"The first entry is always the hardest," the Nereid added, glancing back at me with an expression that wasn't exactly reassuring.
"Okay," I replied, wondering if we were going to shatter through the glass.
The seahorse, on the other hand, didn't even falter. Props to him. Maybe they trained all of their seahorses to smash into structures at breakneck speeds. We smashed into the dome, but to my surprise, it didn't shatter. It stretched and moved back and forth likeJelloas we went shooting past it.
The wind—or water, I guess—was knocked out of my lungs. My ears popped. I had to blink a few times. It felt like a linebacker rammed into my body with a pillow. It didn't hurt that much per se, but I felt the cold pressure of something kettle into my bones.
"Welcome, young prince," She whispered. "To Atlantis."
I…wow. The first moment I laid my eyes on Atlantis, every single word I'd ever learned left my brain. The pressure on my chest seemed insignificant. Atlantis was easily as big as the city on Mount Olympus, if not double its size. Wide courtyards and columned pavilions jutted out from the seafloor, shining brightly. Species of jellyfish I'd never seen before floated about, basking the surrounding area in soft, multicolored lighting.
Nereids sat in the courtyards, talking, playing. Some of them walked around with smaller nereids, laughing happily at one thing or another. I craned my neck. Higher, by the dome, there were enormous humpback whales with carriages attached to their bodies. Manta Rays the size of small blimps glided over us, their shadows bathing us in darkness. We rode lower, stopping for a moment as our seahorse neighed at some of the fish swimming by.
I scooped my hand into the ground, marveling at the feeling of it. It was like holding one of those slippery things from Rainforest Café—it would slide and coat my hands, twirling and twisting at my very touch. Compared to the upper world, everything down here felt so alive. I could feel the call to this place from inside of me. I felt the dormant power inside so much of Atlantis, waiting for me to call upon it.
I exhaled slowly, letting some of my mana seep out of my hand. Not even a moment later, the ground beneath us began to glow softly. You see, the entire floor was covered in sand, but unlike the sand on the beach, this sand was a lilac shade, with small gems and multicolored sparkles throughout. At my touch, these sparkles shone brightly. My power almost animated them, as they went traipsing off into the distance, glittering like a school of tiny fish.
Off into the distance, one of the little girls who was in the courtyard pointed at the seahorse we rode in on. She excitedly said something to her parents, who turned back, waving at us like we were one of those floats in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. I waved back, uncertainly.
The Nereid in front of me smiled regally at them. After a moment, she said, "As I mentioned, my prince, you have your supporters. A lot of the younger children, especially, are excited to meet you."
Younger children? I knew my status as the Son of Poseidon would grant me some sort of recognition, but her comment made me feel more like I was some sort of an action hero out of a kid's movie series. I swallowed back my nervousness. "I see. I don't think I've done much to warrant that."
"Perhaps. Perhaps not," She said, the seahorse picking up speed again as we started moving through the streets of Atlantis. "Whether you truly believe it or not, they do. That's all that matters, is it not?"
I couldn't argue with that. Instead, I looked around as we galloped— er, swam—toward what I assumed to be my dad's palace. Twenty or thirty buildings made of abalone rose all around us as we entered the upper city level, white but gleaming with rainbow colors. Fish and octopi darted in and out of the windows, chasing after each other.
The gardens I could see were full of exotic sea plants and coral colonies, with luminescent jellyfish drifting about like Christmas lights. I was drawn out of my thoughts as the seahorse stopped abruptly. We were in front of a gigantic, gleaming building. White columns of sparkling marble jutted out of the ground, connecting to a large, Parthenon-like structure. There was a constant hum, like the sound of a generator running. The mana was obvious, even to my naked eye.
I saw the rivulets flowing upwards, through, and around the pillars, framing an even larger dome-like skeleton of multicolored mana. Strands of colors, swirling like the rainbow, flowed from the dome, crisscrossing a few hundred feet in the air, right on the glass-like shield we came through earlier. It was like one of those plasma globes you got from the arcades— the ones where it had a bunch of lines shooting out from the middle, and they'd all be attracted to your finger when you touched anywhere on the dome. This must be what kept that monstrosity running.
"Your father's power," the Nereid noted, not surprised by my [Mana Detection] skill. "It protects his land from any foreign attacks."
"That's amazing," I mumbled, meaning every word. That level of power was mind-boggling. By my estimation, I could use all of my mana a hundred times over before generating enough to fuel that shield thing for even a second. Just how much power did he have?
"We will go on foot from here," the Nereid said, floating off of the seahorse. Her blue toenails dug into the multicolored sand. I nodded, hopping off of the seahorse.
"Thanks," I said, tentatively patting the gigantic snout of the seahorse. You're welcome, my lord, I heard as it darted away, presumably to the stables somewhere. "May I ask your name, my lady?"
I turned my attention to the Nereid. It just occurred to me that I didn't even know who she was—I just randomly agreed to go with her. She could've been a supporter of Oceanus, or something. I could've ridden that gigantic seahorse right into a trap. "Fret not. If I meant you harm, I believe you would've known," She smiled as if she knew what was running through my head. "As for your question, you may. My name is Amphinome, my lord."
[Gamer's Mind] kept my eyes from bulging. Amphinome? Like the Amphinome? Like, the mother of one of the greatest heroes of all time, stabbed herself with a sword, Amphinome? My dad sure knew how to pick his workers.
That interview must've been so awkward. What gives you the qualifications to serve in my court? Well, my lord, I sired Jason and then ran myself through with a sword. Oh, also, I used my dying breath to curse the king. You're hired!
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Amphinome," I replied pleasantly as we walked towards the hall.
Any lady who uses her dying breath to curse someone is alright in my book. "Believe me, young lord," Amphinome said, her voice gaining a smooth undertone. "The pleasure is all mine."
I blinked. Nereids and Naiads are terrible flirts, Annabeth had once told me. I was beginning to think she was right. Amphinome's hips swayed a little more noticeably as she started walking in front of me. I thought it was kind of weird that she was flirting with a twelve-year-old, but then, I reminded myself that Greek mythology was messed up enough that she probably didn't think anything of it, even if I did.
As Atlantean royalty, she'd probably give everything up to be with me. Literally. I could tell her to strip right now and she would. A weird feeling to wrap my head around—just a few months ago, I was struggling to find a date for the end-of-year semi-formal at Yancy. Amphinome led me through a gigantic entrance hall, the ceilings stretching out, much higher than I expected. The walls were lined with bronze, a complete change from the regal marble that made up the outside of the hall. My sneakers squeaked against the shining floors.
Amphinome stopped as we reached a set of double doors. "This is the dining hall. Your father and some of the royal family are currently eating."
"I see," I said, feeling a little nervous. I took another look at Amphinome's dress, and back at my jeans and black jacket. I'm no fashion pro, but even I know my outfit isn't made for this kind of stuff. Could I have maybe dressed a little better? Sure. I also had two weapons strapped to my back. If anything, I look more like an assassin sent to kill Poseidon, not his son. Look, I'm going for utility. Not fashion.
"I am not permitted to go in. I live in the west wing of the palace," Amphinome said, gesturing towards another hallway a few yards away from our current spot. She leaned forward, brushing some nonexistent lint off of my shoulder while also giving me a generous look down her dress. Her hand slid down to my neck, and she blew on my ear. "Do come by."
And with that, she walked away. Zeus. That woman was a straight MI—nope, Jason's mom, Jason's mom, Jason's mom. I can't walk into a room full of my relatives turned on! Shaking all of the not-so-PG thoughts out of my head, I pushed forward on the thick doors, entering the dining hall.