Chapter Four, Part Two

"Shut up and do your job, and keep the frivolous rhythm to a minimum..."

Merlyn scowled at Etrigan, finger pointed to the forest.

"Deal with all nearby, but not killing... or maiming!"

"Fine, fine, thy will be done," Etrigan shrugged. "but fate is something you can't outrun."

The demon vanished into the night, screams already in the air. His voice whispered through the forest, clear and amused.

"This spell holds now, but that won't last... I wonder, how much sin you have amassed?"

"None of your business, demon," Merlyn snorted. "Now finish your work."

Etrigan's laughter filled the night, nails on glass. An itch that raised the hairs on Dan's neck.

"What is that thing..."

Dan had heard of Etrigan, but that was from DC, not whatever fantasy universe Merlyn came from. This creature held an oppressive air, death, and misery that blurred out the world.

"He's a useless demon, captured by my magic and bound to serve my will!"

Merlyn's confidence did little for Dan's blood pressure. The Witches had all fallen silent now, a quiet worse than the screams.

"Thy will is done, I've had my fun," Etrigan's face of shadows reappeared, just above Dan's head. "Now send me back, you ungrateful quack."

"Ahhhhh!"

Dan lept back, hand on his heart. Bear jumped and yapped, while Stormy hissed, fur raised.

"Don't sneak up on people like that!"

"I can't help but sneak, the whole world's blind," Etrigan grinned. "Deaf as well... god is unkind."

"Yes, yes, very witty," Merlyn waved a hand and the demon vanished. "Now let's round up the remains!"

"I thought you told him not to hurt anyone..." May edged closer to Dan. "Isn't that thing under your control?"

"Of course it is," Merlyn huffed. "But he's a twisted fox, sometimes he gets creative with his work."

"That sounds... troubling."

Dan shook his head as they followed Merlyn into the jungle. A creative demon wasn't a positive.

"It's good to be innovative with your work," Ultron mused. "Torture is an art, to reach a limit and go no further, it takes practice."

"I've got a demon of my own..."

A headache brewed behind Dan's eyes as they entered a small clearing. Twenty women were suspended by the ankles, hung from a massive tree. An equal number of rancors littered the ground, twisted and broken, but alive.

"But at least mine is well-behaved..."

"I am not a demon, I'm a work of art!"

Ultron displayed his well-crafted body like a muscle builder.

"Well-behaved but weird," May laughed, her hand in front of her eyes in mock embarrassment. "Now stop that, there are ladies present!"

"A whole lot of ladies..." Merlyn squinted up at the witches. "Not a man among them!"

"The Witches of Dathomir are a matriarchal society," Dan shrugged. "Men are pretty much treated as property, but they're actually a pretty solid culture."

A society that had existed for over five hundred years, run by force users. They had issues with the dark side, but for the most part, the ruling caste stuck to the light. It was rare to find a society of war-like light side users. They stuck out like a panda among bears.

"Hear that, Merlyn," May stuck out her tongue. "A society of woman magic users, not a wizard among them!"

"A waste," Merlyn frowned. "With a bloodline as strong as this, talented males would be common."

"I was just joking..."

"So was I, little miss," Merlyn's craggy face smiled. "Every culture has some value, the study of their differences can lead to enlightenment."

"If you say so," Dan rolled his eyes. "So, what do we do with these guys?"

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"Who are you..."

The Matriarch of the Witches trembled, eyes locked on Merlyn's smug form. Once they'd woke, the witches wanted nothing to do with conflict. The wizard had impressed them, more than enough.

"We're just travelers, out for a trip around the galaxy," Dan ignored her discomfort and powered ahead. "We're looking for a crashed Jedi ship, I was hoping to take some scans..."

"That's all..." She wasn't convinced. "The ship has little value by itself, you can take all the scans you want."

"Can I also take some rancors home with me?"

May edged into the conversation. The girl seemed to have an obsession with animals.

"You can find some wild beasts, but the ones in our village belong to us..."

The matriarch was dazed by the trivial requests. Merlyn was so formidable, but he was simply an attendant for these children.

"Thanks!" Dan smiled as he stood. "We'll be out of your hair in no time!"

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"That's one big ship..."

The Chu'unthor rested on the jungle floor, half buried in earthen growth. A Jedi Praxeum ship, it was as large as a star destroyer, over two kilometers long.

"It's a mobile temple, used to train Jedi abroad," Dan swept a tangle of vines away from an accessway. "Its design is perfect for kryptonians, lots of windows to let in the sun."

"I'll begin my scans," Ultron pried open the hatch. "Report any danger over the coms."

"I'll watch over them," Merlyn waved the A.I. away. "Finish your task so we can leave, this planet has a disturbed aura."

"Disturbed how?"

May walked up, a small tuft of fur in one hand. The creature snuffed at her fingers, unconcerned with its capture.

"A heavy aura of magic lies to the east," Merlyn frowned. "It's ancient... far beyond these amature witches."

"Ancient magic..." Dan tilted his head, eyes unfocused. "I remember!"

A fire lit behind his eyes as he clenched his fists. This planet had a history far older than the humans, or even the rancors.

"This place is the homeworld of the Kwa," Dan gazed to the east. "They were one of the oldest, most advance civilizations in this galaxy."

"Oh?" Ultron poked his head from the crashed ship. "How advanced?"

"Advanced enough that we need to add a stop to our Dathomir tour..."