The Reaping

District One: SeaWings

-Violet-

I stared long and hard at my shell. It was indigo with the word VIOLET engraved into it. A messenger swam past me to the end of the pavillion's row. He told something to the dragon inside, Spray, if I remember correctly. When he reached me, he told me:

"Go to the old Island Palace. It is time for the Reaping." And he left. I stood there, dazed. What was the reaping? Why was it happening? It didn't sound good. Was I going to get hurt?

I walked out of my cave and into the water. I headed out the pavillion and went up to the lapping waves, and the Island palace.

-Flood-

"Go to the Island Palace for the Reaping." And the dragon left me. What? Why? How? I shook all the questions out of my head, and watched as the messenger went to my neighbour, Violet. As I passed I saw her looking confused.

"Come on, Violet!" I called happily as I shot past her cave. I swam up and out of the pavillion and I took in the sights around me. I never ceased to be amazed by my home, the ocean.

It can't be that bad, right? I mean, nothing has gone wrong for me so far. It helps when I avoid anything bad and have loads and loads of people around me to help. I'll be fine.

Right?

-Ripple-

"Come on, Ripple! You're taking forever!" My mother called out. It didn't help that it was Anenome.

"Coming, Mother!" I called back as politely as possible. I never seemed to call her 'Queen' or 'Your Majesty.'

"Foam is ready!" She called. My ego sunk like a rock. Foam was never ready on time. Well, there's a first time for everything. I quickly scarfed down my catfish, and walked out, still rubbing seaweed on my scales to shine them.

"At least you're out." She sighed. "Come on, Puffer!" She yelled.

"Mother, I can't reach my seaweed!" She called back.

"I'll help her." Foam said, as I was going to, but I was still polishing my scales.

Soon we were flying through the Bay of A Thousand Scales, straight to the Island Palace. SeaWings we passed on the way bowed as best as they could to my family.

"What's the Reaping, Mother?" Puffer asked.

"The Reaping is where names are drawn out, and they have to go to a new arena, and the game is called the Venom Games. There are two dragons who can't be replaced by a volunteer, two males that can, and two females that can. There aren't any dragons under the age of 7 participating, and the rule is: Kill or be Killed. Blister, somehow, managed to force my mother to make this tribe participate, before the whole war began, and she was friends with Scarlet." Anenome explained. "Ripple is the only one old enough so far, so we must pray that he doesn't get picked."

-Bubbles-

"Ugh, you win again!" He exclaimed. I smirked, and high-fived my partner, Whale II.

"Come on, pay up." I said, holding out my claw.

"Fine, here's your ten stupid calamari." He said, handing it over, grudingly. I handed five to Whale, and he smirked at our contender.

"I want a rematch!" He announced for the twentieth time. "But I want a partner this time." And every eye in the center was on him. I gave him the raised-eyelid look, and he looked in the crowd for a willing contender.

"I'm willing to pay." One dragon said. She walked forward, her eyes fierce. "Hey, I'm Seagrass."

"Angler." He shook claws with her, and they turned back to Whale and I.

"Bring it." I said. We played sea cards again, and I had three aces and a king. I picked up a card, and hid my shout of delight, keeping my face stone. My eyes darted to Seagrass and back, studying her tecnique. She kept her face emotionless as she picked up and looked at her card. It came back to me, and I lay down my cards, smirking. I had won, individually, with four aces and a king. Team wise, I was thinking: Come on Whale!

"Everyone to the Island Palace. Now." Prince Ripple came in, then joined his mother again.

"Well, we will continue this later." Seagrass said, and left the pub. When we were in the water, I flashed: You are a good player. She looked confused, then flashed the stripes meaning she was laughing. I shook my head slightly and went to the nearest island. It happened to be next to the Island Palace.

-Paddle-

"I seriously am annoyed. Why do I have to write a love letter to Koi?! I hate him!" My sister exclaimed.

"Do it. It was a dare!" I yelled.

"Only if you do one to Urchin!" She shot back.

"Ugh, I hate Urchin more than you hate Koi! It sucks that they're brothers too! Why?" I exclaimed.

"Well, we might have to wait." My brother said. "Paddle, Catfish, come on. Everyone is swimming to the Island Palace, and someone told me that everyone has to attend."

"Well, I'm guessing that the love letters can wait." I smirked at Catfish, then quickly swam to the Island Palace before she could lose it at me.

The Reaping

Zebrafish stood on a podium above everyone else.

"Now, join me as we celebrate the First Official Venom Games!" She announced. "We will be drawing the Randoms first. Now, these two, may they be male or female, cannot be replaced." Zebrafish said, then drew a name out. "Flood!" A female head shot up. "Come and stand up here." She obliged grudgingly. "Now for the second one." And she drew out another name.

"Violet!" And a head that looked like a NightWing's came forward. The dragon female walked solemly onto the platform. "Good! Now it is time for the girls! You may volunteer in place of this dragon." She put her claw into the clam and grabbed a name. "Salt!"

"I volunteer!" A dragon called almost immediately.

"Nice. And what is your name?" Zebrafish asked as the dragon walked up.

"Seagrass." She replied.

"Okay." She said, then drew another name out. "Paddle!" A dragon pushed her way through the crowd. "Any volunteers? No? Ah, well."

Paddle walked up and stood next to Seagrass.

"Hey. Any idea what we're doing?" She asked.

"Beats me. Bet Queen Anenome and her dragonets know." Seagrass replied.

"Yeah." Paddle said.

"Now for the boys! And before we start, will there be any volunteers?" Zebrafish said.

"Me!" A dragon called.

"Nice, and who are you?" She said.

"Bubbles." He said.

"Is that all the volunteers? Flash the stripe saying you promise!" She called.

Everyone raised their tails and flashed the stripe.

"And the lucky male is..." Zebrafish said, drawing out a name. When she read it, she paled almost instantly.

"The final tribute is Prince Ripple! And thank your tributes, and goodbye!" She said. When she walked off, she said: "Kraken, take the tributes to the private rooms in the Summer Palace."

-Inside the Summer Palace-

"Ripple! Oh, darling! I don't know why Zebrafish made us all promise, I swear." Anenome said, hugging him as he sat on the bed.

"I believe you, mum. It helps that I'm the only one that actually knows what it is." He replied, returning his mother's hug.

"You need to make at least one ally." Puffer ordered.

"Maybe that Paddle girl?" Foam said.

"Mmm. She seems okay." Ripple mumbled.

"We'll be watching, okay darling?" Anenome said. They left as Kraken told them that their time was up.

"Too bad I'm not an animus." He said to himself.

-Paddle-

No one came in, as Paddle knew that'd happen, so she had some time to think.

"I like Ripple." She said. "I reckon that this 'Venom Games' ain't good, so I'm gonna go on a limb here and say that I'm gonna need him as an ally."

-Violet-

Spray walked in. He looked unsure on what to say, so Violet started first.

"Do you know what they're doing?" She asked.

"No! Hopefully it's not bad, and I seriously hope that you'll be fine and-"

"Wow, wow, wow. Calm down. I'm going to be fine." She said.

"With the name 'Venom Games?' Hell no." He said.

"True. If I need an ally, I'm not going with Seagrass."

-Flood-

Her mother walked in, and so did many of her friends.

"Hi!" She exclaimed.

"Hey." Her mother said. "I overheard Queen Anenome talking to her children. Apparently this 'Venom Games' is actually an arena where you have to kill each other."

"WHAT?!" Flood exclaimed. "Then I am gonna try and make as many allies as possible!"

"Of course. You get along with everyone so easy, should be a breeze." One the the friends added, everyone else nodding at their words.

I make an ally, I survive.

I don't, I die.

I'll make an ally easily.

Right?

-Bubbles-

Whale came in.

"So... How's your day been?" He asked.

"Rather succesful. Winning at least 20 card matches, that was good." Bubbles said. "Then there was the getting thrown into an unknown 'Venom Gamesy-thingy', so that was the bad part of my day. How's your day been?"

It was an uncomfortable ten minutes, to say the least.

-Seagrass-

Angler walked in, surprisingly.

"What were your cards?" He asked.

"Four kings and a Queen." She said, smirking. "My cards would have beaten his."

"Yeah, too bad we didn't get enough time." Angler winced.

-Seven minutes later-

"Speaking of not enough time." Kraken said. "Your time is up."

"Bye, Seagrass. Let's win this game, huh?" Angler said.

"You bet."

Was that good? Anyways, I NEED BLOODBATH VICTIMS! And I need MudWings, too. Even if you guys make the rest of District Two Bloodbath Victims.

All the reapings are going to be around this length.