canyon wind- lamina x fem!oc

the bloodbath

  All the tributes around her run to the cornucopia, the sounds of yelling and screaming immediately filling the arena.  Sylvia ignores the center structure, and instead makes the pre-calculated two steps to Dill as fast as she can.  The girl hasn't moved, too scared and too weak from her sickness to run.

  Sylvia grabs her arm, immediately pulling Dill in the direction of Lamina and Reaper.  Dill gasps and stumbles, but Sylvia catches her, keeping her pace fast.  She sees Reaper grabbing something from the cornucopia- some kind of long sword, and she can only hope that he doesn't slaughter her with it as soon as Dill's within his reach.  

  Lamina's running towards her, steps staggering as her eyes widen at the bloodshed that's already happening.  Not even a minute into the games and the cornucopia is a bloodbath.  Sylvia thinks she yells her name but she's not quite sure.  Everything is a blur and the only thing she's sure of is that Dill's arm is still clutched firmly in hers.  

  And then suddenly Lamina is there, and everything feels somewhat okay.  Most of her anxiety and worry depletes because the only person that matters is standing right in front of her.  

  There's screaming, and then someone's yelling, and Sylvia turns just in time to see one of the unfamiliar tributes running at them, some kind of curved blade in his hand as he makes to slice at them.  Reacting on instinct, Sylvia shoves Lamina backwards and then throws herself back, pulling Dill with her.  The boy runs through and slashes the empty air where they were standing a half-second prior, his momentum making it impossible for him to alter his course. 

  He turns, and Sylvia gets ready to try and disarm him.  But she doesn't get the chance, because then Reaper's there, yelling in fury as he slashes the boy's blade with his own, throwing the metal clean across the floor.  The boy has the sense to look scared and run, and Reaper has the sense not to chase after him.  

  Sylvia hands Dill off to Reaper, making sure that she's okay as she does.  Lamina's moving back over to her, one of her hands latching around Sylvia's wrist as she surveys the bloodbath worriedly, her breathing quickening. 

  "You protect her!"  Sylvia yells to Reaper, and then she's running off, dragging Lamina with her as their feet slam against the floor of the arena.  

  She guides them around the circle- aiming to get towards the stands before anyone can notice them- but that plan is quickly thrown out when she sees two of the unfamiliar tributes working together to kill another one just a few yards in front of them. 

  Changing course, she pivots to see the direction they just came from is already blocked by other tributes- none of whom she knows the names of- slaughtering each other and looking to spill more blood.  

  The only open path is towards the cornucopia, which is exactly where she didn't want to go, but there's no choice.  Sylvia turns towards the structure, and her eyes instantly land on something she hadn't seen before- a gap in between two of the pieces of stone, that from any other angle look stuck together.  There's no doubt in her mind that her and Lamina can wedge themselves inside of there and hide.  She knows Lamina sees it, too, by the way her hand tightens on Sylvia wrist.  

  "I see it."  Sylvia says, snapping around to face Lamina, pulling her in front of her and pushing her shoulder.  "Go!"  

  And then they're both running, Sylvia behind Lamina.  There's a clear path towards where they're going, and she doubts it'll remain clear for much longer.  The distraction of slaughtering the other tributes is enough for no one to pay them mind as they run towards the cornucopia. 

  She sees Lamina swipe an axe off a slab of stone without slowing down her run, and she sees the hunting knife from earlier- the handle of it still jutting out from the rock.  As soon as she's within reach, she grabs it, gripping it so tight her knuckles turn a bare white.