The First Daughter

Chapter 25:

I rolled my shoulders and stretched out my neck after a glance at the tunnel in front of us.
It had a tall entrance that was barricaded with signs plastered saying to go away and don't tresspass or it''l be our own demise.


Lilly chuckled, “Guys I got this.”
I turned my head to watch Lilly walk up to the barricades with her hands surrounded with green clouds. Lilly paused and looked up the wall: she just stared for a moment, I glanced at Darren and then my attendtion was back on Lilly when she raised her arms and I literally heard her energy powering up and she shot the magic at the door and it dissolved like acid.


Lilly turned to Darren and I and shrugged her shoulders and smiled. I walked up beside Lilly and patted her shoulder, “Good job!”
Darren took in a deep breath and his nose instantly scrunched up, “Aw man!” He covered his nose with his forearm, “It wreaks!”


From inside the tunnel I heard screeching and howling and some things started to move in the shadows. I pulled my Mother's bow out and notched an arrow and tugged on the string. “Remind me again why we chose this one?” I asked.
“We flipped on it.” Darren replied with a smirk.


I sighed and stepped closer to the tunnel while the other two followed behind me. Just one more step and I was in the darkness of the tunnel, I glanced at the ground and I saw the rocks that were standing upright. I tactically chose where to place my foot and as I stepped in the supposed “rocks” crushed into fine powder against my boots. I rolled my eyes and stepped in more confidently hearing the “crunch” as if this was snow rather than stone.


I turned my head to the others and they are coming in too and I went down the tunnel. Taller formations began rise closer to the walls, like miniature jagged mountains. I heard a hiss bounce off the walls of the tavern I looked around trying to find the source. Something pinged in the back of my brain and I quickly turned around and saw a Shadow Creature, leaping into the air, I quickly aimed my armed bow only to see a golden light rod with a point flew through the air and struck the Shadow Creature and it fell and dissipated into ash on the way down.


I turned my head and found Darren in lowering his bow, we exchanged smile. Lilly trudges past me with a hand that was glowing.
“If you are done flirting,” She said with a sigh, “We have a job to do.”
I made a confused look and turned my head following Lilly: When had she become like, this? Another good question was how did she learn how to use her abilities so easily.
Lilly didn't stop moving and Darren jogged up next to me and I looked at him puzzled, he returned my puzzled look and asked what was wrong. I thought for a second and decided to answer, “Nothing.” and we walked together down the tunnel.


***


Soon the fake turn-to-ash rocks turned to hard black brittle plates that crunched against my boots like broken ceramic dishware. I compensated and stepped lightly, hiding my existence in the realm of sound. But ahead and beside me certain people were being loud as a bull in a china shop. “Could you not be any louder?” I grumbled.
“Sorry.” Darren replied.


Hissing and mumblings bounced around again on the cave walls, “We have to be quiet.” I whispered and a hushed almost legible version of what I said bounced around us and traveled down the tunnel. I sighed angrily and rolled my eyes. I began to walk again when I saw Lilly twirl her hand and zapped her feet with magic. She looked at me and “okayed” me with her fingers, making a circle with her pointer and thumb.


Darren made a couple of failed advances that were meant to be quiet. Both Lilly and I scowled and Lilly twirled her finger again and zapped Darren's feet and suddenly the noise softened and slowly became non-existent. I raised my eyebrows at her curious on how she was able to use her magic so proficiently so quickly. But then an echo came to us, it reminded me of a dragon hissing, I begin to smell something. I take a couple of short wiffs to make sure I am smelling something, and then take it a long breath so I can process the smell. My eyes widen as the smell registered as reptilian, with the unmistakable smell of fire.


I step lighter than my usual to ensure that I don't attract unwanted attention. We all walked down the tunnel together with silent death steps. We came to a crossroad where the tunnel divided into two. I sniffed the air down both. They were practically identical in sight, but my sense of smell told me that the dragon was in the left tunnel and the smell of demigods were down the right.
Lilly came up beside me and made a motion with her hands asking me where we were supposed to go. I replied by tilting my head in the direction of the demigod smelling tunnel.


Lilly nodded and then motioned to Darren, (who was lagging behind), to follow us, and then Lilly ushered me to lead the way. So I did and confidently: the scent growing stronger and stronger. I looked over my shoulder for a second and my toes for a split second tipped over a cliff and I lost my balance and nearly fell down a chasm that went straight down. Before I completely lost my balance Lilly's hand grabbed my arm and pulled me to safety.
I mouthed a thank you and turned back to the bottomless pit, I then looked ahead and found it was just wall. I smelled the air; yes the demis were down there. But, I smelled something else, a couple of extras and something else I never smelled before.


Of course, why would Hades leave the most powerful demigods unprotected? I looked down and didn't see the bottom. I picked up a flat piece of stone and dropped it into the hole hoping to get a good idea how far down it was. It was a good few, long minutes before I heard a faint 'ping' when the rock hit the bottom and my heart sank to the bottom of my stomach.


“So, far down.” I whispered.
“Here.” Darren whispered back and pulled out an arrow and jammed it into the ground. He then pulled out thick rope and tied a knot that I recognized from like The Boys Scouts.
“You've been in the Boys Scouts?” I whispered.
Darren nodded and pulled out another arrow and tied the other end of the rope, loaded his bow, aimed down the hole and fired.
“You have enough rope?” I asked.


The long coil of rope between us unraveled as the arrow flew down the chasm. He touched my forearm to tell me not to worry; Darren also put his finger to his lips to remind me to be quiet. My arm tingled, a chill ran up my spine and made me uncomfortable so I pulled my arm away.


The rope seemed to never end until I heard the arrow strike the ground and the rope instantly tightened with a harsh twang. I stopped breathing, listening if something would retaliate; I listened but nothing responded to the noise. Darren then pulled out of his backpack a harness and a 'D' ring. He pointed to the harness and held up his pointer to show he only had one of these, and then pointed at me.

Me first?

Notes

Welp I know it's taken a long time lol but hey! Oh well I'm trying hard.


oh


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