filled with seawater that spilled from stone pipes in the wall of the dome. Beneath us were hundreds of houses and towers similar to this one, built into the walls or coming out of the ground. All were covered in seaweed and clams. If I squinted, I might have seen some fish - or perhaps merfolk in their natural forms.
The guards led us into the central tower, and I was again impressed by the merpeople’s craftsmanship. Everything shone and shimmered like the inside of an oyster, the blue lamps giving everything an ethereal glow.
If being underground did not make me feel so claustrophobic, I would have contemplated asking the merfolk about a permanent residence – above the water, of course.
The dragon-kin and I were herded into the center of the room while the soldiers flanked the exits. The king’s personal guards did not leave his side. They stared us down as they stepped aside to allow us to see the king again.
Rio crept up beside me, apparently having freed himself from the mermaid’s grasp. I looked up at him, but he shook his head. Then, the king began to speak.
“It has been many long years since we have last seen land-dwellers such as these. Outsiders are not welcome in this city, even among our own kind,” he looked pointedly at Rio.
He then turned toward the wall behind him. It was covered in a silky curtain.
“However, my great-grandfather received specific instructions a thousand years ago, from the woodland goddess herself. We are to allow one outsider in: not only to our city, but to seek its greatest secret.”
At this point, two soldiers stepped forward and pulled back the cloth to reveal a mural on the stone behind it. There was much mermish around the painting, but I did not need to read it to understand it.
The half-blood and the kin looked at the mural for a long moment. Then, their eyes turned to me. I personally felt like combusting on the spot.
“There’s no way to deny our instructions,” the king continued, turning to me. His eyebrows were worried as he smiled. “We must let you into the temple, if that is your wish.”
Behind him, the clear illustration of the faun looked back at me with eyes so similar to my own reflection. Set into the wall above the painting her hands, a large key rested in a notch.