Day 4
It's morning but Malachi feels anything but rested. Neither he nor Airla felt comfortable enough to sleep last night and so the pair walked on, setting themselves further and further away from their old allies. As the sun rose, a new tension slipped over them as they both realized that there will be no taking back their decision. It's hard to know what to say, Malachi doesn't know Airla very well and part of him is still afraid of her. She has killed four tributes, Malachi has killed no one. He can't help but wonder if it was a mistake to wait for her at the Cornucopia.
Airla stares intently ahead as the frozen lake reappears. Lake is not exactly the right word as this stretch of water is much thinner than the one found behind the Cornucopia. They stop at its edge and stare across, seeing a mirror of the trees behind them. Airla is unsure if they are meant to cross the ice, but she tests it carefully with part of her boot. It doesn't budge and she thinks it will hold them, but she doesn't know if that is what they are supposed to do.
"What now?" Malachi whispers. His eyes mimic her own- puffy from exhaustion and dull from uncertainty. Their place felt so secure back at the Cornucopia. They knew that the Capitol wanted them to hunt down the other tributes and so that is what they did. Now, they're no longer part of that and while that is a relief it also leaves them wondering where they fit.
"I'm not sure," Airla responds softly. They could easily continue looking for tributes with the supply of weapons they took, but it doesn't feel right anymore. It had always been Laurent's plan. Airla is beginning to realize that without Laurent neither of them knows which way to go.
Malachi sighs. This isn't what he thought it would feel like to leave the alliance. He thought that he would have some exact idea of where he would go and what he would do, but now he just finds himself missing the structure. The wind is so much colder out here than it was back in the Cornucopia. The freedom is there but it isn't as loud as Malachi hoped it would be. The fear, however, is deafening. How long will it take before Laurent realizes they're gone and comes to find them?
Malachi looks around them, trying to discern which direction might be safer but they all look the same to him. They've been walking for hours and after this long he can't even be sure which way would take them back to the Cornucopia. He sighs and takes a step to the left, bringing up his finger to indicate they should head that way, but as soon as his foot hits the ice it slips out from under him.
Airla covers her mouth to stop a laugh as Malachi slips down onto the river. He tries to stand up again but is almost instantly sent sprawling onto his back. She reaches out a hand to help him up, but as he tries to grasp it he slips again. "Graceful."
When Malachi looks up at her, he also tries to hide his smile. He has to admit he looks pretty ridiculous, but it really is impossible to stand up. "As if you would be."
Airla raises an eyebrow before she steps out onto the ice beside him, expecting that the ice will hold both of them. She puts out both arms to keep her balance and miraculously is able to keep herself upright. Graceful would certainly not be the word to describe her, but at least she isn't on her ass like Malachi. Malachi shakes his head, allowing the smile to spread across his face as he watches her. "Shut up."
This time Airla welcomes the laugh as she slides around Malachi. He carefully gets up onto his feet, but the victory is short lived. Airla grabs his wrist and pulls him up beside her, allowing him to steady himself on her shoulders. He laughs, squeezing her tightly to maintain his balance. Airla winks and pulls herself away from Malachi. He flails his arms around to his sides but this time he doesn't fall straight back down. Instead, he slips over to the edge of the river and throws himself down into the snow. The quiet laughter continues as he pulls himself off the ice, thankful to be on solid ground again.
A strong wind blows over the pair and Airla wraps her arms around herself as she steps carefully over to Malachi. It's colder now that she remembers yesterday, but at least with the sun it is bearable. They have a couple of space blankets in their packs but walking around with those last night would have been asking for trouble. It's better to grin and bear it, though her gloves are nearly frozen to her skin already. It's only day four and if they are to make it to the end, there will be at least another four nights in this place.
The nights are certainly the worst. The arena is getting colder, or perhaps her body is just becoming less and less fit to deal with the chill. Ainsley can't be sure which it is at this point. She hasn't moved for most of the day and the sun is finally starting to set. To keep warm, she has pulled her toque down as far as it will go and brought her arms into the main part of her jacket. Her fingers are only now beginning to thaw as she holds them to her chest, but they burn as if they are slowly catching on fire. Her teeth chatter, but Ainsley thinks that's a good sign. It's when the shivering stops that she will really have to worry.
Ainsley can't remember seeing an arena anything like this one in previous years. She can't imagine that anyone has been moving around today hunting for tributes. The second the wind hit her face this morning, Ainsley knew she couldn't face it. Does the Capitol care that they are all just going to freeze to death in this place? She supposes that it doesn't matter. The tributes' purpose is to die so maybe the mechanism of killing doesn't matter.
Another breeze slips under the tree branches and her shivering intensifies. Ainsley doesn't want to die at all, but she certainly doesn't want to die like this. There is no way to fight the cold, no way to kill it so that it can't do the same to her. Ainsley feels helpless and knows that there is nothing she can do. If nothing changes, she will not last until the end. She doesn't know if it will be hours or days, but she will die.
"Cateline. Help." Ainsley calls to her mentor through chattering teeth. She doesn't know if her mentor is listening but Cateline is her only chance. She must have gotten some sponsor money; she's only received a few protein bars from her mentor so far. There has to be enough left to help her. "Please. Help."
The seconds feel like hours as Ainsley waits. What if there is truly no sponsor money left? What if Cateline isn't watching or doesn't understand how much she needs help right now? The questions roll through her mind but Ainsley keeps her gaze on the snow nearby. There has to be something her mentor can do. Ainsley can't die like this when she has come so far.
A metal box drops to the ground and Ainsley scrambles to retrieve it. Her joints are stiff, whether from the cold or from the inactivity, and her eyes close as the wind hits her face. Her hands search until they find something solid and Ainsley pulls it under the tree with her. It's difficult to open the container and her fingers burn with the effort, but she is desperate. It snaps open and reveals a neatly folded space blanket and a small cup of soup. Ainsley almost cries excitement as she unwraps the blanket as quickly as she can. She sits down on top of it and pulls it around her, thankful that it is larger than it looks. She pulls open the plastic soup bowl and finds that the liquid is frozen solid, but it's still food.
The last thing Ainsley notices is a note written in sharp handwriting. She leans over to read it, unwilling to untangle her hands from the blanket. It's no surprise that it came from her mentor but seeing the note from outside the arena walls gives her a new layer of hope. Life continues outside the arena. This note is proof that there is still something to look ahead to.
I'll help where I can. Stay dry. Stay alive.
- Cateline
The blanket barely stretches over the two girls, who are all but laying on top of each other in an attempt to keep warm. Orienne's leg rests against the tree trunk, its bark feeling like an icicle even through the fabric of her uniform. The sun has already gone down, and the anthem played without any newly dead tributes to display. It's the first day in the arena that has passed without a death and, while Orienne wants to be happy, she can't help but feel antsy. Every other day has felt like progress towards the end but today feels wasted.
"We should start planning," Eleni says, her face close enough that her breath pours over Orienne's cheeks. They are no longer shivering after receiving the blanket and socks, but as the night grows darker Eleni is sure it will also grow colder. Orienne tried to get them moving again today, but the air is so painful that they only lasted a few minutes. Eleni appreciates that Orienne wants to rush into action, but that almost got her killed yesterday and the could could easily take them now. They need to take things slow, think everything out, and actually prepare.
"For what?"
"For what happens next," Eleni says, raising an eyebrow. The air between them has been icy, but Eleni is trying to continue like usual. Orienne has been a constant in the arena and, though they don't always land on the same page, Eleni wants to make their alliance last. She just wants Orienne to think about things a little harder.
"We don't know what's going to happen," Orienne says. She appreciates what Eleni is trying to do but discussing all the possibilities just makes Orienne's head throb. There are so many unknowns, like in math class when the letters got added and she had to work out values for all of them. It didn't work in school and it certainly won't work here. They have no idea what they are walking into.
"But we can be prepared," Eleni says, growing annoyed. "We can make a plan about what we would like to do and adapt it if we need to."
"Fine," Orienne shrugs. "What's the plan, then?"
"I'm not sure," Eleni admits, dropping her gaze.
"We need to start fighting back," Orienne says, surprising even herself. Stealing supplies is one thing but plotting to actually kill someone is a whole other beast. Orienne isn't sure if she actually believes that she could go through with it. If they were trying to hurt her, maybe. Still, they need to do something. Orienne understands that they are growing boring and that's almost as dangerous as any plan they make. Boring tributes get smoked out. "Got a plan for that?"
Eleni thinks for a moment. She learned how to use knives during training, in fact both of them trained with the weapons. The thought of approaching another tribute and getting that close, however, makes her stomach turn. Then she remembers something else from training. "You're from District 3, can you do anything like your district partner with the explosives? Maybe we could get the mines from the Cornucopia and-"
Orienne's expression noticeably sours as she listens to Eleni. It's a soft spot for Orienne that she couldn't do what Koda could, it only reminded her of how much she doesn't fit in at home. She doesn't want to be like them, Orienne likes who she is, but life would be so much easier if she were as smart as Koda. "Is that the only reason you said yes?"
"What?" Eleni asks. She can easily see that Orienne is upset but she can't understand what she has said wrong.
"To the alliance," Orienne explains, breaking their eye contact. She knows that she is being dramatic, but Orienne doesn't care. "Is that why you said yes, because I was from 3?"
"No," Eleni says quickly. "I didn't think of it until now, I'm just trying to see what our options are. I'm sorry I didn't think this would upset you."
"I'm not upset," Orienne lies. "I can't do what Koda does okay."
Eleni reaches up and squeezes her shoulder. She tries to force eye contact but Orienne ignores it, keeping her gaze to the side. "And that's okay. We'll come up with something else."
Orienne nods but she doesn't look back. After a few moments of silence, Eleni doesn't even try to reignite the conversation. The two girls had been on the same page for so long, but somehow now every turn they take points them to another crack in their relationship. Eleni wants to reconnect, to bring them back to the way things were on the first day, but she hesitates to do so. Maybe it's better if things stay splintered between them.
Day 5
Zaid sits down beside Valya as they wait for Laurent to return from his bathroom break. Their arena plans have been thrown for a loop because of the temperature dropping further and they were only able to stay out for half the day yesterday. Laurent is adamant that they will have better luck this morning, but Zaid is not hopeful. His face is red and dry from the wind, and his entire body burned when they finally reached the Cornucopia yesterday. Even with their new coats, courtesy of the Capitol, leaving the relative safety of the Cornucopia feels like a frozen death wish.
"Why did they leave?" Valya whispers and Zaid has to strain to listen. The wind bashing against the metal walls is unrelenting and the noise is deafening from inside. Zaid can guess what she is asking, it's the only thing they have talked about since they woke up two allies short.
"I don't know," Zaid says. It's not a complete lie, but Zaid does know Airla more than anyone else here. She hated the way that Laurent treated and spoke about the other tributes. When she looked at Zaid after he tried to help kill the District 7 tribute, Zaid doesn't think that he imagined her look of disgust. He wonders if he would have talked to Airla, would she have believed him? Would she have stayed with them? He isn't sure.
"It's fucking freezing," Laurent shouts as he re-enters the Cornucopia. His face is red and he rubs his hands together to return circulation to them. Zaid smiles as Laurent approaches them, but he wishes that he had more time to talk to Valya alone. He doesn't know either of them very well, but Zaid trusts Valya a lot more than he trusts Laurent. After Mercury and then the District 7 boy, Zaid isn't sure what to think of him anymore.
If Airla were here, she would know what to do about him. Laurent has been even more intolerable since they left. He screamed about how they would be ripped limb from limb if they ever had the nerve to come crawling back. Laurent even suggested they go after Malachi and Airla, which they did yesterday. At first it just seemed like Laurent was playing to win, but now Zaid is worried that he is actually going to snap. Laurent is a big guy, it's one of the things that drew Zaid to him in the Capitol. Zaid might be able to take him if it came down to it, but he isn't sure he could kill him. After the Bloodbath, Zaid has felt sick every time he even looked at a weapon. Laurent seems to have the opposite reaction.
Valya knows that she sits in the middle of the alliance. Laurent and Zaid may not even know this, but she can sense the divide even now. Zaid was closer to Airla than Laurent, just as Valya was closer to Mercury- connected by home. Valya had always been drawn to Zaid in the Capitol, his energy soared above everyone else's and, besides, he was the one in charge. Now, Valya isn't sure which way she should sway. Laurent's morals are deplorable, but if he thinks Valya is on his side he might protect her. Zaid could do the same for her, though, if he steps up again to take charge.
Valya can feel how precarious the situation is, but she is not as scared as she was before. She felt close to Malachi and protected by Airla, but their leaving has provided exactly the type of opportunity she wanted. Valya knows that to stay alive she will need to make herself vital, but to whom? Patience has never been something that Valya lacked and she is content to wait as long as she needs to. Holding her tongue around Laurent will prove more difficult, but she has managed so far. Fear makes it a lot easier to keep her opinions to herself.
"Laurent," Zaid yells over the wind crashing against the side of the Cornucopia. "We can't go out again. It's too bad out there."
Laurent wants to fight him on it. He can't stand the idea that Airla and Malachi are out there somewhere, making him look like a shit leader to everyone in Panem. He turns around to look at the scene he just ventured through and he knows that Zaid is right. This miserable arena is trapping him inside and allowing his ex-allies to get off scot-free. He should be hunting them down like the cowards that they are, but he has little desire to brave the wind again.
"Fine," Laurent snaps. "We go tomorrow. No questions asked."
The smell inside the cave is like nothing Emrys has ever experienced before, and that's saying something considering the places he's lived. Even after rigging their toques into makeshift scarves to hide their noses, the smell continues to assault them from all angles. It might have been a better idea to drag the mutt out of the cave after it died, but Emrys thought its body would at least provide some warmth. He isn't sure if the nauseating smell and sight is worth it, though.
Koda and Emrys had stumbled upon the cave last night along with the sleeping creature and, thankfully, it didn't wake up in the time it took Koda to cook up another bomb. It used the last of their supplies, but after Emrys tossed the thing in beside the giant animal's head there was no longer any danger of it waking up. Koda hadn't said a word when Emrys asked him to make the device. Emrys expected at least a bit of a fight, but there wasn't any. Somehow that doesn't make Emrys feel any better about the situation.
"I wish I could sleep as soundly as that thing," Emrys jokes, pointing to the white-furred muttation. He cringes internally, deciding that dark humour probably isn't the best option right now, but it's too late. Koda looks up at Emrys for a brief moment before dropping his gaze back to the broken remote in his hand. It was included in the tech bag but didn't belong to any of the devices; Emrys thought he remembered tossing it earlier but Koda must have retrieved it.
"Koda," Emrys tries again after another silence. He's been trying to break through to Koda for days, but the boy has been nearly silent. Emrys doesn't know what to say to him but he refuses to take the hint and give up for some reason. No one ever tried this hard to break through to Emrys, not that he really believes it would have worked. Koda isn't like him, though. Maybe Emrys' words can make a difference for him. "I know this whole thing kind of sucks."
This gets a slight smile out of Koda, but he doesn't look up from the remote as he spins it around in his hands. He doesn't respond, but for Emrys this is a small win. It's more acknowledgement than he's gotten from Koda in a while.
"Colm, the kid a few days ago," Emrys begins. Sena, he says internally but doesn't include her in his list. Koda and Colm never even knew he invited her into their alliance. It seemed like a waste of time to tell them after she died on day one. Still, her name remains in his mind as another casualty to the games. One that he maybe could have stopped from dying. "They're all gone and it's not fair. None of them deserved it."
"None of them deserved it," Koda echoes, once again not looking up from his hands. Emrys' words are the only things that seem to cut through the morbid thoughts that circle around his mind like a storm drain. Koda wishes that Emrys would never stop talking, but it feels like an impossible feat to tell him so. Words are hard to let go of these days.
"But it's not our fault we're here," Emrys continues. "We're just doing what we have to, and we can't hold onto the guilt. It's not ours to take with us."
The silence settles around them and this time Emrys doesn't disturb it. It's clear to Emrys that Koda would prefer silence, else he would give him something to work off of. Emrys sinks against the wall as another wind sends snowflakes raining into the cave. They're not freezing thanks to the sponsored blankets and the cave, but he can't imagine everyone else is doing half as well. It seems like a horrible way to hope someone will die, but Emrys wouldn't complain. The less death he and Koda have to witness in the next few days, the better.
Madina found the tiny, tucked away cave on the outer edge of the rock wall last night and she has been afraid to move since. It's hardly tall enough for her to sit upright and not more than a few feet across in either direction, but its deep enough to protect her from the wind and that is all that matters. However, she was not expecting to get company.
Milan jumps up into the cave, his chest heaving from running and Madina automatically pulls the gun from her pocket. Her fingers are so frozen that she isn't sure she will be physically able to pull the trigger but once she sees who it is, she relaxes slightly. It's the same tribute Madina came across on the first night. She would not mistake his face anywhere, and he looks absolutely terrified.
"What's wrong?" Madina says quickly. It's only then that Milan notices that he has intruded, and he flinches away from her. He looks back out at the arena, wondering if he should leave but then realizes it's the girl he made the truce with.
"I don't know," Milan says, attempting to catch his breath. "Birds. Huge birds."
"Long necks? Strange calls?" Madina asks, thinking back to her own encounter with the muttations, and Milan nods quickly. There is no wonder he was so eager to get inside, but the question is did he bring the birds to her?
"Are they coming?" Madina shouts at him, staring at the mouth of the cave. If the birds come in now there is no way for her to escape. She still has bullets remaining but Madina is not keen on using them on a mutt. Her body, however, is frozen and Madina doesn't think she will be able to fight them off in any other way.
"I-I don't know?" Milan stammars.
"Look outside!" Madina insists. Milan turns, noting that his back had been facing the arena. Bad move. When he looks outside, though, the surroundings look undisturbed. He watches for another few moments, keeping Madina in his peripheral vision. They might have called a truce, but Milan also isn't sure if he should trust that completely anymore. It was just a last ditch effort to have some kind of connection. The truce feels almost stupid now.
"I don't see anything," Milan says finally and Madina releases the breath she had been holding. It's possible she won't have to fight off another hoard of birds, but there is still Milan to deal with. Madina isn't keen on having company even if it's him. She has gotten used to the solitude and now being so close to him makes her heart rate jump.
"Good, then leave," Madina says sharply.
Milan casts another glance outside and shivers. He has been looking for a place to take shelter for hours and this is the only cave that is out of reach enough that he feels safe. The others are large, and he's already seen the creature that slept in one of them. "Please, just let me stay. I won't hurt you."
"I don't care," Madina says, trembling as another breeze sends snow soaring in at them. "I found it first, get out."
"The wind is getting worse," Milan says, swallowing the choke in his voice. He isn't sure that he trusts being in here with Madina, but it's the only choice right now. He'll keep their truce if she will. Madina is the only one that's been even somewhat kind to Milan. He can still think of her as a person, even if he really shouldn't travel down that slippery slope. "I'll freeze to death overnight. Please."
"Don't say a word," Madina says after a moment. As much as she doesn't want to let him stay, she can understand how cold the nights have been getting lately. Madina believed that it was just her body breaking down and becoming less able to handle the temperatures, but Milan might be right. If the weather is taking a turn for the worst, Milan is maybe the only person she doesn't want to freeze to death. Still, it means that she will be awake all night. "You leave as soon as the sun comes up."
Aneira isn't sure how much time has passed since she stopped walking, but it must have been at least a few hours. She is half-upright under one of the evergreens with her mangled backpack tucked neatly into her lap. The snow piles up around her but Aneira feels strangely calm about her surroundings. It's always been like this in the arena, there is no reason to fear when nothing has changed. The snow is almost pretty from this angle.
She thinks that it would be good to keep moving again and she gets down on all fours to leave the safety of the tree covering. Aneira was cold before, but now she feels so warm she worries that she could actually be running a fever. Perhaps the cuts on her back are more serious than she originally thought, but she doubts it. They were barely scrapes the last time she looked. Still, Aneira starts to unzip her uniform, knowing that this will allow her to get a better look at the injury in case she has missed something. Besides, she feels so incredibly warm that it feels almost good to get some of the layers off.
The sharp winds help to remove the sleeves after Aneira fumbles with the zipper for a while. Her hands don't seem to be working very well and she has to clench the zipper between her palms to get it undone. She is thankful for the reprieve from the overheating cocoon, but she still feels too warm. Forgetting all about inspecting her cuts, Aneira kicks off her boots and the legs of her suit leaving her in the plain black outfit she'd put on the day of the launch. Aneira wrinkles her nose at the clothing. She forgot that she chose something so plain and sensible, her parents would never let her wear anything like this back at home. Her back is soaked with snow already and her socks soon join them. Aneira's body is so numb she can't feel any of it.
Aneira discards the uniform along with her backpack and crawls further from her tree. She isn't exactly sure where she would like to go, but figures that it doesn't really matter anyways because she doesn't know where exactly she is right now. She's tired, so maybe she should just go to sleep and worry about all of this in the morning. Her eyelids are already too heavy, so that sounds like as good a plan as any. Aneira collapses into the snow and brings her arms up to cushion her head. It's not as comfortable as her bed at home but, when she closes her eyes, Aneira can almost picture herself falling asleep on the clouds.
The Gamemaker's Control Room
"No!" Tulio shouts as he slams his fist down on the table in front of him. The District 4 female's heart rate cracks zero and the room around him fades into silence. Behind him, he knows that one of the Gamemakers is preparing her cannon, and this time the sound feels like a failure. They have been unable to resolve the issues with the weather controls and the arena has become a solid ice bath for the tributes. Most of them have not moved in hours, and many of their heart rates have begun to drop dangerously. The complaints from viewers have been streaming in since last night.
"Sir, we've tried resetting the machinery again," Ignacio, the Head of Terrains, calls from a couple stations away. The entire Terrains team has been in the control room since yesterday, but there will be no breaks until they find a solution. Tulio doesn't even have to look at the arena temperature to know that the reset has failed. Every attempt they have made thus far with respect to the controls has failed.
"Enough," Tulio says, waving his hand to silence the Gamemaker. They have to do something to save the Hunger Games or he will be in more trouble with the President than he already is. There is only one thing that Tulio can think of, the only option that is certain to work. "Shut off the weather controls."
"But sir, the arena will-" Ignacio says quickly, eyes wide.
"Return to seasonal weather," Tulio snaps. He knows exactly what he is asking for and has no need for Ignacio to lecture him on such. "Do it now."
Ignacio nods slowly and begins typing away on his control panel. This is the way the Hunger Games have always been operated, under seasonal weather conditions. It was new technology that lead Tulio to believe the seasons could be manipulated to create this beautiful winter, but the arena will mean nothing without tributes to fight within it. One tribute has already died from the cold and Tulio can't risk another. No one wants to watch that.
"Sir, what happens to the arena?" Aaro, Ignacio's assistant, asks softly. The way that he looks up at Tulio makes him worry that this might be a mistake, but he presses on. Nothing else is working, this is the only way to correct his mistake even if it results in a host of other issues. They will deal with the new problems as they arise. There is no other option.
"I don't know," Tulio whispers, hoping that none of the others in the room can hear him. There are so many components to the arena he spent months creating with his team. Every piece has been specifically designed to exist in the cold, right down to Yulia's muttations. Tulio can't be sure how any part of his arena will survive the current summer temperatures. It's been cool the past few days, but this is no longer under Tulio's control. As soon as Ignacio flips the switch, his beautiful arena will be at the mercy of mother nature.
A/N: Hi again. I decided to condense these two days over one chapter due to the lack of action and the fact that honestly no one wants to read about tributes slowly slipping into hypothermia because that is pretty boring. You'll see what happens next now that the weather controls have been disabled, but I'm pretty excited for this next phase of the arena. Also if you have questions about one particular section, look up 'paradoxical undressing' for a bit of an explanation.
What do you think of this little, unintentional Gamemaker twist?
What type of Gamemaker would you want to be if this was a real job?
Thanks everyone for the support so far and I really appreciate reading all of your comments on the chapters. This marks the halfway point of the arena chapters as well as the halfway point with respect to number of tributes left. Submissions remain open for my new story so please keep submitting! I'm very excited to get that rolling as well.
~ Olive