The Prophecy of Atlantis

the blue ocean or to kill her with a curse from her wicked finger. To the witch, Lilliana was as good as dead anyway. She had watched Lilliana sink to the bottom and had waited to make certain she stayed there. Or did she know that Lilliana was alive? Did the witch plan for her to meet someone else here, under the sea?

  Lilliana’s feet missed another beat as her legs twisted again in the heavy skirts. All these heavy layers looked pretty in the court at the castle, but they made no sense here under the sea. The skirts had to go.

  Lilliana pulled and pulled at her overdress. She pushed her nails under the top button and tried to force the tiny thing through the hole. Every time her fingers grasped the button a wave pried her hands from her dress. She pulled at the dress, but it did not budge. It was impossible to remove the clothes while she was still swimming.

  “Spectrum, stop!” Lilliana pulled at her horse’s mane.

  The horse kept swimming. He was intent on going somewhere. Maybe he thought Lilliana was going to swim home. Home was a throbbing in her heart that would have to wait.

  “Spectrum, stop,” Lilliana repeated, this time with a kick and a punch. “I won’t fight you anymore. I just need to take off these skirts.” Why again was she talking to a horse? It made about as much sense as talking to a fish.

  Spectrum slowed and looked over his shoulder at her quizzically. He blew hot water through his nostrils, encouraging her to go on.

  “These skirts are so heavy. I think if I take them off I’ll be able to go much faster through the water and you won’t have to work as hard.”

  Lilliana thought she saw his eyebrows go up. He was looking at her intently. “Just let me take off the dress.”

  Spectrum swam to the sandy bottom and set the princess down. She stood to look at him and he stared right into her eyes.

  “Would you please stop that? Horses don’t stare!”

  Spectrum did not move and did not drop his gaze.

  “I’m not going anywhere. Can you give me some privacy here please?” What was this horse thinking?

  Spectrum still stared directly into the princess’s face.

  “Fine. I do want to go home, and maybe later I’ll try. Right now I’m too tired and I have this crazy horse to deal with!” Lilliana turned her back on the horse and began to unfasten the dress. The buttons were far more obedient than they had been before and she was able to work quickly on the many layers of cloth and skirts. In a matter of minutes she was left only in her new camisole and pantaloons with a sizeable pile of silk and cotton at her feet.

  Lilliana felt the coolness of the water rushing around her legs. She kicked up and around Spectrum. The flow of the water over her body felt glorious, and she felt so fast! She looked back at Spectrum who was treading water lightly. The stormy sea seemed to have reached a steady rhythm. Off in the distance she could see a mound on the bottom of the ocean. No, it was more like a mountain. That must be where Spectrum was heading. Was there shelter there or maybe food? It definitely looked better than the empty sandy floor under her liberated legs.

  “Race you!” said Lilliana to the horse.

  Lilliana headed off towards the mountain and Spectrum tossed his head. They were off. It took little time for the horse to catch the girl. She could feel Spectrum edging closer behind her so she tried harder to streamline her body like the fish around her. She felt fast as she sped through the water. She was a bird flying over a sandy beach, or a creature flying over some strange new land with blue all around and unusual creatures below.

  As they came closer to the mountain Lilliana and Spectrum both slowed a bit. The mountain was dark against the deep blue ocean and the outlines seemed to sway. Shadows moved here and there as fish darted in and around them, and her eyes adjusted to the light. The mountain was as tall as her castle at home and was filled with small caves and mounds of plants and colorful creatures. Lilliana saw thousands of tiny fish shimmering in the low light. She swam closer and looked at a red starfish that reminded her of the comets in the sky.

  As she reached out a hand to touch a small urchin Lilliana saw something dark move to her side. The skin on her neck felt prickly, and the hairs on her arms stood up. Spectrum nickered nervously and bubbles came out of his nose. Lilliana was reminded of times when she would turn at the castle to find someone looking at her. She slowed and put her hand on Spectrum’s withers. She turned to look behind her. There were only shadows, fish and coral.

  The water was clearing as the storm passed overhead. The mountain was indeed moving and flush with activity. Some of the coral looked as though it were dancing in the streams of water that flowed down the mountain. Lilliana and Spectrum went closer to look.

  The coral was full of different colors and shapes. Some of the creatures looked like feathery flowers. Lilliana reached out her hand to touch the beautiful little fluffs, and just as her fingers neared them they jumped back inside their little holes. Many elegant fans were waving through the ocean, with bright colors and intricate lace finer than any found at court. One lovely creature looked like a pink flower with white tips, only the petals were little tubes. There was a funny little orange and white fish swimming in the tentacles as if he were having a belly scratch. Lilliana went closer to say hello, but he too darted back into the flower to hide. Lilliana reached her hand out to nudge the fish out of the flower.

  “Ouch!” Lilliana pulled her hand back fast. There were small red welts popping out on her skin and it burned. She looked back at the flower. It still flowed back and forth innocently in the current, but all the other fish had scurried away.

  “Crazy flower,” Lilliana muttered rubbing her sore hand. “Who needs your fish anyway?”

  Lilliana sat on a nearby stone and put her sore hand in her mouth to nurse her wound. Around her the feather dusters were emerging from the rocks, and the little orange and white fish was eying her suspiciously. A school of blue fish swam over the ridge and darted past as if they were one big fish. Off in the distance Lilliana saw a bigger fish, its glimmering tail just disappearing into the shadows. Dozens of purple urchins were along the outside of the entrance to a dark cave. What could be in there?

  “Who dares to enter our kingdom?” a voice behind her boomed.

  Lilliana turned around and found herself face to face with five large sea creatures. They weren’t fish though, they were mermen. The three largest were bare-chested men with thick silver tails that looked like shark skin. Their skin was various shades of brown and they all had dark blue waves of hair flowing down their backs. The one in the middle was the man who had spoken. His eyes were brilliant orange and he looked angrier than the witch.

  “You there. Can you speak?” The merman shoved a spear in her direction.

  “Of course she can’t speak she has no tail. She’s one of the ship-shadow people who fell in. They make a most excellent meal. If we leave her alone she’ll soon feed the fish,” argued one of the smaller men. He had darker skin than the rest and his eyes were glimmering silver.

  “She could feed me,” said one of the men and the others laughed. “I’ve never seen skin so pale before.” He ran his hand along Lilliana’s arm and she shivered.

  “Leave me alone!” Lilliana yelled at the man, and the group looked at her in surprise.

  “What is this? We have a shipmaid who speaks?”

  “I believe she yells,” said the darker man with a laugh. “How is it you aren’t at the surface sucking wind?”

  “I am not from a ship, but from the shore and I am a royal princess,” Lilliana said.

  “A princess!” said orange-eyes. “Where’s your crown, your purple robes, and your mighty steed, then.” They all laughed pointing at her pantaloons and knotted hair. One of the big men reached out and grabbed a handful of Lilliana’s hair, jerking her off her feet. With a cloud of bubbles Spectrum came from behind the man and kicked his head with his hoof. The merman fell to the ground stunned.

/>   “I believe my mighty steed has arrived,” said Lilliana.

  Spectrum swam to her side and flared his nostrils. He pushed out his neck and made his gills look huge. Lilliana scrambled to his back as the mermen pointed their spears at Spectrum. The horse blew a shield of bubbles, kicked up some sand and rolled up and away.

  The mermen spoke to each other in animated bubbles and one looked as red as her nanny when she skipped class. The red one was gesturing wildly and pointing in their direction. Then the scene darkened and disappeared from sight. Spectrum had pulled them into a cave. The water was cooler here, and not as fresh. Lilliana looked up and saw stars on the top of the cave. Impossible. She looked down and avoided stepping on a congregation of purple sea urchins. Those spines looked nastier than the flower of the orange fish. Spectrum wasn’t paying attention to the cave. His nostrils were flared and his ears were pricked forward. He hovered above the floor of the cave and his body was angled to keep Lilliana behind him and inside the cave.

  Lilliana cocked her head to listen too. She heard some angry shouts with unfamiliar words. That must have been the red-faced one. The other sounds were more subtle and harder to distinguish. It was hard to tell if they were coming to the cave or not, but they had certainly seen them enter it. It wasn’t like a huge horse under the ocean