“I thought I knew what your father meant when he said you always overdo it.” Nanri looked over with a grin.

They sat along the edge of the spring while Cira softened the blinding lights and conjured enough silence to speak, “No, you did… It’s usually not this bad.” Cira struggled to meet her eyes with guilt weighing her own down.

The witch chuckled, “Well, I don’t think I need to tell you how lucky you are. Still… I can’t believe you managed to do all this.” She panned around the spring chamber where her own metal reflected the shining blue mana. Nanri had never felt ambient mana packed so densely and she could feel the pressure against the barrier Cira conjured her. Her feats across the island spoke for itself and Nanri was floored when Cira told her everything she did.

“I’m really sorry…” Cira replied meekly, “I was planning to use the New Shores District from the moment I saw it… and Zero Stratum. I know you slaved away to build them for… I don’t even know how long—”

“Oh, will you shut up?” Nanri quipped, “You act lofty, but you don’t have to disappear into the clouds for me to understand what’s going through your head. I know you’re not thoughtless in your actions or cold to the world. You didn’t betray my trust because you wanted to.”

Cira was instantly silenced. She had said those words to Nanri for her to ponder after she left, and now they were being thrown in her face. For a moment she was distracted by Nina fluttering far away with the same judgmental pose. “If I were stronger, I could have figured out a better way…” Cira slumped back.

“I think you’re plenty strong, Cira. No need to waste time there.” Nanri’s smile brightened her mood a little. “But I wish you had told me…”

“I wanted to…” Cira paused, listening to the white noise of the Spring and watching the water ripple, “but if you had tried to stop me, I may very well have been helpless. The island would be out of luck.”

Nanri raised her eyebrows and leaned in, “I think that’s a bit of an exaggeration… But I get it. I am an Earth Vein witch after all, and if you told me right away, I would surely have stood against you.”

“Me and Lomp sort of panicked trying to smooth it over…”

“Oh, that reminds me!” she clapped, “Lomp was gone by the time we woke up, do you know anything about that?”

“Ahh, yes. let’s see…” Cira’s eyes rolled up and to the side like she was spacing out, “Oh, good. He’s already sending people off. I better put that elevator back.”

“He’s… what?” Nanri blinked.

“I sent him to the surface to send messages up the Noose about the deritium and cure. Hopefully to the ears of the Gandeux. What do you think?” Cira pursed her lips, waiting for an expert opinion.

“Hmm…” the witch pondered as Nina plopped down on her hat. “There’s a lighthouse at the top of the Noose. They could reach there in a few days depending on the ship, and they have artifacts to send messages straight to Port. How many did you have him send, and to whom specifically?”

“Just the Gandeux Group. I told him to send as many as possible and to mix up the messages a bit.”

This brought another grin to the witch’s face, and she laughed. “That’s sure to get their attention. The group has its own regulatory council, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they arrived by the end of the week. But they’ll certainly put a halt on any independent operations once they hear deritium and Fount Salt in the same sentence twenty times in a day, assuming it’s as infamous as Lomp claims.”

“Well, there’s some good news.” Cira smiled.

But Nanri fell into thought, “That only leaves two problems below until that time comes.”

Cira tossed a chunk of salt into the pool, “So you know those two witches?”

With a sudden mood change, Nanri nodded gravely, “Lyren was an old classmate of mine. We’re the same age, but she always stuck to herself. She wasn’t bad. Madam Estelle, though…” Nanri grumbled, “She was the worst! History of witchcraft is supposed to be fun, but she spent half the class shouting. Ugh… You really riled up a bad one, Cira. Do you know what an inquisitor is?”

When she shook her head, Nanri rolled her eyes, “An inquisitor is one of Earth Vein’s highest witches, just below the adjutant. They are sent out to investigate problems that Earth Vein wants to disappear.”

“How did they get here so fast?” This was the one thing that puzzled Cira. Unless they were just on their way for a stroll, they had to have been nearby and heard somehow.

“The lighthouse. They were climbing the Boreal and cut through the storm when they got word from above.” Nanri answered with a chuckle, “I’ll need to make sure Triton doesn’t have it too easy for a while.”

“It’s mostly my fault,” Cira acquiesced, “I should have kept him around just in case. I sure hope that kid’s alright…”

“Lomp said he’s fine, so I’m sure it’s alright. He said he knew the mayor for years.” Nanri nodded thoughtfully. “Still… I thought Estelle was the strongest witch behind the adjutant herself, but… I don’t think she could even touch you. Not now at least.”

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“I had a little help from the deritium and my Staves…” Cira looked down, tilting her eyes up to the witch, “Are you not… scared of me?

“Cira…” Nanri returned her gaze, looking slightly hurt, “Of course not… I could never be scared of you. You’re doing everything you can to help this island. I… I just wish I had half your strength. I could carry the sorcerer’s burden too…”

The girls went quiet and watched cerulean light glimmer across the water. Through the white noise they could hear the occasional fluttering of wings from Nina’s friends that remained. Cira couldn’t help a smile from creeping onto her face though. Her worries were gone. Nanri had forgiven her and wasn’t scared in the least, nor did she think Cira was a monster.

The witch had so thoroughly dissected her thoughts when she entered the room and didn’t harbor any ill will. Only heartfelt concern. Her first words were to ask if Cira was okay, and she was sincere.

Since her father passed, Cira had been asked that question only a handful of times. But most didn’t actually care—they cared if their job was completed. Nanri was different. Her expression brightened when Cira finally assured her that she was, in fact, alright—even if it was a lie. They were able to steal another few moments to chat by the spring like it was still that carefree morning in Uru.

“Nanri, are we friends?” Cira spoke softly but her words caught the witch off guard.

“What kind of a question is that?” Nanri smiled as she looked warmly into Cira’s eyes, “Of course we are.”

Her sunny expression blinded the young sorcerer and her own paled in comparison, before quickly turning into a frown.

“What is it?” Nanri asked.

“They’re almost here…” She glanced through the salt to see them just down the hall.

“Can’t you stop them?” Nanri followed her gaze but didn’t see anything.

“I’ve already been slowing them down… but the more upset she gets, the bigger problem it will be when I leave.”

“Yes, she will be quite troublesome…” Nanri stood up, offering a hand to help her friend off the ground. “You should get out of here before they show up.”

“Nanri…” I shouldn’t. I know it’s wrong. She can’t throw her whole life away just to fly around aimlessly with me. “Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

“I’m tougher than I look, you know.” Nanri flexed her thin arms, covered in robes. Her delicate face wore a troubled smile now, “You’re supposed to have a little faith in your friends, you know.”

What’s left for her? Is either path right? I just… don’t want her to get hurt. But is that it? Or am I scared I’ll hurt myself? She sounds so resolved. She’ll turn me down for sure…

“I know I’ve gotten you in a lot of trouble…” She looked over at the witch timidly, pushing each word out deliberately, “Do you… Do you want to com—”

“Stop.” Nanri took one of Cira’s hands in hers, “Please don’t say it… if you do, I’m sure I’ll follow you… And if I follow you now, I’ll never be able to stand beside you. I could have left you in Uru, kept my head down in Zero Stratum, and the worst I’d get is a slap on the wrist. I helped you because I wanted to, so I won’t run away from it. You are leaving to prevent more problems from arising, so I will stay to achieve the same purpose. If I leave so suddenly, it’s certain to cause waves back home. People could get hurt or lose their livelihood. And I will see this cure through until Earth Vein’s hands are tied. I won’t let Estelle put a stop to it, no matter what.”

“Nanri, I…” I have no argument. The Astral Witch is liable to vaporize my workers the moment I disappear out of spite alone, plague and curses be damned. But… Nanri is right. She’s the only one who can do it at this point, and everything I’ve done for the plague would be wasted if she left.

If I stay and see it through, they’ll think I’m taking over the island, then if I leave as soon as they arrive, there will be a pursuit followed by a large-scale battle to be certain. One with opponent’s I won’t be able to scare off with tricks. One against opponents backed by a thousand more.

All that’s assuming I can stay awake and alive for that long. I can’t stop Aquon and wait on the surface or I’ll be incapacitated by the time Estelle finds me or even until Earth Vein follows up. I’ll be on a time limit as soon as I leave the spring.

Even then… if I snatched Nanri away, it would only cause her trouble after all. I didn’t get the impression she liked the people back home, but she doesn’t want anyone to get hurt by her carelessness. I can’t hold a candle to her.

“It’s okay, Cira.” Nanri’s grip tightened, and her blue eyes softened, “I have my own path before me now, and I have you to thank for that. My heart won’t waver. You can rest assured that the next time we meet I’ll be a much stronger sorcerer. Just promise me when that day comes, we can go on an adventures together.” Now she wore a pure, resolute smile that saw far past the horizon. “And count on me until then, okay?”

Cira’s chest hurt as her hand lay in Nanri’s. Parting was never supposed to be this hard. She would just move onto the next island and her worries would blow away on the winds. She could tell this feeling in her heart was of a different nature. It was heavy, like stone. The hands around her own felt so fleeting and she found herself clutching on, reluctant to let go.

“After everything…” Cira’s voice trembled as she looked at Nanri’s face veiled in shimmering silver, “You would still…”

Nanri threw her arms around Cira in a hug, “We’ll meet again, Cira. That’s my promise in return. Now come on.” She separated and held out her pinky finger.

“What’s this?” Cira was confused.

“It’s how you make a promise. It’s a practice that far predates witches, just hold out your pinky.” Cira complied and the witch wrapped hers around it and smiled, “Now it’s a promise.”

Cira held out her hand, turning it over as if expecting to see some form of mana flowing through it. Nanri giggled as she watched her try to figure it out, “Come on now, Cira. You better go. Even I can feel them now.”

They were almost to the entrance, and Cira could see them getting closer. She really was out of time but afforded them one last spatial impedance to make her escape.

“Alright, Nanri.” Cira returned her smile to the best of her abilities, “Until we meet again up there. Stay safe.”

They looked at each other for a moment, but Cira was the one that had to make a move. Begrudgingly, she turned away and began channeling mana into the Staff of Springs. “Aquon, it’s time to head up the river.”

She took a few steps out into the water before ascending to meet the cerulean gem. It flashed as it separated from the spring, cutting off most of her feeling and sight through the island, leaving her with a strange and monolithic empty sensation. Like a phantom limb her small mind couldn’t tell the extents of.

Spring Sense and Spatial Sight were still active, but the information they garnered was increasingly vague with further distance from the spring. It also sent a jolt of pain through her head when it shifted, and she winced, trying to hide it while still in view.

Soon her and the brilliant jewel of the same size floated up into the hole bored from millennia of the spring’s fall. She turned around and gazed at Nanri one last time as her rivers receded with her. She wore the same expression Cira thought of whenever she heard her name—the picturesque sunny smile she had grown accustomed to, without a trace of doubt.

Perhaps by the time we meet again, I'll have found some of your strength as well.