It isn't really first blood, since like six people have died already. It was just a cool title.
Jynx Susurrus POV
"We camping in the woods or what?" Victory asked as we kept moving. The central comples was far too crowded and dangerous to stay in. We had to find somewhere else.
"I had a different idea," I said. I pointed to a stone tower barely visible over the horizon.
"I noticed that when the platforms came up. It's gotta be the highest point in the Arena. Where better for an archer?" I asked.
"Where better for a swordsman?" Victory asked. "But really, that's a good idea." I felt horribly exposed as we made our way, but clearly no one else had picked our destination, and we got there without a hitch.
"This must be the entrance," I noted when I saw the gate by the stone tower. It didn't take a genius to figure out we were on the edge of the Arena, and what would happen if we tried to go farther.
"There's nothing in here," Victory said after we got inside. It was just an empty watchtower, without any supplies or accomodations. We gained seclusion and safety, but at the cost of food and water. We'd have to find those things for ourselves, which put us at a disadvantage.
"At least no one will be able to get in," I said. The tower was made to keep military-level threats out. It would be impenetrable for a bunch of teenagers with spears. We'd found our home, or else we'd found our tomb.
Troy Cahill POV
The peace couldn't last much longer. With three Career alliances within two hundred feet of each other, battle was inevitable. Cierra and I were checking the barricades and safety precautions as Steel looked over a schematic of the main camp she'd found in a desk.
"Here's us, the pack, and Marley and the others," she said as she pointed out our various positions. "We can't stay here long. We're the weakest alliance of the three, and they'll come for us first. I expect the pack will strike first." I couldn't help but think of who it was that led us to this building, but she obviously wasn't going to mention that.
"It would be best to wait until nightfall, but they won't give us that long," Steel continued. She got up and walked toward the other end of the hall.
"We'll have to run past Marley's building. None of them use short-" her words cut off in a sharp cry as an arrow flew through the narrow window beside her and lodged into her side. She dropped into a crouch and crawled away from the window, leaving a blood trail.
"Are you okay?" Cierra asked as she ran to help. She dragged Steel up against the wall and out of range. I checked to make sure I wasn't near any windows, then knelt by them.
"It's okay. It must have hit a rib," Steel said. Her voice was pained and her face was pale, but she wasn't dying. "We still have to go. They're probably coming right now to see who they got. Take the map."
I hauled Steel to her feet and she gasped. She could walk, but it was going to slow her down. I knew Cierra would stay with her to the end, but I wasn't sure how I'd react. I had a life to live, too. I couldn't waste it helping someone who would probably die anyway.
Priscilla Piscot POV
I was still climbing down the tree when I heard Hunter's cannon. After that, it was a long time before I climbed the rest of the way. I would have stayed up there forever if it wasn't for two things. One, the rest of the mutts were already halfway across the Arena. Two, I wasn't safe in the tree anyway.
The hovercraft wouldn't come when I was still so close, so Hunter was still there when I reached the ground. I wanted to say something, but I could barely look at his bloodied remains without crying. I shuddered at the thought of touching his cold, waxy skin, and my heart ached as I left him alone.
I wanted to get as far away from the buildings as possible. Even if I'd wanted to, I could hardly have done any damage against the powerhouse alliances there. But I didn't want to. I just wanted the game to be over.
When I heard something behind a tree, I thought it was one of the mutts. I shrieked and turned to run, since there was no stopping those things. I was so scared I didn't look where I was going, and I turned right into a tree, knocking myself onto my butt. A spear flew over my head and stuck into the tree where I'd just been. I followed its shaft back to Chantal. Her arm was still out in a throwing stance, and blood was caked onto a strip of fabric tied around her head.
It wasn't a game. I was about to die, and survival instincts took over. I ran at Chantal and plowed into her. We both fell over and I raised my knife-wielding arm over my head. I plunged it into her chest and pulled it back to strike again. Its blade was red with blood as I stuck it into her again and again.
I never should have picked a knife as my weapon. It took too long and caused to much pain. It wasn't fun at all. It was the worst game I'd ever played.
Chantal Ivingin POV
I knew I was in grave danger when I saw Priscilla. I'd lost just enough blood to affect my balance, and the blood around my eye skewed my depth perception. I struck before she turned around because I didn't want to fight her head-on. I was right. After I missed, she ran at me and it was only a matter of time. After she stabbed me half a dozen times, she blanched in horror and ran away.
It took a long time to die. I had time to ruminate on my performance and my demise. I didn't even last a day. Pretty pathetic, really. But then, the people must have thought I was good. They brought me back twice. They might do it again, and even if they didn't, they'd remember me. Far longer than I'd even been alive, they'd remember me.
22nd place: Chantal Ivingin- Knifed by Priscilla
Basically I didn't want all day to go by with no deaths since that didn't make any sense with a bunch of Careers. Chantal was a strong Tribute but sometimes luck turns bad. She did great in her first two Games. If she comes back, she'll likely do great again. It was getting hard to continue her arc of constant improvement, so if she comes back I'll have to find something else. Thanks to Chantal's submitter, who submitted her so long ago I wasn't keeping notes back then.