Sophia was relieved to find that the lagoon was big enough for them. She’d had a brief moment where she worried that it was too shallow for Lunis. But it appeared to be deep enough—barely, as if it was all planned this way.
For a moment, the fireflies hovered above the surface of the water. Their yellow bulbs shone brightly above the two and their angry stinger faces buzzed.
Sophia held her breath, knowing they couldn’t last long after running through the jungle and nearly exhausting themselves. She’d hardly had a chance to pull in a full breath before she leaped into the water.
When she looked at Lunis, she saw that the struggle was real for him too. His cheeks were puffed out and little bubbles trailed from the side of his mouth, then rose to the surface.
The psycho fireflies seemed to know that this was a waiting game as they hung out above the water’s surface. Sophia’s eyes bulged with frustration.
GO, she yelled at them in her mind.
However, as she saw the same panic in Lunis’ eyes, she was grateful that she didn’t want to murder him. That was at least something. Apparently, this water was somehow different than the Reflective Sea, but she didn’t know why. Hopefully they would get a chance to figure it out.
Sophia was grateful that Lunis held her down. Otherwise, the urge to kick to the surface might be too strong to resist. Her chest convulsed and she opened her mouth, swallowing a sip of water. It burned her lungs and made her insides ache. This was it. She was going to drown. With her dragon.
Or she would risk getting stung. Those seemed like the only options.
Then the most remarkable thing happened. The fireflies didn’t leave. That would have been a miracle too. Instead they faded as their bulbs dimmed.
Sophia blinked at them and wondered if that meant they were more reasonable, not on fire. Before she could check, they buzzed off and zipped back the way they came, leaving Sophia and Lunis at the bottom of the lagoon.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Lunis held Sophia under the surface of the water a few seconds longer to be safe before he propelled her up, faster than she could have gotten there on her own. She choked on the water she’d swallowed once in the freedom of the fresh air, trying to breathe in as she coughed.
Lunis did the same thing beside her. The dragon sputtered water as he thrashed in the lagoon and turned it into a bubbling mess of currents. Sophia struggled to swim through the rapids to the lagoon’s edge. The waves kept pulling her down and lapping over her head.
Lunis once again wrapped his tail around Sophia and launched her into the air, making her fly over the water and tumble onto the sandy bank. She landed less than gracefully, but thankfully the ground was soft enough to cushion the fall.
The dragon soon joined her and slumped on the ground as he continued to choke up water. Sophia took a cursory glance around to ensure the mad fireflies were gone before lying back down with her cheek against the cold sand.
“This place sucks,” Lunis griped when he’d finally caught his breath.
“No arguments there.” Sophia was grateful to find that the lagoon was fresh water and didn’t have the angry effects like the Reflective Sea. She didn’t know how that worked since the islands all seemed to be connected by the water.
Figuring that they’d spent enough time resting, Sophia pushed up and studied the area. It was shaded and the water was settling down after their swim. Overhead was a large cliff, and palm trees and other vegetation surrounded the lagoon. The strange part of the otherwise pristine oasis was the rush of water. It was loud, like they were sitting under a waterfall. But there didn’t appear to be anything like that.
“Lunis, where is that noise coming from?”
The blue dragon shared her confused expression. He nodded in the direction of the cliff. “It’s right there. Unmistakably. I’m certain of it.”
She nodded. “That’s what I thought too, but why don’t we see anything?”
“It’s like it’s invisible,” he reasoned.
“But there would still be water displacement if it was,” she countered.
He glanced down at her. “When did you become a physicist?”
She shrugged. “I know science. But I apparently don’t understand the weird science of this place.”
“I don’t think anyone understands Buddha’s Temple,” he imparted, then nodded toward a strange set of stones, definitely arranged. “However, I think someone left us a puzzle to help us figure it out.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
The smooth stones were arranged in towers with the largest rocks on the bottom and the tops a tiny pebble. There were three towers, and they were all about two feet high. Sophia had seen them marking hiking trails in the Highlands in Scotland and other outdoor areas. They were definitely manmade.
“Those are cairns,” Lunis offered.
“What are they for?”
“They have a few different purposes,” he began. “Sometimes they’re competitive.”
“Oh, like I built a tower and the next traveler tries to build a bigger one?”
Lunis nodded. “Exactly. In modern times, I think they’re used for navigational purposes. Back in the day in Scotland, it was tradition to carry a stone up to the top of a hill and place it on top of the stack. They also have history with marking burial grounds.”
“So what do you think their significance is here? You said you thought this was a puzzle of sorts, right?” Sophia asked.
“That’s what my instinct says,” Lunis answered. “We’re by the Reflective Sea on an island named Buddha’s Temple. It stands to reason that these aren’t here by accident or for decorative purposes.”
“And they aren’t marking a trail,” Sophia added.
“No, and I don’t think they’re marking a burial ground.” Lunis’ eyes narrowed as he studied the space.
“They might be,” Sophia joked. “Like, I don’t know many who could survive this place.”
“Although true,” he began tentatively, “I think their purpose is more related to symbolism rather than anything of a practical nature.”
“And that would be?”
“Well, one of the most common reasons to make a cairn is to leave your mark,” Lunis explained. “And thinking about where we are and the reason for our visit—”
“To remove a mark from my soul,” Sophia offered.
He nodded. “Yes, so therefore, I would suggest that they symbolize something to do with consciousness, which is what makes creatures with a soul unique from those who don’t have one.”
Sophia nodded and took it all in. “We have awareness.”
“Yes,” he affirmed. “And in my mind, cairns are connected to the idea of, ‘I exist and therefore I matter.’ Why else build them on your journey unless you want to leave your mark?”
“So,” Sophia drew the word out. “I need to build one, don’t I?”
Lunis’ eyes brightened. “I think so. You need to tell Buddha’s Temple, ‘I was here. I have significance.’”
“Well, that can’t be too hard, right?”