There's an anticipating hush over the chariot bay as we enter. Most of the other tributes have already gathered with their chariots and mentors; some even having climbed into them already. Serena gave us no time to watch as she strode directly over to our chariot, a small contraption made of white metal and trimmed with gold. Two beautiful black horses stood in front of it, waiting to draw us out into the scrutiny of the crowd. Finnick hadn't accompanied us, preferring to remain in the company of a few other mentors who would be watching the games.
"Manta, chin up they're going to be watching you." Serena tapped Manta's cheek with one finger. Her eyes flitted to me a moment after. "Hali don't look so grim, you're meant to be a mermaid"
Our stylists had outdone themselves with our costumes, dressing us both in shades of aqua and green. The fabric they'd chosen was shimmery and almost liquid, with small, glittering scales sewn into it and layered one over the other. Manta wore pants made out of it, his torso only covered by a sash of glittering white cloth that hung diagonally from his shoulder to his waist. Similarly, my dress was made of the same material; though where his was deep aqua, mine was much lighter, almost more white than blue. They'd combed his hair back, holding it in place with a thick gel, and then adorned it with a crown made of fake seaweed and saltwater pearls. Mine had been curled and allowed to fall freely over my shoulders and back, strewn with white glitter and blue flowers.
"Take note of them now," Serena said, her eyes flitting around to the other tributes. "Tomorrow you enter the training room with them. And at the end of the week you'll be in the arena with them trying to kill you. How they attract the crowd today, and how they perform in the training sessions could be the difference between life and death for you both. So watch carefully. Choose your allies well."
I let my eyes wander around the room, taking stock of our fellow tributes. I'd seen them briefly during dinner the night before, all grouped together at separate tables. District One's pair were a perfect looking pair called Shimmer and Shine. They'd spent most of dinner eyeing the others tributes, particularly Manta and the District 2 boy, Reese, and his partner, Gem. District three had put forth a mousy looking pair whose names I couldn't remember; they'd been the only ones who joined another table, sitting alongside district 5's tributes, both of which were skinny and malnourished. Districts 6 and 7 were pretty standard, though the girl from Seven was built like a bull shark and the boy from Six could probably tear the same shark in half. District 9 was comprised of two younger kids, both couldn't have been more than fourteen. They spent the meal sniffling and staring at opposite walls. Ten and Eleven both bad tributes in the older range, their boys were both tall and well built, while the girl from Ten was small and stocky and her District 11 counterpart was tall and slender. Twelve was the usual standard, small, underfed kids who were probably on the younger side; the girl was at least fifteen, but the boy couldn't have been older than twelve. We'd sat in near silence in that room for an hour and a half, each of us shifting our eyes between one another, deciding who we might kill first.
Manta had taken great pleasure in it, talking all the way back to the room about the fights he wanted to get in. He wasn't particularly worried about anyone, whether that was arrogance or bravado I didn't know, but he did desperately want to fight with the boys from Ten and Eleven.
"Chariots depart in two minutes" The electronic voice of a woman announced.
Serena ushered us into the chariot, directing both of us to hold onto the front rail. "Smile. You're career tributes and you want to be here" She tapped the side of the chariot, stepping back as the horses pulled our chariot into the line. The tributes from Three are ahead of us, holding glowing spears and wearing metallic looking suits with lines of light running underneath them. Ahead of them, Two's tributes wear outfits the color of obsidian, laced with gold. District One is the most grandiose as usual, their tributes dressed in shimmering gold and emerald. I can't possibly look behind me, as the moment we're in line it is moving, taking us out through the massive doors and into the screaming crowd.
Following Serena's instructions, I lifted my hand and waved. In front of me, Gem blew a sultry kiss to a camera moving rapidly alongside us. I turned my attention to that same camera, waving and giving my best smile to it. Manta cheered along with the crowd, drawing plenty of attention to us. Two cameras were focused on us for the rest of the short trip, broadcasting my faux excitement and Manta's very real enthusiasm to the crowd from huge, mounted holoscreens on either side of the route.
Finally we reached the large, circular pathway that marked the end of the parade grounds. One by one the horses pulled our chariots into formation, leaving us lined up by district around a fountain depicting the Capitol's emblem.
"Ladies and Gentlemen" A booming voice came from the holoscreens. I looked up to the podium above us, knowing full well that it was President Snow who would stand there. He licked his lips as he continued, raising his hands to silence the roar of the crowd. "Welcome, to the initiating ceremony of the 67th Hunger Games! We are joined here by our tributes, two from each district, to remember that without each other, without the Capitol, we are nothing. To remember the wars fought years ago, and to remember what shall happen should we forget it, 24 tributes from the twelve districts are selected each year to enter the arena. Only one will leave. And that one will become a Victor, a monument to our strengths, and the strongest amongst us." The crowd cheered louder, their excitement reverberating against the high stone walls. "With that, let the proceedings to the 67th Annual Hunger Games begin!"
The chariots jerked into motion, leading us in a slow, deliberate circle around the emblem. We passed it twice before they straightened their path, pulling us in one long line through a set of doors that had opened up below the podium.
Lights flickered on above us as the doors closed behind District 12's chariot, blocking out the light and noise of the crowd from outside. Our mentors were waiting for us as we were stopped in designated spots. Serena looked pleased. Finnick merely content.
"Well done. We have half a dozen of the regular sponsors asking questions about you already" Serena said in a hushed voice. She waited as Manta stepped down, and then offered me a hand to help me do the same. "If you pull high training scores and do well in your interviews you'll have everything you could need in the arena."
"I knew they'd like me" Manta grinned. His eyes flickered with anticipation. "When do we start training?"
"Tonight. Training hours are from three to six today, dinner at seven." Finnick answered. "We've spoken to District One's mentors, Kratus and Tryst, they want Manta and they'll take Hali if he agrees. Two's want you both. Seven's girl is very interested in you, Hali. Johanna seemed impressed so if you like her she'd be a good match"
I wasn't surprised with One's decision. They liked to take winning bets and right now I didn't look like one. Two probably threw me in to make sure I didn't take off with another district right off the starting platforms. Seven surprised me though. She could break me in half if she wanted to, I couldn't imagine why she'd throw in with me.
"We could bring Seven into the career path. Might have to get rid of her scrawny partner though" Manta said as Serena lead us to a small elevator. It would take us up through the building and into the hovercraft that would return us to the tribute center.
"If you did that she wouldn't trust us" I put in. "He looks younger."
"He's thirteen" Serena nodded. She pressed a few buttons, sending the elevator shooting up its shaft. "Not as likeable as some of them, from what I understand, but not someone they'll like seeing die. You'll need to give them what they want eagerly, but it's also important to noticed what they won't like"
The way we talked about it made me sick. Within two weeks all but one of us would be dead, and yet here we were talking about how much the Capitol would like seeing us that way.
"I know it's difficult, Hali" Finnick must have read the expression on my face because he spoke softly, in a volume just too quiet for Serena or Manta to hear. "Just push through it. You won't have to show them
"I'm a career tribute" I said snidely. "They're all watching anyway, I might as well give them the show they came for"
"Hali.." Finnick frowned.
"She's right. This is a game for them. For us, it's real. For you, it's real. So give them what they want, and you'll win the games. It's not pleasant, but it's necessary."
Necessary. Right.
