SCARLET’S POV The moment that I have been waiting for is finally here. The moment of truth. For some reason only known to Mildrid, she points at me before everyone. and averred that today should be my doom and should in no way be about her. I don’t know what this is all about, and it baffled me that she dared to accuse me in such a way. But I know that the truth is going to be revealed by Nana now, and after that, I will decide on what will be the fate of the witch. And when I do that, it would not matter what grudge she holds against me for I am the queen and should never be found guilty. Soon Nana began what would turn out to be a very long and interesting story. “Long long ago, there were no three brother Packs. And the werewolves lived in a group of what could best be described as small clans with each clan led by a chosen elder who was perceived to be the strongest in the clan. As the years went by, the clans discovered that there was no strength in their small numbers and so they began to come together to form Packs, and with the Packs came strength and unity. Soon these Packs came together into one body and stronger Packs were borne. At the end of the years of coalition, there stood three Packs, each as strong and resilient as the other. They were Diamond Cut Pack, Crystal Realms Pack, and Black Moon Pack. These Packs traded among themselves and soon they began to flourish. Their economy boosted, and their lands prospered. “However, this was not to last long as they were soon hit by a great drought which sent hunger and famine all over the three lands. They were dying in their numbers and there was no hope of recovery. It was at this precarious time that the vampires emerged from WantonLakes, offering food and the necessary solution to their problems. The hungry lands agreed, at least to save their people who were already malnourished from being completely wiped out of the surface of the earth, and in return, the Vampires were given the land at the outskirt of the land of Diamond Cut Pack from whence they oversaw the state of affairs of the three packs and conducted their affairs. “This went on for years and there was no dispute whatsoever between the werewolves and the vampires. You might be wondering how Vampires dwelled among werewolves. But not to worry, I will tell you how. At that time, to satisfy their thirst for blood, the vampires were very much contented with the blood of other wild and domestic animals and the werewolves were never at risk of losing their lives to their new companions. But then something happened, something that was never contemplated in the pact between the werewolves and the vampires. The witches of the dark wind appeared among the vampires and with them came a lot of tempting offers to the werewolves. They performed great feats that wowed everyone. They could tell the intents of the evil ones among the werewolves, and soon they became judges whom everyone perceived as incorruptible. “They would settle disputes amicably and make sure the guilty are adequately punished. These incredible acts increased the trust and love the werewolves had for the vampires and they were willing to abide by their biddings without any form of resistance. However, the years of peace were suddenly replaced by sorrows and woes at the advert of the three witches of the dark wind led by Mildrid. They soon overthrew the rule of their fellow Vampires and sent them back to WantonLakes. Then they started engaging in slavery, human trafficking, and blood sacrifices. All these they do from the comfort of the castle given to the vampires. “Soon what appeared as peace to the werewolves turned out to be agony and endless years of gnashing of teeth. The witches took their victims at random and would force the werewolves to sacrifice their last child who is considered the heart of the family to them. “The once joyful lands were filled with agony and misery with no one daring to stand against these three witches. They lived according to the dictates and verdicts of the witches, and soon the lands went back to hunger and different sort of sicknesses. And to end this suffering, the witches would make a father kill his last child with his hand at the castle in front of the people. This sacrifice was said to bring peace to such a family. Also, children could be sent off as slaves to the witches in exchange for grains” I know about the story of the three witches and how the moon goddess intervened on our behalf, but I did not know about this part of the story. Everyone listening to Nana was in awe. This is our history, a part of us that a lot of us were unaware of. As Nana continued, I listened with rapt attention. Yes, now I know that Mildrid is a witch from years back, but what does she want with me? Nana goes on. “This went on until the three Packs became impoverished, living from hand to mouth. The witches took all that belongs to them, everything to the last penny. Their lands were no longer theirs, and no one can own a thing without the sanction of the witches. Also, the sacrifices spelled out by the witches were not optional, and thus, should one refuse to oblige, the entire family would be wiped out. To foster their reign, the three Packs were stopped from associating with other Packs and none was allowed to leave the lands. Anyone who dared to go against this law was immediately ostracized together with every member of his extended family. “All this continued to go on until the day of reckoning came when three brothers from Diamond Cut Pack heard that the moon goddess was on earth in a faraway land. They sneaked out of the land and embarked on a visit to the moon goddess. The journey was not an easy one as it was surrounded by a lot of obstacles and challenges. But soon the determined brothers were able to surmount those obstacles. It took years, but at last, they appeared before the moon goddess and relayed their plight before her. the moon goddess took interest in them because of their extreme determination and zeal to put down their lives for others. So, the moon goddess returned with them to claim back their lands from the witches. “There was a war, and in it, the three witches were defeated. However, they did not die but escaped” Nana concluded. Everyone exhaled after Nana stopped. It was an interesting look into our history and we are all grateful to Nana for this. Then Nana turned to the witch and asked her. “They are three of you, where are your accomplices?”The witch shrieked and drew back a little. Nana got impatient and roared at her. “I say, where are your cohorts, the other ladies of the dark wind?” Now the witch began to answer. “After I escaped, I was not allowed in WantonLake I was rejected by my own people and I have been roaming ever since” Nana snarled. “Where are they?” everywhere shook at the sound of her voice. “They are... they are... Luesa and... Eval...” the witch replied. I was shaken. I hope she is by no chance referring to the same Luesa and Eval, the witches that I had brought to heal the Chamlee. Just for how long has this witch been on my case? I was terrified but Mildrid appeared to be even more terrified than I am. But not to worry, she should wait until I get to deal with her, then she will know the true definition of terror. Slowly, Nana looked around the hall, from the up, down, and then sideways. When she was done, she murmured. “Luesa and Eval”