There were nearly a hundred students ranging from around the age Cira was when her father died to damn near Old Man Roberts. Many looked at her funny, and it seemed there was a fair number of whispers pertaining to her status, but Cira didn’t care much about that these days.

  She was just along for the ride. While the students did interest her, she smirked to see the two instructors at the head of the class.

  One was that pale-haired lady who inspired her to condense light needles, but next to her was none other than Roman, the unkillable space mage. It seemed he noticed her at the same time, however, and took a single step to appear before her.

  “Well look who we have here.” Emma shied back as the man materialized. “Get bored of Eliza already?”

  “Just thought I would see what kind of things you people are teaching my friend here.” Cira feigned a suspicious glare. “What’s on the menu today?”

  The corpulent mage chuckled, “You’ve come at a good time. We’re about to discuss lightning for use in perceptive spells.”

  “Now, now.” A woman’s lilting words came from Roman’s side, “Aren’t you going to introduce me?”

  Cira watched the shapely woman take form with a pleasant expression that made her inexplicably uncomfortable.

  “Indeed, Roman.” Cira crossed her arms and inspected the other instructor, “Who is this woman?”

  The woman in question only laughed as she leveled her eyes to Cira, “Goodness… You smell just like your father.”

  ___

  “Excuse me, Miss.” Kuja did her best to speak clearly and confidently. No one below Io’s level would be able to see her true form. “I am here to see the silver well.”

  The young receptionist grew wary at this topic. Understandable.

  “Pardon, but I don’t believe Lady Silver is in today. Do you happen to have an appointment scheduled with her?” Kuja could sense she was starting to panic—such things came naturally after she was resurrected.

  “No, I can’t say that I do.” The others at their desks behind her had all paused to try and subtly listen in. “But I am here to participate in an agreed upon exchanging of wisdom. Your master is away at the moment for the very same reason.”

  Kuja felt multiple signatures of life manifesting behind each wall which surrounded her. She felt bad as the wide-eyed receptionist formed a tear in her eye, “I’m sorry… but I can’t let you go further without Madam Silver present. Would you kindly… wait over there?”

  The girl was shivering as she pointed Kuja toward a row of chairs. Kuja now felt terrible and was positive Cira would too, but there was nothing to do about that. The sorcerer’s burden is heavy, no?

  “Now that simply won’t do.” I am nailing this. Wait, what is that artifact?

  The receptionist charged a small amount of mana into a stone in her palm and shouted, “Madam Silver—”

  “Sleep.” This would save the girl a little trauma, Kuja was certain.

  The walls melted and scores of witches appeared from every direction forming arrows of silver in a dense cloud that hung in the air. They all fired at once and Kuja was blinded in light.

  Each arrow that touched Io’s barrier dissolved into mana and returned to sender. The shining arrows made perfect bullseyes on their caster’s foreheads and dissolved into them. In an instant, the sound of their bodies hitting the floor echoed. The noncombatants all started to freak out as well, pulling out more of those artifacts.

  “Sleep.” They all fell, joining the others. “Well, that takes care of that.”

  Kuja dusted off her hands and casually hopped over the counter then through the door it was protecting.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  Beyond that was a hallway of solid silver, which no longer surprised Kuja. What did surprise her, however, was the lone witch standing before her after she rounded the first corner.

  “She told us you would come—"

  “Sleep.” And Kuja kept walking down the hall. She thought the sleek and shiny aesthetic was a little pretentious and bland, but apparently her goal would be found at the end.

  Of course, a few more witches stood in her way, each stronger than the last, but never more than one at a time. Those who didn’t greet her just fell asleep to their own spells, and her stroll went rather unobstructed for the next ten minutes or so.

  And what good would a long hallway be if there wasn’t one final witch waiting for her, standing in guard of a door you could fly a ship through. Of course, there were alleged to be many more on the other side.

  “I don’t know why you’ve come, Hidden Witch.” This one stabbed a crystal staff into the ground and looked down on Kuja with dutiful eyes, “But this ends here.”

  As all hallways do, Kuja mused. “Tell me your name, witch.” Kuja thought Cira would likely converse with at least some of her enemies, so this was her moment to really sell the role. She had to leave behind a story to be told.

  “I am the one known as the Skyfall Witch.” She twirled her staff around until its finial pointed to Kuja. The surrounding tunnel rumbled and the ground started to feel soft. “What good is it to you? Do you intend to declare your purpose here or are you merely stalling for time?”

  No, I actually am in a hurry. Though I doubt Cira would share the sentiment were she in my boots.

  “My purpose is simple.” Kuja fell back and a golden chair stood waiting in stark contrast to the shining hall. “I told your master I wanted to see the silver well, and so I have come to do exactly that.”

  Having lived beneath a shadow well her entire long life, it very much intrigued Kuja as well. On top of the favor she had in mind, getting to see this was a reward in itself.

  “And what do you intend to do once you reach it.” The witch’s eyes turned cold as she awaited Kuja’s reply.

  But she only giggled, “Oh dear, I haven’t decided yet. I figured inspiration would strike once I got there.”

  Her answer was not clear, but this witch seemed immune to confusion. She kept her guard up and channeled more mana into her staff. Kuja only had to spend a split second figuring out what her plan was as a tectonic roar only grew louder from her back. Now that she looked around, the ceiling had gotten a fair deal closer. It appeared the Skyfall Witch was stalling for time, but it would not get her far.

  “If you won’t tell me, then I will have you answer to Lady Silver herself.” The witch seemed arrogant, but with a large portion of the island seemingly at her command it did not seem unreasonable for her to feel that way. Io was on another level though, and Kuja had placed her faith in him. If he said the barrier would take care of everything, then the barrier would take care of everything.

  The wall of silver closed in from behind as Kuja casually sipped from a stemmed glass of water. Then suddenly, the silver halted, melting into the aether once it reached arm’s length from Kuja.

  The pressure fluctuated as the witch noticed her attack get utterly ignored. Kuja finished her glass and tossed it away before standing up. With one step, the witch’s expression had already faltered. With two, the staff began to dim.

  “Your control over earth is not entirely mediocre.” While Kuja couldn’t hold a candle to her, someone else she knew could, “But your narrow mind will never allow you to command the element. Heed my words now. She who seeks power shall never find it.”

  The witch opened her mouth in retort, but no words came. It seemed she was at a loss. Her body started to shake before Kuja decided to end this conversation. Sleep…

  And the witch joined a long roster of those who would awake tomorrow at dawn.

  Kuja felt she was killing it as Cira right now, and it almost made her jealous of the lifestyle. Not once in her long life had she appeared in enemy territory and waltzed right in simply to get a rise out of another. Granted, she kept to mountain for three centuries and was lacking in enemies, the thrill was undeniable. That last witch would likely have impressed Cira too, but she would undoubtedly have defeated her. And now she could lay eyes upon a well of silver, simply because she wanted to.

  I ought to practice my sorcery when all this blows over. I just need to do one thing first.

  “Let’s see what’s on the other side of this door.” As Kuja approached, her barrier caused the shining arrays engraved into it to burn away. Light rose to the sky while enchanted pieces of metal and gem crumbled to the floor. The rest of the door simple faded into the aether. As her path was now clear, Kuja walked on through it.

  It was a sight to behold, like nothing she had ever seen. Let alone the magnificent mana well which blared in the sky like a silver sun, the spiraling structure around it was easily the size of Acher, but much larger in that it stretched as tall as the island was wide. Burning arrays nearly blinded Kuja and she could feel all the mana for miles being directed straight down.

  Kuja hated to admit it, but the Silver Witch had built something truly incredible here.

  At the bottom of the construct directly beneath the well was a massive artifact Kuja couldn’t begin to postulate on. It was like disc no smaller than Hangman’s Cove with walls that flared out as if to funnel all mana to the bottom where a silver spire rose out of the pit, glowing so hot it was a wonder the thing wasn’t melting away.

  Kuja couldn’t help staring in wonder despite the hundreds of life signatures she felt closing in on her from ahead.

  Well, this is what I’m here for. May as well get a good look.

  Countless silver projectiles ranging from arrows to artillery to meteors fell in on Kuja, but she comfortably floated toward the well as witches dropped like flies.