The Systems Challenge-Chapter 453: Back at the Camp

Elin was a little surprised to see Kim return without the other group that had gone into the city. As she understood that they were supposed to sell the teeth from the flowers and then meet up with Jonas' group so they could buy the food they needed. Yet, here they were, returning without Jonas' group.

She herself had been sent back to let the others know what they'd been able to get while the others waited to see if Kim, Elwin, or Heather showed up. Either with the money they'd need to buy the supplies or to let them know that they didn't have any luck on the sale of the flower's teeth. Although, the sight of Kim shot almost everything else out of her mind. Though, she did wonder why they weren't with Jonas' group at this time.

Not that she was going to say anything about it. Not when she didn't know about anything that had happened in the city. After all, it could very well be that they just weren't able to get as much for the teeth as they had expected they'd be able to. Which would be understandable since they didn't know how valuable they'd be in the first place. While they were unusual, it could also be that they weren't that uncommon to begin with.

Heather and Sonya at least seemed excited to be back together, though Elin couldn't help but wonder if she and Kim could have been like that if they hadn't had that falling out at that one point. She doubted it, since she didn't think that Kim had been nearly as excited as Heather or Sonya were at this moment, even at the peak of their relationship.

Elwin seemed more sour than he had been before they left, but Elin couldn't say that she was that surprised. She wasn't sure what would make Elwin happy, aside from having his brother brought back to life somehow, but she knew that even with her spell that could do just that, that it was too late for her to use it to bring him back. Or at least she assumed the time period for it had expired, since it wasn't really clear just how long that the spell would be viable after a person died.

She at least knew that it worked because she'd brought Heather back, but she certainly didn't think that it would be good to let everyone else know she had that spell. Not when she didn't like the idea of someone being aware that they'd died. She knew she certainly wouldn't like to learn that she had been dead and was alive again like that.

Heather had run ahead of Elwin and Kim, so it was a couple minutes longer before they reached them, though Elin and Elwin were still sitting around the campfire. It wasn't strictly necessary at that moment, but it was at least close enough to the time to have it lit.

"We're going to have a guest tonight," Kim announced as she sat down by the fire, next to Elin. "It'll be someone you know."

"I thought we were supposed to avoid the king," Elmo complained, clearly already having determined who the 'guest' would be.

"We didn't even see the king," Kim replied, sounding as annoyed with Elmo as she usually was.

"Does Jonas know about the guest?" Elin asked, wondering if maybe they already met up with Jonas' group and then parted again for whatever reason.

Kim looked startled in a way that Elin wondered if she'd actually forgotten about Jonas' group. As it certainly was possible that they'd done just that.

"There wasn't a need to tell him," Kim replied after a moment, quickly recovering from her reaction. "He'll be here soon enough, so we figured we'd tell him then."

"Uh, but weren't you supposed to meet up with them to pay for the food we need?" Elmo asked, making Elin wonder how hungry he was. She herself certainly could feel her own hunger growing, but it wasn't like she didn't expect to get anything soon. Especially with how Kim didn't seem to be concerned about that at all. Even Elwin and Heather weren't talking about what there was to eat like Elin had expected.

"So, is our guest bringing the food supplies we need?" Bart asked, sounding a little annoyed himself. "Or did you forget about that altogether?"

"Our guest will be bringing food supplies for us," Heather confirmed as Sonya lay down near the fire with Heather draped across her back. "She seemed to know Kim and was quite friendly with her."

Elin couldn't help but feel a stab of jealousy at how Heather phrased her statement. Not only was this person friendly with Kim, but it was also a 'her.' Which meant that if Elin wasn't careful she could lose Kim to some other woman!

However, either choosing at that moment by coincidence or because she sensed Elin's displeasure, Kim pulled Elin against her in a side hug. "Don't worry about it, my gem," Kim said softly. "You know her and are friends with her too."

Elin sighed. She didn't have any evidence against Kim, so she knew she really couldn't do anything about it. At least not until she saw exactly who this 'guest' was now.

"You never know, it could be that girl you were having fun with right after the second challenge was over," Patrick remarked. "I think she was named Sammy? Samuella? Symia?" Patrick paused for a moment before shaking his head. "Something like that, I'm sure. Though, I can't recall what happened to her. I assume she's still fine, but who knows what might happen in life on any day."

"Hey, I think I seem someone coming from the city," Bart remarked. "It looks like its probably Jonas, but it could be the guest Kim mentioned."

Elin looked and could see that it had gotten too dark to make out who it was, but there were three people, and they were coming from a different direction than Kim had used, though it likely Jonas' group, Elin couldn't help but feel a little uneasy about it.

"Well, if Jonas is coming now, I should go get our guest," Kim said, standing up, startling Elin.

"Wait, I thought our guest would be meeting us here," Elin protested, unsure if she'd misheard what Kim had said earlier.

Kim merely shook her head. "No, I just told her to meet us outside of that gate, but while we're close to the gate, we're not exactly by it, right?"

Elin wasn't sure what that was supposed to mean, but when Elmo and Patrick nodded, like they fully understood, Elin felt like she couldn't ask herself without seeming rather stupid.

So, she watched helplessly as Kim left, unable to know if she should follow or if she should say something, or if she should just wait patiently for her to return. She felt conflicted at that moment, unsure if there was anything else she could do about the situation.

"I guess you guys didn't have any luck on selling the flower teeth, huh?" Jonas commented as they entered the firelight.

"Not so much that we didn't have any luck, but more that it turns out we'd have to sell them to the king and when we tried that, we were told he wasn't seeing any petitioners at the moment," Elwin said, sounding more like he was complaining to Jonas than reporting on what had happened.

However, Jonas merely shrugged. Not at all concerned at how 'hard a time' Elwin made it sound like he'd had. "Can't say I'm really surprised. I mean, if the king didn't want these teeth out there, then the only way to really keep them from getting out very easily would be to control the supply himself. Especially if it came down to unknown magical items or materials."

"Where'd Kim go?" Patricia asked as she sat next to Patrick, surprisingly not reaching out to him in any manner as she did so.

"Apparently we're going to have a guest with us tonight," Elmo answered promptly. "She wouldn't say who it was, but she did mention that they were going to bring some food supplies for us."

"No hints or anything?" Jonas asked, as he started pulling out apples and tossing everyone one.

"Nope," Bart said. "She did say that she mentioned to meet her at the gate they'd left, I guess, and she just went to meet up with her, but other than that, nothing."

"Wait, she did mention that I knew her and that I was friends with her," Elin recalled, a little surprised that she'd forgotten about it. "So, I guess it'd be safe to assume that you knew her as well."

Jonas nodded as if he'd come to the same conclusion. "Well, all we can do is wait, I guess. I mean, it's not like it'd do any of us any good to think too much on the matter when it should get resolved quick enough."

"How long do you think it'll be?" Elmo asked, yawning.

"Shouldn't be too long," Elin answered. "The gates do tend to be closed at night, remember?"