I forgot Hunter and Priscilla were allied. That's why they're together now.

Arielle Ermin POV

When there was no one in range anymore, we started to pack up and move camp. Normally we could shelter in the Cornucopia, but that wouldn't work this time. It was surrounded by two-story buildings. An archer could sit in any of them and target us one by one. We had our pick of the surrounding buildings, and we chose the one behind the Cornucopia. It was a sparse dormitory stocked with water and food. This would be a war, not a battle.

Other than Odeda, we were in good shape. Venus was unscathed, of course. I would have preferred her to go over Odeda. Aversa had a gash in her leg from Troy's spear, but it wasn't serious. I took a punch from Ash before he got to his real weapon, so I got off light. It was just a bruise. Akari's head was bleeding impressively, but it was really just a scratch. She must have parried a blow a second too late.

"I'll look for the nurse's office," I said. I poked around the barren concrete building until I found a room labeled Medical. I stopped at the doorway when I saw a drop of blood on the floor.

"Venus," I called. She came and I carefully checked between the door crack before I leaned in, ready to retreat if someone sprang out.

There was a girl lying by an upset shelf of medical supplies. A blood-covered, broken spear shaft was lying next to her. Her body shuddered as she pressed a wad of bandages to her perforated stomach. It was likely too late to help her, and I wouldn't if I could have. I was just glad she was about to die on her own. I would have thought Venus would be all over her, but she just watched with intense fascination. She was bending over for a closer look when the girl's cannon sounded.

Nadia Nette POV

There was something worse than the Games. There was two Games. I made it to the building, but it was too late to do anything. There was so much blood around me. I wasn't sure if there was any left in my body.

Something darkened the corner of my vision as I started to shudder. I sensed something evil beside me, but it was too late for that, too. It didn't get to me in time, and I died easily.

Priscilla Piscot POV

Hunter and I broke for the woods. There were only two of us, and we weren't looking for a fight. We ducked under the thick branches of a pine tree, which barely skimmed the ground and made a protective wall around us.

A deafening, echoing bark sounded from some distance away, and Hunter poked his head up to look. Normally he wouldn't make himself visible if a Muttation might be around, but this one sounded like a dog. If that was the case, we could climb the tree to get away from it, and there was no use hiding when a dog could smell us from a mile away.

It wasn't one dog. It was a whole herd. They barked again in unison as they barreled toward the Cornucopia. One looked over, and it locked eyes with him. It broke off from the pack and ran toward us, staring right at him the whole time.

"Gotta go up," Hunter said. I followed as he climbed up the thick, close-set branches of the tree. The dog reached the bottom of the tree and I thumbed my nose at it.

"What you gonna do abo-OH SHIIIIIII-"

Hunter Dubchen POV

It wasn't as bad as the bad, but there was something horrifically unnatural about a dog climbing a tree. The muscles in its massive arms rippled as it pulled itself up the branches that were so thick they were almost stairs. Foamy drool clung to its mouth as it growled and snapped. It clawed up with terrible speed, reaching us in half a minute as we tried to get higher.

"Get away! Get away!" I yelled as I slashed at it with my sword. It never reacted to any of my strikes, even as they shredded its fur and scored its flesh. Priscilla shrieked as she stuck her knife into it over and over, but it didn't seem to know she was there. Its gaze never left me and all its bites were aimed at me. When Priscilla figured that out she doubled her efforts and tried to pull it away from me with both arms, but it wouldn't be deterred. It latched onto my side and shook me like a doll even as I slashed it. Priscilla kicked its muzzle and knocked its head sideways, but it didn't let go. I was so close to it I could hardly work my sword, so I punched it straight in the nose and tore at its jowls with my fingers. I tried to push it away and its weight shifted off the branch. It dragged me down as it fell, and I landed heavily on top of it. The impact and my weight should have stunned it, but it absorbed the blow and kept tearing at me.

I heard Priscilla screaming and clambering toward us when it let go to adjust its hold. It twisted around me and settled its bulk on my chest as it bit into my throat and started shaking again. It was still better than the bat.

24th place: Nadia Nette- Speared by Chantal

Nadia was a late addition, which was fine, but it inevitably meant it was harder to get to know her. I didn't kill her in the Bloodbath because I felt bad we barely connected with her. When I realized that I tend to forget that most Tributes probably get wounded in the Bloodbath and some likely die of their wounds, that merged perfectly with Nadia. She wasn't strong in this group of Tributes, and it would have happened eventually. Thank you guest who submitted Nadia. She was cool. In a normal Games she would have lasted longer.

23rd place: Hunter Dubchen- Killed by a Devil Dog

Someone had to get killed by the Devil Dog. It happened to be Hunter, who has really bad luck with Muttations. He never had the killing heart of most Careers. He had the skill, so he tended to last a long time, but he never had the cruelty to win. This time he got unlucky. On the bright side, he never had to see nightfall. Thanks Annietreasure for letting us use Hunter again, even though I don't think you're here.

As for the mutts, they are most definitely stronger for these Careers. Once a Devil Dog has a target, it can't die until it gets its quarry. It won't stop chasing you, no matter what. You can run, you can hide, but it's no use fighting. Maybe now the Careers know how the other Tributes feel about them. A Devil Dog targets the first person it sees. If you can kill everyone else in the Games before it gets you, you win. They are inspired by this horribly terrifying computer game I used to play in the 90s called Runner. Screw that game.