Wrongly in Love

44- Teamwork Makes The Dream Work

"Why me?"

The first time she asked that, Eudora simply frowned. The second time she asked, Eudora sighed. "This is your one and only chance to get a peek of the Land of Dawn, to get some first hand experience in the battlefield, just in case you enter."

If she entered? Shalixe had lost all hope in entering the battlefield. She wasn't famous, talented, or wealthy enough to buy her way in the battlefield (she had heard of stories of people who attempt to skip the Application form by sending a pile of gold, though they didn't make it into the final lineup as they had to endure rigorous training to actually make it in). Toying her silvery hair, she sighed and gazed at the clouds.

After a while, Alucard, who was driving the chariot, looked behind on them. "Prepare for landing! We're finally here."

Shalixe gazed down from the gleaming golden chariot embossed with the intials M. A. that Eudora lent them from the school. There, located at an empty clearing, was what Alice had called the "Gateway to the Abyss" . The trees were pretty far, she noticed, and they were packed together, as if the Abyss was a monster they were trying to hide from. As they landed, she noticed one thing.

"Where is the actual entrance?" She asked, for she didn't see a hole or an underground passage. There were markings and danger signs, however.

"Alice gave me magical stones that were used to enter the Abyss," Alucard replied. "Only, I forgot where I placed them."

"I put in my quiver just in case," Miya pulled out three marked stones and handed it to him. She and Harith were also part of the team. Nana was supposed to go with them, but she preferred to stay behind.

"Is that going to affect you, Miya?" Harith asked uncertainly. "The same person who attacked your village also asked you for help."

Miya sighed. "Anything to help Gusion and them. Personally, I don't know why all heroes are dragged into their mess, as if its our problem when they get executed!"

"Eudora suspected that Arthur's plan was much more than about Gusion and Guinevere. So she included the other heroes," Shalixe told her. "And it's not all who came to Magic Academy. There are like, a hundred heroes or even more. Some are just not officially registered in the battlefield yet." Shalixe looked down as Alucard placed the three stones on the ground, each five feet apart from the other and forming a triangular shape.

"There- stand back, or we'll fall directly into the Abyss and break our bones," he warned. After a few seconds, the ground began to break.

Shalixe stifled a gasp as there was a momentary earthquake, and she nearly lost her balance. The entrance to the Abyss looked like the inside of a volcano. She swore she inhaled the smell of sulfur, hot ash, and lava. Ugh! She coughed and pinched her nose.

"There's a steep path that leads down to the Abyss," Harith observed. "Grab on the rocks- there's a high chance of falling."

So, Eudora brought me here to die? Shalixe resisted the urge to roll her eyes. But, whatever. She had to do what was told.

And soon they were going down the path and grabbing onto rocks. Harith tripped at one point, but he managed to grab on quickly and Alucard helped him regain his balance. Soon, they reached the bottom of the Abyss, which was surrounded by a sea of red water which seemed to be blood.

"Where's Alice?" Miya asked, looking around. Sure enough, Alice was nowhere to be found.

"The sulfur smell must come from over there," Alucard pointed at a volcano which was barely visible in the smoke.

"Yeah, but we didn't come here for the sulfur perfume, Alu," Harith said, annoyed. "We came to see Alice!"

"Oh there! There's a boat that's magically coming towards us," Alucard exclaimed.