The senator swam back a little with his hands up in a defensive manner; "I apologize, my Queen! I swear I’m not questioning you, per say, just wondering where I might find such information?"

Iris scoffed at him; "A copy can be found within the Council’s own record chambers. I will keep ahold of the original. If you wish to see it, then ask me. But I will never leave such important, historical records within the care of the council. Now.."

Iris turned to look at Selena and Levi; "I believe between myself and these two, I shouldn’t need a guard detail. Would you two please accompany me?"

Most of the senators wanted to argue, but couldn’t. Who better to guard the Queen than the High Acolyte and a god? Hearing no disagreements, Iris bid the senators farewell, then swam away with Selena and Levi trailing behind..

As soon as they’d gone, the senators began to clamor amongst themselves. They ranted about everything from the Queen’s manners and insinuation, to her threat upon their livelihoods, to the deceased former-senator Arlong.

Senators Cassius and Gravi had to step in when the two friends of Arlong’s started to say things like, "Which one of us is next?"

The two shared an exasperated looked between themselves as they tried to calm the majority. Cassius had to give personal reassurances that he would investigate the matter.

The rest of the senators calmed down after that, then they all headed back into the palace. He was highly respected among most of the senators for his intelligence and sensibility.

Cassius bumped into Gravi’s shoulder as he came up to swim beside him, and whispered; "I hope you’re right about her."

Senator Gravi grinned broadly as he replied in an equal whisper; "At least things have finally become interesting around here. I think the Candidate will be just fine.."

************

Iris’ nerves were so racked that she was shaking. ’I can’t believe I just did all of that! That was crazy! I told off a bunch of senators! Oh, it felt So good!’

As Iris swam, Selena and Levi caught up to her. The actual City of the Undines was about half a mile from the palace, so it wouldn’t take long to get there. She could already see buildings in the distance..

"Well done back there! You handled yourself well against the Council! When did you have time to do all of that research?!" Levi called out over the rush of water as they swam.

Iris chuckled; "I did the majority of it last night! I haven’t actually been to sleep yet!"

Selena gasped as she swam; "Then we should go straight back to the palace so you can rest! We’ll come out here tomorrow-"

"And give those senators a chance to do something?! No, I’m fine right now! I want to see the state of my people without any kind of smoke and mirrors! And, I want to see how they truly feel about their Queen!"

Selena couldn’t deny that Iris had a point. She’d seen the ledgers, and knew that a few of the senators must’ve been skimming. Arlong was her main suspect, and today’s events had revealed to her whom the other possible embezzlers were..

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

As they came closer to the city, the light dimmed as they entered a kind of kelp forest. As Iris’ head shot from one side to the other, her mind flooded with information that she didn’t realize she had. It was so much at once that she actually had to stop and rub her temples for a minute to get the pain to subside.

Selena and Levi had noticed her gradually slowing, so they did the same. Right as they came to her sides, Iris doubled over as she gripped her head. She grunted with restrained emotions, but another wave of information and agony caused her to cry out.

Selena propped her up as Levi grew larger, and moved his tail to catch her comfortably. He hadn’t planned to grow any bigger than an eel as they came closer to the city, but the circumstances were extreme.

As Iris floated in place on his tail, trying to process the information; Levi double-checked their surroundings. They were nearly out of the kelp field, and right outside of the city. The various smells and sounds from the nearby market filled the waters around them.

Levi could hear serval random voices questioning if anyone else had heard a scream. After a minute of listening for another, they all brushed it off as random, and went back to their lives.

Breathing in relief, Levi turned to Iris and asked; "Are you alright? What’s happening?"

Iris’ breathing was still slightly ragged as she "I don’t know.. I was looking at the kelp and wondered if it was intentionally grown, or natural. That’s when all these weird facts started to fill my head.."

Concern never left Levi’s face as he asked; "I thought you had already accepted the knowledge of this world?"

"Well apparently not All of it! My head feels like it’s gonna split open!" Iris’ voice trembled as she attempted to keep her panic out of it.

Selena rubbed her back in small, even strokes with a gentle touch. She didn’t know what else to do. As another surge hit Iris, she bent completely over, and muffled her cries by covering her mouth.

Selena looked to Levi with heartbreak in her eyes, which pulled at him in a way that he couldn’t explain. In complete desperation; Levi closed his eyes, and reached out to someone he thought could help..

All sound suddenly stop except for a slight rumbling sound. The kelp around them began to shake and stir in the water, as if the planet itself did not want whomever was coming to arrive.

With a bright clash of light; a beautiful woman with long, flowing golden hair appeared before them. Her golden armor shimmered in the water as the tip of her battle spear went to Levi’s neck.

Selena gasped, but Levi motioned to her to stay put. The woman looked human, but not, to Iris. She could barely focus her eyes, though; the pain was so intense.

She clenched her teeth as she tried to keep her cries of pain to a minimum. But with every massive wave of information that hit her, Iris’ head felt like it was going to pop.

Everything from the names of clothes, to foods, to specific structures filled her mind all at once. It was like having an Eidetic memory with a hundred people spewing crucial facts. Her brain held it all, but she couldn’t process it.

As another wave hit her, Iris’ body went limp as she passed out from the experience. The woman stared at her questioningly, but kept the tip of her spear on Levi’s neck.

"Why have you called to me, Leviathan? And to Poseidon’s playground, no less.. You do realize how furious he will be when he learns of this, correct?"

Levi nodded; "I do, and I think Father will understand why I did it."

’At least I hope he will..’

Levi swallowed hard at the thought, then continued; "The Aquarian Candidate has been given the Gift of Perception by her vessel, but she cannot handle the sheer amount of knowledge all at once. It was trickling to her before, but it seems the damn has broken."

The woman scoffed; "And what does this have to do with me?"

"You are the Goddess of Wisdom and Strategy. I thought that if anyone could help her, it would be you. Take whatever you need of me, just save Iris. Please.."

Although Levi’s voice was calm as he’d spoken, his features reflected his genuine concern. The woman’s own expression softened as she lowered her spear, and looked at the unconscious Undine Queen.

She moved eerily through the water, like she wasn’t really there. Her presence alone made Selena tense all over. It was akin to a natural instinct, but one she couldn’t put her finger on.. ’Who is this being?!’

After looking over Iris, the woman slammed her spear into the ground. She placed her fingers on her own forehead, then touched them to Iris’. When Selena saw them starting to glow, her heart felt like it had stopped..

When Selena saw the grimace on Iris’ face ease up, then disappear; she released the breath she’d been holding, then thanked the Godess for her help. The woman beamed at Selena, making her beauty seem unreal.

That was the moment that she had realized exactly whom they had gotten help from. ’Levi called her the Godess of Wisdom and Strategy.. Uh oh..’

Selena shot Levi an utterly flabbergasted expression. Letting him know that she’d realized the truth, and that regardless of what he’d said: Poseidon would be Pissed that she was there.

Even the Aquarian histories made mention of Poseidon’s attempt to become the Patron God of Athens. It didn’t go into detail because the event had taken place in another mortal realm.. But Poseidon’s anger at the decision had carried over into his creation.

Right as Selena was about to speak, Iris stirred. She sat up slowly and groggily, then nearly jumped when she’d realized what had happened. Looking around, she gasped when she looked up and saw the beautiful woman.

Seeing her legs and still being out of it, Iris asked; "Legs! You have legs! Are you human?!"

The woman chuckled melodiously; "I am no mortal, Aquarian Candidate. I am Athena: Olympian Goddess of Wisdom, Warfare, and Strategy. And you, dear one, are lucky to be alive.."