Elmo wasn't sure why, but almost as soon as Jonas left to collect more firewood, it felt like every sound around him was magnified. That even the insects were louder somehow.
He didn't know if it was because of having escaped the bog the night before or if there was some other reason for this, but Elmo had to admit that it was starting to get to him. Usually when he was left alone, he didn't find the darkness so oppressive. Like it was getting ready to try and devour him. All he knew was that he was by himself and couldn't tell if it was his imagination or not.
It didn't help that when he looked away from the fire that he couldn't see past the ring of firelight around him, that it was like the world past that was swallowed in darkness.
Elmo tried his best to keep from letting the cacophony of noise get to him, but it was like it was warning him that danger was approaching. Maybe part of it was because Jonas had been looking a good amount of time to the south of where they were, but Elmo tried reassuring himself that Jonas wouldn't have left him if he'd thought that there was any real danger approaching.
However, that argument only lasted so long before Elmo felt it begin to crack.
At first, it started with a small pebble clattering on the ground in the distance. It wasn't the usual noise that Elmo had been able to hear, so he especially focused on that. It came from the south of him, making his heart start to pound. He did his best to try and control his breathing, but even then he felt his self-control starting to slip.
Elmo wasn't sure how long Jonas had been gone by then, but a part of his mind said that he should have been back by now and all that did was enhance the sense of danger that he was feeling right then.
Then there was a scraping sound on one of the rocks nearby. Elmo couldn't say if some of the sounds he was hearing were figments of his imagination or not, but he wasn't going to take any chances. So, He called out, "Brimstone Flare!"
Elmo wasn't sure why or what he'd hit, but it created a loud noise, like an explosion as it lit up empty, bare rock. It didn't show anything or anyone as it lit up the night for a brief moment. Despite that, he couldn't say that the sense of danger was gone. Instead, it only felt like it was closing in even more. That he'd missed whatever was causing that sense of danger.
Elmo tried to control his breathing as he felt himself start to hyperventilate. His breathing felt like a roar in his ears. He wasn't sure what to expect from here. Part of him wished Jonas would get back already so he could let him decide what was a real threat or not.
Only, he couldn't erase the fear that whatever was out there had already gotten to him.
Suddenly he heard something he couldn't quite describe to his right. He didn't know what it was, but it had a presence that felt like it was about to rush at him, despite being out past the firelight.
"Brimstone Flare!" Elmo cried, hoping that this time he'd get whatever was out there that was getting ready to attack.
The spell created another explosion as it struck more bare rock. Elmo flinched as he felt heated shrapnel from the rock striking his face. Again he could tell he missed whatever it was that was out there. The only positive as that he'd thwarted it's plan on attacking him in the first place.
Elmo felt his vision start to blur as his breathing came in ragged gasps. He suddenly felt like the darkness was about to attack from three different locations. Each too far away from the other for him to get with a spell that would have any AOE effects.
Which meant that he'd need to go after them individually. Which was difficult when he couldn't say for certain which one was about to strike first. Or if they were going to all strike at the same time when they were all in position.
And if that was the case, Elmo felt like he needed to strike first. Otherwise it might be too later for him. It might prompt the creatures that were getting ready to attack to launch their attack early, but if they weren't ready, then it increased his chances of surviving.
So, he turned to the one that he thought was closest to being in whatever position it wanted before it would attack, and called out, "Brimstone Flare!"
Another explosion. Another miss.
Elmo began to feel a sense of panic starting to overtake him. Why couldn't he even so much as graze these creatures? Especially since now it felt like there were four of them now.
Were they splitting apart with each of his attacks? Elmo couldn't help but wonder.
However, suddenly something came out of the darkness. It was humanoid and it looked angry. Elmo wasn't sure if this creature was the same as the ones he could sense in the darkness, but it was moving fast and directly towards him.
Elmo opened his mouth to cast a spell, even though his mind completely blanked on what to cast, when the humanoid creature swung something at him making his world explode in lights before everything went dark and he felt the ground slamming into him as his body dropped.
+++
Jonas reached the campsite a minute or two after the third explosion. He wasn't sure what he expected to find, but certainly didn't expect to see Elwin tying an unconscious Elmo up. Elwin even looked rather outraged about something. Which Jonas suspected that Elwin probably had been able to see Elmo, but Elmo might not have been able to see him.
"What happened?" Jonas asked as he entered the firelight at about the same time that Patricia did as well
"This stupid fuck nearly hit us with his third spell," Elwin snapped, clearly not yet calmed down.
"So, you knocked him out, I see," Jonas remarked, wondering if he should just accept what Elwin was doing rather than asking any questions about what was going on in front of him. "Uh, and you're tying him up because…?"
"Because if he comes to, I don't want him throwing off more spell into the night that could hit us again," Elwin snapped, though with less heat in his voice than a moment before.
Jonas nodded. He could understand that kind of reaction, though he did wonder if maybe it was still a little over the top. However, he didn't plan on trying to convince Elwin otherwise. That just felt like it would be a bad idea in the first place. More than his asking questions of Elwin when he hadn't really started calming down from getting rather upset about what happened.
So, Jonas then turned to Patricia, hoping that she'd at least provide some additional perspective that would help him figure out how to treat the situation in general.
"What happened?" he asked, wondering if he shouldn't ask something a little more specific rather than a general question like he had.
"If you mean to Elmo, I'm sure you can see for yourself," Patricia replied, confirming to Jonas that he was a little too general in his question, but a moment later he found out she wasn't done with her answer. "If you mean what happened to cause Elmo to go off like he did, I couldn't say. All I know is that he started throwing spells around almost at random. I'm not sure if he was hallucinating or if he was getting paranoid or what, but he certainly did look a little freaked out."
Jonas nodded, not sure if that would help or not. At least while Elmo was unconscious. A quick glance at Elwin made him wonder if Elwin would allow Elmo to be ungagged when he came to in order to have him answer some questions, but that was a matter for when Elmo woke up rather than right at that moment.
"We would have stayed back until he calmed down or wore himself out, but when he nearly hit Elwin, I think he lost his composure and went to stop Elmo before he hurt himself if not either of us,' Patricia continued when Jonas thought that she had already finished.
"So, nothing happened to make him lose it like that? I mean from what you could see?" Jonas asked, hoping there wasn't anything that he'd missed himself. As he couldn't think of anything since Elmo had seemed perfectly fine when he'd left.
"Not sure, by the time we got close enough to see details, he was already starting to act a little twitchy. Like whatever had gotten o him was already affecting him."
Jonas sighed. While he couldn't say what had happened, he could at least go back, pick up the dropped firewood, and then continuing to get more. Although, he could let the fire die down a little, since the others clearly had found them. Even if it wasn't everyone who had approached his and Elmo's campsite.