After returning to the village, the tribe held another grand bonfire celebration that evening.
Whatever else could be said about old Capac, his hospitality toward guests was beyond reproach.
Rainforest delicacies.
Traditional tribal music.
Dances around the blazing fire.
Anything the village could offer, they brought out without reservation.
The philosophy was simple:
Exhaust the tribe's resources to ensure the guests' satisfaction.
If only the old man didn't seem to have ulterior motives hidden beneath all that generosity.
Then again, if he didn't have some secret agenda, perhaps he wouldn't be treating them so extravagantly in the first place.
As before, Lewis sat among the festivities with Ciri and Tonks, eating and drinking alongside everyone else.
The difference was that this time, most of his attention wasn't on the celebration.
It was on the people.
The respectful tribal chief.
The servants running errands.
The musicians playing primitive instruments.
The young men and women dancing around the fire.
Even the elderly villagers who had been pushed to the edge of the gathering.
Lewis observed every single person he could see.
Searching for clues.
Searching for abnormalities.
Searching for signs of a dragon hiding among mortals.
But there was nothing.
Every villager appeared completely ordinary.
Not a single one possessed any characteristic that might connect them to a dragon.
"Did I guess wrong?"
"Or is the dragon simply avoiding the banquet altogether?"
"Perhaps it's hiding somewhere else in the village."
With that thought, Lewis employed one of his druid abilities.
Using Animal Domination, he seized control of a bat less than twenty centimeters long.
The bat's senses instantly became his own.
The wizarding world knew virtually nothing about druids.
No one here could possibly anticipate such a method.
It was the perfect tool for covert reconnaissance.
Sure enough, the tiny bat drew no attention whatsoever.
The rainforest was filled with bats.
One more flying around the village at night was completely unremarkable.
Lewis guided it freely through every corner of the settlement.
Searching.
Listening.
Watching.
Hoping to uncover whatever secret Capac was hiding.
Yet after circling the entire village, he found no sign of a disguised dragon.
Could the dragon really not be here?
Had his deductions been entirely wrong?
Just as Lewis began doubting himself, the bat's echolocation suddenly returned something unexpected.
Humanoid lifeforms.
In the nearby jungle.
He immediately directed the bat toward the source.
Between the shadows of the trees stood a vaguely human silhouette.
At the exact same moment—
The figure looked directly at the bat.
"Spotted?"
Lewis's eyes narrowed.
Without hesitation, he abandoned the remote surveillance.
Using the excuse of needing to relieve himself, he slipped away from the celebration and headed into a secluded area.
Then he personally set off in pursuit.
A suspicious lead like this couldn't be ignored.
After quickly applying a few buffs to himself, Lewis sprinted through the jungle.
At the same time, his psychic senses expanded to their limits.
Scanning.
Searching.
Tracking.
Soon enough—
He found the figure.
"There you are."
A smile appeared on his face.
Lewis accelerated.
Leaping through the trees.
Crossing the undergrowth.
Within moments he arrived.
And finally saw the figure clearly.
It was a woman.
At least, it had once been.
Her posture resembled a giant cat.
Her limbs and fingers were unnaturally long, as though stretched beyond human proportions.
Long black braids hung from her head.
A narrow face.
Prominent cheekbones.
A sharp nose.
Animal-hide clothing.
The entire figure resembled some strange rainforest predator wearing human skin.
The woman seemed equally surprised to see him.
In a hoarse, low voice she spoke.
"You… outsider."
The words were broken.
Awkward.
As though language itself had become unfamiliar to her.
Lewis immediately raised his wand.
"Tell me who you are."
"And why you're spying on us."
In truth, however, much of his caution had already faded.
His appraisal spell had revealed important information.
The woman possessed powerful dark magic.
But not nearly enough.
Even a fire dragon from this world contained vastly greater magical power.
Compared to a true dragon?
The difference was absurd.
She definitely wasn't their missing dragon.
Most likely she belonged to some local magical species.
The woman ignored his question.
Instead she said:
"Foreign… wizards…"
"You should not… stay… in village."
"Otherwise…"
"Only… death… awaits."
Lewis narrowed his eyes.
"Should I take that as a threat?"
The woman tilted her head.
Apparently she felt he had misunderstood.
She repeated herself.
"Leave… village."
"Or… you will die."
The reaction genuinely surprised her.
Before either could continue, Lewis sensed movement.
Two more figures were approaching rapidly through the jungle.
Women.
Nearly identical to the first.
At the same time, he sensed his own companions racing toward his position.
"What happened, Lewis?"
Jaina arrived first.
"Who is she?"
The strange woman suddenly spoke.
"Zhifulina."
"I don't know," Lewis answered casually while keeping his attention fixed ahead.
"Probably some local dark species."
"What?"
Jaina blinked.
"Zhifulina."
The woman repeated.
"My name."
"Oh."
Understanding dawned on Jaina.
She stepped forward with a friendly smile.
"Hello, Zhifulina."
"My name is Jaina."
"And this is Lewis."
"It's nice to meet you."
Unfortunately, friendliness wasn't returned.
Zhifulina immediately took a step backward.
Her gaze fixed on something behind them.
Something she clearly didn't want to see.
Then she repeated her warning.
"Jaina."
"Lewis."
"Leave village."
"Or death… waits."
Without another word, she turned and fled into the darkness.
At almost the exact same moment, old Capac finally arrived.
Lewis was about to pursue.
The old shaman stopped him.
"No need."
"Don't chase them."
"You won't gain anything."
"You know them?"
Lewis asked.
Capac nodded.
"Kajiri."
"Sena."
"And Zhifulina."
"The three sisters."
"Local vampires."
"They survive on the blood of rainforest tribes."
"Creatures of darkness."
"If they weren't so fast, I'd have exterminated them long ago."
"Aside from their speed and a few tricks, they're nothing special."
"As long as you avoid their traps, they pose no threat."
As he explained, disdain filled the old man's voice.
The attitude of a proud wizard speaking about inferior creatures.
Yet Lewis's psychic senses detected something else beneath the contempt.
Envy.
A tiny trace.
Hidden deeply.
But undeniably present.
"Since they're gone," Capac said, changing the subject, "we should return to the celebration."
"Let's continue enjoying the evening."
Under the old man's lead, everyone returned to the village.
The festivities resumed.
No one noticed that after they left—
A small bat quietly spread its wings.
Then vanished into the darkness.
Following the direction in which the vampire sisters had disappeared.
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