Chapter 2: Fight or Flight
Inside the arena, Seraphine 'Sera' Reza stared at the 'sky' with an unreadable expression. She stood on top of a thick branch of a tree, far away from the abandoned ghost of a village or small town. No doubt, a relic of a place from the ancient days.
From where she stood, she could see the snow-covered roofs of huts, manors and cabins. It looked picturesque against the uprising sun but Sera knew better.
She knew that the streets were not only covered in snow. Underneath the snow was frozen blood and whatever was left behind by the fallen tributes. But the snow had done a good job at masking the morbid scent and sight. She shivered and huddled against the tree where she was hiding, tired as she looked down the tree.
Below were remains of the frozen herbs that she had found and tried to treat her fallen ally. Thyme, from District 11 was one of her only allies that had made it to this close and she honestly believed he could've made it to the end. He could've if his reasoning for carrying on, his lover, the female District 6 didn't die early.
Acadia's death was hard on Thyme, he never recovered. She still remembered how Thyme had broken down for the first time since the game began. She felt bad but she knew this was a game of life and death. Unfortunately, the guilt and remorse along with any other emotions would have to wait.
Sera took another glance down and sighed. The herbs near the tree was the only sign that someone had been there. That too was now being submerged under the cold white blanket. She remembered it now, when they came to take his body away.
It was a few hours before dawn broke, in the dead of night. They came silently in their hovercrafts and took him away. It wasn't her first time seeing that thing. She saw it on the first day and when they came to get the rest of her allies.
Even though she knew that, she couldn't help but get emotional over the losses. They were all so young. She vividly remembered the face of the young boy from District 3 who was only thirteen, only a year older than her younger cousin. He passed on the fifth night. Thinking about it, she closed her eyes and rubbed the sleepiness mixed in with sadness out of her eyes.
Snap. Snap.
Sitting up straighter, Sera carefully hid herself among the trees. The tall spruce trees gave her an excellent refuge from where she could safely stay and keep watch. It wasn't as warm or comfortable as the abandoned homes in the snow-covered town but it was something.
Footsteps were heard and the crunching sound of fresh snow being stepped on lightly echoed in the woods. Someone had come to the woods. Fear seized her body as she shifted in her position.
There weren't many of them left. Only five tributes remained, the voice of Claudius Templesmith echoed in her mind. It was mostly the careers. Not a surprise to anyone.
Right now she didn't care who it was lurking around or where they were. She just didn't want to be found. Quietly, she waited in the shadows for the sounds to fade. She kept her ears open and eyes peeled for a sign of an attack. Her heart hammered against her chest violently while she held onto her backpack. If there was someone out there, she needed to be ready.
But there was nothing. The sound faded and Sera was left in the safety of silence yet again. Sighing in relief, she carefully pulled her backpack into her lap and unzipped it. It was almost morning and she needed to eat before sunrise. The snowy landscape meant the days were brighter than usual and allowed one to be spotted more easily.
Saying a quick prayer, she rummaged through her backpack for any leftover rations or even game from last night. But there was nothing. She cursed under her breath and looked up.
A brown bird stared down at her innocently. It was a mutt. It had to be. What she knew from her aunt was that most birds couldn't survive the harshness of winter.
Thinking about it now, it didn't matter. She was hungry. Her stomach gnawed and growled quietly as she stared at the large bird.
Carefully she took out a set of knives she kept tucked in the covers near her trousers. She watched the bird intently as it blissfully hopped from one branch to another. Breathing in, she watched as it jumped another and now sat on a thin branch just above her head. Perfect.
She sucked in a breath and closed one eye, aiming for the head of the bird. Bringing her left hand back, she held a small throwing knife in it. The smooth but sharp metal was freezing in her hands but she persevered.
Before the bird could flap its wing once more, Sera's blade flew through the air and landed straight on the bird's head with a soft thud and squeak. The bird was now nailed to the trunk of the tree just above her head. She watched as it spent it's last seconds flapping around, trying to get free before it stopped.
"I'm sorry." She muttered under her breath. She didn't mean it but she knew they were watching. Swallowing her hunger, she carefully got up from her seat and reached over to pull out the knife and grab the now dead carcass of the unknown bird.
Grabbing the bird by its throat, she cleaned the blade with its feathers before she put the blade away. Then she looked down the tree. She would have to go down if she wanted to eat. First she drained the blood of the carcass by holding its neck on a thick branch nearby.
She watched with bated breath as the warm blood took some time to freeze. Then, she tied the carcass securely around her bag and started packing up her sleeping bag. The sun was rising soon. She would have to hurry.
With a deep breath, she climbed down the tree while keeping a hand on her throwing knives near her thighs. She couldn't afford to let her guard down just yet. Using the fleeting cover of darkness she made a break for the snowy town. She reminded herself to avoid the town center where the Cornucopia this year was set. She knew that the careers would be camping out there.
That left her with two options; the abandoned coal mines or the 'San-orium'—which she presumed was an old hospital. Both were terrible options. The mines were unstable and in these heavy snow conditions, there was no warning of a cave-in, she could get trapped there and die of starvation or thirst if whatever that lurked in those mines didn't get to her first.
As for the 'Sanorium', she feared going near it simply because of the ominous moaning she heard while trudging past it a few days ago. There could be some unaccounted mutts lurking around there. A risk she didn't want to take at all.
Sera paused in her tracks. There was one place she could try. The abandoned lodge on the east mountain. It wasn't that far. The closeness of the lodge and mine did scare her but dying was scarier. Without a moment to waste Sera started marching towards one of the mountains surrounding the little town.
Jumping over the fallen snow covered trees, she jumped over boulders and was careful to avoid frozen streams along the way. All the while, she kept an eye out for a sign for any other tributes. She would pause and go for her blades any time she heard a creak, rustle or rumble in the distance, only to be met with nothing.
Halfway through her journey she decided not to stop as the sun rose completely, bathing the arena in its light. In the bright daylight, it would be easier to be spotted and she didn't want to be a sitting duck.
Sera stopped in her tracks after what felt like hours as she reached the foot of the mountain. The sun was now directly above her head. Ducking down, she crept over to some fallen tree trunks and took cover near it for a quick break. Her throat was parched and her lips felt dry as her teeth chattered lightly, feeling the effects of the early morning chill.
Carefully, she brought her bag in front of her and unzipped it. She took out her water bottle and threw a glance at the carcass of the bird she had killed beforehand. It was now frozen. She smiled in relief. At least, this would preserve the meat and stop it from rotting.
Lightly massaging her parched throat, she uncapped her water container and put her dry lips to the mouth of the container. She chugged the water in desperation as the slightly warm water ran down her throat, almost reviving her.
Briefly, she closed her eyes for a small break which she knew was luxury she shouldn't be able to afford at this moment but her mind begged for a rest after almost twenty days of being on it's guard. However, she couldn't give into her mind's desperate pleas.
Instead, she reached over to the low branches of the tree. With her gloved hands, she scooped up a handful of fresh snow and dumped it into her empty self-warming water container. This should be enough, she thought. However, seeing the snow melt from the mouth of the container, she decided it wasn't enough.
From a separate branch, she scooped up another batch of fresh snow and filled more of the bottle. She waited a while for the snow to turn to water. Once all the snow had melted, she carefully took out a small jar of iodine tablets that came with her bag. Uncapping the small metal jar, she took out a tablet and dropped it into her container. Then she closed it and put both, jar and the water container back into her bag. She slung her backpack over her back and looked around before she started walking again.
Up ahead, she knew there should be a path. The mountains near her district also had paths built onto the faces. Looking around she grinned with pride as a small set of winding paths were found.
The walking path seemed to be blocked off by a big wooden sign. It must've had some warnings or the like but now the paint had chipped off, leaving a plain piece of wood. She paused in front of the paths. The wider one would be easier than the narrower one but it would leave her open to mutt attacks or any tributes.
She chose the wider path. Initially, she wanted to take the narrower path but one look at the thorn infested path told her otherwise. The wider path was easier and gave her more room to move around, even if left her out in the open.
Sucking in breath, she started walking up the path, being sure to pace herself. There weren't many obstacles in her path so it was an easy climb for her. Now and then she'd encounter a stray tree trunk or pieces of metal fence. She was careful when she faced any obstacles, being careful to avoid them or climb over them when faced with them.
By the time she reached her destination, it was almost noon. Her stomach rumbled loudly much to her displeasure but she carried on.
A dilapidated lodge greeted her. Windows were almost all shattered or missing and the wooden exterior was rotting. The stairs leading to the entrance were missing steps but it was something. It was isolated enough that she wouldn't have to worry about any threats but still close enough to the town to make a quick getaway.
Sera ducked and ran towards the dilapidated building as she grabbed onto the straps of her bag. She paused near the entrance of the lodge and watched as the snow fell. Pulling the hood of her jacket over her head, she jumped over the steps and ran in.
Carefully closing the door behind, she inspected the building. First she checked the foyer, then the living room, the bedrooms and bathrooms. Lastly she came downstairs to check the kitchen. Most of the rooms were similar if not identical.
There weren't a lot of useful things left in the building. Age had taken its toll on the old lodge. The only useful things she found were in the kitchen and what appeared to be a workshop. In the kitchen, she found some rusted pots and utensils along with what appeared to be unopened containers of soap. That might be useful later.
In the workshop, she found some more blocks of wood and some wooden shavings in a box which could be used to start fires. There were tools there too but it was too rusty for her to use.
She decided to set her camp in the storage next to the kitchen. There, she discovered a path to the cellar hidden behind some empty wooden crates. Those wooden crates might be useful for some firewood or making barricades, she thought as she unpacked her sleeping bag.
With her sleeping bag laid out, she stood up and walked down to the cellar where she had set up a small fire pit. She had broken down some of the crates using her knives and carried them down there.
Then, without a further thought she dumped them down. The fire crackled and danced wildly as it ate up the wood. She watched in silent awe as the fire calmed down before going up the stairs to the storage room and grabbing the newly cleaned pots.
She ran down the stairs again and placed a small pot filled with snow on top of the makeshift stand above the firepit. Carefully, she balanced the pot and waited. It didn't take long for the snow to melt.
The snow melted, leaving behind water. This time, she didn't add the iodine. She made a mental note to keep this separate from the drinking water and carried up the stairs to the kitchen. She placed the pot of now-warm water next to the sink, making sure to cover it with a pot lid.
Leaving the pot of water on the sink, she went back to the cellar and placed another pot on the stand before dumping in the chopped up pieces of the bird she had killed earlier. She waited a while while occasionally stirring the pot, even adding a little bit of drinkable water and herbs she had collected in the woods. Then she covered the pot with a lid and sat back down as the pot bubbled away.
Tired, she sat back down and shut her eyes for a small rest. She almost drifted to sleep but the fragrant smell of the food shocked her back to reality. Her stomach grumbled loudly as she hunched over in pain over the prolonged hunger. Pushing herself off the ground she walked over to the pot. Seeing the contents done, she quickly killed the fire and slipped her thick snow gloves back on.
Sera waited a few moments before dragging the pot back with her up to the storage room where she spooned some into a bowl. She sat down on a dusty burlap sack and used a crate nearby as a table as devoured her first meal in days.
After finishing, she got up and took the used bowls and utensils to the kitchen and washed them up with the soap she found and the water she boiled a few hours ago. She went back to the storage room and emptied the pot with the food. She ladled the leftovers into a container that came with her bag and placed it back into her bag.
There was nothing else left for her to do now. By the time she had finished her meal, night had fallen again. She had found a decent shelter with plenty of firewood, had some food left over. All she had to do was wait.
There was a sense of unease in the air.
Like most days in this year's game, this day also passed without hearing a single cannon. She was surprised to say the least. She already knew the careers didn't care about her or see her as a threat.
She made sure of that during her training and interviews to not stand out but not completely blend into the crowd. She was average somewhat but not enough, her training score was proof of that. After all, she needed some sponsors to survive. Most of her sponsors had sent in medicine which had kept her alive so far.
Sera was grateful but she was still surprised that the careers hadn't started going at it with each other yet.
'Maybe they do see you as a threat.'
A voice in her head whispered. Drowsily she shook her thoughts off and tucked herself into her sleeping bag.
"Day twenty one of the 68th Hunger Games, tributes!" Claudius Templesmith announced just as Sera got up and cleaned herself off. She now sat down in the brightly sun-lit kitchen as she nibbled on last night's leftovers. Quietly, she listened to Claudius' greeting.
Sera didn't even know she had made it to day twenty but Claudius Templesmith had reminded her that she had made it quite far despite all the odds. Finishing her breakfast, she got up and went to the storage room to pack up her sleeping bag.
She opened her backpack and checked how much food she had left over. It wasn't much. Some mushrooms and herbs but she knew she couldn't survive on mushrooms and herbs alone. She she had to go hunting again.
Sighing, she packed her bags and set off to hunt. Unfortunately, she didn't get very far.
She only made it halfway on the bridge connecting the town and the lodge before she came face to face with them. The careers stood on the other side of the bridge. They didn't notice her at first.
Slowly, she tried to stealthily walk towards the other side of the bridge.
Snap.
Her foot almost went through the broken step. She was safe from falling but she didn't feel safe at all.
Hearing the loud noise, the girl from 1 stopped arguing with the boy from 4. Grinning sadistically, she licked her lips before sprinting towards Sera while pulling at her bow and an arrow from her quiver.
"Amethyst. Don't!" A boy with bright orange hair yelled out. His hair reminded Sera of rusted copper but she didn't have time to dwell on those thoughts. "The bridge's not stable."
But Amethyst didn't listen. She shot an arrow at Sera which the District 5 tribute narrowly dodged. The arrow missed her and landed on a rope holding down a peg.
"Let her go, Gaius. She's clearly got a death wish." The boy from 4 shouted excitedly. "What an idiotic bitch." The moment he finished talking, he was tackled onto the floor by Amethyst's district partner who Sera actually knew of. Valor. His huge frame shook in anger as he pummeled his ally to the ground.
"Take that back, Ripley." Valor shouted before going in for another punch.
Gaius and Amethyst paused to take a look at what was going on. Seeing them both distracted, Sera took out one of her blades and held it tight. She didn't throw it at them, instead she threw it at Amethyst's quiver.
The fabric holding the quiver exploded and all the arrows spilled out onto the floor. Amethyst turned around again but instead of glaring at Sera, she tried to salvage the situation, only to fail.
Choosing that moment, she ran past them. Gaius ran after her, while warning Amethyst of the bridge again while she yelled curses at Sera, ignoring her ally. The trio on the bridge stopped as they heard loud creaks.
All five tributes turned to look at the other end of the bridge.
The huge rope holding one end of the bridge snapped and Amethyst's arrow that she had shot at Sera went flying off to the chasm below. Sera's eyes widened and she tried to make a break for the other side.
The bridge collapsed while she ran. She knew she wouldn't make it. In fear, she clutched onto the rope handle of the bridge. She gripped it tight and shut her eyes just as the bridge completely gave out underneath her. She expected to have fallen to her death but she didn't.
When she opened her eyes, she was hanging on for her life. Holding on tightly to the old worn out rope, her hands started bleeding. Frost-covered rope cut into her hands like blades as she held on for her dear life. She could barely see Gaius holding onto Amethyst next to her. While the three held on for their life, a cacophony of metal clashing against each other echoed above their heads.
"Stay down!" She heard the boy from four scream out as another round of metal clashing echoed. "...Please. Please just stay down." He begged.
Sera pulled herself on the rope, pushing her chest up. Her core felt like it was on fire. Adrenaline kicked in, as she struggled even more.
Kek. Kek. Kek.
The sounds of fighting and struggling ceased as everyone's eyes went wide. They all knew that sound.
Kek.
There was a sound of hissing heard then followed by a familiar moaning sound, Sera knew too well.
Kek. Kek. Kek.
Amethyst cried out. "Spultures!" She started screaming hysterically as she gestured to the flock of mutts in the 'sky'.
"Amy! Shut up!" Both Gaius and Valor screamed out. But Amethyst simply ignored them, she started breathing heavily as a Spulture swooped down next to her.
The Spultures traveled in flocks but Sera knew from day eleven, they wouldn't hesitate to attack their own for a chance at securing a prey. She and the rest of the tributes knew that the mutts weren't actually called 'spultures' but they couldn't afford to care about such trivial things.
The huge black birds almost blended in with the night in itself. However, its iridescent neon green-yellow eyes gave it away. Each bird had five small beady eyes on their head. Its whole body was a shade of black that looked almost like darkness itself. Its head was smooth and red that looked almost black. Its sharp claws were the only thing that lacked the pigmentation of the feathers and skin.
Sera swallowed back her fears and tried to push herself over. She huffed in pain as her weak heart finally started feeling the strain of all the days she spent in this arena.
A shriek echoed throughout the chasm as Sera took a brief pause. From the corner of her eyes, she could now see Amethyst clawing at Gaius's hands while a spulture pecked viciously down at her exposed wound.
The bright scarlet leaking from her wounds on her heels drew in another as it fought the previous one for a best of the blood. Sera swallowed heavily and tried to push herself up to the top.
Gaius grunted and groaned next to her while Amethyst's pleas turned more frantic. Hearing her, Sera could now hear some shuffling above me. Soon two heads popped up. Both Ripley and Valor looked down at their fellow tributes from above the chasm. Ripley's hands were empty, his spear was noticeably missing.
However, it didn't take long for Sera to find it.
Valor held it in his right hand, he held it down to his fellow district partner to grab onto while kicking Ripley to the floor as the district 4 boy tried to stab him from the back. But he was no match for Valor, Ripley fell onto the snow with a loud thud.
"Hold onto the spear, Amy." Valor gently coerced his fellow victor. His tone was gentle but Sera could see his face was not. There was a deadly look on his face that told her enough of his sincerity. "Come on. Come on." Amethyst grunted and moaned in pain as more mutts pecked out at her.
By now, Gaius looked tired. He was ready to tear his former allies. He and Sera shared a look that was missed by many, even the eagle-eyed viewers around Panem. Gaius simply blinked once to signal to Sera and she sprang into action.
Without wasting a moment, Sera used her free hand to grab a blade. She watched carefully as two or three mutts fought over the bleeding Amethyst, circling her. Sucking in a breath, she waited until they were just close enough to the other side of the broken bridge before she pulled her arm back and let the blade fly through the air.
The mutt landed on the hanging broken wooden panel of the bridge opposite her. She did it but it was not the time to celebrate.
The mutts smelling fresh blood drew back. They stopped circling Amethyst and dove straight at the carcass of their fallen fellow mutt. "Are they—"Sera started.
"Eating their own?" Gaius breathed out tiredly. Sera and he stared at each other in silent horror. "Yeah. I think there are."
Horrified, Sera scrunched her nose and looked away.
The shrieks and screams faded as Amethyst slowly regained her senses. She looked up at Valor and grabbed onto the spear with everything she had left, pulling her whole body weight onto it. Effortlessly, Valor picked up the spear with his partner but not before throwing a mocking grin at Gaius. "Valor!" Gaius screamed out at his former ally, only to be ignored.
Valor mouthed a quick 'thanks' to Sera but didn't bother to help as the two District 1 tributes disappeared over the chasm. That left Gaius and Sera alone in the chasm. They knew the district 1 tributes wouldn't come back for them. In fact, Sera was counting on it but they didn't even know if Ripley was still conscious.
In silence, the two bloodied tributes waited for the footsteps to fade before making their next move. Sera looked back at the dead spulture.
It was halfway from being reduced to just bones. The body of the dead mutt was wrapped in what looked to be spider webs. In fear, she huddled closer to the rope. The gamemakers had done it again, going against nature to splice together a spider and a vulture. The thought of it disgusted Sera.
"You breathing?" Gaius questioned, as he swung from his rope. Sera looked up and nodded. "Good." With that, he swung harder, going side to side before pushing himself upwards. He used the force to grab onto a rocky ridge closer to the surface before he used his other arm to grab onto the surface. Then he pushed his weight above and jumped up. "Okay. Oh. I—uh." He huffed and panted loudly, trying to catch his breath while Sera tried to mimic him.
Determined, she pulled at the rope and started to use the ridges to climb up, only to pause after a moment. Another set of ropes fell down next to her. This rope was un-frayed and looked far more stronger than the old rope Sera held onto. She debated grabbing onto it and using it or trying again. Sighing, she chose the former against her better judgment.
Without any more time to waste, she tentatively grabbed the new rope and held onto it. But before she could use it to climb up, it started to pull her up. Seeing this, Sera tightened her grip on the rope.
The moment she reached the surface, she collapsed onto the soft cold ground. Gaius sat on the floor with the rope next to him as he huffed tiredly. "Thank you." Sera breathed out.
"No." He shook his head, getting up before walking over to Sera. He offered her his hand and with some hesitation she accepted it. Seeing this, he smiled boyishly as pulled her up to stand. "I should be the one thanking you. You saved our lives."
Sera let out a tired laugh. Saving lives in a game of death was not uncommon but it was a foolish move. "Ironic right?" She gasped out, almost falling back to the floor but Gaius caught her before she could. "Oh. Thank you. Again."
"You seem pretty weak." He hunched down opposite her and took a seat on the cold ground.
"I have a heart condition."
"Huh. How'd you manage to make it this far?"
She smiled sadly and hobbled over to a nearby tree. "The odds were in my favor, I guess." Leaning against the tree, she quietly observed the red-haired tribute and waited. She waited for the time when he would show his true colors and kill her.
But instead, Gaius got up and walked over to the destroyed bridge. He leaned over slightly and watched the spultures. "We need to move before they finish." He stated, walking back over to Sera. On his way, he picked up a fallen backpack, labeled with his district number.
"We?" Sera questioned, confused as to why a career tribute was showing her kindness. Was it all a ploy to get her killed? She didn't know if she could trust him even if he saved her life.
Gaius sighed. "You don't trust me."
"No offense but you were with them until a few hours ago."
He laughed, cutting her off. With a grin on his face, he ran his fingers through his rust-colored tresses before offering his hand to Sera. "I get it but it doesn't hurt to try being allies." For a second, she stared at his outstretched hand, indecisively.
Cough. Cough.
The two tributes stopped what they were doing and turned to look at the source of the coughs. A meters away, Ripley got up and rubbed his head as he got to his senses. "Yeah, I lived." He announced to the other two tributes. "Thanks for noticing."
"How...fortunate." Gaius dryly stated before unsheathing his sword and pointing at his neck. "Don't try anything."
In defense, Ripley put his hands up to show he was not a threat. "Look! Look! I have nothing on me. Just a backpack. Nothing else. No weapons. Nothing." He pleaded. Sera held herself back from cracking and laughing. She and Gaius and anyone who had been watching the game so far would remember that this was exactly how Ripley acted earlier in the games.
In fact, she remembered vividly how the moment the buzzer went off, he got his spear and speared some tribute.
For Sera, Ripley reminded her of her own district partner. Just the thought of him made her sick. It was the last time she decided to trust anyone in the games. She still remembered waking up in the dead of night to find his arms wrapped around her neck. If it wasn't for Thyme and Acadia, she would be dead. Unconsciously, she rubbed her neck.
"How do we know we can trust you?" Gaius questioned with a knowing grin.
Ripley shook with anger. "How do we know we can trust you?" He echoed back at the taller boy.
Sera pushed herself to stand and stared at the boys. She had one hand gesturing to the three of them while the other near her thighs where she kept her blades. "Again 'we'?" She asked, confused why either of the boys would want to ally with someone like her. All she had were her throwing knives.
"Yeah. We. Work with me here." Ripley turned to look at Sera.
Gaius grabbed him by the throat and slammed him into the ground. The District 4 tribute's body dug through the thick layer of snow and fell to the stony ground. "She's not gonna work with you." Gaius spat out.
While the two were too busy arguing, Sera turned around to get her things in order. She had her backpack and her weapons along with her water container. She had everything she needed. Sighing in relief, she looked up. She paused, her eyes wide and her hands immediately going to her blades.
The spultures were almost done with their prey.
They didn't have much time left. She had to make a choice fast. She could leave them here right now while they were too busy arguing or she could save them.
"Stop!" Sera yelled out, grabbing both of their attention. "Look!" She gestured frantically to the flock of mutts who were almost done feasting on their fellow mutt. "We don't have time to be going at each other's throats."
Hesitantly, Gaius released Ripley and started walking towards the District 5 tribute. He gestured for her to follow him, not caring about the other tribute on the ground. "Sure, just leave me here. After I gave you the rope. You're welcome." He gasped out, clutching his throat.
"That was days ago." Gaius bit back.
"Doesn't matter! We have to move." Sera against her better judgment, walked over to the tribute on the ground and wrapped one his arms over her shoulder. She used her small frame to support his tall one which wasn't a good idea. Stumbling against the weight of Ripley, she almost fell down to the ground but she never hit the floor.
When she opened her eyes, she found Gaius mimicking her. He placed Ripley's free arm over his shoulder while muttering threats of violence to him. Ripley bickered back, annoyed that it was Gaius who was holding onto him as Sera looked on dumbfounded.
"Coming?" The boys asked, accidentally timing their questions. They both scowled at each other noticing this.
She shook her head and walked ahead of the boys. "We should find some shelter." Pulling out her compass, she held it up. The compass pointed behind her, indicating that she was heading south.
"Agreed." Gaius answered, solemnly.
Cough. Cough.
"Avoid the town." Ripley chimed in much to Gaius' anger. The two got ready to bicker again, only to stop.
Kek. Kek.
The trio froze as calls of the mutts echoed around them. They shared an identical look of fear before Gaius barked some orders at Ripley and then used his free hand to grab onto Sera. In that time, Sera merely managed to put her compass away. Without a second to waste, Gaius dragged his new allies to a safe location.