we're like timebombs [st★rkidz & icemonkeys]

'Whoever originally created the Hunger Games was the most twisted person in the history of all time.' That was all Ember thought about as she grumbled to herself and tried to heal her wounds with no medical supplies. The only thing she could do was apply pressure with the fabric of her sleeve-covered hands and clean and numb them with the snow around her. Hopefully, she would find medicinal plants later but she was too weak and in a location where there were none. Just her luck.

The events that happened from the sound of the gong after the sixty seconds went by in a whirl wind of chaos at such a rapid pace that it was surreal. When the gong sounded, the majority of the victors ran to the Cornucopia to try to get their equipment for survival and self defense. It was by far the most bloody Blood Bath Ember had ever known and she doubted that the reason she thought that was because she was in it. Though she didn't know how many of the tributes were dead, her mind went back to the scene at the Cornucopia where bodies were dropping left and right. Teenagers were savagely murdering each other without any cause but to beat their fellow victors to it. It was horrific.

Ember hadn't wanted to even attempt going into the Blood Bath but her allies wanted to and she wasn't in the place to oppose them. So she went along with it, hoping that the three of them would be successful in getting their supplies and getting out of there with minimal injuries. Well, they were definitely wrong. Ember was severely injured after being attacked by four different people. There were three or four stab marks in her, one in her neck. And the worst part was when Arden told her to run, she assumed he would be following her and when she turned around he was being murdered but she kept running. Turning back wouldn't do any good. He was long gone and her dying too wasn't going to help. It all happened so quickly, Ember didn't even know if her other ally, Sundra, was alive.

When the day was over and the pictures of the dead tributes would be displayed in the sky, Ember knew the list would be exceptionally long. Now she was hiding away, somewhere unseen and secluded to nurse her wounds. Bleeding to death or infection wasn't an option for Ember. She had to try to survive and dying from something that simple was pathetic but that wasn't her concern. It was just a reflex to want to be healed. If she would've thought about it, it was probably much more peaceful to die this way and much less traumatic for her loved ones. It would be much more peaceful to die alone from injury than in a gory murder. But she fixed her injuries as best as she could.

After hours of tending to the deep gashes in her flesh, Ember figured that it wasn't going to be enough. It would take a long time to heal and unless she had proper medical supplies, the wounds would open and begin to bleed again. But how was she going to get medical supplies? Only be sponsor would she ever be that lucky and once she assessed her surroundings, she knew medicinal herbs would be scarce. She was in a frozen wasteland. It would be a miracle for even a few plants in secluded areas but she found that unlikely. Nothing of the sort would survive here. And unfortunately, the only thing Ember had managed to get was her weapon; a dagger. It puzzled her as to what use this would be to her. It wouldn't kill many animals and they would have to be at a close distance for any success. A bow and arrows would be much more useful. Though Ember had never used one, she would be able to figure it out. Now she was kicking herself for not learning weapons during training.

The only option for hope of medical supplies was the Cornucopia. It had been hours since the Blood Bath so the other tributes were likely dispersed all over the arena, far from the place where it all began. It was more than likely the last remaining alliance or tribute to survive the Blood Bath had taken everything but she had to try. If there was and she chose not to look and died, that would be a waste of luck and resources.

Slowly but surely, Ember managed to limpm to the place where the equipment and supplies once lied. It was a painful walk. The deep cuts in her skinned stung in the excruciatingly dry cold. Her body begged to stop but she couldn't or else she wouldn't get going again. In her mind, she kept motivating herself by saying there were bandages and medicines to ease the pain and heal the gashes. Whether or not that was the truth was to remain unknown but if she felt that if she believed it, it could be true. At least it kept her legs moving forward.

Finally the Cornucopia was within view and so was something else. A sillouette. Ember's heart dropped and she body froze. They obviously already saw her and there was no way Ember could just run away. Her body was torn apart, making any type of running impossible. But her eyes began to focus better and the sillouette was of thin, feminine figure and within seconds she realized she was safe. It was Sundra.

As fast as her body would allow, Ember made her way to Sundra and it was apparent that she was just as thrilled to Ember as Ember was to see her. She began speaking rapidly not letting Ember get in a word edge wise but Ember didn't care. Her ally was alive and there was hope. Ember showed off her wounds, grimly, obviously anxious about their future affects on her overall health. "I'm alive but really roughed up. I'm going to need some medical supplies quickly or else they'll get infected or won't stop bleeding I was hoping the Cornucopia might have some that others left behind."

Sundra mentioned Arden and Ember looked down, solemnly, remembering seeing her ally die. "I know," she managed to get out. "I-I didn't mean to let him died. They all came at us and he told me to run. I figured he'd follow but when I turned around they were killing him. I would've tried to save him but I was bleeding so much and going back would just end up making me dead too. Going back wouldn't have saved him, probably." Her conscience was so guilty and her heart was heavy but there was no changing the fact that Arden was dead. It must have been even worse on Sundra. They were obviously good friends. They came from the same district after all.

A meaty thwack of metal on flesh and Korak screeches, jerking back to just avoid the Claw-That-Cuts slicing into the air where his neck used to be. There is a brief sting and beadings of Red that dribble down his hard shell, leaking into the crevices where his skin isn't covered with a protective layer. He hits the Bright-Cold hard, stumbling back and tripping over his large, bushy tail. Massak howls in rage upon seeing Red stain the Bright-Cold and lashes out at the shorter Two-Legs, teeth bared in a feral snarl. Nobody hurts her mate and escapes with their lives!

[dice=200+2000]
[[attacks Sundra, shallow cut on left shoulder, 3.5 ]]

Out of the corner of his eye, the tribe leader spots Nukilik winding up for another strike, his massive bulk rearing up to blot out the Circle-In-The-Sky from Korak's prone perspective. After nothing more than a low hiss he springs, launching into the air with a powerful flex of thigh muscles. Red stains his shoulders but the colour is wrong - it belongs to the shorter Two-Legs, and Korak grimaces in satisfaction. The children and other tribe members peer out fearfully from the Twisted Horn, amber eyes scintillating gently in the half-Light.

He has only glanced away for a second, but a dull thud and angry roar alerts him to Nukilik landing on his target, impacting the Red One with the full weight of his fury.

[dice=200+2000]
[[attacks Ember, deep gash on chest, 9.5]]

Empowered by the success of his tribemates, Korak pulls himself back into a standing position and ignores the dull throb of his hand. The bitter cold has already started to slow the dripping of Red, freezing it against his shell and plastering the fur around his hands to a flat line. He takes a moment to inhale the crystalline air before taking a running start with claws outstretched, intent on taking out the Two-Legs responsible for his bruised bones.

A moment of perfect silence and then he lungs, ripping and tearing at whatever he can grasp.

[dice=200+2000]
[[attacks Sundra, shallow cut on left hip, 3.5]]

He only grazes her, fingers raking over the exact same spot that his mate had marked as her target. More Red spills onto the Bright-Cold, creating a iron tang that mixes with the chilling cold to create an odor of death. Korak wheels around to stand beside Massak, cradling his right hand but refusing to back down. Teeth bared, the message is clear.

Leave.

Korak barely feels the hit. The Strong-Cold hits with the impact of a hundred trees, the flesh already swelling through his hard shell that has cracked under the pressure. He moans once and wavers, landing hard on his side in the Bright-Cold. The sharp bone makes it so that he doesn't feel the icy chill creep into the fur of his hands or his face, but his tail twitches feebly when he realizes that Massak has scrambled back towards him with no concern for her safety. His claws twitch to scrape at the shell of her knees, craving the proximity of his mate as the end draws nearer. Her eyes glitter with something he can't quite recognize in the rising Light, reflecting a stale crimson in the pool of Red that has begun to accumilate at his side.

Korak's jaws open once, twice, a feeble gasp escaping until he manages to curl his hand around her knee and exhale for the last time. He barely sees the shifting shadow of his tribe in the Twisted Horn before all goes dark.

---

A low, keening howl starts up in her throat, rising the longer it takes for every inhale to inflate his narrow chest. When it ceases to move at all, Nukilik watches Massak turns her gaze to the singular Two-Legs; she doesn't even realize that the Red One has escaped with a trail of Red marking her footsteps. He barely has time to blink as she flings herself at the remaining girl, fueled by grief and a debilitating rage.

[dice=200+2000]
[[attacks Sundra, Two Severed Fingers On Left Hand, 9]]

A sickening squealch of teeth meeting flesh as Massak clamps on to the idle hand of the Two-Legs, muscles in her jaw straining to tear her apart. The tendons snap and bones splinter under her powerful hold and she rears back, the deciding click leaving two gaping chasms where the fingers of the Two-Legs should have been. She spits them out with Red coating her face and stumbles back to Korak's unmoving body, sinking down to his height and recommencing her wailing.

Nukilik wearily moves again to protect the female, but he has a feeling that she wouldn't be stupid enough to try again. His feet sink into the Bright-Cold and he takes a half-hearted swipe, but he isn't surprised when he misses entirely.

[dice=200+2000]
[[attacks Sundra, Miss, 0]]

The tribe watches in silence from the Twisted Horn and their new leader looks back. From now on he is Boss, and he will try his hardest to lead them far, far away from this place where the Circle-In-The-Sky is too bright but so cold it bites and won't let go.