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Drekkal’Zuun - The Bloodbath
The tributes stand on their platforms. The air is dry, heavy.
The horn sounds.

Bexxi runs. She doesn’t look at the Kor’Zeluun. She knows better.

Callisto follows, heading for the hills without a glance back.

Cynamity takes off, but a basket of bread slows him. Feminem reaches for it too. He hits her hard in the face. Feminem stumbles, holding her nose, and then runs.

At the Kor’Zeluun, Sadbread and Suchomimus move quickly. They don’t waste time.
Sadbread grabs a pair of sais, a lighter, and some rope.
Suchomimus gathers what he can carry. Then they both run together.

Day 1 of the Drekkal’Zuun

Sadbread finds a cave. It’s small, but safe. They and Suchomimus set up camp inside.
When Feminem gets too close, they drive her off. She doesn’t fight back, her nose is already sore enough.

Cynamity tries to sleep through the whole day. He doesn’t want to move.
Bexxi picks fruit from a low tree. In the distance, she spots Cynamity.
She doesn’t approach. She just watches him sleep.

Callisto finds a quiet stream. She sits by the water and fishes.

Night 1 of the Drekkal’Zuun

The cave is cold, but Sadbread and Suchomimus are safe for now. They take turns keeping watch.

Feminem hides under a broken solar panel. She tries not to breathe too loud.

Cynamity sleeps where he laid down. He doesn’t care who’s nearby.

Bexxi climbs into a tree. From up high, she watches the arena in silence.

Callisto keeps her fire small. She eats what she caught and listens to the night.

Day 2 of the Drekkal’Zuun

Bexxi watches Cynamity too long, event from the tree tops. He notices. He shouts, and Bexxi runs.
Later, Bexxi finds a patch of dry ground and starts building a small shack.

Cynamity, now alone again, takes a broken trident and tries to spear fish in the stream. He’s not good at it, but he keeps trying.

Sadbread and Suchomimus argue over supplies. The fight is rough, but quick. Sadbread pins Suchomimus down. Both are still breathing, but it won’t be the same after this.

Callisto moves through the dust, hunting. She doesn't find anyone.

Feminem sees smoke rising far away. She thinks about it, but stays put.

Night 2 of the Drekkal’Zuun

Cynamity doesn’t sleep. He sits by the stream, staring into the dark. The broken trident rests across his lap.

Feminem builds a small fire. She cooks the little food she has, eats in silence, then puts the fire out.
Later, she hums a song to herself. It’s quiet, shaky. It doesn’t help her sleep.

Bexxi moves through the dust. She finds Suchomimus’s camp while he’s asleep. She doesn’t take his supplies. She destroys them. Suchomimus doesn’t wake up, he is too exhausted after the fight.

Sadbread sits on a cold rock. They sharpen their sais on a flat stone. The sound of the metal against stone is sharp, it keeps them awake.

Callisto sits beneath her tarp, eating the last of her fish in the dark. Her eyes stay on the horizon, watching for movement.

Day 3 of the Drekkal’Zuun

Sadbread follows Feminem through the dust, in complete silence. Feminem doesn’t notice. She’s too focused on finding firewood.

Suchomimus sits by a fallen tree. He sharpens a branch into a wooden spear. Later, he tries his luck at fishing.

Cynamity searches for water. He doesn’t find any. But he does find a fruit tree. He climbs up and picks what he can carry.

Callisto practices her aim, firing arrows at a rock. She slips, and the bowstring snaps back against her arm. The skin swells, but she keeps going.

A crate falls from the sky. Bexxi finds it. Inside is a hatchet.

Night 3 of the Drekkal’Zuun

Bexxi curls up in her shack. She tries to stay quiet, but the tears don’t stop. She cries herself to sleep.

Feminem stares at the firewood in her hands. She wonders if she’s losing her mind. A crate falls nearby. Inside is a hatchet. She doesn’t know if it’s a gift or a curse.

Cynamity sits beneath a tree, arms crossed. A crate lands beside him. Another hatchet. He picks it up and doesn’t react.

Callisto sits by her tarp, knees to her chest. She thinks about home. About how far it is from here. A crate falls nearby. Inside is a bottle of clean water. She drinks it slowly, but the thoughts don’t stop. She starts questioning if she’s still herself.

Suchomimus sharpens his wooden spear by the stream. He looks up at the stars. He knows the arena is watching, but he doesn’t care.

Sadbread sits on the edge of a cliff, legs swinging over the side. They count the shadows moving in the dust below. They don’t plan to sleep tonight.