By now, it was deep into the night, and the figures and outlines of the castle were all that remained lit by worn-out lanterns. Sky flew up and down the building’s loggia, her movements sporadic and aimless. Unsure what to do she descended to a stop.  

“Hm, I was sure the hangout was around here somewhere?” She mumbled.

“You excited to kick the Elemelon's butts tomorrow!” boomed a distant voice.

Heading towards the barracks, two melon guards came into Sky’s view.

“Ha yeh.” The Watermelon guard responded, a lot more conscious of the time but still trying to match their enthusiasm.

The Rockmelon guard raised her hand as if to whisper a secret. “You know, I heard they’re planning on making The Trials easier to make the Elemelons look good.”

“Really?” The Watermelon guard questioned, “On such short notice?”

The Rockmelon stopped in front of a mountain of boxes that sat near the barracks walls. “Well, they’ll need it. The Elemelons aren’t exactly… well-liked at the moment.”

“Even this year's watch numbers were a record low.”

The Watermelon guard’s expression fell as he lifted a box. “Yeah, the war with the prince really ruined their reputation.”

“The ex-Elemelons were meant to protect everyone, but all they did was bicker.”

The atmosphere grew heavy as the sound of the night rang out in the sudden silence. The guards knew they had almost crossed a taboo.

“Maybe these guys will be different,” the Watermelon guard continued as cheerfully as he could muster. “Who knows, maybe they’ll set a new record tomorrow, and gain everyone’s trust back.”

The Rockmelon guard tossed several boxes into her arms and shrugged, “Either way, we get a break after The Trials, and that’s all I’m here for.”

The Watermelon guard smiled, somewhat pleased that the topic had changed. “Ha, yeah, you should come over to my place. We could…”

The voices trailed off as they headed in the other direction and disappeared into the night.

Hidden behind a pillar and submerged in shadows, Sky's body trembled, her hands clenched shut. “They hate us?”