"The opposite side where the sun sets, it should be around this place..." Katniss continued moving forward, having already walked for at least a couple of hours, and she began to feel the fatigue weighing on her shoulders.
As she had discovered, she was walking in a different direction from the professionals.
Katniss cautiously advanced toward the direction Haymitch had indicated, convinced that she would find Jacob in that place. However, her thoughts were interrupted by a chilling scream that echoed in the distance. It wasn't the scream of an adult, but rather a childlike scream, similar to the one her sister used to make.
"Ahhhhhh!"
Instinctively, Katniss recognized the voice. It was Rue, her young ally. Without wasting a second, her heart raced, and she ran towards the sound, fearing the worst. Her mind filled with images of Rue in danger, her fragile figure being attacked by some unknown threat.
When she arrived at the scene, her worst fear came true. Rue was perched on a tree, while below her was a ferocious beast, climbing the tree she was on. Katniss quickly assessed the situation, her mind working at full speed to find a solution.
Without thinking twice, she drew a long knife and aimed for the beast's neck. With a quick and precise motion, she shot, managing to hit the animal in a vulnerable spot. The beast roared in pain and backed away, leaving Rue unharmed.
"Rrrr!"
But Katniss didn't stop; she walked cautiously, concerned about Rue's condition, but Rue immediately stopped her: "No, Katniss, run!"
Katniss abruptly stopped and looked at Rue with confusion. She had killed the beast, so why should she run? However, she immediately thought of the worst-case scenario, which was that there was another tribute nearby.
"That beast is one of the smaller ones, there's a bigger one!" Rue shouted again, afraid that Katniss wouldn't hear her.
"Where?" Katniss felt her blood run cold. She looked around for the beast, and just when she thought it had gone, she saw a bush moving aggressively.
Roar!
As Katniss feared the worst, a nearby bush started moving aggressively. Branches creaked, and leaves rustled violently until, from among the undergrowth, emerged a monstrous creature. It was a mutattion, a grotesque beast that resembled a rabid dog but with thicker limbs and a more slender and agile body.
The beast had wild, shining eyes, and its fur was unkempt and covered in patches. Its sharp teeth and fangs protruded threateningly from its mouth, dripping viscous saliva. Its long, sharp claws dug into the ground as it prepared to attack.
Upon seeing Katniss, the mutated beast didn't hesitate for a second. Moving its limbs with agility, it ran directly towards her, its hungry eyes fixed on its prey. The beast exuded unbridled ferocity and an insatiable thirst for blood.
Katniss felt a wave of panic wash over her as the beast approached rapidly. Her mind worked at full speed, searching for a way to escape or confront the creature. She knew she was in imminent danger and had to act quickly and precisely.
Without thinking twice, she looked at Rue still up in the tree, so she ran in a completely different direction to draw the beast away from her. She knew she couldn't defeat that beast, and she didn't have a weapon she was familiar with to fight it face to face. The only weapon she had was Jacob's, and she grabbed it in her hands to at least inflict some damage.
She knew her archery skills were her best weapon at that moment. But not having that weapon at her disposal, she could only run forward and not look back. Her heart pounded fiercely; she believed she was standing on the brink of the grave, her death was imminent.
Katniss ran desperately, trying to distance herself from the mutated beast relentlessly pursuing her. Her heart pounded heavily in her chest as her legs moved as fast as they could. However, in her frantic escape, she didn't see the steep path that stretched ahead of her.
Crack!
Unable to stop in time, Katniss lost her balance and tumbled forward, rolling down the steep path. She rolled several times, while her vision became blurred, preventing her from identifying the beast.
When she finally came to a stop, panting and filled with fear, she found herself face to face with the mutated beast. Its exposed teeth and wild gaze made it clear that she was about to face her destiny.
Its fiercely yellow and bright eyes reflected twisted intelligence and a thirst for blood. Sharp fangs protruded from its open mouth, revealing a powerful and saliva-filled jaw. Each step it took resonated with a threatening rumble, as if the ground trembled under its presence.
Its size was imposing, larger than any beast Katniss had seen before. Its tense musculature and intimidating appearance made it clear that it was a formidable predator. Every one of its movements was quick and agile, revealing a nimbleness that contrasted with its apparent bulk.
As it approached Katniss, its eyes burned with an insatiable hunting desire. The beast showed a thirst for blood and unrestrained ferocity, ready to attack and tear its prey apart mercilessly. Its mere presence instilled indescribable terror in Katniss' heart, as she found herself defenseless against its unleashed fury.
The mutated beast personified the cruelty and violence of the Capitol. It was a sinister reminder of the genetic manipulations and horrors that the tributes had to face in the Hunger Games. Its monstrous appearance and savage behavior embodied the danger and desperation of that dystopian world.
"I'm sorry, Prim..."
Katniss stood frozen, awaiting the worst, when suddenly a metal arrow flew from a distance, hitting near the beast's eye.
"Katniss, run!"
The lifesaving projectile came from Jacob, whose shout had alerted Katniss moments earlier. The powerful shot disoriented the beast, causing it to momentarily retreat.
Jacob, still taken aback by the appearance of the mutated beast, remained momentarily frozen. He had never seen anything like it before and doubted his ability to survive such an encounter. However, the wounded beast decided to flee, leaving Jacob and Katniss alone in their astonishing encounter.
"Track the beast, I want to know where it's heading!" Jacob started to break into a cold sweat upon sensing the presence of the beast, so he ordered his intelligent assistant to follow it not too far behind.
"[Order issued, master!]"
Overcoming her state of paralysis, Katniss tremulously stood up and ran toward Jacob. Relief washed over her as she saw him safe and sound, and she couldn't help but feel immense joy at reuniting with her ally.
Jacob, on his part, was glad that Katniss hadn't been injured, so he immediately ran toward her. Both embraced intimately, acknowledging the luck they had and the strange connection they had found in each other.
Amidst the excitement and gratitude, Katniss and Jacob engaged in a conversation filled with questions about their well-being and how they had come to find each other at that critical moment.
"Are you hurt?" Jacob began scanning Katniss' body with his eyes, trying to ascertain if she had been injured.
The intimate embrace between Katniss and Jacob symbolized their resilience and the importance of their union in a ruthless world. Together, they realized they had a greater chance of survival and facing the challenges that awaited them in the Hunger Games as long as they were together.
But Katniss, who had noticed Jacob's concern, shook her head. Just as she was about to tell him that she was fine, she caught sight of a figure behind a tree and immediately shouted, "Watch out, Jacob!"
She pulled Jacob aside, and in that moment, a sharp knife struck a tree behind them. But Jacob was quicker to react, swiftly turning around with his arrow and bow aimed at a male tribute who had appeared before him out of nowhere.
"What a surprise you've given me!" Jacob's eyes displayed noticeable coldness, extremely angry at nearly being assassinated from behind by a tribute he didn't know.