Zephrun’s Imperium

"Wow, what a tantrum." Star whipped around, eyes wild. She was shocked to see a blonde boy behind her, leaning against another tree. He smiled at her. A too-charming smile that made her absolutely sick. Who did he think he was? She resolved to kill him. Slowly. She tossed her hatchet aside, puffing her chest out and standing in her characteristically confident posture. "What do you want?" "To team up, hopefully. I've been looking for someone for the last two days, you're the first person I've come across. You're from District Seven, right? Star or something. I'm Ex, from District Six." "Ex." She eyed him. "Nice to meet you. I am Star, you were right." "Sweet!" Dear God, what a phony. She smiled at him. I'll probably strangle him once we go to sleep. "We can team up, I guess. Do you have any food? I haven't had anything since the games started." It wasn't true. The farmer she'd killed had had plenty of food in his pack and she'd eaten all of it over the last day, but more food was always good in these cursed games. "I really don't... I was hoping you did. I do have water though." Star shrugged, sitting down to make him feel more in charge. "Sure, I could take some water." A gleam of something flashed in the boy's eye as he fished for a flask. Shame? Star was immediately suspicious. "Here," he said, handing her the container. "You know what? I actually just came from a stream with running water. Maybe you could get more from there." "That sounds great!" Star raised an eyebrow. Sure, she thought. You want to poison me, don't you? Well, you won't get the chance. She started walking, and slowly let him overtake her. Once he was walking comfortably, Star picked up her hatchet and swung it into the man's legs. Metal pierced flesh and bone just as easily as wood. There was a terrible screech from his mouth as he fell, and he reached for his stump of a leg only for it to land in the dirt. The sound of his screams were blood curdling; if anyone was nearby, they certainly wouldn't want to be for long. Birds flew from the trees at the sound. "You shouldn't have trusted me. Idiot." She stalked up to him, placing a foot on his chest, showing off the flask. "This was poisoned, wasn't it?" Ex shook his head, whole body shaking in agony as he tried to curtail his wailing. "Liar!" She uncapped it, then knelt down and held his mouth open, pouring it in his mouth. "Taste it yourself." He jerked his head about, desperately trying to avoid the tainted water, but to no avail. But if he didn't die from the poison, he would certainly die from what Star did next. She angrily lifted her hatchet and planted it into Ex's neck. More blood seeped into the dirt, some of it splattering onto Star's face. She wiped it off her cheek, licking up what made it around her mouth.

Star couldn't stand it anymore. She wasn't going to get anywhere if she simply sat, even if moving would hurt her back. And so she picked up her hatchet and began walking through the woods. Night would fall in a few hours, and she'd have to sleep, but all in its own time. She was just going for a stroll in District Seven through the trees, wasn't she? Looking for her best friend while the sun set. Her lips spread in a smile and she had to chuckle. It felt good to laugh. To feel her body shake, silhouetted by the setting sun. This was a good thing. It really was. The weather was perfect, the arena was beautiful, it was as if she had the whole arena - no, the whole world - to herself. No more loud siblings. No more parents who ignored her. No more cutting down trees. No more... no more... no... more... Xino. No more boyfriend. No more good food. No more guaranteed fresh water. No more warm home to go back to. For a moment, she sobbed, sitting on her knees among the foliage. Her whole body shook, hands clenched into fists. A wordless scream was ripped from her throat and she stood, grabbing the hatchet from off the ground, pounding it into the tree in front of her. The swing, though in rage, was a practiced motion. It took more than a few thwacks, but soon enough, she had the whole tree down. She stood over it like it was another dead body, a triumph, another competitor down.

@Experience

Nyx smiled sleepily. “He’s nice….” she said.

Star ran a hand through her locks, tossing her head back. The sun had begun to set through the trees, golden light streaming through the branches. She sighed, and began scratching off the blood that had dried between her fingernails. She was terribly bored. It was about time those gamemasters gave her something to do. Maybe she was just being lazy; but who could blame her? She had a bad back, she wasn't about to go wandering about looking for danger. Star started singing absently. Hold me close and hold me fast The magic spell you cast This is la vie en rose When you kiss me heaven sighs And though I close my eyes I see la vie en rose. When you press me to your heart I'm in a world apart A world where roses bloom And when you speak, angels sing from above Everyday words seem to turn into love songs Give your heart and soul to me And life will always be la vie en rose. Memories. Promises of a future together. All taken away by a single fallen tree trunk. Stupid, why did it have to be her boyfriend? Why couldn't it have been her? She remembered his dead eyes staring up at her. Such beautiful brown eyes. Even more beautiful when he smiled. Made one of his stupid jokes... She found herself sobbing, arms around her waist. "Come back to me, love..." But he wouldn't come back. She would come to him.

She yawned. "Are you married to Jahr?"

Nyx did not respond.

"Just ate..." she said dejectedly.

Nyx gave Rose a strange look. "Nnnn. Not... Good. I am not good." She laid down and curled up into a ball.

"Nyx was bad," she explained. She raised her bandaged arm. "Have to... punish... always."

Nyx stared at the bandage distastefully, moaning. “Supposed to hurt,” she explained.

"Rose," Nyx repeated. "Don't remember you."

Nyx hummed nervously. “What-what are you called?”

Nyx shied away from the woman, staying behind Jahr. “A-again?” she asked. She looked at the bandages as warily as if they were knives.

Nyx held close to Jahr the whole time, wetting his shirt with her blood while she hugged him. “Don’t like this place,” she decided. “Is this home?”

She grimaced, but did not protest. “Okay. Okay, okay.” She hummed, a tremor running through her.

She looked away. Her eyes hurt from crying. “Nyx is a bad girl. Shouldn’t do that, shouldn’t, shouldn’t.”

"Safe, safe, never safe, never, never." She fell to her knees at Jahr's feet, skirt pooling around her.