CAREER PATH
A HUNGER GAMES STORY
PART TWO
A door closes behind me, and I stare at the glass tube. Behind, Celedien continues to ramble on as he has since we left the hovercraft.
"So its set up absolutely perfectly for you," he says. "You and Porsche are the topic of every conversation, commentary, and talk show in all of Panem. The game makers are pleased, and so is President Snow. "
"Mhmm," I mumble.
The glass tube will take me to the arena. Moments before, there was an announcement that all Tributes must prepare to enter. I begin stretching, especially my legs, as I'll have to run as fast as I can soon. I'm only half listening to Celedien, wishing he would just leave. I'm really sick of him, and I don't care anymore what people thought of mine and Porsche's performance. We got the job done, so I don't want to think about it anymore, I just want to focus on the Arena, and staying alive.
"So now all you have is the arena, and of course the girl from eight," Celedien says.
I'm bent over stretching a hamstring when my ear perks up. Lifting my head slowly, I glare at him.
"What do you mean the girl from eight?" I ask.
"Well, you have to make sure it happens at a good time. Late in the games, preferably you two will the final fight," Celedien says gleefully.
"Huh," I ask straitening up.
"Well if she dies right away, that will be rather anti-climatic," Celedien says with a flick of wrist and a laugh.
"Why should I care," I reply. "Look, I did what you all asked. But now its time for me to focus on the games. The girl from eight," I pause and shrug. "She'll go when she goes. I'm not too worried about it."
Celedien's face narrows, and he puts his hands on his hips.
"You're not worried about it?" he asks sarcastically.
I shake my head and begin to stretch my other hamstring. Celedien huff, causing the ruffles on his shirt to shake. A moment later I'm gasping as he takes a fistful of my hair and straightens me. Catching me off guard, and surprised by the strength of his grip.
"You're not worried huh," he repeats. My face begins to sting as he free hand slaps me violently. I slowly turn back to him, thinking of several ways I could kill him. "Well if you're not worried, get worried. Listen closely you little punk. There are a lot of people who have gone to a lot of trouble to pull this off, all at the orders of President Snow. And if this fails, a lot of people are going to be executed, including me, Elio, my stylist team, the Game makers, and who knows who else. I'm not about to die for your little ants, you got it! So you get your head on straight and make sure the girl doesn't die! You got that?"
He releases my hair and I glare at him angrily.
"Two minutes to launch," a voice says over a pair of speakers in the ready room.
Our eyes remain locked, my cheek stinging, and my head hurting where he pulled my hair. After a few moments, I swallow.
"What do you want me to do?" I ask softly.
Celedien smile returns, as if he flicked a light switch, and his bright personality returns.
"Just keep doing what you're doing," he says. "As for the girl, I don't know. Make sure she doesn't die. If you see someone about to kill her, kill them first. That will be easy to explain, you simply want her for yourself. If you have her early, take her captive."
"What reason would I have to take her captive?" I ask.
"I don't know, but you're a smart boy, figure it out," Celedien says impatiently. "But, don't kill her until the very end. Betray your alliance if you have too…"
"What! They'll kill me without a thought if they even think I'm going to do that!" I snap.
"So will President Snow if you fail!" Celedien snaps back. "Do what you have to do, and do it well. And be grateful you snaky little puke. You're lucky we've taken the time to give you such distinction."
"One minute, thirty seconds," the announcer says.
I glare at him again and clench my fists. He stands perfectly still, his smug expression filled with condescension bearing into me.
"You better get in there Slade," Celedien says. He smiles once more, and straightens the color on my track suit with a wink. "And keep that look, its perfect."
He spins around, reaches the door, and gives me one more smile. I hold my breath for a few moments, before releasing it suddenly and shaking my head.
"One minute, all Tributes please prepare" the announcer says.
Stepping into the tube, Celedien pushes a button by the door. The tube encloses and I'm sealed inside. Taking a deep breath, my heart begins to quicken as the announcers count down continues. After a few seconds, the tube begins to rise. Celedien and I exchange one final glare before he disappears from view.
The tube goes dark, and all I can hear is the announcers voice.
"45, 44, 43..."
I close my eyes, and take several deep breaths. My hearts calms slightly, but the butterflies in my stomach flap violently. I begin to go over the strategy Elio, Porsche, and I formulated before we left this morning. As usual, we will begin the games with a pre-made alliance with the career tributes from district two.
"42, 41, 40..."
That alliance should take us to the final six, five or four. At that point, the alliance breaks down and its us against them. However, we have a plan. We'll betray them earlier, when maybe there's six or seven left, and they won't expect it. Our reports on the male and female from district two say they are very well trained. District two also has a different criteria for who they select for their career programs. I don't know much, but I know they don't have a group of candidates they narrow down each year.
My father explained his belief to Saber and I once, and it made me shudder.
"Here's what they do," my father began.
We were eating dinner, and it had been a particularly rough day of training for me. I had lost every sparing match that day. When my father picked us up, and had his daily talk with the trainers to check on our progress, they told him what they thought my problem was. We didn't even make it home before he tossed me into a dark alley and beat me severely.
"They have that killer instinct," my father continued. "They don't have weak pups too afraid to strike a killing blow. And you know how they find them?"
I was quivering from head to toe, afraid to look at him.
"They only have one cut," he continued. "When their seven, and they've all trained for two years. Then they put in small room, turn out the lights, and lock the doors. They don't unlock them doors until only one person is left breathing."
"35, 34, 33..."
So they're well trained, and ruthless. Elio's strategy is a good one. There's only one risk, they could be planning the same thing.
"…27, 26, 25..."
The tube emerges into sunlight, and I squint my eyes. After a moment I slowly open them, and behold our arena. We're in an open field, with the cornucopia about 30 yards away from me, and the tributes creating a ring around it. As usual, there is a variety of items spread throughout the ring. The closer the item to the cornucopia, the more valuable it is.
I quickly asses the other tributes, taking note who is positioned where, and what they can do. To my left is the male tribute from district twelve, and to my right the female from ten. Nothing to worry about from either. Both are scrubs from disadvantaged districts, and neither scored higher that 5 from the game masters.
:…20, 19, 18.…"
A quarter of the way to my right is Porsche. Our eyes meet. I give her a nod, and she motions with her head towards the front of the cornucopia. Supply packs and shelter items fill the space between the tributes and the cornucopia, but the weapons are gathered in the middle. Laying next to each other is a long spear, Porsche's weapon of choice, and a pair of short swords, my weapon of choice.
Remember my role, I glare at her and the weapons, while she winks at the boy next to her.
"…15, 14, 13.…"
Next we find our allies. Directly across from me is a blond haired boy of seventeen named Krillan, the male tribute from District two. He nods his head several times while smiling confidently. He's standing on his toes, right leg in front of the other, fingers twitching at his sides. He can't wait.
Across from Porsche is a amber haired girl of seventeen named Selena. With an expression of stone in her round face, she nods once to Porsche, and once to me. These our are allies. Killing them won't be easy.
"…8, 7, 6,…"
I do one more quick scan of the tributes before setting my feet and locking my eyes on the short swords. However, just as I'm about to finish my review, I sense a pair of eyes tearing into me. To my right, a few tributes past Porsche, a young woman with fiery red hair glares at me intensely with bright green eyes.
The girl from eight.
Our eyes lock, and my eyes narrow. I stare directly at her, she at me. Neither waivers. Neither blinks. This is the girl I'm suppose to hate with a passion, who I swore not only to kill, but kill violently. Apparently she was listening, and took me seriously. I'll have to make sure its convincing.
"…4, 3, 2..."
Here it comes. The games are about to begin. All I've worked for will be put to the test. I begin to focus. Clearing all my thoughts, memories, feelings….except for one. I allow one memory. It's one I've thought of only a few times, saving it for this moment.
"This is what you were born for!" dad shouted.
It's three years ago, and Saber is about to leave for the capital. We're in District one's Justice Building just after the reaping, saying our goodbyes. It's not much of a goodbye though, as Dad decided it would be a good time to have one more pep talk with his first born son.
"We're put everything we could in you!" he shouted some more. "Remember all the time everyone has spent with you, preparing you for this. Don't waist their time! Don't let us down! Don't let your mother down! Don't let me down!"
"I won't Dad," Saber said obediently.
He was always the dutiful one.
My father put his bony fingers on my brothers broad shoulders, and took a deep breath.
"I know you won't Saber," he said. "You've worked hard for this. But just in case you get down out there, remember one thing. THIS IS YOUR LIFE!"
That was all Dad had to say. He left a moment later, without even giving him a hug. I stayed back for an extra moment. When we were alone, Saber hugged me tightly.
"Just stay out of his way," he told me. "Watch the games in the square, come home late at night, stay late at the center. He can't take out his anger in me on you if you're not around."
"Ok," I replied, tears starting to well in my eyes.
He released me and put his hands on my shoulders.
"Hey," he said smiling. "Don't worry about it. I'm gonna win this thing, and then you won't have to compete. No more training, no more long days at the center, no more hungry nights, and no more beatings."
A tear runs down my cheek, and I sniff quickly.
"You promise?" I asked.
He smiled again and lightly slapped my shoulder.
"Yeah," he said. "I promise."
Two weeks later he was dead. Stabbed in the back by the girl from eight, who eventually won the games.
The memory runs it course, my legs ready themselves, my eyes focus, my mind clears. I'm ready.
"…1! May the odds be ever in your favor."
I take off. My legs start pumping, my arms keeping pace, heart racing, eyes still, ears focused. The short swords. I want them, and no one will keep them from me.
The male from twelve grabs the nearest thing he can find, and runs away. The girl from ten does the same. I'm not worried about it, we'll find them later and kill them in time.
All around me I hear the sound of people panting, running, shouting, fighting. I spare a moment to find Porsche. She's far ahead of any other tribute, her eyes focused on the spear. Across from me, Krillan is fighting the male from eleven over a pack. He makes quick work of him, landing a punch to his larynx. The male from eleven grabs his throat, struggling to breath. Krillan quickly grabs his head and twists. A sickening snapping erupts he falls lifelessly to the ground.
The first kill.
A moment later a cannon fires, and Krillan howls loudly before finishing his dash to the cornucopia, leaving the pack at the dead boy's feet.
Taking a quick note of his savageness, I look for Selena. She's slowed her pace and picked up a sleeve of throwing stars. Standing her ground, she quickly throws three at the tribute to her right. With a shriek the female from six flails frantically as a throwing star strikes her leg, stomach, and neck. Selena dashes towards her, holding a throwing star between her fingers, lands on the girls chest, and jabs it into her throat. Blood spurts from the wound and her mouth, before she goes limp.
Another cannon fires.
Refocusing, I see Porsche has reached her spear and fights off the male from four. She stands in front of the trident resting next to the spear she grabbed. The four's love tridents, and Porsche will never let him near it. With the butt of the spear she uppercuts him in the jaw, then sweeps his legs. Gasping as he lands on his back, he tries to yell as Porsche drives her spear into his chest.
A third cannon fires.
I reach out, my fingers twitching for my short swords, recalling everyone's last position, picking my first victim. My thoughts are interrupted by a hard round house kick to my face.
"Gasp!" I yell as I fall to my back.
My reflexes kick in and I quickly roll to my left, as the male from six drives his knee into the ground where my chest would have been. Leaping to my feet, I dash towards him, my own knee in front of him, aiming for his kidney's. He dodges my knee by back flipping away. As I land, I roll defensively and come to my feet, knee's bent, arms held defensively in front of me. The male from tribute, does the same, and we begin to circle each other.
I've been told the six's are descendants from a land far east. Apparently they still teach a secret art of hand to hand combat passed down for thousands of years. If any of that is true, this kid proves it. He's quick, smart, and well trained.
However, I'm not easy to handle.
I watch him closely, and he watches me. His legs are skinny, and twitch often, which means he likes to kick.
Krillan and Selena have reached the cornucopia and taken their weapons of choice. Two more cannon's fire, and Krillan howls once more. That's going to get old, real fast. I see another tribute out of the corner of my eye dash towards us, apparently wanting to take advantage of the situation. However, a spear lands in his chest a moment later, and Porsche takes a moment to blow the dead tribute a kiss.
Taking a que from her, I narrow my eyes and assume my role, daring him to attack. He feints a few attacks, but I don't flinch. Finally, I make the first move. Lowering my head, I run at him as fast as I can, my arms reaching for his waist. He jukes to his left, and brings his leg around for a kick.
"Slade!" Porsche shouts.
Turning to her with my hands held out, she tosses the scabbard containing the swords. Before he land his round house kick I've grabbed the swords, unsheathed one, and hold it steady. His legs connects with my blade and tears through his flesh.
Screaming at the top of his lungs, he collapses and grasps the bloody stump which is his leg. My eyes scan the rest of the field. The four of us have captured the cornucopia, five are dead, one wounded, the rest have fled. Krillan and Selena are circling the battlefield, and double checking the lifeless bodies. Porsche is cleaning the blood of her spear with a torn shirt from a dead tribute.
As I rise, the only sound to be heard now is the moaning and mutterings of the male from six. He'll bleed out in a few minutes, despite his attempts to tourniquet himself. He should count his blessings, it's a painless way to die. However, a nod from Porsche reminds me I have a role to play. Flipping the sword in my hand, I approach the struggling tribute, and stand over him forebodingly.
"Yeah buddy, do it!" Krillan shouts as they circle towards us.
"Get it over with," says Selena. "We have work to do."
Porsche walks up next to me, and smiles at him. The six stops his struggling, and glares at us. I narrow my eyes and raise the blade over his chest.
"Don't hesitate," she whispers through her smile. "They're all watching."
My eyes stay still, and his widen. I raise the blade and thrust it towards his chest. His mouth widens and he shouts.
"FOR LYRA!"
I drive the blade into his throat. A few gurgles and gasps, and he lays still. A moment later another cannon erupts.
"Nice," Krillan says with a wicked smile.
Now there are six dead, all at our hands.
"Not bad at all," Porsche says merrily. "But Selena's right, we have work to do."
"Yeah yeah, lets go," Krillan says.
They all turn and begin picking up the various packs and weapons scattered about. I clean the blood from my blade, attach the scabbard to my back, and examine them. Good steal, sharp, well balanced, but made from a capital factory. The blades in District one are hand crafted, with slight variables in each . I like the variables, because you can always find one that just feels perfect in your hand. They'll do, but then again, my mind isn't focused solely on the blades.
"What do you think he meant?" I ask.
They pause and turn to me.
"What are you talking about?" Selena asks.
"For Lyra," I respond. "Who is that?"
Krillan and Selena look bewildered. I look to Porsche, whose confused expression reflects my own.
"You know, Lyra," Krillan says.
I shake my head.
"I don't know who that is?" I say.
"You sure?" Selena asks in an annoyed tone.
I nod again.
"Oh I get it," Krillan says smiling. "Doesn't really matter what her name is, you just want to see her dead."
I raise and eyebrow, and Porsche blinks several times.
"I'll tell you what man," Krillan says. "We all make a deal right now. When we get to her, she's all yours."
"Umm, why?" I ask.
"Seriously!" Selena shouts. She sighs in annoyance. "Lyra is the girl from eight, the one you swore to kill."
I feel a wave of stupidity flood over me. Thankfully, I can be sure the capital is editing out this conversation at the order of the game makers. However, I'm sure I'm not exactly filling them with a lot of confidence.
"Oh right," I reply darkly. "Her."
"Yeah man," Krillan says. "Like I said, we save her for you. You want to kill her for your brother, I respect that."
"Appreciate it," I reply solomly.
"Hold on though," Porsche breaks in. "Why this guy from six care about Lyra?"
Krillan tilts his head and cocks his eyebrow. Selena's eyes widen with frustration.
"Seriously," she shouts. "Don't you pay attention in District one? Didn't you see her interview? Immediately I pause and realize something. No, we didn't see any other interviews after ours. We were whisked away to our districts floor and enjoyed a nice meal. I think of it further, and I'm surprised. Our training is very thorough in the career center. We study every aspect about the other districts, looking for trends and distinctions. We prepare for every possible tactic and strategy. Once we get to the capital, our study continues as we asses our fellow tributes. Watching them during training, taking notes of strengths and weaknesses, and memorizing their scores from the game makers.
So why weren't we shown the interviews?
"No," Porsche sneers. "There's nothing we can gain tactfully from watching interviews."
"I know I watched yours, and I enjoyed it thoroughly," Krillan says with a wink.
Selene rolls her eyes again.
"Well had you watched, you would have seen that the girl from district eight responded very strongly to your interview," Selena says.
"She did?" I ask.
My discomfort increases as Selena tells of Lyra's interview. Cesar began the interview with his usual intention, to make the tributes look good. However, I guess Lyra would have none of it. She took over the interview, and wouldn't even allow Cesar to ask a question. Lyra gave a stirring tirade about the disparity between the career districts and the rest. The others districts worked too hard and tirelessly to provide the capital with the resources they needed. They couldn't afford to spare anyone, and everyone did their part for the better of Panem. The careers obviously didn't, and yet they were rewarded for it. On and on she went and Cesar couldn't stop her. The biggest bang came at the end of her interview. That was when she called for all the other tributes to join with her to take us out. Individually they were weak, but together they were stronger.
"That explains why most of them fled," Porsche said when Selena was finished.
I agree, there's usually more dead at the end of the opening rush.
"It doesn't matter," Krillan said sharply. "They can work together all they want. They'll still die just like the ones here, and I'll love every minute of it."
I nod in agreement, but my head is spinning. This is strange, and it can't be just because Porsche and I are playing roles. I can tell by Porsche's narrowed eyes she feels the same.
The first few nights were uneventful. We set out each night, weapons in hand, stalking through the woods, looking for prey. The opening is usually the bloodiest event of the game. After that, its a game of cat and mouse. My fellow careers and I form a pack, and we try to systematically hunt each remaining tribute. However, after three nights, we haven't come across a single one.
Occasionally we'd find a trail; some footprints, broken brush, scraped bark. We'd follow it, but the trail would go cold as suddenly as it appeared. The first night we just shook it off. They all scrambled at the opening, and they probably kept running as far as they could. We would never venture too far from the cornucopia, the center of the arena. If the tributes became too scattered, the game makers would herd them back to the center, and then we'd find them.
But by the end of the second night, tensions are rising. Krillan is getting anxious and careless. Selena has become quieter and more withdrawn. Porsche irritable, often trading snipes with Krillan, which he doesn't take very well. I try too remain calm, but it gets a little stressful watching your back, and your front. Being quiet and brooding is part of my character, so that helps. However, things are still strange. I've watched the games every year as long as I can remember, and this has never happened. It makes me just as uneasy as it makes Krillan mad, Selena withdrawn, and Porsche irritable.
It only takes a tiny snap of a twig to set us off.
SNAP
"Shh!"
"What!"
"Damn it, do you have blocks for feet or something!" Porsche snaps.
I grab her shoulder and shoot her a warning glace. Krillan however, doesn't take it so well.
"Shut your stupid mouth slut!" he snaps.
"What did you call me?" Porsche says ripping away from my grasp.
"Easy!" I say firmly trying to step between them.
"I'll keep it easy, as soon as I put a muzzle on that bitch!"
"Say that again and I'll make you sing soprano!" Porsche counters through clenched teeth.
"Keep shouting like that and you two won't have the chance," says Selena with thick annoyance. "They'll hear your stupid bloated mouths and rush us."
Krillan glares at Selena who rolls her eyes back. I sigh and push Porsche back a step away from Krillan. I know what I want to say here, but I can't. I have to be careful. Keep in character.
"You two want to have it out, slut against brute, fine by me, it'll be a good fight," I start. "But not now. We need everyone alive and focused. Once we're done, tear it each other pieces for all I care." I nod to Krillan, showing him respect and asking him to respect me. He sighs, shakes his head, and walks away. Turning to Porsche, I open my mouth to tell her to settle down, but I stop myself. Her face is red, tilted, and her eyes stare at me underneath pierced eyebrows while her shoulders are hunched, and she's gripping her spear so hard, her knuckles are white. I've only seen this look once before, and I bite my lip. Her chin grabs my attention the most. It's wrinkled and quivering slightly. With a quick glance she pushes past me and follows Krillan and Selena.
We continue on silently for a while, Porsche keeping her eyes straight forward. Soon we come to a clearing. We come to the clearing every night in our perimeter hunting path around the cornucopia. Each time we come here, we know we've completed a lap. It's our third lap tonight. Krillan slams his axe into a tree stump, expressing more of his growing frustration.
"Damn it where are they!" he shouts.
"We didn't' even find a sign from them tonight," Selena says. "We need to think this through."
"Agreed," I say pushing past Porsche.
Porsche stands away from us, her hands still gripping her spear tightly.
Sheathing one of my swords, I circle the stump Krillan slammed his axe into.
"How many are left?" I ask.
"Three marks, nine scrubs," Selena replies.
Marks and scrubs are how we classify the tributes. Marks are the tributes higher skills and will be harder to kill. Usually scoring an eight or higher from the game makers, and coming from a district which has a physical industry such as lumber or agriculture. Scrubs are people without much skill, and not very dangerous. Most of them score a five or lower. If Porsche and I stick with Elio's advice, and betray Krillan and Selena early, it should be when we finish the marks who are our highest priority. I'm sure she's thinking the same, but we haven't had a chance to talk safely since the games started. I also remind myself its likely Krillan and Selena have a similar plan. These are the thoughts which make it hard for me to get a good nights sleep.
"twelve huh," I reply. "Three for each one of us."
Selena pauses on the opposite side of the trunk from me.
"No sign of any of them for three days," she says. "And the game makers haven't felt an urge to stir things up. That's beyond odd. There hasn't been a killing for three days, and they don't seem to be worried about it. Why?"
I think I know the answer, but I won't say it out loud. I look to Porsche, wondering if she has the same idea. But her face is blank, distant, and focused on Selena.
"It might have something to do with Lyra," I say carefully.
Porsche gives me a quick glance before looking away again. She does have the same idea.
"What! Why?" Krillan said. "She ran off like the rest of them. She has a big mouth, but lets face it, she's afraid to face you," he finishes with a laugh.
I shrug.
"Maybe," I say.
I start pacing around the stump again, letting my sword drag in the dirt.
"But what if they actually listened to her," I say.
Porsche shifts uncomfortably with a wary look. Relieved she'll at least look at me again, I nod my head slightly to reassure her.
"Hmm," Selena says. "I think I get where you're going."
"Care to fill the rest of us in?" Krillan asks with a simmering anger in his voice.
Apparently there's no love lost between those two.
"If you think you can follow, then shut up and listen," she says. "She knew coming in she would be targeted. Hell, she knew before she gave her interview. Perhaps her big talk was a desperate attempt to try and get some allies early to protect herself. It's really the only chance she has."
"How many?" Krillan asks.
"All of them," I reply casually. "It's why we can't find them. They're sticking together and moving as a group."
"There's too many of them to move as group," Porsche says. "They wouldn't be able to hide their tracks."
"Unless they're following our path," Selena says. "They could be watching us. Walking the same paths we are. We haven't bothered covering our tracks, and when we find them again, it already looks like warn ground, and we don't think anything of it."
Krillan snorts.
"If they've been following us, or watching us, or whatever, why haven't they attacked?" he asks. "What are you waiting for!" he shouts mockingly.
"Oh, yes good idea, invite them all to rush us at once," Selena says with obvious annoyance.
"Why not, we'll rip them to shreds," Krillan responds.
"We couldn't survive all of them at once," I growl.
"That's probably what their waiting for," Porsche says. "The stupid meathead to loose his cool."
I glare at her again.
"You don't want to see me actually loose my cool," Krillan says pointing his other axe at her. "Trust me."
"Don't start again," Selena says.
"Oh fine!" he says. "Let's just keep walking in circles and let them follow us then. Well screw that. If they're following us, I'm turning around and charging straight for them."
"WHAT!" we all shout at once.
Raising his axe above his head, Krillan runs into the woods the way we came in. Howling loudly and swinging at every branch in his way.
"Is he always this stupid!" Porsche shouts.
"Oh shut your slutty mouth and lets go," Selena says running after him.
I look to Porsche, who sneers at me and follows. Unsheathing my other sword, I follow quickly.
We run as fast as we can after the howling Krillan. I don't know whether he's just anxious to kill, or just plain stupid, but he could get himself killed. Perhaps that would be for the best. I can imagine my father shouting at the viewing screen. Yelling directions at me as if I could actually hear him.
Krillan continues running and shouting at the top of his lungs. Issuing threats and challenges to anyone who might be listening. I pick up my pace, hoping to reach him before he reaches whatever might be waiting for us.
The howling stops at one point, and we quicken our pace. My ears strain to hear any other sounds as I approach the place where Krillan became silent. We stop where we last heard him. Our breathing is deep, but quiet. Weapons drawn, we stand back to back, eyes scanning the dark forest.
"Where is he?" Selena whispers.
"He's your partner, you should know," Porsche answers.
"I don't keep him on a leash," Selena snaps.
"Maybe you should."
"Shut up, both of you," I hiss.
A moment or two pass and we keep scanning the trees, searching and listening for any sigh of Krillan, or whatever he may have found. The bushes begin to rustle and we each point our weapons at it. A shadowy figure jumps from them, shouting wildly. Porsche and Selena jump back, her throwing stars armed and Porsche crouching low with her spear. I bring back my swords, ready to strike, but pause as a wicked laugh fills the forest.
"You should see you three," Krillan says between breaths. "White as ghosts."
I lower my weapons and sigh. Selena rolls her eyes and sheaths her throwing stars. Meanwhile Porsche glares at him.
"Glad you find it funny," she snaps. "We thought you may have run into them."
"Oh come on," Krillan says exasperated. "There's no one out…."
"FOR LYRA!" several voice all shout at once.
My eyes widen as several dark figures rush from all directions in the forest. From bushes, in trees, sprouting from the ground. Screaming wildly and running from all different directions all at once. Krillan shouts and hurls his axe towards my head. I snap my head to the right as it sails past me. A moment later I hear a sickening thud. Turning, I see the axe between the eyes of a larger boy whose collapsed on the ground.
A cannon fires.
One is running towards Krillan, his back turned. I dash towards him, as the figure raises a club over his head, I thrust my blade into the figures chest. A voice gasps and gurgles, a girls voice, before the body collapses.
A another cannon fires.
"Ambush!" I shout.
"You think!" Selena shouts as she hurls a throwing star into the throat of someone hanging in the trees.
The body falls and with a wail and scampers off into the woods.
They keep running, taking turns rushing and attacking us, shouting wildly. It makes it impossible to pin point their locations, and thus fight offensivly. We try to gather together, defensively we could hold them off one at a time. But each time we try to move, they block our path.
An object hits me in the back, and as I turn to see who threw it, something sweeps my legs. I thrash my sword, but it hits nothing but air. Leaping to my feat, I'm hit in the face with a branch from above, then struck again in the stomach.
"Damn it!" Krillan shouts. "They won't hold still."
"Imagine that," Porsche snaps.
Each of us is being hit from multiple angles, making it hard to find and strike one. They're also fighting our weaknesses. I use swords, so they're striking me from afar. Selena uses throwing stars, so they attack her up close. Krillan is easily frustrated and just swinging his axes wildly as they poke and prod him with branches.
However, Porsche is hit from behind, but anticipates the next attack coming to her chest. Rather than turn, she holds her spear in front of her as a body slams into it. With a gasp, she tosses the body aside, and throws her spear into the tree above me. A body falls from the branches and crashes to the ground, her spear impaled in its chest.
Two cannons go off.
We've killed five, and I hear them start to run. Listening closely, I hear several pairs of feet crashing through the woods. There's three I think, plus the five we killed.
"Come on lets go!" Krillan shouts.
"Wait!" I shout. "They brought eight."
"Yeah so!" he shouts back.
"The others…." I begin. My eyes widen with realization. "The cornucopia, they're going for the supplies."
Without a word we dash through the woods towards the cornucopia. If eight attacked us, that means four or five could be going for our supplies. If we get there fast enough, we might be able to catch them. They'll be weighed down if they try to carry to much and will either have to drop it and run, or try and defend it.
As we run I can hear my father cursing me.
"Never leave your base undefended, there's always someone watching it, looking for an opportunity to take it," he would say. "You gotta find some scrub to defend it, that way if it is attacked, they're killed and not you."
There weren't any scrubs to find and align with us this year. Again, strange.
Bursting through the threshold, we come to the plain and see the cornucopia in the distant. Our fires are still burning, and we can see five shadows rummaging through the supplies.
"Oh they are gonna get it!" Krillan shouts as he lifts an axe.
They hear us and begin to scramble. A few drop whatever they're carrying and run to the woods. Two stay behind, trying to hold onto some items they're carrying. Krillan hurls his axe, which lands in a crate of food by one of the tributes. It takes him just a split second to grab the axe, and dash into the woods. Another tries to grab a bag, but Selena's throwing stars strike her in the legs and she collapses and screams.
A third figure helps the girl to her feet, taking the stars out of her legs and pushing her towards the forest. We reach the cornucopia and immediately begin searching to see if anyone else is there. I dash inside to check the weapons cache, and find one tribute hiding behind some crates. He's shaking uncontrollably, but with one look at our weapons rack I thrust my sword across his neck.
My jaw is clenched so tight it hurts. They were able to make a few trips, and most of our weapons are gone. They're not our preferred ones, but it doesn't matter, now they are better equipped to fight back. Again, this is different, and I'm getting angrier by the second.
Exiting the cornucopia I find the girls. Selena and Porsche have gathered that scattered remains of our supplies around the fire and are taking stock. Porsche looks to me.
"What they'd take?" she asks.
"Swords, knifes, bows, most of it," I reply.
"They took a lot of our food as well," Selena says. "Smart too, they took the stuff you don't have to cook over a fire."
Yes, they are smart. Too smart. My grip becomes so tight around my swords my wrist starts to hurt.
"Well this is just great," Porsche says standing up. She looks to me, worry spreading across her face. She has the same fears I do. "They're all together, and they took almost everything of value."
"That's ok," Krillan says in the distance.
Turning, we see him return to the fires, something large swung over his shoulder.
"We got something of there's," he says with glee.
He thrust the figure onto the ground in front of the fire, holding his axe at her. My eyes widen as I recognize the fiery red hair glimmering in the fire. Looking each of us over, she stops and glares at me. Her eyes are still, but her shoulders are tense. It means she's scared, but trying hard to not too appear so. She's either really brave, or really stupid.
"Lrya," I say through clenched teeth.