It took much less time than I thought it would to get to the Reef, even swimming at the rate that we were swimming at. We had to have travelled over 1000 kilometres, and yet it couldn't have taken longer than an hour. This part of the reef was not something that I wanted to look at. It made me so sad, to see the destruction that humankind had reaped on this once beautiful ocean. The coral was strewn everywhere, bleached a dead white. It also made me so angry. What right did those idiot mortals on land have to come here to my home and…Hold on, I thought to myself, Is this really my home? Aren't I a mortal?

To shake off my confusion, I thought about what I had seen it at this distance before, at another, living part of the reef when I was younger. Mum had taken us – me and Lyn – to the part of the reef that tourists were allowed to see, which wasn't much, and we had to snorkel, because we were too young to scuba dive. I had been seven then, and I almost had almost drowned. Mum had dived in after me, but she couldn't swim fast enough. I had sunk, so slowly…The next thing that I could remember was lying in a hospital bed, three weeks later. We never came again. Another suspicion stirred in my mind, but I pushed it aside so that Poseidon didn't know of my thoughts. Instead, I let my mind be filled with irritation – at not having any privacy in my own mind – and impatience. Would we ever get to the city? He smiled a little at the confusion in my mind, but said nothing.

Suddenly, so quick that I didn't see them moving, Amphitrite and Cyrene grabbed my arms in a firm – yet gentle – grip, pulling me deeper, further towards the graveyard that was this part of the Reef. I struggled instinctively against them, fighting the two delicate women. They held strong, though, and I was pulled deeper, deeper…Unconsciously, I held my breath, my ears ringing at the pressure. And still they pulled me down.

STOP! I screeched at them mentally, but they didn't. I saw Poseidon in front of us, something in his fist glowing…It was a gem, one that fit comfortably in his fist, one that was a soothing, familiar colour. I recognised it's colouring, and stopped struggling for a moment. I thought about something that had been drilled into me for years.

If you ever find yourself in trouble, Rhi, don't panic, whatever happens, Her mothers words rang clear in her head. Keep your wits about you and think.

So I did. I placed an image in my head that always calmed me down. I took a deep breath, and thought.

I thought of a perfect spring day, around 25 degrees, with a warm breeze wafting through my hair. I thought of the sand trickling through my bare toes, soft and cool. I thought of water up to my knees, slightly cooler than the air around me. The sun warmed my face, and I stared out into the ocean, small wavelets splashing around me. I could see – though my eyes were closed now – that the ocean was smiling at me. The crystal-clear water revealed clusters of green strands – seaweed.

This helped me take in the situation. I felt reasonably sure – now that I could think clearly – that I would not be harmed, so I let myself be completely swept away by the tranquil picture in my mind.

My body stopped struggling as my mind wandered to the peaceful scene. My heartbeat – so frantic before – calmed to a more reasonable pace. I smiled to myself.

And I was so peaceful that I almost didn't notice when we stopped. Almost. But even as happy as I was, I felt a little worried when – despite being many kilometers underwater – I was suddenly in dry air. I opened my eyes – and gasped at the beauty before me.

It was magnificent. We were in a huge circular antechamber. The walls were made of glittering mother-of-pearl, so beautiful that I almost cried. There where intricate statues of underwater water creatures which stretched too a ceiling so far up that I couldn't see it. There where doors carved into the walls, but with no way to get there. One opened, and something – I assumed that it was a Nymph – flew over to another. I wondered how I would get up.

I heard a chuckle behind me, and I turned, blushing furiously, because Poseidon was once again laughing at my thoughts. He smiled at me, and walked over to a massive throne. It was black marble, dotted with pearls of all shapes and sizes, and the most beautiful thing I had ever seen – including the rest of the throne room – for I realised that that is what it was. Next to his throne were two others – not so magnificent, but still beautiful. They where carved from more of the shimmering mother-of-pearl.

"I believe you had some questions, child," he said softly.

A/N Hi all!

Thank you to everyone who reviewed, I am glad that you liked the last chapter. By the way, 25oC is about 77oF

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to review. In fact, even if you don't have any questions, don't hesitate to review. I love reviews!!

By for now, not forever!

Maddy