"Well, here we are."
Zeus stared blankly at the spot where Metis was pointing at. It only seemed like water to him, and not someplace where an underwater palace teeming with fish people is supposed to be located at.
Metis noticed his blank stare. "This is the place. My house is located near Crete. I'd know it anywhere."
"Okay, whatever you say," Zeus still didn't know what to make of her. She was definitely annoying, but she risked her life just to save him from Cronus, even though they only met yesterday. Maybe Gaia did make a good choice after all.
Addie chimed in. "How do we get to your palace?" she asked, leading the goat to the water. She'd spent the entire trip worrying about getting caught and telling Zeus to stay quiet. Zeus was glad the trip was over. It was hot and the trees got so dense at one point that Zeus could barely see in front of him. He sat down, completely exhausted.
"I will call some of my father's steeds." Metis replied, then went to the shore and knelt down, like she was checking her reflection.
"Do you live with Hagno?" Addie asked, still standing next to Amalthea as she drank.
"No, I think she lives near Cythera. I'll tell her you said hello, if I get to see her." Metis replied without looking up. She was concentrating really hard on the water in front of her, like it had secrets that it won't tell.
"Wait, wait, hold on," Zeus interrupted, standing up. "I thought you guys all lived together. And who's Hagno?"
Metis snorted and Addie looked at Zeus like he was an idiot. "Of course we don't live together," Metis laughed. "That would be impossible, even for my father's palace. We elder Oceanids live in separate houses. Only the little ones stay behind, and once they come of age, they will also be sent away. I live with my sisters Peitho, Leuce, and Tyche. Electra used to live with us, but then she got married."
"And who's Hagno?" Zeus asked, still feeling embarrassed for being laughed at.
Addie answered him. "Hagno was one of your nursemaids when you were a baby." She explained. "She left when you were three."
Now Zeus had a hazy memory of a woman with dark purple hair and the same scales on her cheeks like Metis, feeding him crushed berries. He wondered if they still remembered him. It seemed to Zeus like more people know about his future than he does.
Suddenly, Metis whistled, a long, low sound, like a signal. Zeus was about to say something when he saw four ripples on the surface of the water. He tensed, thinking that they were under attack, when to his amazement, four creatures broke open the surface of the water.
They were unlike anything Zeus had ever seen. They all had white horses heads, but as their bodies went further down the white fur slowly became iridescent scales, which led down to a pale green fish tail. They whinnied, like horses, yet Zeus could see their gills.
"They are beautiful," Addie murmured. Even the goat looked stunned.
Metis went up to the largest one and patted its head. It nickered back, like a real horse, and flapped their fish tails in the water. "These are hippocampi," she said. "They are the horses of the ocean. We are going to ride them towards my home."
Zeus found two things wrong if that statement. "Um, how are we going to breathe?" he asked. "And how is Amalthea going to fit?"
Metis rolled her eyes. "You just have to hold on to the hippocampi and you will be able to breathe in the water, but once you let go, you would need oxygen." She smiled, like she would totally enjoy watching Zeus suffocate. "Amalthea will be carried by this hippocampi." She pointed to the hippocampi she just petted. It looked big enough to carry a goat. Zeus hoped that Amalthea wouldn't try to kick it or anything.
"Alright, what are we waiting for?" Addie clapped her hands together. "Let's go to the bottom of the ocean."
Zeus learned one thing about himself: the water is not his element.
Everything about it seemed to bug him. The pressure. The bubbles that came out of his mouth whenever he tried to talk. The wetness. It didn't matter that the the scenery was beautiful. Zeus would've given anywhere to be on land.
He looked around. No one else seemed scared. Metis was in her element. She looked happier than he had ever seen her. She was chatting excitedly with her hippocampi, who seemed to be talking back. Some sort of weird bubble language? Addie looked excited, eagerly taken in the colourful coral and the schools of fish swarming around them as they descended further. Even Amalthea looked less like she was going to kick someone.
Zeus sighed, which caused a stream of bubbles to flow from his mouth, and thought about the nice, crisp air above them.
Ever since Zeus was little, he'd always wanted to fly. That was the reason why he loved birds so much, especially eagles. They were natural predators, fierce yet graceful. He'd used to fantasize about what it'll be like to soar high in the beautiful blue sky, the air rushing around him, with only the birds and fluffy white clouds for company. He'd heard about Titans who had wings, and secretly wished that he was one of them, too. Many flying attempts had been made, always resulting in giant bruises and sprained ankles, with the occasional concussion.
Being someone powerful always seemed to be a fantasy, but now that he knew about his destiny…perhaps it wouldn't seem so absurd? Maybe he could be a god of the skies one day, if he won the war.
Zeus shook his head. He didn't want to think about that. He thought about something far more cheerful: his undetermined powers.
As Zeus was lost in thought, the hippocampi had been making steady progress to the bottom of the sea. Zeus did not notice the sudden coldness of the water or darkness. He didn't notice much of anything until he felt the hippocampi suddenly stop.
Metis turned around. "We're here." She said, climbing off. Zeus noticed that she didn't move her lips, and realized with a jolt of surprise that she had spoken in his mind. Addie looked surprised also, so Zeus assumed that Metis had also spoken in her mind.
Just when he was thinking that this day could not get any weirder, he looked ahead. And then his jaw dropped.
Right in front of him, was an entire house made out of glass.
Metis grinned. "Welcome to my home."
They had to ride the hippocampi inside the house in order to not suffocate. Once they got inside, Metis flipped sort of switch on a wall, and air came rushing back. Zeus breathed in, relieved that he was finally out of the water and breathing in air. The hippocampi left because they cannot stay in air for very long, and Metis thanked them by giving them some apples.
Zeus looked around, awed by how bright the house was. Even though it was at the bottom of the sea, it looked as though the sun was shining straight through the glass walls. Zeus could see the white seabed, the small and colorful fish swimming outside, and brightly colored sea plants. The water left a blue light through what Zeus guessed was the foyer. There were sea anemone in vases, white furniture carved out of marble, and paintings of Titans on the intricately carved walls. Zeus wondered how they got those paintings down here without the paint running.
Addie inspected the house. "Clean, neat, and orderly." She approved. "I like it. This house is already doing much better than someone's room." She pointedly stared at Zeus.
Zeus tried not to blush as he thought about his messy room. Then he wondered if that room even existed anymore. He felt a pang of guilt about not avoiding thoughts about the forest. He feverishly hoped that everyone was okay. Suddenly Mount Ida seemed years away.
Addie seemed to have the same thought. The smile slipped off her face and suddenly there was tension in the spacious room. Even Amalthea looked pensive, probably thinking about the green grass on Crete.
Suddenly a door that Zeus had overlooked swung open, startling all four of them. A girl with the same colored hair as Metis, except longer and curlier, strode through. She stared at them with the same gaze that Metis had used to study Zeus when they have first met. Her eyes traveled across Zeus, Amalthea, and Addie, before resting on Metis.
Then she broke into a wide grin and tackled Metis was a hug. "Little sister! I was wondering when you'd be back! Was it you who turned off the water?" then she turned to look at the others again. "Who are these strangers?"
Metis looked embarrassed by the tackle. "Peitho, please stop calling me 'little sister'." But she really didn't look like she minded. "These are my friends. This is Zeus."Zeus awkwardly waved. "Addie." Addie smiled. "And Amalthea." The goat bleated. "And everyone, this is my sister Peitho, the Goddess of Persuasion." She gestured towards Peitho, who smile and waved.
"It is so great to meet Metis's friends!" she exclaimed. "Especially a boy." She winked suggestively at Zeus and Zeus found himself growing red. Somehow Peitho's words seemed to resonate in his brain and sounded rich and full, like honey. Zeus guessed that was her power, persuasion.
Metis looked horrified. "What? No way! He's not my boyfriend!" she looked even more embarrassed than he felt.
"I never said anything about a boyfriend, Metis." Peitho said. "Don't tell me you were thinking about it?" Then she gasped. "No way. Little Miss Boys-are-a-distraction is considering dating? I've got to tell the others!" She turned towards the door. "Tyche! Leuce! Get in here right now!" she yelled.
Zeus and Metis were both trying to explain to Peitho that they were in no relationship whatsoever, with Addie hiding a smile, when two other Oceanids came in. One had curly orange hair decorated with coins, and another had dark blue hair with white streaks. Both of them had purple eyes like Metis's.
Metis was distracted for a moment and introduced the girl with the orange hair as Tyche, the Goddess of Luck and Fortune, and the dark hair girl as Leuce, a river nymph. They both greeted them, and then turned to Metis.
"Metis," Tyche said, putting her hands on her hips. "I thought you said that you'll never be seen with a boy as long as you lived. Were you lying to us?"
"Come, Metis, tell us." Peitho used her persuasive voice. "You can trust your sisters."
They both have the same expressions that the nymphs in Crete sometimes have when they are eager for more gossip about the Titans. Zeus made a mental note never to talk about his life in Crete.
It was Leuce who rescued them. "Sisters, where are your manners? Our guests are tired and obviously in need of rest. We will show them courtesy and aid them on their quest." She had an authoritative tone despite her soft voice. Peitho and Tyche backed down and looked sheepish.
"Sorry," Tyche apologized. "We were just happy to see Metis back and safe from Cronus." Then she brightened up. "But I just want you guys to know we are totally supportive of your plan."
"Yeah," Peitho piped up. "Besides, I can't wait to see Zeus dance."
Zeus groaned and felt himself grow warm. "Does everyone know about this?" I've got to get some friends who are guys.
Everyone, even Leuce, was trying to hide a smile. "You have to blend in with us, Zeus, so some people have to know about this plan. But not all of them," Metis explained. "There are way too much of us going to the celebration, so most of them wouldn't even notice you, and those who do would just assume that you are new."
"Okay then," Zeus said. "Does your father know?"
The Oceanids looked at each other, then Leuce shook her head. "No," she said. "It is best not to involve him, or there would be trouble."
And on that happy note, Zeus and the others were escorted to their rooms and Zeus felt into an uneasy sleep about what the week would bring.
For those of you who are wondering, the celebration is at the end of the week. As for what it's for and the rest of Metis's plan, you'll have to find out in the next chapter. Anyways, thanks for reviewing!