Marcelia Arbor, 18, District 2 Female
"Pleased to meet you. My name is Marcelia Arbor"
"Marcy, you can't train all day. Mandatory training ended an hour ago."
Ursula isn't the worst training partner ever. She's better than that Wisteria, who seems to want to take down our glorious system, Aquilo knows why. She's better than Megaera, who's bubbly and kind, but an absolute idiot at fighting. She's better than Dione, my best friend, because she has a lack of mercy and is a proficient fighter, like myself. But she's still a bit upset that she didn't get the volunteer spot. She annoys me sometimes.
But don't misinterpret that, Ursula is still one of my friends. She sits with us at break time, and her wittiness is appreciated. She's been one of my roommates ever since I came to the Academy, and naturally, we were training partners. She's a worthy opponent, and a worthy friend.
"Ursula, you know I need to train," I say with a determined scowl, "And don't call me Marcy. I was named Marcelia for a reason."
She shrugs and picks up a spear from the rack. I know what's going to happen. Ursula only grabs a spear like that on one occasion.
"I suppose you'd like to fight?", I say, "Games style, any weapon, any technique counts."
She grins. Of course she does.
I grab two axes from the axe pile. It's a strange story how I became an axe fighter. I was born with a birthmark on my collar, which just looks like an anomaly to some, but if you see it the right way, it looks like an extremely blurry axe. I tried it, and indeed, I showed proficiency with the weapon. I am now the top axe-user in the Academy, though that's mostly because not many people use the axe.
We slip on the old metal and leather chestplates provided so we don't accidently cut each other in two, and ready our weapons. I can use any axe, but ever since I swung a sharpened, new axe in the volunteer tests, the blunt, old axes for normal training seem lesser. I can't wait to have that feeling of freedom again when the axe swings through the air.
We place the minuscule electronic scorers on the tip of Ursula's spear, and on the blades of my axes, which will put our scores up on the small scoreboard in the room. It's easier than counting ourselves as we fight. According to our instructor, they were based on fencing equipment from before Panem, but have become far more sophisticated.
We face each other, and at the nod of Ursula's head, we begin. I don't want to risk throwing my axe, in case it kills her. I have a plan, though. Of course, I will never do this in the Games, it is rather dishonourable, but any technique counts.
I leap up and push her to the ground, and touch my axe to her chest. One point to me. She gets up, and dusts herself off. No crying for the strong. A blue 1 flashes on the scoreboard.
Next round, I take a more traditional approach. I parry with the axe, it's odd, but it works, and eventually, I hit her with the axe. Two points to me.
It continues in this vein, until I win with five points. I shake Ursula's hand with a smile. We take off our armour, and painstakingly remove the scorers from the weapons, being careful not to tear them. We place them carefully in the pile, and I put my axe back in the box, while Ursula places her spear on the rack.
Even I agree that that's enough training. We agree to go to the milkshake place down the street, and meet Dione, Megaera and Wisteria. Secretly, I only agreed to go because I needed a protein shake after training, though I know that for all her moodiness, Ursula loves chocolate milkshakes.
The Victorious Milkshake Parlour, known for its drinks named after the Victors, is decorated in pastel colours instead of the normal grey and black in Two, has a few groups there. Dione, Megaera and Wisteria are already there, and we sit down at their table. Well, it sells all kinds of cold drinks, but it does make good milkshakes.
"I presume you came from training?" asked Wisteria, "I don't know why you do it, it's setting yourself up for death in the death match, in this corrupt country."
"She's training to SURVIVE the deathmatch, Wist," says Dione with a smirk. She always did have excellent comebacks.
"Welcome to the Victorious Milkshake Parlour," says a waiter, "May I take your orders?"
"I will have the Mimi Liang Sweet Honey Blend Frappucino," says Dione. She always has that.
"One Persephone Frostine Fairy Good Spider, with no ice cream," says Megaera with a grin. What even is the point of having a drink named after the pipsqueak if it doesn't have ice cream?
"I don't know if you still have it, but if you do, an Andrea McGuphry Totally ROCKing chocolate milkshake with popping candy," says Ursula. The waiter nods and she smiles.
"Sophie Anderson Insanely Delicious Cherry Iced Tea," Wisteria says, staring straight at the waiter, "Wow, naming a drink after a mentally scarred teen. Classy." Must she be so rebellious?
"Pleased to meet you, my name is Marcelia Arbor," I shake his hand, "I will have a Fenris Perrin Quelling Protein Shake, please and thank you."
"Do you always have to get those?", says Megaera, "They taste like sawdust."
"I have to agree with her there," comments Dione, "Those are the grossest drinks this place serves."
We thank the waiter when our drinks come, and Ursula immediately marches off, then sits back at our table, plastic straw in her hand. She sticks it into my drink, and has a sip. Her face screws up.
"Yep," she grimaces, "Sawdust."
I take her straw out, and start drinking. It doesn't taste like sawdust. If anything, it tastes like the Academy, working, training, all for our great nation. But of course, the Academy doesn't have a taste, so that's silly.
Everyone makes fun of me for training so much. I know in Two honour is respected above all, but I train constantly, rather than partying or doing any other teenage stuff. They don't understand, they think that I'm some emotionless machine. They don't understand I had to watch my mother…oh, I can't bear to think it. They don't understand she died right in front of me.
Panem saved me, the Peacekeepers brought the awful people to justice and put me in the Academy. And I have faith that Panem will save me again and again in the future.
Crew Jackson, 18, District 2 Male
"No one's immortal, it's just no one's has found a way to kill them."
The Academy isn't really my style.
To be fair, I've never tried it out, but it just seems like a bunch of brainwashed people running around screaming, "PANEM WILL SAVE US!". My alternative is much better.
When I was a baby, my father knew the right way to raise me. He couldn't, he was single, had committed some sort of crime, and my mother was not there. He was in trouble, so he handed me over to the Brass Templars.
We have a few old pictures and texts, about our inspiration, considered ancient in the ancient country before Panem. Knights, battling proudly. Not Peacekeepers, I have no respect for them.
The Academy doesn't accept random kids off the street, and think they're some kind of awful. Well, I do remember being told about one or two. Apparently one is the chosen volunteer this year. But anyway, the Templars do.
There is not a shield in sight in the Academy. Shields are essential here. The kids over there are taught to fight, that defence isn't important. If I hadn't been here, and learnt about balance, I'd be one of them.
Which is why I'm here now. Fortuna and I are some of the best warriors here. I block her sword with my shield, and charge. She parries, and knocks me back with her shield. I jump up, and fight her. I'm about to hit her when-
"Crew, Fortuna!" yelled Alexis, "They've called break! You wasted three minutes fighting! I swear, if you didn't already have a special someone, you'd be kissing by now! Let's go, Hero's waiting!"
Hero and Alexis Mason, twin brother and sister weren't handed over, like I was. They were found on the streets, barely a year old. If the Founder hadn't well, found them when he did, they would have died. But you'd never know they're "some of those rotten Templar kids" when you look at them. Clean blonde hair, tall, and happy. It's more obvious for me. I've been seen with the Founder many times, and my coming-of-age tattoo is sort of obvious to the eye.
I reluctantly go outside. Training is my life, and I feel sort of empty when I'm not doing something to prepare for the Games. It's going to be my final trial before I take over the Templars from the aging Founder. I'm fast, I can get there before the chosen guinea pig this year. And I HAVE to win.
I sit at the table with Hero and Alexis, and wolf down my sandwich, while my friends watch on with a smirk.
"Classic Crew," comments Hero, "You've been working constantly ever since the Founder told you about your final trial, it'll do you some good to settle down, or at least do something more relaxing."
Hero's basically the only person keeping me from training all the time. We've been dating since we were both 16, what can I say, he makes me happy! He's supported me through training, and inspired me when I wanted to give up. I guess, in a way, he'd be a better leader than me, but I can't change what the Founder thinks.
"Fine," I reply with a smile, "Any news about the Games this year?"
"I have it from a reliable source that the Pre-Games might be changed a little bit," Alexis reported, "But they never told me why. I suspect it's because of a new employee. And the Gamemakers are fighting over who will take over Swanilda Lucian's position, so the arena this year is probably going to be very cool."
"And very dangerous," adds Hero.
"More mutts?" I ask.
"Definitely," says Alexis, "And maybe poisonous water, birds that peck your eyes out, and flowers that release lethal chemicals into the air."
"Don't scare him, Lexi," laughs Hero, "They don't want the number of tributes to be halved on the first day!"
"Interesting," I comment, "Anything else?"
"Hero and I have done some snooping," says Alexis, "and we think we know who the chosen volunteers are."
"The male is Hypnos Shale," reports Hero, "Big, tough, spear user, sort of dumb."
"And the female?"
"Marcelia Arbor," says Alexis, "Agile, skilled, axe user, so patriotic it's stupid."
"So, I'm going into the Games with Marcelia," I say, "And it sounds like Hypnos will be easy to beat."
"Exactly," says Hero.
"Oh!" says Alexis, "Did you hear, Crimson Cepheus is out of prison!"
"How many were there, again?"
"Three, but Carmine is now a patriotic Capitolite, and the little one escaped a few years back."
"What were they in for this time?" asks Hero, a smirk on his face. Alexis seems to live for gossip.
"Carmine was in for treason but gave up her criminal ways, Cerise was in for murder and meddling with the Games, and Crimson was in for aiding and abetting. A lot suspect it's just them, but I think it's a HUGE anti-Panem underground society!"
"That's….interesting," I say, "but I really should be getting into training. I'll see you later!"
And I dash off before either can object. Hero and Alexis are practically family, well, it's sort of weird with me dating Hero, but they've cared for me all these years. But that can't get in the way of my goal.
Alexis' news is making my head spin. I know where to go to calm down. I rush to the ancient library of materials, and trace over the figures in armour in the paintings. Soon, I will be one of them. Soon, I will go down in history.
Yes, I said I'd upload another prologue. I've decided that the POVs in that prologue would be better placed throughout the story, so it doesn't really matter. I'm sorry this took so long to come out, I would have finished it the other day, but I had a clarinet test and my school got evacuated, so it's here a bit late. What are your thoughts on Marcelia and Crew? They were submitted by kashew klick and TehTempler respectively, so thanks for these epic tributes!
Thank you for following Fantasies Swept Away!