AN: Like I said reviews are appreciated so I know that at least someone is enjoying the story. Ask any questions if you like about the character!
*Insert Disclaimer* blah blah I own nothing blah blah blah
R&R Enjoy
Arena - Artemis's PoV
I was nearing my time as I no longer could hold my own eye lids open. I wanted to say something, letting them know that I wouldn't go silently into the night. I cleared my throat of blood, forcing myself to stay conscious for a few words.
"Roman, you will forever be a monster," I said in a strong voice, "Nothing you do or say will change that," I looked down to my right hand, covered in my scarlet blood, that was all I saw in the hole through my left lung. Things became fuzzy as my head quickly lightened. Iron was all I could taste. Suddenly I heard the sound of someone moving, but it wasn't the monster Roman, these steps were light and careful, like they didn't want to scare me. My breath quickened as darkness reached my vision. I wanted to fight it but a part of my just wanted to give in and rest. Wind rustled my hair and I had no choice, warmth came around my cold body. I suddenly felt safe, and gave into the haunting darkness.
The sound of crunching foot steps made me slightly open my eyes, I saw trees upside down and I was moving forward. Things began to blur into black again and I lost consciousness.
"Artemis," a soothing voice said as my eyes opened, seeing beautiful purple-blue eyes and blonde hair.
"Mom?" I asked with a dry, bloodied voice. She gave me a sweet smile as she stroked my face. I could now tell what everyone was talking about. My mom and I look exactly alike. Being six you could never say that, but she looked so young. I don't remember the last time I saw a picture of her, smiling with joy and relief.
"Baby girl, I am so proud of you," her angelic voice made my clamoring nerves silent.
"How are you here?" she gave me a soft smile, and then I saw it. The blood on her green dress, the same one I wore to my Reaping, "Mom?" then the rope around her throat, "No!" suddenly I was launch backwards into a crowd of people, watching her hanging in the middle of town. The people around me all wore white and as soon as I blinked more people joined my mom in where she hung.
"You are charged with Rebel acts and defying the Capitol!" the Head Peacekeeper announced, but I couldn't see who he was talking to. I pushed through people, running to see the person, "And as your punishment, you shall hang till death," I pushed through two Peacekeepers and saw him. His eyes, hair, and gorgeous face, he was looking at me with fear.
"Artemis!" he screamed before the Peacekeeper kicked the box under his feet sending him to the ground where the only thing to catch him was the noose around his neck.
"Finnick!" I screamed jolting awake. I panted rapidly as I looked at my surroundings. I was in a sea cave of some sorts, High ceilings and a half circle pool that led to the ocean, the cave was actually quit spacious. Immediately I moved to stand up but the sharp pain in the left side made me stop. I looked down and moved my hand to where the hole from the spike was, but when I pulled my hand back to see the blood, but there was none. It was like the blood didn't even exist, "What the?" I breathed seeing no hole and all of my bite wounds from the hounds gone, with only small pink scars in their place.
"You have generous sponsors," a deep masculine voice said making me jump. I looked to the darkest part of the cave and saw two black eyes staring at me.
"Who are you?" I breathed, feeling weak wearing only my undergarments. He barely even moved out of the shadows for me to realize who it was, "Thomas?" his dark face lightening with a smile.
"You remember me?" his voice was shocked and I was taken back for a second.
"Of course," I said pulling the blanket I sat on pulling it around my shoulders, "Why wouldn't I?"
"After that day we had lunch together, the Careers were almost your fangirls, especially Roman," his name made me shutter and flinch, "I thought you thought of yourself higher than the rest of us."
"No," I swallowed, "I remember you," I glanced around nervously, then saw the sun setting. When I passed out it was already night, "How long was I out?"
"Six days," a new voice said, I immediately recognized, Wren, "You've been in and out of consciousness for a while, your lungs drained two days ago, so I don't know why you stayed asleep."
"Wren?" I asked seeing the small girl walk out of the caves rocky entrance, her pale skin was darker than mine, surprisingly, "Oh my god," she gave me a careful hug, fearful she would hurt me, "Your still alive!" A small bit of relief went through me knowing that this thirteen year old girl was still alive and far from him.
"Yeah, once I got out of the water I ran for the trees," Wren smiled as she sat in front of me with Thomas on her right, they seemed close. He was about fifteen I think, but he was massive. He was about two inches shorter than James and had the same exact build just slightly less muscular. How close are they?
"I was in town during the first night. I heard screams and then I saw something running across the roofs. Once I realize it was a girl I knew it had to be you," I raised an eyebrow at his statement, "I mean the shadow was to big to be April or Wren, while Blaze and Topaz wouldn't leave Roman or Dax. Then I heard your name being called."
"They were trying to get you back," Wren sighed, "They seemed angry."
"They hurt me, and James took me away but we split up," I glanced away hoping Thomas would catch on.
"Wren, can you go get Artemis's clothes, I think they're dry now," Wren happily skipped out of the cave, "You got 2 minutes to tell me what happened," I looked at him with sad eyes and told him everything.
"I won't let him or any man hurt any girl in this arena ever," my eyes narrowed on him, "So don't try anything, got it? That little girl with brown hair, brown eyes, and pale ivory skin that I do not know how those go together is an innocent little girl that will remain INNOCENT," my voice was low and sharp, "Understand?"
"Yes," Thomas said with scared eyes, Wren came back in with my bag and clothes. And as I put them on I kept my eyes on Thomas.
"How did you find me?" I asked making it seem like our conversation never stopped.
"Wren actually found you," Thomas said handing me my weapons, "After I saw you fall I ran to you, but when I came to the spot you fell I only found a small pool of blood and a small trail leading into the woods."
"I was hiding in the trees and saw you run into the woods," pictures of me falling and stumbling into trees came into my mind, "Once you climbed into a tree I moved closer to get a better look, I saw your eyes falling and I couldn't take it, I pushed you down to where Thomas was waiting and took your stuff with us to the cave."
"And?"
"Then the gifts came floating in," Thomas smiled, "Medicine, food, instructions to get the blood out of your lungs," I thought of Snow immediately, desperate to keep me alive for his stupid Capitol citizens, then I also thought of Finnick, how I promised him to come back to him, he's lost so many tributes and I couldn't put him through that pain, "Every time you went to sleep, everything calmed, the storm, the creatures, everything."
"Has anyone-" I couldn't finished the sentence, asking that type of question is unbearable.
"Died?" I nodded, Wren took my hand and softly smiled, "Only April. But 3, 4, and 6 guys are deep in town, while the Careers headed back to the beach."
"Wait, James is with Dom and Glaucious?" I asked feeling a small spark of hope.
"Yeah, Dom convinced James why he shouldn't kill them and now they have a truce," Wren's sweet smile made me feel less victimized by Roman.
"Artemis," Wren smiled as we ate some dinner, dried meat and some bread from Thomas's district, "What happened to your eye? I mean there's just a bruise with a cut and its not swollen so what happened?" I glanced away, not knowing what to say how to word things together.
"When she fell off the roof she bumped her head and hit her eyes on something round so it didn't leave it swollen," Thomas said after seeing my concern face. The excuse that stupid and completely untrue. It was still bruised because of the cut on my eye.
Thank you, I mouth to him. He gives me a curt nod before going to where his blanket was set up as a bed.
"I'm gonna take first watch," Thomas stood up with a curved looking knife before leaving the cave. I watched Wren quickly fall asleep in her area where I took my chance. Carefully I crawled out onto the rocks as the waves splashed around me and whispered into the air.
"Thank you."
Finnick's PoV
Artemis looked whole again. She was seemed angelic again. She was Artemis.
"Girl knows how to sleep," Gloss said sitting down next to me, I gave a small chuckle as we watched the Games unfold. Nothing major has happened since the first night, people were settling into their camps.
"Well at least mine are doing something," I smirked seeing that James gained alliances, Artemis escaped death, but what has his tributes done? Nothing but sit on the beach.
"True enough," Gloss smiled, "I like your tributes, they're different."
Different. That was definitely something that James and Artemis were. District 4 tributes are usually two types of people. Ruthless killers or weak links. But Artemis and James weren't that, they were something...magical about them. They were both above and below the other tributes. Almost god like.
"She called for you," Gloss sighed.
"I know," I said extremely confused, everyone thought it was so sweet that when Artemis was dying she called for me...and Adric. But the first person who came to her mind was me so they gave me sympathy for it.
"I don't think you do," Gloss laughed before snapping his fingers at the assistant who was clearly listening into our conversation. Suddenly Artemis sleeping in Thomas and Wren's cave came onto the screen.
"What is this?" I immediately asked, I've never seen this footage before. I mean, I've checked on Artemis when she slept but I had to keep an eye on James as well.
Her body twitched and moved in fear, her face moved way in horror, lips moving into making a name. The nightmare was getting worse due to her abrupt movements.
"Finnick!" Artemis called out in pain sitting straight up before exhaustion took over and sent her back into her dreams. She started reaching for something, she was reaching for someone. Someone to comfort her. Her lips moved, making the shape of three words, "Finnick save me."
"I went through every single moment of her time unconscious in the cave," Gloss said sitting down, "She only called for you, except once. She screamed for someone else."
"Who? James? Or Adric?" Adric's name was like salt on my tongue, bitter.
"She called for Percika," I looked to Artemis who now stood on the rocks outside of the cave, looking over the ocean in the night. Checking for something. No one has died in a while, the Gamemakers must be planning something for them. Something big, "Does that mean something to her?" I looked to Gloss, wondering why he was concerned about Artemis.
"In our district the Goddess Percika was the legends we told during important times. Weddings, funerals, birthdays, those type of times."
"Why did Artemis scream it though?"
"Percika is said to be the protector of District 4, but once you step outside it, she no longer can protect you because she doesn't know where you are, District 4 is said to be Percika's birth place," I looked to the screen seeing Artemis making a fishing net, "Artemis must think that if she does one thing, she will be able to burn and turn with Percika waiting for her."
"Burn and turn?" Gloss asked making me give a sigh.
"When someone dies, even if we have the body or not, we release a boat into the ocean and light it on fire. Once the boat goes over the horizon we say that the ashes turn into a pearl and a pearl symbolizes Percika's tears for all the ones who have died."
"Artemis was calling out for Percika so she knew where Artemis was," Gloss said looking at Artemis., her face was calm but I could see the storm brewing in her eyes as she occasionally glanced up at the entrance of the cave, "She doesn't want to be lost."
"James," her tears filled her voice, the vase shaking in her hands, "I don't know what to do," James picked her up off the glass and onto her bed, but when he tried to take the vase, she clung to it tightly.
"Your not lost," James said in the kindest voice possible.
"Then what am I?!" Artemis growled. That night was like a bullet through my gut. Artemis is slowly losing herself, and I don't know how to get her back. Because a part of me just desperately wanted to get her home away from the darkness that the arena has tainted her with.
Arena
While Artemis, Wren, and Thomas sat in the protection of their hidden cave James sat in Riptide Storm's replica house throwing his axe into the mahogany kitchen table, repeatedly.
I need a plan, James though to himself. No faces have been in the sky for the past few days. Its been a week since he last saw Artemis. Sometimes he hears her screaming for him, but it was just the wind. Artemis is out there, without me.
"Movement!" Glaucious quietly called from the second floor. James yanked up his axe and moved behind the kitchen door. The front door opened and soft footsteps entered the house.
"James," anger filled James as he recognized the voice, with one step James revealed himself to Dax. His hand were up as if he were surrendering, "I come in peace."
"Yeah right," Dom scoffed coming down the stairs with a homemade cross bow in his hands.
"Look, I know you don't trust me-"
"Trust? If you were on fire and I had a glass of water, I would gladly drink it," Glaucious sneered jumping the banister.
"I came here about Artemis," James froze. No one had mentioned her name since the third night when he teamed up with Dom and Glaucious. Suddenly Dax was pushed up against the wall with James's axe held to his throat.
"Don't you dare talk about her like you care for her," James growled with narrow eyes, "Your a Career," James pushed his axe more into Dax's neck, "And your with him."
"That's why I'm here," Dax choked, "I know Roman's plan."
"James, we need to hear this," Dom quickly said.
"Blaze and Roman are psychotic, their minds are shut off to one thing. Kill everyone. But Roman wants one person alive at the end with him."
James let go of Dax and stepped back, "Artemis," his voice was grave as he glance to Dom and Glaucious.
"Why?" Dom asked, "Wouldn't he want her dead before any of us?" a giant growl lurched into James's throat making the others jump back. Fury was like bright fires in James's eyes.
"Don't you dare say that!" James growled holding the axe in an iron grip.
"James, I can't stay any longer," Dax said frantically looking around, "I'm leaving Roman's camp in two dawns to find Artemis and keep her as far away from him," James's eyes narrowed, "I'll bring her here!"
"Are you crazy?!" Dom scoffed, "The Goddess doesn't belong in town, or here, here is where the hounds are and they have been after her since the first day."
"How can you tell?" Dax asked, James glanced back to Glaucious and nodded.
"Because they were rolling in her blood and drinking it. We even tried to provoke them but nothing," Dax let out a huff of breath hearing Glaucious's words.
"Wait, you called her 'The Goddess' why?" Dax asked slowly walking towards the door.
"You saw her! She is no 'mermaid' no one can kill her! She is to damn perfect to be a mermaid. The Capitol loved their symbols, but they made one giant mistake with Artemis as the symbol of a fucking mermaid," Dom was pacing in the dark living room.
"James?" Dax asked as he put a hand on the door, "You can come and help me find her."
"No," James said dully, "She doesn't think clearly when I'm near," Dax opened the door and James looked at a part of his dark home.
"I'll give Artemis your wished," Dax said stepping out but James suddenly caught his arm, with tears forming in his eyes.
"Give her this," James whispered, then Dax saw it. James was truly in love with Artemis, it wasn't an act, his words were ragged with soft fear for his love, "She's the moon in the sky, she holds my soul."
"What is it?" Dax asked looking at the object James handed him.
"She'll know what it is," James said letting go of Dax's arm, "Tell her 'May the waves carry you home as they will carry me, soon,' she'll understand."
"I'll keep her safe," Dax whispered.
"With your life," James growled before slamming the door shut and went back to planning with Dom and Glaucious, for two days.
2 Days Later
"Wren, wake up," Artemis softly said shaking the young girl awake with the soft of her boot as fear pulsed through her.
"Hm?" Wren moaned slowly sitting up.
"Where's Thomas?" her voice was low as she held her bow with a notched arrow ready to fire, "Wren!"
"What?" Wren's eyes went to Thomas's sleeping area, "He should've woken me up hours ago for my shift!" she then saw all of Artemis's gear placed on Artemis's back.
"Stay here," Artemis warned tossing Wren one of her daggers, "And hide. I'm going to go find Thomas."
"No need," a weak voice said as rocks suddenly moved, Artemis and Wren turned to the entrance and saw Thomas's figure walking through the stone entrance.
"Thomas," Wren breathed a sigh of relief as Artemis stood up and unarmed herself, Wren started babbling on how worried she was for Thomas as Artemis studied his form from where he stood in the shadows.
"Thomas, come into the light," Artemis said, he struggled to come into the sunlight, "By the gods!" Artemis gasped seeing that Thomas's left arm was gone and he was bleeding heavily. As soon as the two girls moved to help Thomas a cannon fired.
"Thomas!" Wren cried running towards his as he collapsed, placing his head in her lap. Artemis placed herself on Thomas's right side, examining his wound in a way that Wren couldn't tell.
"Water," Artemis hurried, "We need water and bandages," Artemis moved to stand up but Thomas stopped her.
"No," Thomas whispered.
"You need help, I'll get you the medicine, I'm the Capitol's mermaid, I can get you something!" Artemis felt her sanity strings tangling and falling apart.
"Your no mermaid," his words made Artemis go numb.
"Yeah? Why's that?" Artemis asked as hot gold tears went down her cheeks.
"You're a goddess," his voice was low but powerful.
"Your name are goddess's names, right?" Wren asked Artemis.
"Yes, Artemis and Aphrodite."
"To us," Wren said with tears flooding her face, "Your no longer a mermaid, your Goddess of the Sea," Artemis saw that Thomas was becoming drossy.
Percika, the goddess of District 4 went through Artemis's mind as she placed a hand on her token.
"Thomas how did this happen?" Artemis choked out.
"Last night, I heard something moving closer to the entrance so I began drawing them away, turned out to be giant dogs."
"Hell Hounds," Artemis whispered.
"One got hold of my shoulder, I took my axe and-"
"Gods don't finish that," Artemis gasped, interrupting Thomas.
"Artemis," Wren whispered seeing Artemis begin reaching for one of her knives, "Did you kill anyone?"
"Yes," Artemis breathed, "Mostly the girls, but who ever came after me during the bloodbath was killed."
"Why the girls?"
"I saw the way Roman looked at the girls and," tears clouded her vision, "I couldn't let him do what he did to me to them. I'm the oldest, I have to protect your innocence."
"So wait," Thomas said his was still strong but slowly fading, "You killed the younger girls except Wren, Blaze and Topaz to save them from Roman?"
"Yeah. I rather have him do it to me than to anyone else. I mean he would've killed them afterwards anyways. I had to do it."
Finnick's PoV
I watched Artemis explain herself to dying Thomas, little Wren. Mentors, sponsors, people of Panem saw the kindness and purity in Artemis.
"We want to give Artemis a gift," Chaff and Seeder said walking into my private room, Seeder's eyes were wet from crying.
"What is it?" I asked as for the first time ever I saw a single tear roll down Chaff's face as they looked to Thomas at his final moments.
Arena
"Do me a favor?" Thomas asked, Artemis knew it was his final moments, but didn't have any courage to tell Wren.
"Sure," Artemis smiled as soft tears flowed down her face, not caring if they were gold or not.
"Sing before I die," Artemis's eyes went wide, "Please, I'd rather die at the hands of a Goddess than anyone else," Artemis held back sobs as silver parachute came from the sea with the number 11 on it. Wren reached in, not letting Thomas's head leave her lap. Wren opened it and let out a soft sob as she handed Artemis a beautiful silver knife.
"I can't," Artemis softly cried.
"Please," Wren said with glossy eyes making the song Artemis's mom sang the night before she died to her family when Artemis fell asleep.
When all those shadows almost killed your light
I remember you said, "Don't leave me here alone"
But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight
Just close your eyes
The sun is going down
You'll be alright
No one can hurt you now
Come morning light
You and I'll be safe and sound
Don't you dare look out your window, darling,
Everything's on fire
The war outside our door keeps raging on
Hold on to this lullaby
Even when music's gone
Gone
"Now," Thomas said as Artemis placed the knife over his heart, tears flooding her face and hitting his skin.
Just close your eyes
The sun is going down
You'll be alright
No one can hurt you now
Come morning light
You and I'll be safe
She shoved the knife into Thomas's heart.
And sound
"Thomas," Wren sobbed as she stroke his face, his cannon fired making Artemis flinch.
"Find peace in the water's of the Goddess. Let the waves carry you home, as they will carry me someday," Artemis said as she pulled his body away from Wren and into the pool. Wren let out an agonizing scream as she watched Thomas float out to sea and vanish. Artemis held Wren as she screamed and cried out in anger.
"That was beautiful," a soft voice said. Artemis turned to her right and saw Dax. She made no move for her weapons.
"Are you here to kill us?" Artemis's innocent voice drew Dax out of the entrance of the cave.
"No, I would never harm you two," Dax said sitting on her right, as Artemis dully looked at the ocean, Dax still hadn't seen her left eye, "How could anyone hurt a beautiful girl like you?" Artemis snorted at his remark.
"Roman did," her voice was dry as she completely turned her head towards Dax. Her bruise was darker than ever, but it still hadn't become swollen but the cut from the hounds, Dax actually became scared, "Am I still beautiful?" She rolled her eyes as she carried Wren over to Thomas's blanket and when she stood back up Dax stood close to her.
"Art," he moved forward and put a hand on her cheek, "You are so beautiful, because you are beautiful inside and out," Artemis could practically hear the Sponsors swooning.
"Why are you here?" Artemis asked pushing his hand away and walking away from Wren.
"How long have you had the bruise?" Dax asked digging through his pack.
"Since I left you guys," Artemis said extremely confused.
"And Finnick hasn't done anything to help you?"
"After I ran from you guys I was chased by Hell Hounds, fell from a roof and pierced my lung. After Thomas and Wren took me back here Sponsor gifts came flooding into this cave. I think Finnick has done more than helping needs," Artemis growled.
"Finnick must've gotten good Sponsors," Dax mumbled still digging through his pack.
"What are you looking for?"
"Two things, this," Dax said tossing Artemis a silver cylinder, "But I think you would want this more," Artemis dropped the cylinder as her heart leapt seeing the item.
"Did James?" Artemis asked as burning hot tears came down her face, Dax could even hear tears in her voice, "Did James give this to you?"
"He wanted me to give it to you," Dax said as Artemis picked it up, her eyes turned into doe eyes, amazed in the gold cuff as she placed it on her right wrist.
"Did he say anything before he gave you thing?" Artemis asked looking at him with tear-filled eyes, her fingers traced the small design on the gold cuff.
"He said-" a sudden rumble came through the cave, Dax grabbed Artemis seeing a piece of rock fall and pulled her into his arms.
"Wren!" Artemis screamed not being able to see her.
"We need to get out of here!" Dax yelled to Artemis pulling her towards the sea entrance and onto the rocks.
"No!" I'm not leaving Wren behind!" Artemis cried over the sound of crashing waves.
"There's no time! The place is almost flooded!" Dax pointed to the rapidly rising sea. Artemis looked at Dax with hard eyes that suddenly unnaturally glowing.
"I'm no leaving her to die," Artemis growled before turning and diving into the almost flooded cave, "Wren!" Artemis called out as she surfaced, but no response, "Wren!" Then she saw something, a hand barely above the water's surface, "Wren!" Artemis dove down and felt a sudden rush of guilt going through water thrashed Artemis around as she swam to Wren who was struggling to get her right arm free from a fallen boulder.
Wren saw Artemis to her and furiously shook her head, she didn't want to be saved, but Artemis swam towards her anyway. When she went to free Wren's arm, she put a hand on Artemis's arm. They looked at each other for a second and Artemis received Wren's message. Then as Wren began to lose vision, due to the lack of oxygen, she made one word with her mouth.
Go
Suddenly a pair of arms began pulling Artemis away from Wren. Screaming Artemis tried to reach for Wren who gave a small smile as she clutched something to her heart. Thomas's token. Gold tears floated off Artemis's face as she watched Wren's chest stop rising. The cannon shook Artemis as the person pulled her to the surface.
"Artemis!" her entire body was numb as the person screamed her name while pulling her out to sea, "We need to move! Artemis!" Artemis made no movement of acknowledgement, "James sent me! And we need to move to meet up with him! Come on! Swim!"
James, his name was like a spark in a fire. Artemis's eyes darkened to a navy blue, her muscles twitched, and suddenly both her and Dax were swimming to shore.
"Where's Roman?" Artemis yelled as she came up for air, she did this keep tabs on where Dax was.
"In town! He's been going there everyday to fine you!" his voice was farther back than Artemis thought. Artemis turned her head and saw Dax's strokes slowing. Artemis dove down and wrapped an arm around his waist.
"Take a deep breath and kick fast," Artemis instructed as she made her grip on both Dax and her weapons tighter. Dax nodded and Artemis dove below the surface away from the raging surface. Suddenly Dax's grip on Artemis suddenly tightened, he was panicking. But it wasn't from lack of oxygen, it was in fear. Artemis glanced around the dark ocean as a stab of her own fear ran through her.
AN: Hey there readers! I know that this was a long one but wasn't it worth it?! If you cried or teared up a bit, I understand, I did too. Hey do you see that little button that says 'POST A REVIEW' ? You should definitely leave one! Love you!
Xoxo - Scar
Also I will be posting Thomas's dagger and James's cuff in my profile so check it out!
And if you already don't know the song is "Safe and Sound" - Taylor Swift (feat. The Civil Wars) Available on iTunes.
