themselves. Perhaps Seal had told them to destroy one particular fleet. Maybe they were talking about breaking some kind of treaty with the Morgens. After all, as far as Lilophea had learned, no one sailed the sea without making a special pact with them. And all who do not agree with the underwater people, become victims of an attack and eventually drowned, never reaching land from their first voyage. The Morgens have everything under control. In addition, the sunken ships are profitable. How much wealth will sink with the wreckage and become the property of Seal.
One of the water dragons glanced back at Lilophea. In its open mouth could be seen, along with sharp incisors, each the size of a dagger, pearl teeth. Would you think that water creatures could even have teeth made of pearls?
The dragon tilted its horned head, paying homage to the underwater queen, whom, of course, it noticed even from a great distance.
Lilophea even thought that the dragons had sunk the fleet only because it posed a threat to her, strolling carefree on the waves.
Only there was no one else to ask. The dragons soared over the water, nodded their spiky heads at her one by one, and dove into the water, leaving fountains of spray on the surface.
The ring of fire
Had someone warned her that Morag wasn’t the only one to be wary of? The water dragons turned out to be many! Lilophea’s heart was pounding hard after her encounter with them. Of course, she didn’t seem to have anything to fear. They all have no right to harm her. She is, after all, their queen after all. But what if something happens to Seal? Then they’ll all turn on her and poor Aquilanía, of course. Not to mention the rest of the other neighboring states.
Seal was merciful. For the sake of his bride, he did not attack her homeland. Would the creatures of the ocean be as humane if they were victorious?
How hard it is to feel helpless! Even if Seal is at war now, there is nothing she can do to help him. Except to abuse her power and summon a militia of water dragons to move to the ocean. And fight her family there again?! According to Morena and Lirena, her maternal relatives are the rulers of the ocean. And she herself is not strong enough to believe that packs of sea dragons are subject to her.
While she pondered on the move, Lilophea reached the small rocky island. If it were not for the many tall rocks in which the faces of sinister mythical creatures were carved, the island could have been called paradise. It had picturesque waterfalls and palm groves that couldn’t be counted. And the colorful tropical flowers that grew here in whole clumps, Lilophea didn’t even know the name.
The yellow sand was not dotted with magic shells. So it was safe here.
She should have thought so! On the sand you could come across bones and skulls of some non-human creatures. Not human, not animal, not even morgen. Some skulls had the walls of the back of their heads shaped like shells. These could be the skulls of sea creatures.
«So you went back into the depths to your tribe after all?»
The voice was familiar, but the dark-skinned woman in gorgeous silver jewelry was not immediately recognizable to Lilophea.
«Harisi?»
The black woman nodded in response. In flowing silk robes and with colored bird feathers in her hair, she looked like an exotic island queen. She probably was. Lilophea noticed that the tips of crude spears and arrows gleamed in the thicket. There’s a whole warrior tribe hiding out there.
«They don’t like morgens here,» Harisi confirmed, «but I remember you were kind to me.»
«Are you in charge here?»
She nodded.
«And you know enough about us to keep us off your island?» Lilophea noted that the tips of the local warriors’ weapons were silver. «When you fled from Sultanite, did you take much silver metal with you? It was a good defense against Seal’s warriors.»
«It is not good enough,» Harisi sighed. «Once he turns his vigilant attention to our island, we are lost. But Sephora is around.»
«Sephora? You mean the dragon goddess? What’s her connection to your island?»
«Oh, it’s a long story,» Harisi wanted to take Lilophea under her arm, but she nearly burned the silver bracelets abundantly strung on her black wrist.
«I’m sorry!» She apologized at once. «I do not wish to insult you, so that you come to our island with your magic harp and flood everyone here.»
«I will not!» Lilophea promised. Perhaps prematurely! The weapon pointed at her still glared from behind the bushes. What a way to welcome guests here!
«So what is it with you and Sephora?»
«Her ring is shining on your hand, too,» said Harisi, her eyes gleaming with envy. «So she has taken you under her wing because of your feud with Ornella.»
«It’s not that Ornella and I are feuding,» Lilofea hesitated, remembering that this very Ornella was now preparing to attack her home kingdom.
«Even after her griffins had started attacking merchant ships from Aquilania and bullying captains to death?»
«I did not know that!»
«Birds put seals on people. It is like the seal of the morgen. The human mind weakens under their influence, yielding to the will of the one who set the seal. Those who resist perish. I saw a handsome young marshal whom Ornella had so branded kill himself to avoid becoming her slave.»
«She was always capricious and spiteful.»
«And she always disliked you.»
«I don’t even know why.»
«You’re a morgen. She doesn’t like all morgens.»
«But why is it? What have they done to her? There’s never been a flood in Sultanite, or I’d know.»
«She’s probably jealous that you keep control of all the ships and little boats that sail on the sea. You take tribute from people and collect sunken treasure from the bottom. And Ornella is very greedy. All she talked about was how rich the underwater king was. She and Sephora were friends, but they also quarreled over greed. Ornella started cheating at dice to win Sepphora some of her treasure. Sepphora caught her at it. That’s when they became enemies. You should have seen the magical tournament that ensued between them after another dice game. The whole sultan’s castle nearly collapsed. The floor, walls, and ceiling were cracked. Sparks were shooting out of the fire. Inside the cramped quarters a dragon against a griffin is a terrible force, but Ornella survived. But my entourage and I managed to escape. Right on the backs of dragons! Sephora called her pack and freed us in spite of Ornella. She easily broke all the magical slave collars and now has custody of us. I’ll tell you honestly, being under the patronage of a dragon goddess is sheer heaven.»
«At least everything worked out well for you,» Lilophea agreed.
She and Harisi walked along the sunny shore. The island was a very picturesque place. But what were the creatures carved into the surface of the rocks? Did they still inhabit the island today?
«There used to be a lot of morgens’ invasion,» Harisi lamented. «And there were pirates. Our simple tribal magic could not withstand their firearms. We were taken prisoners, sold in the markets of Pion, the largest slave marketplace in the land. Your admirer Morrin was going to make us a colony of Aquilania, and make himself viceroy of the island.»
That was something Lilophea could safely object to.
«No, he would be not a viceroy. He was going to make you a separate independent kingdom, and proclaim himself your ruler. He boasted of that. Only first he had to drive out the Morgens, who lay siege to your island at night.»
«That’s right! We all jumped out of the huts we were sleeping in at the sound of the underwater horn and hid in the rocks. But not everyone was able to do it. Many of my tribesmen died from the