Zephrun’s Imperium

Nyx followed, terrified.

Nyx's arm was still bleeding. It hurt like Mal, but she simply gritted her teeth and bore it. She had to survive now. The young woman reached for Jahr's hand to hold.

She nodded absently. She could obey. She got up and followed him.

Nyx - the young witch - sank to her knees, body shaking with sobs.

She shook her head, distraught. "No, no, no. It is evil, I am evil."

Nyx was sobbing hysterically. "B-b-b-b-bad Nyx, bad Nyx!" She raked her fingers along her arm, creating a deep, bloody gash. The pain, she'd discovered, made the magic go away. The floorboards toppled.

Nyx screamed, the floorboards screws rattling. All at once, they came loose, creating a tent over just Jahr and Nyx to protect them.

Ari smiled up at his father. "Yes, sir," he said dutifully, skipping towards the team he'd been assigned to. He was dwarfed by the men there - at thirteen, he still hadn't hit a man's growth spurt - but it still felt good to be beside them. Nyx's brow furrowed and she screamed, obeying. She was good at obeying. Most of the time. When it counted. And indeed, it counted now. She stayed as close behind Jahr as she could without being on top of him, a cold terror running through her thin framed body. It was then that thing started breaking. Stars. She tried to keep it under control, she tried to be good. Keep it under control, be good. Control, good.... A scream died in her throat. She was in the dungeons of the palace, bare-backed as a servant whipped her. Her father watched, tone-faced. "Keep it under control, Nyx. Be a good girl, and this won't happen again." "Nyx is a good girl... Nyx is a good girl," she whispered. There was a snap the king's fingers, and the whip came down again, ripping open her flesh with a swift swipe. "Nyx is not a good girl. Nyx is a disappointment. You will sleep here tonight, where no one has to deal with your failure." He'd left her crying. "Nyx is a good girl, Nyx is a good girl, Nyx is a good girl," she repeated.

Nyx squealed in fear, running up behind Jahr to hug him behind the waist.

Star has become quite the contender in the hunger games RP! A hatchet wielding maniac worthy of Heather Albany's respect. (if you know, you know ) Spoilered for minor gore.

Nyx shifted uncomfortably. "What's happening?"

Hello, and welcome back citizens of the Capitol! How are you doing this Hunger Games season, Korro? I'm just swell, Zolver. What highlights do we have in the Games today that fans might want to hear about? Any winners in the making yet? Well, it's only been a day and a half since the Games began, but there are definitely some fan favorites and fun moments that will be put on the highlight reels this year. Those poor lovers from District Three were certainly interesting. Didn't they get separated at the bloodbath? Hah. Not that it was much of a bloodbath this year, eh, Zolver? In fact, most of the players don't seem to be interested in violence at all. That's right, although I have it on good authority that the gamemakers are going to be pushing for some more action as the Games continue. But for now, the most interesting story seems to be with the District Seven girl who nearly died at the bloodbath. Footage of a short haired blonde girl getting cut down in the cornucopia while her back is turned is shown between the two TV hosts. Ooof. What a hit. And she survived that? She did indeed, thanks to some kindness from District Four's Tani! Normally that kind of kindness is frowned upon, but this time around, it seemed to be a real game changer, haha. And what's worse, the man who did that to her was her own district partner, the boy she volunteered seemingly to die alongside. A picture of District Seven's Xino shows up on the screen. He's a tan young man with short cropped dark hair and glasses. Why would she do that, Korro? Well, sources say she has severe depression, and it only got worse after her boyfriend passed away in a logging accident. But now, that depression seems to be turning into an unbridled murderous rage. A video clip of Star brutally hacking apart a young boy plays. She doesn't stop hacking until long after the boy is dead and dismembered. That's right, and that's why fans have been flocking to Star as their new favorite. We have some fan art here of her from a young fan in District Nine. (spoilered for minor gore) Tell me more about that Xino boy, Zolver, what is he like? Well, Korro, not much is known about him, but the way he's been talking to little Vapor from District Ten, I don't think he's quiiiiiite right in the head, haha. And what's more - wow, I love this drama - it seems like cutting down Star was an accident. He feels genuinely horrible about what he did, but - get this - Star is on a revenge mission now. She doesn't care to win, she just wants her old partner dead. Gosh, what a story. I guess the fans will just have to wait and see how it pans out, eh? Well, we're signing off, Panem. Have a nice night!

Ari could hardly see over the top of his stack of supplies, much less keep up with the much bigger men in front of him. Let's hope I didn't forget anything... he thought, half-running to keep pace. He'd never been allowed to come with his father before, but thankfully this time, his begging had gotten him a place in the fight.

Star wandered until she found a stream she could wash herself in. She was a bloody mess, hair crusted over with gore. The metallic smell of blood filled her nostrils, her hands stained the rusty red color of dried blood. Her glasses for nearsightedness had gotten so fogged by carnage that she'd shed them at the sight of the district nine boy's murder. Maybe once she won, she'd be able to get new glasses. If not, then it didn't matter. She could see mostly fine without them. She pulled her shirt over her head, revealing a torso as well defined as her powerful arms. The cold, clear water ran around her plastic boots. "Where are you, Xino?" she said out loud, setting the hatchet on a mossy stone on the bank. It was one thing to clean herself, but the hatchet had become something of a symbol and she hesitated to desecrate it. When she killed Xino, she wanted him to know that she was his death. He'd tried to take her down the cowardly way, running, leaving her to die. Well, that wasn't her way of doing things. She was a showwoman, which would be in her favor. The sponsors would eat up her storyline and, hopefully, help her win. Maybe that would make up for her less-than-admirable performance in the pre-games. It almost seemed silly to her how unmotivated she'd been to kill and win. When she'd slammed the hatchet into that boy's chest... something had awoken inside of her. This was in her blood. All this time she'd been cutting trees when she should have been cutting bones.

A tall man dressed in the black and red game uniform burst from the bushes. He had a bow and arrow trained on her. "Don't move," he said, sweat on his tanned brow. Star froze immediately, gripping her hatchet. She cursed in her head. But she wasn't dead yet, oh no, and she had noticed him shaking when he'd notched his arrow; he hardly held the weapon straight. She hoped to her god that she could use that against him. District nine, Star remembered. Grain production, farmers. He was muscular, yes, but nothing close to the musculature required of a district seven logger. Star may have been short, but she clocked in at a good two hundred and twenty pounds and she was holding a bloody hatchet. She was not a force to be trifled with and this boy knew it. "Don't try it," Star growled. "You don't want to kill me." She held a hand out, inching forward slowly. Her boots crunched against sticks and leaves. The young man's eyes flicked to the ground for a moment and he bit his lip, clearly indecisive. If she could just get closer... "Run away before someone gets hurt. Don't lose your humanity." "I..." Star got closer. "No! No, I have a family to get back to." He tightened his grip on the bow, the shaking growing worse. "You think your family wants to see you murder a girl in cold blood?" The farmer stepped backwards and tripped over something or other, landing in the bush he'd hopped out of. Branches snapped and he cried out, the fabric of his uniform ripping. His notched arrow flew upward into the distance, causing birds to fly out of the trees with a rustle of wings and leaves. Star readied her hatchet. The tables had turned in her favor. She'd survived her friend's betrayal, she was not about to let this man kill her once she'd turned her back. District nine's male tribute had the chance to scream and throw up his hands before Star slammed her axe into his chest. Blood flew. There was more of it than Star would have thought, even after the first blow. She hardly felt the pain any more, there was only blinding rage and tears. This. Slam. Would. Bones broke. Be. Drops of hot blood on her skin. Xino's. The boy was long dead. Fate.

Tami nodded.