Reaper ~ THG AU

Ch. 22: Ten

"The sun will be setting soon. We should find a place to make camp."

I nod, looking through the trees and rocks around us. It's not much different then what we've been seeing all day. Acacius stops under a large oak, looking up before glancing back towards me.

"I think this one will do. There's a bunch of overgrown and a few different areas that we both could sleep in."

"Alright. I'll take the first watch."

"Are you kidding? After what you did this morning? No. I'll take the first watch, you can have the second and stay right beside me so you don't fall to your ldeath, okay?"

"Sure thing, boss."

——

An hour or so later, we're sharing another apple as the sun sets fully. My back rests against the sharp bark, my legs stretched out over the thick limb holding my weight. Acacius rests on another one barley lower than my own, one foot resting on the limb while the other hangs free. His left arm rests on his knee, a knife clutched in his grip. His right hand holds his apple half, moving up towards his mouth for another bite.

"How's your arm?"

"It stopped hurting hours ago."

"Let me check it."

He takes one last bite before tossing the core. I sigh, shifting to slip off my jacket. I turn my body, facing him so he can see the cut. He slips the knife in his hand into his belt before standing. He balances on his limb, reaching over to rip off the slightly bloody bandage.

"Wow."

"What?"

I ask, looking down at my arm. He smirks, crumbling up the bandage before tossing it in the same vicinity as the apple core. It's too dark for me to see clearly, only a fine line showing.

"It's completely healed. Now you can quit nursing that arm and get back to work."

I laugh, hearing Atlas say the same line in my mind. It's what he'd say anytime one of us got sick or injured. I slip back on my jacket, taking a bite of my apple half as Acacius sits back down. I swallow as my eyes meet his.

"Do you think Atlas and Aurelia are doing okay?"

"I think they're perfectly fi-"

A loud bang echoes through the air, sounding farther away than the other two from today. Acacius and I share a look, counting the third dead just from today. I take another bite of the apple, Acacius leaning back. It's hard to swallow. Almost as if I'm forcing myself to eat a rotten orange or moldy bread. It's happened before, but only when we were in dyer situations.

"I guess that's a good sign, right?"

I look towards Acacius, my face neutral. I sigh before tossing the almost fully eaten apple towards the side. I can't eat anymore even if I tried.

——

The music plays, the sky lightening up above. Acacius and I both watch silently, not speaking or moving. It's been over an hour since the cannon went off, marking the final death of the day. The boy from 6 fills the lightened portion or the sky, his district number right above his dark brown hair.

Right after, the girl from 7 pops up. Her blonde hair in loose curls over her shoulders. The slideshow ends with a picture of the girl from 8. Her dark skin and braids showing how much older she was compared to the two before. She was one of the oldest in the arena, leaving only the boy from 5 and Augustus himself as the oldest.

"How many is that now?"

"Fourteen. Ten left."

"Including us."

I meet Acacius's eyes, gulping. The music stops, silence and darkness being the only thing left. A few crickets chirp nearby, providing the only sound other than our own breathing.

"So who's left?"

"Well...all four of the careers from 1 and 2..both from 5..who else?"

"The girl from 6 and the boy from 9. Dagan."

"He's the one who was on our threat list, right?"

I nod, exhaling a deep breath. Acacius looks out as he drifts into a deep thought. I watch him, recognizing the way his eyebrows twitch when he's thinking. He reaches up to rub his chin, another indicator of his presence in his mind.

"We know the careers are down south, right? That's the way they were heading when we encountered them this morning, right?"

"Yeah. Unless they changed directions shortly after we did."

"I don't think they did. What about the two from 5? Any idea where they might be?"

"I think I saw them run east at the cornucopia...but that really doesn't mean anything. They could be anywhere."

"Just like Dagan and the girl from 6...what's her name?"

"I think it's Beatrix...I know she's the same age as you."

I yawn, covering my mouth with my right hand. Acacius sighs as he shoots me look. He grabs out the spare jacket, handing it over as I sigh.

"Get some sleep, Z. I'll wake you when it's your turn for watch."

"Fine."

——

Hours later, Acacius is now the one sleeping while I keep watch. It's been a pretty quiet night, only the sound of the wildlife filling my ears. If it wasn't for the sword in my lap, I probably would have forgotten that I was in an arena fighting for mine and my brother's lives.

A gentle breeze blows, a chill filling the air that wasn't there last night. I zip up my jacket before pulling it closer. I need to conserve what heat I have or I won't make it out of here. Acacius covers up with the spare jacket, leaving me in only my own jacket with the rip on my right arm.

A twig snaps below, making me freeze up. Another snaps long after the first. Another right after that. I grip my blade tightly as the footsteps draw closer. It's only one person I believe, only one set of footfalls being detected by my ears.

A glint in the darkness catches my eye. The moonlight shines down on an approaching figure, illuminating their weapon. My theory is determined to be correct as Beatrix steps further into the light.

Her breathing is ragged, body tense. Her head snaps around with every small sound. Her eyes keep jumping around, clearly fearful and on guard.

I guess that makes two of us....

My own breathing is nonexistent as I watch her take a few more steps closer. She freezes, her head snapping towards the left. She gulps, gripping her spear close to herself before taking another step. I watch her slowly get engulfed by the darkness before letting out a deep sigh.

Well...I now know where she is at least...

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