The canoes emerged from the tunnel, following the dolphins, and a new surprise awaited them. They were approaching the center of the island, and Astrid and Lasgol were now able to confirm their theory. It was indeed the crater of an ancient volcano. From inside they could get a better sense of it. A second, interior beach, now surrounded them completely in a circle. Beyond the beach of pure white sand, inside the crater, a great expanse of jungle stretched in every direction. Near the beach could be seen a number of huts which had been built in different places, forming both settled and wild areas, as if this were some great circular city or realm. They could see the clear blue sky shining in all its splendor aloft and the earth beneath the crystal-clear water. Although they had the impression that they were in a calm lake, they were actually in salt water, and in the interior of an island.
Lasgol was utterly absorbed by the beauty and exotic quality of the landscape around him, almost impossible to have imagined, still less as the home of a tribal queendom. The canoes moved as far as the center of the salt lake, then stopped. The turquoise savages bowed deeply in a reverent gesture, Arrain included. Eicewald, by his side, bent over in his turn, and when they saw this Lasgol and the others followed their example. They all bowed with their heads down, but went on watching everything that was going on, because they did not understand it.
Suddenly, in the middle of the lake, in front of the canoes, the dolphins formed themselves into a circle. From within it there issued a beam of light of that same intense sea-blue they had seen before. A moment later a head rose from the water, slowly, followed by a turquoise feminine torso, and finally a pair of legs of the same color. The female figure remained above the surface of the water in the center of the beam of light which rose to the heavens.
“Welcome to my realm,” she announced. “I am Uragh, the Turquoise Queen of Life and Water.”
Chapter 26
Lasgol stared at the Queen, his eyes like saucers, finding it hard to keep his jaw from dropping. She was incredibly beautiful and exotic. Her long hair was a very light blond, and as with that of her people, it seemed to be made of seaweed. Her face was that of a sea-goddess, and in her dark eyes could be seen a blue radiance which came from within her. All her skin was a beautiful turquoise-blue. She wore no clothes, but had covered her intimate parts and breasts with large sea stars.
An aura of power emanated from her body, and it was strongly magical. Lasgol had an intense feeling of water. He could feel it all over his skin, as if the Queen’s mere presence was making his body cover itself in moisture. At the same time, he felt like he was being filled with a rejuvenating power, one of energy, of pure life. He had not the slightest doubt that this woman was a very special being, unique and marvelous.
“My Queen of Life and Water,” Arrain said with great respect.
“I see we have foreign visitors, my Shaman of Life and Sea,” said Uragh, who was looking at all of them one by one. Her eyes were dark, but showed flashes of blue as intense as the magic she wielded. Her gaze was held by Eicewald for rather longer.
“One of them is an old acquaintance,” she said.
“My lady Queen of the Turquoise Seas,” Eicewald said with enormous respect, without raising his head, barely glancing at her for a moment.
“Follow me to my home and we’ll talk there,” she said, and to their great surprise, she began to walk on the surface of the water, as though she were a goddess. The blue light moved with her, and it was as if it were keeping her above the water in some magical way.
Uragh, lot of power, came Camu’s fresh warning.
I can see that. She can walk on water. That’s something that’s reserved for the gods.
Also, underwater.
She can walk underwater?
She can breathe underwater.
Like a fish?
Not like fish. With Powerful Magic.
Oh, you mean she transforms the water into air?
Yes, she can.
Can you feel what kind of Magic she uses? They call her the Turquoise Queen of Life and Water. It would be good to know whether she can only use those two kinds of magic, or if there are more.
I try. When I know, I tell.
Great. Tell me if you manage to. Be careful not to be spotted. She might be able to feel your power too, and your attempts to sense her type of magic.
I careful.
The savages began to use their oars, and the canoes followed the Queen as she made her way to the southern shore. The dolphins surrounded her, appearing to be her personal escort. Viggo gestured toward the Queen, impressed, while Ingrid glared at her distrustfully. Gerd was so pale, that he looked as though he would faint at any moment. Nilsa was clutching her weapons tightly, her jaw clenched. She did not like the Queen’s powerful magic one little bit. When Uragh reached the beach and stepped on to the sand, the blue light vanished. She walked across the sand,
