The Game They Have Us Play//Desert Duo

[3]

Grian hesitantly stepped into the carriage after the brunette. Scar had held out his hand to help him up, Grian smiled softly and accepted the small act. He muttered a small 'thank you'.

"Ok, this is going to be somewhat of a game itself. I'm sure Orion mentioned that this is more of a game about fame than survival even. Every person in the parade will be trying to get the crowds favoritism." Damien took a small breath. "Do everything you can to try to win them over." Damien was fixing Scar's cape at current.

"I-im not great at that..." Scar muttered to where only Grian could hear. He looked away from both of them, focusing on something in the distance.

Grian focused on the taller. That was a blatant lie, though he didn't express that thought out loud. Scar, whether he realized it or not, was popular back in our district. He was chaotic and had a slightly criminal reputation (possibly why the odds weren't in his favor), but more than anything, EVERYONE knew him for his kindness. He was very likable. Grian felt that he would have more trouble than Scar trying to convince anyone to be in his favor.

At current, Grian's wings were folded behind him. Damien had finished fussing over Scar's cape and took a good look at the both of them. "Perfect!"  He exclaimed. "You both look great!"

It was a shock to both of them to see Damien so excited. Damien had a very calm presence, and the outburst seemed very unlike his nature. Regardless, they both gave him a small smile.

"Everything's about to begin. You all will be the last carriage, so I apologize for the wait, but this gives you both the advantage to shine brighter than the other tributes. And I have a good feeling since we have a watcher hybrid as a tribute." He glanced at grian as he said the last bit.

As far back as the history of the games goes, there have been less than a handful of watcher hybrids dragged into the games. And if Grian recalls correctly, none of them were voluntary as he was.

As time went on, Scar and Grian made small talk as Damien fussed over small details with both of their outfits. Eventually, the parade started, after an announcement that the tributes could barely hear. The carriages slowly started the descent into the arena.

Grian held his breath as they entered the arena. A huge colluseum with thousands of ornatley dressed watchers stared back at them. Grian panicked slightly, starting to shake a little. Scar must have felt him shaking beside him since he gently took his hand and offered grian a small smile. "I've got you." Scar reassured the smaller avian next to him.

Grian looked back up at the brunette with a soft look. He felt as though Scar was forgetting the objective of the game. They could protect each other the entire time, but in the end, only one will leave that arena.

Grian glanced at the other tributes, all of them smiling and waving, some going a bit overboard. All of them were trying to grab the crowds attention.

"I have an idea." Scar whispered to him. Grian squeezed Scars hand as an indication that he trusted him.

A few moments passed, and Scar raised their intertwined hands above both of their heads. It wasn't a friendly gesture towards the onlookers. Grian knew very well what it meant. It was a sign to the watchers that we were in this together. We weren't letting go of each other without a fight. This act of solidarity seemed to instantly grab much more attention than Grian was prepared for. He felt the panic start to rise again as he felt thousands upon thousands of eyes on them.

---

"What a marvelous performance!" Came from Orion as he hugged the both of them.

"T-thank you..." trailed Grian. His nerves were still a mess from earlier. "Can we go rest and get changed?"

"Of course! While we're at it, we will have dinner. Follow me to your apartment!"

Damien waved at them before they left. They both followed Orion to what they assumed would be their living quarters for the week.

Grians thoughts became heavy as that thought lingered. ' Only a week till the games...'

---

Dinner was like nothing either of the boys had ever seen. Even if Grian came from a high status family, not much food as high quality as this made it to their plates. They were more so shown their status by the amount of food they received, while the rest of the town starved.

Intricate silverware and plays were one of the first things Grian noticed. His eyes quickly noticed the colorful food littering the table. It was a feast meant for so many more people than just the three of them.

Grian glanced at the other two and noticed Scar's eyes were as big as the dinner plates in front of them. Grian couldn't help but giggle at his reaction. A small amount I'd pain hit him just as it had so many times today. His regret was relentless.

As Grian sat down and glanced over the food once more, he found himself sonfused on what to grab first. To be honest, he had no idea what most of the food even was.

Orion chuckled, seeing the look of confusion on his face. "What type of food have you tried? I know you come from a high-held house in your district, but I also know not much seafood or other delicacies make it that far into the districts, if at all."

"Um...mostly potatoes, greens, low quality meats." Grian answered.

"Ah, so your pallate is fairly bland, no offense!" Damien seemed to realize what he said might have came off as rude.

"No, it's fine, even for Grian's family, no one gets anything good in the districts." Scar said through bites of his food.

Grian figured he was a bit more hungry as he wasn't from a family that could afford much food, and if Grian recalled, he knew Scar had quite a few younger siblings.

Grian glanced at what Scar had on his plate. It seemed to be fish and an assortment of fruits and vegetables. Grian quickly found the same foods and put them on his plate, putting his trust in Scar's taste buds. He was a bit nervous to try anything new at the moment as he felt he had way too much stress for one day.

Grian smiled softly at both of them and began to eat his dinner. The rest of the evening was quiet, and after the meal, both retired to their bedrooms. Orion had said goodbye for the evening, seemingly to return to their own apartment. Everything was quiet now, and Grian took that quiet to reflect on everything that had happened today.

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(1,159 words)