Mina feared the dragon meant to crash through the crystal wall. She ran back to the door and pushed on it frantically.
The door would not open. Mina looked over her shoulder. The dragon was almost on her. The eyes were enormous—slits of black surrounded by green-gold flame. It seemed the eyes alone could swallow her. The dragon’s jaws opened.
Mina pressed her back against the door, a prayer to Chemosh on her lips.
The dragon reached the crystal wall, made a sudden turn, following the curve of the globe, and hung there, floating. The dragon spoke, words and fish gushing from her mouth.
“Where did you come from?”
Mina had expected violent death, not an inane question. She couldn’t find breath enough to answer.
“Well?” the dragon demanded impatiently.
“I came from . . . the Tower. . . .” Mina indicated with a feeble gesture the door behind her.
“I don’t mean that,” snapped the dragon, irate. “I mean where did you come from? Where have you been?”
Mina had heard that some dragons liked to play games with their victims, asking them riddles and toying with them before the kill. This dragon didn’t sound as if she were playing, however. This dragon appeared to be quite serious.
I am obviously not a wizard, yet I am here in this Tower. The guardian must think I am here at Nuitari’s invitation. That is why she hasn’t killed me. This may work to my advantage.
“I am a friend of the god’s,” Mina replied. This, at least, was true. She just didn’t mention which god had befriended her. “When those tremors shook the Tower, he sent me to see that the artifacts are safe.”
The dragon’s slit eyes narrowed. She was displeased. “Do you refuse to answer my questions?”
Mina was perplexed. “It’s just... I didn’t think you’d be interested. I have no objection to answering. As to who I am, my name is Mina. As to where I came from, I do not know. I am an orphan with no memory of my childhood. As to where I have been, I have been in almost every part of Ansalon. To tell you my tale would take too long. I am supposed to check the artifacts—”
“You waste my time. Come inside and check the artifacts then. No one’s stopping you,” the dragon snarled irascibly.
Mina realized that the dragon must think Nuitari had revealed the secret of how to enter the globe.
What a fool I was to mention that, Mina thought in irritation. Now what do I say? That I forgot what the god told me? Not even a gully dwarf would believe that!
The dragon glared at her. “Well, what are you waiting for? As for that rigmarole you told me about being an orphan—”
The dragon paused. Her eyes flared open. Her head thrust forward and banged against the crystal.
“By my teeth and tonsils,” exclaimed the dragon. “By my lungs and liver. By my heart and stomach, tooth and toenail! You don’t know!”
Mina couldn’t understand what this was all about. “What don’t I know?” she asked the dragon.
But the creature was muttering to herself and no longer paying attention.
Mina caught a few words of the dragon’s ranting: “...bastard . . . liar... we’ll see about that!”
Mina could make no sense of any of it.
“What is it I don’t know?” Mina asked again. Something twisted inside her. She had the feeling that this was desperately important.
“You don’t know”—the dragon paused—“how to get inside. Do you?
That hadn’t been what the dragon meant. The dragon was now teasing, taunting. Her slit eyes glinted. Her green lip curled. “There’s no trick to it, really. Just walk right through the crystal wall. As to breathing under water, you won’t have any trouble. It’s all part of the magic, isn’t it?”
The beast is trying to lure me inside, Mina reasoned. I could stay here and remain safe from the dragon, but that would mean failing my lord.
“Chemosh, be with me.” Mina prayed and walked up to the crystal wall.
She placed both her hands on the glass. Her fingers traced the sharp edges of the runes engraved on the surface. She focused on her destination—the sand castle in the center of the globe and, keeping her gaze fixed on that and away from the dragon, Mina drew in a deep breath, shut her eyes, and walked forward.
The crystal melted like ice at her touch and she found herself inside the globe.
Mina experienced a strange sensation. She was not floundering, drowning, gasping for breath. It was as though her body had lost its solidity. She did not breathe the water so much as she was one with the water. She was water, no longer flesh. The sensation was marvelous, liberating, and frightening all at once. She could not take time to try to understand what had happened. Tensing, Mina turned to face the dragon, certain that now the creature must attack.
The dragon’s lips drew back from the yellowed fangs in a grin. To Mina’s astonishment, the dragon flipped herself around ponderously in the water and swam down to the floor of the globe, where she settled herself on the bottom.
“You will excuse me,” said the dragon. “I am old and all this excitement has worn me out. Please don’t let me deter you from your task.”
Sharks circled Mina. Jellyfish floated uncomfortably close. The squid’s eyes opened. The sea creatures watched her. None of them came near her.
Mina began to swim through the water, heading toward the sand castle, keeping her enemies in sight.
Moving in lazy circles, the sharks accompanied her. The squid propelled itself through the water, but kept its distance.
Puzzled beyond measure, Mina continued to swim. The sea creatures followed her, watching her. The dragon watched her, gold-green eyes gleaming with what might have been amusement.
Of course, there will be traps.
Arriving at the structure, Mina swam around to the front and floated there, swaying gently with the currents, to gaze at it in perplexity. The water had not been playing tricks on her eyes. The Solio Febalas was a child’s play castle made of sand, which looked as though it would crumble at a touch.
She would have to get down on her hands and knees to crawl through the doorway, and even with her slender build, it would be a tight fit.
There are no artifacts! This is a hoax perpetrated by Nuitari, but why? Why go to all this trouble? Certainly, Mina reflected, the ways of the gods are beyond man’s comprehension. My lord will be exceedingly disappointed.
Mina glanced back at the dragon, who appeared to be enjoying her discomfiture. Mina wondered if she should continue to investigate or give up and swim back.
At least, I should look inside, she determined. My lord will be outraged enough as it is. I should be able to provide him with all the details.
Mina approached the sand castle with caution, mindful of traps and half-afraid she would bring down the entire structure if she bumped into it. The top of the walls came to her shoulders.
Mina reached out her hand to gingerly touch the wall. The structure was made of sand that had been fused together and was hard as marble. Nothing happened when she touched the wall. She glanced back again at the dragon and then outside the crystal globe, fearing Nuitari must come at any moment.
No one was there and the dragon hadn’t stirred.
Mina swam around to the front of the sand castle and found the entrance—a door, about three feet in height, made of thousands of pearls that shimmered with a pinkish-purple luster. A single rune carved out of a large emerald was embedded in the center. Mina brushed the tips of her fingers across the emerald.
The rune flashed a blinding green. The pearl door flew open with explosive force. Too late, Mina understood the trap. The building was air tight, sealed against the water. When the door opened, the seal broke. The water rushed inside, carrying Mina with it.The rush of the water ceased. The door shut and sealed, leaving the castle once again airtight.