A/N: This chapter has just one POV, but next chapter I plan to include a POV from every single tribute/alliance in the arena. After this chapter, less than half of the original 48 tributes remain. Please please review with any thoughts, comments, or speculations you might have. I love reading them!
Oshea Taverns, 16
District 3 5th Male
The white flowers are scant in the outer reaches of the arena. Out here, we have the highest ground, which is how we were able to avoid yesterday's tidal wave with no damage at all. An archipelago of muddy islands seems to surround the arena. Earlier, Bryony spotted an unbroken line of land circling the arena, which we figure must be the barrier, but we didn't explore. That would be suicide.
I lead our trek through the soupy water, moving quickly. My entire body is caked with mud, and my thick black jeans are soaked. I only have one of my plasticky black rain boots, the other one swept off of my foot in the tidal wave.
The others don't look much better. Bolt looks just as anxious as ever as he treads through the muck, his eye twitching uncontrollably. His hands look like they belong to a horror movie character: dry, cracked, bleeding, and filled with mud. Infection is a real possibility if Bolt doesn't get some kind of salve or lotion soon.
Bryony's blonde princess hair is now matted and tangled like a rat's nest, and her once-porcelain skin is now broken out with lines of bulging red pimples. Dark creases frame her eyes.
Liose's missing arm makes him look like a zombie walking through the swamp; with dirt coating his body and dried blood down his chest, he may well be some kind of undead mutt ready to feast on tribute blood.
An additional hour of travel takes us to the largest island yet, and the most solid. Bryony takes the first step onto solid ground, with myself and Liose in hot pursuit. Bolt comes in last and immediately sits down on a low-hanging mangrove tree bough. It has enough room for all four of us, like a bench, but just enough, so we have to squeeze together to fit. Even so, the feeling of rest is basically heaven.
"Do you feel the sun?" Liose asks quietly.
I hum in agreement, glancing at the faint yellow circle as the fog clears. After that, Bolt tries to make small talk, but all we need right now is to relax.
I realize suddenly that, for the first time in three days, I feel safe. It's not safe to feel safe, of course. But I let my guard down for just one second. I forget about the knife in my pocket, about the risk of death at any second. The only things in the universe are me and my friends and the sun and the mangrove tree.
And the arrow that sails over my shoulder.
The four of us rush to our feet, shaking. We all glance at each other, as if to make sure we hadn't imagined it. I glance over my shoulder and see the arrow about twenty meters behind me, quickly sinking in the muddy water.
"Who shot that?" Bryony shouts, and I'm surprised how bold she sounds. "Come out and fight, or, Stinn help me, we will find you."
It's a smart plan; she's trying to intimidate our attacker in case it's an outlier who was hoping to take one of us out from a distance and flee. Unfortunately, we aren't that lucky. The four strong tributes burst out of hiding, appearing all at once from behind a curtain of vines that once hid them from view.
I recognize the quartet from the training center: Silicon, Desdemona, Othello, and Demi. The next moment, both of our groups are deep in combat. Desdemona lunges and takes on Bryony, who rolls to the side before she can be speared through the throat. Desdemona's brother Othello is the next to come forward, trying to attack Bryony as well, but Liose rushes to assist, momentarily keeping the twins away with his knives.
No time for messing around. I pounce toward Silicon and groan as he punches me squarely in the stomach. The pain makes the world go black, but I find the energy to pull out my sword. I slash with all the strength I can conjure, but Silicon is a formidable opponent, revealing a shorter black sword just in time to parry.
As I fight Silicon, I see flashing images of the battle around me: Liose and Bryony fighting against Desdemona and Othello, Bolt taking on Demi.
Taking a stronger grip on my sword, I lunge suddenly, taking Silicon off guard. He tumbles backward and crashes into the mangrove tree, where a shower of condensation rains down on top of him. I notice Demi beginning to overwhelm Bolt and rush to his aid. I quickly make eye contact with Liose and gesture toward Silicon, who now struggles to see straight from his place on the branch. Liose understands my cue, and he rushes toward Silicon, finishing him off as Bolt and I work together to hold off Demi.
The shape of the battle changes somewhat after Silicon's cannon fires. With Liose and I fighting Demi, Bolt and Bryony break up the Desdemona-Othello duo, with Bolt attacking the brother and Bryony going for the sister.
I watch as Bryony tears the bow out of Desdemona's hands, throwing it to the ground and crushing it at her feet. Desdemona opens her eyes wide, in shock, and Liose uses his one hand to smack her in the mouth. Desdemona falls, sobbing, and knocks down Othello in her descent. Bryony cuts open Desdemona's abdomen with two heavy chops.
I'm so focused on the other parts of the battle, it takes me way longer than it should to realize that Liose is now motionless at my side, Demi's weapon skewered straight through his chest.
Now each side has suffered a loss. Our numbers are down to three: myself, Bolt, and Bryony. As for our opponents, only Othello and Demi remain, and both are in rough condition. Othello squirms on the ground, struggling to dislodge himself from underneath his sister's corpse. His face is strawberry-colored with rage. Demi's entire front side is soaked with blood, from a wound inflicted by Bryony.
At last, Othello gets to his feet. Just when I think he's about to charge again, he makes eye contact with his ally Demi, and they not as if in agreement. When they flee, we don't chase after them.
At my side, Bolt collapses, warbling. While I've kept myself relatively unharmed, both of my allies are in horrible condition.
The silver parachute filled with medicine lands in my lap as soon as I take my bloody/muddy shirt off. I reach into the carriage and pull out the little containers of Capitol factory medicine, hurriedly reading the labels. Looks like I've got some friends to save.
Silicon Blackmar, District 3 11th Male
Desdemona Brooks, District 9 6th Female
Liose Coster, District 9 10th Male
Remaining Tributes (23): Cordaire, Socket, Taure, Milly, Kaicee, Oshea, Laurisa, Bolt, Fusae, Coco, Telata, Katya, Spurr, Maizie, Sorghum, Kenneth, Bryony, Othello, Gwenith, Elodie, Harvey, Demi, Ronan
