Witch Hunter (Hetalia)
Author: Ashynarr
Summary: The greatest threat known to the kingdom are unaligned witches, those with the power to bring towns and cities to ruin if left to their own devices. Matthew has trained his entire life to combat them, and searches across the land for threats to his homeland...
Disclaimer: Hetalia's not mine.
Warning: Fantasy AU, repost, first posted Dec 23 2013
[[Part 11 Page 18]]
Medieval times au I guess. Nation A is witch hunter in search for Nation B a warlock or witch that she/he has been chasing for some time now. (Ame & Can)
((I... can't really say this is a fill, because I changed the prompt quite a bit, but the original prompt on the kink meme is still the inspiration, so credit goes to it.))
~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~
Matthew settled back into his spot in the corner of the old inn, eyes wandering idly as he nursed his rather weak beer. After nearly two weeks on the road, he was grateful for even one night's rest in an actual bed.
Unfortunately, his job generally kept him on the move, meaning he could never stay in the same town for more than a few days at most. After all, if he wanted to catch his quarry before they caught onto him, he had to try to follow reliable leads as soon as he could, doubly so because of the nature of his targets. Once they heard word he, or one of his rare breed, was in the area, they had a rather unfortunate habit of packing up and disappearing within a day, covering their tracks in ways most wouldn't be able to follow.
Matthew Williams, age twenty and in service of His Majesty, was not what one would consider to be as 'most'.
After all, it was a rare soldier that had the talent and the drive to become a witch hunter.
After a nasty civil war almost twenty years ago caused by a warlock with a grudge against the King, there had been a kingdom-wide order to either imprison or kill all magic users who did not immediately submit themselves to His Majesty's services. Naturally, as most magic users were independent spirits and did not like working for others unconditionally, there was a sudden mass migration of both wielders and sympathizers into the more welcoming neighboring countries.
Those who could not escape went underground, either relocating far into the wilderness or else moving into large towns and hiding their magic. For each caught and removed, the others increased their wariness and skills at hiding and running, forcing the hunters to themselves improve their skill to keep up.
Matthew wasn't necessarily the best, but he had the advantage of youthful, soft looks from baby fat that had never entirely left his face. Between that and his generally neutral clothing, few would suspect him of being in any sort of royal service, much less one so dangerous and vital for the safety of the land. This had allowed him to get close enough to confirm a magic user's presence without tipping them off plenty of times, earning him several commendations over his three years of active service.
His latest lead, while vaguer than most, had seemed to have enough truth to it to at least warrant coming to this small town out near the western end of the kingdom. Now that he had arrived, his gut was telling him that at the least there was something worth investigating here, even if it wasn't magic related. If there were signs of potential trouble brewing it would be best to root it out now before it became a larger problem for everyone.
His gaze instinctively flickered to the door as it opened, following the young man around his age as he made his way over to the bar. Whoever he was, he was apparently well liked around these parts, as the barkeep had grinned upon seeing him. With a quick movement the young man had a glass of beer in hand, with no cash exchanging hands, and he turned to find a place to sit.
Matthew didn't flinch as the other's blue gaze settled on him, the sunny smile flickering briefly as he took in the stranger, much like Matthew was doing to him. Then, much to the soldier's surprise, the young man then proceeded to make his way over, settling down in the chair across from him easily.
"Hey, haven't seen you around here before." The young man asked, taking a swig of his drink before setting the glass to the side.
"I was just passing through on my way to Baravia." Matthew lied smoothly, his cover story for why he was so far west from the population centers.
The young man gave an apologetic smile. "You'll be stuck for a bit then. The pass is closed from flooding, and it'll be a few days until the water drains enough for safe traffic."
"Oh, I see." Matthew frowned, inwardly thankful that the heavy rains had given him an excuse for his lingering.
"I'm surprised you didn't take the main road further north; it's a lot safer than this trail since it has the patrols along it."
Matthew shrugged. "I heard this way was faster."
"For the more southern regions, sure, or if you're passing through to get to Henei."
Matthew shrugged again, not offering anything further. After a moment the young man spoke up again. "Well, if you need any help before you go, you can just ask for me over at the blacksmith. Name's Alfred, by the way."
"Matthew. And thanks, I'll keep that in mind."
This was good; having willing help would make things go much faster. Alfred drained his glass after that, standing up and leaving with a "See you around!", leaving Matthew alone with his thoughts again.
~0~0~
The next day was spent wandering town, chatting idly with the townsfolk while keeping an eye out for signs of the rumored witch or warlock. There was a surprising lack of tension or worry from the people for neighboring such a person, but perhaps the target was just good at hiding themselves.
It wasn't until around noon that his meandering path finally had him in front of the smithy, where Alfred was sitting outside eating a simple lunch while chatting with a few children. Upon noticing him Alfred waved, inviting Matthew over and offering a seat on the small bench.
"Have a chance to look around town?"
Matthew nodded. "Yes; it's very…" He looked for a work that wouldn't come off as rude, but before he could think of it, Alfred laughed.
"Small? Yeah, it's not quite the capitol, but it's friendly and quiet, not to mention out of the way."
"You've been to the capitol?" Matthew asked, surprised.
Alfred nodded. "Once, when I was a kid. Dad had to go there for some business and decided to bring me along. I'd never seen so many people in one place before then."
Matthew grinned lightly. "Must have been pretty scary."
Alfred huffed in amusement. "Well, for the first couple days, yeah, but once I got used to it it was pretty cool. Don't think I could ever live there, though. Too noisy."
The soldier shrugged. "I grew up there, so I'm used to it. I don't think I could take too much quiet without going a bit stir-crazy myself."
Alfred shrugged back, the grin still on his face. "To each their own, I guess."
Matthew chuckled, settling back to look up at the sky. Despite what he'd told Alfred, he really didn't mind the quiet atmosphere all that much, as it gave him time to collect his thoughts. Right now, he was considering everything he'd seen and heard so far today, which seemed to conflict with the rumors of a mage in the area. Surely he would have sensed something by now if there were?
Perhaps he'd been misled, or the rumors were false. Maybe the mage had somehow learned of his coming and long left, although that seemed unlikely considering the stir that would have caused. Perhaps they were just better at hiding than most.
Whatever the case, eventually he would have no excuse to linger, at which point he'd have to leave or else draw more suspicion to himself. With that time limit in mind, it was best to try to search as much of the town as he could without seeming nosy, and the man right next to him just finishing his lunch in the silence was his key to doing it.
"Hey, do you think you still have enough time for that help you promised yesterday? I was hoping you could maybe show me around."
Alfred blinked. "I think I do, but I'd have to ask the boss."
He stood up enough to look through the smithy window, pausing a moment to search before half shouting, "Hey, boss, do ya need me this afternoon? The new guy wants me to show him around."
There was no response at first; instead the sound of heavy footsteps approached, and a giant of a man leaned out of the window to look at him. Matthew repressed the urge to shiver at the stare directed at him, seemingly looking straight through his disguise. After a moment the man turned to Alfred, the look softening just a bit.
"That's fine, but don't take too long; you still need to help me repair the equipment."
Alfred grinned. "Got it, boss! C'mon Matthew, let's go."
The two young men left together, Matthew well aware of the gaze following after them. He shuddered slightly and forced his attention to Alfred, who was chatting away. He really hoped the smith hadn't figured him out.
The walk was actually rather pleasant with Alfred there, pointing out all of the shops and what they sold, along with tidbits about events that had happened in various locales around town. Nothing that seemed particularly magical in nature was ever mentioned, although it couldn't be ruled out that they were being hidden.
Honestly, though, Matthew was finding it harder and harder to believe that there were any magic users within miles of the town. The people were calm and happy in a way that couldn't be faked, there weren't any sort of whispers going around town that weren't standard for such small places, and there hadn't even been a whiff of magic being used anytime in the recent past. It seemed that the rumors had been just that - rumors. At most one may have passed through here at some point, but there certainly hadn't been any to linger-
A flare lit up in his mind, directing his attention northwest along a side street. Without thinking his head jerked to stare in that direction, mind already calculating the distance and strength of the burst of magic. He didn't even hear Alfred questioning him, instead determining that whatever it was, it was weak, untrained. A child, perhaps?
"Matthew, what's wrong?" Alfred asked again, looking very much concerned when he finally returned his attention to him.
"Sorry, I thought I heard something." Matthew told him, already guessing the source to be near the edge of the town based on the size of the place and the distance to the flare.
Alfred frowned, pursing his lips as if to disagree before changing his mind. "...if you're sure. Did you want to finish the tour?"
Matthew almost refused, but realized that would only raise more suspicions. Instead he agreed, pretending nothing had happened while keeping his senses extended. There was no way he was going to get close during the daytime, but if he waited too long the parents - should one or both be magical - would probably be well on their way before he could start the chase should they suspect someone like him was in the area.
If he was lucky, the child would have no magical parents, and he could convince them to allow him to take them to the city for training for the forces.
By the time they reached the inn again, Matthew already had a plan in mind, thanking Alfred for his time and watching him run off towards the smithy before turning to go inside and grab his belongings. He'd go at dusk; there was no way for them to be far enough away that he couldn't catch up, if they even suspected him to be there at all.
~0~0~
The sun was already behind the trees when Matthew slipped out of the inn, casting long shadows along the road as he made his way down the street towards the far end of town. He was wearing his darked clothes, allowing him to blend in with the darkness around him and keeping prying eyes from noticing him.
The going was slower than he would have liked, having to duck into hiding more than once as townsfolk returned home for the night. In fact, it was almost dark by the time he finally reached the house in suspicion. It was indeed the last house on this road, a small, homely place with flowers and herbs growing underneath the windows. Hardly a place that people would glance twice at, but then again that was the point, wasn't it?
The scent of slightly-burnt food reached his nose, making it crinkle. Clearly whoever lived here wasn't the best of chefs, not that he hadn't smelled - or tasted - worse. Between that and the lit lamps, he assumed the family was home and unaware of him. Perfect; it would make his job so much easier.
He slipped around to the back, listening for the sounds of movement or voices at the window. He frowned when, besides the normal sounds of the house settling for the night, nothing came to his ears. Surely a family with a child wouldn't be this quiet when sitting down to dinner, right?
The burnt smell grew stronger.
His heart sank and eyes widened in realization, and without any thought to stealth he heaving himself through the window, looking around and seeing that, while most of the room was still in place, there was a sense of rushing, as if someone had run through and grabbed as many things as could be carried before running out.
He ran into the next room, a bedroom, where the shelf of books had several gaping holes just where old spellbooks would fit. The dresser drawers were half-open, revealing several outfits missing from three different sizes - just right to be a mother, father and young child.
"Damnit!" He cursed to himself as he ran out the front door, past the lit lamps and cooking fire meant to distract him and into the street. Either the mage was extremely paranoid and had left at the slightest hint of danger, or someone had tipped them off-
The blacksmith! Damn that man, he must have known the whole time! And with Matthew distracted by Alfred, there was plenty of time for him to go and warn the family of someone suspicious in town, giving them ample time to pack and run before he could go after them. With a growl he ran back towards the inn, grateful for his forethought in packing his horse before heading out, as it would save him valuable time attempting to catch them before they hit the border and became untouchable.
His mind calculated the likely distance to where they were based on the time since they'd been warned and the likelihood of them having a horse or two to ride. With one horse they would have to stop sooner rather than later to keep it from completely collapsing on them, but with two they could make it nearly to the border before stopping to rest.
Wait, wasn't the road still mostly out? That should give him a chance to catch up if they had to pick their way around the area.
The reins snapped in his hands, and he flew off to the west, determined to catch up before it was too late.
Briefly, he wondered whether they might have instead chosen to go in a different direction, but dismissed it as unlikely. Going through the woods would take far too long to get to civilization, and the only other path out of town headed further into the country, only making it harder to hide with soldiers on the lookout for suspicious travellers. In either of those cases, he could easily put out a warrant for a family of three with a young child who were travelling from this direction, something which people would notice and be eager to report for a few gold pieces.
No, the only route to safety was west, out of the country and into more friendly lands. He flattened himself against his horse, urging it to go faster. The two flew through the moonlit night, Matthew using as much magic as he dared to keep the horse from tripping and falling, while stretching his senses to the limit to try and catch the briefest hint of life-
There! Five moving sources ahead, two of which weren't human. It looked like he'd lucked out after all, especially since they were still several miles from the border as his horse was much faster than theirs.
One of the two horses started to slow while the other sped up, and after a second he realized they'd noticed his search. So it seemed one of the parents was going to fall back to fight him while the other parent fled with the child. He knew he wouldn't be able to get past the distraction if the challenging flare sent at him meant anything, but perhaps if he was fast enough he could knock this witch out and catch up to the other before it was too late.
At the least, he'd have one to return to the king, which made the kingdom that much safer in the end.
He slowed when he saw the other's horse standing in the middle of the road under the bright light o the full moon, the rider's face hidden under a cloak. Based on the size, he guessed it was the father - surprising, but also making him much more cautious, as they wouldn't have left the weaker of the two behind to stop him. He drew to a stop, sitting as straight as he could to address the other.
"By decree of the king, all magic users in the kingdom are to immediately submit themselves to the king or else face death. If you and your family come quietly, you will not be harmed, but your refusal will require me to use force."
The cloaked figure said nothing, instead slipping off their horse. Matthew did the same, one hand inching towards his blade should things go sour, as he suspected they would.
"Please, consider your child! Wouldn't they be much better off learning at the capitol, serving the kingdom as a whole?"
A hand rose, and he barely had time to draw his blade before the flame directed at him could connect. The enhanced blade caused the fire to swirl around him, leaving him untouched though uncomfortably warm. The second the flame broke he sent an attack of his own, a wave of ice launching from, the edge of his blade as he slashed it in the mage's direction.
The enemy ducked under the ice, bringing out their own blade in time to block his, Matthew having used the time to get up close where he was more likely to land a crippling strike. Even this close Matthew couldn't make out the face hidden in the shadows, and the knight realized the garment was woven with magic to obscure his sight.
If he wanted to be able to read his opponent, it had to go.
Their blades clashed, fire meeting ice as they channeled their nigh-opposing elements through their respective weapons. Whoever this was, they weren't professional, but they were certainly trained by one. A fighter like them would be a huge loss to the kingdom should they be killed, but Matthew doubted they could be convinced otherwise.
A lucky blast of ice when the two locked blades tore the hood away, finally giving Matthew a chance to see his opponent's face-
Familiar blue glared back, Alfred's determined grit enough to make Matthew hesitate for the briefest moment, unable to believe that the friendly young man was a magic user.
The hesitation cost him, as the other used his shock to push his blade away, opening him up for a fist to the stomach, winding him and knocking the sword out of his hand as he fell back. Before he could recover, Alfred had kicked the blade away from reach, putting his own to the knight's throat.
"Why?" Matthew asked.
"Because I can't allow the king to take my family away from me again. Not like he did twenty years ago."
The knight's eyes widened as he finally looked at Alfred, recognizing the same strong jaw and bright eyes as the sketches of the witch Arthur who had tried to kill the king. "You-"
Alfred's eyes filled with pity. "You really don't know what happened that day, do you? Do they call my father a murderer? A traitor to the crown?"
Matthew couldn't deny those words. Alfred snorted derisively.
"Do me a favor, and learn the truth for yourself. Maybe then you'll understand why so few of us are eager to serve that man."
With that Alfred turned and left, his horse disappearing into the night as Matthew continued to sit there, unable to bring himself to continue the chase. He fell back, eyes half-shut as he stared up at the cold moon.
He would never admit to it, but Alfred's words shook him more than that blow to his body had. Before he had had no reason to doubt his duties or his king, but now… there had been such pity in his eyes, and an understanding that he only now realized he'd seen in the faces of other witches he'd cornered.
They'd known something - they'd all known something - that he didn't.
And it bothered him. Deeply.
Could they be right? Could the treason lay with the crown itself?
He shook his head, trying to rid himself of his doubtful thoughts. There was no way they were telling the truth. There was no way the king would lie to his people about something like this; what sort of man would condemn his own people to death out of cruelty?
No, not King Ivan. He wouldn't. He couldn't.
...could he?
~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~
AN: Yeah, this was a thingy I wrote once upon a time. I... guess it's okay for an idea, though tbh I still don't know where I'd go from here or what I'd change if I tried to make it a full story. I guess that's something that'll just have to wait indefinitely, because it's not... high on my priorities?
Like I said, I'm sure there's a lot of plot holes and inconsistencies, but this was just the exploration of an idea, so if you ever wanna try something with this AU, feel free to change stuff up. I'm just an ideas person who sometimes finishes her longer fics.