Author Games: The Final War

Task Five: Females

Air Strong: Ilsa Rose

Ilsa dreamed of the girl with the snow skin girl. This was odd in and of itself, as Ilsa had only met the girl once prior to the game’s beginning.

But the dream she had left her waking up with a confused feeling all over. Who was that girl? Why should Ilsa care about the snow girl?

“Attention candidates,” a disembodied voice said. Ilsa could tell it was feminine, but not with the wild tones of Makenna’s voice. “You must find your way out of the arena in which you are in. You must then find your ally. Failure to comply to this will lead to your timely demise.”

Ally?

Ilsa had no allies. So she would have to find the snow girl and try to ally with her.

It was a sign, Ilsa was sure. Ilsa dreaming of the snow girl minutes before the need for allies was announced.

She just hoped the snow girl wouldn’t kill Ilsa when she found her.

_________________________-

Mind Strong: Lydia D'Norse

Extension

_________________________________-

Fighter 4: Iberia Fairbrain

Out

_________________________________-

Fighter 6: Alodia Caro

She staggered forward, breathing heavily as she tried to bring herself back to her normally calm state. Her sight had returned but the black dots that pulsed in the corners of her vision did not. It was dark, or maybe it wasn't, but she could see with shocking clarity that she was all alone. She yelled out for Iberia, screaming for her sister even though she knew that there was nobody else there. Her heart was thudding in her chest as she ran towards the last place she'd heard screaming, hoping that maybe it would lead her to her brave sister.

"Iberia! Iberia!" She was crying, she who did not ever cry because was for children and those who weren't strong like she was. She'd been trained to be stronger than this, stronger than a shaking and blubbering mess. Her vision was splattered by dark spots and cloudy with tears.

She was panicking, even though she'd been warned not to do so in this place. Her lungs were aching as she tried to breathe and found that she couldn't get the air she needed. Sobs shook her body, they made it hard to concentrate. She wasn't supposed to cry. She wasn't supposed to show emotion. Her husband had warned her against it, her father and mother and Iberia had warned her against feeling but all she could do was feel at a time like this. Anger. Panic. Horror.

It was confusing, really. She'd been born to be a soldier and now, now it was clear that she hadn't been meant for such a thing. She would've laughed if she remembered how to laugh. It had been a long time since she felt the need to laugh at anything and even longer since it mattered if she did. Alodia Caro wasn't meant to feel and now, when it was a horrible time for her to do so, she felt everything that she'd been trained to ignore.

She didn't remember running into the other girl, or why she spared her life, but she wasn't alone as she ran to find her sister. Iberia. Her name was all Alodia could focus on as she cried and ran like hell was on her heels, which it might be. And maybe it was. She wasn't sure, it didn't matter. She just sprinted like her life depended on it.

She found her sister. Not alive, of course. She screamed a long and bloodcurdling scream when she found Iberia with her eyes wide open and her body splayed out in the dirt. The other girl grabbed her arm and held her back as she screamed, feeling too much. Much too much.

She felt too much.

________________________________-

Fighter 10: Amphi Khios

It's the middle of the night; I remain curled up in a little ball by a tree. When was the last time I even saw Kane? All I remember was working with Phox and then seeing his face in the sky a couple of hours ago.

It's cold outside and all I want is to see my uncle. It crosses my mind that he may be watching me sulk on television; I really hope that he's okay. I also hope that my parents aren't losing their minds, for I'd hate for the entire family to fall apart over some Fighter who couldn't return home.

Suddenly, this crackly noise fills the night, leaving me to aimlessly tilt my head around to see what's causing the racket. The voice of someone familiar - Halima - speaks into the microphone. It's almost a whisper; it doesn't live up to Makenna's bellows or Drystan's formality. The poor girl sounds absolutely petrified.

"Attention candidates," Halima mutters. "You must find your way out of the arena in which you are in. You must then find your ally. Failure to comply with this will lead to your timely demise." These shivers run down my spine; it replicates the feeling of scratching at certain surfaces.

How in the world am I going to escape this catastrophic mess? Staring up at the dome concealing us from the outside world, I think back to this really old movie I watched where there was one hole in the top of the dome. The dome was then climbed using a vehicle I can't quite pinpoint and the guy put a bomb through the hole.

Here's a little flaw in that idea: I can't get up there, with or without transport, I don't have a bomb and I don't have unlimited time.

It occurs to me that I'm right by the edge of the arena, and the soil beneath me isn't exactly solid. Maybe I can dig my way out of here? Fingernails won't do the job though, and neither will my water bottle. What can be used as a shovel in a time like this?

Reaching into my bag, I pull out some Tupperware box, empty after I'd consumed the last of the food from it earlier today. I decided to keep it for a time like this - I don't think I've done something as smart as that ever. Grabbing a thick but small branch, I begin to scrabble through the dirt.

This is going to take me hours, isn't it? How am I going to create a hole big enough for me to slide through? They had a sandpit over some kind of hole in the same film that I saw on the television. What if there's a patch of soil that's easy to dig through but stays sturdy?

Stamping along the floor, I soon find a patch easily - it was only about ten metres over from my previous digging spot. Deciding to jump on the soil as hard as I can, I don't land as soon as I expected to. Instead, my body keeps going until I'm waist deep in a massive hole.

Pulling myself out of it, I see the tiniest tunnel that I could squeeze through if I really tried. As I put both the box and the branch in my bag, I get onto all fours and slide headfirst into the tunnel. It's absolutely horrific sliding in, for my face ends up full of grime and unwanted dirt.

Crawling along, I wonder if Kane is outside of the arena. Kane: my strong Fighter buddy. Light begins to appear at the end of the tunnel - quite literally. Peering up as I come to the exit, I grin and begin to sniff. It's almost like you can smell the air out here. Smell the freedom that we candidates have craved for a week.

Pulling myself up and out of the hole, I feel mud fall from all kind of places: my shoes, my jacket, my hair, everywhere. Shaking my head, I feel bits of dirt fly off of me and onto the floor below me. The floor outside of the arena; I can see the spot that I jumped on through the glass; it steams up because of my breath.

Then I hear the one voice I've been desperate to hear for ages: Kane. Turning around, I see the boy holding his rock and his backpack strap; I run over to him and hug him harder than I remember hugging anyone else before.

Nothing can ever separate us again or I'll end up losing it.