Chapter Text
If there's one word to describe this town, it would be magic.
The town of Dragonpeak is the most popular in the country. It rivals the capital town of Lionsmane to the East, and the large port town of Tigerlake down South. A town of wildflowers and vines and mystical animals, straight out of a myth of generations old. Surrounded by flourishing green forests and lively wildlife, the town’s territories also involve deep, rich caves, healthy plotlands of various crops, and two conjoining rivers of sparkling, clear water. It’s described as a town that inspired novels and poetry, the reference of countless fantasy stories by well-known authors from across the land.
It's a reputation well met. A town well preserved even through the erosion of time and constantly changing seasons. A town full of life and history.
Living in this place would feel like you've entered a fairy tale. The streets are always filled with the sounds of music and laughter, markets busy with endless trades and children playing tag. Adults are warm and welcoming, and teens are happy and polite. The town mayor boasts of its hospitality and low crime rate, protected by the magic of the land, and its wielders. Oh, their most precious wielders. The town's most prized residents.
One could feel the richness of magic in the air, like the fragrance of a newly baked bread wafting from the bakery windows. It’s thick, palpable, and it’s delicious to inhale. Despite humans being unable to absorb this, they can feel its enriching presence tingle their skin and lift their spirits. They can feel it like how they feel the rays of the sun on an early morning — an energy intangible, but mystical just the same.
That is the source of its popularity. A town so rich in magic that four of the eight, the only eight, witches in the land reside within its borders.
The first witch is called Soobin. A tall, handsome man full of elegance and wisdom. He usually wears a brown leather vest that accentuates his lithe waist with straps, black trousers tucked in brown boots, and dark brown cloak. At first glance, one would think he looks as normal as any human would, but upon further inspection, his long, pointed ears would give away his magical nature. The Witch of the Earth, with his magic embedded into his skin like a shell, the brown of mud against his fair skin. He’s often seen carrying his decade-old bow and arrow made from the finest of ores found in the deepest caves, one he smithed himself during an old war. He serves as the mayor’s trusted advisor, and the town’s greatest source of protection.
The oldest witch in town is called Yeonjun. A friendly, charming man full of charisma and grace. He moves as if he’s water, flawless and smooth like mountain springs. His deep blue hair is adorned with a coral crown, and light blue scales decorate his porcelain skin. His signature color is blue, and his wardrobe is composed of clothes in different hues — always topping it off with a light blue cape in the color of the river. The Water Witch, weaving and controlling any types of liquid. And like his other half, he also carries a silver sword made from minerals of the deepest sea. His work is mostly involved in town gatherings and celebrations.
The youngest witch in the country is called Kai, even if he’s been around for decades. A gentle, angelic man full of kindness and life. Everywhere he goes, he’s adored and loved — no doubt everyone’s favorite witch. His blond hair is littered with white feathers, the same ones prickling from his skin that’s a soft baby pink in color. The Witch of the Animals, befriending any and all kinds, understanding their emotions and communication. And with their innocence, he wears mostly white and fur, representing purity and fierceness. He doesn’t carry a medium of sorts, but he’s often seen with a different animal companion trailing after him. His contribution is of efficient transportation.
And lastly, the most popular witch in all of the land, Taehyun. A cunning, beautiful man full of wits and character. He’s admired and idolized, with people from other towns traveling their way just to get a glimpse of a renowned god among mortals. His silver hair is adorned by the prettiest of flowers, his skin sparkling like crystal dewdrops. The Nature Witch, able to manipulate any kinds of plants and talk with the trees, keeper of secrets within the forest. He wears a rustic green cloak over green-hued shirts and trousers, accessorized by prickly, sharp thorns. Like his closest friend, he doesn’t carry a medium, but instead, has a book. He’s in-charge of logs and history amidst the borders.
The people love these witches, so much so as to worship them and offer generous gifts. They see it as debt for their protection and guidance, and admiration for their magic and flawless work to the convenience of their mere human lives. Living in this town has been very easy and enjoyable, almost a refugee camp for travelers and outcasts — for the first settlers to build their homes here are a combination of citizens from the other four surrounding towns, and no known ancestors are purely of Dragonpeak origin.
As to why, it's for the story to unfold itself.
All we have to know is that these four witches protect the town and its condensed magic source. With their entire lives, with their entire beings.
This condensation is the biggest supply of magic, keeping the lands alive throughout the country’s territories and beyond. It’s the country’s lifeline, its oxygen. And they are protecting it from the greater evil.
What would happen when the beacon of the end enters their most precious sanctuary?
Hedges rise at the raise of his hand, and flowers bloom at the dance of his fingers. Vines crawl around tall street posts, and leaves rustle in hushed murmurs amidst the winds; under the glow of the morning sun, they breathe and move and live. They beautify and provide and share; citizens of the town as much as everyone else is. Taehyun crosses an arm over his chest, a hand on his chin, and contemplates about the decor, thinking of various designs that would fit most for the celebration. For a wedding. He mentally lists out the typical flowers and plants, the shades of color, the symbolisms behind each one.
He’s standing in the middle of the town plaza, right in front of the great town hall. With a range of flower and plant arrangements lined before him in different combinations of greens and colors. He’s been assigned— asked to do this specifically by his fellow witch, despite the skilled florist they have in town that he himself also personally trained. Says it makes the occasion more special, and personal to have him do this instead. He accepts it easily all the same.
The residents and visitors alike stand at a distance, watching his magic unfold. Witnessing the most beautiful kind of magic in the land with the most awestruck of faces.
Taehyun closes his eyes, remembers Yeonjun’s variety of requests, and lets his magic do the work.
The ground shakes with the force of thick vines breaking out of the ground, twirling in the air like lost tentacles, and then with an unspoken command, starts binding together right at the center, creating a dome-like structure. Thinner, snake-like vines surround them in circles and twists, adding to the foundation as hanging flower-vines bloom downward like stalactites made soft and less deadly. The faded lavender colors give a nice base for the popping yellow orchids, carrying this simple design over to the visitor benches that the residents had lined up prior to his interference. They move with ease and precision, maneuvering without bumping. A clear showcase of the witch’s centuries of experience. He lined up the hedges against the aisles, his fingers moving like a puppeteer playing his marionette as he pictures them in his head, hearing the scramble of leaves as they’re being pulled from place to place. Taehyun smiles at that, he could almost hear his beloved plants complaining about his indecisiveness, placating them with promises of Yeonjun’s magical water. To finish off, he makes plump, red roses and baby pink carnations bloom from the hedges in a combination of sweetness and passion, and with a last wave of the hand the wedding venue is complete, raining pollen over the audience.
Applause erupted the moment Taehyun opens his eyes to reveal beautiful, emerald irises. The residents looking very much amazed and delighted at the sight of such powerful magic, holding onto some of the animals scattered about. They tend to roam around freely amongst the people, supporting them when either Taehyun or Soobin causes minor quakes while using their magic. (Yes, they’ve grown used to the shaking of the ground, and Kai’s animals are always there to help and monitor. It’s nothing but a minor inconvenience they’re willing to go through.) He smiles at them brightly, indulging them in a small bow before making his way over to his discarded basket.
A child runs over to him, starry-eyed and innocent, clutching on his cloak with her tiny hands. Her parents scramble after her, probably to lecture her about respecting the witch’s space, but Taehyun crouches down to her level, greeting her.
“You’re so pretty,” she says, staring at his glowing green eyes, reaching for the flowers on his head, “I want to be like you when I grow up.”
Taehyun chuckles at that, removing a daisy and placing it gingerly on her hair, “If you learn to love nature as how it’s supposed to be loved, then you will be.”
“I will be as pretty as you?” she asks innocently, and he couldn’t help but be fond as he answers, “You’ll be even prettier than me, sweetheart.”
He returns the child to her worried yet grateful parents, giving them a polite bow to which they return, before grabbing his basket and proceeding to look for his best friend. Everyone who witnessed the interaction had their hearts melting from his touching words, and their admirations for him only grew. If that was still remotely possible.
Taehyun smiles to himself, heart full of affection for this town the more years he lives in it. The same way he knows all his closest friends are too. He’s certain Kai is hiding somewhere and trying to skip his tasks by playing with the kids and his animals. And once he found him, he’ll make sure to surrender him to Soobin right away.
Just a normal day in town.
When he finds him, he’s sitting by the riverbanks a little outside the residential proper, dozing off against a tree with a tiger sleeping on his lap. Other animals of all sizes surround the witch, content being in his presence, and Taehyun finds himself smiling at the sight.
It’s something he can’t quite get used to, still. The richness of magic in this place making everything more beautiful, more appealing to the eyes. Where else would you see a young-looking lad with birds on his hair and squirrels on his shoulders, sleeping against a backdrop of healthy green trees and peeks of sunlight rays scattered between branches, beside a river of transparent and sparkling blue water. The magic that makes the land alive, and everything on it.
Sure, Lionsmane may be a beautiful town of white stone castles and towers, Tigerlake may be a vast land of beaches and underwater parks, and Foxtail may be a thick, huge jungle of the tallest and oldest trees. But none can compare to this beauty.
If everyone is in awe at his magic, then he’s twice as awed at the magic of Dragonpeak.
He pulls out his book from his basket, and writes down the events of the day he’d already seen with a floating quill — a feather from a decade-old eagle that Kai put to rest years back. He watches as it lists out the vine dome, the newly arrived trades at the port, the lack of gemstones in the market, the number of visitors in town, and the witch skipping his work. Before he closes it, and places it neatly on top of the herbs he picked up on the way.
Then he creeps towards his friend, makes a leaf cup in his hand and scoops a cupful in the river, splashing it smack on his face. The cold water entered his nose and Kai chokes awake, startled and wet as his animal friends pull away from him with something similar to glee on their cute faces.
It's not Taehyun if there isn't a hint of mischief. Even after a hundred years.
“Kang Taehyun, you punk!" he shrieks, glaring at the Nature Witch that's back on collecting his herbs, already a few yards away.
“Seems like you’re doing quite well, Younguk.” Taehyun chimes with a smile towards his patient, seeing a new, honeyed glow surface on the skin of the human sitting on one of his rattan cots.
They are currently in the premises of his residence, a small patch of land in the vicinity of the nearby forest. Under the town’s governing policies, residents and visitors alike are prohibited to visit the witches’ properties, unless of course, invited by the witches themselves. They don’t have barriers to fully keep people away, yet everyone respects them so much that it was unnecessary.
In Yeonjun’s case, his house is perched right at the conjunction of two rivers; a tall lighthouse surrounded by waters, requiring a boat to get there. Soobin’s house is the farthest from town proper; an almost cave-like rock structure poking out of a steep slope of land, very difficult and dangerous to get to. Kai’s house is by far the most welcoming; a regular looking cottage that’s teeming with different animals. They should still be mindful, however, because these animals also act as guards. Lastly, Taehyun's house is perched on top of an old oak tree, surrounded by a garden that also serves as a small infirmary, and a fence of thorns.
The town has an infirmary of its own, one Taehyun had established for being the Nature Witch. But the ones he treats in his garden are those with the rarest of illness, and most difficult of cases. Such as his current visitors.
“My wife and I have been following your instructions down to a T.” Younguk says gratefully, letting the witch uncover the leaf bandages around his arms. “It’s been helping us a lot, and we feel immensely healthier now.”
Taehyun beams another proud smile, “I’m glad.”
Ahyun, Younguk’s wife, sits beside her husband on the cot, gingerly combing through his hair. “I almost couldn’t remember how pale we were when we first arrived. Now, we look like we have more color, we look like we’re really alive.”
He recalls that moment. Finds it fresh in his mind. The arrival of this certain group of people with skin as pale as the night.
His logbook remained open on a nearby table then, as he brewed some potions and practiced spells in his cauldron, when the scritching sound of something being written was heard in the room. It’s nothing unusual, it’s just a part of his magic. To record the events of history of this magical town, no matter how miniature or grand. Nothing is hidden within the borders, the trees always witnessing some sort of secret, passing it through every root and branch, until it reaches his consciousness.
There, it read. In dark ink, with a darker story.
Year 312. In the full moon of the ninth month, when yellow leaves started to reunite with the soil, a group of 25 people crossed the borders heading east towards town. They are from Wolfsbane.
Wolfsbane, Taehyun remembers. Every single person who came from that town had skins of varying paleness, as if their lifeline had been sucked dry before they managed to flee. A lot of their current residents are from there, managing to squeeze themselves in the way of living in Dragonpeak, wholeheartedly welcomed and now harmoniously settled. They came in batches, at different times of the days; and they all had a story to tell of their origin town, with the same reason to leave. This last group had been the worst case, almost paper-color with how white they looked. They aren’t undead, still as warm as any other human; they’re even healthy, and didn’t show any symptoms of typical human illnesses. They were normal.
But they aren’t.
Normalcy doesn’t count if they’re immune to magic. And acquiring magical immunity shouldn’t be a thing.
Taehyun offers his hands for the couple to place theirs on, and with the power of nature, releases a wave of magic that aims to cleanse their bodies of the remnants of the null gray immunity. If his treatments for the last few months are correct, then they should be able to feel his magic coursing through them. It’s a tried and tested method, so he’s confident. But he noticed that the later they came into town from Wolfsbane, the longer they took to completely heal. Taehyun briefly wonders if there are any more residents left in that town, and if so, how worse can their situation be?
What story are they taking with them?
He watches as their breaths hitch, eyes glazing over as the effects of his magic envelop them with relief. And the moment Taehyun lowers his hands to let go, they could finally feel the richness of the air that they’ve been missing out on. Like feeling the sun’s glorious rays after hiding under countless moonlit nights.
They thanked him and offered him a basket of fruits from their own garden, teary-eyed at the prospect of finally enjoying the town’s most proud characteristic. And the witch had never been more relieved. He lets them cuddle his black cat familiar as they regain their strength and take his advised rest, before he moves on to treat the others the same way.
As he leaves, he takes a quick, fleeting glance at the happy, lovely couple. With newfound love and care as they truly embrace the life in Dragonpeak. Surviving, traveling, and settling from the only place they know to the place they can now call home. It sends a bittersweet rush in his bones, feeling his chest ache with something akin to longing, and then refocusing back on his work.
He’d have to bring it up to his friends again — the situation of Wolfsbane that’s both a mystery and a concern.
But before that, he has a wedding to attend.
Yeonjun has been in love with Soobin for decades.
It’s a fact that all of the witches know, and all of the older, wiser townspeople witnessed from a blooming bud to an immortal flower. Like a tale of old, a love story that’s commemorated in time and legends.
A witch that was in love with a human.
Yeonjun has been around for a century prior to meeting the now Witch of the Earth. Had met countless people from his travels and had ended up in numerous lovers’ beds. He’s someone who thoroughly enjoyed his long life full of magic and experiences, those of which he yearned to do when he was a plain mortal. He saw wars breaking out between countries, treaties being signed, peace enveloping the lands; he lived through it, watched fellow witches wither and die from grief and loneliness, witnessed how generations moved on and changed. He saw love from how a mother carried her baby, how a man kissed his wife, how a child protected his friend.
Yet he saw love like no other in Soobin. He saw a life he wanted to live in the piercing eyes of a hunter, felt the comforts of a home in his bigger, calloused hands. Yeonjun thought that was the end of his mindless wander, truly finding contentment in the presence of a human he once regarded as temporary filler.
Taehyun was there. He was the first among the four to settle in Dragonpeak. He was there when the hunter moved in from his hometown of Foxtail, when the other witch resided in the center of the growing town. He was there. Logging it all in his book, watching them with his familiar, Hobak.
He saw with his own two eyes how Yeonjun’s world revolved around Soobin, despite him being bashful of the attention the beautiful witch brings. It was a process requiring a lot of patience and love, and Yeonjun, with all his years, has a lot of it in his hands. Yeonjun accompanied Soobin whenever he went out to hunt, cared for him when he grew sick and wounded, attended to him with so much affection it was overflowing. Taehyun saw — how Soobin’s skin wrinkled and bones weakened with old age, standing beside Yeonjun and his everlasting youthful glow.
It was a love story doomed from the start. Soobin’s mortality was an obstacle neither of them could overcome, and with each day that Yeonjun tried to discover how to prolong his life, it bore no fruits. Not even the Nature Witch knows a cure against the illness of time. And no matter how far they traveled searching for a remedy against mortality, Soobin was just bound to die.
But bound to die, he didn’t. Because like Yeonjun and Taehyun, Soobin was chosen. Chosen by the nameless gods they prayed on to be one of them.
Soobin became a witch.
On his deathbed, they watched as his old skin smoothed with youth, the gray of age dissipating back to the gold of adolescence. They watched as his humanity turned into magic, the color of the earth a gradient to his once dying skin. And when he opened his eyes, golden like the deep amber mines, it was obvious he was given a new life.
Year 243. In a moonless night at the middle of autumn, the hunter Choi Soobin is reborn to be the Witch of the Earth.
Those were happy days for the witches of the land. A new addition to their very limited existence, friends to witness the rest of eternity with.
After all, they only had each other to rely on. Centuries old friendships that’s worth more than the purest of gold, their souls entwined like threads of magic, withstanding calamities and wars. Surviving what mortals normally couldn’t, and instead losing their battles to something as trivial as love. So the initial skepticism over Yeonjun’s dedication to the human was a huge question they refused to know the answer.
“Are you sure this is what you want, Yeonjun?” Yunjin had asked him at a gathering, a worried look over her beautiful, golden features. “You know what happens to us when the humans we love die, right?”
Chaewon chimed in, her usually flaming crown almost burnt out of concern, “Will you be able to handle the grief?”
They all know Yeonjun couldn’t.
Which is why they’re even more elated at the news of his lover’s divine coronation to be a witch, becoming like the rest of them. Taehyun could recall the flood of tears from relief, their laughter uncontrollable as Yeonjun embraced Soobin to his chest, as they embrace the reunion of two madly in love souls never to be separated again. They cried, they rejoiced, they praised the gods. Held nights of celebration just for them, partying and drinking to their hearts’ content.
The smiles that decorated their faces are painted on the pages of Taehyun’s books. Portraying the love that could’ve killed them both become their very reason to live.
There were tears in Yeonjun’s eyes as he stood at the altar.
His coral crown sparkling like waves on the horizon, silk cloak glimmering like water under the sun, golden, cottony clothes tailor-made by the best in the country — crafted all the way from Lionsmane and sponsored by Yunjin herself. He looked extra magical on this special occasion, happiness beaming from his smile. Deep blue eyes never leaving the one walking down the aisle.
It wasn’t an exaggeration if he said he’s been waiting for this for a hundred years. To be wed to the love of his life, and spend countless forevers together.
(The first forever is being with Soobin as a human. The second being a witch. They say third time’s the charm; the third being husbands.
This time, Yeonjun can truthfully say finally.)
One would wonder why it took so long for them to exchange vows, when Soobin had been in love with him too. They’ve proclaimed their love in the loudest of ways all across the country, a legend witnessed by everyone’s eyes, a part of their living history. As he stood at the front with his fellow witches, Taehyun hears the whispers of the humans around him, wondering with curiosity about something they can never understand.
It’s a witch’s custom. To wait for a sign from their nameless gods, a blessing. That they could indulge in their desire and selfishness to follow their hearts, to mate with a lover. As witches, they are bound to serve the gods and protect their creations, dedicating their life to prosperity and solitude in the land promised, all to return the favor of immortality and magic bestowed upon them. And if they do love, it’s never permanent. Because as humans’ books come to the end, for the witches, they’re just one chapter leading to the next.
The reason witches wither and die. Swallowed by grief, overridden by love. A tragedy. Suicide.
A curse.
Because as all fairy tales are, love is still the most powerful magic. Love is the greatest weakness enough to cripple kingdoms and ruin countries. The weapon to kill immortals and gods.
Soobin and Yeonjun. So far, are the only survivors in this war of hearts.
That’s why this celebration is all the more historical. A love that surpassed every single trial the gods have thrown, a love that survived the test of time and its supposed end. Transcending from life to afterlife.
Hobak sits on his shoulder as Soobin reaches the altar in front of his lover, nuzzling affectionately on his neck. Sunoo the Wind Witch linked arms with him when the two exchanged their heartfelt vows. And the powerful White Witch Yunjin wipes her golden tears away with a kerchief when the mayor gloriously announced them wed.
And they watch. As the moon kisses the sun in the noon sky, blanketing the earth in a temporary standstill. A union that made history, a power newly combined. The gods bestowing their approval and blessings on the very first married witches of the land.
Year 313. In the total solar eclipse on the first day of Spring, Choi Yeonjun and Choi Soobin joined hands in matrimony.
The crowd erupted in cheers.
Taehyun had never wondered what it’s like to be loved. It always occurred naturally to him.
He remembers being showered by it long before he became a witch; his late parents adoring and treating him like their most valued treasure. He remembers the way nature embraced him with warmth and serenity, teaching him to love even the tiniest, most miniscule part of life. He remembers every single person he’d met in his last life and in this one, loving him in various ways and reasons.
Love was just something he never lacked.
He didn’t understand why there was a need to search for a feeling that equates both life and death in the same degree of intensity. Love is love, he believed, no matter who or where it’s from, down to the core, it’s the same thing. The reason he had lived this long is because he loves nature, and the gods recognized it. The reason he isn’t close to dying is because he loves his life and everything in it.
But witnessing the beauty of it in the way the newly married witches held each other in their waltz, it made him think that maybe, he didn’t know a thing about love after all.
Taehyun loves nature; it’s why he became its witch. He knows Kai loves his animals, seeing it from his gentleness and care. He knows the people love this town, that’s why they stay in it. All forms of love, all with different reasons, all with the same roots. What was so different?
And then he sees the love between Younguk and Ahyun, through sickness and in health; the love between Yeonjun and Soobin, in life and in death. The love from the other half of a heart, of a soul.
A seed was planted in the depths of his heart. A bud to bloom, a tree to bear fruit. And Taehyun feels as if a newfound realization dawned on him; one that could possibly change his entire world. A longing, yearning; for the kind of love he had never received before.
The gods are right for naming them selfish and greedy.
That same night, as the town celebrated with wine and music livelier than usual, they all fail to see the new addition to the ever growing town.
The witches are stoked, drunk in love and magic. The mayor is overjoyed with pride and ego as Dragonpeak’s popularity boosts. The keeper of logs is drowning in his own thoughts of naivety. The trees continue to whisper their secrets.
Year 313. On the night of the total solar eclipse, one lone man entered the border into town. He is of Wolfsbane origin.
Gray hair, ruined clothes. Skin paler than the moon. His piercing gray eyes dart to the celebration at the center, head tilted in confusion, wondering what’s so special about this magical town. He takes a step closer, and then another, and then more. Until he could see happiness on the faces both familiar and not.
Who is he?