Chapter 8

The Dead and Dying

She could only run as the screaming began. The boy from a small island kingdom was the first to die when the girl next to him sliced his throat. She too fell after arrow ripped through her body and into a nearby tree. Tributes were falling all over the place and Zelda couldn't run straight. She knew of a few teams already made that plotted to hunt her down when they had a chance to breathe so her only chance to run was now.

"Zelda!" Someone shouted. Zelda turned and saw someone standing over Rusl, their sword high above their head ready to pierce Rusl. Without even thinking she threw her sword at the tribute where it pierced him through his back. Blood sprayed Rusl's face and the tribute fell onto another fallen victim. Green sparks flew out from his body and made a spark in the sky as more sparks gathered around it.

"Let's go!" Rusl said pulling out Zelda's sword and handing it back to her.

"Hey I see her!" Someone screamed. Rusl and Zelda ran for the thick trees as footsteps behind them gathered. Arrows started flying from behind and hit trees all around them. They ran faster and turned in all directions until they lost track of where they were going and ended up back on the battlefield where at least fifty bodies were there motionless and covered in crimson. Rusl screamed in pain and fell to the ground. An arrow was stuck in his lower back and Zelda looked up to see a smaller kid shell shocked from the horror all around him. The tribute who shot the arrow turned and pointed his bow at Zelda who ducked from another arrow. Looking around she saw a throwing knife and quickly picked it up. Using Impa's trick she threw it at the madman and hit him squarely in the heart.

"Zelda…" Rusl whispered. The little boy ran forward not even carrying a weapon of his choice and sat next to Rusl.

"Save yourself boy. You'll never survive if you stay in this area." Rusl told him.

"No!" The boy said and crossed his arms. Rusl coughed, blood trailing down his lips.

"Are you stupid or something?! Get out of here!"

"I can't… They killed my mommy and daddy." The boy said. Zelda looked over at him, her jaw dropped. Rusl grabbed onto her arm.

"They're coming…" Rusl said before coughing up more blood.

"I'm not going to leave you." Zelda said wiping the sweat off of Rusl's face.

"No you have to. I'm going to die anyway. Take blondie and run and find those medallions. Link was right… I had no chance."

"Hey! I found her again!" Someone shouted not too far away.

"GO!" Rusl shouted shoving Zelda's hand away and sat there breathing heavily. Tributes were appearing from the trees carrying swords, arrows and other weapons and Zelda quickly grabbed the boy's arm and dragged him as she ran back into the forest, leaving Rusl to die. Rusl… Zelda blinked away the tears. He was a lonely boy in the village who was in love with Ilia even though he was nineteen years old and she was much younger. He was always by himself in school and lived with his dad until one day his dad packed up and left him by himself. Now... he was in the hands of the Goddesses and for Zelda was jealous of his departure.

"I see a cave!" The little boy said and pointed at a hill near the river. Zelda picked him up and trudge through the shallow river before reaching the hill. It was on a small island in the middle of the river that was surrounded by small trees and the tune of birds. The hill was covered in grass on one side and on the other sharp rocks that could kill anyone if stabbed with. She set the boy down at the mouth of the cave while she explored the inside.

"Are they still out there?" Zelda asked him.

"No… We might've lost them awhile ago." The boy said sitting down on a rock looking out for other tributes. Zelda only found a dead end to the cave and kick a rock as a response. She was getting sick of these gamekeepers games. How much longer until five tributes would be left and she could just take the little kid and take him home before she went out looking for the other medallions? She thought of Zefa and how the little boy reminded her of her little sister so much. He was stubborn just like Zefa and had the same look of innocence on his face like her. Zelda was getting mad. She picked up her bow and remaining arrows she found and gave them to the boy.

"What's your name?" Zelda asked.

"Fatino."

"I promise you won't die like my friend you got it?" Zelda said.

"Are we all going to die?" Fatino asked.

"No… No I'll make sure that doesn't happen at all." Zelda said. The wind picked up and she looked out and saw a few tributes carrying bows and arrows running towards the river. A hooded tribute was already there drinking water when a tribute approached him and pointed a sword at him. When Zelda blinked the standing tribute fell to the ground, blood seeping through all his clothes, his sword stuck through his back. Zelda grabbed Fatino and hid inside the cave.

"He'll kill us before we know it… We'll be stabbed with our own weapons." Fatino said before crying silently. Zelda covered his mouth to keep his muffles as silent as possible just in case the tribute also had super hearing. They stay hidden behind a rock most of the day and when Zelda saw the sun's last rays shining through the cave she told Fatino to stay inside the cave and she left taking the bow and arrow. This was the first time in a long time since Zelda was able to hunt for food. She looked up at the skies and saw the green sparks died down and one only appeared maybe ten seconds apart until they stopped completely. Zelda walked back to where she left Rusl but all the bodies were gone. She heard a twig snap and turned pointing the bow and an arrow and noticed a tribute was watching her She couldn't see his or her face due to the little sunlight they had left. Zelda kept her weapon raised for fear that he or she was the mysterious killer tribute by the river.

"Who are you?" Zelda shouted at the tribute. The tribute quickly ran back into the forest and out of sight as Zelda shook her head and started to hunt. When she came back to the cave she brought Fatino and herself one squirrel each and a few berries to celebrate their survival of the first day. They made a small fire inside the cave to cook the squirrels and quickly blew it out to give tributes notice that people were hiding in the cave.

"To Rusl." Fatino said lifting one of his berries. Zelda looked at him and slowly rose one of her own berries and ate it. The two of them fell asleep on the rocky ground and awoke to someone screaming outside.

"Zelda…" Fatino whispered grabbing her arm. Zelda slowly walked out and saw the hooded tribute again by the river and another dead tribute at his side, this time seeping green liquid and blood. Zelda walked back into the cave her face telling Fatino all he needed to know. Just then she smelt something burning like leaves and trees. Fatino's face turned pale white and Zelda slowly turned and saw the fireballs raining across the sky.

The cave was no longer safe after they came too close to become burnt tributes so Zelda and Fatino ran for their lives into the darkest parts of the woods. Fatino carried Zelda's bow and weapon as she held onto the sword for dear life. The fire was still raining and she was cursing up a storm when she fell too many times because of the mossy grounds. Twice a fireball merely missed them by inches.

"Stay here you got it?" Zelda told Fatino. He grabbed her arm.

"Don't leave me, Zelda!"

"I have to see the sparks in the skies. They're supposed to start releasing purple sparks when twenty tributes are left." Zelda told him. He still didn't let go. "Look Fatino I know you're scared for your life but please I'll be back in two minutes at the latest. Here…" Zelda lifted a large leaf the size of Fatino and told him to hide in the hole of the trunk and cover it with the leaf and no one will find him. After he was out of view Zelda ran towards the light and looked up and saw one purple spark in the air lingering. The fire must've killed dozens. She heard a girl's scream and another purple spark burst into the air. Two more sparks flew into the air and Zelda realized that only a handful of tributes were left… She doubt Bryce was alive since he didn't come in with a weapon and the last time she saw him he was running to grab a sword from another tribute. She had all her money on the boy from Minish Village that he was still alive. He's probably the river killer that they always seem to run into with. Zelda heard a scream from behind her and saw a now blue spark, quickly realized where it was coming from she ran to find Fatino.

"FATINO!" Zelda screamed and looked to her horror as she saw Fatino laying motionless on the mossy ground, his eyes staring at her scared and full of fear. His neck was weeping blood and she saw the trees shift and branches break. Zelda held out her sword and noticed the tributes who were still after her was still alive.

"Only nine remaining…" The older of the four tributes said chuckling as appeared from hidden view.

"You didn't have to kill Fatino!" Zelda screamed pointing her sword at him. She was no match for him.

"Why keep him alive? He's just an annoying brat who'll keep crying about your death. Better to put him out of his misery so he won't have to watch you die."

Zelda quickly turned and ran towards the lighter part of the woods, the four tributes right behind her. She reached the river where another tribute was there drinking water since the fire balls stopped raining down on them. She felt a sharp pain in her leg and noticed someone made their target and shot an arrow hitting her calf. She climbed to the top of the cave and saw the other tributes climbing to get to her. I can't fight… I can't fight… I'm going to die. She raised the master sword and slammed it into the rock as light burst from the handle and sent streams of light into the sky as one tribute reached the top he was blinded and fell off, his body making a horrible cracking sound as he landed into the water, dead. Eight tributes left. The others ran off back into the forest and Zelda closed her eyes and slept into peaceful darkness.