"Erm... are you still with ?" Lin called, snapping Belle from her thoughts. She blinked and turned back toward him.
"I see you are new here. Would you care to sit and talk, or shall we walk as I show you around the witches’ world?" He inquired.
Belle did not hesitate. "Let us walk around," she replied eagerly, the prospect of exploring too enticing to refuse.
There was no telling when the vampires might arrive, it could be this very mont or tomorrow so she knew better than to waste an opportunity. Besides, she would likely be separated from Ezekiel for several days. She ought to make the most of their ti together.
"We shall get a basket for him at the market. I trust you can manage until then?" Lin said, handing the baby back to her.
Belle, who did not find Ezekiel heavy in the least, rely nodded. She saw no reason to object to Lin’s plans, given that he was now the babysitter.
As they strolled through the kingdom, Belle could not help but take note of the striking imbalance in the population. For every street they passed, she counted perhaps two or three n amidst a sea of won—fifty or more at a ti. She had always known witches to be female, yet she had not realized just how few wizards existed.
"Has it always been like this?" She asked, her curiosity piqued.
Lin chuckled, understanding what she ant. "Oh, indeed. The first witch was a woman, and she possessed imnse power, the greatest of all. She wielded the abilities of both a white witch and a black witch. But, in order to reproduce, she was forced to mate with a human, and she bore only daughters. Those daughters in turn bore more daughters, and so it continued. Strangely, only one in every hundred births results in a male witch. It is exceedingly rare. That is why the witches’ world has always been dominated by won."
Belle’s eyes widened in realization. "That makes sense," she murmured. "It is as though fate willed it so."
"Do the males possess magic as well?" She inquired, earning another chuckle from Lin.
"Of course, though their power is far weaker than that of the won. That is why most of them choose the path of the warlock," he explained, before waving a hand dismissively. "But that is a tale for another ti."
His reluctance only deepened Belle’s curiosity. How much more had she yet to learn? She had lived in ignorance for so long, what else might she uncover? Perhaps there was more to the vampires than she had been led to believe. Why were they so determined to wage war? To destroy? To rule over all other supernatural beings?
"Co," Lin urged, pulling her from her thoughts once more.
As they neared a crowded square, he reached for Belle’s waist and guided her forward before she could comprehend what was happening. Maneuvering through the crowd, he led her to the front, where a teenage girl was performing magic.
"You see," Lin began, lowering his voice as he gestured toward the young witch, "the first witch bestowed each of her four daughters with mastery over the elents—fire, water, ice, and air. That was the origin of all witches’ power. But in ti, so began to abuse their gifts. They called themselves black witches, adding sorcery and forbidden practices to their magic."
Belle listened intently though she had lots of questions to ask.
Directing her gaze back to the teenage girl, Belle parted her lips in shock as she witnessed the girl breathe air into a lifeless rabbit, bringing it back to life.
"Yes, that is Abelia. She shall be officially recognized as a white witch tomorrow," Lin explained. "That is her power, she hails from the air origin and possesses the ability to restore life, along with other abilities that shall be revealed at her inauguration."
His words answered many of Belle’s unspoken questions. She had always assud all witches were the sa, but it was enlightening to learn that each had distinct abilities and specializations.
"If the black witches practice dark magic, are they permitted to remain in this kingdom?" She asked, recalling a detail that had slipped her mind.
"No, the kingdom is divided in two. The other side belongs to the black witches, though its entrance lies within this part of the kingdom. They are forbidden from stepping onto this land," Lin answered.
"Does that make them outcasts?" Belle inquired.
"Worse. They are prisoners, granted the right to practice their dark magic only within their own domain," Lin divulged. "The ancestors once attempted to cleanse them of their dark magic, but it is too potent. It will always find its way back into the hearts of the black witches."
"Then why not simply eliminate them?" Belle asked.
"Because there must be balance. Without the black, the white would perish, and without the white, the black would fade as well. Their powers coexist, just as they did with the first witch. She wished for her daughters to rely upon one another and to remain loyal, which is why she divided the power among them, to teach them to live in harmony. But there is always darkness in the hearts of so, and while so resist it, others succumb."
"I see," Belle murmured, nodding in understanding before hastening to follow Lin as he moved ahead.
"Have you heard that babies are sold here and eaten by them?" She whispered, drawing closer to him.
Lin burst into laughter. "What? No, they do not eat them...perhaps so do now but it is well known that a baby’s blood strengthens their power. I speak of the black witches, of course. If a white witch is ever caught engaging in such a practice, they are imdiately banished to the other side."
Though Lin’s clarification was ant to ease her mind, to Belle, it sounded much the sa. Whether they devoured the child or rely drank its blood, the horror remained unchanged.
"If only there were a way to stop them," she muttered, dissatisfaction clear in her tone. True, they could not simply slaughter the black witches, but surely there had to be another way.
"To prevent another great war like the last, both sides have agreed to remain out of each other’s affairs," Lin said. "Thus, when a black witch is caught or killed, the white witches do not intervene. But they do attempt to curb the practice where they can—though it is fruitless unless they strike at the root."
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