The kender spoke a little louder, thinking perhaps that the waves washing against the ship had drowned out her voice. “Feril, do you think some day maybe you could teach me...”
The Kagonesti pulled a deep breath of salt-tinged air into her lungs and dove over the side.
“... how to cast magic?” Blister’s lower lip stuck out and she shuffled to the rail, catching a glimpse of Feril’s feet. Then the Kagonesti was gone.
The sea closed like a cocoon, and Feril concentrated on the feel of the water against her skin, focusing on a spell that would transform her into a creature she had studied years earlier. She’d spent most of the previous day sleeping and gathering her strength. The rest was necessary, as magic was taxing.
She felt her skin tingle as her lungs started calling for air. As the Kagonesti angled herself deeper, she saw the skin of her outstretched arms darken and become the color of mud. The water felt different now; her skin, too, was different: thicker, rubbery. Her tunic slipped from her and floated toward the sea floor.
Her hands disappeared, her feet vanished, and her limbs became snakelike. They writhed in the water, propelling her on. Her lungs ached, and she took a tentative gulp of water. Not yet! The spell had not yet progressed far enough. She concentrated harder as her head pounded.
Feril’s snakelike limbs thickened, and more sprouted from her body—two arms on each side, growing from ribs that were snapping and popping and changing.
She dove deeper, as the light diminished, looking hazy now. The plants around her were plentiful, pointing their stalks and leaves toward the surface, trying to drink in the dim light. Her leggings slipped away.
The hair that fluttered around her face receded, her torso shortened, became bulbous, melding with her enlarging head. Her fingers and toes reformed and multiplied, becoming hundreds of suction-cup appendages. So sensitive were the cups that as they brushed against sea fronds, a myriad of sensations flooded into the Kagonesti’s brain. Feril gasped, this time taking a great gulp of water into her lungs. The feeling was strange, as if she were drowning, the water inside of her and part of her. But she wasn’t drowning; she was finally breathing the water. Her heart hammered wildly, and she focused on calming herself, accepting the new experience.
The octopus dropped toward the white sandy floor. Feril’s new body felt liquid and malleable, the tentacles undulating to carry her across the bottom, the suction cups registering the smoothness of stones, the roughness of sand, and the suppleness of the few plants. It was impossible to catalog all the impressions. Feril concentrated on taking in the landscape.
Her new eyes, no longer needing sun-filtered light, easily peered through the now-dark water. The colors were intense. She had a wide range of vision and quickly learned to focus.
She noted the cuttlefish and squid that swam just above the sea floor to the right and a little behind her, and she saw a large reef shark that swam ahead in the distance. The shark was hunting, practically inhaling a scurrying school of black-saddled pufferfish. The shark would leave her alone, Feril thought. She was too large, and probably not on its list of preferred morsels.
Feril continued toward the reef, as she visually explored her surroundings. Then the sea floor abruptly sloped upward, and she gathered her limbs behind her, jetting forward. The water rushed around her, as she finally spread her limbs to slow her pace.
The coral reef was breathtaking, and Feril found herself staring at it in amazement. Turtle grass grew in profusion along its base and was scattered in clumps here and there. Elkhorn coral, green and yellow growths, predominated in the section of reef closest to her. She saw patches of fire coral—yellow, white, and pale orange animals that looked like tendrils of fire. In some spots the coral was only a few yards across before it was cut by the sea bed. In others, it stretched for a few hundred yards.
The fish were as colorful as the reef. A school of blue tang swam above the elkhorn. Box crabs clawed their way up toward the surface, snapping at tiny fish as they went. There were porcupine fish, star-eyed hermit crabs, delicate-looking leaf scorpionfish, and brittle stars. She wished her companions could see the marvels spread out before her. She watched a white ball sea urchin collecting bits of shells to cover itself. Nearby, a flamingo’s tongue, a small mollusc, was feeding on the polyps of soft coral, leaving a swath of death behind it.
Her tentacles propelled her up the reef where the colors became brighter, a rainbow of life, as more sunlight spilled down. Then she was traveling over the top of the reef and down the other side, steeply down toward a great ravine that looked like a dark scar against the sea floor’s white sand.
Feril gathered her tentacles and jetted across, glancing down into the darkness and seeing nothing but shadows which seemed to move in rhythm with the current and the seaweed.
“Do you think there’s a city under the water?” Blister stood next to Usha, who was sitting on a coil of rope, her back against the mast.
Usha nodded. “Several.”
“And do you think there’re elves there?”
“They’re called the Dimernesti.”
“Ever see one?”
Usha shook her head.
“Do you think Feril will find the place?”
“I hope so.”
“You know, we might not be in the right spot. The ocean’s awfully big.” The kender threw her hands out to the side, then shrugged.
“I’m sure Rig followed the Master’s directions correctly,” said Usha soothingly. “We must be close.”
“But Feril’s been gone for hours.” The kender had an uncharacteristically worried look on her face. “She missed lunch. What if she’s not back in time for dinner?”
Usha smiled. “Give her time, Blister. Not only does she have to find Dimernesti, she has to find the crown.”
The kender stared into Usha’s golden eyes. “I hope she doesn’t find the dragon. I remember Silvara telling us about Brine.”
“Feril can take care of herself.” Rig had moved up behind Blister. “I’m more concerned about the dragon finding us. We’re the only ship on this part of the ocean. That makes us a sitting target. The dragon’s been known to sink ships that travel these waters.” He had a spyglass in his hand. It was elaborate, made of onyx and silver and inlaid with mother-of-pearl, one of the nautical treasures he’d found in the cabin. “I haven’t seen another ship since we left Khur about two weeks ago. All the smart captains keep their ships to the coasts.”
“You don’t have to worry about the dragon,” Blister said. “The Narwhal’s much too small. The dragon’s not going to notice a boat.”
Rig closed his eyes and let out a deep breath, balancing himself as the Narwhal pitched violently. The kender latched her arms around the mariner’s leg to keep from falling.
When the sea finally calmed, she let go, steadied herself, and looked up into his dark eyes. “Have you ever seen a Dimernesti? A sea elf, not the land kind. They’re called the same thing even though they’re not the same thing. I know you haven’t seen the land. But you might have seen one of the elves. Usha told me that the sea elves can breathe air. You’ve sailed all over Ansalon, and I thought maybe...”
“No. I haven’t seen one.” Rig handed Blister the spyglass. “Mind taking a turn at watch?”
Blister grinned broadly and puffed out her chest, snatched the spyglass, and hurried toward the rear of the ship, where Groller was teaching Dhamon some of his sign language.
“Thanks,” Usha said.
“Don’t mention it,” replied the mariner, grinning. “I’m going to get some sleep and then take the evening watch. You should think about a little rest, too.”
“Rest?” The new voice was craggy and accompanied by the tromp of boots. “There’ll be plenty of time to rest when we’ve stopped the Dark Queen from coming back.” Jasper had his canvas sack clutched in his hands. Fury was following him.