GUARDIAN
(Katniss x Gloss)
(This is a completely different story from the last one, but finally, another one!)
(For those of you who read the 2k+ something words already, I added more to the chapter).
Description: In a world of guardians and magic, the sparkling crystal waters in the sacred garden of Serendipity are known for their tremendous healing power. They are Katniss's only hope to saving her sister, but anyone who wishes to have so much as a drop must first pass through the guards standing in front of the gates...
A chilly mountain wind blew through the air, rattling some skeletal branches of bare, bony trees. I'm sure some of it went right through me. My mother's old cloak, browned and tattered with time, does nothing for me.
Not so different from her own self, I thought bitterly. Shivering, I wrapped my arms around myself, clutching the empty goblet tightly in one hand. This tiny goblet held the key to Prim's well-being; it was her only hope.
It was my only hope.
Hang on, Little Duck, hang on, I kept thinking as the winding path suddenly seemed to veer uphill in sharp, steep mazes. Every other second I'm convinced I will loose my footing and trip and fall down, down, down below, even though there's some land between mountaintop and abyss.
Eventually I came upon a wall of sharp, jagged rocks. Some of them looked like the iron that held notorious prisoners back home. Others looked like they could slice me in half. And I'm willing to bet they can.
I glanced around; no winding paths, no shortcuts around it. I've already come so far. I'm not going back now. No use wishing for a rope or anything I don't have.
Clamping the handle of the goblet between my teeth, I began to climb. It didn't look too hard. I've scampered up taller trees with tough bark back home. How hard could this be?
I've underestimated it. While the climb itself was not difficult, I struggled to keep a sturdy grip on the sharp, rough surfaces of the rocks. The wind kept nipping at my fingers, and sometimes I've the urge to swat my hand at what felt like millions of ice flies biting my hand with sharp little, frosty teeth. My satchel had long ran out of morsels, not that there was much to take before starting out, and hardly one drop remained in my small canteen. If only something grew on the trees that I could use for rope or for substance.
My heart skipped a beat as I narrowly avoided one particularly jagged point. My breath was coming out jaggedly, and I couldn't afford to cut myself; I'd likely bleed out before I reach Serendipity. I gritted my teeth as I felt a bead of cold sweat roll down my neck. Prim is counting on you. Don't you fail her now. Don't you fall.
I won't. I will protect you, Little Duck. I won't be like Mother.
I was almost on the other side.
I won't be like Mother. I'll always be there for you.
Except that wasn't true. This very moment I should be by her side, taking care of her. I don't know if I could even count on our mother to take care of Prim right now, when she needs someone's care the most.
But I am, Little Duck! I am going to get the elixir for you. And I won't fail you.
Little spasms of pain exploding in my arm muscles every few seconds, I carefully made my descent on the new side, jumping when I felt it was at the point where I wouldn't break any bones.
THUMP!
By all chances, I managed to land on my feet, although I did teeter-totter a few steps. Pumping my fist into the air at this small victory, I broke into a trot. My heart began pounding at the speed I was going, but at this point I'm beyond caring. According to the old drunk's directions, I was so close to my destination. Once you hop over the rock wall, go until you see a bridge...
I saw the bridge first. It sat being enveloped in the slight mist that had settled in, but remained clear enough for me to make out its shape. It was a long, narrow old bridge held together by worn-looking rope, dangling over a particularly spacious abyss. It spanned from the edge of my cliff to the other side, where a gigantic iron gate awaited. It was a portcullis. Like the king's castle back home. The portcullis looked as if it lead straight into the giant rocks, but in that instant I knew that there was where Serendipity lay, beyond those giant rocks. Beyond the iron gate.
This is so simple, so easy, I thought almost happily as I neared the bridge. All I have to do is to figure a way for that nifty gate to open and then -
And that's when I saw them.
At first, they had been concealed by the mist. Perhaps that was why I didn't notice them at first. Or maybe it was just that they fit in so well with their surroundings that they blended right into it.
Two guards, silent and still as stone, stood in front of the iron gate. Right. In. Front. Of. It.
I immediately jumped behind a nearby tree. Bare as it was, it was my only hiding structure. I held my breath, silently cursing Haymitch for not telling me about the guards.
I hid for awhile. The only noises are the cold calls of the wind and the slight creaking of the bridge. It seemed like the guards didn't see me, something of which I was very grateful for.
My thoughts turned to Haymitch. What kind of idiot doesn't tell me about GUARDS, it's not like I've ever been out of the land before and if for one damn moment that old drunkard thought -
Oh. Maybe he did tell me, but I had been in too much of a hurry to listen. I was in such a rush to leave as soon as possible that I had cut him off when I thought I knew enough.
"And don't forget, sweetheart, watch out for the harpies."
"Yeah, yeah, thanks Haymitch."
And then out the door I went, giving no second thought as to what in hell were harpies.
I felt like slapping my own face numb to match my hands. I am such an idiot! Why do I always have to be so stubborn, to have a stubborn sense of pride! Idiot! Idiot! If I had listened, then maybe I'd already have saved Prim by now!
Okay, Katniss, calm down. Breathe. Calm. Down. You're never going to save Prim this way.
I peered down at the goblet. I hadn't realized the possessive way I was cradling it in my arms until now. Seeing my deranged reflection in it offered me a strange sense of relief, a bit of hope. I'm still me. I'm still going to save Prim.
I was going to need a plan. But my brain seemed to be empty during these very moments, these moments when I needed it the most. Like Mom.
Seconds passed. Then minutes.
Tentatively, I peeked out from behind the tree. They were still there, of course. I hadn't noticed upon first glance, but now I'm taking a closer look, I could see that they were gigantic, almost as tall as the looming gate itself. They were identical, dressed from head to toe in armor. Helmets concealed their faces - harpy faces? -and they each clutched a spear about as tall as themselves, and... what were those shiny objects hanging from their necks?
I squinted a bit, trying to make out the tiny, blurry shapes. Some kind of crystals. Probably from a guards' cult or something.
One of them seemed to suddenly glance my way. I immediately drew my head back, curses going strong in my head and hoping against hope that they hadn't seen me.
Seconds passed again. Then minutes.
It looked as if they hadn't seen me after all. I let out a breath I hadn't known I was holding. My mind raced. Time was moving slowly but nonetheless running out. It's been days since I've left home, and what I fear most of all may come to be true if I don't return soon.
It agonized me, the unfairness of it all - out of everyone, why did it have to be my little sister that got picked to suffer? Why did she have to fall ill? She wouldn't hurt a fly. She'd never done harm to anyone, in fact, she tried to help everyone who needed it. She deserved better - a better life and a better sister.
I choked back a sob. Katniss Everdeen did not cry. But days of anxiety and nights of dread and constant worry and little hope had taken its toll. I'm sorry, Prim. I'm sorry I can't even do this for you. With my brain void of ideas and my stomach growling and my body aching with fatigue, I was still a long way from home.
The sheer thought drove me nuts; I am helpless when the time comes that dearest person in the world needed me the most. In a childish fit of anger, I kick at the bare ground, at the leaves that were supposed to be there but weren't, at the frost that was supposed to be snow.
Little did I know that my braid had been caught in a branch when I'd sharply ducked back. When I had kicked the sloppy ground, the sudden movement jostled me forward, tugging my braid and the branch. I couldn't free it; the branch refused to be suppressed by any movement. Finally, I yanked as hard as I could.
My braid came free with a SNAP!, the branch broken and on the ground. I was bending down to retrieve it when I heard the voice.
"What was that?"
I literally froze on the spot, afraid to even breathe too loudly.
"I heard something."
"I didn't."
"That's because you're always half asleep on the job, you big lug. Don't go anywhere. I'm going to investigate."
Soon, the sound of a giant pair of flapping wings thudded over the sound of my heart thundering in my eardrums. Squeezing my eyes shut, I tried to contemplate all the things I could do (and moves to make) when she found me.
I remembered from the stories that my father told me, Serendipity guardians were trained their entire lives to show no mercy. Tall, brutal, and lethal. And they had armor made out of this protective mesh that basically blocked anything...even arrows (but there's no use thinking of that). I told myself I wouldn't regret trading my bow for a couple of warm meals a couple villages ago, as I had ran out of arrows by that time. A bow was basically useless without arrows (and they had to be the right kind of arrows, not the sticks and spears that never shoot straight and somehow always end up not being sharp enough). And I was desperate. I had needed the food more.
Since I didn't have a bow and arrows with me, I have very limited choices when she finds me. I could take off running in the other direction, but that wouldn't solve anything. Running onto the bridge would only trap me in between the two guardians, and something in my intuition tells me that it wouldn't be such a good idea. I'd do about anything for Prim, but it is completely against my nature to beg for things on my knees.
The sound of the wings grew closer, and I clutched the goblet so tight that my fingers turned white, shivering not from the cold.
Just as I thought when I was going to be found any second now, the beating of the wings suddenly grew...softer?
Yes, they were flying away.
An enormous shadow hovered over me, and I did something I used to do when I was younger. I cradled my head in my hands, not daring to look up, too afraid to breathe.
It seemed like an eternity before the shadow passed.
One of the guardians had flown away. I let out a shaky breath, and snuck another glance at the gate. One guard remained. My mind began racing, giddily.
No matter who or what I'm dealing with, one is always easier than two. Hell, if there were two of me, this would be a piece of cake. But then there would be another mouth to feed, another mouth of which harsh words and sounds would escape out of.
I only need a way to divert one guard's attention, and then the waters of Serendipity will be in my goblet and I'll be on my way, and then my Prim will be okay again.
My eyes darted around for ideas. It felt like my heart was pounding its way up my parched, crackling throat. I didn't know when the other guardian would be back. Quickly, quickly. I needed to act quickly.
When I peeked out one more time from the tree, I felt my heart drop into my stomach. The guardian was nowhere in sight.
The guardian was nowhere in sight.
I'm immediately on my guard. I whirled around, body launched into attacking position, courtesy of hunting instincts. But the mountain only answered me with howls of the wind.
I scanned the perimeter, my eyes darting this and that way and never missing a spot. A million questions ran through my mind, like the flow of rushing river water disrupting peace in a forest.
Where had the guardian gone? Had he flown away to join his companion? Have I been spotted? Is he perched on a cliff somewhere high above, watching me this very moment? Waiting for the right one to attack?
I stayed behind what little shelter the tree provided me on high alert, watching, waiting, holding my breath, not daring to breathe. An eternity seemingly passed.
The guardian still had not returned.
By this time, rage was bubbling inside me (like one of Greasy Sae's cauldrons filled to the brim with a thick, green concoction). The harpies are giving themselves too much credit if they think I'm just going to squat here and do nothing. Hell, what was I even waiting for? The gate was guard-free!
I sprinted out from my hiding spot, knowing that I hadn't much time. But I was ecstatic, no other thought filled my mind except for glee - glee that there were little obstacles in my way. I was so close - I could practically feel a heavier goblet cradled in my hands, perhaps stored safely into my canteen. I must've been this wild, desperate, impulsive thing.
I'm not even halfway through stumbling across the wobbly bridge when I heard the soft beating of wings and felt a warm flash near my face. I blinked.
A guardian towered in front of me, wings fanned out in full glory.
My breath caught sharply. In that sudden moment, my knees turned to jelly and my brain to void. I couldn't bring myself to move, couldn't bring myself to tear my eyes away from the guardian. Who removed his helmet to reveal a face underneath - a young man's face. With rumpled ash-blond hair, a smooth, square forehead, and sharp green eyes, he looked human.
He grinned at me, and for some preposterous reason, my jaw slacked a little. There was nowhere to run. Nowhere to run but go back, and that's not going to happen. I'm way too upfront to back down now.
"Fancy a maiden trying to get across this bridge by herself," he said, two symmetrical dimples popping out from the perfect apples of his cheeks.
I could feel my face redden at an alarming rate. "I'm skilled with a bow and arrow," I said, eyeing the spear he was still clutching in his hands.
In fact, I'm so skilled that I wished I had a bow and arrow so I could shoot myself in the foot. What the hell was I thinking? Telling an enemy my weapon of choice? So he'll learn not only strength but also my weaknesses? How stupid can one person be? Incredibly, indefinitely stupid. I'd be happy if my legs would carry me over to the abyss, if that meant I didn't have to face his coming response. I had never hated myself as much as I did in this moment.
And then he does the unexpected. Leaning down so his lips were level with my ear, catching me completely by surprise. I grew as rigid as a statue, unable to move. His breath tickled my ear as he whispered, "What's a little girl like you doing so far away from home?"
Red hot. My entire face was red hot, and I knew it, and he knew it. Cursing him under my breath, I snapped, "How do you know where I come from? It's not as if you've known me for very long."
I knew I should've kept the latter comment to myself, but it was difficult for me to control myself under the circumstances. These were just little details, but I'm positive I saw one of his eyebrows twitch a bit and a gleam of something flare in his eyes. To those whom lack hunter instincts, his demeanor simply appeared lighthearted and even almost friendly.
I bet I can see right through him.
"I don't think you're from around here. You wouldn't have been attempting what you were about to try." His eyes twinkled as he said this, and I gripped my goblet tighter. Was he mocking me?
"Who are you?" he asked, making me snort. As if that question wasn't due five minutes ago.
"Does it matter?" I sassed him, ignoring all the voices in my head telling me it wasn't a very good idea. (Despite his almost humorous manner, he still branidshed a weapon and towered over me. Not to mention he had wings as well, giant fucking bat wings.)
"I think it matters to the dear little village who wants to know if their princess is coming home. What ever led you to the decision to come out here by yourself?"
I didn't miss the threat in his voice. "I'm not a princess."
"No, but you come from a kingdom with royalty. Which one do you hail from, I wonder? Over the hills, beyond these mountains? Capitol? Panem?"
I wrinkled my nose when I heard the name of my kingdom on his tongue.
He smirked. "Ah, Panem."
I sneered inwardly. How could these harpies read my mind better than I do myself?
"Panem is a very large kingdom, Firegirl. If what you're seeking isn't there, what are the chances of it being out in the wilderness?"
"Firegirl?" I replied, quirking a brow (he only smirked at me). "And I know exactly what I'm looking for." I felt my face heat up. I am not looking forward to what is coming.
The guard tilted his head, his eyes never leaving mine, never stopping their hunt for clues. "And what is that, Firegirl?"
I ran my tongue across my chapped lips, desperately searching for something I know I won't find. But that doesn't stop me. "This is not completely wilderness," I said quietly, "My sister has fallen deathly ill. I seek the one thing that can cure her."
I watched as his face fell, catching on. His entire demeanor changed. No longer was he smiling, and his eyes had become too cold for my liking (not that I liked them in the first place).
"What is your name?"
I blinked. Out of all the things he could've said...he chose to ask me my name? Didn't we have this conversation already?
Out of the corner of my eye, his spear caught the sunlight and gleamed. I swallowed, feeling my heart pounding against my ribcage. "Katniss. My name is Katniss."
Still no smile. I imagined the spear piercing through my neck. One clean cut, if he had mercy. But the chances of that are laughable.
My heart nearly stopped when his hand seized mine. My fingers twitched in his rough grip. "Wha -"
"Gloss, Guardian of the Gates to Serendipity." He let go of my hand.
I stood there, stunned. It's been ages since somebody had bothered with the shaking of hands. With mine, especially. Not many hands offer themselves to a small, calloused one coated with soot and coal and grime.
But just as he could be arrogant, he was, in his own way, attempting to be polite.
I'm certain my brows are doing some type of furrowing. I don't understand him. Why try to be polite if he thought he was better than me?
"Let me guess. You are here for the waters of Serendipity, rumored for their remarkable healing powers," he said.
"It's not a rumor," I said back.
He laughed, not genuinely, and the bridge wobbled. I hang on for dear life. "You are learned for a girl from Panem, especially from District 12."
My jaw opened, missing his insult completely. "How did you - "
"Your hands were covered in coal dust. Is that not the industry of 12?"
I crossed my arms. "Yes." I refused to drop eye contact, refused to let him know how much his spear (and prejudice for my home) affected me.
"Serendipity is not a place for anyone to tread lightly into. What makes you think you deserve even a drop of its precious water?"
My arms come uncrossed, and my eyes dropped to the ground of their own accord. "My sister will not have a chance if she is not cured soon."
Something in me told me I should have brought items of value to barter. I'm an okay bargainer at home, but I've been told by many (rather bluntly) I lacked the appeal to tip the weight of the deal in my favor. However, I had listened to the other voice, the other voice that had told me thieves were common along the way and they would gladly kill for treasures of value. But it's not like I own many nice things, and besides, I could do without any extra weight on my back.
He inclined his head, studying me carefully, searching for something. He's been well trained not to show emotion.
"You've traveled far to save your sister, Katniss. Your journey has been neither short or easy."
I hated how insightful he was, and how deep he could dig into me. To be real, what did he expect to find?
There was no trace that a smile ever existed on his face. "Unfortunately, your journey ends in vain. You will not step one foot near the gate of Serendipity."
I felt my heart drop even lower into my stomach. "It's the only way - "
"You have no right to take from Serendipity's waters - "
"My sister - "
"Neither mine nor Serendipity's problem. You better leave, my sister Cashmere will return soon."
"It's my sister's only chance!" I screeched, resisting the urge to stomp my foot. I'm beyond caring how desperate and pathetic I probably sound. I was desperate and pathetic.
His eyes bored into me, relentless, cold, unmoved. They were as green as emeralds. I've never seen a real emerald before.
"It's my only chance," I added more quietly.
His forehead furrowed, like he was considering me. This is it. I've dropped the curtain for him to judge the everything it was hiding.
Then, he turned around and started walking back towards the gate that meant life or death.
"Farewell on your journey home."
"Farewell on your journey home."
I'm left with a view of his back, two sharp, bat wings poking out from where his shoulder blades should be. He's making his way across the bridge at a damn slow pace for a bat-winged harpy. He's taking my chances of saving Prim with him.
I had half a mind to jump him. I wanted to see the arrogance being wiped off his stupid face. I want to grab his wings and -
I shook my head. There's no time for fantasies out here. If I jumped him, it would not end very well for me. Considering that he held a spear and was more physically endowed than me. From the looks of it, one sharp wing alone could probably tear me to pieces.
This was not the time to lament for my bow. He was almost across the bridge. It was now or never.
"Wait!" I called after him. "Trade! I have a trade!"
A little spring of hope bubbled within me when he stopped and turned around. Not even a guardian could resist listening to an opportunity of trade. I held my breath as he started making his way back across. I had mere seconds. My hands frantically dug the contents of my satchel. None. There is nothing. He's here, and he's demanding what I've got to trade, and I've got nothing to trade, and my Prim will die now because of me.
"I'll do anything!"
Anything...anything...
The echo sounded strange and forbidden, as if it had escaped from someone else's lips. It was a voice thrown back by the mountains, unaccepted, unwanted, with nowhere left to go except into the hands of the merciless.
Gloss's giant hand reached out and roughly grabbed my arm. I tried not to wince as he yanked me towards him.
We were literally face to face.
"Anything?" he repeated, his grip not loosening one bit. (I would've struggled, but I didn't want to do anything against him now.)
For an unknown reason, I felt especially vulnerable when his green orbs bore into me. It was as if he could read right into my thoughts. By the time he was through, all my secrets would be out in the wind.
"Anything." I confirmed. It was hard enough maintaining eye contact, but the battle to keep my voice steady proved to be even harder. His face was thrust right in mine. The air had grown warmer. The chilly mountain breezes suddenly did not exist.
"Are you sure...?"
"I've never been more sure about anything..." I whispered. Why must his green eyes be flecked with little bits of gold? That is the closest I'll ever come to seeing real gold. Why must my palms be so sweaty? It's cold out here in the mountains...
"Kiss me." His voice was husky and came out in a whisper as well.
"What?" I lost the will to keep my voice steady. His request shocked me so, but at the same time, a tingle ran through my body. I shuddered.
"Kiss me. Do you want to keep your end of the deal or not?" His tone was ever so harsh, yet his voice ever so soft.
And before I could reply, before I could think, his lips were on mine.
I've overheard girls back home whispering of such things, but I had never bothered listening. I had focused more on survival, hunting and gathering food for my family. I had Prim to take care of. I had no time for pursuing things which I thought were useless. I think the baker's son has a crush on me, but I'm not sure. Where it comes to kisses and romance and this thing called love, I'm completely clueless.
I've never really given much thought about my first kiss, but I would've never imagined this to be my first kiss, either. Gloss's lips are soft, much softer than I'd expect a guardian's to be. It didn't matter that my own were probably chapped and crackled. His lips were thick, warm, sensual. They mingled with mine in a...in a rhythmic way. I don't know how else to describe it. Heated and passionate and all that is in between.
Eventually, my brain sobered up and I remembered why I was here. Mustering what little's left of my strength, I pushed him off of me. Reluctant as I am to admit it, but I would've never pushed him off if he had done something to stop me.
He smirked in a way that was conceited and cocky and self-centered, in a way that must be in the genes of guardians. "You're offering some good deals, girl from District 12. I'm thinking I'll take them."
Is he saying what I think he's saying? My heart skipped a beat. "Are you saying that - "
He nodded. "If you give me what I ask for, then I will let you get the healing water for your sister."
I bobbed my head up and down at record pace. What we did was wrong, but my mind could focus on one thing only. The most important at hand. "My sister."
A slow smile spreading across his face, bringing out his dimples. "Come on, then."
I practically skipped in my steps as I shoved him to the side, bolting towards the iron door. The bridge swayed from side to side, but all I felt was the wind in my face and the wind knocked out of my breath.
The iron door, majestic, grand, stood tall and mighty in wait for me. I spotted the hidden lever right away behind a rock.
A wave of despair washed over me as I pulled with all my might. It didn't budge. Not even a little bit, and I was pulling to the hardest of my capability. Then rage captured me, and I tugged like a madman.
Gloved hands eventually came to guide my own. A warm breathe on my back. Toned arms brushing against my almost-skeletal own. The lever slowly, slowly, budged, creaking all the way.
Rough metal scraped against metal as the portcullis sluggishly rose. Bit by bit, inch by inch, we opened the iron gate.
Neither of us mention a thing about the help, to my relief. With the goblet gripped tightly in my hand and my satchel strapped to my body, I followed Gloss through where the portcullis had once been, into the gardens of Serendipity.
On the other side of the gate, he turned to me and gave me a smirk. "Welcome to Serendipity."
"Welcome to Serendipity."
It was nothing like the world of grey skies, lonely mountains, and naked trees we had just left behind.
When I was younger, my father would tell Prim and me stories about a place called the Land of Milk and Honey. It was told to be a land of streams flowing with honey and fountains sparkling with milk. It was told to be a land of sparkling, plump fruit that grew with ease on trees, and grapes that poured wine if you squeezed them, dangling off lush green vines. Gold dusted everything and people never aged. It was supposedly heaven on earth.
I stopped believing in this Land of Milk and Honey when I was little, but upon entering Serendipity, I'm struck with the memory of my dad's words. My mind filled with wonder as my eyes greedily tried to take everything in at once.
Although the gate had seemed to lead inside a giant rock itself, the space before me was only a span of vast blue skies. There was not a fountain nor a grapevine in sight, but instead a garden, with grass as green as emeralds and flowers in every shape and color, glimmering like precious jewels underneath the sun. Trees and ferns as graceful as fans unfurled from the ground. Some had remarkable gold and silver fruit hanging from their branches. Others were sprinkled with little gumdrops of rosy berries and fat, glossy dewdrops. A rich, earthly scent wafted through the entire garden and filled my nostrils with pleasure.
I noticed all the lovely pastel hues complimented the blue of two shimmering pools sitting side by side in what looked to be the center of the garden. The centerpieces.
I bet even the king's jaw would drop at a sight like this. Humankind can only go so far in landscaping.
I walked over slowly to the pool, transfixed on their blueness. Somehow, the intensity of their waters seemed to capture me, dazzle me. They were almost glowing in broad daylight. It was as if they were alive and were trying to lure me in.
I came close enough to the pools that I could see my reflection in both. I saw in both the mangled hair, dirt-streaked face, skeletal-thin body. But I also saw the wild gleam of triumph in all four pairs of eyes. I was going to be saving my sister. Victory was mine.
I had my goblet ready to scoop up water. But something stopped me. Something wasn't right. Why are there two pools? At first glance, it had seemed like nothing, but now it dawned on me. I turned to Gloss, my eyebrow raised in hesitation. And suspicion.
He laughed, ever so coldly. "Once a smart girl, always a smart girl. One of them is the legendary healing waters that you seek."
"What's the other?" I snapped, my patience running as thin as a stick.
Even I know it's not a good sign when he stopped smiling. "The other one, girl on fire," he said, both tone and expression darkening, "Will poison you. Drink it, and your mind will be wiped clean. All your memories, your cherished moments, gone forever before you can blink."
"Which one is the healing tonic?" I hissed incredulously, not noticing I was trembling.
He shook his head. "I do not know. It's up to you to choose. Make the right choice, and you will save your sister. Make the wrong choice, and... let's just say the world will be short of one Katniss Everdeen."
Inside shaking with fear, inside I'm trembling with rage. But with Prim's life on the line, I can't afford to waste any more time.
I swallowed, turning back to stare at the two identical pools. Both powerful. Both glittering under the sun. One healing. One deadly. One choice.
When I hurled a pebble into one, both surfaces rippled in unison. Gloss chuckled.
My hand balled into a fist. I'll show him. I'll show them all.
With my chin held high (hoping I looked more confident than I felt), I marched straight up to a pool and dipped the goblet into the water.
Well I'm not very good with word limits, but I've always wanted to explore a Katniss and Gloss story. I'm not the best at describing geography, but for those of you who don't know, a portcullis is a castle gate that virtually slides up and down. Think Medieval castles. And I'm planning on adding a part 2 to this story, there's so much that could be done with this world.
I'm thinking it to be a two or three shot. What did you think? I will try to respond to any reviews you have, provided you have an account or your PM feature is not blocked.
(Also, I'm working on Freedom of a Mockingjay and Enraptured Prisoner. I apologize gravely for that!)
