1.12

The rest of the squad ran as fas as they could through the barrier, only to get stopped by another "kind of" barrier. This obstacle stood between them and the castle. The ring of fire, surrounding the entrance areas.

The ring was initially not there and must've activated after the barrier was broken and penetrated. "Well darn. This isn't exactly the greatest of outcomes per se. It could've been most other things, but no. Pit of fire. Not a pit of water, or a pit of sand or a pit of milk. But Fire." Major was verbally cross at this turn of events, shaking his head at the outcome.

Mureli stepped forward. "I can walk through it, but that doesn't get any of you anywhere." Mureli activated her own AEnigma, Born of Fire, and stepped into the flaming pit. Her AEnigma took the shape of a pair of sunglasses with metalic red rims. "It's all good down here for me. Now to find a way to get you lot over here."

"Uhm, I may have an idea." From the back of the group, a shy spoken woman raised an idea. Maris held her hands to her chest in a shy, anitsociable way. "Well, I'm pretty versed in water tricks, maybe I could give it a go."

"Take it away if you think it'll help."

She shakily stepped forward to the pit and held her hand to the sky. Water splashed and gushed out of her palms, it formed above the pit and came rushing down onto the flames, doing nearly nothing to them. the water turned to steam the instant it made contact. "How hot is that fire? It turned the water into steam straight away, my gosh." Maris was taken aback by this turn of events. She had a surprised expression on her face. Her water tricks hadn't failed her before.

"That's odd, really odd. The temperature of the fire is clearly waaaaay higher than the boiling temperature of water. But I've noticed, none of us are particularly, hot per se. It's not giving off heat at all." Aureli scratched her chin at this predicament. She was puzzled about the fire. Why didn't it give off heat. "Major, negate those flames for me please."

The white wings and halo appeared in a flash and he sent a stream of flames from his hands towards the fire, putting it out via trick negation. Within seconds of extinguishing, the flames rised once more. "No good, not nearly enough time to cross." Aureli scratched her chin once more. "Damn it. We need something to stop those flames from regenerating while we can all cross."

"I've got an idea." Major started flapping his wings as hard as possible until he eventually took flight. He flew to the other side of the pit and hit another barrier like a brick wall. He fell down towards the pit of flames uncontrollably.

"Ignis Portalis."

A flaming portal appeared below Major and he fell to safety next to the group. "Good save Galvinor." Galvinor smiled at his work, he felt that the two years of training had made him a friend of the people.

"Guys, I think there's a barrier at the end." The group looked over to Jelly with confused looks. "Haha, I see you are all dumbfounded and have yet to figure out the problem, well I, the great Jelly Jumpsicle have managed to outwit all of the smartest minds." Jelly placed her hands on her hips and was boasting a chuffed expression. Not a moment's sleep lost.

"So then, great detective, how do we all get across?"

"I'm glad you asked, well I have a master plan you see. Come on out Glutton!" From beneath the ground a massive blob formed. It had a huge mouth with teeth. Human like teeth and a large cheesy grin. "Okay Glutton, help us get past the big pit of fire." The massive blob thing nodded and dived back under the ground, just to reappear in front of the pit.

It opened its gob and started to suck the flames away like a vacuum cleaner. "Don't worry guys, the glutton has a bottomless stomach, just like yours truly. Also I've never seen him run out of steam before so no worries there either. Just get across as quick as possible okay.

The group nodded and ran for the barrier, just to start being sucked in by the glutton aswell. "Oh for god's sake." Said Major as he was being eaten alive. The Glutton consumed the entire squad. It closes it's mouth and made a strange gulping noise like it was swallowing. *BURP*

The Glutton looked back at Jelly and smiled. "Well that wasn't exactly what I had in mind. This has become a bit of a pickle. I know, I'll ask Moshi." Jelly skipped all the way back to the previous barrier where Moshi was. She banged on the barrier wall to get his attention. It sounded like banging the inside of a fishtank.

Moshi got up and walked over. The barrier was quite thick and it made a sound like they were under water when communicating. "I accidentally ate everyone else. Got any ideas on how to help?"

"What the...? What? What on earth did you do?"

"The Glutton ate them. By accident."

"Right, makes more sense. It's your AEnigma, can you spit them out?"

"No idea, lemme check." Jelly resummoned the glutton and it started hurling everyone up one by one in a really gross and disturbing way.

"Did she really need me?" Said Moshi, watching this horror show unfold before him.

Major was spitting a strange grey and green goo out and wiping it from his face and clothes. "Ugh, that was really gross." He got up and looked Jelly dead in the eye. "It's gross, but I have a plan."

Back at the fire pit, Major was explaining his plan to the group, who were not at all on board. "So y'know how that mouth monster can suck us in, I say we go the reverse and he gushes us out instead. I'll use illustrious AEnigma to negate the barrier and voila, were in. Well all of us apart from Jelly. Sorry."

Jelly saluted him. "No problemo Major, I have 100% battery and predownloaded all my favourite songs on Spotify, I'm good."

"Ooookay. Glad that's taken care of. Are we ready folks?"

"I have a bad feeling."