The newly made trio found themselves climbing up an old monumental sculpture, cautiously of course. "By the way, we were never properly introduced. My name's Milo" Milo called out.
"My name is Kidagakash," the Atlantean introduced herself. "Ki-Ki-Kidamaschnaga." Milo failed his attempt to pronounce her exquisite name properly. "Uh, hey, you got a nickname?"
The princess giggled. "Kida." "Okay, Kida. We can remember that." Madeleine noted. Upon reaching the top, the trio unintentionally disturbed a flock of green birds that flew off into the distance. Kida turned to Madeleine. "And you, pretty girl. What is your name?"
"Madeleine. Madeleine Thatch," the girl blushed. "What a lovely name." Kida complimented. They gazed down upon the city of Atlantis. "Wow," murmured Milo in awe. "It's like a kingdom out of a fairytale book," Madeleine gushed.
Milo grinned and remarked, "I have a feeling that you've climbed up here before, haven't you?" to which Kida boasted, "This is a perfect spot to escape from my royal duties. Whenever my father needs me, he orders the guards to call me down from here," she laughed a little.
Madeleine, feeling a slight ache in her arm, lamented, "If only I were more athletic, I would come up here more often." Kida sat down and stretched her legs out, gazing in the opposite direction.
Madeleine shifted closer to her brother, who let out a shaky exhale. She promptly noticed that his hazel eyes were filling with tears and Kida asked, "What's the matter?"
Milo removed his glasses, swiped his eyes dry and placed them back on. "Oh, it's nothing. I just- got something in my eye." He suddenly realized that his younger sister had seen right through his little white lie when she gave him a look.
"You know, Grandpa used to tell me stories about this place as far back as I can remember. I just wish he could be standing here with us," he admitted softly. Madeleine gave him a hug. "He's always with us, Milo."
Milo was overwhelmed with gratitude and love towards her, but couldn't find the right words to express himself. Instead, he embraced her tiny body tightly.
After descending to the ground, Kida gave them a sightseeing tour of the city. It was an awe-inspiring experience for them, and Kida took great pleasure in sharing her beloved city with her new friends. Madeleine sighed. "This would be the perfect time to have a camera like Mrs. Packard's."
"We could steal it but I'd rather not face her wrath," Milo remarked which made her chuckle. Kida proudly displayed all her cherished spots before taking them to the riverside market. It was the city's busiest area filled with locals of all ages, hustling and bustling.
"Every week, hunters go scavenging for food at the edge of the city before bringing it here to be prepared," Kida informed, even recommending her favourite meal. "Does your father come down here often?" Madeleine asked.
"He used to long ago but now he hardly leaves the castle," Kida answered. A group of men were seen walking through the water on wooden stilts, using their rods to catch fish. During this time, a local fisherman threw a huge purple lobster towards Milo, which he tried to grab without getting hurt.
Kida and Madeleine found it amusing as Milo struggled to keep the lobster under control. Kida, who was an expert in handling such situations, came forward and skillfully bit the lobster's neck to subdue it.
"Tell me more about your companions. Your physician, he is called Cookie?" she placed the lifeless lobster into Milo's bag. "No, that's Sweet," Milo corrected.
"Cookie is the chef, or so he claims to be. The food is relatively...questionable," Madeleine felt a chill as she imagined the unappetizing slop in her thoughts.
"What is?" Kida asked as they began to cross a bridge or rather a single unsteady plank of wood. "The doctor, he's Sweet, " Milo replied. He and Kida made it to the other side first.
Milo extended his hand to Madeleine, who was struggling to avoid falling into the deep water. She tightly held onto his hand as he gently helped her onto the cobbled surface with a smile of relief.
"Oh! He is kindly."
"No no no, that's his name."
"His name is Kindly?"
"No, Sweet. Well, he's kindly too."
"So all of your doctors are sweet and kindly?" Kida puzzled as they trekked through the market. "No, well. I'm sure some are. Ours is but that's not a requirement. You're missing the point" said Madeleine lightheartedly.
"You two are confusing me," Kida waved her hand as they strolled past their fellow explorers. "Wow, look at all those tattoos," Audrey marvelled at the tattoo stall where a man was getting his arm tattooed.
"Shoot. That ain't nothin'. Look here what I got," Cookie lifted his shirt up, "All 38 United States. Watch me make Rhode Island dance. Go on baby, dance, dance. There you go,"
Poor Audrey felt uncomfortable as Cookie showed off his stomach tattoos through a belly dance. She wished she had never witnessed it and was repulsed by the sloshing sound, causing her to feel nauseous.
"Jeez Cookie, where did you get those?"
"A buddy of mine gave it to me for free if I gave him booze in return. I even did a few myself."
As Milo and Kida chatted, the younger Thatch sibling found herself drawn to a bustling market stall. The array of clothes and accessories in various shapes and sizes caught her eye.
With gentle fingers, she scoured the nearest items. Suddenly, the owner approached her. "Are you interested in something?" she inquired. Madeleine nodded her head in agreement. "You have a lovely collection," she complimented.
The owner beamed with appreciation. "Thank you. Can you tell me which one is your favourite?" she asked with a curious glance. Madeleine had her eyes fixed on a pearl bracelet and pointed to it.
"This one. It's really beautiful, but I'm afraid I don't have any Atlantean currency," she explained. The saleswoman didn't seem to mind the lack of payment, as she handed the bracelet over to the girl, who slipped it onto her wrist.
"Are you sure there's no way I can show my appreciation for your generosity?" Madeleine asked, wanting to repay the kindness. With a smile, the woman shook her head and said, "Please, consider this as a welcoming present."
Madeleine expressed her gratitude to the woman with a bow before setting out to find her brother and Kida. Finally, she located them at the edge of the riverside market and the tension from Milo's shoulders vanished.
"We've been searching for you all over," he exclaimed. "Oh! I was browsing the market stalls. They have the most beautiful items," she mentioned.
"I'm sure they do. What did you find?" Kida asked.
She proudly displayed her new jewelry, saying, "Look what I got!"
Milo inquired, "Where did you get it?" to which Madeleine recounted meeting with the charming lady at the marketplace. "They say it brings good fortune," Kida remarked, leaving the girl hopeful.
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