#cprptasks

Similar to the fairy tales, we will be messaging each group separately for their task instructions soon. This task will take place over night, so there will be ghosts around keep that in mind. Please finish these paras/ solo posts before the end of Saturday May 4th. Thanks!

( Para prior to Solo post.)

One minute the repetitive tug as Atom climbed was there and the next it wasn't. Lyra had been holding herself steady, pulling against Atom's weight. She hadn't realised he was at the ledge and the sudden change in force was enough make her jolt backward, slamming her head and shoulders against the rough stone. Groaning against the pain in her head, Lyra carefully lowered herself from the ledge and sank to the floor. As she sat there, she watched Atom as he pulled her hair back into the small room. Just seeing made her calmer, but now here alone with him she couldn't help but smile. "Who would have thought our reunion would be like this?" His soft chuckle was enough to tell her it wasn't what he'd had in mind either.

As he kept climbing, he braced himself for the possibility of the girl not being quite as careful. She'd slip and breeze right past him until she smacked into the ground. Her bones would snap. Flesh and muscles would fold into an unrecognizable blog and blood would splatter everywhere. Talon had the nerve to grin at that mental image. As much as he wanted the kill for himself, a corpse like that would be something worth seeing. Every so often, he'd feel a slight tremor rush through the plant itself. He held on tighter and attribute it to the girl struggling again but as he progressed, those sensations became stronger and more frequent. Nearly five minutes later, he couldn't see the climbing figure anymore. And then there were clouds.

It hadn't occurred to Talon until that very moment that the plant couldn't possibly go on forever. There would be a force-field keeping it inside the Arena or at least on planet Earth. Although he was beginning to doubt that climbing had been a wise decision, he pressed on anyway. He needed to gain something from this crazy trek, he just hoped it would be worth the strain. His muscles were starting to protest the constant work. Even in training, they weren't accustomed to this much effort. The higher altitude made it harder to breathe and nearly impossible to focus. It was also wet and miserably cold. He had to wonder how the girl was fairing and whether or not she'd reached the top by now. After another small eternity, he could finally see it. It wasn't so much a finish line as it was a black hole in the sky. As he cleared the very top of the giant green plant, Talon found a ledge in the darkness to pull himself onto. The structure seemed to be made of solid concrete. There was no way to explain its placement or existence so Talon didn't even bother to try. Instead, he paused to catch his breath and waited for his eyes to adjust to the low light. It was then that a small hand grabbed on to his wrist and gave it a violent jerk backward. Talon reached for the sword at the same time it pulled so the end result was that he ended up falling on top of the girl with the sword halfway unsheathed, nearly slicing at both of them. The blade slipped back into the casing as Talon struggled to stand back up and locate his assailant.

It was the girl he'd expected, alright. Brown hair. Blue eyes. She was from District 8 or maybe 9. And she was pretty. Pretty and doomed. It took Talon a few seconds to remember that he'd thought the same thing about Feather at the Reaping more than two months ago. Those words were as appropriate as ever but in this strange, new place, Talon had to consider his own mortality. He was more than prepared to kill the girl, take whatever this location had to offer and get back to the other Careers but something told him it couldn't be that simple. The girl seemed to follow his thought process and her eyes were on his right hand as it reached once again for the sword. But she didn't say a word at first. There was no begging or pleading for mercy, for a chance to run, for a temporary alliance. Instead, she just shook her head and slowly stood up straighter, looking Talon right in the eyes as she whispered, "We don't know what's out there." Talon shrugged one shoulder to confirm that it was no big deal. There wasn't much that he couldn't handle but now previous editions of the Games were coming to mind. Some had featured wild beast muttations, machinery, and any number of traps. The Gamemakers also liked to mess with people's heads. As much as he wanted to rush into whatever they had planned, he needed to be careful here. "Do you have any weapons?" He snarled at the girl, not bothering to whisper. The younger tribute shook her head in silent horror. She wasn't looking so good. Talon motioned for the survival pack she clutched in one hand with a demanding gesture that essentially meant 'give it to me.' The girl hesitated at first but then handed it over and watched Talon paw through the contents. There was a day's worth of food and an empty water canteen. That was it. Talon almost wanted to laugh. If he ever allowed himself to feel pity, he would for this girl. In place of that weak emotion, he just tossed the bag back to her and took a few steps away.

Killing her would have been the logical move but Talon was more curious about their surroundings and what they were expected to accomplish in this crazy place. He turned back to face the girl with a dubious expression when the ground began to shake. It was intense and terrifying. They both hit the ground and struggled to find a portion of the rock wall to cling to. An earthquake like this would surely be enough to send them plummeting toward the ground but Talon ground his teeth and held his breath for as long as he could, refusing to accept that possibility and bracing to either fight or grab on to another object at a moment's notice. He wasn't at all prepared for what came next though. In a million years, he never would have been able to anticipate the enormous, fleshy rock type-thing that came straight for him then broke open to reveal five separate lengths of that same substance. They closed in on Talon before he even thought to grab the sword he found himself trapped as the object began to put itself back together. He was constricted inside a dark, fleshy prison that moved just enough for him to stick his head out before constricting again. His expression could be described as a mixture of shock and dread. This container wasn't a rock of any kind. It was a hand and it belonged to an enormous, deadly creature that he couldn't even begin to imagine. Imagination or not, however, he had no choice but to follow the fingers that bound him in place and look upward to scan the wrist attached to it, the arm that was probably the size of a train car, the shoulder that could be a small bridge, a neck so thick it made the plant muttation seem small, and a face that was massive and asymmetrical but otherwise eerily human-like in appearance. If asked, Talon would guess this... this giant to be male and middle-aged.

It was a lot of information to take in. Talon had no idea what to do with any of it though and he was starting to struggle for breath. Letting his eyes scan the rest of the incredible muttation, he found that the girl was trapped in the giant's other hand, equally lost and desperate. Their eyes met just long enough to make it clear that the girl would work to save her own skin and Talon would do the same. There was no room for an alliance here and that was almost a relief. It meant that he was free to focus on getting free and then getting out alive- preferably with something to show for it. He was squirming against the giant's hold, trying to find a simple way of hurting the creature as a distraction. But after a look down, he hesitated. He and the girl were held at the same height, more than twenty feet off the ground. There was a realistic chance of breaking bones from a drop like that but bruising would be inevitable and then there was the even greater risk of falling back into the hole the plant had led them to. Falling to his death was hardly an appealing option so Talon found himself both physically and mentally stuck.

It was painfully tense for a minute or so but, finally, he worked up the nerve to say something. "We're tributes," he said with extra volume and emphasis for the giant's sake. "Tri-butes. We got lost..." That wasn't technically a lie. Talon had been lost before he found the mystical plant. "Do you mind putti-" He didn't get the chance to finish that statement or even that word. It wasn't clear if the giant understood the message or not so when the creature's hands started shaking and he began taking great, heavy steps in another direction, Talon worried what it could mean. Barely ten seconds later, he got an answer- sort of. The giant opened both hands over a mountainous wood table so that Talon and the girl from 8 dropped heavily onto its surface. After letting out a groan of protest, Talon blinked several times and looked around, struggling to stand up properly. There, in the eight or ten chairs that surrounded the great table, were several more giants of various age and appearance. One, who was clearly female, reached toward him somewhat hesitantly but then pulled back as the original giant also took a seat. No one said anything for some time and Talon could hardly stand it. He glared at the human girl who he should have killed several minutes ago and let out a heavy sigh before raising his voice and repeating his story. There were several booming echos of the key words 'lost' and 'tributes' and all eyes stayed attentively on Talon but he froze. There was nothing left to say but nothing had been accomplished either.

Considering his needs and the original purpose that had led him here, Talon let out another sigh. It couldn't hurt to ask... He set the survival pack down at his feet but kept the sword close as he turned in a slow circle, eying each giant in turn. Finally, he stopped, leering expectantly at the giant who had found him then he placed a hand over his own stomach and enunciated: "Hun-gry." He heard a cough from the opposite end of the table but no one else moved. It was more than likely that these beasts didn't speak English but Talon had to try again. With his mouth and hands this time, he pantomimed eating and growled: "Food."

That word they seemed to understand. One of the smaller female giants stood and left the room, returning moments later with an impossibly large plate of oversized fruits, huge slices of bread and what Talon could only assume was meat. She placed it in the center of the table between Talon and the human girl. After a few seconds it became apparent that the giants weren't participating in this meal. They were watching the tributes. Because he wasn't exactly starving, Talon could stand to approach with caution. His female companion, however, dove right in, using her teeth and fingernails to tear bites and pieces from grapes as big as her head and bread as big as she was. None of the giants displayed any emotion just yet. They just seemed interested and, thankfully, content to sit still and silent for awhile. Which meant they wouldn't be attacking the humans any time soon; which meant Talon could sit down and enjoy a proper meal for the first time since entering the Arena.

Taking a seat between a cluster of grapes and the largest strawberry he'd ever seen, he followed the girl's example and tried a little of everything. The bread was soft and still warm, just as good as anything at home. The fruit was incredibly ripe and sweet and the meat was quickly devoured. It had been a very small portion, not much more than what you could get from a single chicken but it was chewy and flavorful enough that Talon almost wanted to ask for more. When he finished eating, Talon stepped off the plate and bowed his head in an exaggerated display of gratitude for his hosts. Acting and politeness never hurt. In times like this, they might even keep him safe. But then the middle-aged giant slapped his palm hard against the surface of the table so hard that Talon almost fell over. This was followed by the word 'no' being shouted in a booming voice that seemed to make the entire room shake. Talon wondered what he had done wrong but then he followed the nearest giant's gaze over to the girl tribute.

She'd eaten a great portion of the food as well but now that she'd had her fill, she had opened her survival pack and began stuffing bits of the leftover bread and fruit seeds inside. It was difficult to understand why this was such a huge issue and, although the girl seemed just as confused, she still zipped the bag shut and shouldered it, shaking fearfully as she did so. A male giant close to her reached out and tore the pack away from the girl, threw it onto the ground and knocked her over in the process. She curled up there, shaking and crying. Talon eyed his own survival pack warily from where he'd left it. Was it the bags the giants had issues with... or the stealing? Talon was willing to bet on the second option so he took the risk of retrieving his own pack and securing his sword to it once more. Forcing a smile for his enormous benefactors, he loudly emphasized the word "Thanks."

Again, it was quiet but this time, it was the female giant who picked him up. Her hands were softer and more careful than the older males had been but that didn't make the situation any less awkward or unnerving. The female giant picked up the human girl in her other hand and carried them into the next room without another word. There, she set Talon down gently but just let the girl drop onto an oversize pillow that was bigger than the average bed in the Capitol. It was soft and warm and already more comfortable than any other surface Talon had slept on in the past week. He shut his eyes for a moment to savor it. Heavy footsteps told him the giant was retreating but he'd forgotten about the human girl with him. His eyes snapped open when she shoved him a step backward. He ended up collapsing onto the amazingly comfortable pillow-bed but he quickly kicked at the girl's leg so she fell too. She let out a wail of defeat and he sighed one more time.

"Look," the girl whispered after a beat. "Killing me isn't going to get you any-" Talon laughed, interrupting her without a care, he snapped, "Wanna bet?" The odds were definitely against this girl. She had no weapons, no supplies, no allies and barely enough mental and physical capabilities to survive the climb and the giant's dinner party. It would be dark in the arena now. Climbing down the green plant at this point would be dangerous, even if he was anxious to leave and hoping he'd never see another giant again, Talon did have to admit that point. He drew the sword, smirking at the way the girl immediately shied away from the blade. Then he set the survival pack down and lay back with his head resting on the backpack and the sword still in his hand. "If you touch me..." he warned the girl. "I will kill you." He shut his eyes after that but the shifting of fabric and pressure told him that she was moving as far away from him as possible while still staying on the giant pillow.

Willing himself to sleep, Talon actually managed a few hours of rest before he woke to the sound of music in the distance. "The hell?" He wondered out loud, accepting that he had no choice but to go investigate. Things only got stranger when he realized that the human girl was gone and there wasn't any sign of giant life close by. Most likely, it was because they slept at night as well. Letting his ears guide him, Talon secured his pack once more but this time he kept the sword in hand as he stepped carefully down the enormous stone-lined hallway until he heard the music at its best and loudest. The room it was coming from was filled wall-to-wall with artifacts and treasures and the majority of them were gold. There was still no sign of the girl but Talon was willing to forget all about her in favor of examining every piece of this delightful trove. Coming from the district that produced luxury items wasn't the same as owning and handling pieces like that and this gold was fine even by Capitol standards. What might have been a ring for giant fingers fit him like a necklace and there was more- so much more and the music continued to play, its tune building as Talon's excitement grew.

He was wishing that he'd brought a bigger bag and trying to think of some way to carry more things home with him when the music came to a sudden halt. He froze, tensely waiting for another sound but nothing came. Finally, he began to search for what had produced the song in the first place. It turned out to be a wooden triangular instrument with several wiry strings lining it's open center. Talon didn't know what the thing was called, but surely Josh would. The instrument was too pretty to leave alone but it was the promise of more hypnotizing melodies that made Talon grab the tool and hold it close. He took another look around the room but this time, he noticed another anomaly: there was bird- a goose resting beside a large golden egg.

Openly smirking now, Talon opened his survival pack and stepped closer to the fowl. The food supply the Careers had started with included mostly carbs and dried, salty proteans. It would be wonderful to have meat as a regular option over the next few days. Surely the giants could spare a single animal... with that decided, Talon grabbed the bird by the base of its long neck and squeezed, pressing hard against its windpipe. It was then that the beast started struggling. It was stronger than Talon had expected and with the body thrashing and wings flapping everywhere, several heavy gold pieces were knocked over. The ground began to shake so Talon quickly hid behind a statue depicting some kind of animal he'd never seen before. He set the harp down to concentrate on his current struggle. With some effort, he managed to grab onto the bird's neck with his other hand and snap it so the animal dropped dead in his hands. Letting out a muffled sigh of relief, Talon stuffed the bird into the survival pack. Now he just had to wait until it was safe to run for the exit.

He shouldered the backpack, sheathed the sword, and clutched the musical instrument closely under one arm, breathing as softly as possibly until a sudden thunderous cry got his heart racing all over again. "No!" The giant voice bellowed just as it had earlier. There was an echo followed by a few new words: "Find.... her... get her!" Talon tensed for a moment of disbelief. He couldn't believe his luck. They were looking for the girl. He could probably get back to the pillow bed before anyone even noticed that another person was at fault. He stepped cautiously toward the door, ready to discard the instrument and play innocent and praying he wouldn't have to. That was when the human girl ran smack into him. He groaned in protest and stumbled back, forced to use the wall to regain his balance. The girl wasn't so fortunate. She fell and collapsed into an awkward, unnatural-looking heap on the floor and Talon could have sword he heard something crack. There were tears in the girl's eyes once more but it was clear she'd managed the small victory of finding and retrieving her survival pack which looked to have at least a few new valuables stuffed inside. Their eyes met for a brief panicked moment but there wasn't time for hesitance. The sounds and vibrations confirmed that more than one set of giant feet were headed right for this room. The girl struggled to her feet and Talon pushed past her, still clutching the musical instrument like it was something truly precious (and, after all, it was).

The danger was very real but the combination of adrenaline, satisfaction and even optimism created some insane kind of high for Talon. Running felt like escaping- not just the giant's home, but the entire world in general. So, with a grin of twisted amusement on his face, Talon raced for the room that would take him back to the green plant. The girl was close behind him. The pace was pretty impressive for a non-Career weighted down by worry, pain and the physical burden of the pack she was too stupid and stubborn to discard. They turned the next corner together only to stop just short of stepping on a giant's toes. This one didn't seem to notice the humans at first. Talon froze and held his breath but it was no use. With the other giants seconds away from closing in, they'd have to move anyway. What Talon needed was a distraction.

Reluctantly, he set the stringed instrument down and drew his sword. Working as swiftly as possible, he did as much damage as he could to both of the closest giant's ankles, slicing the fragile tendons of support almost down to the bone. There was an ear-shattering scream of agony and Talon knew it was time to run. He grabbed the instrument again and managed to clear the next doorway right before the giant hit the ground, still wailing. By now, the others had caught up but there wasn't much farther to go. Talon could still get out of this. Actually, he had no doubt that he would. Something about his new treasures seemed lucky. For what would hopefully be the final time that day, he dropped the survival pack and forced it open, carefully placing the instrument inside with the goose. The dead animal would be sufficient padding but the pack itself was getting heavier and more uncomfortable to carry.

Another scream came from just outside the door of the dark green-plant room but this time it was definitely human. There was no time to look back but it was pretty obvious what had happened. The girl he swore he should have killed earlier had ended up saving his life now- or at least buying him some more time. It was funny how things worked out like that. Talon approached the ledge with caution. He couldn't see the plant in this light but there was nothing else to hold and time was running out. Yet another giant cry confirmed it. The word 'no' was bellowed for what felt like the hundredth time and then the ground was shaking again. Talon shoved the secured his sword and tightened the shoulder straps of the backpack for good measure. With nothing else to do, he took a deep breath and jumped.

He crashed into the plant but he fell several feet before managing to get a decent hold on any part of it. The giant's cries were still reverberating and the whole plant seemed to shake. As time passed and Talon worked his way down the plant, they seemed to grow more and more outraged. For some reason he couldn't understand, Talon realized the giants couldn't climb down the plant the way he could. It was possible that they couldn't even bear to touch it- or maybe they were just preparing for a stronger, more organized assault on the humans in the world below. Regardless, Talon couldn't take the risk of running into any more giants.

Climbing down was more difficult than climbing up and it seemed to take twice as long. Talon wished he'd been able to sleep longer but the sudden sense of purpose was enough to keep him alert. When he finally reached the bottom, he set the supplies down and drew his sword. Cutting was easy but the decision he faced was much more difficult. He thought about the food. The treasure. The unexplored rooms. Of course, stealing was bad but what did the giants need any of those things for? The thought that the giants were so petty made Talon want to slaughter every one of them. He forced himself to think about could have happened to the human girl. The giant's roars had covered the sound of her cannon but she was still dead. Talon could only wonder how much she had suffered before that happened.

Torn between desperation and regret, Talon swung with the sword and struck the plant with a significant amount of force. Channeling his anger into it, he managed to cut halfway through the center of it with just a few more blows. By then, the plant was leaning heavily toward the other side. By time it occurred to Talon that- of course -the plant was going to fall on something, it was already doing just that. Thankfully, as far as he could tell, it was no where near the Cornucopia. He still had a temporary home to return to. Using the last of his energy, he ran for it. That night, he dreamed of golden eggs; but, by morning, the adventure was all-but forgotten.