Right, I have a couple of announcements.
First, I am halting progress on Realism for the time being. I am going back to it, I just want to focus all my attention on Chosen Warriors for the time being.
Second, if I owe you a review, I will be getting it to you soon. I can't promise it will be much as I am a terrible reviewer at the best of times but it will be to let you know I am still reading. I didn't really enjoy my first few months of Uni so I did feel up to much more than writing.
Third, I have pretty much got all of this story planned out. There are a few blank spaces here and there but almost everyone's deaths are planned and I have my VERY short list of victors.
Fourth, blog has been updated with a death book. That is where all deaths will be noted.
Last, voting for the first round of one on one battles is CLOSED. No votes will be counted. The winners and losers in each battle have been decided.
Anyway, onto the fun stuff. There will only be one or two battles every chapter so one, I don't overwhelm myself and two, you get to see how the other characters are doing. This chapter is pretty much the bloodbath chapter. AND WE HAVE OUR FIRST DEATH! IT HURTS, SO MUCH! I have grown to love all these characters so it hurts to kill any of them. It must be done though so enjoy (and don't skip to the end).
Nathalie Sibylla POV
As the countdown started, so did the tension in the air, all they had to do was find the exit and no one else had to die. Everyone wanted to fight for it but they all knew that to navigate a labyrinth it was best to work together.
"If you want to work with me to find a way out of the labyrinth, stay here once the gong sounds, if you want to go on your own, we won't stop you," Evelyn said to her fellow Warriors, a few giving nods in response.
Nathalie felt torn between staying and running away. She had never worked well in a group and she knew that if they did not find the exit in time, it would be slaughter. However, there was also the risk that if she went alone, she would come out with no allies and would be first on the menu for leaving.
Her eyes flickered around the group, the number of Warriors that relaxed on their podium, clearly staying to help their friend the majority. Most of the stronger Tributes seem to side with Evelyn. The last thing Nathalie wanted was to get close to them but she also did not want to be on their bad side.
As the golden number lowered, a high pitch ticking echoing through the Arena, Nathalie looked out at her new home. She could not see above the hedges but in front of her were three passageways. All looked the same down to the last detail but no doubt one would lead them to the exit.
Slowly, in the last few seconds, her eyes moved to the large pile of bags, focusing on her's that sat crumpled under multiple others. She kept her eyes on them as the gong sounded, her body jerking backward as she moved further back onto her pedestal. A mixture of childish fear, the stubbornness to move into what frightened her the most and the knowledge that if she left her starting spot, she would run off into the night, not even picking up her pack.
Nathalie saw the event happen in slow motion as she stood there in a daze. The image of Grover sprinting towards the supplies. No one made a move to stop him, Evelyn has even stated that people were free to move. The boy didn't hesitate as he picked up a cluster of bags by their straps and threw them over his shoulder.
"Fuck off" Evelyn screeched shaking Nathalie back to reality in time to flinch away from her green shield that spun through the air, striking Grover on his shoulder. The boy growled as it clattered off his bare shoulder, causing him to drop most of the bags he held.
Without a second thought he picked three back up but as he reached for a second green pack, another shield missed his head by inches, bouncing off the hedge. This time it was thrown by Nero.
Realising that the next shield might not miss, he cut his losses and ran down the middle passage with three packs. Evelyn was in hot pursuit, however, the moment Grover passed the hedges, they started to move, like a door closing on him. The dark haired girl stumbled backward as she watched the thief vanish into the labyrinth.
"I will fucking kill you!" Evelyn snapped through the hedge, reassuring Nathalie that staying was the right choice.
As the girl lowered herself off the podium as she watched Nero pick up his shield and hook his arm through it once more. "It was my pack he took, not yours," he sighed to his angered District partner.
Evelyn inhaled deeply as she continued to look at the spot she last saw Grover. "I know, that's why I'm angry," she turned to Nero, tears in her eyes. "He took your weapons, he has sentenced you to death."
Grover Lindell POV
Grover didn't stop running, even when the walls of the labyrinth move, blocking his path and driving him deeper and more lost in its depths. In fact, he only stopped when the walls stopped blocking his path, opening up to a quiet, tranquil thicket, dotted with olive trees.
With a worn out smile, he threw the bags from his shoulders her and leaned against one of the hedges, making sure his body was concealed by one of the trees. It would not protect him but it might hide him long enough to react to an intruder.
Grover felt like a snake but it was needed for his survival. There was no way The Capitol would train them for two years just for them to all live because they found the exit. He wouldn't be shocked if there wasn't one. However, the way the hedges moved made him think they didn't want him to find something.
The bags were another blow, if he had not just run away he could have kept some good terms with people. Now they would all want him dead if they didn't find the exit. Grover thought it was still the best idea. When everything else fell through, he would have some of the strongest Warrior's weapons at hand, he had made them weaker thus improving his chances. He also had now had eighteen bottles of water so when the humid heat caused everyone else to use their resource up, Grover would still have his. Not to mention while they were all hunting for the exit, he could find food and water sources, placing himself higher up when they failed. More will leave soon when they realize it is hopeless, only one of us will win.
With a shrug, he pulled his packs closer and started to open them. His head the water and food, A spear and some toenail clippers. Nero's held some rope and spear but one with barbs at the end, designed to tears out someone's insides. Belinda got a pack of matches and a staff with a peacock design on top. Well, these are not our preferred weapons at all. Grover thought about his axe.
"Grover!" a voice squawked, making the boy jump out of his skin. "Grover!" this time, his eyes shot up to the olive tree only to find a large owl looking down at him. He watched it as it's beak parted and it shouted his name once more.
"Since when could owl's speak?" Grover said shakily, expecting the mutt to swoop down from the tree and peck out his eyeballs. It did swoop down and at terrifying speed but zoomed past him, latching onto a rotting hand that reached out of the hedge and for Grover's cape.
Grover screamed as he stumbled backward, the straps on the packs getting caught around his ankle and tripping him up.
The owl, meanwhile hissed as it tore the fingers off the hand, only flying back up to its perch when the hand had vanished. When Grover looked back up, the bird was gone, leaving in its place a small slip of paper that floated down, landing at the boy's feet.
It took him a few moments to calm down from the ordeal but once he had, he picked up the note and started to read.
Congratulations, you have earned the favor of Athena. Be sure not to lose it. Gods can be very fickle.
Evelyn Spires POV
With the anger from Grover's betrayal still burning within her, Eve stood in front of the Warriors who by now had removed their weapons from their packs. Evelyn herself had received a spear, not a weapon she was comfortable with but she was pleased to just hold a weapon in her hand once more.
"Everyone!" She shouted, gaining the Warriors undivided attention. "It has come to my attention that we will not be able to cover enough ground in the time given in one group. For this reason, we will be splitting up, I leading one team and Nero leading the other...any questions?"
Coutille rose her hand, her face coated with fear. Evelyn gestured for her to continue. "Wouldn't the group that gets Belinda have a better chance with her Warrior skill being orienteering?" the girl asked, causing the group to look at Belinda.
Evelyn shook her head. "This is about who can find the exit first, it is about finding it. If we find it, none of us have to kill, we will not have to lose more people close to us will die by our hands." as she spoke these words, some of the Warriors who had lost people cast their eyes to the floor. Sunbeam pulled her knees up to her chest while even Nero himself kick up some of the sand beneath him in the thought of Annabella and Berik. However, the one Evelyn looked at with the most pity was Veyron. The calm giant had not said a word since Loretta's elimination. Once again, he was sat at the back of the group, making no attempt to hide the tears from the loss of his childhood friend and the only piece of a home he had left.
"Nero's group will take Veyron, he is a tracking Warrior, he is the closest thing to Orienteering." the boy just gave a small nod, his heart clearly elsewhere at that point.
"The groups are as follows, with Nero will be Sunbeam, Venus, Veyron, Balina, and Coutille. With me will be Damon, Shelly, Nathalie, and Belinda." The people looked to their new leader when their names were called out. "Nero and I are not there to boss you about but to ensure we work to the best of our ability."
The group of Warriors did not look convinced by Evelyn's words but on command moved to their group without question.
Nero's group moved to the far right passageway while Evelyn's group moved to the left. Just before they vanished, the groups of Warriors took one last look at each other. Next time they saw each other, they might be trying to kill each other.
Loretta Moriko POV
They pushed Loretta out of the doorway and into the sandy, humid matter how quickly she turned around, the gate was shut and locked up.
"And our first competitor, Loretta Mariko!" A voice boomed. Although she should have smiled and waved, her face moved into a pained scowl.
"And our second competitor, Pallas Narsico!" Maybe the words from Ryken held on longer in her own head but when her eyes fell on a terrified Pallas, she felt sick. She had been beaten by Pallas enough to know that he could kill her if needs must, most of all when he was stressed and she had no weapon.
It seemed stupid to give trained killers no weapon but The Capitol wanted a bloody battle, you didn't get a drawn-out one from blades and maces.
"Put me with someone else!" Loretta screamed as Ryken, earning a bout of laughter from the audience. "We are not well matched!" once again, he words were taken as a form of comedy, not a single person taking her plight seriously.
"I'm sorry Loretta," a voice whimpered from behind her, cutting short her protest. "You don't trust me...I'm a bad person," he sniffled, his body hunched over like he was in physical pain.
The blonde girls face softened as she slowly moved towards him, her slender arm outstretched. "You are not a bad person, you just need help," she whispered, her hand running through his sandy blonde hair. Behind her, the crowd cooed at the love.
"Will you help me?" he asked through his cries, sitting up with his arms out but his head still trained on the floor. Against her better judgment, Loretta smiled slowly leaning in for a hug and wrapping her arms around him tightly.
He wrapped his around her tighter, placing one of his hands under her chin. The placement of said hand did not become painful until he started pushing up with it. "Pallas-" she was cut off when Pallas slammed his hand into the bottom of her chin again, this time he didn't stop pushing until she was looking up at the sky.
With a sound of breaking bone, Loretta's twitching body fell to the floor, her eyes still wide in shock. The crowd broke out into a teary applause, giving Pallas a standing ovation like he had completed a tragic scene from a play.
"I'm sorry Loretta," he whimpered once more, placing his hand on the stomach of his now dead Girlfriend. "I'm a bad person."
24th Place-Loretta Moriko, District 5, killed by Pallas Narciso, District 10.
Loretta was never a victor. She ended up having a spider-web of connections to other characters. However, I knew once in the Arena, it would be hard for any of these to stay interesting. However, I did not expect you to pick Pallas over Loretta in the battles. In a normal Game, I still think she would have gone down in the bloodbath. She did not have the skills to make it far. However, against regular Tributes, she would have made it to the final few. You will be missed by your lover, Romilda, childhood friend, Veyron and even Pallas.
Now Pallas has removed the only thing in his way, will anything stop him?
As for a few things in this chapter. The weapons the tributes have are the ones connected to their Godly sponsor and to gain the support of your Godly supporter, you have to impress them. Like Grover did with Athena.
I think there will be about nineteen chapters left until we have our victor which is exciting. Next time, we will lose another one of our Warriors. Tune in to see which pair will be fighting next.