I slowly turned my head to the girl who had the unfortunate luck of slamming into the wall. 

The girl got up, rubbing her back where the point of impact would be. "Ah dammit- you'll pay for that!" She shouted, a smile spreading on her face. 

The group of people she was talking to looked physically stronger than she did, towering over her in height. Though, I admired how she didn't look afraid. 

"Okay, there is a fight going on-" Ethan spun around and was about to walk off before Kisha grabbed onto the back of his hoodie. 

"You're not going anywhere." Kisha's eyes stayed on the girl who charged back headfirst, ramming a boy against the wall. "We're getting food and you're coming with us-"
Kisha never got to finish her sentence, as the girl was collectively thrown again, this time closer to me than I would have liked. 

She shot back up to her feet, looked at me with the lightest pair of green eyes I have ever seen. "Ah sorry bout that. These guys decided to pick a fight with me, and my mom didn't raise no-" She ducked underneath a chair that was thrown at her "no coward!"

"You cheated our gold!" The guy who threw the chair shouted "If you're not going to give it back to us, we're going to take it ourselves-"

The girl patted my shoulder "Nevermind them. you look good in a fight. care to join me? it's a five on one and my group is in their room."

I frowned "I'm not going to join in a fight like this-"

Kisha stepped up "What's it in for us?"

"I'll buy you food with the gold I won."

My group exchanged glances and looked back at the girl with a grin. 

I quickly looked at Matthew or Theo to see if they'll talk some sense into the rest of the group, but they shrugged. 

"For free food!" Ethan grinned and charged in with Kisha and the girl behind him. 

"They're still outnumbered." Noah turned to me with a grin "Nothing beats more than a brawl in an inn, right?"

"But property damages- and we have a room here-"

"not if we win this fight!"

"Noah-!"

My jaw dropped to the floor as I watched him run off to help out. Though, unlike the girl, Kisha, and Ethan, he looked like he was going in to separate the two opposing groups rather than fight. I turned to the two boys behind me "Why are you two standing here?"

Matthew grinned "I'm not much of a fighter, and the inn is going to get too crowded if everyone starts fighting."

Theo pointed at the girl "besides, look at how she's riling up the crowd. It'll be quite hard for anyone to pin the blame on anyone. Noah is already pulling them out."

"You two just don't want to get your hands dirty, do you?"

Matthew smirked "No."

Noah ran back as sudden as he ran out, pulling our two teammates and the girl in tow. "Run! They can't blame us if they don't know where we are!"

The fight between the girl and the group of boys had erupted into a fight that was barely contained in the hall, and I silently apologized to the inn-keeper for the mess. 

We ran out of the bottom floor of the Inn and into the street, turning a corner to go up the stairs and into the floors with the rooms sectioned off. No one seemed to be too concerned that a handful of people left the fight, which I was thankful for. 

We ran up two more floors and burst into our room, closing the door behind us.

The girl collapsed onto the floor, her smile never leaving her face.  "That was awesome" 

"Should we go back down and help clean up or something...?" Matthew asked quietly and was hushed up when the people who participated in the fight stared at him. "Nevermind."

"We're leaving the town tomorrow anyway." the girl smiled "So there's really no point of worrying about it. Besides, a lot of the chairs and the things they might accidentally break are all old and rotting. They'll need to replace them eventually anyway."

I frowned, staring a little at her "Do you really not care?"

"Nope! What're your names? I'm Emily, by the way." 

We introduced ourselves one by one. 

When we got to Ethan, Emily smiled and raised her hand for a high five. "Ethan! That battle cry was amazing. The next time you charge into another tavern brawl, just scream that and you'll have a rallying cry-"

"No, he's not getting into any more fights." I glared at Ethan, who shrank back after giving Emily the high five she wanted. 

Emily grinned and stood up "Anyway, I did say I'll bring you free food. But since the diner area downstairs has to be a mess right now. I'll treat you guys to some food tomorrow when we all meet by the train station to head to the capital?"

"Promise?" Kisha said, raising an eyebrow. 

"You have my name and know what I look like." Emily answered, spinning around in a circle so we could get a full view "So you can come to find me if you think I'll run off with a favor." 

We exchanged glances. 
Emily didn't seem to be much- just a person who always seems to be too eager for a fight but she seemed serious that she'll treat us to a meal. 

I didn't see anything wrong with it. "Alright then, Emily. You owe us breakfast."

"Mhmm! And I won't forget." She started to head out the door "See ya!"

"Don't get into any more fights!" Noah called out, waving "Or I won't be there to pull you out like earlier!"

"I know! Thanks for the warning!"

She shut the door behind her, leaving us quiet.

Matthew was the first one to break the silence with an awkward laugh. "Okay. That just happened. Should we clock out for the day and get some rest?"

I sighed, falling backward and onto the bed. "We should. Goodness knows what might be waiting for us tomorrow..."

"The train ride, and most likely some kind of test to be used as a mass elimination process." Kisha sat down next to me "What do you guys think it is?"

"There are way too many people to fit on the trains. What if it's random?" Ethan asked, "Every first and last train car gets to stay and everyone else gets kicked and sent back home."

"I doubt it." Matthew shook his head "That would be getting rid of too many potential people that actually might bet better than the others. It'll be too entirely based on luck- not skill or strategy."

I caught onto Matthew's last sentence. 
Skill. 
Strategy. 

I sat up and rummaged through my things for something. 
I think... I think I know what to prepare for. 

<><><>

Emily, in fact, did bring us our breakfast the next day. 
Or at least, we think it was her. 

A basket of bread was placed in front of our door with only a piece of paper that had a lopsided smiley face drawn on it. 

We assumed it was Emily, and ate the bread for breakfast. 

All the groups- and it was an impressive sight on just how many of them there were- were crowded in the town's center where the biggest fountain and statue of the town's founder were. It was an easy target and an easy landmark for the groups to meet, so it was no wonder that the leaders who were organizing this would choose it. 

Matthew and I managed to get everyone there relatively early and stood almost directly in the front row.

A little too early, perhaps. 

Ethan was still half asleep, his blond hair messy and very uncombed- which he was trying to flatten by brushing it through with his finger. "Ah- Why did we have to wake up so early-"

"Just look at the number of people already piling up," Kisha said, looking and jumping to get a better view over the sea of heads. "The earlier we get here, the clearer we can hear the person's voice-"

"Hush hush-hush!" Noah's arms flailed around Kisha's face in a comical way of shutting her up- which it did- and he quickly pointed to the person that was slowly walking to the steps to stand under the main statue. "We're not going to get to hear him if you keep on talking-"

"If You keep on talking-"

I shot the two of them a glare, and they both shut up.         

"Congratulations to all the groups who managed to come here, alive!" The man in front of the fountain said in possible the loudest voice he can possibly manage- which, to say, was pretty loud except for the fact that the people in the back row might now be able to hear him. 
There was some half-hearted clapping before he continued.

"Now, as soon as you board the train, you will be on your way to the capital and to a brighter future."

Okay, normal enough.

"The train will depart in a certain amount of time that will bring the lucky members on the train toward the capital."

Well of course. Of course, the train is going to leave. What's the catch?

"Now, not everyone will be able to get on the train in time, you see."

Ah... there we go. 

A little bit of noise erupted from the crowd, most likely getting anxious at what he might be implying. 

"The train only seats seventy-five... eighty, if those remaining five members don't mind standing in the back of the train with a great risk of falling off for the duration of the ride." 

Okay, that is really little in comparison to the number of people here- And wouldn't that be a safety hazard...?

An even louder raise of voice rose from the crowd, which made it very hard for us to hear.

"You have eleven minutes to get to the train station and onto the train, and in order to board you have to have all five members there. Seats will be reserves when one member gets there but you will not board until everyone arrives."

Alright then. Moving as a group then.

"If the seats fill up before your team gets there... well, you're always welcome to take the train home that is!"

No one laughed. 

Seeing the serious and anxious mood hanging in the air, he stepped aside to reveal a shiny golden bell. "The time and the race will start as soon as i Ring the bell. Grab your things now and get ready."

"What are we going to do there are so many people-" Ethan said, his eyes wide with worry. 

"Three!"

"It's alright just follow me-" I said, quickly grabbing our things and is so glad that we packed light.

"Two!"

"You have a plan???" Noah stared at me "Did you know what was going to happen-"

"One!"

"No just shut up and-"

The man rang the bell, and everyone shot off in the direction of the train station. 

I ran the opposite way 

"And run!"

ah I'm late

unedited

sue me