“The apu, as you call them, are absent from the crowded places of man. There are none in the cities, not at the tourist attractions, none where man has heavily marked the lands. To find them, we need to seek out those people who are still close to the land, who still respect it and work with it, instead of trying to force it to man’s will. Only then do we find the apu, or as we call them, elementals, of this world. So to fly in and fly out without time spent in travel, without touching the ground for more than brief moments, well, it drastically lowers the chances that we will make fruitful contact with apu,” Declan said.

“It puts us in the proper mindset and gives us the local touch, which is vital when approaching these powerful beings. Done correctly, as today was, we gain an acquaintance, and maybe strengthen the human-apu relationship already in place. I would say those pieces of the mountain are proof of that,” Stacia said, nodding at the two objects holding pride of place on the home fireplace mantle.

“Where do you go next?” Julio Valez asked.

“Lascar volcano in Chile,” the young shaman said. “We will see if we can’t meet the Fire apu who lives there.”

“You could be killed. Fire apu are volatile and easily offended,” Julio Hyncho said.

“My partner here has an odd way with fire and the beings who thrive in it. We have had our best successes with volcanoes. They seem to be more awake than most mountains,” Stacia said.

Qispi changed the topic from such a worrisome one, complimenting the woman on her unique hair color, which led in return to compliments on his wife’s beautiful complexion.

Soon the dinner was done and the four visitors climbed back into the expensive government vehicle for the long, arduous drive down the mountain. Of the odd aircraft there was no sign, but Julio noticed his llamas looking up at a singular point in the evening sky where nothing seemed to be. The SUV began to navigate the tricky roads, its headlights lighting the way. When his friend Julio Valez had commented on the danger of the drive back down, the girl, Stacia, had laughed. “There will be no danger. You couldn’t drive off the road if you wanted to,” she said mysteriously.

When the headlights had disappeared around the bend in the road and the sound of the car had faded, Julio and Qispi made their way back inside.

“A momentous day, my wife,” he said.

“And maybe a story to tell our children. Who knows, when your city-dwelling son hears of this, perhaps he will reconsider taking up the family traditions,” Qispi said.

“Bah, he will just smile and laugh at our gifts from the mountains, saying they are merely stones.”