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Kane P.O.V

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I was mad at myself, no not mad furious. I had gotten so close to my goal, just to talk to one of the witches. But I froze up and ruined all of my chances. I need their help and I am getting desperate, almost too desperate. I also don't believe that they deserve to die just because they are different from us. Our race is quote frankly the most infuriating. They are racist inside their own species and outside...

We don't even know them. They could be peaceful creatures of nature, not the monsters that they have been painted to be. Who even knows how long they have been living peacefully amounst us before all of this started.

Not one person even knew of the existence of witches until 17 years ago, when the King declared this witch hunt. Murdering each and every one of them without a second thought, slaughtering them in their beds mercilessly with the light of death in his eyes.

I was only a young boy when it all started, the raids and the torture. It was barbaric and disgusting, but we all had no choice but to partake in it, either we killed them or the king killed us for being 'sympathisers'. Sympathisers, really? He counts sympathisers as those who don't like watching people who have done nothing wrong get slaughtered. Wow, how dare those 'Sympathisers' do that

In these 17 years, we are still yet to get a just explanation on why this war as started. I, however, don't care, I just want their help, and I want to overthrow the king. He killed my father for wanting to stop the murder of innocents and I need the help of a witch to do so. And I would also need the help of a witch to get through the trials to become the next king, as he has no heir.

"Dammit!" Yelled the captain of this hunt captain Heller. "Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!" He continued to yell as he threw both his flamed held torch and dagger to the ground in a fit of rage. He reminded me of a toddler who had just been told to go to bed and didn't want to.

I watched him pace back and forth yelling out profanities and cursing the supposed monsters that are the witches.

"Where in gods name did that thing vanish off too!" he yelled out again. He turned to me, ignoring all of the others from the hunting party that was now all caught up trying to regain there breath.

"You were closest to it, where did it go?" He pointed to my throat, the tone of his voice sounded as though he was accusing me. He held the same mad look that most of the hunters had. It was like the mad hatter's tea party, except, well, they were hunting to the death instead of drinking tea.

I shrugged my shoulders.

"I don't know, I was following her and then she just vanished from my sight over there." I pointed to the opposite direction to where I saw her disappear. I didn't need him snooping around and neither did the witches.

Heller just glared at me, I knew he didn't like me. I was only here because of my father's name, and my families' position in the world, but most importantly orders from the king. Heller knew that I didn't sign my name myself it was ordered by the king.

He walked up close to me, talking so that only I could hear him, I could feel his breath on the side of my cheek, smell the ale on his breath. He was always slightly drunk; he would drink at any time of the day. The beer on his tinged breath was probably the reason his wife and children hated him. That and the fact he was the foulest man you'll ever meet.

"You'd better not be lying to me boy, you don't want to know what I will do to if I find out you let it go."

We stared each other down, neither of us could do anything to the other, we have to put up with each other until one day when something tragic can happen without suspicion being drawn.

I heard a rustling in the trees behind me and snapped my head around to see what was going on, the witches had never once attacked us. Although one day it may come, they will not hide forever. They will attack us soon unless things change, I can sense it.

Thankfully it was only Kit, my cousin who was running towards captain Heller and myself with an urgency I had never seen before.

"Captain!" He called out without breath. "Captain, you need to return back to town!" he spoke bent over with his hands on his knees trying to catch his breath, he must have run the entire way here.

How did he even find us this far out?

"What happened?" Heller questioned

Kit was taking deep breaths in and out when one of the other men from the party gave him some water from his leather water bottle. Kit took a swig and wiped off the excess water on the back of his hand. "Thanks, Burt." He spoke he handed the water back.

"What is happening?" The captain asked again glaring between Kit and myself since he didn't trust me, he didn't trust Kit either.

"It's your son." Kit spoke solemnly looking down at his shuffling feet, ignoring eye contact with Heller.

"What happened?" Heller was starting to raise his voice again.

"I wasn't told, just to run and get you straight away." Kit was backing away from Heller, as were some of the other men. Everyone knew how much of a bad temper he had.

Heller yelled out again, cursing the world. Convinced it was against him at the minute.

"Stay here and keep looking for the witches." He ordered us all.

"If you find one kill it on sight, leave it for the others to find. If you find a second, bring it back for questioning." He turned around to look at us all with a wicked grin on his face.

"Harmed or unharmed. I don't really care."

He came up to Kit and I before he left, he turned to us with a heavily gruff statement

"I can't believe I am saying this." He looked me in the eye.

"You are in charge until I return. Don't screw up, I will know if you do."

The grin left his face as he started to race off through the forest, knowing that something was wrong with his son, his only pride and joy in life.

I couldn't believe that I was to be left in charge, I mean I knew I would be considering that besides Kit I was the only one from a good family which meant that because of that fact alone I was in line to lead, not because of merit, just my last name.

Not to say that I wasn't capable of it, I was highly qualified for the job. I was smart and reasonable, I actually cared about those around me, and more importantly their safety.

I let out a big breathe of air from my lungs before I decided on what my first course of action would be.

"Prepare camp for the night!" I yelled out ensuring everyone around could hear me.

Everyone moved quickly, we moved the camp to back into the forest, into the forest and safety of the tress. Thick and good enough to hide ourselves away from prying eyes. We didn't want to be caught out in the open. We only slept in what we could carry, which was generally the clothing that we wore on our back. Some would carry a thin blanket tied around there waists for comfort at night.

The only source of warmth we could get was from the small the fires we would light, we never lit big ones, we couldn't risk anyone seeing the light from them and coming to kill us in the night. Everyone would huddle around them and look into the flames picturing that we were anywhere else but here.

"Are you sure about all of this?" Kit whispered to me as we walked along the boundary of our camp. We along with two others decided to take the first patrol watch.

"I have never been surer of anything before," I replied.

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J xx