This little piggy went to its {grave} [Conq day 4]

Every movement summoned small shockwaves of pain underneath his skin, constantly startling him from his slumber and effectively ruining his chances of catching a good night’s sleep. It was again a luxury Pyrian could not afford to lose, yet it was difficult for him to find and to maintain. The three faces that had appeared in the sky that evening had been of no significance to him; it was merely the boy from three, and the two tributes Owen and Asunder had slaughtered by the shore. That means Noah is still alive somewhere. As the relief settled in his bones, he was painfully reminded of the harsh reality that would soon unfold. There could only be one victor, and there were two people in this arena he cared about. Gypsy was meant to be their next queen, but to ensure that such a thing happened would mean Noah’s sacrifice and his own demise. Both would have to die by another’s hand in a bloody, gruesome death that would drown them in pain unfathomable. Maybe they’ll show mercy and kill us quickly. As the wounds in his back and stomach prompted him to quietly wince, he realized that there would be no merciful way to die in this arena. Mutts and people alike had already tried to cut him down slowly, piece by piece. There was no hope for sympathy now.

When the sun peaked its head above the horizon, Pyrian was the last of three to stir - three? His eyes scanned the area for a fourth member, but there was none. Gypsy, Owen, himself, and empty space. Where had Asunder gone? Had he wandered off to collect more firewood? Curious and slightly worried there were nearby threats, Pyrian searched frantically with his allies for a few minutes, attempting to use his superior vision to spy signs or suspicious details about a possible reason for disappearance. The search ended with no clues and sullen faces. After finally giving in, the group gathered their belongings and prepared to venture off with or without their good friend Asunder, Pyrian dreading the moment they would have to trudge through the arena again in search for resources and treasure. So far, they could cross water off of their list of physical needs. The lake and abundance of firewood was enough to sustain them for awhile. Two full water jugs sloshed in his bag, resting beside a bundle of firewood he had plucked off of the shore to keep himself busy. The water had been an immense relief despite his hatred of the treacherous lake. It had quenched him of his terrible thirst and invigorated him with a burst of energy. Unfortunately, the energy hadn’t been channeled into good use, because the moment he wandered off to find firewood was the moment a deer had decided to ambush Asunder and Gypsy. When Pyrian had returned he had not expected to find a deer’s corpse sprawled across the shore with a knife embedded in its eye. It had managed only to make a small incision in Asunder’s arm before Gypsy had conquered it with her flaming knife, and now there was enough deer meat to feed at least two people. However, because there were four of them, they couldn’t cross food off of their lists just yet.

After what felt like hours the three bodies found themselves in what appeared to be a wild entanglement of overgrown plants and scented flowers. Vines and roots tried to clasp his ankles like sinister serpents, their mother plants all twisted and stretched and winded with one another to create a maze of lush green vegetation. Some of it looked edible, from what he recalled taking the plants training station, but some also appeared venomous. The aromas of colorful flowers were normally sweet to the senses, a delight to inhale and to embrace; these were different. Their aromas sought to suffocate him, to burn the linings of his throat and sear the inside of his lungs. He wrinkled his nose in disgust, irritated by the sickly-sweet smells and withered flowers. At least half of the vegetation was in a state of decay, skin fading to brown and to grey while the dominants speared their way to the top of the food chain. He would’ve much rather stayed by the lake, where the air was fresh and the water easily accessible, but he knew better. Lingering in one area was like asking to be ambushed by mutts, not to mention they still needed food to sustain themselves for the remainder of the games, however long that will be.

Stomach hollow and cramping from hunger, he did not waste time in staring at the ugly plants before searching for something edible. He drew closer to one plant in particular, inspecting its leaves and examining the stem for familiarity, when he spotted something suspicious in his peripheral vision. It was a strange storm cloud of back, swarming things that surrounded them in a matter of only a few seconds. He gasped when several latched onto him, oblivious to how harmless or dangerous they may be.

[dice=5]
[8 damage]

He winced at their touch and swatted them with his hands. However, this dangerous fog wasn’t the only threat to present itself. Little creatures with beady, mischievous eyes were burrowing up from the ground, flashing their sharp teeth menacingly at him as they dived for his sandals. He immediately leapt back and brandished his sword, ready to perform some pest control before the leeches sucked him dry and the little moles gnawed his skin to the bone.

[attacks digitamole #1 - broadsword]
[dice=200+1000]
[Shallow Cut on Right Calf -- 3.5 damage]