Marching on (TAOT vs Crocacondas, Day 2)

[Snakebird]

The anthem played loudly in the sky, illuminating the Arena. I watched as the faces played in the sky. First, Allen Hearst, tribute from District One. The boy who's twin died two years ago. Timothy also died on the first day if I remember correctly. Two brothers, both dead on the same day of the Games. Then the small girl from Six, Alikia something. I felt a twinge of sadness when her face filled the screen. She didn't deserve to die on the first day. No one deserved to die before 18. It was cruel, inhumane. One more reason for me to hate the Capitol. The next dead tribute was the orphan from District Eight, which meant that Ludwig was alive. He was alive, but we had no idea where he was. We needed to look for him. Both tributes from eleven were dead, as well as the girl from District 12. I suppose that was good, one less potential District Twelve victor. I wonder how the boy is doing. I hope he's wounded. Thinking that reminds me of my own wounds, and I bring my hand up to my face. The gash on my face is still there, as well as the one on my neck. I'm lucky that one didn't kill me. Because then who would watch out for Sylvania and Juno?

We hiked into the marshy area, where we supposed Ludwig might have gone. I don't know why, maybe he didn't hear me, or maybe he bolted for the closest cover. I hoped he was there, if not, we had just wasted a day of walking. The walk was terrible, the water rose up over my boots at some points, soaking my socks. I was uncomfortable after that, my socks sloshing around in my boots. I kept myself at the front of the pack, leading the three of us deeper into the marsh. At several points, I thought I saw something move in the murky water. I gripped my cleaver and barked a quick warning to my allies. After all, you can never be too careful. Especially in a game of life or death.

I saw him first. He was sitting there, with a sword gripped in his hand. And then I realized, it wasn't being held in his hand, he had strapped it to the stump of his hand. His left hand was missing. “Ludwig!” I shouted, ecstatic to see my ally again. “What happened?” I nodded at his missing hand to clarify my question.

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[Morgana]

Sylvania Legend

She didn't recognize the faces in the stars that night. They were just people, players in a Game. Just like her. It was no use trying to remember people, because in the end, only one would survive. Only one, and it would not be Sylvania. Why bother remembering names when she'd be dead soon? Those names wouldn't mean a thing after she passed.

It was strange. She could vaguely recall a time when she'd wanted death. She had tried so hard to get it, and she'd failed. And now...now it was here, ready to take her. Just a day earlier, she'd been ready to stand up and fight. She had been determined to leave the world kicking and screaming. But now she was aching, tired, and sore. The wound in her chest was pricking painfully with every step she took, and her head was pounding. Her clothes were heavy with dried blood, and her hair was matted with it as well. All she wanted was to step into a nice warm bath and stay there for a few hours.

She trudged along after two of the members of her alliance. The third, Ludwig, had never showed up, but she was pretty sure he wasn't dead. She couldn't remember seeing his face last night, but she hadn't been paying much attention.

It was hot, and Sylvania was thirsty. There was water squishing underfoot, but not enough to scoop up and drink. It was muddy, too, so it probably wasn't safe to drink. Still, she could roll around in it, and cool herself off...She shook her head, realizing that the rest of their party had stopped. She plopped down on the ground, not much caring why they weren't moving, just glad for the rest.

[HEY, ALEX!]

I couldn’t sleep last night. Hell. I tried but I fail at trusting any person. How selfish of me to take a sleeping shift while the others needed the same. I hadn’t the right to pretend to slumber while another was on lookout. Maybe I’m not cut out to be in an alliance. I hadn’t the ability to fully trust a soul and I feared being in a group would make my chances of random shit happening to me while in the arena. I remember, on the train ride up here, I promised myself I would not get mixed up with any people. I did not wish to get attracted to any of the tributes in fear that is may be down to the two of us in the end. But, here I was, walking side by side with Sylvania and Hawthorne. Look at the shit I got into.

Sweat was dripping from my forehead down my face. My eyelashes were forced to blink randomly to keep the salty fluid from entering my eyes as well as shielding my pupils from the blazing sunlight. My fat lips were dry as was the blood on my leg. My auburn hair stuck to the sides of my face and my sunburnt neck. My cheeks were red because they, like my neck, were sunburnt. That or they were flushed with the high temperatures of the arena. My thin hand gripped tightly on my crowbar with such a force, my knuckles turned white with speckles of my own dried blood pasted on top. My leg still stung from getting stabbed there earlier on in the Bloodbath but at least the bleeding had stopped. My leg was making my walk into a limp but it wasn’t as noticeable as it was yesterday. I am still no soldier.

I breathed in to find the air around me filled extremely humid. It was like the air in the jungle yet it was not similar to the heat in the bloodbath. It was like District Four, in a way. It was the first thing in the arena that reminded me of home. Of my ocean. Oh, how dearly I wished to go swimming in the vast pool of salted water just one last time before I die. However, I knew this would not become a reality as I am here, hoping I will be the person they call out on the last day as the victor. I didn’t want my face to show in the sky like I have seen six others already. But I knew my wishes would not come true. They never do.

Another breath was put into my lungs and it sort of felt refreshing. Then I realized how slow my mind was functioning. There would be water nearby. That was the reason the air tasted of murky water and bugs had crowded the area. We were near water. I did not expect to reach water so quickly. From the smell of the air, I could tell the water was dirty. Perhaps I wasn’t drinkable. Then I contradicted myself. All water was consumable if the right treatment was made. Fortunately, I could just start a fire and boil the water until the pollutes are no longer a problem. I will have to do this later.

The mud sloshed beneath my feet, making it even more difficult to walk. Then, as I got closer, I noticed something in the water. It was moving. Shit. I tighten the grip on my crowbar even more and I feared for the worst. Then, I saw it. Well, two of them. Shit. Shit. Shit. Damn the Capitol and their deadly looking creatures. My knuckles were white and numb from the me gripping my crowbar even tighter than before. How did the Capitol ever think of such a creature? A snake with a crocodile head. That is ridiculous. I wanted to scream but I have forgotten how. My little voice was stuck in the back of my throat from my fear of the creature. I have to kill it or else. We have to kill it. So, I lifted my crowbar high and aim it to hit that creature. I can only hope luck will be on my side.

[attacks first Crocacondas - crowbar]
[dice=200+7000]
[block: 0]

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[Prince Inigo]

Xola and Ulan, the Crocacondas

If there was ever a place that she would want to be, would it be here in a land where everything was wet, the humidity was killer, and insects could be just as dangerous as the big animals?

According to her younger sister, Xola had no choice in the matter where to go. This was one of the areas where crocacondas such as themselves could thrive; other places, they would suffer before death was granted. Their skin would crack, so she said, and they would bleed when their surfaces were brittle as petrified bark.

She had every reason to believe her sister's word. After all, why would she lie to her - the older one?

To start off with, the two were picked up and thrown into the swamp-like section together by the most ugliest, hairless monkeys they had seen - or what resembled monkeys. Xola could not even describe what they were to her peeps, which she did not know where they were located. It was a horrendous mistake, the crocaconda thought, that she was stuck here with her sister and nobody else in the world other than the mangy insects. None of them could provide that much subsistence for their slender, long bodies. Girls like Xola and Ulan, they needed hefty meals. Meals to make their parents wish they took better care of them, spiteful of their killing skills.

Or so she would daydream about. It was actually Ulan that was the murderer in the family; she had the smarts and the bravery to take on many an animal to, simply, best them, not always for food. Xola, on the other hand, was not blessed with such gifts. Sure, she was the biggest, oldest, and the meanest-looking one; but, she was the type to go for the prey blindly and hope for good fortune to smile on her. Sister Ulan was the brains; a strategist of their family.

Xola had wondered if any luck would fall upon them. As though someone - maybe the crocaconda gods - had heard her, there was one of those ugly monkey things, coming at her with a shiny implement of some sorts. Whatever it was, Xola deflected the attack with a lash of her tail, snarling.

Mine!

[Attacks Jupiter (Knife/Teeth)]
[dice=200+2000]
Stabbed in Eye - X

*******

Distance: Half a tail's length
Current situation: filthy pink thing attacking sister
Feeling about current situation: do not want to but have to help anyways

Ulan never liked having to help out her sister. Of course she loved her - there was not doubt about that - but her older sister was very much incompetent with any task ordered. To merely stand guard of their home while she went out to hunt could not be obtained. It was not like Xola could not carry out commands perfectly - because she was very much capable of doing things right - it simply fell under if Xola felt like doing what she was asked was the problem.

Nine times out of ten, she never did.

That was mostly Ulan's problem with her sister. Because of the fact that Xola had issues with anything related to survival, when she - Ulan - had to help out, it was a pain. An awful pain.

But otherwise, she had to help. They were sisters after all - until Ulan felt like killing her herself. She had to be frank with her friends: Xola honestly ate a lot and expected many things to be done for her due to her not having Ulan's intellect. It was insulting.

She had been searching around for prey when Xola was getting attacked. Snorting, Ulan snapped around, roared, and went to crunch her jaws on the closest ugly being, her teeth stained yellow but all the more efficient to perform the job.

[Attacks Jupiter (Knife/Teeth)]
[dice=200+2000]
Miss - 0.0

(Oh gosh. Dx)[rand=9333020878751195865739771414512279544657952496928107324339266827]

[A Toa's Friend (atoafriend)]

Ludwig had no idea how long he had slept for. When he woke up, the fire had burned down to some glowing embers and his left arm felt slightly numb. Did I sleep through the Anthem...?" he wondered, slowly sitting up. Water dripped from his hair; he absentmindedly slicked some stray strands back.

"Ludwig!" The sound of another voice made him jump; Ludwig turned around and was relieved to see his fellow tribute, Hawthorn, making his way toward him. "What happened?" he asked, gesturing at Ludwig's left arm.

"Lost it in the Bloodbath," Ludwig explained, tightening the belt that held the falchion in place. "I think it was the girl from District 3..." He looked up to see the rest of their alliance catching up. Sylvania, the girl who reminded Ludwig a bit of his brother, looked absolutely worn out, sitting down immediately upon reaching them. Juno arrived right after Sylvania.

Ludwig was just about to get up when he heard a splash nearby; Juno had attacked something in the water. He whipped around and caught a glimpse of something slithering in the grass, then another splash.

Somewhere in the distance, a cannon sounded. Now he had a clear view of the mutt. It reminded Ludwig of the dragons in his old picture books. But this thing was no image from a child’s story. Its long, writhing body looked like a snake, and it’s head…it’s head was something from a nightmare: a long snout with flat jaws lined with sharp, deadly teeth. Teeth that had just killed Jupiter Vicks.

A second mutt struck from nowhere, so harried to attack the already-dead tribute that it missed. Ludwig scrambled to his feet as quickly as his sore body would let him, his weapon-arm raised.

[Snakebird]

“Lost it in the Bloodbath,” Ludwig replied to my inquiry about his hand. He thought it was the girl from District 3, who I had marked down as a threat. Apparently she was a threat. Suddenly a few splashes sounded behind me alerted me to something happening, and I whipped around, catching a flash of brown and then a spray of red. A cannon sounded and I watched the snake detach itself from the form of fifteen year-old Juno Vicks, my ally, who I had promised to protect. She fell to the ground and the second mutt jumped over her. “No!” I shouted, pushing Sylvania out of the way of the snakes. I couldn’t let her die too. Filled with rage at these terrible mutts, I threw myself in front of the snakes and swung my cleaver at the one that killed Juno.
(attacks Xola)
[dice=200+2000]
(Block, 0 damage)
The snake blocked my attack. I don't know how it did that, but I was astonished. Apparently it had incredibly tough skin, and would be hard to kill. But we had to kill one. For Juno.[rand=9992232758086175629757939372211797922154469415554052868008147925]

[Morgana]

Sylvania Legend

There was movement in the water, and Sylvania jumped to her feet, suddenly not tired. There was something in there. She shuddered and looked up, realizing for the first time that there was another boy here. That would have to be Ludwig, the fourth member of their alliance. He was missing his hand. He said something about losing it in the Bloodbath, and then it happened.

She screamed. She was supposed to know death by now. She was supposed to be used to it. But this was the first time she'd ever seen it with her own eyes, in person, and it made it her sick. There was blood, dripping from Juno's eye. Sylvania didn't want to look at it, didn't want to see, but there it was and she couldn't look away. Juno was dead. Sylvania hadn't known her very well at all, but her death still shook her. Other people had died already, but Sylvania hadn't seen it. She hadn't known...Finally, she ripped her eyes away from Juno and looked at the thing that had killed her. Rage boiled in her chest. It wasn't fair. Juno was a pretty girl. She was young, and she shouldn't have died. Not yet. It should have been Sylvania. She didn't have much to live for anymore.

Hawthorn pushed her out of the way of the beast while he attacked. He did not hit flesh, and Sylvania could see that this upset him. They had to kill this creature. Looking around, she noticed another one nearby, and let out a cry of anguish. There were two. They'd have to kill them both. She only hoped they could do it quickly. But if she had to - Yes, if she had to, Sylvania knew she would sacrifice herself for Hawthorn or Ludwig. She knew Hawthorn wanted to protect her, but she didn't need it. She had stepped into the arena ready to die, and it was better to die fighting for someone else. That way, no one could call you selfish.

She pushed her way past Hawthorn. She refused to cower like some poor maiden while the men did the dirty work. She would plat her part in this fight. Hopefully, she would kill. She tightened her grip around her flail, which had yet to be stained with blood. The time would come, very soon. It would be coated in blood, and it would be revenge.

[Attacks Xola, Flail]
[dice=200+12000]
[Bruised Ribs; 3.0]

Sylvania smiled in satisfaction as her weapon hit flesh. This creature was powerful, but so was her alliance. She had faith in them, and in herself.

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[HEY, ALEX!]

A scream filled the air of the near quite marsh. It has been a while since I heard anything similar to it. The tone was that of a female. The owner had to be pretty young as a somewhat of a childish tone still lingered into the voice. Though it was screaming, the voice contained such a sweet, delicate tone that it didn’t sound as if the person was in fear. It was the same tone that hummed and, sometimes, sung to the songs I played on my guitar to the beach grass. It as my own shrieking that filled the air. A cry of warning rather than that of pain. My alliance needed to be warned of the monstrous being that was in the water but the words could not come out. Just screams. And now my secret was out and I didn’t give a shit.

The crowbar that was gripped so tightly in my hands recoiled as the being blocked the blow. I was not a Career like Sylvania nor was a strong boy like Hawthorn or Lugwig. I was a weak, skinny girl from District Four that didn’t stand a chance. Why didn’t I run. I should have. It was the only thing I was good at. Not fighting a monster. I realized my stupidity as I glanced down at the angered creature. I should not have wasted such a blow on the thing with razor sharp teeth. And now, those weapons were coming for me.

Those ugly teeth crept closer to my face as I stood there paralyzed. I hadn’t the time to move but just enough to see the faint glint of those wet, yellow teeth. I could see the salvia dip from its fangs as well as that dark look in its cold eyes. Its skin appeared dried and rough. As if got closer in my view, I noticed lines within its membrane as if it had wrinkles. Its tongue was moist from the mixture of dirty water that filled the marsh and spit its glands produced. Its snake body was long and thick from what I could see in the moment. I would admit to the creativity of the being as it got even closer to my face. But it was an ugly monster. However, it was still nothing more than another lost soul in this arena.

I no longer wished to look upon the being. So, I closed my green eyes. Never would they ever see the earth again. I smelled the odor of the marsh in one last time just so I could feel the humidity in the air even if that meant I would have a bad taste in my mouth. As I stood there, I tried to the brave person I thought I could pretend to be but there would be no stopping that last little drop of salted water from escaping my eye. The tear traveled from my covered green eyes, down my cubby cheeks, and off my round face entirely.

And then it was over.

A sharp, jagged set of teeth bit into my left side of visage and my life was over. My thin body went limp as it fell backwards in a pool of shin deep, nasty water. The water held such a lovely temperature that made me wish that I wasn’t dead. I desired to stay here and feel the glorious warmth of the water that I would soon lay dead in. But I couldn’t. Soon, I would be just another unrecognizable name on a list of the deceased and another dead soul in this arena. More warmth formed around me but it was not that of my blood. I then realized that I shall depart now.

My body rocked to the motions of the ocean as my fingers allowed themselves to break the surface of the water. I brought my fingers to my face for a better observation as they felt differently. My closed eyes opened to glimpse straight up in sun like brightness, making my eyes sparkle their green shade. But, when my eyes adjusted to the bright light, I noticed the smoothness of my fingers. Water seemed to be flicked away from my fingers as it they were laced in a sort of water repellent. Odd. I brought my fingers to my face to find it dry. My thin, pale hands dipped into the water and made my fingers run through my hair. Dry.

The sky looked blue as any normal sky would. But that did not last long as a shade soon covered my eyes. There was not a cloud in the sky. Weird. My ocean began to shake and my thin body was tugged further out into the ocean as if I was trapped in a dangerous riptide. I switched from being on my back to a position in which my head was the only thing not in the water. And I saw what had stolen the shade. A wave. Not a normal wave. A much bigger one. Perhaps fifty feet tall.

I watched in wonder as the abnormal wave began to whitecap above my head. I was frightened yet aware that I was already dead. My ocean could not harm me. But this was not my ocean. It was a much darker one. It took a while for the water to finally crash down on me and, when it did, it was as if I could feel the pressure bring me down. It was as if a thousand pounds was placed on my stomach. The water was wicked. It had to be as a truly wonderful ocean would never so such a thing. I sunk further into the odd water. This place, wherever the hell I was at, was not my ocean. This place was much deeper.

The weight pulled me further toward the ocean floor. This could not be an ocean. The saltwater would burn my eyes. This substance did not. The voice that comes from my throat was released. I could hear it loud and clear. That was impossible to do in my ocean. The forced pulled me even further. The light from the sun, or what looked to be the sun, was slowly disappearing before my eyes. And then, soon, it was too dark to see the fingers that I put in front of my face. A little more feet and the pressure that forced me down this far had came to a halt. However, I instantly tried to escape to the surface again but found the pressure still lingered there. It would not allow me to leave. So, I have sunk to the bottom, a dark frightening place where my soul will remained trapped. Fantastic.

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[Prince Inigo]

Ha! What a stroke of luck! Xola would have smiled if she could. The first pink ugly thing that had tried to attack her was now dead as a pile of, well, corpses. It was only mildly interesting how fragile they could be; certainly, Xola's pride swelled beyond the capacity of her brain cells, as her sister would tease.

She wondered what they would taste like; she never had pink ugly thing before, and she could say that neither did Ulan. Would it be better to eat the legs first and then the heart? or to drizzle the heart juices on the legs and feast on that? Hopefully, with the amount of them there were present, the sisters could try all the possibilities.

During her fancy imagination, Xola did not hear others approaching. For further good fortune, she was able to block another attack; yet, she was not quick enough to get a bad bruise on her - supposed - chest. Ouch!

Xola hissed a sound mixed between a gurgle and a growl. Whoever would attack her first would get the next round of possibly getting killed, was her strategy. She took a slide back, only to launch herself onto the next target.

[Attacks Hawthorne (Knife/Teeth)]
[dice=200+2000]
Block - 0.0

*******

How stupid. Ulan had somehow missed the first ugly thing; but, to her utter surprise and glee, it did not matter at all. It was already dead, landing itself in some water.

Well... bye! She could not wait to eat something as big as that one was.

Ulan turned back to Xola and saw her go for another enemy. As lessons taught Ulan: it would be best to go for the same target. Less chances to die; the prey could get away if it was only one hunter going after it.

For now, she would follow after Xola and attack the same things she was attacking, out of pure wit--- At least, until she was bored of that plan. Hey! She needed her own entertainment as well.

[Attacks Hawthorne (Knife/Teeth)]
[dice=200+2000]
Miss - 0.0

[rand=11524784207326433342383174469245161046780224083353513175491415515816]

[A Toa's Friend (atoafriend)]

The Bloodbath had been a whirl of confusion. Everyone was his enemy. They all wanted him dead. Then Ludwig remembered that this was just another fight, not the chaos at the Cornucopia. Here the other people were his allies; they were going to work together to defeat these mutts. At the Bloodbath he had been unprepared, but now a strange sense of confidence settled into Ludwig; right now, it was clear who it was he was attacking.

Next to him Sylvania was suddenly on her feet, letting out a scream at the sight of Juno and the mutts and staring for a moment in terror. Ludwig couldn't blame her: he remembered that feeling of dread and guilt, so many years ago, sitting in front of the screen watching his brother fight. Fight...and die...

"No!" Hawthorn's cry brought Ludwig back to reality. He watched as his ally valiantly pushed Sylvania out of the way, lunging forward to attack the first mutt only to have the blow deflected. Sylvania, a new confidence back in her, didn't hesitate: pushing past Hawthorn, her flail landed a solid hit on the mutt, which gave a violent hiss.

The two mutts went for Hawthorn, who was able to avoid their attacks. Ludwig knew it was his turn now, and, ignoring the numb throbbing in his arm, swung the falchion at them:

[attacks Ulan]
Sword: [dice=200+1000]
[BLOCK -- 0.0]

Ludwig grunted in frustration: the mutts had very good reflex. But we still outnumber them, he thought. We can still win this...![rand=29684330615790993509897169594999230374177619050907958425349827743]

[Snakebird]

Filler, filler. Hawthorn is all like block like a ninja and is barely missed by other Crocaconda. He feels happy that Sylavania managed to hit it, but Ludwig was blocked. He aims for the head and tries to spice it up, wondering if it is possible to eat it out of revenge.
(attacks Unan)
[dice=200+2000]
(Deep Gash on Left Forearm, aka left side of body, 8 damage.)
Filler filler, ooh yay, deep gash! I hurt it finally, let's all keep hurting them.

(will edit tomorrow, I'm at the beach and have limited Internet use, so I'm trying to hurry this up.)[rand=3079318730160594396199808688834351983321527950474786026431247592]

[aya]

Admin OOC: Day Two's done by the way, so the mutts have retreated and you've all got a new fight (see: Anthem)

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