Witch's Gambit

Prologue

[ This is a complete work of fiction. Y'all should know what you're getting yourselves into. ]

Long ago, when the world was first being formed, God found themself at a loss as to what they should put upon the lands. Sentient beings to live and thrive there.

They thought and thought, yet they were still unable to think of beings who should live on their names. Eventually, they came to a decision after the suggestions of the two suggestions of the angels Ambriel and Madan.

Ambriel suggested the creation of humans, brings who would learn and grow, age and die, but would hold an insatiable desire for knowledge. Even at the cost of their surroundings.

Madan suggested the creation of Witches to help keep the humans and the world in balance. They would be granted powers by God to manage the world and keep it living and breathing, at the cost of long life and deep connections to their respective lands.

Satisfied with the possible results of these two sentient beings, God created the first Witches and the first humans, sending them down to Earth to see how things would play out.

For a long time, things went smoothly. Witches cared for the land as if it were their own child and humans left the Witches to their own devices, knowing no reason for going after the magical beings.

That was until the first Witchhunter arose.

The Witchhunter, Cecilio, was skeptical of the Witches and their practices in the magical arts. The Witches would not answer the questions of what their powers were for, nor what they did with their practices. They were bound by oath to God to never expose their purpose. Unsatisfied with the answers he received, Cecilio's desire for knowledge consumed him until he did the unthinkable.

He kidnapped and tortured a Witch to her death in his pursuit of knowledge.

As soon as the Witch breathed her last breath, so did her lands. The grass turned from lush green to dry yellow, the animals began to die, and the once fertile grounds could not even support a grain of wheat.

The people became desperate for anything that would answer why their lands had suddenly became so barren. Why they were starving and dying of thirst. And Cecilio had the answer.

"The Witches did this to you."

Blinded by his own hubris and desire for more knowledge on the Witches, Cecilio sowed dissent in the hearts of the people and gave them answers. He told them that the Witches brought upon their pain and suffering. He could rectify the damage if only he could gain more information on the Witches.

And so began the Huntings. Using the teachings of Cecilio, villagers would bind the powers of a Witch with a special technique and drag them through the streets. Staining the ground with their blood and killing the lands, furthering their uneducated hate.

More and more Witches were killed, causing more and more land to become inhospitable and the lands that could be lived in blocked out any outsiderers in fear of either the Witchhunters or Witches.

Soon, Witches weren't the only fear the humans had. Without the protection of the Witches, demons known as Vietlings began to roam the Earth, eating any unsuspecting humans by assuming a human form and feeding upon their hatred.

Truly, the human's undoing had been either their desire for knowledge or lack of it.

Many still hospitable lands ran to the defence of Witches, having their Witches be considered treasures, causing greater divide between the humans.

The first ever land 'purged' of Witches was known proudly as Cecilio, in honor of the first Witchhunter to open their eyes. A community of Witchhunters so fanatic that they would even kill their own at even the suggestion there might be witchcraft at work.

It's such a pity that our starring role was born here, isn't it?

Let the curtains raise and our tragedy begin.

[ So. Guess what I did. ]