Upon hearing her full first name, Cira immediately flexed her aura and shot a cold glare at the elderly fellow, “How do you know my name?”
“Ahaha,” He showed no sign of taking threat, only turning around to head back inside. The interior of the first floor was small and Cira could see him pulling a kettle off the stove from outside. “Among all clouds, cirrus are widely known to embody free will, caprice, and the state of being unbound—a slave only to one’s own purpose.”
“Wh-what…” This old man dare speak of cloud language to me? Who the hell is he? He had set two cups at the table, and the empty seat across from him wafted a sweet-smelling steam toward the door. What harm could it do… This is the type of person I will never get information out of if I don’t entertain them, I can already tell. She sat down across from the old man, “What do you know of the cirrus cloud? You think you know not only my name, but me? On what basis do you dare speak of my namesake?”
Cira took a sip of her tea without taking her eyes off the geriatric lighthouse keeper.
“Ohoho, merely recounting a tale from an old friend.” He refilled his glass and alit the oil lantern between them as the single window didn’t do much for lighting up the room. “Conditions may be just right, where a harsh and volatile environment may cause the cirrus clouds to form high up here in the sky. Like rivers of frost along the horizon, the cirrus are often subject to strong winds or the blazing sun.”
“Okay… where are you going with—” Cira was cut off, and grumbled her frustrations into the tea, which was surprisingly pleasant.
“Fleeting existences who either dissipate or lead the sky astray.” The old man paused to refill her glass as Cira simmered impatiently, “But the waters granted to this world from the springs often fall freely into the sky once they’ve ran their course on any given island. So long as they don’t hit the sea first, these wayward streams often form cirrus clouds as well. It is said that one day such a river would fulfill its imminent escape from its spring and be stolen away on the wind. Eventually the sky would yield through countless storms in the cirrus’ wake before clear skies prevailed.”
Okay, this is getting weird. “What kind of delusional crackpot would spout such flowery nonsense?”
Cira was a casual enjoyer of theoretical cloud language, but this was taking it a step too far. Not only did he know her name, but he was now spinning some absurd prophetic yarn.
“As I already said,” He chuckled seeing Cira’s increasingly baffled reactions, “I’m just repeating the words of my old friend Gazen.”
___
“So, what did she offer you?” Madam Quartz Witch’s words were tempered for fear of the Hidden Witch, but it did nothing to stifle her tone, “Did she lure you in like that brat with promises of treasure? Or perhaps something more…?”
“Nothing like that.” I could only afford so much concentration for talking to this great witch. Normally I would kneel in fear to come across one such as her, but I had an island to save. My aura was pathetic, confirmed by all who looked at me. It was no secret. I could never hope to pull massive clumps of earth together and reform them into a solid island, but every time I decided to ignore my doubts, the magic circle beneath my feet glowed with power. I didn’t know where the power was coming from, but it felt right. Earth merged with itself and hardened, expelling muddy sand upward. “In fact, you could say I convinced her to give into my demands. I wanted to reach this island and do what I could to help. No more, no less.”
Typically, I would try to put some kind of spin on it, but the Hidden Witch supported my intentions. I had no reason to mince words here when I was on the cusp of finally doing something meaningful for once.
“I’m surprised you’re even alive, really.” She scoffed, “After that rock fell this morning, I was sure the island down there was done for. Am I supposed to believe it’s just a coincidence the Hidden Witch appeared?”
I wasn’t sure if she was under the impression I somehow summoned the Hidden Witch, but the woman in question never told me to withhold any information. I would be conflicted if she had, so this was nice.
“Didn’t I mention she stopped it? Sacrificed her life just to do it, but her uncle appeared and resurrected her from the ashes of her skeleton alone.” I laughed. There was an infectious joy from the feeling of moving earth so fluidly. Working around the feeble streams without interrupting them was difficult, but mashing such large swathes of earth together was more satisfying than I ever could have imagined. The resonance from her orichalcum staff threw my aura into a tizzy.
“Now I know you’re talking nonsense.” Meanwhile, the Quartz Witch had hardly accomplished merging a couple small segments together, let alone keeping them from disintegrating. She grew increasingly frustrated, and it only got worse when her apprentice surpassed her.
“M-Madam Quartz…” The girl started nervously, “Why are we here? And since when is the Hidden Witch our enemy? I thought she was a member of the Unseen—”
“Silence.” Quartz’ eyes narrowed, “Don’t you ever speak those words.”
There were rumors that the Hidden Witch was a member of the Unseen Hand of Nightwing. The members were few, though nobody knew exactly how many. Of course, they were mere legends spoken of only once the sun went down. Regardless of their fantastical nature, everyone I had ever met firmly believed their existence. It was only those in power or the particularly old who denied it. It all sounded like a myth of grand whimsy, but meeting the Hidden Witch in person made me rethink it altogether.
Still, Shale’s question was valid. She completely rebuilt Fount Salt and cured the plague. I would be surprised if the adjutant beat her out for employee of the month, so Madam Quartz’ attitude toward her was indeed surprising.
“And Earth Vein’s profits will only continue to rise once the Hidden Witch moves on from here,” I added, “What is the problem? Since there was never an announcement made, I figured we had a tacit alliance with the Saint’s faction. Isn’t that the only reason there’s still peace between us and the Church of the Final Sky?”
The Hidden Witch did seem like she was less than satisfied with some of Earth Vein’s deeds, and especially the Adjutant for some reason, but her actions spoke for themself. It was as if she was some singular agent meant to pick up the slack where Earth Vein’s witches were insufficient. While my employers seemed focused on greed though, she alone seemed to understand the value of treating other lives with respect. She was a witch I could look up to.
“You insolent child…” Quartz was frustrated, and it seemed like she had something to say, but every time she opened her mouth her control over the earth became feeble, “That witch even gave you preferential treatment with that magic circle, didn’t she?”
“I think…” Shale said, “All three are the same.”
Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.
The young witch from a class above me in the academy pointed out what was plain to see as sand bubbled to the surface around her.
“How could that be?!” Her control did improve to a degree, but it was like it was getting choked out. Her desire to perform the action to maintain her pride was clear, but could it be her lack of desire to save this island held her back? “I have many times over the mana either of you will gather in a hundred years!”
“It’s not about mana…” Shale quietly spoke.
“Didn’t you hear the Hidden Witch?” I asked, “She said she doesn’t need your mana. Only your will to help.” Perhaps meeting someone so much higher in the sky than this haughty and renowned yet insecure witch made me feel a little bold. “It appears that’s why your apprentice is already surpassing you. If you don’t care about this place… why are you here?”
Her eyes went wide and for a second, I thought she was going to run me through with a crystal stake, but watching the outer sections of the island pull back in around me gave her pause. She was still standing on solid rock as loose sands roiled to keep me afloat.
“You… Why are YOU here?!” She cried out, tears in her eyes. Turmoil long buried rose up like bile, “You think I didn’t want to help anyone? You think I didn’t want to use my powers to build a place where people could live? To stop others from crumbling away?!” Earthen mana flared around the Quartz Witch, burning like an open flame and weighing the two novices down, “Do you know what it’s like to spend centuries destroying homes and turning islands to dust just to be allowed to save a few? The ones who least deserve it?! How dare you spend a couple years in school then show up on my island trying to make a difference!”
The world seemed to grow still as mana solidified. A branching network of rivers made of countless quartz crystals spread out through the sky. As if destabilized, the island started to shake, even as far as my magic circle’s influence reached.
“You… have to stop!” I shouted, “What are you doing?!”
The main portion of earth between the three of us that had condensed the most suddenly started to shake, and I felt it begin to fall. I was suddenly weightless, and no amount of will could make it rise again.
___
“Pffff!” Cira spit her tea all over the table, “What did you just say?!”
She had a feeling it was moving in this direction, but to hear her father had said such ridiculous words was something that needed to be processed.
“Your father was a good friend of mine, if only for a short while every now and again,” The old man looked out the window in seemingly fond reminiscence. “Though it’s been so long I can hardly remember his face, I have to admit… I don’t see a resemblance.”
This damn old man, “That’s because we are not related by blood… How long ago was this?”
It took a few moments and Cira saw him counting on his fingers, “Oh, I don’t know. When you’re as old as me, you lose track of the decades along the way.”
Hang on… if it was that long ago, it doesn’t explain why this man knew my name. And why my father had such a strong opinion on it long before I was born or found for that matter.
He must have expected her confusion and continued with a jovial laugh, “I still remember his stupid expression when he came to me that evening and said he was going to be a father—one day. Even I’m surprised it took you this long to arrive… and you’re still so young. I always thought it sounded funny like he was breaking the news instead of having just found out.”
That the one with the information was also confused did not help Cira much. It didn’t make any sense for her father to know anything that far in advance. He definitely lacked talent in divination. Multiple years ahead, let alone decades and with enough detail to discern a significant life event required something on the level of fairytale mages from childhood storybooks even to Cira.
“Did he have some secret power to see the future?” She asked in futility.
“He swore he didn’t…” The old man sipped his tea, a hint of despondence in his words. “That he only stumbled upon a revelation in his travels, and that he wouldn’t be able to come visit anymore.”
Okay, so he doesn’t know. Either way, there are more important things to attend to, “Have you interacted with the two witches stationed here? Rather, do you know what is causing this island to fall? I have come to fix it.”
“Oh, Cirrus dear…” He shook his head, looking downcast, “I met your father thrice in my long life. The first time he was a frail and awkward young lad with a fraction of your own aura… all he cared for was artifacts and renounced his own sorcery with a youthful rebellion that made a relic like me chuckle.
“I lost track of how long passed between each visit, but there was a world of difference the last time I saw him. Entirely out of your league, I’m afraid…” He got up and started another pot of tea, rummaging through a different drawer near the stove. “This poor island had started falling apart nearly a century prior, and Gazen was quite troubled by the sight. His parting gift was to fix it himself, but one man can only do so much in the face of imminence. Nature will continue to bear its will no matter what anyone has to say about it… You have seen what this island has become by this time—there is no use trying to save it. It was always going to fall into the sky. Only a matter of when—”
“That won’t do.” Cira crossed her arms and stood up, “Just who do you think I am? So what if Dad couldn’t figure it out. I’ll be damned if I leave before even trying to figure out the cause—”
“The cause was never a secret.” His palm scratching across the white stubble on his chin carried across the quiet dining room, “All islands meet their end. I would not be surprised if this one is the oldest you’ve ever set foot upon. Long after he left, I heard they called him a sage, or prophet of some kind. He helped a lot of people, and put everything into saving this island, but only temporary measures can be taken. I implore you… Please do not extend our impending demise. Let this island rest.”
While he was a friend of her dad’s, possibly one of the oldest, that still didn’t give her enough reason to abandon her scruples. The sorcerer’s code existed for a reason, and she couldn’t simply let an island crush another because some old man asked her nicely.
“Land and spring.” Cira spoke, “These are the components of an island, like body and soul. This one withers, and its waters wail a dreary tune of defeat and acceptance. If I’ve learned anything from my father, the only reason you know my name is because he expected me to show up one day and finish the job. I respectfully decline your request to not get involved. Unless you have anything else to say, farewell—”
“Look.” An unconcerned grin floated on his face as he pulled an envelope out of the drawer and pointed his other hand out the window, “Cirrus clouds often form around this island. I’m beginning to suspect the storm below isn’t entirely natural, but much of the ambient mist settles around its border—”
“You old fool.” She may have mistaken them for ice crystals had she not felt the influx of earth mana from afar. The branching layers of crystal streams spread out across the sky, but they were some manner of quartz, “I have to go.”
She took a step toward the window when the old man shouted, “Wait! Your father left me this. A letter for you—”
What…? Cira turned around and noticed a red wax seal bearing her father’s ‘G’ insignia. It was instantly recognizable as his authentic stamp. He left a letter for me… so long ago?
“Is that… really from my dad?” Cira’s hands trembled as he turned over the dusty gift.
“He told me one day his child will probably stop by, and that I had to keep this message safe until then.” The old man of the lighthouse now wore a relieved smile. Somehow his shoulders seemed to slump as he leaned back, all the tension leaving his body. “He told me you wouldn’t listen.” A slow chuckle left his body, “But now… I wish you only the best. Now that my final purpose is served, I can only hope to find rest on this doomed rock.”
There was profound contentment on his face, and Cira nearly left before watching an inexplicable light radiate off his body. An element she distinctly recognized as life began to trickle back to the aether along with his very soul.
“Wait—you don’t have to go!” She desperately cried, completely caught off guard, “I promise I’ll save this island! Just wait a little longer…”
By the time she finished her sentence, his essence had already returned to the cycle. Even if Cira wanted to pry about her father’s past, this person’s supposedly long life ended here and now. Right before Cira’s eyes, he turned to motes of light and left her alone. The kettle on the stove started to whistle, then burned away into light as well.
“Fine then…” Cira walked to the window in tumultuous silence, tucking the sealed letter into her sleeve. Her chest was heavy, and she felt uncomfortable. Perhaps he had only held out to fulfill a promise, but Cira felt remarkably bleak walking away from the empty room, “I guess it’s time I get back to work…”
Lightning crackled and she appeared before the three witches. Mudrock was unsurprisingly condensing a great deal of earth through her magic circle, determination clear on her face, followed by Shale with a frustrated Quartz falling behind. Cira wasn’t sure if the roiling clouds of crystal dust were the product of an outburst or an attempt to channel even more mana into the array for lack of goodwill.