"Oh, wow...It must have been beautiful and mysterious...", Jerika commented, and Sweet replied, "It was, for a few hours as we got deeper and deeper, and then it got creepy and dangerous as we reached the sea floor. You were right, Poppa...In a section of the Bible, there was a description of a creature under the sea, and it was surprisingly accurate...On the sea floor, there was ships from every era...wrecked and all wooden in pieces everywhere...but it wasn't the creature's fault, or rather the Levithan's fault as it was protecting Atlantis.".
"So, it was real?", Moses asked as Sweet nodded. "Too real. We got attacked by it... it... it ended so suddenly and poorly for many poor souls that went with us.", Sweet sighed. "We escaped unto smaller craft and managed to get to a tunnel, away from the reach of the Leviathan, before coming up to an enormous air pocket and safety for the time being as we tried to regroup from the mess.".
Jerika gasped softly, "Oh, my...Did you do something at least in remembrance of them?", and Sweet replied, "Yes, Ma, a candle ceremony, short and brief as we were ordered to work double duty from that then, and it was a long journey, a week by the timing estimation. But it wasn't all pleasant...after we shortly left the air pocket and went into the gate cave which was far at the outside borders of the ancient city, and we came upon a split pathway, we mostly started out to go on the right path and it was safe and well, yet it was ordered to check the left side for a small team to see what's inside...Our weapons barely saved us in time...It was a mashup of worm and centipede monster...", with a shake of his head in slight disgust, hating that Rourke was thinning out the innocent people who just wanted an adventure, perhaps a good pay to their families for being on the entire expedition.
"We managed to at least force it away but didn't kill it... we just had to cut our losses and move on, keep going because if we didn't find Atlantis or a way out at least, we probably would've not made it...", Sweet said.
Moses exhaled, "Jesus...", and Sweet nodded as he continued on, "Little did we know after we got to the middle of the journey, we were being tracked and spied on, but we didn't know what or whom as they were so good at stealth.", fondly remembering some people being shocked at the fact that it wasn't just male warriors, but female warriors like Kida and Sia.
"We camped out every night for rest and such, and as we were told that we were getting really close, we came upon a fine-looking site for camp with a natural light in the ceiling, figuring that it was some sort of cave luminant flowers or something, and there was a bridge to the other side...After some accidental flashlight motions attracted the light, it turns out that it was a nest of fireflies, but not surface fireflies, but actually bugs that can literally catch anything on fire...", Sweet exhaled.
Sweet could see how uncomfortable his parents seemed upon hearing that part, "Yeah, burned our camp, forced us to rush out and try to escape further while all hell was breaking loose. We lost a few more folks in the madness; got separated for a bit with others... I still will never know how we survived falling quite a bit of a height when the bridge we tried to cross collapsed.".
Jerika replied, "Perhaps luck and some looking out from those Great Kings you spoke of?", and Sweet hummed, "Perhaps it was...", though he couldn't be sure about the Great Kings and the Mother Crystal as it was literally under the remains of Atlantis, through if they were really close then, then perhaps they had sensed that most of them were good.
"Anyhow, after reuniting with the others, we saw a sight we'd never thought we'd see...Atlantis, a city of an island, right on a lake, with waterfalls, with lock tiers here and there in crumbled ruins...It was beautiful, and now, I have a feeling that it's even far better...But I'll get to that...As we were staring at the city, they came out, revealing to be actual Atlanteans...Exotic and able to understand several languages. Two of them turned out to be princesses of the King, and welcomed us into the city.", Sweet chuckled before sighing softly, remembering what happened afterwards on that single day and night.
Moses replied, "Did somebody disrespect them?", seeing the look in his son's eyes, glancing at Jerika, knowing that some people assume that they are better than others.
"I guess that was sort of foreshadowed with what I had said. At first, we honestly didn't think anything was wrong; we found Atlantis, the people were still there... felt like we had accomplished our goal and done something that few would ever be able to do.", Sweet said.
Jerika replied, "So, you were distracted by exploring the city and such? Is that how you met her?", and Sweet replied, "Not quite. I was distracted by exploring the city, enjoying the cuisine, and I loved it as it was quite unique, filling, and the people, they literally had jobs they loved, and they get paid in trade, and the architecture was rather different, like stone buildings and tree houses...", with a smile.
"Wow...So, the people are free to be themselves...That sounds so nice...", Jerika smiled, and Sweet nodded, "Sure was...And as night approached, my friends and I discovered that we got betrayed, scaring the people, and such, by two people we had highly respected, to discover that they were truly Nazis...", with an angry growl as he really tried to save the King, but he had to obey the King's last wishes, and honestly, he knew that King Kashekim was at the end of his time deep down. At least Sweet saved Abraham, and now he's happy and free to be himself with Thaddeus.
"And then managed to lead a whole small task force too from another way in. We found ourselves all captured as they started to loot whatever they were looking for specifically.", Sweet added.
Jerika gasped in horror, "Oh, dear!", as Moses stared in shock, "How did you escape?", looking at his son, awed yet determined to listen more.
Sweet replied, "We didn't get free...They let us go, after they found what they were looking for, murdering the king, and nearly attempting to murder an elderly friend of ours...I saved my friend...The king, he was old, but he was so healthy and spry despite his blindness...Our new friends, the princesses were devastated, pleading for him to have me save him, but he put his final word that he waited so long to see his deceased wife, and that his eldest daughter was ready to be a queen, and so he died peacefully, ignoring the pain in his last moments...".
"But then, Milo... the reason we even made it so far because he was the only one who could read Atlantean; he quickly went right to work to try and rally us, to not let those Nazi scum get away. We managed to activate long dormant technology that the Nazis missed, and we used it to launch a counterattack.", Sweet then continued on.
Moses widened his eyes, "And did it work?", and Sweet smiled, "More than I'd ever thought, and the Atlanteans, shocked to have their forgotten technology back, took to it naturally like it was a muscle memory still there in their souls, and aided us in the counterattack, destroying the way the Nazis got in, retaking the sacred object back to Atlantis, and got rid of the betrayers and their team of Nazis scum. Of course, there was some exhaustion, some injuries, and shell shock that I took to help along with the Atlantean healers, which is the term for doctors as the night became a few days once again as it was a crazy, chaotic night, and I got busy once more in helping around where I can.".
"It was a shock to me that they accepted me right away, as you know those days here, there are still a majority that...doesn't treat Blacks equally, but the Atlanteans, they never cared for my skin color, for they cared more for my ability to heal and my strength to carry the injured/exhausted, and there, that's where I met Nola, the head healer and the royals' personal healer...", Sweet smiled fondly, taking out the sketch from his pocket over his heart, unfolding it, sliding it across the table.
"Is that?", Jerika asked as Sweet nodded. "Thank our friend Steve Rogers for that and his incredible memory... he sketched that just some days ago.", Sweet chuckled.
Jerika replied, "She's absolutely lovely! But I see no ring.", glancing at Sweet, and he replied, "In her culture, for the Atlanteans, you see the silver earring on her left? That's the equivalent of the wedding ring. When we met, she had a gold earring on her right, saying that she's single and all...Granted, we were busy, but we had moments here and there, and I was attracted to her as much as she was...".
"And Nola is one of the exotic names for Atlantis, then?", Moses asked, looking curiously at his son, awed over the exotic, lovely, and incredibly sketched person of his son's wife.
Sweet chuckled, "Actually, it's a nickname. Most Atlanteans has long names, sometimes medium-length names, and rarely short names. Nola is short for Noivalissa...Her surname was Tudru, and she took upon the name of Sweet when we got married...Now, please don't be mad, but it was an elopement, yet for a big reason...I had to leave Atlantis, to fight in the war, because if I didn't, the Nazis would keep trying to go after Atlantis, hurt the people, and her... but we kept in touch by her technology, and news sometimes by mouth from other people, which was rare as it was risky on the surface if the Nazis noticed, slowly falling in love...".
There was a pause as Sweet took a deep breath, "There's... there's something you need to know, and I know you'll both nearly have a heart attack about it; I'm alright now, but... some time ago, the resistance group in Italy that I was with, we were found out and captured. At first, we were in a Luftwaffe detention camp where Allied pilots were being held after shot down over Italy during raids... but then a viler group amongst the Nazi apparatus took attention to us.".
Moses exhaled, clenching his wife's hand, "They decided on you first, didn't they?", as Jerika gasped in horror, trying to calm down as she connected the dots.
Sweet nodded, "At first I thought it was because of my race and skin color since I was among many white faces and all, and then when I heard familiar words, it was when I realized that they weren't after me for my skin color and race, but rather after me for information on Atlantis...I spoke no English or any other language as I focused on Nola...the only source of peace I can see in my mind while they were trying to interrogate me through means...means you might be familiar with, Poppa...", as his breath clinched at the memory of the terrible pain and the feeling of being alone, praying for salvation, fighting to his core before he saw Nola, heard her endearing voice, and held by her as she never dared to leave him, encouraging him to hold on.
Sweet could tell the sheer heartbreak and terror in their eyes as he continued, "I honestly don't think I would've made it if it wasn't for Nola. And believe me, there were times I was on the verge of giving up. They weren't going to get a word out of me, I planned on dying before letting Atlantis be in any more danger to the Nazis.".
Sweet took a deep breath, "I prayed for salvation, with all my heart, and the Lord, the Creator, the Great Kings must have heard me for my friends saved me then, and got me out, just as the head interrogator was about to shoot me in the head, finding a way back to Atlantis where their best medicine strived on to bring me much relief, fighting a bit more longer each day, and Nola...she was both determined yet scared, and the moments I thought I was dying, she encouraged me to hold on, and as the pain increased through the worst days of my life as my body was going through so much shock, I knew I couldn't regret one thing, and that is giving Nola happiness. I listened to her stories all hours of those days, between docile moments where I told her stories, and I fell hard for her as she almost never left my room, except for the bathroom and getting me food that I can bear to eat, and I told her that I love her...She was overjoyed yet devastated, telling me that she loved me too, not knowing if my body is adapting to the working medicine quickly enough as it was rediscovered...and...", chuckling softly, "She literally proposed to me...I said yes...A couple of witnesses was there to see us getting married in the elopement, and that part of the healer center, the healers was kind to us that night, giving us privacy as I ignored the pain, wanting to make my wife happy just once if I'm to die soon, I'd not regret it, and so, we became mates under the blessing of the Great Kings.", hating to make this big part up, but he has a feeling that the soul teleportation and such is a bit farfetched, and the witnesses were essentially their crystals through the Great Kings.
Jerika gasped in horror as she was so close to losing her son, and Moses replied, "And Atlantis's medicine saved you, as you were vulnerable to losing your strength and all. You strived because of Nola...Son, I'm not mad at you for eloping with her, having a private wedding ceremony and such...She sounds like an incredible woman...", glancing at the sketch a moment before glancing at Sweet, "Yet I'm confused on the mates part. I thought you are husband and wife.".
Sweet chuckled, "Yes, we are, but we are also mates. You see, being mates with either your wife or husband in Atlantis is a special thing for it bonds them beyond soul, heart, and mind, and it has to do with our crystals.", as his crystal appeared from hiding in plain sight, and he smiled, holding it, "You see the crystal on Nola as well. Every Atlantean has a crystal because it's just not sentimental, but religious in a way, and being part of their technology. If I wasn't married and mated to Nola, I wouldn't then be telling you two of this part as it is precious and special, and if everybody knew, Atlantis would have been in danger once more...", with an exhale.
"I still don't fully understand how it works... and I get the feeling I probably never will; but this... this really saved my life and others, and I owe a lot to it; especially its connection to Nola.", Sweet chuckled.
Jerika and Moses was stunned, wrapping their minds around the fact that they nearly lost their son, and now is seeing a incredible, beautiful Atlantean crystal around their son's neck like his wife on the sketch, and Sweet waited a few minutes, eating the last remains of his first plate, and got extra servings as his mother's food is that good, and besides, he wouldn't dream of refusing his mother's food again and again as he missed it.
Jerika whispered, "How long did you have to recover?", and Sweet replied, "Mainly a week, but I had to go back again to fighting after taking up a position to join some of my friends into France as I heard that Italy was fighting back...Yes, I was sad to leave Nola, but she knew that we had to end the war sooner than later, especially with the Nazis trying anything to find better technology, killing innocent lives.".
Moses widened his eyes, "Atlantean medicine was that good?", and Sweet chuckled, "Poppa, you don't know the half of it, and I am still amazed even after I adapted some of it to my medicinal techniques and procedures...Between missions and such, it was some months of being busy with helping at the hospital tents and going with my friends sometimes if they needed me to fix up freed prisoners and all...And then one of the hardest missions came along, and I was there for extra gun support as one of my friends saw to it that I wasn't to be defenseless no more, and there was a vicious battle, managing to get the Nazis scum out for good, capturing a high-level leader, but in the middle of it all, I got blinded...Temporarily blind, I was, but it was painful...with some secret Atlantean technology communication that I can't say, Nola helped me with a new way of healing my eyes, learning how to put Atlantean medicine with substitutes I could find around on the surface for any latter soldier who got unlucky with temporal blindness if I found anyone like that...That was when I found out the most wonderful news, through it's scary at times when I think about it, as she is around my age and all.".
