Blue shadows and unknown lands {open!}

((So Streebell just naps through all this!?))

Anubis growled alittle as his rump was pulled to be used as a pillow, but he made no volatile objection. Charlie had used him as a pillow enough on the train he was used to it.

"So, you're the one that wanted to come to this district. What're you going to do tomorrow?" he asked her...good question. Honestly this had all worked out better than she had expected, food, bed, and friends all in one day, truly she would have counted herself lucky if she found a cardboard box. The thought of what to do tomorrow hadn't really crossed her mind as much as not get caught. She thought a moment.

"Well, I came here for work. I was sick of stealing only to be stolen from. So tomorrow I guess will be me looking for things to do and money to be obtained. Though from the looks of things yall aren't much better off than district 10." She tried not to look in the direction of the tiny bathroom, but she knew she was right.

She moved away from the sink and over to Anubis, his tail thumped the floor as she crouched to rub his head, he was a good boy and deserved so much more than the scraps she gave him, a bitter sweet twang hit her heart, he had done so much and she returned so little, this black rug was her joy on the dark cold days that consumed her often enough. So ironic was his name then, Anubis, the god of the under world, death. Though he brought only life to hers she still found that the name fit.

((Oh yeah. She's a heavy sleeper.))

"We make due with what we've got," Hazon replied, "I know it's not much. But, this is actually bordering on the fabulously wealthy lifestyle considering the fact that . . . well, this is District 8. Nobody here is exactly what one might consider 'well off.' in fact, it's quite an amazing feat just to survive from day to day. Me and Streeb are only so lucky because we make money in our fights."

A sudden, ridiculous thought hit Hazon. "How desperate are you to get a job and make some money?" he asked with an impish smile. "'Cuz I know Streebell could use someone to help her clean up in between fights. I'll tell you what, tomorrow Streebell's got a fight. You could tag along and help her out, and I'll bet you anything she'll split the profit with you. That is, if she doesn't give you all of it." Hazon rolled his eyes, half sarcastic, half serious. "So, whatcha say, Cowgirl?"

Cowgirl? He deserved a slap for that one, but Charlie refrained. She bit the edge of her lip and thought for a moment before plopping herself on the floor.

"Well..." she started, she hadn't really ever been to a legit fight with rules and rings and loud noises and people, but it wasn't like she was going to have any were else to go if they went. She needed the money, badly, and "law" certainly wasn't an issue....

"Alright, we'll go. But, I'm there to clean up, not to fight." she looked at him seriously. Her fights hadn't been the same as actually putting yourself in a ring to fight with other people. In her world you did what you could so you could get away, and if you couldn't get away you tried to finish them off. She was pretty sure this wasn't praised in their fighting world.

"How' bout it Anubis? wanna come to a fight? You like fighting dontcha puppy!" Anubis thumped his tail as Charlie baby talked to him, but kept his head on the floor, it was very evident he was tired. Charlie smiled and stood up moving to the door way of Streebell's room.

"See you three in the morning then, 'night." And with that she turned, shut the door, kicked off her shoes, and lay on the bed, only sleep wouldn't come.


((So are we off to the ring?))

Streebell inhaled deeply and sighed. She leaned over to Charlie so that she could be heard over all the noise, "Smell that man stink! Reeks of dirty socks and broken dreams, I tell you. Their broken dreams mean my victory therefore, I relish the stench! But something tells me you're not a fan." Something like the look in her watering eyes, maybe.

"Don't let the scent of victory get you too excited, Streeb." Hazon said sarcastically, slightly embarrassed it seemed by her shameless methods of getting hyped up for a fight.

She smiled widely. "Too late!" She scampered off into the crowds of massive muscle men, pushing her way through with the strength of her elbows. She cut her way to the center of all the attention just in time to see some guard get decked in e ring by a guy who looked only slightly older than Hazon. This was a favorite among many residents of District 8. Knocking out a Peace Keeper or two had a tendency to put a smile on one's face. It's not like they weren't asking for it. They were the ones who chose to step into an illegal fighting ring. Besides, most of them were pretty cool anyway. Whenever they were beat, they just wanted rematches, not trouble.

The guard that had been laying on the ground was out for the count, ". . . 8 . . . 9 . . . 10!" Dogar, the 'ringmaster', called. The crowd cheered as the winner of the fight raised his arms in victory. Streebell smiled, "That's going to be me next." Streebell said to herself.

"Dogar," Streebell called. He looked up at her, smiled and start to walk toward her. "Am I up?" she asked.

"You're on, kid." he confirmed. He took her hand and led her to the center of the ring with the dirt floor and a piece of string marking it's borders. "Ladies and gentlemen," Dogar announced in his theatrical voice, "I present to you the reigning lightweight champion, Streebell Rosling!" He lifted her hand in the air as he announced her name. The crowd cheered and Streebell heard Hazon's voice over all the other voices in the crowd. She looked in the sea of faces and saw Hazon and Charlie front and center, cheering her on. She smiled at them and waved.

"Now, presenting the challenger," Dogar continued, "A Peace Keeper new to the circuit and fighting for the first time, Fertand!" There were boos coming at the opponent as he stepped into the ring but he didn't seem to notice. He was too busy pointing and laughing at his opponents seemingly diminutive stature compared to his own. Streebell almost felt sorry for the poor sucker she was about to pulverize. Underestimating Streebell was such a common mistake that all the newbies made. Dogar stepped away from the ring signaling that it was time for the fight to begin. Streebell faced her opponent and listened to the sound of the bell ringing.

"This oughta be good." Hazon chuckled as he watched the Peace Keeper chuckle at Streebell while she got into her zone. She crouched and sized up the competition. When the bell rang, Streebell straightened up, put her hand over her mouth and yawned. Typical Streebell. Arrogant, but for good reason, admittedly.

The guard lunged at Streebell, but she stepped aside and put him in a head lock so that he was hunched over with his head in the crease of her elbow. She rolled her eyes at his struggles to get free. Then, once she grew tired of the games, she fell backwards, slamming his head straight into the ground with all the force of her body. Hazon watched as Streebell tore the poor guy apart from there. Nothing but a massive barrage of fists, feet, and altogether pain . . . for the Peace Keeper, of course.

After a particularly hard left hook, the guy backed away with a look of fury on his face. Streebell smiled tauntingly as he wiped the blood from his lip. He breathed heavily and appeared to be gathering the remainder of his strength. That's when something in his face changed. He looked up at Streebell with an evil-looking smirk.

He walked straight up to her and reached a hand in his coat. Streebell narrowed her eyes and appeared to be reading herself for another attempt at an attack. The Peace Keeper got closer and closer to Streebell and as soon as she began to back away, he pulled out a knife and swung at her. She tried to block the blow but her arm was sliced in the process. Her arm wound distracted her and she couldn't block the knife this time as it cut across her stomach.

Hazon got to the guy in time to grab his arm just as he was winding up to swing the blades another time. Hazon grabbed the knife out of his hand, threw it on the ground, and threw the guy out of the ring. Dogar and a few other people grabbed him.

"Using weapons gets you kicked out around here!" Dogar yelled, "Get him out of here!" A bunch of men grabbed him and threw him out into the street while he was yelling the whole way out.

Hazon and Charlie ran over to Streebell, who was hunched over on the ground. "Streebell! Are you okay?" Hazon asked frantically.

"Ugh, I'm fine," Streebell grumbled, "It's just a flesh wound."

"Let me look." Hazon said. As he inspected Streebell's wounds, Dogar walked up to them.

"Streebell, the rules say every fight has to be finished. We got someone else to fight you, if you're up for it." Dogar said.

Streebell started to say something but Hazon's look stopped her. "She's not fighting."

Dogar ignored him and looked at her, "If you forfeit, you won't be allowed to fight here again. It's-"

"I know, Dogar. It's a rule." Streebell answered. She sighed and looked at Hazon pleadingly. "I don't want to be banned from fighting forever," she tried getting up, but winced. "You're right I can't fight. Bt, maybe you could fight for me?"

"I can't," Hazon answered apologetically, "I'm not in the same lightweight division as you."

"Then we have to find someone who is." Streebell and Hazon looked at each other for a moment, then slowly turned their heads toward Charlie.

"Look," Hazon began, "You don't really have to fight, just wear him out and maybe . . . kinda . . . try to knock him out a little." He regrouped and began again. "Streebell needs this favor from you. Fighting is her life. It's what she loves. She can't lose it. You don't even have to win, just, try. Please?"

As they walked into the fight club Charlie could already feel something off. Maybe she was just being extra precautious because she was in a new element, but Anubis could feel it to. He stayed right next to Charlie the entire time they walked, he wasn’t one for lots of people. There were a lot more than she expected, half of them probably having a little to much vodka or whatever they drank in district 8. She clutched her bag sort of like a security blanket, and stayed close to Hazon and Streeb. But to be honest she couldn’t help but smile as Streebell started to get exited, this really was her element, she loved it here, it was very evident as her exuberance only intensified the closer they got to the ring. Charlie found it interesting the joy you can still find when your entire world was falling apart around you, and with the reaping coming up….It was hard to stomach it all at times.

Well they got there and Streebell was totally in her element. And, Charlie decided, she was glad they didn’t get into a fight when they first met. This peace-keeper looked like a buffoon out there with the quick and agile Streebell, and Charlie was laughing a little, until he pulled the knife. That was when all enjoyment stopped. It was like a communitive gasp that the entire building made as Streebell was attacked, Charlie made a move to get into the ring and help, but Hazon was already there. That was all Charlie paid attention to because she followed soon after (Anubis in close pursuit) and knelt down to Streebell with the others. She was reaching into her bag to grab her few minor medical supplies, when she looked back up they were all looking at her. They wanted her to fight. Dammit, dammit, dammit she thought as bit her lip and looked from Hazon to Streebell, he was right, this was Streeb's life. And Charlie had the chance to repay her for her hospitality. And she would get to (hopefully) sock this dirt bag in the face, that would be worth it. She sighed and handed Hazon the bottle she had retrieved from her bag and then the bag itself.

“Fine, for Streeb.” she said as she stood, took off her hat and outer shirt leaving her in her combat boots, pants and under shirt.
“But this means nothing.” she continued
“And promise you will change this god-damn rule!” she growled under her breath as she tied up her hair
“Oh and take care of Anubis if I die.” she added with a smirk and Anubis looked up at Hazon.
With a worried look back at her friends she nodded to Dogar to signal she was ready to fight the brute.

They brought him back out, hopefully stripped of his weapons, and now he only looked more brutish and enraged, if not a little cocky. He seemed to enjoy the boo’s of the crowd, like it fed him his strength. And as he was “showing off” by yelling back to the crowd and strutting around getting riled up, Charlie calmly knelt down and rubbed her hands in the dirt, adjusted her gloves she so thankfully wore today, and went over her strategy. Unlike Streebell, who had confidence and experience here, Charlie‘s tactics would be a bit different. Weakest points of the body: Nose, eyes, knees, and ears. Strike hard and fast, stay out of his way. Disorient and strike, disorient and strike, if all else fails, run around until he gets tired. She took a shaky breath. She had fought before, but it seemed so long ago…

Before she knew it the match had begun, the peace-keeper (Charlie now realizing the irony) was crouched low arms spread, it was only to clear his plan. With the signal from Dogar the beast charged, much like he had Streebell, but unlike Streebell who caught him in a head lock Charlie jumped , placing her hands on his shoulders she rolled over and off of his back like water on a ducks feathers, landing on her feet she quickly turned around. The beast growled and spun around to meet her again but she had been faster and swung a punch to his left ear, and she tried to swing another to his right but he caught her hand, so she kneed him in the chin, not a weak spot, but he let go. Charlie backed up as he prepared to charge again, was he going to learn? Adrenalin started to pup through her veins and Charlie could soon see the appeal. He charged her again and she tried to side step it but indeed he had learned and caught her in his sweaty grip. He threw her to the floor like a rag doll and had her arm twisted behind her back to pin her. Charlie called out in pain, he was going to break her arm. But she caught a fatal flaw, he wasn’t paying attention to her other arm and with all her strength she hit him in the nose as hard as she could with her elbow, sending him howling back wards. She rolled onto her back and pushed herself up, noting the blood on his face and consequently on her as well. Using her momentum she slammed her fist into his face once again saying
“That’s for Streeb.” And then scissor kicked him in the jaw
“That’s for my arm.” Which hurts like hell. she thought

He stumbled back wards and just as she was about to place a final kick to his sternum, there was a loud bang followed by shouts and yells. Charlie hadn’t been paying attention to the crowd the entire time, she just kind of shut them out, but that wasn’t normal, something was happing. She looked back to her bloody opponent and he was smiling, like he was when he drew the knife on Streeb, immediately Charlie looked to Hazon and Steebell, and felt a sinking sensation, she knew what it was. Peace Keepers, tons of them.

"Oh sh-" Hazon began before Streebell cut him off. "There's no time to curse! You can do that later, just grab Charlie and haul butt out of here!"

The Peace Keepers were cutting through the crowd fast, but a few brave (maybe a little drunk) fighters were trying to hold them off and fight back . . . and they were losing.

Hazon ran into the ring and grabbed Charlie's wrist and pulled her out. "Follow me and stay as close as you possibly can!" Hazon directed as he scooped Streebell off the ground and began sprinting.

"Put me down!" Streebell comanded, "I can run!"

"Shut up!" Hazon responded.

Hazon sped to the nearest back exit and skidded to a stop, creating a shroud of dust in the air. Charlie almost ran into his back. Streebell looked behind Hazon's arm at her, "Peace Keepers are covering all the doors!" she shouted as Hazon took off in the direction opposite from the on-coming mob of guards.

Streebell and Hazon were looking around desperately for a way out. "Hazon," Streebell started, "The hole in the wall behind the bar!" Hazon started heading in that direction before she finished her sentence. Hazon did a baseball slide behind the bar and Charlie ducked behind the bar with him. The high bar provided a shield from the view of the Peace Keepers. Hazon set Streebell down and peeled back the tin wall in the corner that had bolts missing from the sockets. Hazon looked at Streebell, "Go!" he yelled.

Streebell crawled through, pain shooting through her arm and midsection. She came out on the outside and watched as Charlie and Anubis, then Hazon came out. There was even more chaos outside than inside. There were more Peace Keepers, but there were also more escapees like them. Both were running around, chasing and trying to get away.

Hazon picked Streebell back up and started heading off for a distant range of trees. They were already outside the borders of District 8, and there was no way they could go back now. No one was chasing them. They were too busy trying to nab other people. It's not like they would have caught them anyway. Charlie and Anubis were two of the fastest sprinters Streebell had ever seen, and even having to carry her the whole way, Hazon was going just as fast as they were.

Finally, they reached the cover of the trees. It hardly seemed like anyone even saw them, they were going so fast. Hazon set Streebell down and got out the medicine Charlie gave him and they began applying it to her wounds.

"What now?" Hazon asked after a long silence.

"Well," Streebell began, "It would probably be wise to find some water." She stared at the panting dog, then back at Hazon who just got through vomiting. "Then after that," Streebell thought for a moment then looked back to Hazon. "You ever hopped a train?"

Charlie just had enough to grab her bag, over shirt, hat and Anubis’s Collar before Hazon grabbed her wrist and yanked her along with him and Streeb. It was almost like slow motion as the three of them, Streeb in Hazon’s arms, ran like mad men dodging people and thrown objects as they shielded their faces and ducked low. Charlie didn’t have time to talk much, the peacekeepers, unfortunately, were good at their job (besides the keeping peace part). So that left the three at an impass, but only for a moment. After completing a crazy slide into a hole behind the bar (Charlie dutifully pushing Anubis’s butt through before her) and emerging on the other side, yet danger was still emanate. It seemed the people screaming intensified out side, and as Charlie’s mind began to go into hyper/survive mode she began to become aware of specific things happening. She noticed that the mob wasn’t all slightly intoxicated men, there were women and children involved. It became more obvious that this didn’t just stem from the fight club, there was something else tremulous occurring that effected more people. Unfortunately she couldn’t dwell on the topic any longer at the moment and her thoughts were zapped back into reality.

Out in the open Charlie didn’t worry about Anubis getting trampled so she didn’t have to hold onto him, this made running a lot easier. Charlie became focused on one thing, the edge. She tried her best to go as fast as she could and get the heck out of there. And just like that they were in the forest, well ok not just like that but you get the picture. They sat there, breathing hard and in silence for a bit, and Charlie couldn’t help but smile. They had made it, yah they were in a forest and had no food but as she observed no one was after her, and even better it was probable no one would look for them. Hazon had taken her medicine and was applying it to Streebell as Charlie sat cross legged and put her over shirt back on. For a while she said nothing and only listened to Hazon and Streeb. But she couldn’t help but let a some what devious smile creep across her face as Streebell asked if Hazon had ever hopped a train.

“Did I ever tell y’all how I got here?” oh yes, she might not be an expert master survivor, but she knew how to hop a train.

She reached over and grabbed her bag and looked in it for inventory.
In summery: switch blade, three watches, a wallet, bandages and tape, a paper sack of beef jerky, a spy glass, and the rest of her stuff that she came here with. And, o.k not all of this was hers at first, but hey, it was her gift.

“How much do you think we could get for the watches? The wallet has 20 bucks in it, and the spy glass I wanna keep, but if we need to sell it, sure that’s an option.” She looked up at the two as she fed Anubis a bit of the jerky.

Hazon stared wide-eyed at Charlie. He turned to Streebell, "Resourceful little booger, isn't she?" He was just trying to annoy Charlie now. But in all honesty, he really liked her. She was smart and fast, and she wasn't too bad in the ring either . . . plus, she could steal stuff.

Hazon looked back at Charlie who looked slightly more than a little annoyed with him. He ignored her. "I'm assuming that you took most of, if not all of that stuff. If we ever have to steal anything along the way, you're doing it. Me and Streeb aren't very skilled pick pockets." Charlie looked slightly surprised. "We've never had to be." Hazon explained, "When we fight, we get money. We haven't had to steal since we were kids. Even then we fought other people for most of our meals. Speaking of which . . ." Hazon pulled a wad of cash out of his pocket and waved it around. Streebell pulled out money as well. "If this helps, we'll use it."

"By the way," Hazon looked at Charlie inquisitively. "How are you planning on selling those when you can't go back to District 8?" He chuckled while he wondered what her brilliant, outlandish answer might be. Maybe something like, "We'll go to another district." Yeah, right. Hazon and Streebell couldn't just leave. It didn't work like that. District 8 was like their home. Just like District 10 was her home. Hazon thought about this. She would have to go back to her home eventually. There was a pain deep in Hazon's chest as he contemplated Charlie's departure. She had to leave at some point. She had a family. Would she come back one day? When? Would he ever see her again after she was gone? Thought of never seeing Charlie again hurt Hazon in a way he had never felt before. Maybe it would be easier just to go with her . . .