Rift Duology #2: Rift of Shadow

Chapter 23: Arrival

—Jayden's POV—

After we rested and packed up, we began our adventure.
Aspen summoned Alias' Hammer with the Runestone, and we arrived in the stormy Keros' County.
In the streets, water slowly rose higher and higher, and the violent winds blew water around us.
The moon, now red, was barely visible behind the clouds, and shone brightly in some spots on the skyscrapers.

"So.. the Apocolypse is finally here. A bit anti-climactic, huh?" Aspen said.

"Yeah.. Instead of flaming ruin, everything is slowly flooding, thanks to the Nile." I replied.

"Jayden, I don't think we'll be strong enough.." Owen warned.
"Last time, we were launched into an entirely different realm! Who knows where that lava giant is anyways."

"Lava giant?" Leto asked.

"Something Cassiopeia made from the ground. It slapped us into the Aero Kingdom." Owen recalled.

"Hm. Back at Camp Cetus, or it's ruins, we have 'retired' stone giants. They can be awakened with a single Chroma Shard. The biggest and strongest of the giants need a bigger Shard, though." Leto said.

"Well, we can use the help. But, how much would it actually help? If we're talking Cassiopeia here, he could wave his hand and destroy the giants in an instant." Owen said.

"Hahah, that's the thing. These giants were created during the Cassian-War, specifically made to battle Cassiopeia's powers." Leto stated.
"It could withstand and maybe even push him back, long enough for you to get the Rift Blade, and close the Rift."

"Sounds like a plan!" I said and grabbed the colorless fragment.
I tried to put the Magic back, and after a few attempts, the color returned.
"Use the Hammer and be quick. We could use your help."

"I know, I know." Leto replied as she grabbed the Hammer and slammed a small piece of fabric, and disappeared in the portal.

"Okay.. okay, okay, we got this. We got this.
Right?" I told Owen and Aspen and looked ahead.
Cassiopeia's Spine, now even more sinister looking, basked in the red moonlight, and lightning occasionally illuminated the entire building.

"Yes, we do." Owen said with confidence, and my anxiety melted away. He did that Fear thing, which may not seem helpful, but it is.

"Wait, what are those lights?" Aspen murmered and stared at the Spine.

"There's 15 of them. 15 Lights?" Owen asked.

"Like the 15.." Aspen trailed off, and her eyes widened.
"We have to leave!" Aspen shrieked as a blue light rushed towards us, and a figure emerged from it.

"Azure-" Owen tried saying, but the winds became too strong for us. It slammed us into a neighboring building, and the bag holding the Chroma Shards fell out of my grip.

"The Shards!" I yelled, and got up. We stood on a thin piece of concrete that circled the building, and not-so-far-below, water continued to rise.

"There!" Aspen pointed to a multicolored
glow—the Shards.
"I'll get them, you and Owen, cover me!" Aspen commanded and she jumped into the raging waters.

"She really- it's fine. At least she can use the ice platforms she's been practicing." Owen told me and we looked above us. Azure turned back into the light and another light sped past us- this time, a much lighter blue, almost periwinkle.

The light stopped a bit far from us, and again, a figure rose.
"Arche?" Owen said and we quickly walked on the thin strip of concrete, looking for for a ladder, or anything.

"Owen, know anything about him?" I urgently asked and climbed a fire escape to the roof.

"He's the Primordial of Space and Kenisis." Owen stated.

"Which Kenisis'"? I asked.

"All of them. Any type of kenisis you can think of, he has." Owen said, and my hopes were crushed.

Arche rose from the water, moved his hands upwards quickly, and the rushing water from below flowed upwards instead.
The rushing waters, instead of smashing into the buildings, now rushed into the air above us.

"We're gonna drown!" I shrieked and Owen took something out I didn't even know he had.
A small Chroma Shard, and it was dark orange.

"The original Fear..?" I muttered and Owen's eyes glowed a orange, and large blades ripped from the roof and shot towards Arche. Instead of the pink blades I had used previously on Cassiopeia, they were Dark Orange- the Inversion of the Trait: Bravery.

"Hell yeah!" I laughed and got up, and stood behind Owen, watching Arche.
The light flickered and eventually, disappeared.

"One down, 14 to go." Owen said.

The water above us splashed down on us, and the water began to flow normally.
The water level was now at half our building, but thankfully, there were still much taller ones.

Now, we just had to get Aspen and destroy Cassiopeia, forever this time.

—Aspen's POV—

Look, so what if I acted rash? We need those Shards.

After I jumped down, I rushed my hands forwards, and water formed into large circles and froze.
"Ha! It worked!" I exlaimed and jumped from one platform to another.

Thank gods, the Shard Bag wasn't too far. In fact, it was stuck on a light pole, but seemed to loosen.
It was going perfectly well, until one of those lights zoomed past me, on a 4-way turn.

It was a deep blue, and a figure appeared from it.
"Who're you?" I asked it, but no response.
The goddess rose her hand, and water rose much quicker.

"Stop it!" I yelled as I slammed my foot, and a layer of thick ice froze atop the water.
"You're Tallulah, aren't you? Primordial of Water and the Oceans. Please, fight it! You're strong, stronger than Cassiopeia's Possession!"
I told her, and she smiled a faint smile, and said nothing.
The ice shattered, and the water went back to its original height.

"Thank.. you.." Tallulah said, and the light flickered off. The water launched the bag of Shards at me, and I returned to Owen and Jayden.