Open your eyes.

There are parts of the seafloor around you which are completely dark, though you're at least able to keep your eyes open wide with no difficulty whatsoever. Beautiful, glowing coral and deep sea plants rise up from the soil all around you, as well as bioluminescent fish above. You have no idea how deep you truly are, though because of your necklace, you can also breath, and though moving around through the water still feels strange, you get the feeling it would be much worse without magic. Snow is nearby, and after making sure she's all right, and absorbing the beautiful view around you, your eyes catch something only a short distance away--something large and quite stunning.

It's a city. Building materials consist some natural materials, such as the seafloor and the plants that grow from it, much like what one might expect from elves, though also coral of every colour to supplement stone. The streets are lit in a manner similar to where you float now. There are tiny figures moving around--mostly humanoids with the tails of fish.

"So this is Nureteru," Snow says. "I've only heard stories about it before. It's gorgeous."

"And where might this shard be located?" you ask before realizing Candy isn't beside you.

A short distance above, the clown girl floats with her hands over her face. "So... dizzy..." she mumbles under her breath. "Where am I?" Not only does she seem disoriented, but her staff has drifted off one way, and her hat the other. Finally, she shakes her head and slaps her cheeks. "That mean woman! She did that to me on purpose!"

"Well, she didn't even want to help you to begin with, I guess."

Grumbling, she swims over to her hat and tugs it back on. "The shard should be in the vault of the royal family," Candy replies to your question from before.

"Awesome. You couldn't have told us beforehand that the item we seek is owned by a king or queen? Don't you think that makes it a little more complicated to get?"

"I figured you'd come up with something!" She shrugs as she backstrokes away, snatching her staff as she goes. "Now come on. It's a lot more dangerous out here than it is in there. There are some big ass sharks this deep in the ocean."

"R-Really?" Snow glances around herself nervously before starting to swim in her direction.

You follow. "Do catfolk like eating fish? Is that weird to ask?"

Snow glances back. "It's not weird. I love fish. But only when they're the food!"

It takes some time to make it to the city itself, mostly because you're now **** to move in ways that are usually not required on land. You can't help but watch Snow ahead. Yes, one reason is because you're being given quite the view, but also you're impressed by the grace in which she maneuvers underwater. Her pale hair almost appears like a rainbow as it reflects the many coloured plants growing around the area, and she slips through the sea like a dolphin. You and the girls eventually make your way to Nureteru. Now that you're closer, you can indeed see that it's populated mostly by mermaids. There are others as well, however, some more humanoid than others. Jellyfish people, squid people, and mermaids of varying types of fish, from guppies to sharks. In fact, you wonder why you aren't garnering looks from everybody. There are several who look in your direction, though you feel as if you stand out enough to warrant more. This must be a city surface-dwellers visit more than perhaps any other.

But now the problem you face is how to convince royalty to part with a powerful magic item.

A school of fish swim right in front of you. As you watch them go, you see them dart around a few young merfolk playing above. Farther in, shop stalls are set up, where people are selling different exotic foods as well as hand-crafted pieces of art. You become lost in thought as you absorb it all.

You're so focused that you hardly notice the voice at first. "Hey!" it says. "Hello? Is that really you?"