Shallow Depths {District Two Vs. Mutts // Day 2}

The Queen of Night is a sinister ruler. Adorned upon her head is a crown of constellations and cloaked across her body is a veil of the vastness of space. From her shadowed seat, she wields the stars as her scepter and the moon as her servant. She imprisons Day in a cell of seclusion as she proclaims complete power over the Earth. Yet these are not what earn her the title of tyrant. What rides along the winds of whispers and what lurks between the branches of brush are what have garnered her prowess. The paranoia of the evening is the epitome of her Empire.

A leaf rustles in the distance and Alexander's hands are on the handle of his sword. The boy with blonde hair brightened by the beams of the moon does not trust the Queen and her Empire. Far too often he's watched while tributes were torn to tatters by beasts of the dark. How many times has he seen tributes settle into slumber under the false preface of protection only to be slaughtered by the shadows they saw as safety? The answer: far too often. His training prevents him from slipping into sleep while he is on watch, both his and Gala's lives depend on it.

Thinking of Gala, Alexander's eyes angle over to the head slumped against his shoulder. Her breaths are the songs to the symphony of sleep, even and rhythmic. In the moonlight, Alexander can see the silver shine of the stitches in her forehead. Given how closed the wound has become, it's almost hard to believe he had sewn her up only hours before nightfall. He allows a finger to follow the frame of her hair, brushing bits of blonde away from her face. Given her condition, there was no argument as to who was on watch first. She needs her sleep, and this way Alexander can give her as much as possible before waking her.

He stays true to this.

Only when the first fractals of dawn are beginning to usurp the Queen of the Night, does Alexander awaken Gala's sleeping shape. She seems subdued at first, that is, before she realizes how long he's let her sleep. Her eyes transform into daggers. He nestles into her shoulder to avoid any extra eye contact. As he's drifting off, he swears he can hear the sound of her growling.

If he dreamed, Alexander can't remember them. The first thing he focuses on when he's roused from sleep is the color of the sky. Dawn has clearly passed, but day hasn't yet blossomed fully into morning. It's the perfect time to begin travelling, especially in an arena like this where already the humidity has caused sweat to permanently stain the tributes. He gives an appreciative nod to Gala for watching over him before gathering up his things and getting rejected when he offers Gala help to her feet. It's a good sign, she's sharper when she's healthier, stronger.

Before night, Alexander had gone exploring a bit into the odd jungle. Amid the shifting shapes of flora, he discovered a sloping path through the plants. He never got the chance to discover where it led, but downward usually means a basin of some sort, and that usually means water. That's where he guides Gala now, she hasn't seen much of the area due to her injuries, but she seems to be taking in everything now. She even spies it first, of course she does.

Water.

Not just a little bit of water either, but a river's worth. An entire forest seems to be burgeoning out of the murky mud made mess. At first the water's only ankle deep, but with each step the pair from District Two seem to sink deeper into the depths. Eventually the water is waist high and Alexander is well aware of Gala's hand gripping his tightly. Even his teeth are turned tightly shut. Pictures of Gala's painful past flurry through Alexander's mind and he squeezes her hand back to let her know that she isn't alone here this time.

Just as Alexander is about to suggest finding some kind of higher ground, the water around them begins to flutter and splash. Instantly their hands untangle and their swords appear in synchronized steps. Gala moves first, but Alexander is quickly behind her. When one strikes a window is opened for the other. A smirk slips across Alexander's face.

"Good, I was looking for an excuse to kill something."

The blade swipes harshly across our swimming enemy, though to my disappointment not fatally. Gruesomely my heart pounds against the cage of my ribs, sinking into the depths of my struggle to fight against Jins. The water consuming my waist almost feels to be stinging now with my desire to retreat from it. But it’s only water, and it’s only teeth-clawing fish. And with Alexander by my side it’s obviously not the Jins incident. “Good, I was looking for an excuse to kill something.” His words manage to distract me, pulling a needed breath into my lungs, and focusing my senses back to the task at hand.

His brutality against the stupid fish is a bit more successful then my own, so much so it leaves me wondering how it’s still alive and swimming - biting. With revenge it sinks it’s jaws into Alexander’s arm unforgivingly so. And as if in sync with one another, the two birds from above dive down in attack as well. A snap begins the pain in my right hand, tightening my teeth in a clench to absorb the impact. Fortunately at least it wasn’t my fighting hand, and our luck continues as the other bird misses coy Alexander entirely.

“Did those birds say hello?” I question Alexander as if solely concentrating upon their intelligence to talk, and unbothered by their ability to battle. “Well hello to you to.” Sarcasm brews from me in a return to the light dangers upon us. “Now fuck off before we cook you guys up for lunch.” A threat bubbles next with no patience for this amongst my most disliked atmosphere. But despite my conversing with the tiny flapping mutations, my line of sight shifts from up above to the disturbance bellow. Underwater beasts are surely my least favored, no matter the size.

“What do you want for lunch today, A? Bird or fish?” Another joke coils before my sword shifts to destroy.
 

Wee filler because I have rehearsal. 

Will fill in tonight after <333

A collision ruffles the water with gentle waves, as a new loss falls into its unforgiving depths - and fortunately it’s not ripples of another threat stirring our way through its muck. But higher ground grants us at least for the continuation of this battle. With a presumedly broken foot and hand, it seems to be solely a single enemy waiting in our wake. Steady breaths flourish me, despite the pain, and in grace of the break to dryness. But the fight breaches onward, with the final bird swaying from Alex’s determination. The flying mutation dodges his strike entirely, rage of its fallen comrade seeming to power it.

It flutters up to the clouds, and by no means do I believe in its retreating. And sure enough it glides back down with a vengeance, though it luckily scarcely inflicts upon Alex. “I can taste lunch now.” I attempt to joke, a sharp inhale to absorb the pain of my breaks following.

Now it senses to be a closer feeling to battling against Mason rather than Jins. Fear didn’t embark me as heavily with a crowd encircling us, and my strength somehow balancing against his own. The lick of death isn’t against my lips, but more so a potential lunch if their meat’s any good after all of this. And though our luck doesn’t leave us unscratched, it’s there nonetheless. Balance is discovered upon my seat on the forsaken roots, assurance gaining with my displacement from the murky abyss. Solely one enemy remains amongst this brawl, just one more.

“Maybe I will take the lead on where we go after this.” Another try for humor sparks at my tongue, in a fun poke against Alexander. The bird begins to approach us once more, and with my weapon arched up - I prepare to welcome it with all my might.
 

Again I have rehearsal until six so going to do a quick filler, but in case this boy can't kill the birdie here's the dialogue!

"They may snap bones, but I'll snap their fucking necks."