Prologue Chapter 1-1 Chapter 1-2 Chapter 2-1 Chapter 2-2 Chapter 3-1 Chapter 3-2 Chapter 4-1 Chapter 4-2 Chapter 5-1 Chapter 5-2 Chapter 6-1 Chapter 6-2 Chapter 7-1
“Look at them, leader” Audrey had been doing her usual rounds with the leader and a few other people “They look like they’re getting along” She had pointed to the children that became fascinated with the witches’ abilities. Yet why they watched in secret was understandable.
To be quite frank, the humans all honestly marveled at the witches’ abilities. Some even envied them for their abilities yet nobody would dare admit that. At the same time, the witches were highly fascinated with the technology the humans possessed and created. Perhaps being more open with each other about some things would lessen the tension between the two races. They were all painfully aware of that fact, but as to how it can be achieved, it was still a mystery and a question that would often be discussed when both leaders would have their regular meetings.
“I think we should gather everyone soon for a little discussion. These trainings aren’t getting anywhere” Was what the leader asked from the elder as they went about their nightly discussions.
“There are fewer fights with the idea of setting out patrols'' As the elder bluntly said “But I agree. Their training would seem forced if they have to do so under monitored conditions. What could be done for them though, this is the best we can think of for now.”
The meeting soon became silenced as each one of them got lost in thought. Nobody could suggest something and nobody knew what to do, especially with the older ones that always seemed to be the instigators of the small brawls.
Punishment wasn’t something they could easily do. It was already discussed before and it seemed like a terrible idea. They needed each person able and in good condition. But if they created a reward system… would it even be feasible with the limited resources they had… yet it could just work!
“Maybe a reward system!” Audrey exclaimed once she was certain that it could work “We could make small tasks for them to do. And maybe we could put them into a smaller group each day!”
Both leaders looked at her curiously for quite some time. It honestly made her want to shrink back into her seat and pretend she hadn’t said anything, but when the elder spoke up, she had a glint of hope with the idea of hers
“It… could be possible,” The elder said reluctantly “But what reward do we give them…?”
“I was about to say the same thing. We have limited resources right now” The leader added in
“The witches have small charms and tools humans don’t have, and humans have small technologies that we witches don’t have. An exchange in technology could be a good idea” Cooper soon started expanding on the idea once he finally got a better understanding of the idea “It could also bring a change in perspective”
Further discussions were held over the idea. They had to agree on what kind of things they could give and share, and they had to think of tasks that wouldn’t be so impossible to achieve. Their meeting came to an end with both factions ready to collect small trinkets and tools that they could use as rewards for their new plan. The very next day, the leader had everyone gather around the wall once more to make an announcement.
“Today, we plan to do something different for the training you would be doing. Each of you will be paired. Each pair has to with be one witch and one human” Leader Edric soon gestured for Cooper and the others to bring in their haul after their meeting the night before “Each pair will have to work together to get a prize of their choice”
“And each of you will have to stay paired for the next 3 days before you are assigned a new partner” Was what the elder added as she brought in her haul of magical trinkets “For today’s goal, you are to get to know as much about your partner as possible. That is, while you do your training. An exchange in information can be a valuable thing”
After both leaders have dismissed themselves, a mix of reactions washed over the crowd. Some were overly enthusiastic to be paired while some struggled to find a pair. Luckily Fleta and the others were there to help with partner designation.
The first day was basically a give-away towards their citizens but the excitement over a foreign prize was apparently enough motivation to make each faction engage in small talk. It amazed even the leaders that it was that effective of an idea. By the end of that day, they saw that some of them found a common ground and newfound respect towards each other. The idea of cooperation was finally becoming a reality. Although some of them grew colder towards each other at least they tried to engage in conversation. Some were stubborn yet at the end of the day, the humans received charms, amulets, small potions, and a few relics that were basically harmless. A few of them insisted on receiving a few scrolls they said they wanted to try reading. As for the witches, they received children’s toys at first, watches, small trinkets that were all very foreign to them. It was quite the sightseeing each person trying to figure out what each object in their possession was for.
“I see that everyone has received their prizes'' The elder said bluntly among the excited chatter of their people “Your task for tomorrow will be to find out about the prize you’ve received. You will know how to use it, and what it’s used for. You may do your own research, or you could ask your partner about it, although we highly encourage you to ask your partner about your item” The elder grew cheeky when she was announcing the task for their final day “And for the last day with your partner, you will learn how to make those items in your possession. If you succeed in replicating it, you will receive a better prize. If you at least get the basic principle of it though, it still qualifies since magical tools are not so easily reproduced”
Again, the tasks threw the crowd into a frenzy but this time, it was a far better sight than the brawls. The wizards struggled to understand the use of toys, watches, matches, and even things like ink-less quilts. It made one question how far behind their technology was. And how simple their living was. Or if they were just heavily reliant on their abilities.
As for the humans, they had a harder time figuring out what the scrolls meant, or rather, the language it was written in. They also struggled with how to activate the charms and amulets they had. The humans honestly struggled more. By the end of the three days, instead of figuring out how to use the witching tools, they created machines that could either be used to analyze how some of those tools worked or the machine would be the one capable of activating the witching tool. It was at least good that by the time they needed to change partners, a better understanding of each side was established.
The challenges still continued for over a month. And as much as the results were far from what they all expected, it was still good progress. It was understandable that humans would struggle with magical tools since they lack a better understanding of a witch’s abilities. Yet seeing that they were trying to make machines that would work to improve a witch’s ability like what Audrey had been doing all along, it made the leaders proud.
But what was more impressive was how fast the witches learned about human technology in such a short span of time. All the improvements since the two factions merged were just outstanding. It was beyond what any of them could have imagined. And once they get the purist faction to join them. Who knows what improvements could be brought into the world they were reshaping.
Temporary dead end. Is the next one ready?