Ash Smith- Troy Cahill

There were a lot more girls than boys this time. I guess pretty girls were more attractive to the Gamemakers than ugly old boys.

Aversa Jewel- Arielle Ermin

We'd lost the advantage of numbers and now Marley's alliance knew it. We had to watch our step.

Lottie Parker

I was on watch. We were the largest alliance and I didn't expect any trouble, but it was possible that Akari, Venus and Arielle would try a sneak attack in the night, so I kept my ears pricked. It was horribly dull, though. There was nothing to do and nobody to talk to. It was the middle of the night and I had to get out of bed and wander the halls looking for monsters that weren't there.

I leaned against the wall and stared across the hall. At least I only had an hour left.

Ava Hanson

We all jolted up at the sound of a pained yelp. I grabbed my knife and we ran to Lottie's aid. I was first into the hall and saw her fighting a mutt the size of a small deer. Its skin was armored like a crocodile's and it had a bony tail. When I looked at the other end I saw it had long, twisted goat horns. Lottie was waving it off with her sword as blood poured from her nose.

"What is that thing?" she asked as she slashed at it.

"I don't know!" Marley said as we jumped in to help her. I stuck my knife into the mutt's side. It bleated and shied onto its hind legs. Olivine slashed down its side and the mutt ran down the hallway stairs and disappeared.

"Are you all right?" Olivine asked Lottie as she dabbed at her nose.

"I'm okay. I'm just all bruised. It headbutted me!" she said.

"Why would there be a mutt in the middle of a building?" Marley wondered aloud. I thought back to the sign I'd read earlier.

"Lottie... were you sleeping on fire watch?" I asked. She folded her arms and looked away.

"No! I just sat down for one minute. I was about to come and get Olivine for her turn," she said.

"Suuuuuuure," Marley said. She looked at Lottie askance.

"We have more important things here. My poor nose will never be the same. What will the boys do?" Lottie asked. After it was gone, we were all just glad it wasn't worse. It seemed that sign wasn't just for decoration. Now that we knew what could happen, we'd pay a little more attention.

Camille Buchanere POV

It was the second night, and more than half of us were still left. Normally that wouldn't be a problem, but I was getting hungry. I'd planned on an alliance, which would have meant I could have been in the center of the Arena where there was presumably food. I should have been with a chivalrous young man who would help a lady in her need.

I could hardly see to find food in the night. I wouldn't have been able to see at all if the moon wasn't full. It had been full last night, too. Probably the Gamemakers didn't want the action to all stop at night. The center of the Arena was lit with corner lights, so the fighting never had to stop there.

Something stirred in the air. A breeze passed across my face, and I smelled something like the sea. I knew right away the Gamemakers had sent something. I saw a faint glow coming toward me. It was bouncing, as though some huge creature was galloping. I didn't need false bravery. I got ready to run, but the mutt was fast. In a moment, it was before me.

Someone in the Capitol was sick. I could never have thought of something so utterly wrong. The thing before me was like a horse, but everything good was gone from it. Vomit rose in my throat as the thing's smell hit me. It was the smell of wet bits and pieces found inside a body. The reason I could smell it turned my stomach and doused my courage. The mutt had no skin. Its slick body was covered in pulsing veins and stretched muscles. I could see yellow and black fluids traveling across its body, and I saw the tendons stretch and retract as it came closer.

I looked up at the mass on its back and whimpered. It was a rider, as skinless as the horse. Its empty eye sockets stared at me. My stomach shriveled as my eyes ran down the rider's body. It didn't end but merged into the horse, making a single being. Where the creature's front hooves should have been were two hands running across the ground. The rider was bent forward oddly, and I realized it was because its arms were the creature's legs. The horse's bleached, bloody skull held a single socketless eye. It made wet, sucking noises as it ran, like it wanted to scream but had no tongue.

I couldn't fight that thing. I stumbled backwards and tried to wave it off with my cutlass, but it paid my blade no attention. It wouldn't have to, of course. It didn't have any nerves. It ran at me and swung its head at me, knocking me over. It reared and brought its front legs down on my chest, and I heard bones cracking. It seized me with its fingers and crouched low to the ground, tearing at me with its blunt teeth. The rider on its back craned forward to join in the attack. I made noises I didn't know I could make as I tried to tear free of its grip. No ally could have saved me from this. Nothing could have saved me.

Priscilla Piscot POV

It wasn't a fair game. Nothing could fight against that. I tried to tell myself it was just another opponent, another opponent I had to beat to get back to Miall. For the first time, I was glad he wasn't with me. He didn't have to see that nightmare. Nightmare. That's what it was. A demon horse from out of the darkness. I didn't care if I forfeited the game. I ran. I heard its wet flesh sliding across itself as it followed.

"Together next time!" I yelled as the mutt closed in on me. Next time, me and Miall, or neither of us. I could live without him, but I didn't have to. They made me, for no reason at all. Let them kill me and raise me as they would. They could at least grant me that.

Ole Rodgers POV

A razor-toothed rictus ripped into my chest as hammerlike teeth tore my stomach into wet ribbons. I wondered if there was intelligence in the human skull above mine and pitied it. Its grotesque, perverted movements eroded my sanity with every second.

I thought of Ana, the girl I'd known so long ago. She'd died long before her time, and all that remained of her was a distant relative. All that remained was a boy like her in looks and more like her in spirit. The only other person I knew who spoke of ancient legends and warrior halls like they were true. I hoped he would win and pass on her spirit. I wanted her green eyes to go on forever.

I'd seen her die. I'd died once. I was about to die again. It was the same over and over. Let me die again and again, but never like this. Never again like this.

18th place: Camille Buchanere- Killed by mutt

The Gamemakers didn't want Tributes hiding out in the woods, so they sent a mutt to get them. They already have their next target, and you can probably guess. Camille didn't get to her full potential because much of her form and development depended on an alliance. No one allied with her, so I couldn't fulfill those stories. I'm sorry it turned out that way and I hope if she gets into other All-Stars or stories that it goes better. Thanks PrinceofCorinth for Camille. I really liked her unique backstory and pirate-y personality. If she'd had her allies, things would have been cooler.

17th place: Priscilla Piscot- Killed by mutt

Priscilla was truly damaged by the loss of Miall. She was starting to get back to life, but it would have been with her forever. Since she was on her own in the woods, the mutt came for her. I might should have had Chantal kill her earlier, since Chantal was probably stronger. I always liked Priscilla, and I liked how she played the game. Her heart wasn't fully in it this time. If people submit her next time, I'll make sure to submit Miall if no one else does. She can live without him, like she did the first time, but now that she knows she doesn't have to, it's harder. Thanks Thebigpig for letting us use Priscilla again.

16th place: Ole Rogers- Killed by mutt

If Ole had crossed paths with Whyte and Floki, he would have joined up with them. Floki connected him to a past he thought was gone forever, and Floki would have enjoyed hearing about the connection. Ole was strong, but the standards are so much higher in this Arena. Now he never has to worry about failing anyone else again. Thanks Puddingg for Ole. I liked his compassionate backstory and human failings. He wasn't just a Career. He was also a person.

I knew I wanted four mutts for the four military branches. It was all going fine when I started with the Marines. They had a devil dog. The Air Force had a falcon, which was harder but not by much. I went to read about the Navy and thought "Oh, they'll have a cool shark, right?" Nah. A goat. Since goats love water. I floundered a little and ended up making a goat mutt, which wasn't too dangerous but could do damage with that skull and those horns. I went on and thought "Okay that's weird but the Army probably has a bear or something." Freaking donkey. Their mascot is a donkey. How do you make a donkey scary? After much agony and despair, I was forced to delve into the deepest corners of my dark side. I was forced to resurrect a monster so creepy, so devilish, so just plain gross it made me shudder every time I remembered it.

The Nuckelavee.

The Nuckelavee comes from Scottish and Norse mythology. It's a nastyass skinless horse (in this case, donkey) with a conjoined rider, just like here. My resource said it was the worse demon of the Scottish islands. I can't imagine why. It can't cross running water, though, which would be great if the Arena had any. My apologies for telling you about that nasty thing and I will now make it worse by telling you that according to the folklore, every time you say its name it gets closer. You're welcome.