. . .

The Gamemakers

Astrid Kaos was disappointed to see an important member of her team stumble into the room exhausted and soaked to the skin. It was much lower than the line which was drawn at her expectations, and to see Arielle do such a thing was enough to make her irritated. The Gamemaker had been leaving numerous times as of late, and Astrid had no idea where she had been going every time she had been gone from the Gamemaking rooms. Arielle had claimed to be running errands, but only a fool could believe her. Astrid Kaos was no fool, and so when Arielle stumbled into the room, she knew that the Gamemaker had pulled the last straw. She might not be one to talk, but someone had to interrogate her; it has already gone out of control.

"Arielle! Where have you been? The Bloodbath is already finished," Astrid told the young woman, who stood drenched in rain water. Astrid could not bear to see the sight of the woman, because it reminded her of the days she had spent in the rain. All of those special days she had danced with joy in the summer rains, in the arms of her beloved. He had been the reason for her love of rain, and that's why she now despised it. It was all a reminder of the past, and for Astrid Kaos, memories brought nothing but pain.

"I-I told you!" Arielle protested, wringing her hands in an unsuccessful attempt to dry herself. It all splashed over the Head Gamemaker, making Astrid so much more unhappier. She glared at the woman in front of her, using her fingertips to pick up the hem of her soaked shirt. She dropped it back down, letting it stick to her warm skin and cooling it. It did not feel good, for it reminded Astrid of the water that had drenched her and him as they held one another in the falling water. The last Astrid had seen of him had been at the end of a summer long ago- when the rains had been nature's most delightful beauty. Rain had never really been the same again for Astrid after that.

"I know what you said! Running errands is not what you were doing, and I think we both know that. You've been up to lots of things recently, and frankly, I've had enough of it all. You are going so very far, Arielle, too far. You've pulled so many straws, and pushed so many buttons! How many more do you think there are?!" Astrid's voice had reached a dangerous level, one that held so much toxicity in it. Arielle could only whimper softly to Astrid's scolding, knowing that she was not getting away with it at all. "I'm asking you again, Arielle. What were you doing?"

"I-I was telling people about the Bloodbath to get them hyped, you know?" Arielle responded. Her voice was still quivering, but it was not from fear. She was most definitely not afraid of her Head Gamemaker. Her voice was shaking from the cold, and from all the rain and water which had drowned her. It gave her the chills, and it was most definitely not helping.

"No, Arielle. I do not know," Astrid replied.

"Of course you don't! You can't even leave this place to greet the public, so I have to do it! Now what? I get a scolding for doing what I'm told? Astrid, I don't care if you are Head Gamemaker; you do not have the right to treat me this way. I don't deserve all this. I've been a perfectly fine Gamemaker," Arielle said. Astrid shook her head in anger and disagreement.

"That's where you are wrong. Maybe I don't greet the public, and yes, it's your job. But you are definitely not doing your job. I've talked to the president; you left a while ago. I know that you've been gone for longer than you should have been. Not to mention, you should have definitely been back for the Bloodbath. That's one of the important parts of these Games!" Astrid said.

"Well guess what? Sometimes everything doesn't go according to plan. I got caught in the water, and it just happened that I fell. It got all over me, and I got soaked! And now, instead of finding me something warm, you scold me for an accident I could not control," Arielle responded with a swift lie. Their argument had reached a whole new level, and Alec could only watch from the shadows in silence.

"Sure, maybe that happened this time, but what about all those times before? This is not the first time, but it better be the last. I've had enough, and I'm crazy to give you even this last chance, but I am. If you do anything reckless again, Arielle, you will be dismissed. Do you understand?" Astrid's tone was demanding and harsh, almost like a mother's voice towards a naughty child.

Arielle could not argue anymore, for she had already gone past her limits. With a defeated sigh she nodded. She had been given another chance, after all. "Alright, it won't happen again."

"Good," Astrid said harshly before turning to the other member of the team, the more trustworthy member of the team. "Thank you, Alec, for always being here. You've been a great addition to this team. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said to another member," Astrid paused as she glared at Arielle once more, "who has been slacking off."

Arielle growled, but she said no more. It was not her place to argue farther.

"Thank you," Alec replied with a small smile. "Are we ready for the next challenge? I'm really excited for this fire and ice idea. I think it was such a nice thing for you to do, to let me have a chance at running your creation."

Astrid smiled at his appreciation and kindness as she nodded. "Of course, you really deserve it."

Then she glanced at Arielle. "There's a lot of work to be done. I don't care if you're wet. You were gone, so you better get to work, because there's so much to do. Do you understand?" Astrid asked. Arielle nodded.

"Yes," Arielle responded. She walked to her table, taking a seat at the cushiony chair. Ignoring the goosebumps which had formed over her body and the chills which gushed through her blood, she sat up straight. Placing her fingers on the keyboard, she started to check the statistics of the arena.

After all, there was a Games to run.

. . .

The Task: The Third Choice

Welcome all, to the third task of Author Games: Maybe, Maybe Not. This is your third choice, one that you will face while also facing a challenge as a result of your previous decision.

Which is a better element- fire or water? Yet another choice has arisen...

The mutts have been released into the arena, by the will of Alec of course. This is his specialty task, and he has set up a special challenge just for you. Depending on which place you chose to use as shelter in the last task, you will be facing different mutts. Read both scenarios, as it's always good to read extra just in case.

The Forest:

If you have decided to venture deeper into the forest and explore the roots of nature, you shall face the goddess of the earth herself. But before that happens, you will face your choice. At a certain part in your escape from the Bloodbath, you reach a tree which had been hollowed out. Out of curiosity, you enter. Inside, you find two bags on a small, wooden table on which vines have begun to grow wildly. One is marked with 'fire' while another is marked with 'water'. The fire bag contains four grenades which explode with scorching hot fire, while the water bag contains four grenades which explode with chilly ice water. You must take one bag, and only one bag.

Shortly after leaving the hollowed tree, you come across a clearing, one which the darkness of the night has seeped into, turning it to shadows, but perhaps more beautiful in a dark way. The clearing itself is not what you fear, but what is beyond it. An earthly creature, a woman of sorts, towers high in front of you. Her clothes are the leaves, dirt, and plants themselves, and her figure is utterly beautiful. She is almost as tall as the trees themselves, for she is Mother Nature herself. Her only weakness is the darkness, for her vision is not the best. But you tribute doesn't know that yet, so either they have to figure it out, or they will never know. Your job is to face the woman, and at all costs, you must somehow defeat her. You cannot just run from her. She must fall to your blade (or some weapon), and you must be the one to defeat her. For alliances, each of you will face one, so you can help each other defeat the numerous mutts.

The Town:

If you have made the choice of hiding within the comfort of man's creation itself, you shall face another creation of man, one so much more worse than the beauty of nature's flowers. Yet before you do so, you must make another choice. Entering a house, you find a wooden table which is pristine and clean, without a mark of nature near it. Metal scraps linger on it, but the only other objects are the two bags which lay on the sleek surface. One is marked with 'fire' while another is marked with 'water'. The fire bag contains four grenades which explode with scorching hot fire, while the water bag contains four grenades which explode with chilly ice water.You must take one bag, and only one bag.

After you leave the house, you come to a small crossroad of sorts. Where four roads meet, and where the light is so dim, you see the creature you must face. It is one a man's greatest creations- a robot. It is programmed to fight, talk, and most importantly, feel. It is almost like a human itself, only it is a cold hearted human. It's only job is to kill you. Your task is not to kill it. You must either convince it that you're on the same side, and when you do, it will leave you alone and disappear. Your other option is to lose its trail, and leave it behind to find another spot in the town where you can reside. But beware, because if you choose to run, it will follow you (for at least a bit of time). After some sort of chase, you must choose to lose him. Whatever you do, it must all end with you not being near him, the robot. And remember, you cannot kill it, even should you try.

. . .

Word Limit: 2,500

Due Date: Eastern Standard Timezone (EST): 3:00 PM, Sunday, July 3rd, 2016. **If you have trouble converting, shoot as a PM, and we'd be happy to help.

. . .

Deaths: 3

Ballots: 2

Unfortunately, THREE of you will be leaving at the end of this task.

. . .

Bonuses:

~First Entry (+0.5)

We may, or may not, decide to add more.

. . .

Sponsorships:

Nefyn Lore: "You are doing well, Nefyn, so there really isn't much to help you with. But as you chose the forest, know that nature will always be more powerful than man. Even though it's early in the Games, you have proven yourself deserving as you remain as the top tribute in these Games. A trident shall be sent to you shortly, so use it to your advantage. Be strong, Nefyn."

John Linen: "I believe you've chosen right with your ally, and I think you're doing rather fine at the moment. I have chosen to give you a medical kit, so use it to tend to any wounds you receive. If you choose to, you may also use it on your ally. Just know that I approve of her."

Mara Risso: "Sweet, you've got yourself a solid pack of allies, but truly, allies will only get you so far, hmm? I'm giving you three small throwing knives in their own sheaths to use--but wait! Each is carefully coated in a layer of acidic poison; acid would errod earth, but you have only three! Have fun and throw carefully, my dear."

Amaranthina Mandala: "Your spear has been washed clean now, honey, just for your own hatred of blood. It's also become very, very sharp: A prick becomes a cut, and a cut becomes a larger wound. Be careful, and use this wisely, girlie! Don't kill yourself, because that would be utterly embarrassing, you know."

Winona Kellam: "I assure you that the flashlight would not do you any harm, as it would aid you in finding other tributes quickly in the dark arena. But if you think it does you no good, then I will hand you a flower wreath. Do not take it as just some accessory; it would have great value against the adversary which you have yet to fight. Once put on, it would protect you from immediate harm. I hope you would consider it."

Vyla Nightingale: "Doubts can arise when thinking of who to trust, and I completely understand. If you feel at any point in time you cannot put your trust in them, you would find in your pack a small vial of poison which you could use against them. Use it however you wish, but remember how your sister fell; I do not wish you to fall into the same trap."

. . .

Ballot Challenges- Perks/Penalties

Ballot Rank - Ballot Perk / Penalty

1 - Sometimes being at the very top isn't always the best, but in this case, the Gamemakers think you deserve a reward. For this task, your deadline will be extended by 24 hours. Contact us if you need help calculating.

2 - You four boys are forced to choose fire.

6 - Your deadline has been shortened by 24 hours. Contact us if you need help calculating.

7 - Yet another tie of all boys. Well, we've decided to force you to choose water.

9 - We have decided that you will have a reduced word count of 2,000 words.

. . .

MAY THE ODDS BE EVER IN YOUR FAVOR. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, DON'T HESITATE TO PM OR COMMENT!