I know this update is a couple of days early but I'm at my church so I have internet which I may not have on Thursday so you get it early. This is the first chapter of training. Please let me know what you think.
Disclaimer: I am not Suzanne Collins and I do not own the hunger games, I am merely writing this for my own pleasure, and yours I guess.
~Dreaming of far away
My shadow's the only one that walks beside me: Boulevard of broken dreams - Green day
Chapter 29
Raven Canihi's POV (Sector 1 female)
Morning of Day 1 training
It's the first time we're all in the same place as each other. Normally we'd at least see each other at the tribute parade, but they cut that out this year. These games are supposed to be more symbolic than for entertainment, so it wasn't seen as important.
When they let us go to the stations, there's a surprising mix of people going to different stations. Unsurprisingly, that girl who volunteered to 'make a point' has headed straight over to the scythe section. I realise that I haven't moved anywhere so I hurry off to the archery station. I need to make sure I can pick it back up easily.
I take a bow and quiver full of arrows and start 10 feet away from the dummy. I can hear noises of the other tributes training around me. Grunts of effort from people on the rope course and climbing wall, bangs of knives hitting targets, swishes of whips going through the air. I take my first arrow out of the quiver and notice another tribute heading towards the archery station. It's Nessi Byron, the girl from Sector 9. I pull the string on the bow back and aim. Nessi picks up a bow and goes to the target next to me. It takes me a moment to remember the correct position on holding a bow so she has already fired by the time I let the arrow fly. It's obvious that Nessi has never used a bow before. Her arrow just hits the outside ring on the target. Mine almost hits the bullseye.
"Impressive." Nessi smiles.
"Thanks." I say. "It helps if you twist your body around sideways so you can pull the string tighter." I tell her. It doesn't actually help that much. Only when you're aim is better to get more power into it, but I want allies and to do that people have to like me.
"Oh, okay." Nessi says adjusting her position for her next aim. "Have you done archery before?"
"Yeah, I did it when I was younger." I reply. A loud shout pulls our attention away from Nessi. A break fights out at the knife station.
"You're not looking for allies are you?" She asks. She only wants what I want. I don't want to agree to something straight away though.
"Depends, if the other person has something to bring to the alliance, then yes, if they're rubbish at survival and just want protection, then no."
"Fair enough." Nessi says. "I understand. I've never used any type of weapon so I'm probably not very good at fighting, but I'm fast and strong." I get why she wants me as an ally then. She can't fight, but is speedy and can carry large packs.
"How about we go around a few different stations together and decide whether to ally at lunch?" I suggest, putting my bow down.
"Okay," Nessi smiles, nodding. "Where do you want to go first?" She puts her bow and quiver by mine.
"I don't mind." I say, as long as it's not a pointless station it doesn't matter.
"How about climbing?" She suggests. I nod and we walk over to the climbing wall where there's one other tribute. It's the boy from 10, Ethan. He's quite tall which gives him good reach so he's about a quarter of the way up.
"Do you just want to give it a go?" The instructor asks us and we both nod. She picks up two harnesses and gets us to step into them before attaching a wire chord that goes up to the top of the wall. "Don't tangle your chords up or fiddle with the clip. I'd advise climbing up a little way and then coming back down so you get used to coming down the wall before you get high up." She says and lets us both go. It turns out we're both natural climbers and we soon reach the first rest point. We sit and rest for a couple of minutes.
"How come your so strong?" I ask her. She doesn't look the natural build for a climber.
"I dance." She says.
"Oh cool." I say, before standing back up. That's good. She's used to doing exercise for long periods of time and it probably means she knows how to eat well too. By the second rest point we reach Ethan. He nods at us when he sat down.
"You two are fast." He says. "Either of you know how to fight?" He clearly wants allies too.
"Why?" Nessi asks him suspiciously.
"Just asking." He says.
"Can you fight?" I ask.
"I haven't tried with any weapons yet, but I know how to pull a punch." He shrugs.
"Any other skills?" Nessi asks.
"I know basic first aid." He replies. He seems like he could be an okay ally. If he can hold his ground and can do basic first aid, he might be a good ally.
"What do you think?" I ask Nessi.
"Maybe." She says, before turning to him. "We're not even sure whether we're going to ally yet, but we were going to train together until lunch and then decide. You could join in too if you want."
"I want to see you in hand-to-hand combat though." I say. I think he's telling the truth, but he could just be lying to get allies. He grins.
"Thanks." And then we carry on climbing.
Ariela Fox's POV (Sector Sector 4 female)
Morning of Day 1 training
The next three days are gonna be really important. I need to use my time here in training as well as possible. I want to find an ally or two and I need to spot out any possible threats for in the arena. I sound kind of like a career. I don't want to kill people, but I need to get back to Kitty. It'll kill her if I die. I'm not like a career. I didn't volunteer because I wanted to be in the games. I volunteered so my sister wouldn't die in the games. I don't want to kill, but I have to. I won't be malicious about it like the careers were, I'll just make it quick. The way I see it, 23 people are going to die whether I kill or not. I'm going to kill to make sure it's me that comes out of the arena.
When we are allowed to go off, I head to the knife station. Knife is a pretty easy weapon and I just want to make sure I can use them well. I don't want to stay here too long though, there are more difficult weapons that I need to spend more time on it.
Two other tributes join me. Kai and Jaimie Baron, the siblings from Sector 3. I wonder if they're allying.
"Jaimie, I don't want to do this." I hear Kai say.
"I know you don't want to kill, but you need to be able to protect yourself." Jaimie says. "Just in case." Kai sighs.
"Only a few minutes though." Kai agrees. I don't think they are allying after all. Jaimie could just protect Kai if they were, but it seems like she's only looking out for him. She has a point though. Even if he doesn't plan on killing anyone, he should make sure he can defend himself.
I pick up a throwing knife when I'm confident I've got the technique for stabbing a dummy. I head over to one of the targets and aim. It hits dead centre and makes a loud bang throughout the training room. Jaimie comes over to me as I aim the second knife.
"Impressive." And I let go of the second knife. It hits the target next to the first one. Jaimie nods her approval and throws a knife. It hits the target to the over side of my first one.
"You seem pretty competent yourself." I say. "Why did you volunteer?" I ask her. I can't figure it out. Why would you volunteer? I only volunteered for Kitty.
"Same reason as you." She grinned. What does she mean? She volunteered, because well, I don't really get why.
"I volunteered for my sister." I replied.
"No, you volunteered to prove a point that you weren't willing to let your sister be in danger." She laughs.
"I didn't need to prove anything. What was your point to prove anyway?" I ask her.
"To show that these games are wrong." She said.
"Maybe we deserve it, the games were always wrong." I reply.
"It was the districts' punishment. It wasn't wrong." Jaimie says.
"Killing hundreds of innocent teenagers is wrong." I say, my voice starting to get louder as I lose my temper.
"So then why do you think these games are okay?" Jaimie yells. A couple of people are starting to look up from their stations. I don't reply. I shouldn't need to. "Exactly." She says, and as I step forwards to collect the knives from the target, she sticks her foot out and trips me up. Blood pounds through my body. Once I stand back up I take one look at her smug face before I launch myself at her.
A few seconds later we are pulled apart. I don't really remember what happened in the actual fight but a sharp pain in my shin tells me I was kicked there. Her cheek is red as if I slapped it as well.
"No fighting." The instructor who is restraining me says. "Next time you'll both have a two hour break from training."
"I didn't even do anything." Protested Jaimie as we are both released. I walk towards the target and yank the three knives out. I think I'm done at this station.
Lianna Bragg's POV (Sector 7 female)
Morning of Day 1 training
I turn my head towards the shouting just in time to see Jaimie Baron from Sector 3 trip up Ariela Fox from Sector 4. She stands back up and launches herself at Jaimie. Jaimie kicks her hard in the shins and she slaps her across the face. Two instructors rush towards them and pull them apart.
I turn back to the knot that I'm trying to make. It's starting to frustrate me. I'm doing everything the instructions say, but it just doesn't look right.
"Try pulling the rope round the other way." I almost jump out of my skin as someone starts to talk to me from behind. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make you jump." He says, sitting on the chair next to me. "If you twist the long bit round the other way it'll fit through the loop more easily." He takes it off me and demonstrates. It looks a lot more like the diagram now.
"Thanks." I smile, taking the knot back from him and examining it. "Sorry, what's your name, I forgot?" I ask him. I think he's the boy from 1, maybe 2, but I can't actually remember what he's called.
"Drake." He says. "Lindsey?" He asks me.
"Lianna." I correct him.
"I was close." He laughs. "Closer than you anyway."
"That's true." I smile, undoing the knot and taking a fresh set of instructions for a different knot. Drake gasped in mock horror.
"You took apart the knot, I helped you with." He says, pretending to be offended.
"I could strangle you with it, if you'd prefer." I joke and we laugh for a second before we remember where we are. Then it kind of fizzles out. "Sorry." I say quickly. "I didn't... I just forgot." He smiles sadly.
"So did I." Then he smiles again. "There is one way to make sure you don't kill me with it though." He says.
"Kill me with it first?" I laugh, half-heartedly.
"I don't threaten to kill people when I first meet them," Drake says. "We could ally." He adds quickly. "I mean, if you want to. It was just an idea. I'm looking for allies as long as they're not like the careers were, and you seem nice." I smile.
"You seem nice too. It could work for me." I agree.
"Cool. Do you want to train together or not?" He asks.
"I think we should do some stuff together and some separately." I reply.
"Are you going to learn how to fight?" Drake asks. I nod.
"Yeah, I was going to do survival stuff today and fighting tomorrow." I reply.
"How about we do whatever stuff we want to do today separately and then go around the weapons stations tomorrow. It'll be good to make sure we know how each other fights." Drake says.
"Was it your brother that you volunteered for?" I ask him as he stands up.
"Yeah. He's only 12." I say. "I get why they're doing these games, but the age range should have been changed at least 14-18. I couldn't let Trill die. He may annoy me, but he's just a kid."
"It was brave." I say and he walks off to the fire building station. "Wait!" I call after him, remembering something.
"Yeah?" He asks.
"Are we gonna ally with anyone else?" I ask him.
"If anyone asks me I'll tell them that I'm also allying with you so we need to talk about it and then at the soonest chance I get I'll talk to you." He replies I nod.
"I'll do the same." I should move on from the knot tying station. I look around to see where to go next. I decide to go to the edible plants and insects station. I'll have food for a couple of days, but if I don't get any food at the cornucopia then I'll need to know how to find my own food. And I need to be able to recognise edible plants and stuff. I don't want to end up dying because I eat a poisonous berries.
Azura Bailey's POV (Sector 10 female)
Morning of Day 1 training
I go straight over to the camouflage area when we are free to go. My parents sometimes let me help out in the tattoo parlour so I've picked up quite a lot of art skills. I might find some potential allies there too. I don't want to ally with someone who heads straight over to the weapons stations. There are more important things to learn than being able to fight. I expect these games will be more based on who can survive in the wild the longest.
Most of us here are used to a life of luxury. We're not used to living outside. I doubt many people here have even camped in their garden for a night. I have though, which could put me at an advantage. I know how to put up a tent for one. I bet most of the other tributes would only be able to put one up if it were pop-up.
No one else goes to the camouflage section, so I can't look for potential allies here. I grab a paintbrush and start swirling the greens and browns together of my arm to make it look like the trunk of a tree that has ivy rambling up it. I can hear the noises from other tributes training, but it soon all becomes background noise. I get so engrossed in my work that I don't notice that an hour has gone by until someone else comes to the camouflage station.
"Could you pass me that sponge?" I knock over the pot of brushes out of fright. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." I look up. It's the boy from 3. I can't remember his name though. Kyle? Carter? Something like that."
"It's okay." I say, picking the sponge up and handing it to him.
"You're really good at this." He smiles.
"Thanks, my parents run a tattoo parlour and I guess I picked up the love for art."
"Do you have any tattoos?" He asks. I nod.
"On my back. I've got the elements." I turn so my back is facing him and lift up the back of my shirt slightly so he can just see the bottom of the soil, fire and water.
"It's cool." He says, picking up some paint. After a while I go to the sink and wash the paint off my arm so I can move onto the knife throwing station. Compared to some of the other tributes, I'm not particularly strong so I doubt I could beat them in close up fighting, but if I have to kill then I should at least be able to defend myself from a distance. I'll try archery at some point as well.
I ignore the tributes already at the station and listen to the instructor as he explains to me the best way to throw knives. He tells me to start off close to the target and if I get a good hit to take a step or two back. If I get a bad hit, I take a step or two forwards. I walk so I am only about a meter away from the target and throw the first knife how the instructor told me. It hits close to the centre. It's not that much of an achievement though since I'm only a meter away.
I take a couple of steps back and aim again. It's in the middle of the bullseye and edge of the target this time. Not amazing, but not bad enough to go back to my original position. I aim my third and final knife. It goes between my second knife and the bullseye. Not bad. Not bad at all. I'm definitely not going to be coming last in training
