Strange Days

                                                                                DAMARI

Long ago, there was a great war— a war between humans, and the Magi. The Magi were magical beings, which consisted of shifters, vampyres, and witches.  The shifters could alternate between their human and animal forms, changing into beasts. We call them werewolves, weretigers, and werebears.

The vampyres have superhuman strength and speed. They're a nocturnal lot, who feed upon the blood of humans, and the occasional witch if it so pleases them. And then there's my people, the witches. Our society is based upon the structure of how powerful one's magical ability is, family, coven, and in that order.

The humans struck the first blow. Tired of living in the shadows, we wanted equality. The right to be open about who and what we were, and to be accepted. Appealing to the powers that govern humans, we were duped into believing that the humans would honor our agreement.  In a few years, when the non-magi were more receptive to the idea that magical creatures existed, we would be known.

Shame on us. We were hunted down, enslaved, murdered, and used as lab rats. The shifters were kept as pets in the homes of the wealthy and powerful. Vampyre and witch covens were burned down and blown up. Our Vampyre elders and royal witches were assassinated.

After decades of wars, we have gotten the human numbers down to one billion. It is a number that we're satisfied with, a number that we feel that we can control. We no longer hide in the shadows. We have earned what we desired. But as always, that's never enough. Now we, the Magi fight amongst ourselves, for power.

The vampyres have declared that they're the superior race. Reiterating that shifters are pets, and witches are nothing but elevated humans. Neither the shifters nor my people were having any of that. And so, the shifters became our allies. The second great war didn't last long, the victory was ours. With the shifters on our side, we were able to make a statement. We wouldn't be so easily written off or dispatched.

The vampyres are still brimming with barely concealed hatred. They come out of hiding every few years to start an uprising, that we quickly put to rest. Now at peace, the request has been made for the remaining three great witch covens to unite as one, under one rule. The Awinitha coven has joined with the Basak. And my coven, the Belene has refused.  Our willfulness cost us our royals, my mother and father.