Don't own Hunger Games.
How ironic for a "Girl on Fire" and a Phoenix; a volcanic burn area.
The land we're on is what I could call the lava plain. I don't see much of the stuff, but the ground is black and charred rock that seems to streaky for miles. Immediately behind me is what use to be a forest. The trees are bare, their bark black from a fire, while little grass remains and hasn't grown back. I see a small lake, but it must be contaminated from ash and such. The sky is a dark blood red color.
The Cornucopia's a ways from us, past a river of fire with twelve small rocky paths as the only way over. It's first come first serve.
"Ladies and gentlemen, let the Seventy-fifth Hunger Games begin!" The voice of Claudius Templesmith hammers my ears. I'd start counting, but since everyone saw what Katniss and I did last year, I bet they have some failsafe for making sure that doesn't happen again.
I look around, trying to find Katniss, but she must be on the other side of the Cornucopia. I can see Peeta, Flora, Bise, Finnick, and many other tributes of the poorer districts here.
Damn, I can't stop thinking about Portia and Salaya. They staged that attack to unnerve me, which it really did. It also pissed me off. I can't do anything to help them now, but I can still make sure Katniss gets out of here breathing. I need to focus my anger now. The more tributes I take out now, the less trouble I'll run into later.
As soon as the gong sounds I push myself off the plate and use all my energy to make it to the Cornucopia. I'm faster then most, but not the fastest. A girl, district 3 I think is ahead of me and is starting to walk across the path, taking it slow as to not fall. I throw cation into the wind. She's halfway across by the time I reach the path, and I book it right through. The only attention I pay her is to get her out of my way, so I sideswipe her, causing her to lose her balance and fall off the path. She screams as she falls but they only intensify once she's in the river of fire. The horrid screams only last a second as the intense flames eat away her oxygen. I don't try to think of it.
I'm the only one at to Cornucopia and I grab what I can; a knife, throwing knives, two swords, a tomahawk. I'm reaching for the bow when I hear more footsteps. I turn and find district four boy running at me. I pull my tomahawk and charge him in return. We both met, with him throwing a rather powerful kick that I don't expect. I narrowly avoid it and dig my weapon into his shoulder. He hisses but soon start chocking as my knife enters his throat and opens it. Blood sprays from the wound, covering my face in a spray, and I kick the boy away from me, already aiming for another tribute. It's district 11 boy, grabbing for a spear. He's rewarded with a tomahawk in the leg, with my arm soon around his neck. With one quick twist I can feel and hear his neck break. I drop him while tearing my weapon from his leg and charge one other tribute, district 5 boy. He made it past me while I was busy with 11 boy and has an ax in his hand. He swings at my head and I duck, not willing to do a repeat of ten boy of last year's Games. I have my swords out this time, both, and catch the second swing. I fling his arm outward. My right sword digs into his shoulder before I bring my knee to his neck, freeing my sword and pushing him with enough force to throw him onto the fire river.
The other tributes aren't crossing the paths, having seen that I have the advantage of weapons and they're a little too busy trying to kill each other with their hands to cross either.
"Alto!" I hear Katniss. She's not that far and is moving closer to me.
"Over here!" I shout back. In no time she's by my side, already grabbing for the bow and arrows.
"Finnick's an ally." She says as she grabs more supplies and equipment.
"Thanks for the heads up." I reply as Flora and Peeta make their way across.
"Where's Fash?" I ask.
"She's still out there." Peeta replies, motioning to the bloodbath. "I saw Mags out there too."
"Grab what you can. Then we leave." How my mind is screaming to me for saying that. If I were in any other circumstance I'd charge in there to find her, but I have Katniss's life to think about.
"Alto!" Oh hell.
"Keep him away from us!" I shout to Katniss. Bise has made it across the path and is barreling right at us, through considering he called my name I guess he's going for me. Katniss fires an arrow at him and he rolls back to dodge it, back onto the path.
At that Fash comes into view, a nasty gash on her head. She's running across the path and does the same to Bise that I did to 3 girl; she sideswipes him, causing him to lose his balance and begin to fall. He does the opposite of what 3 girl did through. He grabs Fash's arm to try and save himself or take her with him.
"Fash!" I'm by her side the next second, my arms around her waist to keep her from falling, in turn saving Bise. I'm able to haul her to the other side of the path, but as soon as Bise is up, he takes back to the other side of the path, joining the fist fight still going on, not willing to try an attack like that again.
"I'm fine!" Fash says as she stands and takes for the weapons.
"Alto, catch!" Katniss tosses me a bow and a sheath of arrows.
"Where's Finnick?"
"He's guarding the other path. Now let's move." Katniss says. We all follow her to the other path where Finnick is. He's wielding a trident and has a net, and Mags is by his side.
"Let's move Finnick. To the forest." I say. We'll have more cover then a field. Mags tugs on Katniss's sleeve and babbles on. I don't understand a thing but Katniss seems to as she hands her the awl. Pleased, Mags clamps the handle between her gums and reaches her arms up to Finnick. He tosses his net over his shoulder, hoists Mags on top of it, grips his tridents in his free hand, and all seven of us run away from the Cornucopia.
The ground doesn't change in color much, transitioning from the black smooth surface to a dark gray powder: ash. Like I've said before, the trees are dead, their blackened bark breaking at the lightest touch. The forest must have been like the one at twelve. The trees are still decently warm, as is the ground, so it can't be a day old, or it's just the way the Gamemakers wanted it. There isn't a sight of green anywhere, and the only animals we can find are small squirrels, hares and rats. I'm up front, swords drawn with Flora right behind, then Finnick, Fash, Peeta, and Katniss is back, bow armed.
It doesn't take long, between the steep incline and the heat to become short of breath. Everyone from twelve having been training intensely though, Flora's training, and Finnick's just being...well Finnick, we climb rapidly for about a mile before he requests a rest. And I think it's for Mags.
I'd like to get a view of the Cornucopia, but I don't trust these trees. They're not alive and may fall over with a simple push of the wind.
"I'll see what's happening." Katniss says.
"Oh no." I turn to her. "I don't trust that tree to keep weight. We don't need a look."
"We need to see who's still going at it. I'm the lightest one here."
"And you're also the pregnant one here."
Katniss blinks once, but replies by climbing the tree without another word, much to my ire.
"Damn it Katniss." I feel like I'll be saying that a lot in here.
"Not a very responsible mother is she?" Finnick asks.
"Climbing while pregnant. Aren't you the smart one." Fash comments as Peeta works on her head injury.
"Flora, keep a lookout of any tributes who may come our way. I don't want them sneaking up on us, especially Bise."
"Got it." She separates from the group and takes watch a couple of meters away. Finnick stays at the base of the tree while Mags is sitting with Peeta and Fash.
"Who hit you?"
"I think it was four boy. He was next to me when the gong sounded and he swung at me." She winces a little. "Got me pretty good didn't he?"
"That's an understatement." I reply.
"What's going on down there, Katniss? Have they all joined hands? Taken a vow of nonviolence? Tossed the weapons in the fire in defiance of the Capitol?" Finnick asks her once she's down.
"No." She says.
"No," Finnick repeats. "Because whatever happened in the past is in the past. And not one of those victors were a victor by chance." He eyes me for a moment. "Not even your hubby over there. If anything he's the worst."
"I'm going to have to agree with Finnick there." I reply. He's right. I took four lives in the span of a minute just a few minutes ago without a second thought. "How many dead?"
"Hard to say." She answers. "At least nine, I think. And they're still fighting."
"Let's keep moving. We need water." Fash butts in.
"Better find some soon." Says Finnick. "We need to be undercover when the others come hunting us tonight."
We continue our trek upward, but with no luck. After about another mile, we can see an end to the tree line and assume we're reaching the crest of the hill.
"Anyone know how big this arena is?" Peeta asks.
"Well it's certainly larger then two miles. But if I were to guess, maybe as big as last years arena. Maybe bigger." Katniss replies.
And then we hear a roar.
My heart stops at the noise and my mind empties. The only movement I make is throwing myself down onto my stomach, Katniss already following me. The others follow a second later and we're all face down on the ground.
"Guys, what is that?"
"Shut up." I say in a dark tone, waiting for another roar. And I get one.
A pack of roars.
"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!" I whisper to myself as my heart sinks. "Why? Why?"
"Alto-" Finnick starts.
"There are Nazo's in this arena. I'd recognize that roar anywhere. There's a pack of them, fifteen I think." I say. "Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it! Why them?!"
"We need to keep moving. In the opposite direction of those roars." Katniss says to everyone. She has to repeat it when no one responds, trying to grasp what I just said. Katniss and I know these roars well. I dealt with one of these before my Games and we both fought them during our Games. These bastards where tough, and since they were in another environment, we don't know if the Gamemakers altered them in any way.
There's a loud stomp in front of us, and I look forward to find...
Two read orbs staring at me.
"Damn it!"