Hellfire | Isle of the Lost

FIFTEEN: To Crossing Bridges

Every moment of this adventure had already proven to be a little more adventurous than Helena had anticipated. 

For those that knew the daughter of Hades, this revelation was quite shocking. Helena was a simple girl, she set a schedule for herself and kept to it for the most part. And anything else she wanted to do that wasn't part of said schedule, she made sure to tell Pain and Panic first. She had a select number of people that she would talk to, and she never bothered anyone else unless they did something first. She never did anything too terrible not only because it made her uncomfortable, but also because she also knew that Hades and Persephone were watching from afar. This was by far the craziest thing she's ever done. But what was even crazier was that Helena didn't regret her decision one bit. 

Don't get her wrong, Helena regretted not telling Pain and Panic what she was doing like she normally does. However, she didn't regret joining Mal, Evie, Jay and Carlos on this crazy adventure. She needed to be here not only to keep Mal in check, but to also satisfy her curiosity. She wanted to see the famed scepter belonging to the Mistress of All Evil and if Maleficent could really use it on the island.

So, here Helena was on this adventure with one of her only friends on the island, a blue haired girl she hardly knew, and two people she didn't even like. But despite that, she also knew that they all had to work together in order to find the scepter. They were no longer extensions of their parents, but instead five individuals with their own skill set and knowledge. They had to rely on themselves as well as each other if they wanted to succeed. Helena had even managed not to throw up after feeling a little seasick on the journey over to the Isle of the Doomed, so that was a plus.

If she looked at it like that, then she'd already proven himself to be a better adventurer than anyone could have reasonably expected. That's what Helena told herself, anyway.

Then Helena told herself that she'd done better than Hades or Persephone expected her. They would most likely be upset with her for leaving home without saying a word to her guardians, who she knew were responsible for her while she was on the Isle. But Helena hoped that her parents would be proud of her as well. Helena ventured outside of her comfort zone to go on this adventure. And with the obstacles they faced, it meant looking out for herself but also for the others. She was learning more about herself than she ever would have if she decided to stay at home. 

Still, willing herself not to yak into the churning sea itself had required more than her share of exhausting determination, and by the time the five of them were back on land and all the way clear of the thorn forest - no worse for wear save for a few scratches and itchy elbows - Helena was more than glad to find a real path leading up to the dark castle on the hill above them.

Plain old dirt and rock had never looked so good. Until it began to rain, and the dirt became mud, and the rock became slippery.

Carlos' invention was now beeping at regular intervals, its sensor light flashing more brightly and more quickly with every step that drew them closer to the fortress. "The Dragon's Eye is definitely up there," Carlos said excitedly, feeling a scientist's enthusiasm at a working experiment. "If this thing is right, I'm picking up on some kind of massive surge in electrical energy. If there is a hole in the dome, it's leaking magic here somehow, different from the Isle of the Lost."

"Maybe the hole is right above this place," said Evie.

"Yeah, I can feel it too." Mal nodded, still moving forward along the path. "Do you guys?" She stopped and looked at them, shielding her eyes from the rain with one hand.

Carlos looked at her in surprise. "Feel what? This?" He held up his box, and it beeped in her face. Mal jumped back, startled, Jay and Helena both laughing.