Half Blood Heroes: Eternal Rivers

Prison In The Mountains

After a while of Arin singing 'Sweet Caroline' with reed pipes, we reached the base of a mountain. "Where's the river?" I looked around while Cynthia knocked on the mountainside. "I forgot to mention the river flows underground."

"You're only saying this now?"

"Yeah." She pulled out her bow and arrow which were foldable for convenience. "Step back." She pulled out one that had a rather heavy tip. "I don't think I can aim right with this. Kendra, find a weak spot. Arin keeps watch for crows." I walked around the mountainside for a while before leaning on a wall to rest. On the side of the mountain there was an entrance hidden by piles of rock. "I found an entrance."

"Through those rocks that look like poop?"

"Yes and don't remind me."

"Eh, I'm not sorry."

"Ok, Arin, do your rock manipulation magic." Arin looked at us with a confused look. "Right, rock magic." He lifted his hand up, the rocks didn't do anything. "Screw it! Just crawl through." Cynthia rolled her eyes and aimed a bow at the rocks. The arrow spun before snapping. "Rock beats stick."

"Kendra, there's water nearby. Do water magic." I held my hand over the water moving it to at least open a way for us to get it. "There, an opening." Cynthia climbed up the rocks and slipped in. She pushed some rocks off from the inside. I followed quickly with Arin going in last to check for crows. "Be careful, this mountain just so happens to show things and say things you didn't want to- guys?" I looked around. Arin and Cynthia were gone. "Thanks." I quietly muttered under my breath. There was a wind, gods know where that comes from. There were no openings other than one we went in through. "Arin, Cynthia?" I called out for them. In the back of my mind I heard a quiet whisper. "They all lie, your father isssss dead." I turned around to face the voice but saw a dark-red, shadowy figure trapped in a block of crystal. "All of them lie, Kendra. Free me and I sssshall help get revenge." Another voice spoke. "Don't listen to her, she's trying to lead you down the wrong path. My daughter, you must go away." I was having one of those angel, devil moments.

I was always taught to listen to the good side of me but the dark spirit called louder. "Arin, Mark and Cynthia, they lied, your father is dead." The spirit morphed into the figure of my dad before showing him attacked by fomorians. "They really lied?"

"Do not listen to Wrath, they did it to keep you safe!"

"No, join me. I will bring you power beyond any limits." I slowly reached out to break the crystal of Wrath. Out of nowhere something crashed into me. "Kendra!" I looked to see Arin on the ground beside me. "That's Wrath, believe me, I've seen what it can do. She lures people so she can be freed from her prison here."

"Someone else was speaking."

"Who?"

"She called me her daughter."

"This is a river."

"So my mom could be here?"

"Possibly, this mountain is a prison." He pointed towards a stone near a river. They had carvings on them. "Wow. I have never seen anything like it."

"The rock formations are wonderful too."

Shadows of the rocks danced across the cave walls. A thin stream of water ran through the mountain. The ground shook like someone had picked up the mountain and played catch with it. "Fomorians, find Danu and get out." Arin pulled out his sword. Cynthia nodded and turned a corner to another section of the cave. "What do I do?"

"Go with Cynthia." I nodded and followed Cynthia. "Kendra, do you hear anything?"

"No."

"Just listen for your mom again-"

"Sweetness? Didn't expect to see you here." Cynthia looked up to see Mark holding his sword. "Mark! Tell the army to stop!"

"Army? I came here alone."

"Then why.." Her voice trailed off as I gripped my sword. "Cynthia, I just want to know why you left."

"I left to help them."

"Cynthia, come back please."

"No." I felt a quiet calling in the distance. "Kendra?" I turned around towards a small opening. "I feel something calling me." I walked towards the opening and using my sword I broke away some crystals. "Mom?" A faint glow at the end of the cave felt familiar. Cynthia and Mark climbed down slowly. "My daughter has come." I saw a woman with pale blonde hair which looked like the flowing river in Tír Na Anam. Her skin was glowing like light was constantly reflecting off it. Her eyes looked like mine, blue- but her's were filled with wisdom. "Mom." I whispered quietly, tears forming in my eyes. "Kendra, come here." After years I was seeing my mom. She held her arms open. I ran into them hugging her tightly. A mother's love should never be taken for granted, they always said. I'd never grown up with a mother and had never experienced the feeling of love from a mother. "Kendra, the fomorians took me here. Have the rivers been well? Have they dried up?" Cynthia pulled out her phone and flipped through the news. "Missipi river has run dry, Hudson is drying up and the other rivers in Canada and Ireland are practically dead."

"How long have I been away?"

"They said a few months."

"Months? I didn't feel like that." Arin called out for us from outside. "Help!" Mark climbed out to assist Arin. Cynthia prepared her bow and arrow. "I can hit the ice covering the mountain top, it should block them from reaching here." Danu nodded and pulled out her staff. "Gather them back in, Cynthia block them from getting here. Kendra, find a way out of here." I nodded, I couldn't fail this mission. I began pushing rocks to move them around. "We're back." Arin and Mark rushed in, Mark was covered in mud and rocks. "What happens when you walk to Arin and he throws you in a puddle of mud." Cynthia pulled out a redwood bow, engraved with intricate designs of fire and a phoenix. "This'll do the trick." She notched the arrow in her bow aiming it at the center of the ice. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, whispering something. "Heartfire, hit your mark." She let the arrows fly. Mark held his breath in anticipation. I was still looking for an exit, but I managed to find loose stones. The arrow spun and shattered the ice. The shards fell like raindrops blocking the entrance. "Kendra, have you found anything?"

"Yes but it's too stuck."

"Hit it with something."

"I just need-" I took the water of the stream and continuously whipped it at the stone. My mom came and joined me. Arin and Mark pushed on other stones while Cynthia stood ready for attack. Finally the stones gave way and we pushed through the mountainside.