The Loric Games

Chapter 22: Sealing The Alliance

John's (Number Four) POV

Sixty, fifty-nine, fifty-eight, fifty-seven...

Count down to the beginning. The beginning of the Games and the battle for our lives. My heart pounds loudly in my chest and  my palms are on fire. The beginning of our rebellion against Ra and the Capitol.

I scan across the field at the other tributes, searching for the others. We're all on raised platforms, waiting for the signal to start. We're all positioned facing this shiny, weird shaped horn that I think is called the Cornucopia. Inside and outside the horn is flowing with stuff that we'll need. Backpacks, food, medicine and weapons. I know our greatest weapons are our legacies, but it doesn't mean that we won't need back up and food to survive.

Forty-six, forty-five, forty-four...

I look around at the other tributes. I can't see everyone of the Loric, but I'm sure they know what to do. Marina is a few platforms down from me. We, on occasion, exchange glances of slight re-assurance. Our priority is to find Six and disappear. I don't know if I'm ready to stomach what we might see when the gong goes off. Sure I've killed many Mogs before, but I've only seen a few humans ever die. 

Thirty-three, thirty two...

Henri was one...and Sarah and Ella, when the Mogs attacked them. They didn't actually die, I managed to save them, but the blood and the burns that covered their faces and in those brief few seconds where my worst fears were coming true, losing another Garde and the love of my life, I wanted nothing more than to die with them. forget everything and sacrifice myself to be with them. Fortunately, I made it to them in time and my healing legacy developed when I needed it the most.

Twenty-one, twenty, nineteen...

My stomach suddenly knots and I hear what sounds like sobbing in my head. I can't see Christina, but I know she's the one crying, at least in her mind.

What's wrong? I say into my mind.

Ten... nine... eight...

The Mogs attacked the others!! They...

Five... four... three...two...

They got Ella!!

One...

The gong goes off and we're released. The strongest tributes bolt from their places and sprint towards the Cornucopia. The news of Ella has thrown me off and I'm confused beyond belief. I start running for the center. I can see the blood already flying and the screams of some of the others. I stop for a brief second, scanning frantically for Marina. I suddenly see the girl from District 2 aim knives at anyone who moves. I duck and cover behind and stack of supplies and try to gather my bearings. I'm shaking on the inside.

"Find Marina and Six, then worry about Ella..." I say to myself.

I slowly raise my head and to my good fortune, Clove from District 2 is distracted, chasing the girl from District 12. I see Cato running after another tribute and Marvel, with Glimmer sorting through supplies. The Careers basically have first dibs on everything. I know I'm not safe here and I need to find Marina and Six.

I eye a back pack just a couple of meters from me. I reach out with my hand and pull it towards me. I hear the whizzing of a blade as Clove tries to get me. I manage to deflect it with my telekinesis. I grab the backpack and run for the trees. I'm running as hard as I can. I'm hoping I can outrun the distance of Clove's knives. My heart is pounding in my head and my blood is coursing through my veins at record speeds. I hear one knife whiz past my head, missing my ear by an inch. I never give her a chance to throw another when I reach the trees. I put some distance between me and the Cornucopia, but remain relatively close. I make sure I wasn't followed and then I start running in a general direction around the Cornucopia.