A/N: OK, so there's only this chapter, the next chapter and then the epilogue left of Echos Of The Descendant so I've decided to post them over the next few days, the epilogue being posted on Friday :)
Thank you to my good friend DoctorwhotailaandtheOlympain s for their continued support and for the information she gave me a while back about Greek Gods :)
Chapter Forty Eight-Johanna Mason
"Johanna Mason? She lives up past the healer's domain, take a left by the butchers, take a right and then up through the giant gates," a merchant man instructs me once I reach the Merchant part of town.
"Thank you," I say, pulling the scarf I grabbed on my way out from Beetra's house up a bit to cover my face a bit more.
"Good luck trying to get her to answer the door," The man scoffs. "Hard as nails that woman is."
"Thank you but I think she'll answer for me," I reply, skirting round him and walking off.
I follow the man's instructions until I reach the giant gates. The black paint is chipped to show the cold grey metal and they creak as I push through them. The house is further up the path. It's a black house, the kind you'd expect to see in horror movies, and has two black gargoyles that sit on pillars, who seem to glare at me as I climb the steps that lead to her door.
I knock as loudly as I can with the giant door knocker placed in the middle of the wooden door and wait. When there's no reply I sigh and knock again.
"If I hear another lock I'm going to beat the crap out of you!" A voice inside shouts. It's Johanna. I can recognize her through her tone of voice.
I'm not scared of her so I knock again.
"I'M NOT LYING I WILL KILL YOU!" Johanna screeches.
"It's me! Primrose Mellark!" I hiss, hoping she'll have heard of me. I crouch before the door and open the letterbox. "I'm Katniss and Peeta's daughter!"
The door flies open and I fall forward and land on my face. I push my upper body off the ground and look up. Standing before me is indeed Johanna Mason. Her short hair is messy and sticking up at all angles and her brown eyes are staring into my soul in an angry glare.
"How do I know your Primrose Mellark?" she snaps at me.
I sit up and pull the scarf down off my face. "Because I can answer anything you want. Go ahead. Ask something about my parents that no-one else but me would know."
"What's their son's name?"
"Gale," I answer, standing up. "Harder."
"I'm only getting started," Johanna scoffs. "Mother's maiden name."
"Everdeen. Harder."
"Father's brother's names."
"I was never told about my uncles until recently," I answer. "I'm sure you know that from what Meladina told me in the Games."
"Mother's sister."
"Primrose."
"Mother's sister's cat."
"Buttercup."
"Goat."
"Lady."
"Mother's allies in Games?"
"Rue from district 11 and Peeta Mellark."
"Father's Allies?"
"Pretend alliance with Careers and Katniss Everdeen."
"Your allies in Games?"
"Zeb Walls, Kaliana Zachary, Zara Wellington, Meladina Dealany, Harrie Kelli, Carrie Walls, and Reyna Zachary."
"State districts."
"10, 5, 11, 7, 5, 10 and 5," I answer.
"Why is your brother named Gale?"
"Because my mother's best friend was Gale Harthorwe."
"Where is he now?"
"In one of the career districts."
"Which one?"
"Two."
"What is the Mells Theory?"
"The belief that Zeb and I can defeat the Capitol together because of my parent's Hunger Game History and Zeb's family Rebellion history."
"Who am I?"
"Johanna Mason."
"District?"
"7."
"Nickname for people?"
"Brainless."
"Why do you think I'll help you?"
"Becuase you allied yourself with my parents in the Quarter Quell and you were captured by the Capitol with my father," I pause for moment and then decide to add something I heard during one of his episodes, "You know what his screams sound like."
"So your Katniss and Peeta's kid then?"
"Yes."
"How do I know your not just a very knowledgeable spy?"
I sigh and shake my head. "You don't. But look closely at me."
We both move our heads closer to each other, so close our noses almost touch. Johanna's eyes dart around my face rapidly, taking in every inch. After what feels like a lifetime trying to stay still Johanna breaks into a grin.
"Yes, your definetly their daughter," she smiles. "Your the spit of them both."
I stand up straight again and smile. "Thank you."
"Come in," Johanna says, moving out of the way of the doorway.
I nod and go inside her house. I follow her into the sitting room and sit down on the sofa when she tells me to sit. "What can I do for you Primrose?" she asks, sitting across from me.
"I need your help," I answer. "In the rebellion."
"Another rebellion?" Johanna scoffs, leaning back on the sofa cushions. "I've got half a mind to start a tally chart on how many rebellions this country will have!"
"Please," I say. "I mean it."
"What do you need my help for?"
"We're going into District 7 for that celebration you guys have. Worshipping mother nature or something?"
"Dea arborum?" Johanna asks. "Yes. I know the celebration."
"Dea Arborum?" I frown.
"It's Latin for Goddess of The Trees," Johanna explains. "It can also be called Deus Hephaestum which is Latin for the Greek God Hephaestus. He's the God of Fire and Building."
"What's fire and building got to do with District 7 and mother nature?" I ask.
"Fires are very important over in District 7. It's an annual tradition to worship the god of fire. Plus, we are constantly building, everyday, building, building, building," Johanna explains.
"We're not Greek," I point out.
"Yes, but it doesn't mean we can't worship Hephaestus," Johanna replies. "How will the celebration help the rebellion?"
"Zeb and I have been going round the districts convincing the districts to uprise," I answer her.
"How many have you convinced so far?"
"District 4," I answer.
"I see," Johanna muses, more serious than I thought she'd be, from what she seemed like on the Quater Quell tape anyway. "How can I help?"
"We need shelter. We have nowhere to go," I reply. "Beetra suggested I come to you."
"Who's Beetra?" Johanna frowns.
"Teatry. Beetra Teatry," I reply. "She was the mother of Harrie Kelli. She went into the Hunger Games in replacement of Kaliana Zachary for this district."
"Two different second names?"
"Her parents are divorced," I answer. "Beetra changed her name back, Harrie kept it the same."
"I see."
"So will you help us?"
"I don't know . . ."
"Would it help if I told you Finnick was alive? You two seemed like good friends during the Quell. . ."
"Finnick's alive?" Johanna gasps.
"Yeah," I answer, nodding my head. "A lot more lives could be saved too if we work to get the districts to uprise."
"And his son?" Johanna asks. "Last time I heard, Annie was pregnant.
"Uh, yeah, their son is Maurice Odair," I reply. "But he's gone."
"Gone? Gone where?"
"The Capitol has taken him. With my mom, dad, Gale, and my two allies Kaliana and Cat."
"Kaliana's alive too? The Capitol said she was dead!"
"The Capitol says a lot of things," I say back to her.
"Come on then," Johanna says, getting up and heading towards the door.
"Your going to help us?" I ask, astonished that it was that easy.
"Of course I'm going to help you brainless! I was always going to help you!" Johanna grins. "Ever since I figured out that you were Katniss and Peeta's daughter."
"Oh. . .OK!" I jump over the back of the sofa and follow her out the door. "We need to go get Zeb first though."
A/N: There it is! I can't believe I only have two more chapters now to write! I'm so sad! Echos of the Descendant was the first story I ever posted on and now it's near over!
I'll be beginnning to write the sequeal soon and it'll be released around boxing day new year's eve time. It'll get a bit supernatural too as I've always wanted to write a bit of magic.
Reviewers get vitural cupcakes! :D
