Feign ignorance.

"I haven't seen anyone since I was on the main road," you lie.

The chubby man steps by you, pondering. You watch him nervously as he steps incredibly close to the barrel, but it doesn't seem like he suspects it. His eyes peer around the area, though spots nobody in hiding--not above, not behind some nearly garbage bags. It seems like the coast is clear. Though, you can only imagine Eva's nerves with this man only a foot away from her hiding place. There's a couple small holes in the barrel, so you wonder if she can see what's happening, or if she can only hear his footfalls nearby.

"Wait a minute," he says, scratching his chin. "I hear something."

"What is it?" the elf asks.

"Sounds like... sniffing. Panting? It's small, but nearby."

The elf steps over and perks up his keen ears. "You're right. Damn. It's coming from this barrel here."

"Could be a cat!" the woman calls out.

"I don't think so. I just heard a whimper... a quiet, human-like moan. Hey! If someone's in there, you better get the hell out before we dump you out."

The woman peers down at you. "Do you know anything about this? Your friend hiding in there?"

You shake your head. "No. Of course not."

You ready yourself for the worst. Meanwhile, the elf steps around to the other side of the barrel, and he finds something you didn't see before. There seems to be a larger hole on that side, near the bottom. He lowers his hand down and starts slipping it inside.

Uh oh. That's not good. They'll find her for sure now.

"Something's in here..." he mutters. "Something soft?"

"Aah~! No~!" her voice suddenly booms out from inside.

He retreats his hand and stumbles back in surprise. His companion helps him up. Meanwhile, the woman draws her own blade and hurries on over to help.

"A girl?" she asks. "Where the hell you touching her, huh?"

"Are you seriously blaming me for that?" the elf responds.

It's now or never. Let's take down these thugs.

As you stretch out your hand, you whisper the word, "Entangle". Right behind the woman, the barely visible energy of your spell manifests on the ground. You then grip your sword tight as you prepare for combat. It won't be long before Eva can't stay in there anymore.

"Let me get it," the chubby man says as he tears the lid off the barrel. His eyes light up as his cheeks flush pink. "Wh-What?!"

"Noooo!" Eva cries out from inside.

The woman steps back, but right onto your trap. Firing up from the ground like grappling hooks are several blue tendrils that wrap around her arms, legs, and body. They hold her tightly in place while the two others ready their weapons, unsure of what exactly is happening.

Next, the elf tries to grab her. However, she has time to prepare this time around. She raises up her hands and shouts, "Ward!", creating a reflective barrier of rippling energy that knocks his hands back, which drops him flat onto his ass.

"Couldn't have used those on the gremlins, huh?" you call out.

She looks to you with teary eyes. "I-I forgot!"

You run over, and reflect a blow coming from the chubby bandit before reaching the barrel. As quickly as you can, you help Eva out of the barrel, take her hand, and begin to run. You leave them in your dust, though it leaves Eva panicked. She can hardly cover herself while moving so quickly, and you're holding one of her precious hands! Her lower half is completely uncovered.

"L-Let go~!" she demands.

You do, though continue to run. She lowers it back between her legs and tries to keep up, though it's difficult with her bare breasts bouncing in her arm's flimsy grip. Your sword is once again radiant.