Chapter 26

During this time, Prostana had not had a chance to get hungry. Some of the larger predators had to try to get at us. Prostana was quick and I was afraid he was going to get fat.

We flew to the next closest site and began all over again. This time there were no animals around with magical compulsions to kill us.

Sonya and I did some calculating and flew with Prostana to the nearest site. This one though was easy to find. There was a giant bowl in the crust of the planet. It must have been ten kilometres across and very deep. It would have held a good sized lake but the wall on one side had ruptured and now a river flowed out.

Prostana said, "What has happened here?"

Sonya said, "Moldonia's base must have looked similar to this but it was much smaller. This... hole must have been at least a hundred times larger and when it was destroyed, the hole was gigantic. What we see has been worn down and filled over the centuries. I feel that there was a lot of life lost when this happened."

Prostana said, "The power to do this is something I cannot imagine. I can see now why there had been no sign of the old mages from that time."

"There is a very large island that we think has a spell on it to keep it hidden. Adam and I think that there may be mages there. We were going to go there to see if they would help us find our family if we cannot do so by ourselves."

We circled a while then after a short discussion we headed to the next on our list. Two more bases that were in mountain chains had been destroyed but none had caused the size of explosion that the first had been.

One morning we shifted course to get away from the mountains. The nearest base was in much better shape. It was out of the mountains and in a large savanna with one large upthrust of rock. What was odd about this was that there was the remains of a large walled city nearby. Though the base was our goal we decided to see the city first. I could sense magic about this area but its flavour was different than what I was used to. Whatever it was it was old.

We flew over it many times while looking down. The buildings were not high and those we saw poking out of the soil looked in perfect condition. The soil must have been windblown for quite a few centuries to get the way it was now.

Sonya said, "Do you know what this city reminds me of?"

"What is that, Honey?"

"Some of the cities we made. They are laid out in a park like setting. The streets are straight except in some areas that are obviously made for living. There even looks like the remnants of a river that once ran through the city. I see bridges, large culverts, what looks like a weir. Over there I see a stadium and what has to be a park."

"I think you're right. The only other cities we saw were more like slums. Mages had to have had a hand in building this city. They then had to keep it from getting overrun with humans."

Sonya said, "Do you want to land?"

I thought for a minute and said, "Yes, but outside the walls. There has to be a reason there is no people living in the city or near." We talked to Prostana and then we all landed near one set of massive gates.

Prostana could stand and see over the walls. He stood by our plane and said, "This is a beautiful place. Why are there no people here?"

I said, "I'd like to find that out too, Prostana."

We all stepped back a few hundred metres and both Sonya and I dug out some of our charged crystals. We were trying to come to an understanding of the spell if their was one. We must have been at it for ten minutes but we had found nothing. We were about to give up when Prostana came close. We suddenly found something that we had not detected before. Prostana must have sensed something too because he stopped then backed up. The tickle we had found disappeared even if we knew what to look for now.

"Prostana, will you go back to where you were a moment ago. We were getting something."

"I will friend Adam, with pleasure."

When Prostana came close again we found the source of magic. I beckoned Prostana closer and we found that the closer the colcha came the easier it was to perceive the many sources of magic surrounding the city.

"What did you find friend Adam?"

"We were able to detect the magic in the city only when you were near. The closer you came, the more sources we could find."

"I do not know magic, friend Adam. I know of no colcha that are. That is something for your kind of people."

"You may not know magic but you make it work much easier when you are near."

"That may not be so. When we met, you used a great deal of magic to heal me."

"My friend, you did not know us well then. When we started, you had to let us help. I would trust you now with my life and I think the trust is returned. Perhaps that was the ingredient we had to have to make this work."

"Trust?"

"Perhaps trust and friendship."

Prostana turned to look at the city for a while then turned back. "You may be right. I would like to try more if that is permissible?"

"I would love to try that too."

Sonya added, "I would like to try too. Adam and I are much stronger as a pair and I feel that we will be even stronger when the three of us are near to each other."

We moved much near to the walls now and we were very near a magic source near the top. Sonya and I concentrated on this point. There was a very subtle weave to this spell. I talked to Prostana about what I saw and tried again to find a way to link to him. It did not work.

"Friend Prostana, there is a spell here but it is very convoluted. I would like to communicate with you on a deeper level. I usually am able to send my visions to others and they can work on the spells with me. Sonya is very good at this. If you would allow me to try I will promise to not harm you in any way. If you are able to see what I see, then you will understand what we are doing."

Prostana thought for a moment and then said, "This feels odd to me and perhaps wrong but I am curious. I will try to do this if you wish. My life has been much fuller since meeting you and your people."

"Thanks Prostana. I feel enriched by meeting you and your people too."

Rather than tackle a powerful spell, I produced a small flame like I had done when I was taught magic. "We will start small first, friend Prostana."

I tried for a while then Sonya took over. It was near nightfall when I made a tenuous link. From then on it blossomed. Over a small fire, we saw Prostana smile widely as he made a small flame appear. An hour later he had a flame over all six fingers.

"This is amazing friend Adam and Sonya. I had no idea that our people could do this."

"This is only the start. I think you have the makings of a mage within you. You learned this very quickly and then went on to control six flames."

"But friend Adam, it took a long time to learn this."

"It took us much longer to even begin to learn. I think your people are good at magic and only forgot this as you forgot to speak with your minds."

There was another long pause then Prostana said, "I hope you are right. This is too interesting to just ignore now. Will you teach me more?"

"I'll teach you what I can, friend Prostana. I'm not a mage though. I'm a trainee that has access to a lot of power. An apprentice or especially a mage is much more powerful because they know the spells."

"You can do some spells worth of a mage."

"I was lucky enough to find a mate that helps me discover new spells and ideas. It was this new information that I used. I still do not have all the practice I need. I only know some spells well."

Prostana said, "I would be happy to learn from you any way. You and your mate know the most about magic that I have heard of."

"There are three more real mages out there that know a lot more."

"I do not think I would want to be taught by them even if they were willing. They gain power through pain and death. Your way is much better."

Sonya smiled and said, "Maybe you can generate some power with your ladies."

This seemed to ring a bell in my mind. "Sonya, maybe that is the way to charge up those bases. They were not attuned to humans or humans do not have the power necessary."

"You may be right."

Prostana said, "What do you mean?"

Sonya said, "You know that we make love and the power goes into our crystals or into the base we made. The base we found did not seem to absorb our power very well but I think some was. The portals were only for people your size. It may be that those bases may be made for your type of people."

Prostana went into thinking mode and in a moment, said, "I would like to find out but I do not have my family."

Sonya said, "Your new family is back where you came from."

"They are old like me friend Sonya. They could not fly here very well. We could not make much power if they did."

"Friend Prostana, we healed many of those ladies. One in particular got a lot of our power. When we found you, you looked older but now you look much younger. Your ladies will too."

"I had not thought about that. I do feel younger and my body looks young too."

I said, "Let's find a base and see if we can bet one of your ladies to help us charge it up?"

"I would like to try that too. I miss them a lot."

We slept in out tent with Prostana nearby. I noticed that our crystals charged faster than usual and this must have happened before but we had not noticed the fact. I was wondering if Prostana was a voyeur but then again he was a friend that was interested in learning.

Prostana learned magic for the next ten days. He was an eager student. He learned quickly but he could not handle some of the more difficult steps. He seemed to be able to grasp forces in the forth dimension but none in the fifth. Through a lot of coaxing, we were able to interface with him. This is how he learned so quickly. The more he learned, the more he wanted to help and learn more.

We knew enough now to go after the magic spells on the walls. We were too far from them so we made a structure of tar and erected it near the wall so we could get a bit closer. It was good that we were cautious because it got very painful, the closer we got. Prostana didn't seem to be affected at all and only knew of this through our link.

We studied the spell in depth and treated Prostana as a student. He knew that we thought that the mages were devious and Prostana took our word for this. The spell took five hours to unravel and study. It was like the illusion spell in the mountains in that it was both simple and elegant. This we felt would be the way all spells should be.

The spell did not go back though. We had time for one more and this took an hour less. We did not take any shortcuts and it was good because the wrapping was not exactly the same. Prostana seemed to gain a bit more respect and perhaps a bit more fear of the mages that constructed these spells.

The next day was the same and at the end we had five spells in a row deactivated. Early the next morning Sonya and I made a device to get us over the wall safely. There was some feeling of animosity but that may have been what we put into the idea. Prostana simply flew over.

We used both magic and our senses to find any living beings or spells but the three of us could only find the small animals that we found on the open savanna. The larger buildings were constructed with magic, though it may only be a part. There was furniture inside but it was all rotted or eaten. What we did see was similar to what was available in the seventeen hundreds on earth. It was elegant and even ostentatious. I knew next to nothing about antiques but these pieces were beautiful even in their disrepair.

Most of the buildings were not constructed with magic and these were no more. They seemed to be the homes of individual families. I had hoped to find libraries or other information about what happened to the former residents. We found shelves for books and scrolls but none of the information. If there were I figured that rodents would have made short work of it over the centuries.

We looked for portals but found no indication of them. They used a small amount of power to stay open and by now they would have just ceased to be. We found one large field with some large smooth stones every thirty metres apart. These had glyphs on them but by now they were worn. I thought them grave stones until I saw a vague carving of a colcha. When I got Prostana to stand on one I knew that it was really a perch.

This could be something like an airport but not necessarily for the transport of humans. The colcha must be able to practice magic and not want to be used for transportation. There could be portals everywhere and also transport spells that could be used to locations that were plotted out before hand.

We slept within the city for a week before putting the spells back in place. Prostana had to go off to hunt and I guess we did too.

The old colcha did not act old when he hunted. He was all business. He killed an animal near his mass then tried his best to get around the majority of it. We got a few choice parts but this represented only a tiny fraction of the whole.

Prostana had to rest for a day as he digested his meal. After relieving himself he returned to the carcass. By the time we left, there was very little remaining.

We went to the upthrust of rock and found the entrance into the base proper blocked the same way the others had been. Prostana loaned us the end of his tail so we had his presence to assist us. We were able to move more of the rock than before and did it easier. Prostana used his hands because he was not as good at PK as Sonya and I were.

It took a day and a half to get deep into the rock and I was surprised to find that the depth of the rock nearly matched the thickness of the rock it was in. I had not noticed any corridor leading into the magic environment that I was familiar with.

The globe and the jewels were still here as was the four alcoves that would fit a colcha of Prostana's size. The glyphs looked the same for the most part and I had to assume the difference had to do with this particular base.

Sonya and I went out and discussed what we had found with Prostana. Later we searched for a possible transition into the base through a type of portal. There was magic all over here and more in the base but we could not find any particular source, just a vague feeling.

Prostana said, "How am I going to get into this area?"

I said, "We can transport you but the spell has to be very strong to get all of you into the base."

"Will you be able to get me out again?"

"I do not see why not."

"Would it not be better to transport mot only me but a female of my people?"

Sonya and I thought about this and she said, "Friend Prostana, it is not just your weight, it is producing the spell. Carrying two of you is only a little more difficult than taking just one."

"Then I should go back and see if a female will accompany me?"

"Friend Prostana, if you tell your friends that you can perform magic then those that are most conservative will try to stop you. They may even do so if one of your ladies want to follow. I am not asking you to lie but to not tell them everything. The lady though should be told everything."

Prostana had to think on this then said, "Let's visit my home for a short rest. I will do what I can."

We sealed up the base and then converted the rock to tar so that it would not come out. There were no people around but I wanted to make sure. We flew back in steps. A colcha had difficulty flying over five hours and we wanted Prostana to be rested when he arrived. Our own arrival was timed to coincide with Prostana's. This time we did not antagonise any colcha that was out hunting.

We greeted the colcha we met by name and most were polite back to us. Everybody wanted to talk to Prostana to find out what happened. He talked about the destroyed bases but mostly about the human city with a portion set aside for the colcha.

Prostana talked in detail and this went far into the night. The old snake was very observant and mentioned everything except his ability to perform magic.

Hosmic, Beena and Pondy were the closest to Prostana and listened avidly to his rendition of events. The three ladies were far more lively than when we had seen them last. Pondy invited Prostana to her room and instead of just accepting made sure Beena and Hosmic were invited too. We heard the mental communication of all three ladies giving the equivalent of a giggle.

Sonya and I learned what it was like to just watch. Prostana's mating ritual was violent. Bodies struck the solid stone walls and it was not just Prostana's. Sonya and I made our own music outside to charge our plane. Later we went inside and found Prostana still at it. We came close to him. Sonya tried to form a grid to capture the energy produced. This took a long time because the link had to be not only harder to establish, but different than the way humans did this.

Prostana and his ladies finished after dawn then went for a nap. Sonya and I did the same.

Around noon, Sonya and I got up and ate. We did some visiting of our own until near dusk. The colcha lovers got up then and we saw how they were wounded from their lovemaking. Prostana displayed his wounds with pride and seemed to strut as he walked. The ladies were not unscathed either but their wounds were much more dainty as if Prostana was careful to not harm them.

Prostana asked us to stay here and he went out to hunt. An hour and a half he came back and presented his ladies with a snack. He took a nibble and then went out again. We went close to the ladies after they finished and we asked if we could help heal them. There was a bit of talk then we started with Hosmic.

The second time he came back he was very tired. Sonya and I talked to him but touched him when we did so. We also healed him and tried to give him some of our strength. The old snake said nothing but soon left to hunt again. His ladies ate what they were given and huddled together.

The rest of the colcha were doing a lot of talking and Sonya was able to pick up enough for her to say to me, "Prostana is proposing in a way. He is saying that he can take care of three wives. The rest of the colcha seemed to be evenly divided. Half think this is a scandal and the other half are rooting for our friend."

The last load of meat came back and it was near the capacity Prostana could carry. We hurried to him and while congratulating him, we again gave what strength we could.

Prostana watched while the ladies ate then moved in to have some himself. When they were done, they went back to one of the rooms. Sonya and I had a lot of charged crystals in our luggage and used much of the power to heal all four colcha and a few of the others.

Sonya and I went out to out plane to make love and start charging our crystals again while Prostana worked to drain his testicles.

This procedure went on for tree more cycles. The ladies looked much better and seemed to be putting on some weight. We healed them during the day but eventually we started to catch up with the charging of our own crystals. This was done the second night because we brought the crystals with us when the colcha mated. It appeared that one of our friends had the power of twenty humans. We had used a great deal of power and now we were recovering it.

After a while, the colcha began to just have fun and did not go in for a full mating. By now the ladies were used to us being near. The first time we had to leave until Prostana got them too excited to notice us.

We walked with Prostana as we talked about what was happening until I felt some magic nearby. When I stopped talking, Sonya then Prostana noticed it too. Prostana said after a few minutes, "It is up one level." We had to be led the way he wanted. The corridor was empty of colcha living here and was dark. There was a long gentle spiral up nearly a hundred metres until we found more rooms for colcha to stay. It looked like this area had not been used for many centuries.