The Abyss

North of the Ash Canyons

"Are you sure this will work? Is there even a dragon here?" Omar asked impatiently, sweating profusely as he basked under the sun. Despite the blistering heat, he possessed the same level of energy he had a while ago.

As for Valeriana, who was not built for this kind of weather, she kept on drinking from her wineskin and fanning her top. She was given a change of clothes a few moments ago before they departed, but it wasn't any different—the only difference was that she was soaked with sweat and the other by plain water.

"What are Bismuth dragons supposed to be?"

"They have really strong scales that are resistant to fire; so much that they can keep themselves cool while sitting in a river of molten lava." Gavin told her.

"Oh yeah. I remember. What about the twin-tailed lions? They won't get burned if we dip them to the lava right?"

"They're essentially made of fire, Valeriana. They wield the hottest of flames. Do you really think it would do anything to them?"

"Well, okay." She replied dumbly. "I was just asking. You don't have to be so rude."

"I was answering your questions. It would be rude if I didn't." He replied.

"Yeah, but the tone you're using."

"I'm stressed about this entire affair. I do not know what we will do if this plan doesn't go smoothly."

"Don't worry, chief. We can do this." Saeed assured him.

Valeriana's thoughts kept drifting on Corvan's condition. Jameela had promised to look after him and make sure his condition does not worsen. However, she still could not keep herself from worrying.

"That damn idiot devil! I promise I'll bring him back just to kill him again if he dies!" She muttered angrily. "Just you wait, jerk!"

"What's with the face?" Saeed asked her. "Don't worry, we'll bring back the lord and his familiar. It'll be real bad if we didn't."

Was it that obvious?

"Who says I'm worried about that jerk!"

"Arland, what's with you?"

They stood before a big abyss that Valeriana gaped at the sight of it. It wasn't called the abyss for nothing. About a hundred kilometers of gaping hole—such a huge crack on the surface of the land that it must be visible when looking down from the outer space.

"Holy crap." Valeriana said as she tried leaning over a bit to see try and sneak a peek of whatever was down there.

Pure darkness.

"God, no. I have a mild case of acrophobia." She said.

"Then you shouldn't be looking down." Saeed pointed out.

"But I can't resist . . ." She shifted slightly to continue.

"Come here. Stop that. If you fall over, there'll be no way you'll live." He told her, grabbing her arm and pulling her away. "I heard about your tendency to be clumsy from the chief. If you die here, we don't know what we'll do."

"The Empyrean Volcano is on the other side." Omar pointed. "Aren't you starting to see how impossible this is?"

Looking past the ravine, there was a tall peak with a slight tinge of a glow and curling smoke.

"How far will it be by foot?"

"Half a day of trek." Said Omar. "We'll have to go around this thing if we will."

"That's too far."

"That's why we have to fly."

"But how exactly are we gonna do this?" Valeriana asked. "If a dragon is sleeping down there, how the heck are we supposed to wake him up? I mean, he has no doors obviously. I bet if you even want to knock, you'll have to hit with your body full force. Damn, I wish I had Avaro."

"Unfortunately, he's overtaken by an infection." Gavin cut in. "We have no time wishing for things we cannot have."

"So what's your idea?"

"I am uncertain. You tell me." He told me.

"Me again. I told you I'm not a very creative person. Stop pointing to me. You're supposed to be the leader!"

"I am not a leader." Gavin said. "I am merely a thief who wants to set things right. I absolutely have no leader-like qualities—not like my cousin."

"'Hey, don't say that, chief." Omar said as he and Saeed gave Gavin a look of disapproval. "You're a good leader."

"Not good enough, then. I let this happen. My naivety and foolishness will cost many people one day."

"And yeah." Valeriana interjected. "We sort of don't have the time beating ourselves up for things we cannot change, so, does anybody have an idea how to, like, do this?"

They stared blankly at her.

"Come on, guys. It's too hot out here." She fanned herself.

There was silence in exception for a mild breeze.

"Still nothing? Ugh!"

When there was still nothing, she gave a grumpy frown and marched to the edge of the abyss and yelled to the top of her lungs.

"HELLO! GOOD AFTERNOON!" She screamed, her voice echoing slightly.

"Hey, Valeriana!" Gavin stared at her in disbelief.

"WE WOULD LIKE YOUR ASSISTANCE ON SOMETHING, BIG . . . OLD . . . uh . . . GREAT DRAGON! OR SOMETHING!"

Saeed and Omar exchanged glances and covered their faces, as though embarrassed. Gavin felt a headache kicking in all of a sudden.

"I HEARD YOU WERE A BISMUTH! SORTA!" She hesitated. "AND YOU HAD SCALES! THEY SAID YOU CAN FLY SO YOU PROBABLY HAVE WINGS! IF NOT, YOU'RE PROBABLY LIKE MARCIUS—HE'S A REALLY BIG SERPENT! LIKE A DRAGON! AND HE LIKES TO SPIT ON PEOPLE! BUT I'M NOT SAYING YOU LIKE SPITTING ON PEOPLE, I MEAN—"

"Arland! Come here!" Saeed pulled Valeriana by the arm and covered her mouth. "What in the name of the gods are you saying!"

"I don't know! I can't think of anything!" She hissed at him. "If you have a better idea, why don't you!"

She wrenched away her arm from Saeed's grip and turned her back on him.

"I got it!" Omar said. "I read this book about a summoning dance or something?"

"A dance?"

"It goes something like . . ."

Omar put up his hands and started kicking his feet. His staff rattled when he moved so suddenly that it turned into some sort of tribal dance. The other three watched him questioningly as her carried on. "Alliye . . . antum si voullye . . . awoo awoo!" He pumped his fists in the air while carrying the staff with both hands and continued kicking his feet tiredly.

"Seriously?" Valeriana frowned, her brow quirking. "You say this is better? How is this any better?"

"Awoo! Awoo!"

Gavin continued massaging the bridge of his nose. "Arland, help us."

"Alliye antum si voullye!" Saeed joined.

"What?" Valeriana stared at him in horror.

He shrugged. "I mean, why not just join? Not like there's anything better to do."

"Awoo! Awoo!"

The two chorused. "Ollieh vu Arlandos dehn!"

Omar was kicking up the beat into a faster rhythm as he danced and sang at the same time. Gavin could not hold back but frown so hard his eyes were practically rolling to the back of his head.

Meanwhile, Valeriana was so weirded out she was at loss.

"Awoo! Awoo!"

When the dance ended, Omar was standing at the edge of the cliff as he grinned up at the guys.

"How was it?"

"Horrible." Valeriana replied.

He crossed his arms stubbornly and stomped his feet in such a childish manner that he really did look like a child. "Not like you any better idea—aaaahh!"

Unknown to him, the moment he stomped, he managed to break off a vulnerable part of the cliff that it crumbled beneath his feet. His talking turned to screaming if it weren't for Saeed who managed to grab his wrist in time.

His feet dangled dangerously on the great fall below that he closed his eyes, cried, and whimpered.

"Hold on!" Saeed yelled.

Valeriana grabbed his garb and tried to act as support. "KEEEPPPPP! HOLDING OOONNN! 'CUZ YOU KNOW WE'LL MAKE IT THROUGH WE'LL MAKE IT THROUGH!"

The noise died. The struggle died. The activities died. It seemed as though the wind stopped blowing for a moment as well. They all gave Valeriana a look of horror the moment she finished delivering the line.

"You found the time to sing in a time like this?!" Omar cried.

"Don't blame me! Your dancing was as bad as my singing! I was trying to sing for motivation!"

"That didn't do any motivating! Your voice is scary! You shouldn't open that mouth!"

"JERK!"

Gavin came forward and reached for Omar as well, when, all so suddenly, a huge roar reverberated from below. The sound reverberated so loud that the edge they were on starting crumbling as well.

Saeed lost his balance and fell halfway through, his waist hanging dangerously. Gavin's eyes shot wide when he had to support the two of them.

"Valeriana!" He yelled.

"I'm trying!"

"Well, would you look at that." Saeed grunted. "Turns out all you had to do was sing to wake up the beast."

"The question is," Gavin added. "What exactly did she wake up? With the ravine so deep, there's no way of knowing just how many creatures live down there. With luck, it just may be the dragon."

"You people! Jerks! All of you!" Valeriana yelled at them furiously.

Overtaken by irritation, she let go of Saeed's clothes that they all came sliding down further. Gavin yelped as he was caught off-guard and came tumbling down the ravine. Not a second after, he was in the same position as Omar, making Saeed grunt. Shocked, Valeriana leaped for the man's leg and managed to grab on. Unfortunately, she could not keep them all locked in place. She did not have enough strength to hold onto three men as they fell in.

"I'm so sorry!"

In the end, they all fell in, screaming their throats out as they rushed down the infinite darkness below.