Forsake Tenacity (Marik)

[Malachor Erso D2 (Cato)]

I head to the roof. I've heard the talks of the simulation that is on the roof this year. It's interesting, and I'm super excited to give it a try, but at the same time, it's terrifying. I don't know what to expect, yet I have to try. Once I'm on the roof, and it's my turn, I enter the simulator. I'm not quite sure what I'm supposed to do, but I listen to the instructions trying to take them all in, trying to remember what I need to do. Once I understand everything, I ready myself. I want to pick my own biome and weather, but I won't have the chance to do that when I'm in the arena, so I just set it all to random. It's the best way to go, and it will give me the best chance to succeed.

I watch as everything changes, and it's as though I'm no longer even in the Capitol. Sand reaches far and wide, and I see the occasional desert willow reaching into the sky. The sand dunes are incredible and unlike anything I've ever seen before. But before I adapt to what I'm seeing, the wind picks up, and it's becoming harder to see. Sand and dirt are flying everywhere, and even when I squint, I still struggle to see the world around me. My face is hurting from the dirt, yet I still step into it trying to figure out what's exactly needed, and as I step further into the dust, I hear a growl that causes all my hair to raise.

I turn and look and this mutt is cowering in the corner, and I start running despite knowing it won't be good enough. I'm running as fast as I can, and the mutt is chasing behind me snapping at my heels. I don't even know where I'm heading, yet I keep running as the scenery is changing around me. I go from seeing all sorts of dunes to seeing a couple of trees. I don't know how long I've been running, yet I keep going and going. The mutt is closing in, and I decide to climb up a tree. It's the best I can do at the moment, and once I get up to what feels high enough, I realize the mutt can also climb the tree. I climb even higher and higher until the mutt can no longer follow me. My arms are shaking, but I manage to hold on, and this goes on for a bit until the mutt retreats to the bottom of the tree, I sit on a branch and wait. I could go on, but up here is where I'm safe.

Table Credit: Dars