"We have confirmation."

The man looks up from his papers and turns his head toward the door, where another person is standing.

"What did you say?" He stares them down intensely.

"Um..." The bearer of the news, a messenger, shakes in the face of their superior's intensity. "We have confirmation from our sources within the Walls.... A witch is alive."

"That's not possible." The superior shakes their head. "There are no more witches."

"But the reports say-"

"The reports?" The superior walks up to them, staring them down. "There have not been witches anywhere within this nation in over half a century. The last witch fell halfway across the world and I personally struck her down myself. I was there when that breed of heathens died. Are you questioning that which I saw?" The superior glares, as if taking personal offence.

The messenger steadies themself. "No. I'm presenting information that all of our most reliable sources confirm. Recently a witch was set for execution and-"

"Oh her?" The superior interrupts again. "That was a dead end, she was just some unlucky girl who got on the wrong side of those corrupted so called police." He scoffs. "Eldians. No brain and plenty of belligerence."

The messenger narrows their eyes. "That's what was officially stated, until new information reopened the case. Her execution was stopped and her charges dropped... by the order of the Military." The messenger looked up, almost expecting to be interrupted yet again, but saw only focus in the eyes of the superior, which they took as a key to continue.

"Why would the other branches of the Military stick their necks out for one person? The whole Military police and many nobles readily supported her execution and she has no strategic value or any value at all. She's an unremarkable young girl from a small settlement, with no notable accomplishments. They can gain nothing from her life and lose nothing from her death. So this begged the question...." They pause. "Why her?"

The messenger was beginning to relish the small amount of control this information gave them, so they drew it out, discreetly holding it over the head of their superior. One can only spend so long under another's thumb. "So we looked into it, just to be thorough. And we found that almost all records of her, records that used to be completely accessible, have been either filed away or classified. If she really is worth nothing... Why go through the trouble? At first we thought, well perhaps she's someone's illegitimate child and they didn't want the truth of her background to get out."

The messenger gains more confidence, straightening their back and placing their files on the table. "But that didn't answer the question of the Military. It took a lot of digging, a lot of favors, and several bribes. We exhausted every option..." The messenger remembered the story that had been passed to them, of how the agents became anxiety ridden as they used method after method, fearing there would be no payoff. They had shuddered themself upon hearing it.

"And we found it. Sealed records of a meeting...." They hand it to the superior. "Concerning the fate of one [Y/N] [L/N]."

The superior takes it, nodding to them to continue as he looks over the transcript.

"It was discussed and decided that 'The Witch known by the name of [Y/N] [L/N] shall be surrendered into the custody of the Scouting Regiment and that her powers will be used to aid them in any way the Commander sees fit." The messenger quotes a direct line from the meeting records, putting extra emphasis on the words 'witch' and 'powers.'

"After that the case was officially reopened. And because of that..." They finally let a smirk slip. "We witnessed her use witch powers herself."

The superior's eyes light up, but not in a happy way. More like in a way that would shake even the most battle hardened warrior to their core. The way a predator's eyes light up when they catch the scent of their prey.

"Well done. More than that, spectacularly done." He chuckles. "Send word to the warriors... we're giving them a little.... side quest."

————

The foreboding taps of footfalls echo throughout the dimly lit hallways. The darkly clothed figure walks calmly and steadily, each step adding to a steady pattern that remains unbroken. Tip tap tip tap tip tap.

Another figure walks behind her with similar poise, but not as much rhythm as she struggled slightly to match the perfect, swift pace of the woman before her. "Are you sure?"

The woman gave a small nod, coupled with a smile, never once breaking her pace. "Yes. I was there. I can tell these things."

The other sighed. "Poor wayward child. No guide in life. Especially when she passed such crucial times. I wonder how she even manages."

The other lets out a small thoughtful hum. "Yet still she does. She has been wronged. And now we must retrieve our lost child."

She throws the grand doors open with almost no effort, walking into the large room with rows of benches. Several women stand among the rows.

They give her a respectful nod, which she returns. She moves to the front of the room and stands behind the podium.

"Sisters, I come to you today with a heavy heart. In hiding ourselves we have let one of our own slip through. Though she has not escaped the eyes of the humans. And I fear that they may soon find her."

Whispers echo between the women as her words sink in and the aura in the room became fearful and concerned.

"But fear not." The woman raised a thin hand. "We survived many trials before this. We survived betrayal, violence, persecution, abuse, obscurity. We endure throughout the ages and we shall endure again!"

"But what about her? If she is alone in the world?" A voice of concern reigns out and the others murmur and nod in agreement.

"She shan't be." The woman at the podium shakes her head. "She is a Wiccan and the spirits will not abandon her. She will be watched over. That I promise."

The others nod. It had been years, and long hard years at that. The fall of the walls had devastated them as much as the humans. In the chaos they had lost contact with the Maria Coven. It weighed heavily on them all.

The face of the woman speaking hardens. "But remember, above all we must survive. If we do not live on then our history, our religion, our power dies with us. It pains me to say, but if worst comes to worst... the survival of the coven is our priority." The people in the room bow their heads. It's a harsh fact to swallow, but a fact nonetheless.

The woman shook back her silver streaked hair. "I have seen, and I know others have as well, that things are to change. For the first time in decades the Titans have dealt a great blow. But...." She paused and outstretched her hand. "For the first time in centuries the people of these walls will take something back."

She looks over at the remaining members of her coven, her people, gravely. "For better or for worse."

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