birds of a feather :: double homicide vs. ravensaur

This was all Arthur's fault.

I wasn't the one who got us lost, alright? I don't get lost like that. It just had to be his fault. We definitely didn't intend to return to the harsh landscape and the boiling lava flows of the volcanic dunes. In fact, the air here was so hard to breathe it was a relief when we had escaped the first time. But we ended up right back where we started at.

Last night was easier on me than the previous one. Arthur was leaving me alone for the most part. I found a rock in the crater basin and carved an "A.E" into it with a heart using one of my knives. A memorial for Aurora until she could hopefully get a proper burial back in her home of District Six. I wondered how Flynn was coping. I regretted never apologising to him. I really wished I had. I reminded myself I wasn't dying here, that I could apologise in less than a week.

I was starting to tolerate Arthur more, maybe even starting to trust him more. I didn't try to hide my cuddling with the stuffed animal last night. I was far too lonely for that. Even if he was annoying, part of me was glad that Arthur was here. The Arena brings with it a sense of loneliness unlike anything else on the planet. I started to understand Avriel, despite how confused I was when we were on the elevator.

Out of nowhere, I felt something slicing my arm, ripping the flesh. I let out a shriek - how was I supposed to prevent a sound I never saw coming? I was shaking as I turned towards my assailant - a bird whom had also attacked Arthur. I couldn't figure out which of our injuries were worse. But now was no time for pity party, or even for fear. It was kill or be killed, this much we knew.

"We got this, it's just one bird, right?"

I was tempted to use my knives, but there was only three of them and one was quite fragile. I wanted to save those for emergencies only. So I grabbed my blow dart gun and loaded it with a dart. Finally, a good target for my ranged weapons. Unfortunately, I didn't even think about practicing against flying and moving targets. Well no time like the present to learn.

[ abel o'malley attacks rowina ravensaur with blow dart gun (9 darts) ]

[ bow | 4148 | arrow deep in stomach | +9.0 + 1.0 target practice - 10 damage total ]

jGYLTJAdA9bow

He was going to have to get used to the fact that they were going to cut his body to pieces. Arthur couldn’t help but stare at the chunk of his arm that the bird had ripped into, now dribbling blood onto the earth. He paused only to watch Abel sink a clear shot on the thing, this time doing his duty and actually putting that big mouth to use. Arthur smirked. The kid was still annoying as hell but if it meant that he survived this, then they’d have lasted three days longer than he’d ever have expected.

“All right, guess I take it back. You really do know your way around a pipe.” Arthur angled back along the gravel and continued to grin. “Your peacekeeper boyfriends teach you that?”

He probably should’ve kept his mouth shut, but it was too fun for him to bully Abel even in the face of certain death. The kid had it coming, with the way he came across so self-righteous, as though he was doing Arthur a favor by working with him. So far they’d only proven deadly to mutts – albeit that meant getting further surely than those that were battling in the distance – if they managed to destroy the feathered beast in front of them. Plus it wasn’t not funny to make fun of Abel, to have a good back and forth.

When he was back home it was tantamount to friendship. They gave one another shit and learned to give it right back to one another. If you couldn’t handle the ribbing or rough housing then you needed to grow a stronger spine. Especially considering, well, you might wind up in the hunger games and be forced in a battle of the death.

Arthur paused, staring at the freak of a beast in front of him. It came forward but he dodge, almost casting himself into the dirt.

Would his friends back in district three ever look at him the same way when he went back?

He didn’t want to think about what might’ve changed.

Instead, he lurched forward and moved to take another swing.

“Yeah. A big ugly bird is right.” Arthur pulled back and brought his baseball bat into a full swing.

[Arthur Rollei D3m attacks Rowina with his razor-wire baseball bat (spiked blunt)]