To Fly the Soaring Tides

The ancient undine was content to sleep beneath the waters of Icarus indefinitely. Her old friend Daedilus constructed Isla Destria to her exact specifications, in fact. It was a peaceful little rock, and she enjoyed seeing the myriad of skies the Third Order visited. Just along for the ride and enjoying a peaceful rest, sensing the nearby birth of her kin was not entirely uncommon. Given how frequently they moved around, it happened once every few years.

What was not common was an undine who possessed a secondary element. So uncommon that she had entirely forgotten it was possible. Not since her younger years in the Mystic Seas had she stumbled upon such a specimen, but now that she had arrived at this fragile little island on the Boreal, she realized that wasn't the case here at all.

An island turned spirit is new to even these old eyes. Lazulei, is it? I'll have to apologize to Cira when I get the chance. Unlike the mother, this daughter is a beautiful sight to behold. I must protect her.

The small human invader made frail attempts at defending herself with a strange brand of geomancy which accomplished scarce more than dragging her own face through the dirt. While mildly impressed that she could control the aether via manipulation of a single element, this woman was far from the strongest mortal she had ever faced.

Having cleared those strange clouds of silver, a new storm blew in. So heavy with water, the sky was a canvas of pitch-black, but the cerulean mana raging within illuminated the sky for miles. This storm could be considered most of Destria's body. Only a little bit needed to stay behind on Icarus to keep them afloat. She had arrived prepared to dispense the full extent of her wrath.

It fell from the sky in heavy drops, rippling the air and scattering rocks on the ground. This witch proved capable enough to dodge her beams of mana directly, but she was not faring so well in the rain.

In seconds, a spring deluge transformed into rivers catastrophically plummeting from the sky. The witch was like a ragdoll getting tossed around in the current. Back and forth, to the surface or ever deeper—but gradually closer to the center of the island all the while. There would be no escape.

"How pitiful." Destria's voice echoed dreadfully between the storms above and below, "I was truly hoping to go all out today."

She could feel the anger and frustration bubbling up in the poor witch's soul. It brought her joy great enough to outshine the disappointment. Destria threw her around, smashing the witch over rocks until she was battered and bruised, until she could taste her blood seeping into the water.

It was amusing, but toying with a human was such a drab pastime for someone who has lived as long as Destria. Besides, they tasted terrible. The more mana she wasted struggling would only make the flavor stand out more. I suppose it's time to end this.

She started to erode the human's soul and was met with an explosive resistance as a burst of saffron flame exploded from the center. It burned away her water until the witch was free—back in the air again and somehow alleviated from the pressure. Destria dropped a few more mana rays on her, but they lost their cerulean luster as they approached the flame.

It came as a mild surprise that this curse would protect the witch, but not entirely outside of expectation. It was possible such a response was in its nature. The curse thrummed, pulsing outward into a veritable pyre, going so far as to dissipate the clouds above wherever its light touched them.

At this point it wasn't under the witch's direct control. This was something that could happen when a wielder of primordial law experienced a threat to their existence. The laws which long pervaded this world responded by protecting its origin. So, either a generous demon would be upset at Destria by end of day, or this witch had stolen a truly benevolent curse.

The power was responding directly to her emotions now, which were plain to even the spirits. The witch rose through the air with a scowl which smoldered hot enough to boil the rain and turn it to steam, cursed flames wrapping around her like a caressing wind.

"You know not who you have crossed, spirit." As if to mock the undine, her voice carried in the language of spirits. Destria couldn't help but laugh as she noticed a clear streak of fear buried deep beneath the witch's fury and malice. Her voice trembled, "I am the witch who has outlived all others, she who has witnessed the birth of witchcraft, and one who has ground countless spirits to dust. Now burn beneath the silver cosmos."

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Like bolts of lightning, her saffron flames jutted through the air and storm, ignoring Destria's entire presence and shooting straight through the clouds. The feeling of it jolting through her body was both deeply unsettling and strangely pleasant, but soon it was through, and the witch's conjuration bloomed in the sky above.

The stars started to twinkle, piercing the azure veil above. Inexplicable heat fell, and before she knew it, the cerulean clouds had started to evaporate. Soon an off-color sun shone a single silver ray of light on the witch while the sky cleared over the island.

"Do not think that you are leaving this place alive." Destria pulled herself in, all flowing toward a single point. The storm darkened, condensing over Lazulei and slowly outpacing the caustic silver light. Despite her overwhelming power, the undine knew this could be bad. Silver light slowly encroached from above. Its source seemed to be distant stars and even the sun somehow, but it was quickly growing out of control. Even Destria could feel the pressure, and its caustic presence could be felt through the entirety of her storm.

"You have no idea how many times I've heard those words." The witch's voice flowed like a subtle poison as she continued to push back the water. A magic circle appeared above her head with a point for each of Destria's own.

Beams of silver crossed the island aimed at each of the hydra's heads. While it didn't hurt, Destria was blinded. Vertigo and distortion of her other senses came in waves until she deconstructed her form into a swirling ocean.

It blanketed the whole island and formed a whirlpool centered on the witch who grew ever higher. She charged more and more mana into the water, but the witch's cursed flames kept whipping away, disrupting the current.

"Fool. Were you not listening?" Destria realized this was everything she wanted. She could actually go all out. It was unclear who this witch was to Cira, but she would have to accept her death regardless. This was one opponent Destria could not afford to go easy on. "The heavens' pull cannot save you from the ocean's depths. Let the sea swallow you, pitiful human."

A column of cerulean light rose into her silver cosmos and straight down to the distant sea, encompassing the entire island of Lazulei. The witch started to fall as her light was washed out, but she only laughed.

"I will not forget this, spirit." The saffron flames pulsed again, enshrouding the witch completely, "But rest assured, I will return. You will become nothing more than sustenance for this pitiful human."

When the flames cleared, the witch was gone.

Dammit…

She got away.

If only Destria knew what curse she wielded, it could have gone a different way, but it seemed her escape was inevitable in the end.

I am counting the days, witch…

Rather than an unfortunate failure, she decided to consider this the beginning of her next big hunt. This was far from over.

Having come to that conclusion, however, it was time to address the other undines. A shame what happened to the big one, but there were still two definitely alive.

"Greetings." Destria materialized in her standard size human form and let the storm dissipate, "You may call me Destria."

The undine before her seemed in shock before offering an awkward human bow, "I am the one known as Zuzarel. Thank you for the assistance, dear ancestor. I fear my little sister may have fallen from the sky had you not intervened."

This amount of respect was expected, and Destria paid it no mind, "Relax yourself. The threat is gone, and it will not return for many years. More importantly, where is the child?"

Zuzarel grew tense for a moment, but she could hear Destria's sincerity. "I… am not sure. She disappeared when the witch killed that man."

"One moment." Destria spread her focus over the whole island now that she had the resources to commit, "It appears she is at the spring. Come with me."

The waters of the spring glowed a dim gold, like a desperate yet altogether pale imitation of holy conjuration. They found the young undine at the spring lake's shore, her arms wrapped around the torso of a dead human. Tears fell from her eyes and returned to the aether before even reaching the man.

"Oh, Child…" Destria called. The girl turned to her and gasped, her face flushed red with grief. "There is no need to mourn a friend of the human who harmed you."

"He's not!" Lazulei choked up, never letting go of the man, "He's not like them! He doesn't deserve to die. He—he didn't do anything wrong!"

"I'm afraid he's already dead—" Destria stopped as her four eyes grew wide. His body is quite dead, but… His soul has yet to leave its vessel. Impossible. This child hasn't even lived a month, yet she stopped his fatal bloom?

"He's not dead. Not yet!" Lazulei shouted through heavy tears, "And who even are you to try and tell me what to do?"

"Just consider me… a friend of your mother's." The girl was momentarily speechless in surprise. "I came to this island with the express purpose of protecting you."

"That's… that's perfect!" The girl lit up, her amber eyes blazing with determination, "You have to take this man to Mama! I just know she can heal him!"

Destria couldn't simply bring a local government official to Icarus, dying or not. She had something of an agreement with Fitzgeralt, "I… I can't do that—"

"Then her friends!" The girl shouted, "Mama said she has friends! They can help, right? You… you have to. Or I'll never forgive you!"