I opened my eyes again when I heard Ace yell for help. I saw that Phoenix had run back. He had Ace pinned against a tree.

"Your knife!" He yelled to me. "Give me your knife!"

I obeyed and watched in stunned horror as he slit Ace's throat and dropped him to the ground. He helped up Jacoby and I ran to him, throwing my arms around his neck. "Jacoby, I'm so glad your okay." I told him. Thank you, I mouthed to Phoenix. He cleaned my knife with his shirt before handing it back to me.

I looked back. Tulie and Hazelia were looking at each other.

"What?" I asked.

"Well, who do you think will be at the Cornucopia?" Tulie warned.

"Probably Bloom, Fleet, and Fiona," Jacoby replied.

I picked up three (rather thick) sticks and handed them and my knife to Phoenix, telling him to make three more like his. He did as I said, and soon we all had some form of a weapon. We gripped them tightly as we neared the Cornucopia. Sure enough, Fiona, Bloom, and Fleet were all there. I glanced behind them and saw an all too familiar face in the bushes. "Blaze!" I whispered harshly to myself. My allies must've heard me, because they turned their gazes to his direction. He was staring right back at me.

Suddenly, Phoenix jumped up and ran stealthily toward a pile of weapons and supplies. I noticed the careers weren't watching, so the rest of us ran too.

So did Blaze. He had an axe.

I had a knife.

My allies had sharpened sticks. Well, that was certainly a comforting thought.

I ran up behind Blaze, he hadn't noticed me. He was going after Phoenix. I grabbed his axe and pulled back hard. He whirled around and I decided to use the method I had used on Ripper. I cut his hand and he dropped the axe with a small cry. I tackled him and pinned him to the ground.

"Well, nice to see you, too, Alaria." He mocked.

"I know." I teased brutally. I set the blade of my knife on his throat. For some unfathomable reason, I couldn't do it. Jacoby came to my rescue (and my relief). He grabbed the axe and, well, used it.

We stood up and came face-to-face with the careers. Two cannons sounded then. Two? I wondered sickeningly. I looked around quickly and spotted Tulie lying motionless on the ground.

Fleet was in front of me. In a blur, I glanced at Jacoby, who got my silent message. He swung the axe at Fleet's neck. I scrambled away towards Phoenix as Fleet crumpled in the dirt. And there was the cannon, right on cue.

The next thing I knew, Fiona lunged for me and I was down, feeling the cool, damp earth beneath me. Phoenix must've seen this, because he rushed over and yanked the girl off of me. They began fighting each other, Fiona using a knife, Phoenix with just his sharp stick.

Hazelia came and she engaged in a battle with Bloom. Again, Hazelia had only a stick, but this time, Bloom was just using her fists. I jumped into their fight as Jacoby jumped into Phoenix's.

The fight seemed endless. It had been at least five minutes of non-stop combat.

Until they both turned and ran. And the four of us let them.

"I hope someone else kills them before we have to see them again." Phoenix stated out of the silence, breathing heavily.

I counted the remaining tributes in my head. "The only other person left is the boy from three." I explained.

"Then I hope he's okay with killing careers." He retorted with finality.

Then, as if on cue, the girls came sprinting back, followed by Callipher. He had a sword.

We were in the middle of a full-out war. Everyone was fighting. Jacoby and I were against Fiona, Hazelia was fighting Bloom, and Phoenix was dueling with Callipher.

Jacoby and I were doing pretty well. Hazelia, on the other hand, wasn't.

"Go!" I shouted to Jacoby, "Help Hazelia!"

He did as I said. I was fighting Fiona by myself and I was fine, and thankfully so was Hazelia. But for some reason, Jacoby and Phoenix kept looking back at me, almost checking on me.

It was madness. It was anarchy. I looked over and saw Callipher share a quick glance with Bloom. Suddenly, leaving Phoenix, Callipher whirled around and swung his sword right at Jacoby.

"Jacoby, look out!" I screamed. But it was too late. The second he looked up, he was dead. I barely heard the cannon.

Finally, I drove my knife through Fiona's chest and she dropped to the ground with a small cry.

Callipher and Bloom were after Hazelia and neither Phoenix nor I had time to stop them.

It wasn't a fair fight.

Phoenix and I tried to run to her, to help her, but she was yet another victim of the Capitol's cruel Games.

I gave a worried glance to Phoenix, praying he would receive my silent message.

He nodded.