Domra strode confidently into the roofless throne room. When he approached the thrones, he bowed his head in reverence.
"My lord, we have successfully located where they are hiding," he announced, his voice clear and triumphant.
Hearing this, Dahra rose up on his feet. His eyes narrowed slightly as he regarded Domra. "Then why are you here empty-handed?" he groaned.
Domra hastened to clarify the situation. "We did not return empty-handed, my lord!" he replied. At that moment, four muscular warriors emerged from the shadows above the roofless chamber, holding captive a familiar bald Anthropter.
As they descended, they bowed slightly, their grip tightening on their prisoner.
"We have brought a witch, my Lord," Domra declared.
"A witch!?" Dahra exclaimed as he stepped down from the throne platform. His gaze bored into the Anthropter kneeling before him. The Anthropter struggled against his restraints, but the warriors held him firm.
"How did you manage to capture a witch?" Dahra wondered. "Is he really one?"
"He is the one who we saw with the Jyuran on the fog planet yesterday," Domra replied. "He's also the father of the witch who attacked me earlier. He surrendered when we discovered the hiding place of his daughter and the Jyuran."
"Where are they hiding?" Dahra asked.
"During our pursuit of the Jyuran and the witch, we stumbled upon a mountain that has been concealed from our sight for an extended period," replied Domra. "It was only through sheer coincidence that we noticed it, as the gastral shield protecting the mountain appeared to be compromised. With your power coursing through me, I was able to perceive it."
Dahra's expression betrayed his astonishment; he seemed baffled that such a significant discovery had been hidden in plain sight, right under his nose.
Domra turned his attention to the witch, who remained kneeling on the ground, and continued, "We observed him wandering around the mountain, likely searching for the hideout. We threatened to launch an attack on the hideout and eliminate everyone within, but he capitulated, imploring us to spare his daughter's life."
"You are naive, Domra," Dahra said. "No witch would surrender so readily, especially not for such a trivial reason. This witch has an ulterior motive for approaching you."
He stepped closer to the witch, his voice assuming an authoritative tone. "Raise your head and look at me, witch!" he commanded.
The witch slowly lifted his head, his gaze meeting Dahra's in a piercing stare. For a moment, the two simply stared at each other in a silent challenge.
After intensely scrutinizing the witch's eyes, Dahra exhaled a deep sigh of relief.
"Now it makes sense why you surrendered so easily, without even putting up a fight," he remarked.
"Why, my lord?" Domra inquired.
"His daughter is underage, not yet old enough to harness her full powers. Descending upon their hideout would undoubtedly put her life at risk."
"But tell me, Domra, why didn't you attack the hideout in the first place? I doubt it's solely because the witch surrendered to you."
"We simply cannot breach the hideout," Domra replied, "Two of my men who attempted to penetrate the gastral shield were pulled into the fire river. If anyone can launch a successful attack, it would be me, but I'm uncertain about the number of inhabitants within the mountain, which puts me at risk of being outnumbered."
"Is that all?" Dahra asked.
"Furthermore, we are unsure if he and his daughter are the only surviving witches, considering the remarkable strength and impenetrability of the gastral shield," Domra replied.
"They are the last witches alive," Dahra declared. He knelt down in front of the witch, his eyes locking onto the captive.
"How can you be so certain, my lord?" Domra said.
However, Dahra's response was not what Domra had expected. Instead of providing a rational explanation, Dahra shot him with a traumatic glare. The intensity of his gaze sent a shiver down Domra's spine.
"Are you doubting my powers now, Domra?" Dahra growled.
"No, my lord, I wouldn't dare," Domra stammered. "Forgive me, I was simply worried!"
It must be stupid for him to ask such a question knowing how powerful his lord is. Dahra had already gained insight into Djuma's thoughts during their earlier eye contact. This mind-reading ability made Dahra a formidable force, rendering him almost omniscient and invincible.
Dahra's gaze softened, and he turned his attention back to the witch. "You and I are not so different, Djumara," he said. "You want to protect your daughter, just as I want to protect my father."
However, Djuma remained silent, his eyes flashing with displeasure as he glared at Dahra, who didn't seem to care.
"Give us the order, my lord! We shall make a ferocious assault on the mountain and retrieve your father!" one of the warriors standing behind Djuma exclaimed, his eyes burning with a bloodthirsty fervor.
Hearing him, Djuma struggled to charge at Dahra, but the two warriors behind him pinned him down, their grip like a vice, restraining his movements.
"You can't do that!" he protested. "You promised you wouldn't attack them if I surrendered myself!"
Dahra chuckled a cold, mirthless sound, and rose to his feet. He headed toward the throne platform, exuding an aura of power and control.
"You have no reason to worry, Djuma," he said. "I won't harm them unless you defy me."
He suddenly turned back, his eyes narrowing at Djuma like a predator sizing up its prey. "Tell me, Djuma, do you have a means to disable your Lav?" he said. "Because I won't tolerate any interference with my plans. If your daughter discovers what's happening, I'll have no choice but to launch a preemptive attack on her hideout."
"We can't trust this witch, my lord," Ekeal, the warrior who spoke earlier, spoke up. "Wouldn't it be wiser to destroy his Lav and eliminate the risk?"
Dahra's gaze snapped toward the warrior and shot him a glare that could freeze blood. The warrior's suggestion had clearly not sat well with him.
"You fool!" he exclaimed. "Destroying a witch's Lav is equivalent to severing a part of their body. Such an act would undoubtedly alert his daughter, as well as my father. We cannot risk alarming them, not at this critical juncture."
Domra, ever the pragmatist, chimed in with a plausible alternative. "Then, my lord, couldn't you inform the witch's daughter that you have her father in custody and propose an exchange: the Jyuran for her father's freedom?"
However, Dahra's response was immediate and disapproving. He shook his head, his expression unyielding.
"That won't resolve the issue, Domra," he said. "Until a moment ago, my sole desire was to reclaim my father. Now, I seek something more... something of greater value." With a wave of his hand, he ordered the warriors to release Djuma.
"My lord, you can't trust him," Domra cautioned.
"You needn't worry, Domra," said Dahra. "Even if he were to summon five of his kind, they would still be no match for me."
The warriors hesitated, unsure of what to do, but eventually, they stepped back, allowing Djuma to rise to his feet and regain his composure.
With a swish of his robes, Dahra strode toward the thrones and settled into one, his gaze lingering on a particular Anthropter among his warriors.
"Ekeal! Step forward," he commanded.
The warrior, Ekeal, hastened forward and bowed deeply. "My lord!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with eagerness to serve.
"Take a contingent of your men and proceed to survey the mountain where my father is hiding," Dahra commanded. "You have my permission to attack them if you notice anything suspicious or out of the ordinary."
"As you wish, my lord," Ekeal replied. He rose up on his feet as briskly as he had approached, and urgently took off.
As he exited the throne room, Dahra summoned another warrior from outside.
"Zlink!"
His gaze lingered on a metal cup beside him, a small amount of reddish liquid still in the cup. The content seemed to be blood, but one couldn't conclude based on its color and thickness alone.
However, the liquid seemed to be viscous, with an almost syrupy texture. Dahra's eyes seemed to be drawn to the cup, his gaze fixed on it with an almost unnerving intensity.