The vessel rumbled, and Artemis was thrown forward as it launched itself down at 135 degrees. The shuttle began to move forward at an alarmingly fast rate though he knew he was only going to have to travel sixty meters or so to reach the well. There were pieces of jagged stone on the edge of the chute, and Artemis had to command the shuttle to avoid them.
“Left…okay…right!!! Stop! Okay…pull back as far as possible or slow down a bit—okay, you won’t slow down. Well, whatever,” Artemis paused at the word. He must have learnt it from Juliet. Artemis scowled. That girl. Too late, the shuttle began to vibrate vigorously.
The command must have confused the shuttle, thought Artemis as the windows of the craft crashed open, letting through air that bent Artemis’s limbs to a comical version of himself. Even though air was forced into his lungs when he spoke, Artemis forced himself to push open his mouth, and command the shuttle when no sound came out. Only a slight gurgle as air rushed passed his tongue.
But before he could think of anything else, he was forced to scream a command—which seemed to work when he was near death—in order to veer left before crashing into a jagged stalactite, or stalagmite…he lost track of gravity as he plunged down towards the Earth’s core.

Fifty meters above Artemis, Butler paced the hill.
How is Artemis doing right now? He thought. What will I do if he doesn’t return? Worries filled his mind.
“Brother, stop pacing, you’re giving me a headache,” Juliet told him, whilst playing around with her hair. The look Butler gave her informed her that this was why Butler had his blue diamond tattoo and Juliet didn’t: by keeping alert.
Every male Butler—with the exception of Juliet was shipped off to Madame Ko’s Academy when they were ten. There, they learnt skills like cordon bleu cooking, marksmanship, emergency medicine, information technology and a customized blend of martial arts. At the end of their training, the Butler would receive a blue diamond tattoo etched into their skin.
The Butler also wasn’t allowed to reveal their first name to their charge…considering how it would develop into personal affection like Butler’s way of seeing Artemis as a son or brother.
If there was no Fowl to guard at the end of their training, the Butlers were eagerly snapped up as bodyguards for various royal personages, generally in Monaco or Saudi Arabia.
Back to Butler and Juliet.
Butler continued pacing, until a ring on his communicator startled him and he jumped about a foot in the air that made Juliet crack up laughing before Butler gave her another silencing glare.
The male bodyguard grabbed the device. “Artemis, are you alright?” Butler asked.
The only reply was a raspy, scratching noise.

Artemis guided the shuttle until he thought his voice was going to go out, considering the fact that it was so hoarse from ordering the shuttle.
Just when he thought he’d had enough, the chute leveled out and the craft slid to a stop. Once the door of the craft opened, Artemis stepped out of the machine swiftly, and then swayed on his feet as he surveyed his surroundings.
He was in a sort of chamber, with stalactites and stalagmites forming around everywhere, which, instead of being sandstone or another type of dull colour, were crystalline.
The floor itself was also made of a clear stone, but the texture still looked like a cave, with bumps and grooves.
There was a pond set deep into the quartz, filled with crystal clear water, swirling gently in a whirlpool in the center of it all. Steam gently drifted from the liquid, its tendrils forming images and pictures Artemis’s eyes could not make out.
The cave smelled not of sulphur as Artemis had expected, but the air seemed to be heavy of an exotic, musky smell that was unlike the usual hot springs Artemis had visited before.
There was a small foggy mist twirling around Artemis’s ankles, its slender, threadlike hands reaching around his trousers.
The occasional drip-drop of water around him was pleasant, added with the swirling sound of water made this place tranquil and serene, but at the same time, dangerously mysterious.
Artemis had heard legends that Atlantis was indeed, beautiful, and that theories suggest that Tara was the ancient capital of the lost city itself, and that the mythical land of Atlantis was Ireland, but he had never thought it true. Now that he had witnessed the well, he could believe that Atlantis—if the well was part of Atlantis—was without doubt exquisitely stunning.
“You have three minutes to get the vial of healing water, and then this vessel will automatically return to the surface. So please hurry,” the voice of the elf voiced behind Artemis, startling him out of his thoughts.
The Irish youth turned his wrist and looked at his Carrier watch. Three minutes to go.
Artemis reached for his communicator, and rang the ring for Butler.
“Artemis, are you alright?” came the bodyguard’s anxious reply. This tone scared as much as half the wits out of Artemis that he dropped the gadget, sending it reeling into the translucent floor. Artemis mentally swore as he dashed after it which was very unlike him. Again it was Juliet’s influence.
Picking up the communicator again, Artemis replied, “Yes, everything is fine, apart from Juliet’s use of colloquialisms nearly killing me, but I’ll tell you about that later as I can only talk for a small moment, since I have just found out that the shuttle will return up to you in three minutes. If the shuttle returns without me, send Juliet down here, and I think I will be able to squeeze in with her on the way up—,” Artemis was broken off with a giggle from Juliet.
Even though the prodigy knew that Juliet could not see him, he turned a fine shade of red at the thought of squeezing into the small shuttle next to Juliet, with her form pressed up against his.
Artemis shook his head to rid these horrid thoughts, then carried on instructing Butler. “Just tell her to watch out when she has to steer the craft as even I found it challenging.”
Artemis could tell Juliet had pouted.
“I am skilled ya’know,” she sniffed. “And I’m here so you can talk to me instead of letting Brother get all the fun.”
“Juliet, this is not about fun,” Butler warned his sister, then turned—no, returned—to communicating with Artemis.
“Okay, Artemis, just hurry,” he said, before Artemis stuffed the device back inside his pocket.
Hurriedly reaching inside his suit, Artemis drew a crystal vial the size of around an average cup out of one pocket. Pulling out the stopper, he ran to the side of the swirling water.

Some other stories by The III Prodigy:

• Artemis Fowl: Book 6
• Culpabilité du survivant: Survivor's Guilt
• Chéri de Minerva, je suis si désolé: Minerva darling, I am so sorry