Amalthea and Idomeneus led George and Angela to an air pocket. Within that air pocket, scratched into a cave wall was the image of a trident like on Amalthea's necklace. As the four climbed out of the water, George stared in awe at the sight before them. It must have been something of significance. Must have been proof of Knossos having been Atlantis if it was here and so close to the Minoan city.
"It is proof…" Angela uttered, in just as much awe as George. She felt like they had entered into a fantasy story where hidden Atlanteans still lived among the populace of the world. It was too good to be true.
Amalthea gazed at Angela with contempt. The look of contempt was then directed to Idomeneus. How she wished they were not here, that it was just her and George. To be in her brother's presence, whom she had enough contempt to fill a treasury with, was enough but to be now in this associate of George's presence filled Amalthea from head to toe with unbridled irritation. She was happy that the other companions had left but wondered why this girl alone did not leave, that way it would have just been her and George… Even if she had not mentioned him, Idomeneus still would have appeared and she still would have had to introduce him… Unless, she had managed to lead George away from Knossos. If only George and Angela did not seem to be so close.
Taking a seat before the image of the trident, Amalthea held out her hands. Idomeneus took his place next to her sister, a confused expression upon his countenance, and took her hand, something that caused Amalthea to nearly grimace. She next had to hide her dismay when George took Idomeneus' free hand so Angela would not have to touch it, leaving Angela to take Amalthea's free hand. Unfortunately for George, Idomeneus was squeezing his hand enough to cause minor pain. A look of contempt Amalthea may have given Angela but that had been a moment of weakness. She was usually better composed in these matters. As much as she wanted to dig her nails into Angela's hand even a little, she did not.
"Long before the birth of Christ, the founding of Rome or the fall of Troy, Minos' empire flourished." Began Amalthea. She watched as George and Angela closed their eyes to better envision what was being told to them. Angela closing her eyes was nothing that concerned Amalthea but she wished George had kept his eyes open so he could look at her. "Then one day on Thera, an island under Cretan control, a volcano erupted."
Idomeneus rolled his eyes. Amalthea was distracted and because she was distracted, she was making the tale shorter than it should have been. If not for her infatuation with the Canadian Boy, she would… still be distracted but out of disgust rather than infatuation.
"Thera was devasted by the eruption." Idomeneus said. "And the surrounding islands were plagued by tidal waves and…" He struggled to think of the word he was looking for. What was it? Something connected to Poseidon. "Horses!"
"Horses?" Angela asked, her eyes still closed but her tone and facial expression still conveying her confusion at what Idomeneus had just said.
"Earthquakes! He means earthquakes!" Amalthea exclaimed. She glared at her brother, who looked away in embarrassment.
"Poseidon was the god of earthquakes and horses so it works." George commented, his eyes still shut.
Idomeneus smiled to himself. Not bad for someone who struggled to remember some words. Unfortunately, the smile was short-lived as he soon found his sister lightly digging her nails into his hand. Amalthea may have been able to restrain herself from digging them into Angela's hand, but Idomeneus' was a completely different matter.
"Knossos was ruined and the empire of Minos destroyed." Amalthea said. "In time what happened faded into myth until only one line remained who knew the truth, it is our line alone who knows that Knossos was Atlantis and thus, have we told our story to you."
George and Angela opened their eyes. The latter was completely mesmerized despite her momentary confusion at Idomeneus' use of the word "horses." The former, however, was rather confused now that the tale was finished.
"That was an amazing story!" Angela exclaimed.
"It was a short story." George commented. "Was bringing us down here really necessary for so short a story?"
Amalthea let go of the hands of her brother and the English Girl and removed the necklace that was around her neck. "It is the place safest to tell the story regardless of length." She answered, placing the necklace around George's neck. "With utmost trust in you, do I give this symbol of our house." She then took a quick look and noticed that while Idomeneus had followed suit and was no longer holding George's hands, George and Angela had not yet let go of theirs. She had a good idea of how to get the two redheads to let go of each other's hands. "And this I give to you."
The Cretan Girl kissed the Canadian Boy, much to her brother's exasperation and the English Girl's shock. Angela did indeed release George's hand, gasping and covering her mouth with the hand that had been holding George's. George himself looked rather uncomfortable at being kissed by Amalthea. There was one girl he wanted to kiss and it certainly wasn't Amalthea. His infatuation with Amalthea might have been brief but Amalthea's infatuation with him was still going and when Amalthea was infatuated with someone, she did not take long to act. George's discomfort was apparent to Angela and Idomeneus but not at all to Amalthea.
When it was all over, all George could say was: "Uh, thanks." He was not going to insult her by saying that he didn't like brunettes romantically or that he did not want a kiss from her, yet still his tone said he was not thankful for the kiss. Amalthea did not notice his tone, only the word of "thanks." Hand still covering her mouth, Angela stared at George with wide eyes. The look of discomfort was still there, telling Angela that George was just as unhappy about what had just happened as she was. While Amalthea smiled at the word "thanks", George then said: "Angela and I shall be going now."
"Come and find me again, George." Said Amalthea, her voice featuring an alluring tone. "I can regale you with many of the lost secrets of Knossos."
"I can if I find the time." George said, as he and Angela were now making their way back into the water.
"You have no intention to find the time, do you?" Angela whispered.
"You know me too well, Angela." George whispered back.
"I'll take you both back." Idomeneus said, getting up to join them. Once in the water, he then added: "Don't argue about you knowing the way, I don't want to be around my sister right now."
George and Angela had no intentions to argue with Idomeneus. They were completely understanding about him not wanting to be around Amalthea. George had a cousin who behaved similar on occasions and Angela and older sister who likewise behaved similarly before marrying and the stories alone she had been told were enough to make Angela cringe. Angela's sister had changed during the Blitz while George's cousin was in the beginning process of changing for the better, but family members were betting the attempt to change would end in failure, with the bets specifically being set around how long it would take for her to revert back to her old behaviour.
Once back at the surface, Idomeneus got onto the beach and walked away. George and Angela however merely sat near their clothes and pondered what had just happened.