometimes wondered if Trish was jealous of her powers in dreamworld, but it dint seem so. She seemed delighted every time Dana mastered a new element of dreamwandering, even if she herself couldn’t achieve it.
“Are these spider males as aggressive and… ah evil as the spiders elsewhere?”
“Spiders are not evil, its just their nature to be aggressive and to suck out their prey.”
“I know that, Sirf, it was only a joke.”
“Ohh, good. Well, these magical male spiders could be called a bit on the dark side, yes. Mambakalor is all in all a bit on the dark side in religion, politics and so on. But you surely know by now that ordinary people everywhere just want to be happy and care for the ones they love and so on.”
“Sure, old guy, I am not as longer so naïve to believe all Mambakas are evil.”
“Hmmm… problem down there is, most of those in power are just that… evil. They are not necessarily responsible for it, as they are just raised that way by the system, and they copy it from their mothers and aunts and priestresses, who have copied it themselves when they were young…”
“I understand. But where did it begin? Why do they worship only the dark aspects?”
“That’s a long story. I will tell you when we go for the seal in Mambakalor. Your Tashmal looks angry you are talking with me in your head again. Lean forward and kiss her, will you?”
Dana laughed and did so. Tashmal was surprised.
“What was that for?”
“Sirfs advice.”
“I really would like to talk with that male too, he seems very wise and cultivated.”
“You misjudge him…”

+++

“Morning, Trish, whats the matter, you look worried?” Megan asked, holding a cup of hot Kaff in her slender gloved hands, sitting beside Rowenn, Dana, Tashmal, Zusha and Lina Lir at a fire.
It was raining this morning, and everyone has put on cloaks and huddled together. The whiteblonde witch didn’t sit down, she said hastily:
“Horsh has spotted a large tribe of Orcs marching towards us. Several hundred. He says they march quicker than we ride.”
Zusha ordered Lina Lir to inform Kera Kel Kesh and invite her to their fire. Rowenn grabbed Trishs cloak and dragged her down a bit until the girl sat finally down with a sigh. Dana gave her a cup of Kaff and nodded to Zoet, who had followed her witch. Marule was still sleeping and Niyi was with the guards near the horses.
The old Tra Ka Dar quickly arrived, and they discussed what to do. Fighting several hundred Orcs was out of the question. They had to avoid them and quicken their pace, hoping they would stop the chase after some days, maybe when reaching another tribes territory. That decided, they broke camp immediately.
Half an hour later their column was on a broad dragon trail again, moving east in about double the tempo they had held the days before.
They estimated that they would reach the vicinity of the seal in three days. As they couldn’t see the seal and its direct surroundings in dreamworld, they didn’t know what was waiting there for them.
Dana had a feeling it would be another bad surprise…

+++

The elven settlement looked strange. Orbs and domes of a white, soft looking material like soft ice out of Lashayette huddling together or placed on trees, connected with leathern ladders and ropes.
Many elves were about, with greyish skin, blue curly hair and blue eyes. Some were shaping weapons or tools, others were cutting wood and spit repeatedly on it, resulting astonishingly in this white, soft mass the dwellings seemed to be of. Others were feasting on humans, who were alive, at least in the beginning. Those were tied and strictly gagged, but their terror emanated from their twisting bodies. Elven children, some only toddlers, played right next to such horrific scenes.
In the center of the settlement, the ruins of a metal and shagjat building of the Ancients rose. Two elves were standing guard before it, their bodies painted white, they carrying large, ceremonial looking spears.
The seal was in there.
It had not been easy to avoid the elven sentries and patrols during the last two days. On finding out about the elves in dreamworld, they had decided that their main group would turn south and pass the settlement in two days distance, while only a small group would approach the target on foot.
Now they were hiding in a large tree overlooking the tribes home, waiting for nightfall. Dana was accompanied by Tashmal, Zusha, Lina Lir, Megan, Rowenn, Niyi, and one Tra Ka Dar maga. And Sirf and Osh naturally.
As they had found out about the elves, Dana had immediately known their settlement would be around the seal. That the location was obviously some kind of holy place for the womaneaters was only slightly worse. And don’t forget about those Orcs, Dana, she reminded herself. The greenskinned monsters were still following them.
The rondakian maga, her name was Ushi Ul, had made a spell to the effect that their clothes, skins and hair was of a green-brown color, in irregular patterns. They could drink and eat while they waited, but smoking was out of the question, which didnt lighten the groups mood. It was bad anyway.
Why had there to be elves at the seal after all? Was everything not difficult enough? Dana asked herself not for the first time. They had discussed contacting the womaneaters, but decided against it. Those only human contact was with their stock and savages of the tribes around here, they would probably not react friendly to alien humans who wanted to desecrate their holy place.
Time seemed to pass extremely slowly. Finally, the sun set, and some elves lit colored lampions which shed a fluorescent light on the settlement. But there were many large shadows, and after some more time, it was dark enough for their venture, or so they hoped.
Just as they started to leave the tree, an elve approached the ancient ruin and talked with the two guards. She had her body and face painted with white symbols, and some sort of crown in white rested on her blue hair. She offered cigarettes to the two others, and all three smoked. So, the elves had a source for the sticks nearby. Or did they trade for them with another tribe?
Anyway, Dana thought. They observed for a while longer, until the elves had finished their smokes and the white painted one entered the ruin. Great, Dana mumbled angrily to herself.
“Lets not waste more time,” she signaled to the others. The eight girls left the tree and approached settlement and ruin from the north, going for the ancient buildings backside. Large branches of trees reached out to this side, here and there touching the walls.
Dana and her friends came to the perimeter of the settlement. Two sentries were in a tree to their left. The group moved as slowly and carefully as possible through the bushes to remain unseen. There was the problem of a magical alarm. Tashmal and Niyi with their anti-magic-zones were in front, but they didnt know for sure they would suppress elven magic too. Suddenly, Tashmal stopped and signaled: “There is magic here.”
It was a thin zone around the settlement, about one meter wide. The Achaian and Niyi positioned themselves in it and the others passed between them. As both girls activated their zones, the magic on their colors vanished for a short time too, with Niyis white and Tashmals blue outfits shining brightly. But it was dark and bushes and trees shielded them largely from view. The dangerous moment passed. No alarm sounded, no elves attacked them, everything remained quiet. In the center of the settlement, many elves had gathered, they started to sing. It sounded very beautiful. Dana was moved by it, and thought not for the first time who such soft creatures could eat humans alive. Sirfs words about spiders came to her mind: Its their nature. But spiders were usually not intelligent. Elves were, and what about their ethics? Did they think nothing of torturing and killing other intelligent beings? On the other hand, the blonde had to admit, what should they do, if they needed the flesh and blood to survive?
The elves had been around in the time of the Ancients too. Had it been solved differently back then? With human flesh and blood made out of mana from the sun?
Dana thought all this in a detached part of her mind, her attention to the surroundings and their sneaking through the settlement not impeded in the slightest. It was she who stopped the group as her sharp Krosa ears noticed elves approaching. They waited in the bushes. Inside the settlement, bushes had not been cut, so hiding was easy.  Two elderly elves with much gray in their bluish hair passed, they went hand in hand.
Two minutes later they had to stop again as from a dwelling, which looked from nearby like a giant beehive, an elve emerged, looking over to the gathering in the center, seemingly listening to the song. The creature lit a cigarette, indulged in smoking. An elve child appeared beside her, looking up at the adult elve. The adult rested a hand on the childs head, stroke her hair.
The girls had to wait till both creatures retreated back into the dwelling.
They reached the building, the openings and windows in its back alight from the strange light of the Ancients.
At the back of the building they discovered a large branch growing directly into a window on the third level. The girls climbed the tree, while Sirf preceded them and vanished over the branch into the ruin.
Soon his voice sounded in Danas mind:
“Everything quiet and clear here. The usual light of the Ancients everywhere, but the interior is a surprise.”
Dana informed her friends, and, one by one, they traversed the branch and entered the ancient dwelling.
The interior was indeed a surprise. Every room, every wall, every door was adorned with fresh colorful flowers, wooden sculptures, animal hides or skillful drawings in black and white.
It was indeed a temple, a temple of beauty. They couldnt help themselves but look at some of the sculptures and drawings for a while. Too bad Marule was not with them, Dana thought.
Zusha was impatient, signaling them onward. So they started to search the place for the mirror which had to be there, the one which only showed Dana.
The girls opened doors with buttons or levers, always ready for action, as at least one elve, the white painted one, was in here. This paid off well as in one room they entered, they encountered two young elves sitting on the floor crosslegged, staring at each other. They seemed in some kind of trance, as they didnt scream and reacted very slowly.
The group acted quickly. Dana and Niyi were beside the elven girls in seconds and applied the sleeping grip to their necks. With soft sighs, both elves went out. They were immediately tied up elaborately and securely, and received tight three part latexa gags too. Helplessly packaged, they were hogtied and left on the floor.
In another room, on matresses numerous unfinished sculptures and drawings lay, but those who had worked on them were gone now.
A third room contained three elves, virtually mummified in black leather ropes and heavily gagged with leather too, who were dangling suspended from the ceiling. The creatures stared at them and mmppffed, but were impotent to  do anything. The girls controlled their bondage and then left them behind again.
The mirror was in the central room of the highest level. The room was adorned with flowers and drawings too. As expected, only Dana could be seen in the mirror.
“Well, here we go,” she sighed, kissed Tashmal hotly, and stepped into the portal.
The first thing she noticed on the other side was the wonderful music.

**
The music engulfed her, filling the entire hall, so rich, so sweet, so beautiful that Dana was instantly charmed. It came from the big computer wall behind the seal in its pool.
The white panted elve was standing at the machine, hitting a keyboard. Did she make this music?
Sirf said in her head:
“Well, oh heroine, I grant you that this elven girl is a gifted musician, and probably composer too, but you better deal with her before she notices you.”
It hit Dana out of a sudden: “She can pass the mirror!”
“Obviously. That lets me think the bite of an elve you received plays a crucial role in your own ability to pass the portals. But lets think about that later.”
The hall looked exactly like the one in Zillagoll. Dana rounded the pool full of black “plumpudding”, quickly and silently. She was about three steps behind the elve when the music stopped and the creature turned abruptly. Her eyes without white widened and she let out a shrill scream. It was probably no scream for help, just surprise, as she was quiet again quickly, instead immediately attacking.
The blonde did likewise with a kick of the Deathly Edge, hitting the elve in the stomach and sending her backwards against the computer.
It was Oshs voice in Danas mind who cried out:
“No, please, be careful, young lady!”
The elve was quite tenacious. Despite the kick, she hurled herself at Dana again, trying to get her between her hands with the clawlike nails and between her fangs.
Dana evaded to the right and the creature passed her unwillingly. The blonde jumped on the elve from behind and pressed her to the ground with her heavier and larger body. The elven girl struggled and hissed like a snake. Danas gloved hand found her slender neck and her fingers pressed home in the sleeping grip.
The elve passed out and lay still. Qickly, Dana stripped her, taking of her loin- and bosom cloth. Next she bound the girl with rope, strictly and tightly as usual. Finally, a three part latexa gag was applied.
The exmaid leaned the still unconscious elve with her back against the metal wall of the computer, and allowed herself a cigarette.
“Just a smoke guys, and I will be ready for you.”
Sirf thought:
“Outside everything is quiet. In a sense. They are still singing tough. You will have to change the keyboard.”
“Huh?”
“The elve used one to play music with, like a piano. You will need one with letters and numbers.”
“Ahh, I see.”
Dana was smoking avidly. When finished, she killed the butt on the metal wall and approached the keyboard.
“How do I change it?”
Now it was Oshs turn:
“Press the silvern button. See, young lady, the music board retreats into the wall and the normal one appears. Ready to assist me again?”
“Yes, Lord Osh, lets begin.”
Osh started to dictate, and they made quick progress. They were accomplishing everything faster tha at the first seal. As the “plumpudding started to vibrate and move about in the pool, the packaged elve woke up. She let out a “UMMPPH!” of surprise, and struggled briefly, but then was quiet and didnt move anymore. Her eyes were on Dana and her activities.
When Osh and Dana were finished, the blonde looked down on the elve. She mused aloud:
“She can pass the portals too. She could be helpful if we take her with us.”
Sirf answered:
“So? If packaged all the time, nearly everyone seeing her on or journey will instantly try to kill her. Furthermore, on what should she feast? The odd woman we encounter on our way? Or on you all the time? And then, how to communicate with her? No one of us speaks her elven dialect, which is very different from the elven languages of Arankalor. I doubt that one of our Tra Ka Dars speak it, let alone someone in the realms we have yet to venture to.
“So, sorry, Danadeva, I think this is just not practicable.”
“Too bad. I really liked the idea.”
“Forget it. Lets go. If someone enters the place and finds our girls or the odd package, all hell will break loose.”
Dana reluctantly agreed, sent the elve a last look, who glared calmly back, and headed over to the mirror. After another look at the black “plumpudding” of the seal, she went through the portal, back to the others.

+++

“Wonderful,” Tashmal mumbled, before she lit her cigarette and sucked strongly on the blonde filter.
Blewing out smoke around the stick, she continued:
“The Orcs half a day to the north, the elves half a day to the northeast, both intend on our scalps or worse. Wasnt there this old story of the two sea monsters where you can only choose between eaten by the one or the other?”
They were resting for a few minutes, being chased by orcs and elves alike for two  days and nights now. They were all exhausted, but what was more dangerous: Their horses were exhausted too.
Kera Kel Kesh rode over to the friends and announced:
“I have a plan.”
Dana said:
“I have one too. Lets see if our plans are identical.”
“You first, young whiteskinn.”
“Very well,” Dana said and mouthed a cigarette of her own. Megan gave her a light. The blonde explained:
“We change course, going north towards the orcs. The elves will follow us. When the distance to both elves and orcs is roughly the same, as determined by Horsh, the falcon, we move southwest. If everything goes well, the two parties will meet before meeting us.
I am not fond of causing a bloody battle, but in this case it seems the only option. Let them massacre each other while we escape. After the battle the winner will hopefully be too much weakened to follow and attack us any longer.”
“Excellent, young lady, exactly what I had in mind too,” the gray haired Tra Ka Dar said.
“I assumed that,” Dana grinned. Although she not really felt like it. It lay heavy on her that this plan would lead to a bloody slaughter between the two groups. But she saw no other way.
Rowenn whistled thoughtfully, then asked:
“But dont both groups already know about each other through their scouts? Will they fall for the trap?”
Kera Kel Kesh answered:
“They have spotted each other, yes, but orcs and elves hate each other more than they hate humans. If elves hate humans at all. They just feast on them. I dont hate the pig that provides my cutlet too.”
“Interesting aspect of the whole problem,” Tashmal said sarcastically.
“Anyway,” Dana announced, “lets do it this way. I think it will work, and its at least worth a try.”
So they turned to the north, approaching the orcs. Soon there were skirmishes with their scouts. After three hours they stopped and waited. Horsh informed them continously about developments, and Sirf went to dreamworld for further intelligence. Both orcs and elves approached quickly.
The distance was getting critical, when Kera Kel Kesh ordered the unit to mount horses again and ride southwest with high speed. About half an hour passed, then behind them wild, load roars of orcs and shrill elven war cries rose into the sky. It had worked. The battle had begun.
Dana sighed. There had been no other way, she told herself. But her mind painted pictures of creatures dying under the trees, of blood running over the ground. She bit her lips. Damnit, put it behind you, dumb cow, she ordered herself.
Sirf commented:
“Those are the thoughts and feelings of a good general, my dear. As long as you have them, I dont fear for you.”
“Somehow thats not that reassuring at the moment, old guy.”
“I am looking back fondly on the time when you used to call me “mylord”.”
“Times are changing, old guy.”
“Aint that the truth.”