The law is that 1 in 10 births must be given over to the witches. It's been that way since my mother was a little girl. It's the price we pay for their protection.

The law is that 1 in 10 births must be given over to the witches. It's been that way since my mother was a little girl. It's the price we pay for their protection.<br><br>My village lies at the intersection of two trade routes. It's a prime target for bandits and slavers, and is often the first thing that the enemy reaches when a neighboring realm invades. We are protected by the witches. Their powers are mysterious and varied, and it doesn't matter how many warriors or mages you bring against us. None can defeat the witches.<br><br>My village is small, with about 300 people. Most are farmers, though some of us are hunters. I work with the local blacksmith, making goods for traders to carry on to the cities. So I've seen a lot of cities. I've seen a lot of kingdoms and empires, and not a single one is protected the way we are. <br><br>I have never seen a witch, even though I've lived and worked in this village my whole life. They live on the other side of the forest. But I've heard the stories from the elders. They say that, when my mother was a child, our village was in a small decline. Our crops were dying, and our hunters were coming back empty handed. It was then that the witches first made contact with us. They were angry that we had settled so close to them, and said that we had to either leave or pay the tithe. <br><br>A lot of people wanted to leave, but the elder decided to hear the witches out first. He agreed that we would have to pay them, or risk going to war. But the witches did not want gold or food or other goods. They wanted children. It was easy enough math for my mother and the other children to figure out what this meant. For every ten children, nine would be raised by their families, and the tenth would be given to the witches. <br><br>It wasn't until I was about 10 that I realized we were being watched. I had my 4 siblings, plus 2 cousins in the village. We were viewed as a single family, and so we needed to pay 1 child to the witches. I also had a large number of friends, though I was closer to some more than others. Slowly, though, I began to notice that some of them were closer than others. I had a best friend, who I spent a lot of my time playing with. I had 2 other friends who I was fairly close with, and a handful of acquaintances who it was nice to spend time with. I also had 2 children in the village who seemed to avoid me, and another who was a bully.<br><br>As I grew older, I realized that the people who were friendly with everyone were the ones who were left behind. The villagers would buy them gifts and keep them busy, and they were often brought along on trips to the cities or other villages. I began to notice that the closer you were to someone, the closer you were to a number. I figured my group had 7 or 8 people in it, and that I was the odd one out. I also realized that the tithe was why I had no uncle, and that my cousin's name was chosen by the elder.<br><br>Now, I am a blacksmith, and a grown man with a wife and two children. I am closer with some than others, but I'm still quite a social person. The elder has my name written down, and that of 9 other people. I know who the others are, and we avoid each other whenever possible. I'm going to die when I'm 40. I will be taken by the witches, and never seen again. I have no idea what they do with us, but the only time that the tithe has been ignored was 200 years ago. The witches laid the village to waste, and brought a horde of monsters to kill everyone who remained. The only survivor was brought back to the intersection, and nailed to a cross in the center of the village as a warning. <br><br>I've tried to run several times, but have been caught or brought back by the witches each time. The only option is to die where I was born.