To Fly the Soaring Tides

This curse was a fascinating one. I did not yet understand the means through which it intended to affect my aura, but keeping it contained within tranquility's flame took increasing amounts of mana by the second. I took some from the island to compensate, but this wouldn't last all day.

I was surprised at first to find this girl's curse distinct from Kazali's, but it did behave in similar manner. In many ways less intrusive, but altogether more ferocious.

That said, if it isn't Kazali's curse, just where did she get it? Don't tell me he really figured it out…

The laughter simply wouldn't stop. I waited millennia for that demon's pipedream to come to fruition. Granted, I never expected him to pull it off, and it's icing on the cake that my own daughter should lead me to straight to the fruit.

Fate is a funny thing, is it not?

Speaking of, was it Hale's poor luck or misguided ambition that led him here? Regardless, I won't feel too bad about killing him. That man has been a thorn in my side ever since the Fount Salt debacle.

Good riddance.

"Madam Silver—" An artifact at my waist shouted then immediately fell silent. This was the sixth time now. Certainly, that Hidden Witch decided to pay my well a visit. This wasn't too troublesome. I had actually expected her to make a move on this day, so it was no matter.

If you kill my witches, it will only embolden the Gandeux families against you. I should have known my daughter's friend would be at least as stupid. It's like taking candy from a baby.

I squeezed the island for a bit more mana and decided to call it for the day. Any more and I would have to throw servants off the deck to make room for my bubbles. I wished I could transport them faster, but the curse was too unstable to subject to spatial transference. The best I could do was stop by Prophet's Peak and take means to properly seal it there. Now all I had to do was exit this monument and take to the sky.

___

That damn witch had been in there for nearly half an hour. Based on the clouds of silver as far as the eye could see, she was certainly not dead.

It was hard to say how serious she was when she entered. Demanding we not wait for the Mages' Inquisition could easily be interpreted as trying to cover something up—which would indeed enforce her claim of seeing little mystery in this creepy gold monument.

It looked like the entrance to a tomb, and I didn't recognize a single glyph on its surface.

After a while, these strange, dark bubbles started popping out the top. Despite their ominous appearance, they glowed a pleasant yellow that reminded me of wheat in early autumn from back home. It was pleasant, but for some reason, I felt uneasy looking at them.

Soon these bubbles were popping out of every side, almost encasing the golden tomb. I didn't know what to make of it, but my aura instinctively shivered. Pangs of danger ran up my spine and cold sweat formed on my face. I started to wish I had never followed this witch.

Taking distance, I froze as the sky seemed to shudder. The once dreary sky seemed to burn a vibrant blue. As if meant for this purpose, the silver clouds served to shimmer countless cerulean gleams on the black clouds upon which this island sat. It was as if the immovable storm turned into the sea itself.

Now the sky burned with mana and I started to get weak in the knees. Whatever this was, it felt like an ocean crushing me. A heavy rain fell on the island, causing a flood of those ominous bubbles.

Luckily, I was not so bad at water magic, but it did nothing to split the incoming tide. It was as if I had no control over the water. As a last-ditch measure, I pushed a pillar of stone up beneath my feet. I didn't want to waste mana flying in case I had to escape the witch, but this would buy me a few minutes to think.

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I can rule out comprehending what she's doing. Honestly, it's in my best interest to retreat now and report what I can, but… something's coming. I can feel it.

The cerulean light seemed concentrated in a single point above the storm now, and the raindrops were the size of my head. I could only watch in horror as the water refused to spread out in the dirt, instead forming a statue many times my size.

And my veins turned to ice when the statue moved her arm. The head trickled in, and I watched her gaze land squarely on me. It was a woman made entirely of water—no, a giant. Except her hair was tentacles large enough to strangle any kraken, and she boasted four eyes blazing with mana.

"You should not be here, human." If this voice weren't in my head, I'm certain my ears would be bleeding. It was so loud I fell to my knees. "Stop this at once or face death."

The monolithic figure before me blotted out the sun. The storm had to move away so as not to block her. And she was ordering me to stop the Silver Witch or die.

Who—or what is this thing? An undine? It… it can't be. Does the Goddess of Raging Seas stand before me?

"W-wait a second! I didn't do anything!" I desperately cried.

"Nonsense. Then what do you call this?" Her palm extended toward the tomb, "And you would even go so far as to steal mana from an already delicate island. There is no pleading innocence here. The only answer is death."

Her arm turned into yet another tentacle, cleaving down on me like an island-splitting longsword. I held my breath, waiting for death's rapid approach. In the end, I closed my eyes, but a blaring light burned through my eyelids. I had to shield them with my arm when a voice called out.

"Stop it!" The voice sounded like a child's, "He's not the bad guy!"

I couldn't believe my eyes to see a massive tentacle mere feet above me with a little girl standing guard with her arms spread wide. The unnerving part was that she appeared equally translucent as the goddess of water, while her hair was tentacles as well.

Last time I covered for a sick colleague and I ended up on Fount Salt. Now I decided to go on a weeks-long vacation with the most infamous witch on the Boreal.

Is it not only natural that I should walk into a nest of undines or something to that effect at this point?

Next time I'm staying home… In fact, maybe I should seriously reconsider field-work.

"She's right!" I cried, "I-I'm just here to observe."

"Observe what exactly? Accomplices shall find no mercy from me."

I could hardly think having to listen to her overbearing voice, let alone formulate a response.

"I don't know what's going on, I swear! I came to make sure nothing bad happens. I-I don't know—"

"Not only ignorant, but incompetent." The goddess spat, thankfully not literally, "I see no reason I should spare this human, little one. How can someone so young know whether he is bad or good? "

"I just know!" The girl shouted, posting her hands on her hips. "I can see it. Just like I can see the real bad guy is in there."

The little girl pointed toward the tomb, now overflowing with dark, glowing bubbles.

"What is happening in there?" The goddess solemnly asked an apparent child, "Your mana is draining too fast. Any more of this and you will start to fall again, and you shouldn't even be out here! Just where is Zuzarel?

"I am here." A chilling voice came from over my shoulder and I turned to find myself inches from a mirror image of the goddess, but at eye-level. I stumbled back, falling to the floor. "I remained hidden in case this man tried something, but he seems too scared. Lazzy, dear, do you know whats happening in there?"

"Mama's trap didn't work… She's trying to take it—No, she might take it." Turning to the mini-goddess, the little girl spoke. Her eyes were like shimmering amber, unlike the bigger two. There was something strange about this undine, but I didn't dare ask. Her support was enough, but it begged the question why the other two listened to her in the first place.

One undine was a legend sang by bards in the alehouse, but three was a drunk getting thrown into the gutter for speaking nonsense. If there was one thing I learned by way of shit luck, the path to success was going with the flow.

So, I was pretty sure the Hidden Witch set this artifact, right… So why did this strange undine call it 'Mama's trap'? And just what is the Silver Witch trying to take?

I hardly had time to think as the golden tomb started to melt, revealing a shining witch with the smuggest of grins on her face. Effulgent bubbles full of darkness rose around her like a storm, illuminating her enraptured face.

"Oh my. Not one, but three undines. Is this what she was hiding? How droll." She laughed into her hand before turning a disturbing pair of eyes my way. She looked not of sound mind—absolutely manic. I thought perhaps something caused her to snap, or perhaps she just felt it was time to forgo her façade. That crazed look caused me to forget all about the raging sea goddess towering above. "Unfortunately, Regulator, I think it's best if I take care of you first."