- Turn that thing down or I'll kill you!
She really, really could have killed him. The little boy's pale hand covered his face, but she knew full well what color the eyes of a person who is afraid are.
- Lyssa, NO!-
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Clarisse walked quickly with her head down, reflecting. It had been four hours since the announcer's strange announcement. New tributes? Not from Capitol City? What was the point? She raised her head to look at the sky: the sun was shining high. The weather had totally changed, it was being manipulated, and Clarisse was so tired. But she couldn't stop and rest, it would be too risky. She tried to concentrate on the rhythm of the steps. One, two, one, two, one, two. When she would have liked to be back in her four-poster bed, in the villa, sleeping as much as she wanted during the winter days and then waking up with the smell of hot chocolate put on the bedside table by some servant. She had always been kind to the servants, so why had they sent her there? Dossy had probably said something bad about her, she had told them that Clarisse had once dirtied her laundry with mud. But she was small, what could she do about it? Bad, Dossy, bad. The little girl leaned against the trunk of a tree, her head ached. Was it the heat? The tiredness? Those fruits she had eaten? Or all three? She was delirious. He slumped at the base of the tree, enjoying its shade for a moment, panting. He'd hardly slept, and with the jolting weather everything was getting worse. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"I'll only sleep five minutes. Just five minutes. Five minutes..."
A branch snapped heavily, jolting her awake. She sprang to her feet and lurched into the bushes near the tree. She must have been asleep all afternoon (it really was afternoon, who knew); well, at least her head hurt less. She squinted to identify who had made the noise, but saw no one. Suddenly, an inexplicable force lifted her off the ground, then threw her ten meters further away. As her body processed the blow, she heard howling laughter.
- Look who's here- said an arrogant male voice. Clarisse lifted her gaze from the ground and found herself staring at Elister's grin. - I have to say, we got lucky, didn't we boys?
Her companions laughed louder. By the looks of them, they were armed to the teeth even though they bore obvious scars. They were all big and muscular, and the girl was wielding a strange iron staff, with a knob the size of an adult head on one end. How had they gotten to her shoulders?
- If before we thought we had problems of survival, now we have solved it - continued Elister - Killing this little lost girl in the best way, we will have advice until the end of the games-.
He leaned over her, threateningly. He slipped his spear from his shoulders and rested the tip on Clarisse's cheek. The little girl seethed with pure rage and terror. She swallowed. Another boy pulled out a tent peg and smiled sadistically.
- Shall we plant her on the ground and then skin her? Clarisse jumped. Had they gone crazy in so few days?
- Why don't we talk about it?- she asked, barely keeping her voice calm. The group looked at each other and laughed, laughed, laughed.
- But who do you think you're dealing with?- asked the girl of the group, wrinkling her very strange nose adorned with a stud.
- I like the idea of flaying- said the third boy, who had very white hair. The one who had proposed it, with golden studs on his neck smiled wickedly at him. Elister chuckled and moved his spear to Clarisse's neck, scratching her. As a trickle of blood began to trickle down her jacket, the little girl summoned all the calm she could muster, and then she glowered: the cold blade of the pocket knife she had hidden in her sleeve slipped close to her palm.
- Well then- said Elister -let's have some fun.
He made to grab Clarisse's hair, but Clarisse clutched the knife and swung it in the boy's direction, opening a gash in his cheek. Elister howled in pain, and Clarisse took advantage of the group's bewilderment to get up and start running at breakneck speed, with no clear direction. She felt the favorites begin to chase her, under Elister's nonsensical commands, and he bellowed angrily. The forest thickened and the branches slammed into the little girl's face. She felt the breath of her pursuers coming closer, but she couldn't outrun them. Someone grabbed her ankle causing her to hit the ground again. The girl with the studded nose grinned and pushed herself on top of her with her bat raised.
- Guys I have...- she started to scream but a bolt ripped through her throat, spilling her backwards. Clarisse crawled backwards in a panic. Who was it? The hybrids? Were the hybrids throwing darts? She bumped into something, and when she turned around, she was on the verge of letting out a scream: a tall boy with two blue eyes and wild red hair was staring at her curiously, with a blowgun in one hand and Clarisse's backpack in the other. The little girl touched her shoulders. She must have lost her backpack in the rush. But... who was that?
- Are you Clarisse Snow? the little boy asked, coldly. Clarisse nodded.
- My name is Akkari- said the other boy. -Is this yours?- he handed her the backpack. Clarisse took it, without stopping to stare at it.
- Where are you from?- she asked, her throat dry.
- District 1- Akkari answered simply and turned to leave. The little girl was puzzled for a moment, then got up and followed him. She didn't know why, but she wanted that Akkari as an ally at all costs.
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- Kids from the Districts?- repeated Helios for the umpteenth time, as the four Allies moved as quickly as they could through the bush. Or rather, the three of them; Jendy was still being carried by Lyod. Her leg was feeling better, but they didn't want to risk putting too much strain on it. On the way Lyod and Lyssa had explained their theory to the other three.
- New tributes that we can't possibly know about? Where are they supposed to come from, the stars? - Lyssa retorted, adjusting one of Jendy's saddlebags, which was slipping from her hands, from over Lyod's shoulders. Helios snorted.
- But why would they throw their children in an Arena, it doesn't make sense!
- Why, is there anything that makes sense in here?
- Stop bickering like two old biddies - Lyod scolded them - It's no use.
They continued like this in silence for a good half hour, until the older boy asked for a break to rest for a moment. He gently placed Jendy on the ground and stretched his back.
- I'd scout around a bit- said Helios, looking at the trees- Seems like a good place to camp.
- I'll go with you- Lyssa said, throwing a dagger at Jendy who caught it.
- You could have hurt me- her friend scolded her.
- I know- Lyssa said with a wink. Jendy smiled.
As they walked slowly through the bush, Helios and Lyssa talked a little bit about everything in low voices. Lyssa couldn't explain it, but Helios inspired her confidence.
- So your folks abandoned you, huh?" asked Helios.
- Yeah - Lyssa murmured, looking at the sky.
- You know what - Helios continued - Parents are really assho...-.
His words were cut off by her own scream. He slumped to the ground. Lyssa immediately lowered herself.
- Helios?! - she shouted. She tried to touch him but got a very strong shock that made her take her hand away. She turned to where Helios had walked and saw a long copper wire, spitting sparks. One of the little boy's ankles was bleeding and Lyssa made to medicate him but someone smacked her in the back. As if by instinct, the little girl took another of her daggers and stood up: a boy about fourteen years old stared at her dumbfounded, with a short sword pointed at her.
- But how...?- he started to say but Lyssa jumped on him, taking him by surprise. They rolled for two meters until Effie's niece was on top of her enemy with the dagger aimed at his throat.
- WHO ARE YOU? WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU? - he shouted with all the rage that had been suppressed all those weeks.
- Dey... Deymark- stammered the terrified boy.
- What did you do to Helios?- continued Lyssa.
The boy shook his head. Then, suddenly, he hit Lyssa with the handle of the short sword, but the little girl held him tight. Now they had the other's blade pointed at their own throats. Lyssa tightened her grip.
- Turn that thing down or I'll kill you!
She really, really could have killed him. The little boy's pale hand covered his face, but she knew full well what color the eyes of a person who is afraid are.
- Lyssa, NO!-
Lyod had run to them, followed by a limping Jendy. The older boy ran to Helios while Cinna's granddaughter approached the two fighters. Striking Deymark's weapon with her good leg, she leaned over him; but she was looking at Lyssa.
- Forget about him, Ly- she said- we made a promise-.
Lyssa looked at her then back at Deymark.
- Yes- she finally gave in- but you have to explain a few things to us.