At the Back Gate

Elin felt like she was in a haze. She was kind of aware of what was happening, though she wouldn't be able to explain what it was that she saw or did. She recognized when they were moving through the hallways, when they stopped, and when she was allowed to rest near an open window. She couldn't say why she felt to exhausted, but she did know that's what it was.

She had climbed through the window that she had been sitting next to and crossed a field that was by it before she started to really feel her stamina failing. They were standing before something that her mind wasn't allowing her to identify, even though she was sure she should know what it is and was wondering if she'd just drop where she stood or if she'd go down slower somehow, when she felt someone tap her shoulder. She looked at them feeling like it was taking a monumental effort to focus her mind enough to be sure what she was seeing, not that she had any idea who she was looking at when something was placed in her hand. She looked at it, unsure what to do about it.

"Go ahead, drink it. You look like you need it," a kind masculine voice said.

Elin didn't know what else to do about it, so she opened it and swallowed a mouthful. She didn't plan on drinking all of it, as she had no idea exactly what it was. However, as she felt the liquid slide down her throat, her mind cleared. She felt strength return to her limbs and she didn't feel like she was just barely awake.

She looked back at the man who'd handed it to her and smiled. A moment later she realized that it was the king who had given her to bottle. Her eyes went wide in surprise, and bowed her head to him, unsure if she shouldn't do anything else, especially given the circumstances and the position she was in. She stood up on her own, taking her weight off of Elmo, who she was now aware had been helping her move around.

"Thank you, your majesty," Elin whispered, respectfully as Elmo stepped away, giving them some privacy to talk.

"I had to help you for what you've been able to do already," he replied quietly, making Elin blush. She didn't expect that he'd have noticed anything she had done. "Besides, I'm sure you're going to need it to complete whatever challenge you have going on."

Elin felt like he'd hit her in the face out of the blue with how shocked she felt at his statement. "How…?" Elin trailed off, unsure how much she should say with all the people around them.

The king held up his hand. "Don't worry about that. I just recognized you're from somewhere I'm familiar with, so I know a few things at least," the king answered Elin's unspoken question calmly. "If you survive the night, we'll talk more. Right now I have my son to get to safety. Though, I'll send help as soon as I'm able to."

Elin nodded, not sure what she should really expect. Especially since she wasn't sure how much the king knew about her and those in her group. Or if he was only aware of her being in the competition.

Elin walked over to where Jonas and Elmo were waiting. She offered the bottle to them, since it was still mostly full. She didn't feel like she needed more, especially since she didn't really have that much stamina in the first place.

"The king gave this to me," Elin said. "I think it'll restore your stamina. I feel a lot more alert now."

"That's good, but you should save it," Jonas said. "I've handled my stamina like I know I'll need it to last, so I expect I should be good for a while more."

"Well, Elmo should take some anyway," Elin urged, shoving the bottle at Elmo, who looked a little panicked at the motion.

"Wh-why?" Elmo asked, looking a little flustered, which Elin found rather funny. Though, she did her best to let it show.

"Because you were helping me get out here from the party," Elin answered. "So, you should be tired yourself, even if you don't look like it."

Jonas clapped his hand on Elmo's shoulder. "Take some," he directed Elmo. "She's right. You'll probably need it."

Elmo sighed in defeat and nodded as he then took the bottle and drank a mouthful. Then as the liquid went down his throat, Elin could see his eyes brighten up.

"See?" Elin asked, "So much better."

Elmo smiled, and gave a small nod, but his expression told Elin he didn't want to say anything about it. Elin didn't mind. She had a feeling he was more embarrassed about it than anything else.

"We've got incoming," Jonas warned, his eyes focusing off in the distance.

Elin turned to look in the direction he was looking in and couldn't make out any shadow from another. There just wasn't enough light for her.

"Are you sure?" she asked, not liking the idea of not being able to see any enemies that were there.

"Yes. I can't say if it's a regular patrol or if they're coming to check the gate, but either way, we have to eliminate them," Jonas said.

"Can't we first see if they're not hostile?" Elmo asked. "I'll approach them and see if they attack me. If they do then we'll know they were hostile."

Elin glanced at Jonas, not sure what he'd say about that, but it sounds almost like Elmo was talking in circles to her. Especially since she remembered how Elmo couldn't fight other people when they were attacked while on the road.

"If you want to," Jonas said. "Keep in mind, if they do attack, that you'll be that much closer and able to see their deaths first hand."

Elmo swallowed before he nodded. "I'll manage," he assured Jonas, though Elin thought he still looked a little nauseas and unsteady.

Jonas pointed in the darkness again. "Head in that direction. If you keep walking, they'll run into you eventually. You won't be able to miss them," Jonas instructed Elmo.

Elmo nodded and started walking. Elin was confident that Jonas was right in his assessment, but didn't want to say anything about that. She hoped Elmo was right, if only for Elmo's sake, but she didn't expect it to be that way. Too much would be easier in the world if things could always be like that. For another thing, they wouldn't be in this predicament if life could work out like Elmo was hoping this encounter would.

Elmo was just a dot in the darkness, and if Elin blinked, she was sure she'd lose him. Though, while she was sure he'd stopped in the distance, she couldn't tell if there was anyone else there. At least not by using her eyes. She hoped that whoever Jonas saw couldn't see them, even if they were friendly. Something bothered her about the possibility that they could see here but she couldn't see them.

She wasn't sure what would happen with Elmo seeing if they were friendly or not, but she was at least confident that he'd be alright. She had confidence that he wouldn't let them kill him if they turned out to be hostile.

"Who… at… you…?" Elin struggled to hear what Elmo was saying to them, but couldn't make out very much. Certainly not enough to have any idea what was said.

"…old… be positi… ere," Elin heard, but still couldn't understand what they were saying.

She wanted to get closer, but didn't want to give anything away that these people didn't know already. She glanced at Jonas and couldn't help but feel jealous of his keen ears skill. She was sure he could hear what was being said without any trouble.

"…fro… ty… ping… cape," Elmo's response came to Elin.

Elin gritted her teeth in annoyance. She didn't want to just hear a small fraction of the conversation. She wanted to know if Jonas was correct about these people or not. At least then she'd know if she should be ready to heal any injuries Elmo might get from them.

"That… choice… you," the other person said and Elin felt like she was going to scream in aggravation. Why did they have to talk so quietly? She couldn't hear them!

"Dark Impact!" Elmo suddenly called out, startling Elin.

A darkness formed almost instantaneously that made it so Elin couldn't see the manor anymore, even with the weak moonlight, and slammed into whoever Elmo had been talking to. She heard grunts of pain from whoever was hit by Elmo's spell.

"It's over," Jonas said suddenly, making Elin look at him.

Why did it feel like he knew precisely what was going to happen and what Elmo would do? Elin couldn't help but wonder. If he did, then it was so unfair that he didn't even say anything about it to them! Why did she have to be kept In the dark, so to speak, about what was going on?

"Lets see if these people survived Elmo's spell," Jonas remarked as he started walking towards where Elmo had gone.