Thanks to SansTheLanguage218 for reviewing.
Oh my soul, this is long! I don't think I've ever written something so long. It's twice the length of the chapters in my other stories.
Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.
NorSwiss: Witch Hunt
"Quickly, the witch is this way!"
The group of hunters made their way towards what appeared to be a simple cottage, but they knew otherwise. They knew that a witch lived there, and they had every intention of killing her. Perhaps, with the death of the witch, the terrible drought would come to an end.
They waited for a while, and once they were sure that they were prepared, they charged through the door.
The witch spun around, looking alarmed. One of the hunters raised a crossbow, and before the witch could react, the bolt was shot through her heart. Just to be safe, they severed her head.
One of the women of the group was staring at the corner, and the others all turned their attentions towards it as well. They saw that it was a wooden cage, and a small boy was inside it. Combined with the cauldron in the centre of the room, along with the knife the witch had been holding…
"Good lord," one of the hunters muttered, "she was planning to eat this poor boy."
The women went towards the boy, freeing him from his cage.
"There now," one of them said gently. "What's your name?"
"V-Vash," the boy said, shrinking back.
"Come along then, Vash," the woman said. "We'll find your parents, alright?"
…
Vash sighed, sharpening his axe. He could still clearly remember when the hunters had found him.
They had searched everywhere, but could find no trace of his parents. Realising that he was most likely an orphan, they took him in, and raised him as one of them.
After his fear for witches had died after what had almost happened to him, he had grown an intense hatred for them. This hatred was what helped him during the war. It made him quite a skilled hunter.
Vash, like all hunters, knew that it was his duty to exterminate the witches. Those… monsters in human skin. Those abominations to the natural order. He wouldn't rest until all witches have been killed.
"Vash!" one of the others called. "We've received word of an entire coven of them. Apparently, they're planning to perform a ritual. We can't let them succeed, especially if they intend to have sacrifices."
Vash grimaced in disgust. Another reason to destroy the witches: their complete disregard for human life.
"Understood," Vash said. "I'm on my way."
…
Vash grumbled as he made his way into town. It had been a late night. And they had found no less than a dozen witches. Luckily, they had managed to eliminate all of them. Though, it wasn't without losses from their side.
Vash shook his head as he entered the library. This was the only quiet place in town, since not too many people came there. Sitting at the desk in front, with his nose in a book, was the librarian, Lukas Bondevik. Lukas looked up once he heard the door opening, and he easily found Vash.
"Hello again," Lukas said, eyeing Vash. "Did you come back from a hunt?"
"Is it that obvious?" Vash groaned. "Last night we found a whole nest of them. They were dancing around, completely naked." He shook his head in disgust. "Luckily, they seemed to have animals to sacrifice. If they were humans… and if we were late…"
Lukas shuddered, and Vash didn't go into any more details. He knew that Lukas didn't like it if Vash mentioned the witch hunts.
"There are no new books," Lukas said.
One of the reasons why Vash often came to the library was to see if they had any books on witches. One needed to know the prey in order to be an ideal hunter.
However, the other reason why he often came…
"I'm… not here about the books," Vash said awkwardly.
"Oh?" Lukas prompted, cocking his eyebrow.
"Um… by any chance… would you like to have dinner with me sometime?"
Vash could feel his face heating up, and Lukas was staring at him, his eyes wider than normal. Vash felt stupid, and he turned to leave.
"…Alright," Lukas said.
Vash spun back, not sure he heard correctly.
"What?" he whispered.
"Alright," Lukas repeated. "I'll go to dinner with you. I'm assuming, by your attitude, that it's a date. So," Lukas smirked, "when did you have in mind?"
Vash blushed slightly.
"How about… tomorrow night?" Vash asked.
Lukas nodded his head, before he returned to his book. Vash stood there for a moment, before fleeing the library. He was sure he could feel Lukas's eyes on his back.
…
Lukas sighed as he returned to his home. He couldn't believe that Vash, the best witch hunter around, had asked him on a date. He wondered if Vash was suspicious.
Lukas bit his lip, before going towards the centre of the room. He muttered a quick spell, and a square of light appeared on the floor. Once it disappeared, a trapdoor was revealed. He exhaled sharply, before he went down the trapdoor. He muttered another spell, so that, in the event of someone coming to investigate, the trapdoor couldn't be found.
He glanced around, seeing the bookshelves, the candles, the cauldron… Everything that he would require. Closing his eyes, he cleared his mind, before setting to work.
He grabbed a few small, smooth stones. Each stone had a rune carved on one side, while the other remained smooth. He went over towards the table, and he asked a few simple questions.
"Is my brother's name Emil?"
He lightly tossed the stones, and they all landed with the rune-side facing upwards. Yes.
"Is my hair black?"
The stones landed rune-side down. No. He continued asking questions that he already knew the answer of. It was good to know that the stones were still working, and that his mind was clear.
"Is Vash suspicious of me?"
No.
Lukas sighed in relief.
"Does he truly only want dinner with me tomorrow night?"
Yes.
"Should I go?"
Lukas frowned. He had seven stones, and three of them were currently rune-side down, while the others were rune-side up.
"Well, that's helpful," he said sarcastically.
He closed his eyes, mulling things over. He was a witch, and Vash was a witch hunter. It would be stupid to go. And yet… When Vash had asked him to dinner earlier, something compelled him to accept. He couldn't quite understand the reasoning behind it. He only hoped that he wasn't doing something suicidal.
He also knew that he couldn't cancel the dinner. Doing so would make Vash question the reason behind the cancellation, and it could invite his suspicion.
He would have to go through with it. If something were to happen, he would be prepared.
…
Vash had a small smile on his face as he strolled through the woods with Lukas. This was the fifth time they were on a date together, and Vash was very pleased by how well things were going. He didn't know what it was that attracted him to Lukas, but he could only hope that things continued to go smoothly.
Vash didn't bring up the subject of witches or witch hunters. He knew that it made Lukas uncomfortable, and he didn't want to do or say anything that could drive Lukas away.
"You know, I've been wondering something," Lukas said. "Why did you become a hunter?"
Vash was surprised that Lukas was the one that brought it up, but he supposed that it wouldn't hurt to tell him.
"The hunters found me as a young boy," Vash said. "I was locked in the cage of a witch's house. She was planning to eat me. They tried to find my parents, but… I think the witch killed them, or something. Since I was an orphan, the hunters took me in and raised me as a hunter. The funny thing is, I can't remember anything before that. I can't even remember what my parents looked like."
Lukas was silent as he listened to Vash's story. He looked at the ground, biting his lip.
"And… that's why you hate witches?" Lukas asked.
"Ja," Vash said. "Human life means so little to them. Monsters like that… they can't be allowed to live."
Lukas worried his lip, looking thoughtful.
"I'm sorry I brought it up," Lukas said. "It… It must have been painful for you."
Vash shrugged. He used the memory as fuel for his hunts. The fear he felt as a child… He wanted to prevent anyone else from feeling the same fear.
Before either of them could say anything, they heard a rustle. Vash froze, and Lukas stopped as well. Vash hadn't realised it earlier, but the woods were quiet. Too quiet…
As though summoned by his thoughts, a figure lumbered out of the thicket. Vash quickly grabbed for his crossbow, moving in front of Lukas protectively.
This figure… It looked human, but it had black skin that looked thick. It had a long blade – which resembled a scythe – for a hand.
"…Hunter…" the figure muttered, eyes focused on Vash.
That was all the warning Vash received before the creature lunged.
Vash pushed Lukas away from him as he ducked the other way, and just in time too. The bladed hand landed where they had been a moment ago. The creature turned to Vash, and he shot it with his crossbow.
However, the creature merely shrugged off the shot as it lunged again, and Vash was forced to remove his axe. He managed to block with the axe's handle, and he parried away, before aiming for the creature's head, to no effect once again.
Vash's eyes widened as the creature swatted him away. He landed with a thud against a nearby tree. The axe fell from his hand, and the creature lifted its bladed arm. Vash gritted his teeth as it started to swing down…
The impact never came. The creature was knocked out of the way, and a casing of ice started to coat it. Vash watched this for a moment, before he turned to the other direction. If possible, his eyes widened further.
"Lukas?" he questioned.
Lukas's hand was outstretched and glowing a light blue. After a while the light faded, and Lukas lowered his hand. He avoided Vash's gaze. But Vash knew what had just happened.
"Y-you… You're a witch?" Vash asked.
Lukas flinched, turning his head away.
"I didn't want you to know," Lukas whispered. "I know how much you hate my kind…"
Lukas remained in the same position, and Vash slowly approached him. Lukas kept his eyes lowered, and when Vash was close enough, the eyes clenched shut.
"How long?" Vash demanded. "How long have you been one?"
"…Always," Lukas said. "Only a small percentage of the witch population became so through contracts. Most of us… we were born this way."
Vash took a step back. He, like all hunters, knew that a witch gained their powers by forming a contract with a supernatural creature, including other witches. And Lukas… He was saying that he was born this way?
"What made you ask me out the first time?" Lukas whispered. "I thought you were suspicious at first, but obviously not."
Vash glared.
"You cast a spell, didn't you?" Vash demanded.
"If I did, I wouldn't be asking you 'why'," Lukas said. "I wouldn't be so stupid as to cast a spell on a witch hunter. And if you're thinking that it was all a trap… Think about it. I've had plenty of opportunities. I could have let that asagai kill you. But I didn't."
Vash's head snapped back to the creature, which was completely encased in ice now.
"You know what that… thing is?" Vash asked.
"Not all of the children of witches are born with magic," Lukas said. "And sometimes, the magic doesn't awaken until adulthood. We need to protect our children until they can fend for themselves. The asagai is one example. But… It only transforms a person in times of extreme stress. It's not a favourable method, but… at least they cannot be harmed by anything other than magic. That creature… That's a child. A child whose parents were killed by hunters, I presume."
Vash felt upset by what he was hearing, but… It wasn't quite anger or outrage. He didn't know what it was. And that only upset him further.
Vash took another few steps closer to Lukas, but the other didn't move. Vash grabbed him by the front of his shirt, and only then did Lukas look at him. Vash couldn't help the horrifying feeling when he looked into Lukas's eyes. His eyes, normally unreadable, reflected the fear he felt, and also the resignation. It scared Vash, and made him feel like a monster. But… Lukas was a witch. He was the monster. So why did Vash feel bad?
And what Lukas had said… about the monster that attacked him being a child…
Vash snarled, before he threw Lukas to the ground. He didn't look back as he ran off.
…
Lukas watched Vash go, surprised that he was still alive. He wondered if Vash would tell the other hunters, and they would be waiting for him when he returned home. If that happened… would he have to fight? He had tried his best to show Vash that he wasn't a threat, even if it meant that he would be killed. And… It was better to be killed by Vash than all of the other hunters.
But… Vash had let him go. Lukas didn't understand the feelings hidden in Vash's eyes, but he knew that the hunter would have to live with the storm inside.
Lukas shook his head, before turning his attention to the frozen asagai. No matter what, this creature was a child. He lifted his hand, and the ice disappeared. Luckily, the creature was exhausted, and changed into a young boy. He couldn't be older than twelve.
The boy looked over towards him and backed up, fear in his eyes. Lukas sighed.
"My name is Lukas," he said. "I am part of the Northern Circle."
The boy calmed upon hearing Lukas's introduction.
"M-my name's Peter," the boy said. "My… my dad was part of the Emerald Circle."
Lukas nodded.
"Your father was killed by a hunter, isn't that right?" Lukas asked.
The boy nodded, tears welling in his eyes. Lukas cocked his head to the side. He had a brother – not biological, but part of the same circle – that had spoken of wanting an apprentice. He was a woodcarver by trade, and it wouldn't be too suspicious. And if the boy's magic awakened, then Berwald should be able to help him.
"I know someone in my circle who could take you in," Lukas said. "If you don't mind?"
Peter looked surprised, but nodded his head. Lukas gave a small smile as he held out his hand.
…
A week had passed since the fateful day when Vash had discovered the truth of Lukas's identity. Berwald had been happy to take Peter in, and was concerned about Lukas. Lukas had calmly stated that if he fled, then the hunt for him would be intense, and he could inadvertently lead the hunters to others. If needed, he knew how to fake his death. And if he had to die… then it would be preferable to have Vash be the one that killed him.
Again, it felt odd to Lukas. He had heard of something like this, but… He would need to make sure about it.
He was surprised that a week had passed, and nothing had happened. No one waiting for him at his home. No ambush at the library. No one hauling him off to the town square, humiliating him, or…
Lukas shook his head. He needed to get that image out of his head.
As he approached his home, he came to a stop. It would seem that he had been hasty in thinking that no one had come to wait for him.
It was Vash, and Lukas could see that he had been waiting for a while. Lukas couldn't see any weapons on him, but Vash could easily have them concealed.
Vash looked over towards him and frowned.
"I came to talk to you," Vash said. "I demand answers."
Lukas pursed his lips, but nodded stiffly. He quickly unlocked the door, leading Vash inside. He didn't miss Vash's eyes darting around, no doubt looking for evidence of witchcraft.
"You won't find anything," Lukas said, closing the door, but not locking it. Vash noticed.
"How did you manage to hide it from me?" Vash asked.
Lukas shrugged.
"I listened and learned," Lukas said. "We're still human. We're capable of learning."
Vash looked at him sharply, and Lukas waited patiently.
"You said that most of you are born with it," Vash said. "How does that work?"
"How do you have green eyes?" Lukas asked. "It's something we can't help. And given how others react to us… We either learn to live with it, or…"
Lukas shuddered, hoping to convey the message to Vash. The other crossed his arms.
"Can you try not to use magic?" Vash asked.
"Can you try not walking?" Lukas asked. "It's something our parents took the time to teach us. It's become instinct. Especially someone like me, whose magic awakened even before I could speak…"
Vash frowned.
"Are you responsible for messing up the crops?" Vash asked.
Lukas shook his head.
"First off, doing something like that is not my style," Lukas said. "It's petty, and serves no greater purpose. We don't like to do something for nothing. Secondly, we have a rule: if we're going to sabotage something, don't do it where you live. That's just asking for trouble. At the very least, do it from the next town over. If anything, we try to help the communities we live in. More crops are surviving the winter, aren't they? My base magic is ice-based, in case you haven't noticed."
Vash simply stared at him.
"What happened to that… um…?" he asked.
"The asagai?" Lukas asked. "He turned back into a child. I was right. His father was killed by a hunter. I managed to get him to someone who could take care of him."
Vash bit his lip, and Lukas wondered for a brief moment if he felt guilty about the fact that it was a child. Eventually, Vash took a deep breath.
"You didn't attack me when I found out what you are," Vash said. "Why?"
"Why would I?" Lukas asked. "I know how much you hate witches, and I can't blame you after hearing your story. But… I was willing to take your anger. I deserved it for lying, at the very least. And I was expecting you to kill me."
Vash blinked, seemingly surprised by the revelation.
"And… you would have just let me do that?" Vash demanded.
"I didn't want to hurt you," Lukas said, shrugging. "And I knew that if I attacked you, the rest of your group would come after me. You must have told someone you were going with me, right?"
"…No," Vash said. "No one knew."
This time, it was Lukas's turn to be surprised. But he quickly shook it off.
"It doesn't matter," Lukas said. "I have no intention to hurt you."
Vash closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"I can understand if you don't want to see me again," Lukas continued. "And if you… if you want to kill me. I'm a witch, after all. But… for what it's worth, I really enjoyed our time together."
Vash shook his head, opening his eyes. Lukas waited with baited breath.
"…I won't kill you," Vash said quietly. "And… I enjoyed our time together as well. Could… could we forget all of this? That… you're a witch, and I'm a hunter? I just… I want to spend more time with you. But… no magic."
"I can live with that," Lukas said, smiling in relief.
"One thing I want to know, and I want you to be honest. Did you use a spell on me?"
"If you're asking if I used a love spell or something… no. I wanted to avoid attention, after all."
Vash shook his head again, before looking around the room.
"Why do you live in town?" Vash asked. "I thought witches preferred to live out of town."
"Isolating yourself is how you draw attention to yourself," Lukas said. "Though, some of us prefer living alone. Especially the ones that lost faith in people."
"Lost faith?"
Lukas shook his head.
"I'd rather not get into detail about it," he said. "So… should we continue from before? With the dates, I mean?"
"Ja. As long as we don't bring up the topic of witches or witch hunting."
Lukas sighed in relief.
"I would prefer that," he said.
…
For a while, things were going well. Neither of them brought up the subject of the war between witches and witch hunters. Vash also made sure that Lukas didn't find out about any of his hunts. He felt a little bad that he didn't know if he was killing one of Lukas's friends. But he knew that Lukas was harmless, while the others had nothing to tell him that they were as well.
But…
Vash was walking through town, on his way to Lukas's house. It was already dark, and the library would be closed, thus the other would be at his house. Vash was still a little dazed, and he needed to see Lukas.
Vash stopped before Lukas's door, and he lethargically knocked. He had to wait a while before Lukas answered, and Vash wondered what took Lukas that long. The house wasn't that large. It was actually a simple cottage.
Lukas's eyes widened when he saw Vash, and he opened the door wider.
"What happened?" Lukas asked.
"…We need to talk," Vash said.
Lukas hesitantly nodded his head, allowing Vash to enter.
"Would you like some tea?" Lukas asked.
"That would be nice," Vash said.
The two remained in silence for a while as Lukas prepared the tea, and Vash was gathering his thoughts. Finally, Lukas handed Vash a cup, and the hunter inhaled the comforting scent. Lukas sat down next to him.
"So, what's on your mind?" Lukas asked.
Vash took a sip of the tea and sighed.
"I just came back from a hunt," Vash said.
He felt Lukas stiffen next to him.
"I thought we weren't going to discuss anything like that," Lukas said. "But… I know. You were gone for days. Someone said that you were called to another area?"
Vash nodded.
"Another camp wanted our help," he said. "They were dealing with particularly dangerous witches. They had already lost three members by the time we arrived, unable to kill even one. And when we arrived… Their camp was destroyed, and bodies were everywhere. And the state the bodies were in…"
Vash shook his head, trying to clear it of the images. He took another sip of his tea.
"We went after the witches, and we found them," Vash said. "There were nine of them."
"Please stop," Lukas whispered. "I know where this is going, and…"
"They mercilessly slaughtered the others," Vash spat. "But…"
Vash pulled out something hanging by a thin strip of leather, which he kept around his throat but hidden underneath his clothes. It looked to be a simple triangle carved from wood, with a series of notches.
"You gave this to me," Vash said. "And one of the witches seemed to know that it was there. And they all had these amused grins… What is this?"
Lukas stared at it, the corner of his mouth turning upwards.
"It's a protective charm," Lukas said. "Very subtle. I'm glad you're wearing it."
"Why did the witches find it amusing?" Vash asked. "Because apparently, it amused them so much that they let me go."
Lukas looked at his lap.
"Because it's usually given to our loved ones," Lukas said. "And it only gains protective magic when freely given to someone, and if the affections behind them are returned. Strong witches can sense the power."
Vash was surprised when he heard that it was something given to loved ones. And if the witches knew that a witch, ergo Lukas gave it to him…
"They're going to hurt you," Vash whispered.
"What?" Lukas asked.
"They… They'd know that there was a witch with the hunters, and they'd want to punish the one they perceived as a traitor."
"But, I'm not with the hunters."
"They won't see it like that! I don't know what they do to traitors, but if it's anything like the hunters…"
"And what would the hunters do if they found out that you're involved with me?" Lukas snapped. "If what they do to traitors is really so bad…?"
"But they won't if you help us."
"You want me to turn traitor?"
"You're not like other witches. You're…"
"Oh, and what, prey tell, are the other witches like?" Lukas asked, getting angry. "Do you think all of us make it a habit to kidnap children? Do you think that we like nothing more than to spread disease or… or make the crops whither or… or cause a terrible drought? Do you honestly think that everyone's like that?!"
"No," Vash said, growing annoyed as well. "You're not like that."
"And how do you know that I'm the exception?" Lukas demanded. "There are a lot of witches like me, who would like nothing more than a quiet life without having to worry that we'd get stoned when we go out. Without worrying that we'd be locked up, tortured and then burned in front of the rest of the town, while people that we thought were our friends want nothing more than to hear us scream in agony, just because you were born a little different from the rest of them."
While he was ranting, Lukas had stood up and moved away from Vash. Vash stood as well, catching him by the arms.
"I have never seen evidence to the contrary," Vash said. "I have seen witches come together for their rituals… Dancing nakedly…"
"Skyclad," Lukas interrupted. "It's to offer up a prayer to our gods. And when you're born, you don't wear clothes. You're naked, since that was the way you came into the world. You're giving thanks to your life, no matter how horrible it is."
Vash gritted his teeth.
"I know that you want to justify the actions of your kind," Vash said, "but there are some things that can't be forgiven. Killing innocent people, bathing in blood… You have no idea what I've seen. We need to stop witches like that."
"Then why don't you even bother checking if the witches you're after are actually guilty of something like that?" Lukas asked. "You kill indiscriminately."
"They kill us as well!"
"And did you think that everyone would just bow their head and wait for you to kill them? You've killed many of our kind. Many of us have lost friends or family because of the hunters. Did you honestly think that someone wouldn't try to retaliate, or defend themselves?"
Vash narrowed his eyes.
"You're joining the hunters," Vash said. "Whether you like it or not."
"I am not going to become a murderer," Lukas said firmly. "I am not going to make more orphans like Peter."
Vash felt a surge of emotion at the reminder of the asagai, the child who had lost his parents to hunters. He shoved Lukas away, his anger getting the best of him.
He was surprised when, instead of simply stumbling a few steps back, Lukas was sent towards the far wall, the sound seeming to echo through the room. Lukas gasped in pain and slumped. Vash could see that he was struggling to remain conscious.
Vash simply stood there for a moment, before he rushed towards Lukas. The other took his outstretched hand, looking a little dazed.
"I'm sorry," Vash said. "I don't know how… How did that happen?"
Lukas turned to him, the anger gone, but an odd expression replacing it.
"When you shoved me," Lukas said, "I felt a strong surge of magic."
"Magic?" Vash repeated. "But… That's not possible."
Lukas was silent for a moment.
"Come with me," he said. "There's something that I need to check out."
Vash frowned, wondering what Lukas had in mind. Lukas muttered something, and Vash's eyes widened when he saw a trapdoor simply appear in the floor.
"Come," Lukas said, before leading the way down.
Vash hesitated for a moment, before following him down. His jaw dropped when he reached the bottom.
Upstairs, there was no evidence that Lukas was a witch. But down there… Vash had never seen a witch's lair so well-stocked.
"My circle avoids using anything that needed to be killed," Lukas said. "So it's mostly herbs and crushed stones."
Vash saw as Lukas prepared a bunch of stones. He'd never heard of witches that didn't use animals or… people. Perhaps Lukas was right, and Vash hadn't put much thought into them.
"Alright then," Lukas said, showing Vash the stones. "Each of these have a rune carved into them. You need to have at least three of them. I use seven. These are divination stones."
"Divination?" Vash repeated.
"A means of predicting the future, or finding answers. How this works is that you hold all of the stones in your hands, ask a question, and then you drop them. If the answer is 'yes', all of them will land with the rune facing up. If it's 'no', then all of them will land face down. If it's 'maybe' – rare, but sometimes happens – half would be face down while the others are face up. You can also use a coin, but stones are more natural, especially stones you've carved yourself."
"And why are you telling me this?" Vash asked.
"Haven't you ever been curious about how our magic works? Or, did you think it was such an abomination that it wasn't worth learning about?"
Vash scowled, but he didn't say anything. He wondered if he had hurt Lukas before, whenever he said something negative about witches and magic. And as soon as he thought that, he realised that he probably did hurt Lukas.
"Alright," Lukas said. "First, it's a good idea to ask questions you already know the answers to. It's to ensure that your mind is clear, and that the answers you receive are the truth."
"Kind of how we have to test that all of our weapons still work," Vash said.
"…Ja. Alright. Is Vash a hunter?"
Vash watched as Lukas released the stones, and miraculously, all of them landed with the runes facing upwards.
"Alright," Lukas said, picking them up again. "Do I have black hair?"
Vash raised an eyebrow at the question, but the stones landed face down. Perhaps it was working.
"One more test question, and then we'll ask what we really want to know," Lukas said. "Do I have a sister?"
The stones landed face down, and Vash turned to Lukas.
"That question could be ambiguous," Vash said. "You wouldn't have known if your father had strayed and had another child."
"That's not a problem," Lukas said distractedly. "I had two mothers. It was impossible for one of them to have an illegitimate child without the other knowing."
"Wait! How does that even work?!"
"It's not uncommon for two people of the same gender to be romantically involved. That's why I wasn't too bothered when you asked me out for the first time. But as far as I knew, that wasn't true for the hunters. Anyway, at some point in time, the two might decide that they want to start a family, and they decide who will be the bearer. My… I guess you could say my mother, since she was the one that gave birth to me, and then my other parent decided that she wanted to experience childbirth herself, and my brother was born."
"…I didn't know you had a brother," Vash said.
"I was afraid of mentioning him. One of the reasons why I moved here is because it's far away from my family. So that, if I was ever discovered, my family wouldn't be implicated."
Vash was silent. He had never thought that witches cared for each other like that. And being an orphan, he didn't quite understand the bonds of family.
"Alright then," Lukas sighed. "Now, it's the question I want to know the answer to. Is Vash really a witch?"
Vash's eyes widened at the question, and time seemed to slow as the stones were dropped. To their astonishment, the stones landed face up.
"What?!" Vash exclaimed. "That's impossible!"
Lukas bit his lip, before picking up the stones again.
"Was Vash's parents killed by witches?" he asked.
No.
"Was Vash kidnapped by a witch when he was a child?"
No.
"…When the hunters found him… The witch who he was with… Was she his mother?"
Yes.
Vash widened his eyes when he saw the result of the stone throw, and he shook his head in denial.
"No," Vash said. "That can't be possible! It can't…"
Lukas took the stones one last time.
"Did the hunters know that Vash was the son of a witch?" he asked.
No.
"How's this possible?" Vash whispered.
"You said you can't remember anything from before you were found, right?" Lukas asked.
"Y-yeah…"
"I'm going to try a spell that would reveal any lost memories," Lukas said. "But I'm going to need you to trust me. And I warn you… what you see might be very painful."
Vash swallowed nervously, before he nodded his head.
"Alright," he whispered. "Just… I want to know what's going on."
"I'm sorry," Lukas whispered, before he extended his hand.
…
"Vash, get in there."
Vash did as he was told, going into the wooden cage. He looked towards the woman in confusion.
"Mama, what's going on?" he asked.
The woman smiled.
"I'm sorry, my baby," she said. "The hunters are coming."
The young Vash scowled.
"I'll protect you," he said. "I won't let them hurt you."
The woman shook her head.
"No," she said. "Hunters are merciless. They will kill you. No. I want you to live. So… It would be better for them to think that I kidnapped you. With some luck, they'll take you to a monastery, or they would find a family for you. As long as they don't realise that you're a witch. Even if your powers hadn't awoken yet, they would still not show you mercy."
Tears were streaming down the boy's face.
"But…" he tried to say.
The woman – his mother – kissed him on the forehead.
"I've sealed your powers," she said. "And soon… You won't remember that I'm your mother. I'm sorry, Vash. But this is the only way I can assure that you'd live. I love you."
She moved away. Vash could feel his head turning fuzzy, and she picked up a large knife. Immediately after, the door swung open…
…
Vash gasped, as though he had resurfaced after being submerged. It took him a moment to realise that he was crying. Lukas was watching him with sympathy in his gaze.
"She… she made herself look like the monster," Vash said. "All to protect me."
Lukas nodded.
"Many witches value life," he said. "Especially the lives of our family. We'd do anything to protect them."
…
It was an hour later. Vash had calmed down slightly, and Lukas was preparing dinner. Lukas kept quiet, leaving Vash to his thoughts. He knew that they were most likely a tempest with all of the things that he had learned.
"…What can I do?" Vash asked. "If anyone found out…"
"No one has to," Lukas said. "I've been able to keep my secret for a long time. I can help you."
Vash looked towards Lukas, his eyes blank.
"…I remember everything," Vash said. "I remember that my mother was always afraid that the hunters were going to find us. I remember that I thought that the hunters were evil, but my mother… she always said that they weren't evil. They just… didn't understand us. Lukas, I'm so sorry."
Lukas shrugged.
"What are you going to do now?" Lukas asked.
"I… I don't know," Vash sighed. "I can't continue being a hunter. Not with my… my powers awakening. If any of the others saw that… And I… I know that I was wrong about witches. It's just… I've been raised by the hunters. All I've ever been exposed to is their philosophies of witches. I grew up thinking that witches were evil."
"If it makes you feel any better," Lukas said, "not all witches are innocent. There are some that do evil for the sake of evil. But, in the same way, you also get hunters that are less than noble. I know of a hunter who liked to accuse women of being witches because they didn't want to sleep with him. He brought about their public shaming and execution, using his authority as a hunter."
Vash stared at Lukas. It was obvious that Vash had never heard about something like that before.
"There are also hunters that take witch orphans and sell them into prostitution," Lukas continued. "I hear they get discounts."
"Stop," Vash whispered. "Are… are these the types of stories you grew up with?"
"Yes."
The two of them were silent for a while.
"I can't keep going on like this," Vash said. "I can't be a hunter anymore. But… the things they do to traitors…"
"…You said that you came directly to see me," Lukas said. "Do you think the others know that you're back?"
"No."
"And that you're alive?"
Vash was silent before turning to Lukas again.
"What are you saying?" Vash asked.
"As far as they know, you went with the others and were killed," Lukas said. "The two of us could leave town. Or we could stay, and I can use glamour to disguise you."
"If we leave, where would we go?" Vash asked.
"We can join members of my circle," Lukas said. "My brother is a blacksmith. A friend of mine is a woodcarver. Another is a baker. And then… There's this annoying acquaintance of mine who chose the life of piracy."
Vash smirked.
"Sounds like a lot of you have interesting jobs," Vash said.
"Did you think that we stay inside all day and cast spells?" Lukas asked playfully.
"No. I imagined you'd also gather ingredients for the spells."
Lukas chuckled.
"What about the library?" Vash asked. "If you just leave…"
"I can spin a lie," Lukas said. "That my father is ill, and that he wants me to take over the family business. Since I'm not originally from here, I can get away with it."
Vash smiled.
"Then I guess we're leaving," he said. "And we can… You can teach me everything that I need to know. And maybe start a family eventually."
Lukas smirked.
"And we'll have to figure out who's going to be the mother," Lukas said.
The prompt is: 'Imagine a world caught in a war between witches and witch hunters. Person B is a hunter, having been raised by a group of them since they were found as an orphan. By principle, B hates witches and wants to exterminate them. They soon prove themselves to be a very skilled and capable hunter, far more advanced than their adoptive family. One day they meet Person A, a witch. B is blind to A's heritage and asks A on a date, who accepts. Some time later, the pair are out for a walk when an unknown assailant attacks them. B uses their hunter equipment to try and drive the assailant off, but to no avail. That's when A uses their powers to incapacitate the assailant. B is left shocked that they had been dating a witch, but A convinces B that they will not hurt them. Time passes slowly and B warms up to their witch lover. They have an argument one night about whose allegiance they owe and B angrily states that they fight for the hunters, whether A likes it or not. During the argument, B shoves A out of their way, but instead of simply stumbling backwards, A is thrown against a wall, the force almost knocking them out. This is how they find out that B has been a witch all along, only just now discovering their powers. At this point, what does B do? Do they continue to fight for the hunters regardless of their newfound heritage, or is the realization that they've been killing their own kin too much for them to bear and they defect? Does A stick by B's decision, regardless of what they chose? What happens to their relationship?'
I didn't think I'd end up building this world so much.
Assegai is the name of a weapon, and while thinking of a name for the creature, I wanted it to sound somehow exotic and intimidating. After a while of thinking, assegai popped into my head, but I altered it a little into 'asagai'.