Fairy Tail - Twilight Empire

Chapter 40 - A Capital Sinkhole

None of the Fairies bothered to take watch shifts while they were in the caverns below the city. Kip's senses were heightened and attuned enough that he'd catch any disturbance. Johan had already been in the cavern and was pointedly trying to hide from them. Kip set up defenses and barriers of his own making that would immediately notify him of a new arrival.

Gray, Elfman, and Gajeel were the first to wake up and stretch their sleep away before rousing the others. Happy was the most disappointed by this. He was apparently having a dream of eating a nice big fish in an underground lake. Juvia was all too delighted—she woke from being with Gray in a dream to getting to spend time with him in real life. How wonderful.

"Kip?" Gray said, nudging the Cavern Dragon Slayer. "Time to get moving."

He ignored the rumbling in his stomach. Everyone was probably getting a little hungry, Happy most of all. Kip, it seemed, would not be ignoring this, and, once he was up, led everyone down a ways toward a stream. Happy couldn't believe his eyes.

They all gorged on a school of small fish they quickly cooked up. Gray was all too aware of the time slipping by. Every moment that was spent was another that could've been the end for Natsu or Erza—though he doubted the Empire would ever really be able to do anything about them.

Wendy picked up Carla as Happy sat on Elfman's head.

"What's the best way into Crocus from here?" Gray asked.

"Hard to say exactly where we are," Kip said. "The city is far enough above us that I can't even make sense of any structures we'd be near. I'd have to start digging and hope for the best."

"There must be some sort of network of tunnels beneath the city for royal evacuation," Carla said.

"Or sewers," Gajeel said.

Wendy and Carla shivered at the thought.

"I had a good enough gauge of where we were before breakfast, so let's work our way up from there." He paused, glancing at Gray and Gajeel. "Is there anywhere you'd like to go?"

Gray pursed his lips. Getting into the city was the priority. If Erza was with them, she'd try and push for some sort of tactical maneuver, where they stealthily made their way in and didn't create much of a ruckus.

But Gray was dealing with Elfman and three Dragon Slayers, plus Happy. A quiet plan was out the door. They needed a distraction, one that Kip, simply by the nature of his magic, could easily provide.

"Juvia," Gray said. The Rain Woman blushed and acknowledged him. "If we can get close enough to the surface, would you be able to turn into water and scout ahead to see where we're going, like what building we're near?"

"Certainly, darling," Juvia said. She folded her hands. "Not a problem."

Gray nodded. "Let's run with that. Kip, you keep getting us close and let us know what you think is around, then Juvia can verify it."

"Way to take control of the situation, Gray," Wendy said.

"Strategizing, like a real man!" Elfman exclaimed.

Kip set off. Gajeel wasn't far behind, likely implementing his own strategy: being a drill, or a battering ram. If Kip ripped open the ground above them, Gajeel could throw himself forward with all the force in the world, knocking back whatever opponent got in their way. Then, they'd be struck by a quartet of power, between Gray, Juvia, Elfman, and Wendy, not eve able to see as the Exceeds got by.

Then again, there could be some sort of magical barrier around the city that they broke through without ever knowing, like a silent alarm. Outside of Wendy, few of the travelers were that attuned to the magical world. Carla wasn't about to have a premonition, it seemed, either.