Tri-District Tournament Day One: Harper vs. Fray

District four smelt odd, like rotting seafood left out in the sun to dry. Personally, I wasn't much of a fan of the foul-smelling coast- but it was better than being at home, under the nose of my mother and her distasteful gaze. In her eyes, I was the failure of the family, the one child that she failed to raise, the one child who she failed to control.

And thank fuck for that!

The last thing I wanted was to be a carbon printout of my sister- or worse, the bitch herself!

It was the fourth day of this tournament, and my body ached, my knuckles were bruised and my chin shone with a real shiner that flowered purple and blue. Before me stood Syrena Fray, from district One. I had watched a few of her fights, she was good, maybe even better than me- not that I would ever admit that aloud. I was too proud, too stubborn for that.

Instead of admitting my treasonous thoughts, I give her a toothy grin, casually tossing my spear from hand to hand. I thought it quite fitting to utilise the spear in district four. District Four believed themselves to be the ultimate spear users, that it was their weapon, but all they were were glorified fishermen.

My eyes flick across her face, "it would be a pity if I accidentally scarred that pretty face of yours, Fray."

0rZQ2728dYspear
[Shallow Cut on Left Thigh -- 3.5 damage]

you see there was a real risk to using battle ready weapons rather than training aids. They were sharp as hell and they didn’t play games. And not did the Fray girl, I found that out the hard way when a grunt of against is pushed through clenched teeth. I’d seen in on the games every year, the severing of a limb and always cheered when the body part thudded to the ground with a wet plopping sound, but to actually feel red hot steel slice through the flesh just above my knee did not have me cheering.

“Bitch!” I growl as my body crashes into one of the weapon stands at the end of the ring, weapons clattering into hard flooring around me loudly. My spear had slipped from my fingers and I felt the urge to look down at gawk at the bloody stump that turned the ground red. But I resist, fingers closing around the shaft of an axe as I flick an agonised grin at the girl from one. 

it seemed that the Fray girl was better than my ass and she was about to wipe the floor with me. 

“that was my kicking leg!”

3pzxWps9aNthrowing axe
[]

"FUCKING SHIT!" Fray cries out as though it had been her leg that had been hacked right off. The girl looks pale and shocked, like she needed my reassurance that everything was going to be okay. And I was the one who had just had half their fucking leg cut off. "Ica belve I ju didda-" she stumbles over her words through trembling lips. If I didn't know better it looked like she was gonna be sick-

"Oh, hell no! You better not fucking vomit all over my bloody stump, Blondie! You already took my damn leg, I ain't getting no fucking infection from you puking all over me!" I scream as I throw the axe towards her, watching at the handle thumps her on the head, enough to shake her from the stupor that had taken over. She stumbles slightly, almost looking offended that I had the audacity to hit her square in the face- like I had the audacity to fight back after she had just made me an amputee.

Crying out in pain I try to scramble to my feet, but fail, slipping on my blood, not used to my new center of gravity. Cursing I desperately manoeuvre myself on the ground, avoiding another strike from her hungry steel. Resigning to my new offensive position on the ground I reach for another axe that had crashed to the ground, trying to ignore the way my leg screamed bloody murder at me.

YjL612mk1Othrowing axe
[0]

15/25hp

"Ugh, relax dude-"

RELAX?

Of course, Fray, let me just take a chill pill and ignore the way agonising pain that pulsated through me causing me to feel light-headed and dizzy. Desperately I try to breathe through the pain, panting as I tried to fight the tears that sprung to my eyes. My fucking leg. Not once in my life had I ever expected that a tournament would end with me not as whole as I started. I could only imagine what my mother would have to say about this. Fuck, I groan inwardly, just another excuse for her to glare at me with that disappointed look that made me want to slap her across her smug face.

My foot taunted me, laying several feet away, the steady dribble of blood making me feel queasy. But, hey, sure, I'll relax.

"Relax? Bitch, you just chopped off my leg like you were carving a roast dinner. I think that gives me the higher ground to freak the fuck out." My hand creeps towards another axe, the last axe I had thrown her way easily avoided leaving me feeling awful vulnerable. "But sure, I'll relax," I hiss as I launch the blade towards her pretty face.

qahCzKVRffthrowing axe
[0]

15/25hp

Maybe it was that subconsciously I didn't want to touch that pretty face... Or maybe it was that I simply sucked at throwing a god damn axe. To be perfectly honest with you, it wasn't exactly my weapon of choice. They were too heavy for a petit girl of my size- or that is what I was going to tell myself in order to keep a hold on whatever pride that I had left. Pride was all I had when I was grounded like a flightless bird, bleeding out on national television. Ugh, even I was getting second hand embarrassment for myself at the thought of a viewer watching a delusional girl flick axes at a blonde who seemed to struggle with hitting a stationary target-

Fuck.

There it was again, that agonising pain that had a cry of sheer pain and shock escape my lips. "Ahhhhh, fuck!" I growl, my eyes instantly drawn to my arm where her blade had sliced into me. Blood streamed from a gash that was almost deep enough to have taken the limb clean from my elbow. A howl of pain and frustration and anger has spit flying into the air as I round on her eyes blazing. I put everything I have into throwing myself to my feet, snatching up a glaive, using the tip to steady me as the rush of blood had me stumbling.

"Oh, I insist," I spit as I throw all my weight behind the blade, panting through the searing pain that screamed with reluctance as I threw myself at the girl from one.

z2Gs2nkMACglaive
[Stabbed in Calf -- 8.5 damage]

Finally, I land something of substantial damage. Sure it wasn't a leg or even just a finger, but it was enough to inch a little closer across the gap that she had created between us. But I had to be honest with myself, and that one hit had me sweating and heavy as exhaustion smacked me hard across the face. It was like something I had never experienced, not only the pain, but how the loss of blood made it feel like my heart was slowing, slowly, but surely, running out of blood to pump around my body.

I felt like time had slowed but only for me. Each movement came with a delay as my brain slowly processed signals. But at least it was still faster than the internet connection back home, my thoughts and demands loading faster than my Twitter page on reaping day.

The hit doesn't have Fray stunned for long, like a true career she lunges just as I catch my balance, the hilt of her weapon knocking roughly into my shoulder. Grunting I stumble, catching myself on one of the few weapon stands that remain upright. "I don't know about you, but I'm feeling like it's time we wrapped this up," carefully I reposition my mutilated arm, clicking my tongue at the realisation that the scar that was going to be left behind was not going to be pretty. The edges of the laceration were jagged, Fray's blade had not been as precise as the swing that had taken my leg.

Mum was going to have a field day.

"Could have at least made it pretty," I mumble under my breath, repositioning myself so that I could use the weapon stand to support me as I struck, the movement lacking any elegance.

04yxMfXTArglaive
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