I glared at Delta but walked through the whole logic by myself. Okay, I'm Poseidon. I'm on Earth, and even though I was told not to, I got this lady pregnant and I know she's going to have my kid. I'm guessing my dad knew when my mom had me. I know he visited me when I was a kid, so it isn't even that much of a stretch to assume he knew when I was born—he might've even been there. Doubt started to creep in. Delta might've been onto something.
Why not just hide me away? I knew Poseidon visited me as a kid, but why not just do that from the start? If my destiny was what really worried him, he could've snuck me down here and started training me from the moment I learned how to walk. I remembered, "Zeus' bolt was taken. He needed to claim me so that I could get the bolt for him and clear his name."
"Yes and no. You're kind of right," Delta amended, leaning forward. "In this world, gods do not take kindly to insults. Accusing your father of theft when he's transparently one of the most…loyal Olympians was a grave mistake. Your father claimed you as a sign of aggression. You, a fresh demigod, boasting the power of two of the Elder gods and the favor of the Lord of The Underworld. A demigod capable of dueling Ares to a standstill after a week or two of training. Have no qualms, Percy. Your father may feel affection for you—in fact, I'm sure he does—but this series of events has been nothing except political maneuvering. Even his desire to get you experience. I can't tell you the last time he's afforded this much thought to a mortal son of his."
I exhaled slowly. As much as I hated it, Delta was right. Without his goading, I could tell now that the reason I was in Atlantis, apart from Poseidon's own guilt, was to make me even stronger so that any Olympian wouldn't cross him.
Delta gave me that moment of peace but started speaking again, quietly. "That's how lying works. People you care about, the ones that you trust—they're the ones who will lie to you the most."
I nodded, the feelings of sadness quickly fizzling out. As far as revealing conversations went, that could've been much worse, still. "Yeah."
"To successfully lie, you'll need to be able to do the same thing," Delta finished, still taking the chance to teach me something. "Bring out those feelings in your target, and use it against them. Take what you need, and leave."
A low whale's call was heard from outside of the window. The shadow of a giant humpback whale dwarfed the two of us, who were sitting outside, in a secluded deck-like area with a glass ceiling.
Delta looked up for a moment, his expression flickering between annoyance and neutrality. "Tell him I'll be there in twenty."
The whale must've heard his response somehow, as it went swimming away with another low call.
"Chin up, soldier," Delta sighed a moment later, reaching into his armor and pulling out a thick brown envelope. He placed it on the desk, flicking it towards my side. A small smile formed on his face. "Your first mission."
I glanced at the envelope curiously, reaching forward and touching it. Immediately, the black words I was getting all too familiar with sprung up on my screen as lines, tumbling and twisting over each other like little insects, before settling into letters.
— - —
Quest Alert!
[STORY QUEST] {Live and Let Die!}
[Quest Prompt]: One of Atlantis's most influential political figures has extended an invitation to their exclusive gathering, presenting it as a gesture of goodwill and a warm welcome to the city. But beneath the surface of this grand event lies a dark secret—one they'll do anything to protect.
Your mission: infiltrate the gathering, uncover the truth they're hiding, and escape with your life before you become part of their secret too.
[Total Possible Rewards]:
- [+][100,000][EXP]!
- [?]
Please select: [YES/NO]
— - —
Delta cleared his throat as I opened the envelope, pulling out the letter and skimming through it. A lot of it was just political mumbo jumbo and backtalk, but the overall message was pretty clear. "Your father sent that our way," Delta explained as I put the letter back into the envelope. "He says it's of the utmost importance that you go."
"What is the mission?"
"Well, first, let me explain something to you," Delta said, standing up and gesturing for me to follow him.
He opened the door. The chair squeaked as I pushed it backward and got up. We started walking through the barracks, where for some reason, there wasn't a single soul. All of the lockers were closed, too. It was as if everyone had just up and left. I've been in this place pretty frequently for the last few days, and there's always at least a couple of people milling around. Sure, they kept their distance from me for one reason or another, but I was getting kind of used to seeing them hang around.
"Today, believe it or not, is one of your brother's many concerts," Delta said, following my line of sight. He gestured around the empty room. "As the crown prince, he gets the best of the best protection at those things. We, along with all of the other divisions, are usually dispatched to stand guard during times like that."
"His…concert?" I repeated, the words tasting sour on my tongue. I basically have an expiration date, and I'm going to spend every single day up until that point training and fighting for my life…and Triton is spending his days throwing a concert. Didn't my dad himself tell Delta this mission was important? Right. It's so important that he's going to his other son's concert. Real important.
"Mm. He's sort of like a celebrity around here when it comes to that stuff," Delta said, his hand pressing into the side of the wall, opening another door that revealed a staircase. "Usually, your father would go with you, too, but this opportunity is too good to pass up. Triton is doing his 'Best of The Beatles' show, and your father would likely rather give up his trident than miss that. You, instead are taking his place. You will be going with his wife."
I almost faceplanted, for two vastly different reasons. Atlantis is really that behind, huh? "Um, Lady Amphitrite?" Delta raised an eyebrow. A warning edge followed in his next words, "Yes. Is there a problem? I thought you wanted a chance to go out into the field."
Yes! Did Delta really think my father's wife was going to enjoy spending alone time with a literal example of her husband's unfaithfulness? It's like he was setting me up to have the worst first mission ever.
"No," I muttered, following silently.
Pretty soon, we were standing on a terrace overlooking one of the more populated parts of Atlantis. The upper ring, I think it's called. Say what you will about the place, but I'll never get over how peaceful everything looks down here. In the overworld, things are always tense at the best of times. Especially for me—I grew up as a street rat in one of the most populated cities on the face of the planet. I wouldn't have known peace and quiet if it hit me in the face with a steel-toed boot. Down here, though? I could see the little kids running around with their parents, not a single care in the world. Some even grabbed the tails of the manta rays and floated around.
The sea life seemed to revel in the attention it was getting, all kinds of animals swimming down to play with the citizens. Couples sat on the purple dunes, some having picnics and others laying in each other's arms contently. They stared up at the artificial source of light, my dad's power, hanging in the sky indefinitely. From an outsider's point of view, it was really crazy to see. Most of the people just live down here. On the surface, everyone's always preoccupied with one thing or the other. Whether it's financial, or emotional. I don't think I've ever met anyone who was 100% content with everything. Here, though? People live in perfect harmony. Raising your children here, or falling in love, or even just retiring would be infinitely better than anywhere else, save maybe Olympus or Elysium itself.
Atlantis truly was paradise. Delta spoke up a few moments later, "You see, Percy, Atlantis is a very peaceful city. Through our inner police and your father's own power, crime simply does not exist within these walls."
"I'm guessing you're going to tell me something that contradicts that, now?" I said, leaning against the railing and peering out at the children, a weird bubble of protectiveness forming in my chest.
"You're correct," Delta mirrored my actions. I looked over at his eyes staring hatefully into the distance. "As well protected as the inside of the city is, threats still find their way here. Threats that aren't as brazen and obvious to the eye as you'd expect."
"I'm guessing there's some sort of flaw in the shield around Atlantis," I supplied, my voice a lot more confident than I felt at that moment.
"Precisely. It doesn't allow anyone wishing to cause harm to those inside the walls to get past it," Delta explained to me, pointing to the mirror-like walls around the city. "That doesn't mean people who want to cause harm to others outside can't get in. From there, they can indirectly hurt those inside the walls."
I tapped the railing a few times, inspecting the walls again. I could barely see into the dark depths of the ocean beyond. "I used to think the biggest problems around here would be the Kraken or gigantic killer squids."
"People are always more dangerous than monsters," Delta warned, his voice gaining a hard edge. "Monsters are always easy to figure out, easy to identify. People, though? Even the most sadistic people pose as saviors even though they have no intention of saving a soul. They prey on the fears and whims of the innocent and smear themselves with their blood. The man who has invited you to his home is one of those people."
What an introduction.