Sea Dweller (Birthstone Series) (15 page)

“You get used to that,” I
promised.

“I already am. I’ve had so
much time to explore and nobody questions me when I tell them I’ve taken a
sudden liking to fishing. A lot.”

I couldn’t help a grin from
taking over my face. “You’ve always been dutiful. I doubt I would question it
either if I didn’t know any better.”

“I wondered if you were ever
going to break free from your parents. Did you sneak out?” Sai asked, eyeing
the shore behind us. In the distance were a few islanders in boats but they
weren’t close enough to see us clearly.

“They let me out. It was
strange, especially for them. I never know what my parents are going to do
next.”

Sai’s eyebrows shot up.
“Really? Just like that? That was the last thing I expected.”

“Yeah, well I’m going to make
the most of it. Are there any places you haven’t explored yet?” I figured the
entire coastline of the island had probably been thoroughly inspected by Sai
over the last few days.

“Actually, there was one
place I haven’t visited. I wanted to wait until you were with me.”

I thought for a moment before
I realized where he wanted to go. “It wouldn’t have anything to do with those
underwater tunnels we found during the storm, would it?”

Sai’s mouth curved into a
lopsided smile. “Why, yes. Yes it would.”

At first glance, it was just
a pile of boulders stacked against a rock wall where the cliff had collapsed
into the water. We were only about 15 feet underwater but anybody unable to
hold his or her breath longer than four minutes would have a difficult time
finding the opening. I doubted it had ever been explored by an islander.

During the storm, Sai had
pushed his ability to hold his breath to its maximum capacity in order to reach
the surface of the water alive. There’d been no time to explore the small
opening which had allowed us to leave the center of the mountain.

Now, under the Sea Gem’s
power, it was easy to see what had not been noticeable before. Through
slippery, tangling beds of kelp, sharp clusters of barnacles, and towering
rocks was a small cavity, barely large enough to fit through. Sai’s frame would
have a difficult time entering. It had been much easier leaving the mountain
than it would be entering it.

I pushed the kelp aside and
peered into the hole. Sai settled next to me and I scooted over so he could see
inside. His eyes grew wide with surprise and my suspicions were confirmed. The
last time we’d been in the tunnel, his vision had been severely limited. Now,
with the Sea Gem, his eyesight adjusted much better to the dark.

 Placing my hands on the
boulders for support, I slid my way into the crevice and once again entered the
tunnel. Sai followed, grimacing as the rocks scraped his outer layer of skin.

Water churned around us as it
had before, only with less power. Barnacles and sea life adhered to the walls,
shifting and squirming with the movement of the sea. I propelled myself
forward, moving soundlessly while Sai followed close behind.

When we reached the spot
where the tunnels forked, I pointed to the one I’d felt drawn to. Sai nodded
and I entered, feeling the same pull as before.

At first appearance, the
walls seemed wide and welcoming but they quickly narrowed, closing in on me in
the same manner the cave had back when I’d crawled through it. Glancing back at
Sai, I noticed he looked somewhat nervous but he motioned me onward. I obeyed.

The tunnel grew darker and
the water became cold and dormant, as if it had lost its sense of motion. I
wondered if we had come to a dead end.

After several minutes of
swimming in tight quarters, the ground beneath us curved upward and the water
became shallower. Then abruptly, the tunnel ended, opening up into a grotto. I
stared for a moment at the wall blocking my path before I realized it wasn’t a
natural part of the mountain. In the dim light cast by our gems, it shone with
gold. Instinctively, I knew it was a door. I pressed my hands to it and pushed,
but wasn’t surprised when it didn’t budge. I trailed my fingers upward, feeling
the door’s facade as I floated closer to the water’s surface. Engravings had
long ago been woven into the metal of the wall, intricate and foreign.

 I sensed Sai shifting beside
me, examining the engravings with his hands. Together, we continued up,
pressing on the door as we rose closer to the top. When our heads broke the
surface, we found we were both staring at the same image. Plated in gold in the
center of the door was the carving of a razor toothed, crimson eyed sea
serpent.

“Have you ever seen a
creature like that?” I whispered, touching one of the jeweled eyes softly.

“I’ve only heard of them in
stories. Myths, actually,” Sai said. He pointed to a large image of a wheel
underneath the serpent bordered with tiny hieroglyphs. “What is this?”

“I think they tell a story.”
I squinted, trying to make out each individual figure.

“There’s twenty of them,” Sai
said. “Like the stones.”

I looked closer at the
engravings and found one was of a fish-like person.

“Sea dweller.” I pointed to
it and Sai nodded.

“But look at this one.” He
touched an engraving of a person with wings. “Do you think one of the stones
can make someone fly?”

“If we can breathe underwater
because it was someone’s greatest desire, then I can just as easily see a
person wanting to fly.”

“What do some of these others
represent, do you think?” Sai indicated a hieroglyph of a person carved with
flowers all around them. “Or this one?” It was an image of someone hand in hand
with another person.

“The one with two people
looks like it could have something to do with companionship.”

“You think a stone can make
someone fall in love with someone else against their will?” Sai’s eyes grew
wide.

 “I think the stones can do
more than we can imagine.”

He was quiet for a moment.
The sound of water sloshing and echoing around us filled the headspace. We both
turned toward the door and stared at it in silence, unsure of what to make of
it. Finally, Sai asked, “So, what do you think is behind this thing?” He tapped
on it softly.

I didn’t answer. How could I
explain the desperate need I felt to find out? It was as though a fish hook had
fastened onto my chest and was yanking me toward the door, insisting I find a
way through. I pushed against it again, this time harder. When it still didn’t
move, I began to feel around for a lever but the only thing I found was more
engravings.

“It looks sealed,” Sai said,
his eyes focusing on the top of the cavern where the golden wall and the
ceiling met.

“But look at this.” I showed
him the place above the serpent’s head where an odd shaped indentation had been
carved. The gold of the door was partially hollowed out in a perfectly round
circle and inside the indentation were more carvings I couldn’t decipher.  

After a few moments of
silence, I thought of the only other mainlander living on the island. “We could
ask Aluce. She might know about this. It looks as if it has something to do
with the gems.”

We stayed by the wall a
little longer, tapping and listening. Occasionally a strong current of water
slapped up against it, as if wanting to break it open as badly as we did. When
I realized there was nothing more we could do, we turned for home.

It was already late afternoon
when we arrived on shore, depleted and famished. To avoid discovery by any
nearby lurkers, we allowed our sea skin to dissolve and continued on foot
toward Lailie. Along the way, we were intercepted.

The village center had just
popped into view when Faema’s golden head emerged from the trees. I couldn’t
help the groan that erupted from my lips.

“Be nice,” Sai warned.

“She sure knows how to kill a
moment,” I hissed back.

“What moment? We were just
walking.”

“She doesn’t know that. You
could have been confessing your undying love to me for all she knows.”

“Funny,” he said.

Faema forced a smile as she
approached and I felt an odd impulse to applaud her façade of friendliness. She
was a true performer whenever Sai was around.

When she realized we weren’t
going to slow down for her, she rushed to fall into step beside us. I hoped she
was waiting for me to say something confrontational before she’d begin
blathering but I should have known better. Faema was never one to wait for
opportunity. She just made her own. I couldn’t help but envy her a little bit
for that.

“Aylen, did you know there
are other people like you in Vairda?” she asked, casting me a sideways smirk.

I feigned ignorance,
wondering if Aluce had somehow let down her guard. This wasn’t good. “I’m sure
you’re imagining things.”

“I don’t know how you people
keep arriving without anyone noticing, but pretty soon the whole island is
going to be overrun by you mainlanders.” She shook her head in disgust and
yanked some petals off of a blossoming bush as we passed it by.

“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about
that. Vairdans are so exclusive I doubt there would be room for many of us. In
fact, I think most visitors would want to run from all you cute little replicas
of one another faster than a boar flees a spit.” I smiled sweetly, hoping I’d
struck a nerve.

Faema bristled, just as I’d
hoped. “I don’t know why you mainlanders all think you’re so special. As if we
Vairdans should just sit around and wait for you to grace us with your
presence. Go back to your corrupted home.”

I frowned. “I thought I
was
home. But there’s the problem. It doesn’t matter how long I live here. You and
the other islanders will never allow me to make this a home. Because of that,
I’d rather not stay anyway.” I turned to Sai and nodded curtly, annoyed he
hadn’t defended me.

“It’s a little crowded.” As I
turned to leave, I felt Sai’s fingers grab hold of my arm and pull me back.

“Another swim tomorrow? At
dawn?” he asked, a playful wink soothing away some of my irritation with him.

I glanced at Faema to see if
she’d noticed. If she had, there was no indication. She was staring into the
forest with a strange triumphant look in her face. What could she be exulting
over?

“I’ll meet you at the same
place,” I told Sai and he dropped his hand.

I turned on my heel and left,
noticing Faema turn to look at me as I did. I could’ve sworn I felt her dark
eyes burning into my back with every step I took into the woods. Somehow I knew
she had plans for me. And this time, I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what they
were.

Chapter 12

 The rosy morning light had
long begun to filter through the trees and everywhere, birds chattered in
anticipation for a new day. I had to admit to myself, island mornings were
spectacular. Of course, I didn’t know any other type of morning, but I couldn’t
imagine anything better than the scent of salt spray and tropical flowers
mingling with the cool rays of newly awakened morning light. It made me smile
just thinking about it.

Finding a seat atop a boulder
near the cove, I glanced around, anticipating my best friend’s arrival. For the
moment, the solitude was peaceful.

A little while later, a
shrill, familiar whistle called across the cove. I turned in the direction from
where it came, toward the serene water and scanned the surface with my eyes. A
flicker of movement caught my attention: Sai’s spear, waving above the water.

I realized he was staying out
of sight for a reason. I scrambled off my seat and made my way through tide
pools and over boulders to gain better access to the water while keeping a
close watch on the trees behind me.

Just as I reached the water’s
edge, I spotted movement off to my right. Footprints led behind a cluster of
large rocks nearby. Stealthily, I slid toward them.

“Been here long?” I asked
when I found Faema huddled in the shadows of a boulder.

“It’s a nice morning for a
stroll on the beach.”

“You don’t seem to have
gotten very far,” I said, a smirk playing at my lips. “I don’t believe we gave
you an invitation.”

“It looks like he left
without you, anyway. What does that tell you, Aylen? He’s obviously avoiding
you.”

I snorted. “You would know a
lot about being avoided.”

Faema stood up, rolling her
eyes at my remark. “You know, I came here to actually help you. If you don’t
want the information I have, then fine. Maybe I
will
leave.”

“See you later then.” I
shrugged carelessly.

Faema glared for a moment and
moved as if to go. After a pause, she turned back, a look of determination
crossing her features. “Aylen, I just wanted to warn you that maybe your
family’s coming to the island was a mistake. Maybe, if the opportunity came for
you to go back home to the mainland, you should think about it.”

“A mistake for whom? You?” I
asked. Smiling, I gave a little wave with my fingers. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m
going for a morning swim. Have a nice walk back to your hut.” I turned,
ignoring her dark look, and waded into the water. I was careful to swim into
the deepest part of the cove before looking back. By then, Faema was nowhere to
be seen and a new set of footprints led toward the trees and away from the
beach. I continued on until I reached the walls of the cove. Treading water, I
retrieved my gem, changed myself, and dove under the surface once again. Sai
was instantly at my side, reaching for my hand.

“She followed me from the
moment I left home. I tried to lose her,” he said, his eyes looking into mine
while his thoughts sent lightening like pulses up my arm.

“Kind of hard on an island.
Besides, she’s determined.”

“Determined to what?” Sai
asked.

“Marry you.” I teasingly
shoved him and swam ahead, setting my sights on a sundrenched strip of ocean
where the sun was just beginning to shine.

I broke the surface gently,
not wanting to bring attention to myself in case anyone was still observing
from the shore. Sai followed suit.

“What’s the plan for today?”
I asked, flicking a few water droplets at him.

“I thought we could use
Aluce’s map and visit someplace new.” Sai reached into his back pocket and
lifted out the odd looking scroll. Placing it under the water, he gently held
it while it uncurled beneath the surface. Eagerly, I moved to examine it with
him.

“Vairda is on here!” I said,
pointing to the largest island amidst a cluster of several.

“The underwater city doesn’t
look as far as I thought. I think it would take most of the day, though. Will
your parents mind?” Sai asked, tapping the place on the map where a large white
symbol was painted.

“I told them I would be with
you all day. I doubt they want me gone until evening, but they’ve seemed
preoccupied lately.”

Sai broke out in a grin. “Did
you have a large breakfast?”

“Since I started using this
stone, I’m always hungry. So, of course.” I returned the smile and watched as
he rolled the map back up under the water’s surface. “I’m ready for anything.”

“Well good, because I have no
idea what to expect.”

For three hours, we swam and
saw nothing, with the exception of an occasional fish or shark. Physically, we
were in good shape. Emotionally, I had begun to wonder if the map truly led
anywhere or if it was a farcical idea to hope for an underwater city. Even the
Sea Gem embedded in my palm seemed make believe after three hours of nothing
but empty blue.

Sai checked the map over and
over again, hoping for clarification, but he always rolled it back up with the
words, “It just says we go west until we find the ‘Unseen Island’.”

“There isn’t anything out
here for leagues.” I pointed out once, knowing I was only stating the obvious.
“And how are we supposed to see an ‘unseen’ island?”

“I’m just going by the map.”
Sai said with exhaustion. With that, he continued on, glancing back once to see
if I was following.

Another hour went by until we
spotted a pod of dolphins. Needing a distraction, we followed them for a while,
measuring our speed against theirs. When they changed course, we slowed down,
needing a rest.

Together, Sai and I surfaced,
out of breath and exhausted.  Shielding our eyes from the sun’s reflection on
the water, we scanned the horizon. For the first time, we noticed a large
island , much like Vairda. It seemed to bask like a beetle drowning in a pond,
lost and alone amidst the great blue of the ocean.

“What is it?” I whispered.

“The scroll tells us the Sea
City is located near a lone island.”

“Well, it can’t be the one
we’re looking for. This one isn’t ‘Unseen’.”

“Maybe not everyone can see
it,” Sai pointed out.

“How could anyone miss it?
It’s the only bit of land in the middle of an enormous amount of water.”

Holding the map under the
surface of the water, Sai turned it over and showed me an inscription. “It says
on the back of the scroll, ‘The bloodless shall be blind.”

“So, the gem allows us the
see it?”

“Possibly,” Sai said. To test
his theory, released himself from the gem’s power. A moment later, he nodded in
affirmation. “It’s gone.”

Curious to see for myself, I
followed his example. As soon as the power of the gem fell away, the vision of
the island faded into nothingness.

I shuddered. “I can’t imagine
being lost out here without the gem. There doesn’t appear to be anything for
leagues.”

“Luckily, we can prove we’ve
got the bloodline. I just hope nothing else will bar us from entering,” Sai
gripped his stone and changed back into his sea skin. I did the same. 

“Where is the city from
here?” I asked, staring at the island longingly. Illusion or not, I wished for
solid earth beneath my feet.

Sai studied the scroll. “It
tells us to go on the island and find a gate. I’m not sure what we need to do
once we get to the gate, but next to the image of the island . . .” Sai broke
off and pointed at the picture of the crescent shaped mass. I peered at the
spot he was pointing at and read the words, “To prove yourself friend, enter by
gate only.”

“Where is the gate? Inside or
outside the crescent?” I asked.

“We’re facing the outside and
from what I can see, it looks like it’s located on the northeastern side of the
outer crescent.” Sai rolled up the map and put it in his pocket. “I guess we’ll
soon know for sure.” He surged forward, aiming for where he thought we might
find the entrance. I followed.

We swam as quickly as
possible to reach the island’s shore, not wanting to waste any more time. Our
day was fading faster than we’d expected.

In contrast with the sandy
beaches lining much of Vairda’s shore, sun seared rock burned our skin when our
feet finally touched earth. From what I could see, there was no other place to
reach shore other than where we stood. On either side of us, wild untamed
mountains, rocks, and trees met the ocean, as though daring the water to come
closer. I wondered if the ocean would be safer.

Together, we crept up the
steep incline until we reached dry earth. After catching my breath, I glanced
up and gasped. Rising high above me, only sixty paces ahead, loomed a giant
boulder, larger than Vairda’s biggest home. Its center had been hollowed out
and fitted with a black gate made of thick metal bars. One each side rose up
larger rocks and hills stretching across the entire outer surface of the
island. On the hollowed boulder’s surface were intricately carved images of
legendary sea creatures.

“So, we’re supposed to go
through that?” I asked, taking a step back.

“We can go home. I’ve seen
enough,” Sai said. I turned to him and smiled at the grin playing on his lips.
Grabbing my hand, he pulled me forward. “Come on. This can only get more
interesting.”

Nervously, I followed Sai up
to the gate and pushed it open.  As we passed, the inner island opened up
before us, bathed in sunlight and dazzling our eyes. To our left, as far as we
could see, was a colorful patchwork of farmland and orchards filling up the
center of the island, encased on the north and south with mountains. In front
of us stretched a trail leading to more rocky mountains not far away. We
assumed we were meant to stay on the path.

Sai and I walked forward but
stopped when the sound of soil and feet crunched behind us. We turned at the
same time. Surrounding the entrance to the island and closing in on us were ten
tall, pale haired men.

They wore dark trousers made
from a lightweight, form fitting fabric. Their bare chests were painted with
images of sea life in blue and black ink. Fastened to their upper arms were
ropes of kelp woven into intricate arm bands. Although many were similar in
appearance, some of the men had long, blond hair that fell past their shoulders
while others wore it cropped close to their heads. They all carried spears with
several jagged points unlike any Sai or I had ever seen. The tips were black
and shiny, sharpened to a razor point, and the handles were elaborately carved
from what I guessed to be bamboo.

Sai reached for his own
spear, fastened to his back, where he always kept it but I grabbed his hand to
restrain him when the men tensed. “Don’t,” I whispered. He withdrew.

“You are not from here,” one
of the men said, a thick brogue punctuating his speech. His long hair hung in a
rope down his back and he towered several inches over the rest of the men. He
appeared to be their leader.

“No. But we were sent here by
a friend to your city. We have a map,” I said, nudging Sai to pull out the
rolled paper.

He lifted it from his pocket
and held it up so the men could see the scroll clearly.

“We no longer allow strangers
to enter our city.”

“I doubt you get a lot of
strangers when they can’t even see your city. Not without one of these.” Sai
held up his hand where his gem was still embedded and waved it around.

“We’re still in our sea skin.
They know we have Sea Gems already,” I hissed but Sai continued to brandish his
hand.

“We see you are of Sea
Dweller family, but there are many who claim bloodlines with us who are
traitors from Miranasch,” said the man.

“But we’re from Vairda,” I
blurted. Everyone seemed to go still. The leader’s expression remained stiff
but his eyes glimmered with a hint of surprise.

“From the islands, you say?”

Sai and I nodded.

“Who is the friend who gave
you your map?” he asked.

“Aluce,” Sai said, handing
the map to the man.

He didn’t unroll it, obviously
aware it would crumble outside of water. Instead, he turned it over and over in
his hands, seemingly weighing it with our claim to its validity. Finally, he
looked up and turned his eyes toward me where they rested for several long,
silent moments.

“Perin will need to see you,”
he eventually said, still studying my face.

“Perin?” Sai asked.

“Our city governor. My name
is Tolik. Come.” The man beckoned to us, stepped away from the trail, and began
to walk toward the mountains. With curious parting glances at the surrounding
men, we followed at a safe distance. Another man not much older than Sai, with
closely cropped hair and a strong jaw brought up the rear. The other eight
stayed behind. I felt them watching us as we followed their leader away from
the entrance.

After releasing ourselves
from our Sea Gems, Sai and I walked, anxious and hushed for what seemed a
limitless amount of time.