The great hall was enormous with so many chairs, candles, and long narrow tables. Many guards stood there, with hundreds of people. The ceiling was high enough, and large glowing chandeliers hung in the ceiling. It was the first enormous great hall Ulric had ever seen. He was so anxious and was then very stressful. He noticed there were these hooded and cloaked figures, and without doubt, they were the same who fainted Ulric at that cave.
There, he saw a throne, where a man sat, whom he considered as the Lord. He was a bald man, and he wore a black cloak. He looked more frightening than all of them and had purple scars and tattoos all over his face. He had golden eyes and was very tall. Despite he was sitting, he seemed very tall. Other hooded figures were just behind the throne, and so many guards stood there. The people were sitting in chairs, and that guard who took Ulric was now walking him towards the throne. Ulric gulped repeatedly.
He noticed there were large windows, too, and the weather seemed natural. It was something about the castle itself that made it very bizarre and dark. He noticed that the people were all wearing normal clothes, and only the Nobel, he considered, were wearing cloaks and hoods. That man repeatedly pushed him cruelly, and eventually, they approached near the throne, and that guard forcefully bowed Ulric before that throne.
One hooded figure behind the throne moved, and Ulric couldn't avoid any of its movements. It coldly walked in front of the throne, bowed before it, and went near that cloaked lord to murmur some words. Ulric was very confused and was there clueless. That Lord in the throne raised his hands, and the guard stood Ulric up before the throne. That Lord in the throne chuckled.
"Ulric," he began, his voice cold. "We've found you."
Ulric gulped.
"Yes, yes. Without a doubt, it's you."
He stood up the throne, and everyone stood up from their chairs, too. He walked near Ulric, surveyed him, and walked around him. His cloak was very long, and it was brushing the floor. That weird cold aura was coming from that Lord, and Ulric could feel it. He was trembling even more. He stood there still until that Lord stopped and walked up to the throne. He didn't sit but was still standing, looking backwards. He, eventually, looked back at that guard who bound Ulric and commanded him to come nearer.
"What about the Hadrindal's ambush?" he asked. "Time, I ask."
The guard nodded. "In some weeks, my lord."
He then whispered something else to that guard, and he nodded and left the great hall.
With sweat still flowing, Ulric stood there still. Even without a guard grasping his rope near him, he knew if he tried to run, he'd certainly see tragic consequences, so he stood there helplessly.
That Lord raised his hand, and every person who sat in the great hall left, except for Nobels and guards. Ulric was even more nervous.
After a moment, that guard entered the great hall, and not alone, but with a slave who he chained and had so many scars in him. He was covered in blood, and it was like he was beaten repeatedly. Ulirc gulped and looked back at the throne. That Lord sat in the throne.
"Ulric, do you know who that is?"
Ulric shook his head.
"I'd considered not, too."
He pointed at the slave.
"Do it."
That guard let that slave stand up and did enough beating. Ulric blinked, and that slave's arm was darkening. Again, Urlic blinked, and that slave's other arm darkened. This time, he didn't try to blink, and he saw the legs of that slave and the torso was darkening slowly. He closed his eyes for a time, and then he opened it. He didn't see the slave, but a whole darkened figure, like a shadow, chained but floating.
"Shadow!" he called.
That Lord in the throne chuckled. "So you recognise him? I did consider that, didn't I, Normanda?"
Who did he call? Ulric gulped and looked back. That shadow floated and approached that man.
"He is our slave, who fooled you in coming here. You did a great job, Normanda."
Ulric tumbled to his knee and zoned out.
"Do as they say," a thing in his mind told him. "Or they will torture you."
What? He thought. But they've accomplished everything! They've caught me! What remains now? Shouldn't I die? I'm helpless! I'm frail!
"They're not gonna kill you."
What?
"You'll know. For now, do as they say."
Ulric stood up.
"Take him to the site," the Lord commanded that guard.
He took Ulric by the rope and led him out of the great hall. This was more than a trauma for him.