Chapter 3: An underwater city
Opening his eyes, Kai found himself lying on a couch in a sunlit room, marbled and beautiful. The walls were made of stone, and shimmered with an iridescent rainbow as the sun hit them. Dazed and confused, he suddenly noticed someone else in the room with him, a beautiful lady with long, dark brown hair and piercing turquoise eyes. She gave him a smile as she put down a jar near him, full of water, and helped him sit up. "Are you feeling okay?" she asked, and Kai nodded, blinking a little in confusion. "Who are you?" he tried to ask, but the woman was too busy pouring water from the jar onto a soft cloth and placing it on his head. "You know, you're lucky to have survived. We found you underwater as the city was rising, and I realized you needed help, so I saved you." she spoke, only half-focusing and gently messing with his long hair as she spoke. Kai suddenly remembered everything, getting separated from Cori and Miriam, and sat up, the cloth falling on the floor as he did so. "Did you help anyone else? My friends also got lost in that whirlpool!" he demanded, the woman smiling. "Don't worry yourself. My sisters found them, but they're still sleeping. It must have been quite scary, being all alone underwater..." she mused, Kai standing up and giving a slight nod as she led him outside.
Moving through polished hallways lined with marble pillars, Kai found himself wondering where they were. He was still very drowsy and confused by it all, but his legs had enough sense to move and follow the woman. Eventually, they descended some stairs and the woman opened a door, where he found himself outside, in the blinding sunlight. He blinked, and his eyes adjusted, Kai letting out a gasp. It was amazing!
The city was lined with pale yellow and saffron colours, turquoise and blue turrets gleaming above in the light. Giant jellyfish swum among the pillared buildings, whilst fish weaved in and out of windows. Kai's breath caught at the sight. Everything was so beautiful! The woman giggled, before being greeted by two others who looked similar to her. "Child, these are my sisters, Stelle and Emilie. They are the ones taking care of your friends." the woman explained. Stelle gave a little wave, Emilie a smile, and Kai, trying not to feel too awkward, was obligated to wave and smile back. The sisters looked almost identical, but they had little markings and the occasional scar to differentiate them. "Oh, I almost forgot to introduce myself. I am Merlie, an Atlantean from this city." the woman smiled, Kai raising an eyebrow. "Where are we?" he asked, and Merlie giggled. "You are in Atlantis, formerly Itar, which has risen from the ocean!" she explained, her sisters quietly leaving to tend to their duties. Kai, confused, pulled a face, as if to say 'you're serious?'. Merlie, realizing he didn't believe her, led him to the edge of the city, where corals lined the areas which didn't form waterways. Merlie sat down on a coral head and began to explain.
"A long time ago, our city was submerged by cruel and heartless gods, innocent people like us believing we would drown. But, by some miracle, we just sank with it, and began to change form after we went five fathoms down. Some of us became mermaids, others nymphs, like myself, but we all survived one way or another, and renamed ourselves Atlanteans of Atlantis, rather than Itarians of Itar, because we had been submerged in the Atlantic Ocean. Since then, we've lived under the sea, but rose up again by a miraculous force, finding you three drowning whilst doing so and deciding to save you. And now we're here, and I'm very glad you're all alive." she finished, Kai listening in wonder. "So you're immortal now?" he asked, Merlie nodding. "I believe so. None of us perished thus far, so we should thank Hermes for protecting us." she smiled, Kai also smiling at this. He then heard a shout and turned, finding Miriam and Cori running toward them, guided by Stelle and Emilie. Standing up, he rushed to embrace them.
When the three, wordlessly, finished their hug, they turned to the nymphs, who were watching them with happy smiles. "They explained everything to us- isn't this place amazing?" Miriam asked, her eyes shining. Kai nodded, also grinning, and looked at Cori, who was thinking hard. "We still need to find Lucia..." she mumbled, Miriam and Kai both remembering their goal and turning to face the two nymphs. "We need your help."