Saving the Tributes || Demigods in the Hunger Games

.oOo. Annabeth .oOo.

I scrambled up and tried to see where she went. But she was long gone in the safety of the trees.

"Why didn't you help me?" I asked Percy as I crouched down to see if I could spot some tracks.

Percy put his hands up in defense. "You looked fine," he said. "And by the time you were in trouble, you were way up in that tree."

"It's alright," I sighed. "We'll find her again. And besides," I reached for my belt. "We got her knife."

Percy suddenly froze. "Smell that?"

I stopped and inhaled the air. There was something off about the air around me, growing stronger...

I gasped.

"Fire!" Scrambling to grab my spear, I seized Percy's shirt. "We need to move!"

Then I saw it. It wasn't there, then the next moment it was. A massive wall of fire descending upon us.

Without talking, we sprinted away. I made sure Katniss' knife was secure and felt the comforting lump of the weapon. We followed the path of the animals that suddenly appeared from nowhere-- rabbits, deer, even a pack of wild dogs. Follow the animals.

The heat was horrible but bearable. But what I was sure would kill us was the smoke. It wafted around us thickly, like acidic soup. I coughed and pulled up my shirt to my nose as we sprinted. There was no time to dodge the branches that suddenly materialized from the hazy smoke. We just had to run.

The minutes passed to no respite. It was as if the poison was seeping into my system, driving out what remaining water I had.

Then suddenly, there was a quiet hiss. I almost thought I imagined it. But there was no imagining the massive fireball that exploded behind us, shattering a tree into splinters.

Percy and I didn't need to communicate. We moved as one, ducking and jumping as soon as we heard the dreaded hiss. My mouth was dry, not just because of the fire, but from fear for my life.

Another hiss sounded. I moved forward on instinct, Percy backwards, as the fireball split a path between us.

Then the worst of it passed. There were less fireballs, then scarce few, then none at all. I bent over, my hands on my knees, and retched up an acidic substance from my stomach, eyes watering.

Annabeth. I felt Percy's comforting hand on my shoulder. It was as weak as I felt. We need to move.

The smoke thinned out, though I couldn't tell if it was because it was being drained out, or if it was because we were moving farther away from the fire.

I looked at Percy meaningfully. Water.

He nodded through his soot streaked face, turning in every direction. Then he pointed.

We trudged on, him using me for support. A nasty burn streaked across his lower back in a straight line, presumably from a fireball.

We didn't walk very far, even though it seemed like hours. I could almost smell the bliss of cool air as we neared a pond.

"Oh, thank the gods." I kneeled by the side washed the soot off my face, reveling in the cool wetness. Percy joined me, plunging his hands underwater. He nudged me, and I realized he held the bronze map under the rippling surface of the pond.

My gaze immediately snapped to three dots. Percy. Annabeth. And, farther away from the little dot that was our pond, Katniss. And her dot was flickering.

We glanced at each other then stood up, walking over to the dot. It was easier to see as the smoke cleared out, and I spotted something lying against a tree.

Katniss' leg was bleeding and scorched, a really nasty burn up her calf. Her face was streaked with blood, soot, and ashes, but she had no tears. Her eyes were open, but just barely, and her lips were cracked. I lifted her up by the shoulders, Percy by the legs (being careful about the wound) and we carried her to the pond.

"Bottle in my pack," she managed, and I slung the pack off her as she sat down. I could see the suspicion in her half dead eyes, that we would run and take the pack with her. I fetched the bottle, filled it with water, and handed it to Percy. He tipped it over, letting the dirt drain from it as he kept the water inside the bottle, before tipping it to Katniss' lips. I cut the fabric away from her wound, wincing as she jerked when I peeled away the cloth.

It was even worse up close. The length of my hand, it was all red and raw flesh. No bone, which was good. And the skin wasn't charred, another good sign. I washed the square of fabric and wiped away the soot around her wound.

"I got it." Katniss' voice was stronger, and defensive. I understood why. She didn't need pity, didn't want to be babied. It made her look weak. We couldn't risk looking weak.

"Alright." Percy handed the newly filled bottle to her. "It's clean. Cold water helps burns."

Katniss took one look at her burn and bit her lip, eyes filled with horror. Then she steeled herself and plunged it in cold water. "Thanks."

I look up from where I was cleaning myself. "Hm?"

Katniss looked torn. "Thanks," she said again. "For helping me."

Percy shrugged. "No problem."

She was still guarded. I could tell. Reluctantly, my hand drifted to my belt.

"Here."

She stared at the knife I was offering her, handle first.

"Take it," I insisted. "It's yours, anyways." I could see her mind whirling, suspicion mixed in with temptation to grab it, kill us, and run.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked in a low voice.

"Why not?" I challenged her. She bit her lip. "I don't believe in just watching another human being die, knowing I could do something about it."

"You'd increase your chances for winning the Games," Katniss reasoned.

I stared at her. "Do you want me to kill you?"

Katniss said nothing.

I breathed through my nose. "Look. There's a problem here that I was sent to fix. Me and a couple other tributes."

"You think?" Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

"It's different! This is beyond the arena. But you wouldn't understand."

Katniss's eyes flared indignantly. "What, you think my mind isn't developed enough? That I'm a blundering idiot because I come from 12?"

"That's not what I meant." I took a deep breath and forced myself to stay patient. "But I can't say it here. And you know that."

She did know. The cameras were always watching.

"We'll explain later." Percy walked back to us from where he was keeping watch. I could see the bronze disk in his hands. "Right now, we need to move. The careers are here."

Katniss looked at me quickly. "Allies?"

"Allies," I agreed, and we scrambled out of the pool.