Monsters Among Us.
The 45th Hunger Games.
Training Day Three
Can we start it all over again?
Ewyllan Gardiner; 18 years old.
District Eight Male.
He couldn't do it.
Ewyllan had been trying to talk to his allies for the past half hour, and he didn't have any luck yet. They were a mystery to him, Ricardo and Lucan. He hadn't really talked to Ricardo since the begging of the last day of training, since he and ordered him and Lucan around and left to do whatever he was doing in the dagger station. Lucan wasn't one to talk much, either. He would never leave the bow station and whenever Ewyllan tried to talk to him, Lucan simply answered with a yes or no.
How was he supposed to fight by their side in the arena if they didn't even bother to talk to him? Maybe he should have followed Danica's advice and joined her alliance. It would be better being with a bunch of girls rather than his boring allies.
In a way, Danica reminded Ewyllan of Opal, his girlfriend. They have the same fiery personality, even if Opal prefered to keep to herself, unlike Danica. There was a part of him that started to respect Danica that much after she stopped asking why he volunteered.
It was something that he would never tell anyone. No one deserved to know, anyway. That's why he had been keeping his training as a secret. That was his strategy. Play dumb and in the end, they wouldn't see him coming. Of course, the six months of training that he couldn't compare to the years that the Careers had.
It was surely better than what Lucan and Ricardo had.
If he won, he had everything to gain. He would make a name for himself and a better life for him, Dorian and Opal. In Victor's village, Cedara McNeil would never lay a hand on them again.
When he was a little boy, Ewyllan used to think that Cedara was his friend. Maybe there was even a time that he thought she could replace his mother. That would stopped when she sold him to his first woman. Ewyllan lived in Cedara's brothel since he could remember, and since his mother abandoned him, but he never realized what was happening around him until he turned eleven years old. He didn't realize what he was supposed to do until Cedara locked him in a room with an older woman.
Only after that first time, Ewyllan realized what he was supposed to do. At first, he enjoyed it. He enjoyed the pleasure and how was seeing it as something good. After all, it was something that he could talk about with the other boys at school. How many boys could say that they were like him? Not much, Ewyllan was sure of that.
It started to get worse after he turned fifteen. After Cedara started to sell him to men, too, and they started to abuse them. Ewyllan remembered that he cried himself to sleep every night after that.
It could better after he met Dorian and Opal, though. Dorian was brought to the brothel a few days after Ewyllan, and they basically grew up together. Seeing their friendship, Cedara didn't hesitate in selling them as a couple to the mayor, since he liked little boys. Ewyllan knew that if he ever got the chance, he would expose the mayor and Cedara for what they did. After that, there would be no more little boys and girls hurt by them.
That's why he started training in the first place, too. To escape Cedara and the mayor, and to take Dorian and Opal with him to Victor's village. Opal, his sweet Opal. He loved her so much, so much that it hurt to see her being abused by those people.
That's why he made a deal with Cedara. He would go in Opal's place and in return, she would be safe from them at least every week. She said yes, of course. The twisted woman loved he little boys more than anything. They were her golden eggs and Ewyllan knew that she wasn't going to let them go that easily. God knows whatever she was doing to Dorian and Opal right now, because of him.
They could be dead right now, because he failed to do what Cedara had told him to do. Ewyllan could only pray that they would be alright, at least until he made it home.
If he made it home.
To make it home, he needed to train a bit more. Ewyllan put on a smile and walked to the spear station, where Danica and her allies were currently in a battle to see who was the best one.
Ewyllan whistled as soon as he reached the station. Danica turned around to face him, pleasant as always.
"Hey handsome. Finally decided to think of my request?" The other girls were quiet by Danica's side. It was clear for Ewyllan who was in charge. Well, it wasn't Danica's request. Her mentor had talked with the ones from five and six, and they probably agreed that having a male presence in the alliance would be safer for the girls. Not like Dany couldn't handle herself, though.
And it wasn't like he couldn't toy a bit more with the lovely Dany. "I'm just here to train, Dany. Like you and your lovely allies."
Danica turned to her allies. "Amy, Sit, I would love if you could leave me and this handsome to talk for a while."
The brown haired girl from Six nodded. "Of course, Danica." The other girl nodded to him, and both of them left. Ewyllan decided that they weren't that bad.
The blonde turned to him. "C'mon, Ewyllan. Join us. You know me and you've seen Amy and Sit. Even if I would never admit it in front of them, they are nice people. You won't regret it, that I can promise you."
Ewyllan knew that he would join them. Not know, later. "Would you consider holding on to that request for a while, Dany?" The girl shrugged.
"As long as you don't call me Dany." Ewyllan smiled.
"We have a deal, Dany." She was right, they were good people. It would better to ally with them, rather than Lucan and Ricardo.
Now he just needed a way to get rid of his allies.
Sylvan Ridgely; 18 years old.
District Twelve Male.
Sylvan wondered why his allies reminded him so much of them.
Mavi was mature and smart, like Mirami, and Al had the same childish grin that his daughter had. It hurted to think of them, knowing that there was a great chance that he would never be able to grow old with his wife or be the one to take little Juniper to school. If Sylvan hated the Capitol before, he was sure that he hated them even more now.
He just hoped that if he died, it would be for a good motive. To protect someone like his sweet little district partner, not at the hands of a Career. He had a plan to make sure that they wouldn't get away with doing what they had done to him, to Albany, and to the others that never did anything wrong to be here.
He would make sure that they would pay, even if it was the last thing that he did. Sylvan smiled a bit after remembering the promise that he made to Mirami on their wedding day. It was a good day, with no rain or even cold. Sylvan always hated the rain since he was a little boy, it made him feel like something bad was about to happen. It was just them, Sylvan's mother, sister and brother on the bread ceremony.
They had done it after signing the papers at the Justice Building, since neither of them felt really married before toasting the bread. He promised her that he would always try to be strong enough to carry both of them throught all the bad stuff, no matter what happened. But in the end, he was forced to break that promise.
His father left after he got Mirami pregnant, afraid that his precious reputation would go to waste. His mother, though, wasn't that suprised when it happened. He and Mirami had been friends since they were born and began dating once they were fourteen. When he got her pregnant, nobody thought that it was much of a suprise.
Still, he didn't care. Sylvan knew that no matter happened, he had his mother, brother, sister and Mirami and that baby would be loved. The day that little Juniper was born was the happiest of his life, even more than when he married Mirami. If he was going to kill in the arena, he would do it for both of them.
Mavi and him already had a plan. They would be the ones to get the supplies, as soon as Al and Cason escaped to safety. Sylvan refused to let either of them enter the bloodbath, no matter what. They were children, they weren't made to kill other people.
"Hey guys?" Sylvan called out.
Al came running to him, a dagger on her hand. "Yeah?" Sylvan waited until Cason and Mavi joined them, and started talking. He had already decided on his plan for the private session, that he wasn't planning on revealing to anyone, but his fellow allies had to work on their plan.
"We have to decided on our plans for the private sessions." Al smiled.
"I know mine. I'm gonna hold a knife to their throats until they promise to give us candy in the arena."
Sylvan smiled sadly. Deep inside, he knew that Albany wouldn't make it far if stayed childish like this. But he there was the part of her that he enjoyed the most, the one that Sylvan hoped the Games would never be able to change. That's why he choosed to ally with her in the first place.
There was some selfish part of Sylvan that knew that she had to die and so did Mavi and Cason, if he was ever going to see his daughter again. They were nice people and they didn't deserve it, but that was just the way of life. Bad things happened to people that didn't deserve them.
He needed to make sure that his allies got a good score. If he didn't help them, who would? Not the Capitol.
"It's serious, Al." Sylvan said. "We either show our skills to them and make sure we get a good score, or there will be no sponsors for us in the arena."
"Oh c'mon Sylvan, it's just a show. Who cares." Cason smiled happily and went back to tying some knots with Al. Sylvan was starting to get angry. Didn't they know what was at risk? That without sponsors, they wouldn't last a week in the arena. Sure, he and Mavi could get something from the Cornucopia. But would it be worth it, in the end? Risking his life for two kids that he didn't really know?
Sylvan realized that he didn't have friends in the Capitol. His real friends were Mirami, Juniper, his mother and his sister. It was for them that Sylvan would risk his life for. For them, people that he loved and that he know they loved him back, not for some children that he didn't even knew for a week.
Would it be worth it, risking his life for them, if it meant that he would never see Juniper again? That he would never hold his baby girl again?
It wasn't. Nothing was worth that.
They had to die. All three of them. Sylvan wouldn't be the one to cause their death, but if a blade was throw, Sylvan wouldn't get in the way. No, from now on, he was going to play the Game for himself. Sure, they didn't deserve to die. But neither did he. Mavi, Al or Cason didn't have a child back home that needed her father while growing up. They would be missed, of course.
He knew that if he lived, he would also remember them. How could he not? They say that what happens in the arena is something that a Victor never forgets. But damn it, he would have his family by his side. He would be able to take Juniper to school on her first day, or take her down the isle on her wedding day.
That's what he always wanted.
To be with his family.
Nobody would take that from him.
Jacie Belmont; 18 years old.
District Seven Female.
She couldn't wait to get her hands on her.
Jacie had been watching the girl for the past two days, watching her every move and taking note of her every strenght and weakness. Every time that Jacie saw her smile, she was reminded of how Cassius smiled at her every morning after they woke up. And she was reminded of how the girl from Four stabbed him in the back right before the finale.
He was lost forever. Cassius, her annoying best friend but that she loved with all of her heart, was killed by that whore from District Four. He was all that she had and in the end, she lost him too. That's why she hadn't decided on allies yet. To be honest, there was no one that Jacie thought she would be able to get along with. They were all in a alliance, minus that girl from District Eleven. Jacie wasn't really interested in her, either. The girl had been stuck in the knife throwing station since training began, and she hadn't left.
What could that girl help her with if she only knew how to use a single weapon? Who knows, maybe there weren't no weapons in the Cornucopia. Besides, she couldn't have any allies for what she was going to do. Surely, no ally would stand by as she killed that girl from Four. Jacie hadn't decided if it safer to kill her at the bloodbath or wait a little while until later in the Games.
To give the girl a sense of false hope. She would think that she was safe and in the end, Jacie would be there. She would make that little whore suffer. There was a part of her that knew that the red-head was innocent, that she had nothing to do with Cassius' death. But Jacie couldn't pass up the opportunity.
After all, that's why she volunteered. She had nothing to lose. She didn't have family, she didn't friends. All that she had died with Cassius and if she died, Jacie knew that she would be with them, rather than spend a life alone in District Seven, visiting the graves of Cassius and their child whenever she could. After Cassius died, a part of her was would never, ever be the same.
She had been alone with her friends that day. After Cassius died, she cried and cried and cried but not long after, she started to feel horrible pain in her abdomen. Jacie only remembered that she passed out in a pool of blood. She was in the hospital when she woke up. No sign of her friends, no sign of her family. There was no one there but a doctor.
That's when he told her what happened. She was pregnant. And right after Cassius died, she had an abortion. Apparently, the baby that was growing inside of her had died not long after his father.
She liked to think that it was a boy, adventorous and annoying, just like his father. But even that was taken from her. All because of that bitch from District Four. She was alone since then. All expect for Cassie, the little kitten that Cassius had given her right before he left. The little kitten was her best friend and the only one that was there for her after everything that happened. That was why she volunteered. That's what Jacie kept on her mind as she walked into the stage, right after being reaped. The reminder of what could have been.
The memory of Cassius' lips, and the memory of their child even if Jacie had not idea that she was pregnant until the same baby was taken from her. That's why she would kill this girl, this Cora, no matter what happened. She would survive long enough to kill her. What happened after that didn't matter to Jacie. All that mattered was that she would avenge him before she died.
No matter the cost.
Jacie was planning to maybe go and have some lunch, she was starving, before the girl approached her. The same girl that Jacie had been thinking about earlier. Alina Brenwell, the District Eleven Female. The dark-skinned had a questioning look on her, like she was trying to decide the right kind of question.
The bitch should worry up. It was lunch time.
"Hello." Jacie said, trying to be the one to start the talking. "Do you need something, girl?"
"I have a name. I'm Alina. You, girl?"
"Jacie Belmont, District Seven. I'm suprised that you don't know my name since you were the one that came to approach me in the first place. What do you want?"
The girl smiled, like she knew something that Jacie did not. "Look, we are the last two in here without an alliance. Why shouldn't we join forces? I mean, I'm not one to go around and join alliances that are already made. You don't look like one, either."
So she did want an alliance? But Jacie didn't. She worked better alone and in the end, she was the only one that would kill that whore from Four. Not this Alina.
"No." Jacie said.
The girl cocked an eyebrow. "Why not?"
"I don't want any allies. I work better on my own, without anyone trying to let me down."
The girl nodded. "Very well. You better pray that we don't cross paths in the arena." With that, she left. Jacie knew that she had made the right choice. That without any allies, she wouldn't risk being stabbed in the back. Without allies, she could work in the best way to make her plan work. She would escape from the Cornucopia, make sure that her plan went on the right way, just like she had planned. Cora would die and if Jacie was lucky enough, she would be able to take down some of the Careers with her, as well.
They only destroyed the small chances that outliers had to win.
Jacie wouldn't let that happen.
Dargo Burham; 18 years old.
District Ten Male.
He didn't deserve this.
Dargo had been trying to focus since training started that day, but he just couldn't get the thought of what happened out of his head. His allies were clueless, thankfully, and had left him alone as soon as he ordered them around.
In here, he was the leader. He was that one in the charge and if it came down to it, they would give their lives for him in the arena. But first, they need to take those Careers out of the way. Dargo had pulled Vesta aside earlier and told everything that she need to do. He had figured that the girl born in a Career District would be the one that could help him take them down. One by one, they would fall.
He didn't trust Alabaster or Lya. Alabaster was a mystery and Dargo had an idea that something was very wrong with Lya. She kept to herself and almost never even spoke to them. Only when she needed to.
Vesta was the only one that he could hope to trust. However, Dargo knew that trusting someone would only lead to trouble. He had trusted his father in the past and he ended up doing everything that he could to make sure that Dargo was reaped.
Why? He had no idea. His father simply told him that he had done his best to make sure that Dargo was reaped, but in the end, he didn't say why. He could never see them again because of his father. Of course, he had a chance. A better chance than most of the tributes around her. He worked with the bulls on his father's ranch since he was eighteen, and because of his father, he also had to take down the animals when it was time.
It won't be that much different, his father had said. Animals were just like people. If he could forget that they were actually people, children that had a family waiting for them to return home safely, not in a wooden casket. But how could anyone choose which one of them deserved to go home the most? Maybe they would say that kid from Twelve that had a child. Or even his district partner, the girl with silver, that hold on to her District partner like she was holding on to her life line.
But didn't he deserve to him, as well? He had family too and a woman that he loved and that loved him back. Katya was the love of his life, since they had met when they were just fifteen years old. He had fallen in love with her at first sight, without a single doubt. She was gorgeous, with sea blue eyes and black hair, something not very common in District Ten. Their love was something that not even his father would be able to destroy in the future. He loved her and she loved him, period. It costed him a lot, to be with her against his father's will, but it didn't matter. Katya was the one thing that he was given up to his father. After all, Dargo always wanted one thing. To get his father's approval, no matter the cost. Maybe, just maybe, he would get it after he returned home after watching 23 other teenagers dying in front of his eyes.
But for now, he couldn't think of the past. He needed to focus on what he was going to do two days from now, when the gong started the 45th annual Hunger Games. Should they fight in the Cornucopia? Dargo knew that Lya wasn't that much a fighter, but he and Vesta could handle the Careers. Alabaster, well, he didn't really have a place in Dargo's plans yet, but he would figure out that soon. The boy was strong, but not as much as he and Vesta were. But still, Dargo didn't trust Alabaster because of the ties that the boy had with his district partner. He had seen the two of them together, when Alabaster tried to get the girl to join them yesterday. Thankfully, she had said no and it spared Dargo a lot of trouble. He didn't want the girl from Eleven in his alliance.
They need to kill a Career in the bloodbath, for sure. But which one? The options were short. The blonde bimbo from One and her partner had been together since training started, so going after one of them was going after both. Not really a good idea.
The male from District Two, the leader, could be a good choice. Sure, he could be skilled, but if the four of them attacked him when the others weren't around, what chances would he have? None. He would be as good as dead. The other one would be so much easier, though. The girl from Four was small and she wouldn't even see it coming if they took her. A sword throught the heart was all that would take. After that, the Capitol would see that they should bet on his alliance. After that, sponsor gifts would come everyday. They would bet on them, not in the Careers destroyed Careers and with that, they would be unstoppable.
That was a part of Dargo that knew who he wanted to win if he didn't. One of his allies, they deserved it. He wouldn't give any of the other tributes the pleasure of winning. One of them would win, no matter what. No one else deserved it but them. There was a part of him that wanted Lya to win, to make sure that their district would get a Victor and to make sure that someone would punch his father for him.
Maybe, just maybe, he could come back to Katya and make sure that she knew how much he loved her. He never really said "I love you" to each other and Dargo regretted it now. She deserved to know that there was someone that loved her.
Somewhere, a bell rang. The trainer's voice rang throught the speakers. "This marks the end of training, tributes. Report to the following room for the beginning of the private training sessions."
A/N: "No Heroes Allowed" by Mayday Parade.
Hey. It has been a long time and I apologize for that. I guess school, writer's block and a long of other things made this chapter be this late. I'm not giving up on this story, don't worry. I have plenty ideas for the arena. The alliances are all updated in the blog, with Jacie and Alina being the only loners.
It won't be that long for the next one, I promise.
Anyways, who do you think might win, at this point? Opinions on this chapter's tributes, too? Let me know what you thought!
