Sixty seconds. Sixty seconds were all that remained to begin the battle, the journey from "Pretty Career Girl" to pride of her district. Glimmer swallowed, her throat feeling drier than she wished it did.
She surveyed the surrounding tributes; her chin perched upward, gaging the first kill. The cornucopia glistened desirably in between them all, temping, luring. She saw instantly the silver bow and arrow delicately balanced between some swords. In the seconds it took her to locate the weapon, she claimed it as her own.
Each breath seemed drawn out, each moment spent on the metal disc feeling like it would be her last. Though it wouldn't be. It couldn't be. Failure wasn't an option.
Glimmer's blue eyes squinted against the sun as she rounded on each district's hopeless cause; the girl from six, the boy from eight. She tried to think back to the now blurred memories of the advice her mentor had given; though her mind was soaked in adrenaline and any last words of wisdom were being over shadowed by her desire to pound forward, to kill or be killed; fight-or-flight a surging force beneath her veins.
She caught sight of Marvel, his knuckles clenched, his eyes set hungrily on a spear before them. They'd meet at the cornucopia then, she concluded, and part of her hoped they wouldn't have to say goodbye there. Because if there was one person who was going to offer a sliver of compassion in the arena towards her, it would be him.
She bit her tongue, trying to edge away from that. Marvel was still competition, he was still prey. But at least for now, maybe he didn't have to be.
Ten seconds. Ten seconds remained.
Her feet etched towards the edge of her disc, her arms outstretched, showing everyone who was going to make it there first. Who was going to be victor.
Five. Four. Three. Two. One.
She pounded off like a bullet, racing, speeding towards the bow and arrow. The cornucopia came into sight quickly, its metallic surface reflecting the sun cruelly in her eyes. She blinked it away furiously, desperate not to be taken off target, knowing the fate that awaited carelessness.
She noted a boy, whose name nor district she could remember, making his way clumsily to her weapon. She snarled. His first mistake would be his last.
The smouldering silver of the bow met her long fingers swiftly, and she unsheathed an arrow, wielding it in her free hand and stabbing the boy with deadly precision in the heart. She smirked and pulled the spear out swiftly, scanning the entirety of the blood bath with the precious time she had.
She couldn't see Marvel, though instinct told her he was still alive, probably already fled to safety. It took her seconds to decide what to do, not wanting to remain in the vulnerable clutches of the open space; she darted forwards, toward the forest.
Flashes of green and red clouded her vision as the weaker tributes fought it out amongst themselves. Her feet motored forward; dodging the clumsy strikes of others armed with rocks and sharpened wood, items that were clearly obtained further out from the bounty of the cornucopia itself.
She stopped, however, when she noted the boy from two, hovering over another nameless tribute. He ploughed a sword into her with one strike, Glimmer couldn't help but admire. Her eyes were adverted, though, as she noticed the girl from seven make her way behind Two's back.
Two struggled to obtain his weapon from his kill, the metal lodged in the girl's stomach.
He's not going to see her; she's going to kill him before he can get the sword out.
Without analysing her tactics, Glimmer raised the bow and fired an arrow towards Seven. Her aim was shaky but the arrow cleared a clean hit and the girl went down, the arrow puncturing her stomach.
Two turned instantly when he heard the girl drop, his sword sheathed, his expression paralysed; eyes widened, mouth ajar. Glimmer herself was staggered by her actions, she had had no intention of ever consciously saving someone in the arena; not even Marvel.
Despite the momentary daze, the bloodbath's rage fired on and Glimmer saw no time to explain anything at present, she simply hoped, prayed, that she had formed an alliance with the boy- that he wouldn't kill her where she stood. It took her a heartbeat to notice he had made no move to kill her so she willed her feet to continue running and sped into the forest, checking to see if the boy had followed.
It was only when Glimmer was completely concealed by the comforting shelter of the hanging vines and disorienting leaves that she felt a somewhat calm. She was started, however, when she felt Two pound next to her, panting as he clutched his sword for protection.
She surveyed the situation. Through her own pants and heaves for breath, she wanted to seem intimidating, fierce. When Two didn't lower his sword, Glimmer saw it as her only chance to stop herself getting sliced to death, because the boy clearly wasn't fond of waiting long before making a decision.
"Glimmer." She stated, looking the boy up and down.
The boy's panting seemed to slow down quickly, a clear indicator of his athleticism, and he slowly put away the weapon. It took him a moment to realise she was saying her name and he raised his eyebrows, nodding slowly.
"Cato." Cato felt on edge, there was coldness to the girl's presence; he understood just how deadly a career could be; because after all, he was one himself. Glimmer hadn't put her bow down from where she had taken it out to arm herself against his sword. He waited, in a state of some suspense, as the girl decided whether or not to kill him.
"You're not going to fire that thing, are you?" He asked, sceptical. "You did just save me."
Glimmer's expression was icy, her plump lips pouted, her head cocked to the side.
"Assumptions like that might get you killed." She purred, a flash of smugness in her eyes. Cato's face stiffened, and in the moment the girl took to flick her hair over her shoulder, his sword reappeared and found its way to her neck- pushing her stiffly against a tree.
"So might arrogance." He smirked.
Glimmer gulped, feeling the strain of the sharp metal pressing on her tender flesh. One movement. One movement and this whole game was over. She'd made the mistake and she'd pay for it before she's even had the chance to start fighting. All hostility vanished from Glimmer's eyes and they were hurriedly pleading. She didn't want to beg for mercy in her helpless state, like someone from an outer district might, she wanted to die with dignity - as much dignity as you could die with, considering you were just another part of a degrading and oppressive system.
Glimmer batted her long eyelashes, her glass blue eyes glimmering in the light. Cato raised an eye brow, surveying the options in his situation. If nothing else mattered, this girl did just save his life. His smile softened, from murderous to ironic with frightening ease. Cato refused to admit it, but he liked the attitude of the girl. It reminded him of himself. His sword dropped and with its decent to the ground Glimmer felt herself exhale the entirety of the oxygen in her body, relief flooding through her like a tempest.
She tried not to show the fear that so obviously emanated from the position of vulnerability and waited for Cato to speak again, still wary.
"I won't need your help anymore." He stated, taking a step back from Glimmer, giving her space to run if she so wished. He despised the idea of being in debt to the girl, and that was noble enough, he concluded, that he had not killed her. Yet.
"Who said you would?" Glimmer bit back, the poison trickling through her words, despite the callousness of her associate and what had just been her paralysis with fear. Cato watched her carefully, the smile gone from his face as he tried to deduce the girl's motives. He swallowed dryly and suddenly it struck him that he needed to make his way back to the cornucopia; if not to obtain water and supplies, then to finish off the survivors.
"We're wasting time." He murmured, charging forward and knocking the girl back. She was stunned for a moment, her head hitting the hard bark of a tree behind her, before regaining her footing. There was the opening, her head screamed.
Run.
Find high ground, water. Go. Run.
Though the temptation of the cornucopia was pulling her, dragging her like a drunkard to alcohol, away from the safety of the concealed forest. Also, there was the small matter of Cato's words.
Against her better judgement, which she made a note of needing to stop ignoring, she swivelled on the soles of her boots and dashed daintily in the path Cato was thrashing through, cutting the bush with his sword.
When she had caught up to his side, as close as she could manage without becoming skewered, she huffed her words through the pants of the jungle running. "We're?"
It was imperceptible to Glimmer from where she jogged behind, but the smile returned to Cato's face; bloodthirsty and hungry. "We're an alliance now, right?"
Glimmer felt the smile trickle onto her own face and she squinted her eyes in approval. He was a powerful ally, she'd give him that. He won't need my help, but he still wants it. Glimmer felt a tide of self-satisfaction. She liked how things were going.
"Right." She affirmed, her tone trickling dark and playful, dangerous through its misleading nature. She meant it though. They were allies now. Cato was growing on her. And with that the two burst back out of the forest and into the dazzling sun, baking the cornucopia and the tributes still fighting for their lives.