With his hands and feet bound, Abhay lay unconscious in the carriage, while Yamini sat on the seat right next to him. Yamini ordered her carriage driver, "Let's go... it is time to leave now." Obeying her command, the driver flicked the reins of the horses. The carriage slowly increased its speed. Vaamika, watching her customer leave, looked at her reward and said, "Today's earnings were really good. Seeing these spirit stones and the artifact, my master will definitely be pleased." After that, Vaamika stepped back through the same invisible wall.
After about two days had passed, Abhay regained consciousness. He opened his eyes and started looking around. He felt that both his hands and feet were tied. He started struggling, trying to free himself. Sitting in the seat right behind him, a girl was smiling as she watched Abhay struggle. A blue holographic screen appeared in front of Abhay:
[ Target :- Yamini is feeling attracted towards you. Mool-ansh:- +0.001 ]
Seeing this, Abhay sensed someone's presence behind him. Pushing himself backward, he turned around to see a young girl laughing at him.
Abhay just kept staring at her because she was so beautiful that he froze in awe. The girl looked to be around 17 or 18 years old. She was wearing a regal, combat-ready attire in a deep indigo color. Her bodice was heavily embroidered with golden peacocks and lotus flowers. Below, she wore her garments draped in an ancient warrior's 'Dhoti-style', featuring a side-slit so she could strike swiftly. Her hair was tied in a high bun, adorned with a golden crescent moon headpiece. She wore heavy golden arm-guards on her arms. She looked as beautiful as a celestial maiden and as dangerous as death itself, all at the same time.
Abhay thought to himself, "Why is such a beautiful girl so happy after capturing me?"
Abhay then asked the girl in a panic, "Why have you kept me tied up?"
Yamini smiled and replied, "Why shouldn't I? I have never seen a boy like you. So innocent and so handsome."
Abhay asked himself in his mind, "Do I really look that cute? But my looks used to be so average." Then, looking at his new body, he said to himself again, "I haven't even seen the face of this new body yet, so I don't know what I look like. Who knows, maybe she captured me because this body is highly attractive and has a cute face?"
Abhay kept staring at the girl and thought, "Did she really capture me just because I look attractive and cute? What kind of attraction is this that makes someone resort to kidnapping?"
Yamini then said to Abhay, "Look, boy, I captured you because your body is extremely valuable to me."
Abhay asked Yamini in shock, "My body...? How is my body so valuable to you?"
Yamini replied, "You don't need to know that right now... just understand that you are my slave and nothing else."
Abhay, completely bewildered, asked, "Your slave...? Will I have to spend my entire life serving you?"
Yamini replied, "Yes, consider it something like that."
Abhay thought to himself, "How did I end up in this mess? Will I really remain her slave for the rest of my life?"
As Abhay kept cursing himself while drowning in his sea of questions, Yamini was thoroughly enjoying seeing him in this state.
A few days later, Yamini and Abhay reached the outer territory of the Demon Sect, arriving in their carriage before a massive, exquisitely designed gate made of precious wood and white stone. A heavily armored guard approached to inspect the carriage, where he saw Yamini. He immediately walked up to her and respectfully said, "Eldest Sister Yamini, welcome back to the Demon Sect."
The guard then ordered his comrades to open the gate.
The carriage entered through the magnificent gate, revealing a vast and wide 'Main Avenue' (Mukhya-Marg) ahead. The road was paved with white and grey stones, lined with massive ancient trees on both sides.
Because his hands and feet were tied, Abhay scooted over to the edge of the carriage window. He was amazed to see the beautiful gardens, luxurious mansions, and the immaculately clean and empty roads around them.
After almost half a day of traveling, Abhay asked Yamini, "Where exactly are we? I thought we had arrived in a city, but we've been traveling on a straight road for half a day now."
Yamini replied, "Look, Abhay, this is the buffer zone of our Demon Sect, which spans a full 3 Yojana (1 Yojana = 12 kilometers)."
Shocked, Abhay blurted out, "What? 3 Yojana?"
Yamini confirmed, "Yes, 3 Yojana."
Abhay thought to himself, "I read about these units in my old books, which had a lot of information about ancient Indian measurements. It's a good thing I read that book to pass the time that day, otherwise I wouldn't have known that 3 Yojana means 36 kilometers."
After covering some more distance, they arrived with their carriage in front of another massive gate, where the guards allowed Yamini's carriage to pass through to the inside.
As the carriage passed through the second gate, Abhay could hear the bustling sounds of a crowd. Many people were shopping in the market, children were playing in the streets, and several shopkeepers were selling their goods.
Yamini's carriage was moving straight down the main road. Abhay watched the people in the markets through the carriage window and felt a sense of joy.
Yamini then said to Abhay, "Look, Abhay, this place is the Outer City, which contains an entire town and agricultural lands. Many commoners and servants live here, and they help with the Sect's supply, trade, and our economy in various ways."
Amazed by the sight, Abhay asked Yamini, "Just how big is this place?"
Seeing Abhay's enthusiastic questions, Yamini replied, "See, this area from the 2nd gate to the 3rd gate is called the Outer City. It spreads across a massive 1.5 Varga Yojana, or roughly 18 to 22 Varga Kos (1 Kos = 3 kilometers, Varga = Square)."
Finding this out, Abhay was astonished and thought to himself, "What, 18 to 22 Varga Kos?? That's approximately 162 to 198 square kilometers? That's incredible!"
Abhay then asked Yamini, "So, how much further do we have to travel now?"
Yamini replied, "Just a little further, and we will reach our destination."
Abhay asked again, "Do we really have to go even further?"
Pacifying Abhay, Yamini said, "Yes, we will be there in just a short while."
Cursing himself in his mind, Abhay thought, "Even though I'm enjoying exploring this place, the worry of what this girl will eventually do to me is eating me alive."
Seeing Abhay muttering while lost in deep thought, Yamini asked, "What is wrong with you, boy?"
Startled and scared, Abhay stuttered, "N-n-nothing... just like that."
Yamini didn't say anything for a while and simply ordered her carriage driver to proceed to the 3rd gate.