The Systems Challenge

Elmo couldn't help but wonder if there had been anyone wounded from the fight with the orcs, but from the lack of cries of pain, he got the sense that they might have been able to get through that assault without anything serious happening.

Yet at the same time, he was afraid to look around or to ask. As just because he didn't hear any cries of pain, didn't mean that no one got injured. Some did their best to avoid crying out in pain while others could easily be unconscious. Or have been killed.

Elin was mostly afraid of that last option. He didn't want to see anyone having been killed like that if it was possible. Even the mere thought of it was enough to make his stomach twist in an unpleasant way.

So, following Kim was an easy enough decision. Especially since there was something about what she'd said that made him want to go, even if he wasn't part of the competition that had brought him to this world.

Elmo also thought that Jonas and Elin were fully on board as well. Until they were well on their way to climbing the slope.

"So, what's the plan then?" Jonas asked. "Are you going to try to talk with it or are we acting like the sacrifices to appease a dangerous deity-like being that could still rain destruction down on the others?"

Kim briefly glanced at Jonas as he moved up next ot her on the slope. "Getting a little dark, aren't we?"

Jonas shrugged. "Hey, I have no idea what you're thinking. Just that conventional wisdom would say that this is a bad idea."

"Then why are you accompanying me?" Kim asked, her tone making Elmo wonder if she was serious or was being rhetorical.

"Simple. You're part of our group. So, if you want to walk into the mouth of the lion, so to speak, then we should go with you. If nothing else, who's to say that we can't get a secret challenge completion out of this?" Jonas asked with a smirk.

"Well, any idea about what we should ask the dragon?" Kim asked.