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"Your highness, what do you think about today's events?" Nazia asked, making Suzy stare at her with a frown.
" What do you mean?" Suzy asked, making Nazia sit in front of Suzy.
"Well, it's not just a day occurrence that the sun was setting in the west. But why do you think the people noticed it, even paid their reverence and gratitude to it?" Nazia asked Suzy who stared back at her.
"And why is that?" Suzy asked back, trying to know Nazia's point.
"It's because they were bewitched. Whenever the witches find something or someone attractive, worth their attention and time, their body releases serotonin in the environment which for humans is a happy hormone along with dopamine.
Since you were busy admiring the view of the sunset, your eyes find themselves trapped in the web of its sheer beauty and thus your body secretes serotonin in the environment, leading to the happy, optimistic mood of everyone despite the drought and its troubles.
Except the witch caretakers and the witch hunters no one can see those waves of serotonin spread across the atmosphere, which are light pink in colour. But that's where you need to be alert. You are not a completely developed witch yet, if any hunter caught your smell or these waves, your life will turn into a hell. A living hell.
You might not know but hunting the witches for their powers and iron-filled blood is common in other parts of this world. As the iron in witch's blood is far more different and stronger than the iron present in iron ores of this planet.Not to mention the iron found in witch's blood is the only iron which doesn't rust, making it the highest sought after metal of this era.
So, we have to be careful. Extremely cautious about everything we do and the consequences it would bring.
I haven't found any other witch caretaker or witch hunter in Ersia till now, but we should be better safe than sorry. Right, your highness!" Nazia said, making Suzy stare at her for a good few minutes.
"But isn't my blood red? How can I carry iron in my body or blood?" Suzy asked, trying to figure out whether her body is made of iron or not.
"Yes, your blood is red, your highness. But, many constituents come together to form the blood as we see it today. The high scholars still haven't found out completely about it. But I have heard people say that our blood contains some amount of iron in it, which helps with the intake and release of air in our body.
However your blood, your highness, contains double the amount of iron present in humans' blood. Making it the most expensive blood of the time. Humans hunt the witches, then remove the blood from their bodies, drop by drop, then under days long process of distillation, they remove iron from the blood.
Then with the smelting process they turn the iron extracted from your blood into metal. The rust-free, stronger, easy to use and effective metal of the era." Nazia explained, making Suzy shiver at just the mere thought of this nightmare.
"But your blood also contains iron as you said, then why only the witches?" Suzy asks after regaining her composure, impressing Nazia, finally she wants to know about herself, about her lineage.
"Yes, it does. However, a human can't kill a fellow human, as it is considered a homicide which is a crime on its own. Any person committing homicide would get dangerously and severely punished till his/her last breath.
Thus, humans don't kill each other, until and unless it's not a war for land, resources and superior way of living, or a murder for stealing, robbery or personal vengeance." Nazia explained making Suzy to stare at her, while digesting the information.
"Then, why is there no such thing for witches?" Suzy asked next.
"Because for humans the witches are evil, cruel and the bringer of doom. Do you know an average adult witch fed on the flesh of the human babies to survive, they drink the blood of the adult humans to maintain the balance in between their powers, while soaking the energy of the old humans to maintain their youthfulness throughout the centuries they live.
In simple terms they hunt, harm and kill humans from all stages of life. That's why there is no rule for the protection of witches." Nazia said, making Suzy stare at her in shock.
"Then, do you hate me?" Suzy asked after a moment of silence.
"No." Nazia replied without even letting the blink of the moment pass.
"Why?" Suzy asked, if witches are as bad as Nazia described then why would she not hate Suzy and her species. Isn't that a common thing to do?
" Because I had stayed with witches for one hundred and fifty years and I have yet to witness such a gruesome scene." Nazia explained, making Suzy frown.
"What do you mean?" Suzy asked, clearly confused.
"I don't know. But I have never seen any witch on my watch, or the witches in 'The Rule of Light' doing anything that would bring harm to any species, not just humans in particular.
I have seen them as peace loving creatures who fight only to protect themselves from the threats of this world." Nazia explained making Suzy stare at her with curiosity-filled eyes.
"What is The Rule of Light?" Suzy asked.
"It is the place where the witches live. The Hawkbeak Clan, The Catclaws Clan and The Batwing Clan of The Silvertail Witches stay there harmonically, peacefully and happily.
You are the descendant of The Hawkbeak Clan. The granddaughter of The Clanhead of The Silvertail witches. The daughter of The Matron of The Hawkbeak Clan and a former witch hunter from the Kingdom of Remenia.
The witchlings can't survive in The Rule of Light due to the unfavourable conditions, that's why they are sent to the human world with a human caretaker to survive and develop into a witch and return back to the land of witches for the rest of life.
If they have found a mate, then they have to bring him or her along with them otherwise they have to find one in The Rule of Light. But again the choice belongs to the individual only, whether he/she wants a partner or wants to spend the rest of the centuries alone.
You see the witches believe in the quote of 'Live and let live'. So, the fact that there are such ill rumours about them, made me sad. It's like if a witch ever runs into trouble then a hell of painful death awaits them.
You were lucky your identity remained a secret when superintendent Rakha stirred up the trouble for you." Nazia said with a flinch. She doesn't even want to consider the consequences.
"So you think the witches are innocent and are wrongfully framed by humans who just want to use the witches for their iron blood and powers?" Suzy asked, earning a nod from Nazia.
"Then, why has no one ever raised a voice against it?" Suzy asked.
"Because no one believes that the witches are innocent and those who do, they don't say anything for the fear of their own lives. As the mouth talking in favour of witches gets silenced forever, brutally.
As that would ruin the well-planned business of many rich men across the world, not to mention the witch-hunters would end up losing their jobs and respect too." Nazia explained.
"But that's so wrong. I have read somewhere, the person watching the sin and doing nothing is equally as sinful as the person committing the sin.
What's the point of having a voice if you can't even raise it against the injustice happening around you? Why must you just watch the victim being bullied and criticised and do nothing? Will you guys only shout when it's your turn to play the victim?
Fine, you are weak. You are not confident. You are scared. But what if it works out in the end. What if your voicing the wrong out as wrong, works out? What if your little voice gives courage to the blindly watching people around you?
You see, a movement never becomes a great movement without the participation of people in it. A wrong never becomes wrong until you stand against it, despite the weakness, the fear and the underconfidence. A right can never be right until you stand for it, with it.
The power is neither magic, nor the violence. The weapons, the artillery, the rage is not power. Power of differentiating between right and wrong is the real power. Because there are only one percent of the people who carry this power.
This is the power that turns a person into a hero, a leader, a king while letting the other be average. When you know you are right and fighting for the right, then the other ninety-nine percent of the people automatically join you and follow you. " Suzy explained.
" I wish it would have been that simple. It's not the matter of raising the voice. People simply abhor you." Nazia explained making Suzy to stare at her with a contemplating look.