The Game They Have Us Play//Desert Duo

[1]

"Grian, wait up! You have wings and I don't!" Called a man from the distance.

Grian chuckled and continued propelling himself with his wings, only using them to gain a bit of speed as he ran. This gave him advantage with the forest floor being uneven. "C'mon Mumbo!"

Mumbo was trying his best to keep up with the small winged figure, but eventually his legs grew too tired to continue the strain of running. He slowed first, but then came to a halt bending over and resting his hands on his knees and breathing heavily. "Shit." He choked out.

It took the winged boy a moment to notice there wasn't anyone following now. When he realized, he looked all around and spotted the man quite a bit further back. He lifted himself with his wings and flew back to the man, promptly putting a hand on his shoulder. "Shit, I'm sorry mumbo."

"D-don't be, it's fine grian" mumbo looked up at the figure beside him and game him a small grin even though all his muscles were screaming at him. His eyes left grian and looked past him to the Cliffside they were a few feet away from. The view was stunning.

Mumbo slowly straightened his posture again and walked a bit closer to the edge. When he felt he had gotten close enough he sat down and stared at the view.

A vast valley colored purple by the sunrise was the view that had caught his eye.

Grian sat beside his friend and pulled out a loaf of bread from his bag, he broke it in half and handed one of the pieces to mumbo.

Mumbo barely noticed he was handing the bread to him, causing grian to say his name to grab his attention. Mumbo eyes lit up when he noticed the gift. "Grian, you know you aren't supposed to be smuggling me food!"

"I can't help it. It's not fair that my 'family' gets as much food as we want but I have to watch my best friend and his family starve!" Grian grew a bit upset at the thought.

"Yeah, but we both know the risks. You could get in a lot of trouble. That's not something I'm willing to put you through just on my behalf." Mumbo took a bite out of the bread and stared off into the valley again.

Grian didn't say anything for a while. He just stared at mumbo, he wondered why this man would rather starve than let him take a scolding or a beating. He was his best friend, of course he was going to help him if he could. "How many times if your name in today...?" Grian asked now in a shushed tone.

Mumbo face turned solemn. He refused to look at grian as he muttered, "something like 50 I think?"

Grian sighed and fixed his gaze on the valley as well now.

---

The town center was filled with young adults from all around district 7. Every face was solemn or anxious, dreading the outcome of today.

This of course wasn't the first reaping, no one quite knew how many there had been, the watchers may know but they wouldn't tell humans or hybrids. It was an event designed for their entertainment, nothing more, nothing less. They would rave on and on about how these games showed 'our' strength as a nation, a deterant to other nations to not start a war, but everyone knew it was a lie. Even other nations had known it was a lie. But who would dare mess with a country who willingly used their citizens as play things? Even if it was all a lie, the tactic worked just not in the way they had intended.

Grian stood beside his 'family' on a podium close to the stage. His family was one of a few that were immune to the effects of the games. If you came from watcher blood you had no need to be subjected to the games.

His family consisted of three watchers. Two elder and one around his age, although they couldn't be more different. "Xelqua stand tall" The tallest ordered for him to fix his posture.

Grian begrudgingly fixed his posture before turning to the crown, attempting to scout out his best friend.

Guards surrounded the perimeter around the crowd. The parents or other onlookers stood behind the crowd with just as worried expressions as the kids.

A blaring noise came from the speakers at the sides of the stage and a video started playing on the giant hologram screen they had set up at center stage. The video talked of a great war, Watchers vs. Hybrids and humans. It spoke proudly of how they won, but they were kind and generous so they created the districts and the games to deter any other threats of war.

Several people scoffed at the video, but we're quickly silenced by the glaring eyes of the gaurds.

As the video ends no one claps. Everyone stares blankly as an ornately dressed hybrid revels themself and starts clapping even though no one else had.

"Good morning district 7!" They smiled brightly. "And welcome to the beginning of this year's games! My name is Orion and I will be your host for this years reaping."

The hybrid looks identical to grian as far as wings go. Their hair was golden and put back in intricate braids. Their eyes were a piercing silver color, and the outfit they were wearing was purple with silver highlights placed all around. The outfit and they themselves seemed to refuse the idea of gender.

"Now, the games need no introduction as well as the concept of what today is, so without further adue' let us continue with the choosing of the names!" They smiled brightly.

As the hybrid almost pranced over to the first bowl, grians eyes caught mumbo in the crowd. A small wave from mumbo was what he recieved. Grian smiled softly and looked back to the stage. His muscles tensed slightly as he prepared for the name pull.

"Aria Demoise!" The name called out and so started grians performance.

Grian flew up without a moment spared and raised his hand "I volunteer as tribute!" His voice shaped a little as he felt the eyes of his family all over him. He looked down at mumbo, shock and horror written on his face. He could almost hear the small 'no' that he muttered. It pained grian slightly, but he had made his choice months ago.

"A volunteer! How lovely! What is your name young man?" The hybrid called out.

"Xel- no....grian! Of the Odyssa household!"

"Ah then, come up here! And thank you very much for your service!" Orion beamed. "Now onto the second tribute!"

They once again pranced over to the second bowl and plucked a card from it. Taking a moment to look at it, they smiled and called out "Scar of the Lionheart household!"

Grians heart instantly dropped. 'No no no! Why was I so quick to volunteer, I could have saved him!' Dread piled up in Grians throat as he watched the man be dragged up to the stage by guards. He looked horrified. Grian almost definitely shared the same look.

"No, no, no." Grian softly muttered as he looked down at his feet. Scar was now right beside him. He most likely could hear grians panicked mutters. Memories raced back and he didn't know what was worse, the thought of having to watch him die, or the painful moments they shared and will be forced to share again....no the first, the first was definitely worse. He felt like crying, and he almost did as small tears started to pile at the corner of his eyes.

The taller man calmed a bit and softly took grians hand. He could almost feel the regret radiating off of the smaller man. He softly squeezed his hand causing grian to look up at him. Scar flashed him a small smile creeper onto his lips. "It's ok." He whispered to him. And grian knew he was an open book to the man right now.

"I promise."

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1,502 words

Wow! It has been a very long time since writing anything! I hope it's not terrible.

A few extra notes! I am doing "research on characters atm, mainly because scar, grian, and mumbo are the only hermits I've really watched. I am still fairly new to the fandom but am trying to keep up with the lore and backstories and all of that. If someone would care to explain watchers to me a little bit more than that would be greatly appreciated! Or any of the other characters for that matter! I also wouldn't mind having help from an editor! Not just for mistakes but maybe someone who knows the lore a bit better and can pick out details that I've missed or forgotten 🙃

I hope you have a great day and thank you for reading!