Morning 1
The arena is dim as it comes into focus on the nation's screens, the only light coming from the full moon sitting perfectly above the leaden landscape. Massive posts line the clearing's edges, each pointed towards the Cornucopia as if also waiting to bear witness to what will soon happen there. The usual metallic horn has been stained a dull black so that in the dusty night, it's almost invisible. Toppled crates and strewn equipment lie in wait, ready to tempt the tributes into the darkened mouth of the Cornucopia. The call of biting gusts and animalistic cries suggest that away is not the route to take.
No amount of squinting allows viewers to see past the murky wall of fog that encapsulates the clearing. As the haze mixes in the wind, flickering shadows hint at what might await the tributes that venture through. A hum from within the soil plunges the arena into strained silence as the platforms prepare to rise.
Twenty-four yawning pits open up amidst the overgrown grass, and the tributes search the darkness as they emerge. Many visibly cower atop their platforms, while some stand tall to distract from their trembling fingers. Apart from the reflection of moonlight in their glassy eyes, their faces are shadowed beyond meaningful recognition.
Suddenly, the towering posts illuminate with blinding stadium lights and the Cornucopia is cast into artificial sunshine. A trio of screams salutes the beacons, and forcefields blink around the tributes for an instant to prevent them from falling onto the mines below as they recoil in shock. Several drop to their knees atop their platforms, and even viewers must look away as eyes adjust to the brightness of the clearing.
As some turn to survey their surroundings, they are met with only complete darkness from behind them. Seemingly gone are the fog and the flickering shadows, and there are no sounds escaping the void to hint at what might be awaiting the tributes. All that can be heard is the static of the stadium lights and the soft tones of the timer as it continues its apathetic countdown.
On the farthest platform, Ashara stares up at the clock, willing it to slow down so she might catch her breath. Her eyes burn from the lights and the freshly wiped tears, but she forces herself to take in every detail spread before her. She refuses to be caught off guard, not when this morning is so important. It's too late to think about whether she has chosen the right people to align with. Regardless, she will not be defined by someone else's choices, no matter if she has chosen to trust them. They will make their own decisions and she will make hers when the time comes.
Doran shivers to his feet, feeling suddenly warm with the spotlights shining down on him. He can see Fitzroy two platforms down and a tentative smile from his ally makes his heart beat slow down just enough to think. Live or die, Doran thinks to himself. Those are the only choices right now. He keeps his boots pointed at the Cornucopia and hopes that, somewhere close by, Emilia is doing the same.
Ira does not move as sweat beads down her neck. She doesn't think to look around for Florian, in fact she does not even allow herself to turn to see what might be waiting for her past the clearing. Ira stares straight ahead and breathes a tight smile onto her lips. If there's one thing she knows how to do, it's pretend not to notice the hell being raised around her.
As soon as Doran turns away, the smile falls from Fitzroy's lips. He can feel his entire body shivering and he clenches his fists in an attempt to gain back some control. He has no reason to be afraid, not with Doran so close by to act as his shield. Fitzroy will find Chiara and Emilia later, if they're even alive in the next few minutes, but getting to Doran is his top priority now. He mirrors his ally's stance, but his toes aim for Doran, not the Cornucopia for he's sure the structure will not protect him.
Delias is not afraid. He does not want to be here, with all the tributes standing around him that don't deserve to die, but he will do what is necessary. Delias scans the Cornucopia until he finds what he's looking for, a pair of longswords sticking up from a crate directly in his path. They are meant for him and Aristona, that's immediately evident. It's too difficult to see his district partner in the screaming brightness, but he will find her. They will fight through this early morning together exactly as planned.
Jory glances quickly at the hulking tribute beside him but demands himself not to feel intimidated. He can barely make out the curly ponytail of his district partner but he doesn't try to catch her eye. Today is not the time to be softened by Sinead; Jory needs to allow the anger of being put here in the first place to course through him. The only problem is that these other tributes are not to blame. Jory simply hopes that he can pretend that they are for just a little while longer, even if it's wrong.
Noemma is unable to stop her teeth from chattering as she searches frantically for Evi. The stadium lights are blinding as she looks across the clearing, but she needs to see her ally once more before it begins. Her cheeks are no longer slick with tears, but she can feel them biting at the corners of her eyes. Noemma's breaths come in rasping chokes, but she remembers their agreement- they will both go into the Cornucopia for supplies. Noemma is not going to disappoint her only ally.
Rion hugs his arms around himself, fingertips anxiously fiddling with the zippers of his vest. He is too deep in his mind to look for Sadira or Erdan, but he thinks back their conversation last night. Go after the small stuff, Sadira told them, then the volunteers won't bother with us. Rion understands what his alliance is going to do, but they don't know that he has his own plans. The real prizes will be farther in; the things that will allow them to survive without any help. He could have discussed it with Sadira, but Rion already had his mind made up. It's his fault that they lost sponsors; this is his risk to take.
Florian's entire body trembles but he forces himself to stay upright. It feels like he is in a completely different world than the one he left just minutes ago. There are no more white walls or lipstick smiles, only tangled grass shooting up from cold ground and burning lights shining on his back. It's so bizarre that he can almost pretend he's dreaming and that he will wake up in the morning back in his plush bed. Florian lifts his chin up to the moonlight, a morsel of exorbitant courage blooming in his chest. If it doesn't feel real, maybe no one can hurt him.
Sinead turns her head slowly and locks eyes with Chase, who shivers on the platform beside her. Questions burn through her brain so quickly that she is unable to hear even her pounding heart over them. She opens her mouth to call to her nearby ally, but there is nothing to say to him. They're going to get out of this place, Sinead pleads it so desperately in her mind even above the questions that she can almost believe it to be true. She reaches up to wipe her cheeks, but her fingertips come away dry. Sinead must truly be out of tears.
Chase feels so sick that he wonders if he is going to pass out but seeing Sinead close by spreads a thin blanket of comfort over his frigid fear. He doesn't look away until her eyes return to the Cornucopia, and then he turns to look behind them. Chase can see almost nothing, and he knows that darkness can hide a lot of terrible things. Chase doesn't have to see them to imagine what might be lurking past the bright barrier. He quickly looks ahead again, each breath feeling no more comfortable than if dirt were in his lungs.
Verdana tightens her fists at her sides, looking intently in every direction to get some idea of where she is. Her limbs tremble but she only hardens her grip until her nails bite into the palms of her hands. Allowing herself these moments of fear is going to do nothing but hurt her right now. She knows that the inner ring of the Cornucopia is going to have the most useful supplies, but for a second Verdana doubts her plan. Is it going to be her fault if one of them doesn't make it back? She hopes she'll be alive long enough to feel guilty about it.
Aberro stares fearfully ahead, the lump in his throat growing with every passing second. Every inch of him is screaming to run, but he does his best to swallow down that terrified cry. He is not as useless as he'd begun to feel in the Capitol, but he needs the chance to prove that. The spotlight is on him, literally, and Aberro does not have the option to shrink away this time.
Jordan squints against the bright lights, but he does not allow himself to lose focus of his target. He's had some days of distraction, with Romello and Noemma and all of the other questions that are trying to take his eyes off the prize. Today is not the time to indulge what he could do, it's the time to be what he has been trained to be. He glances down the line at Aristona, who nods solemnly in his direction. Jordan does not know what will happen when the timer hits zero, but he is secure is his position. He just hopes that he's not making a mistake.
Capri swallows down a whimper as she rises to her feet again, the remnants of a scream still stinging her lips. Her shoulder throbs, but she is more amazed not to be lying dead with the mines right now. She doesn't know where her allies are, and Capri worries when she isn't able to see Jory's pale hair standing out against the others. She doesn't want to count on anyone, but the reflective blades staring back at her hollow a deep pit in her stomach. Where is he?
Aristona's brief nod at Jordan is her only break from searching what she can see of the supplies in front of her. She isn't sure if the pounding of her heart against her ribs is due to excitement or anxiety, but Aristona chooses to believe the former. It's been a long time coming, but she knows that she is ready. There is no reason to be afraid when she knows all of the rules to this game. Aristona can feel her allies' presence across the other platforms and she takes a deep breath to focus her mind. There is no way she can lose.
Evi clenches her teeth, but she refuses to let anyone see her be uncomfortable. She glances around at the others but is unable to find Noemma amongst them. Evi doesn't need anyone's protection, but the girl has some skills with a spear and that is going to come in handy. They agreed that they would go in to get supplies and Evi can't see Noemma going back on her word. Evi just has to make it look enough like she is trying to get a bag without actually putting herself in danger. Dying is not part of the plan.
Chiara can taste blood before she even realizes she's been biting the inside of her cheek. It was her idea that everyone goes in for themselves, but right now that's the last thing she wants to do. The burning light at her back, the darkness screaming from beyond, and the shining weapons splayed out in front of her- it feels like too much to even process. Chiara ignores the urge to look for her allies. The only person she has time to focus on right now is herself.
Romello sets his lips in a tight line as the timer begins to count down the last few seconds of peace. As soon as it hits zero, Romello knows that he is entering a whole new world and one that he certainly isn't going to like himself in. He chose this and he isn't sure if he regrets it, but that's not something to think about right now. It's not for me, it's all for my family, Romello reminds himself but it doesn't feel as true as it did days ago. Volunteering is for his family, but this choice is for his pride.
Erdan's breaths come so quickly that it doesn't feel like any air is actually getting into his lungs. He can see Capri from where he stands, but Erdan turns himself away from her immediately. No matter how much he wishes things were different between them, she's not the one he can count on today. Sadira is several platforms down on his other side and she offers him a weak smile, but Erdan is too afraid to return it.
Jayde can see everyone else looking around, and she is thankful in this moment to have no distractions. She searches the ground in front of her, having some trouble recognizing the supplies in the twisted grass. She curses under her breath, unsure whether she cares if the cameras can hear her. There is no way of knowing what equipment she'll be grabbing until Jayde actually ventures into the clearing. She just hopes she is brave enough to take that first step when the time comes.
Emilia wavers between fear and courage, as if not certain which will serve her best as the countdown continues. She looks over at Chiara, who is scowling towards the Cornucopia with feet solidly pointed towards the horn. Emilia lets out a slow breath and squares her shoulders in the same direction, hoping that she will look just as confident. Her knees quake under her weight, but she knows what she has to do. No matter how afraid she is, Emilia is going to do what is needed for her alliance to survive.
Levi squeezes his eyes shut as the seconds tick by, willing himself to be brave but still all too aware of his hammering heartbeat. It's hard not to think about each breath possibly being his last, and about the weapons scattered around him waiting to seal his fate. Levi wishes that he could feel afraid for the other tributes, for the ones that aren't going to make it to see the moon fall or the sun rise. He doesn't though; it's impossible to feel anything for the others when he is so afraid and he hopes that his parents can forgive him for that.
You have to focus. Sadira repeats this phrase over to herself, even as the final seconds dwindle and her breaths continue to suffocate her. She doesn't have to go in very far to get what she needs, but Sadira still feels the same fear. Finding Rion or Erdan is the least of her worries; all that she cares about is making it out alive. She's held onto her district partner for as long as she could, but Sadira can't coddle him anymore. If he makes it, he makes it. If he doesn't, she'll just have to feel guilty about it later.
3, 2, 1
Dozens of boots hit the ground and are quickly swallowed up by the thick grasses, but the tributes find this to be no deterrent. The second her feet make impact with the ground, Ashara could swear the breath is knocked out of her. She lifts her chin and focuses on putting one boot in front of the other, keeping the other tributes in her periphery. Ashara pauses slightly as the District 5 boy crosses her path, but quickly weaves around him. She has to make it to the horn; they'll be in a better position to defend themselves when they have the Cornucopia at their backs. Ashara cringes to think she has District 2 to thank for that strategy.
Ashara scans the surroundings, everything happening much more quickly than she expected. Hands grab at weapons and backpacks, but it's almost impossible to decide who is friend or foe at this point. The first face Ashara can recognize is Romello, who has already snatched a set of throwing knives off the ground. Ashara swallows the temporary fog settling in her brain and pulls a sword out of a nearby crate. It's not her preferred weapon, but it just feels comforting to be holding something at this point.
Romello whips around and sends a knife flying at the same time. A pained cry breaks through the trampling boots and shifting crates, causing almost everyone to stop dead in their tracks. The District 8 boy, knife sticking out of his shoulder, runs backwards without looking or caring where he is going. Ashara's heart lifts into her throat as she watches the tribute stumble over a stray bag. She shouldn't care what is going on, but it's impossible to take her eyes off of him. He just looks so small.
Ashara resists the urge to call out as Romello rushes forwards, another knife clutched in his hand. He slips it across the District 8 boy's neck before he even realizes the Career is on top of him. Romello catches Ashara staring but he doesn't seem affected by what he's just done. Ashara, meanwhile, has bile rising in her throat and barely enough self-control to prevent it from spilling out onto the grass in front of her.
"Move, Ash!" Romello yells at her, and Ashara turns around expecting to see someone taking the opportunity to come after her. There is no one, but by the time she turns back Ashara knows what he meant. She isn't supposed to be standing here, lost in the wrongness of what is happening around her, she needs to be helping her alliance. Whether it's wrong or not isn't up to her to decide.
Ashara sprints a few steps closer to the Cornucopia, picking up a knife but keeping the sword in her non-dominant hand just in case. In the mouth of the structure is the District 10 girl, who turns quickly when she hears Ashara approach. Ashara hesitates for a second before she lunges at the girl, but she can feel it in her technique that she isn't really trying. She only manages to trip the tribute and land on the ground beside the girl.
Ashara snarls, more at her own incompetence than anything, before slashing out with her knife. A solid boot kicks her hand into the metal wall the second her blade makes contact, and Ashara swears under her breath. She retracts her hand and shakes it out, but the other girl is gone before she even can get back on her feet.
Doran wordlessly greets Fitzroy as the two of them run together towards the Cornucopia. He squints to try and find the girls, but there are too many people moving to get a good look at anyone. Thankfully, the volunteer girl that had been on the platform beside him is long gone but this is not the time to feel safe. Doran's foot catches on something and he barely manages to stay standing yet somehow has the clarity of mind to pick up the small pack.
"Where is she?" Doran breathes, hoping that he is close enough for Fitzroy to hear him.
"I don't know, did you see them?" Fitzroy asks, his face flushed with worry. Doran cringes hearing him refer to 'them', having all but forgotten about finding Chiara. He prays that Fitzroy is too caught up in the chaos to have noticed.
Doran shakes his head and they silently continue towards the Cornucopia. The District 11 boy sprints past them, and Doran has to dive out of the way to avoid being struck down. The last place he wants to be right now is sprawled on the grass. Doran weaves around two stacked crates, assuming that some cover from searching eyes is better than nothing. Sure enough, the District 4 boy runs across the gap in front of them without ever glancing in their direction. Doran allows himself a second to breathe, even though he knows the danger is just beginning.
Fitzroy slides some pouches from the top of one crate into his pockets as Doran looks around. Fitzroy doesn't exactly feel comfortable even being at the edge of the supply stock, but it makes him feel better to have Doran standing by him. Fitzroy is extremely aware of all the bodies around them, even if none of them are particularly close so far. As Fitzroy spots a large shadow on his side, he slowly moves to stand on Doran's other side by feigning interest in one of the other crates. He can't be sure who it is, but none of his allies are that tall and Fitzroy isn't taking any chances.
Doran follows Fitzroy as he moves around the crates, but none of his focus is on the supplies. He knows that it's stupid to be looking for Emilia when there is a chance she could already be lying dead somewhere he can't see. Doran, however, wouldn't forgive himself if he didn't at least try and find her. Emilia has been there for him through all of this and there is no one he feels safer around. Doran has Fitzroy but Emilia could be out here alone right now.
Fitzroy stops so quickly that Doran slams into his back without warning. Doran peers over his ally's shoulder in time to see Emilia standing in front of the District 9 boy, her palms facing him and her eyes wide as she stares at the machete in his hands. Emilia's lips move, but Doran is too far away to hear what she says. There is a short pause, and Doran allows himself to believe that the boy will let her go. She doesn't have a weapon, she would never hurt someone, and Chiara is so close behind her that she can easily get to Emilia. In Doran's mind, there is a second of hope.
Jory lunges at the District 5 girl, easily tossing her to the ground on her back and marking a thin line into the front of her vest. The girl gasps and reaches out with her hands, trying but failing to protect herself from the assault. Jory looks away for a moment, trying not to look at her flushed face or the panic in her eyes before he plunges the blade into the center of her abdomen. Her scream is the loudest sound he has ever heard and Jory briefly lets go of the handle to cover his ears. After a second that feels like hours, Jory tears the weapon away and runs past her, swallowing down bile with every step.
Doran screams along with Emilia, his throat feeling as though it were being sliced by the tribute's knife. He can see the back of Chiara's head as she runs in the opposite direction, a backpack slapping against her hip and not a care in the world that she just left Emilia to die while doing nothing to stop it. Doran feels like he is going to pass out, vomit, or maybe even both at the same time. His feet refuse to move as tears stream down his cheeks and his throat burns from screaming.
It's not until Fitzroy crashes into him from the front that Doran realizes how dangerous this could be for him. Fitzroy scrambles around him as one of the volunteer girls emerges from the spot where the District 9 boy had just been. It takes Doran a moment to catch his balance, but within seconds he is following close behind his ally. Doran grabs a knife that's sticking up out of the ground, risking the chance of falling for this little bit of extra protection. Thankfully, Doran remains on his feet long enough to run without hesitation into the dark landscape and nose first into a stray branch.
Jordan isn't going to allow himself to think about what he's doing. That's why he runs immediately into the mouth of the Cornucopia to find his spear. That's why, when he sees a tribute sneaking around the middle of the supply stock, he only thinks about the most efficient method of killing her. If Jordan thinks about it any more than that, his body will not allow him to step around the crates in her direction. If Jordan really think about it he would go looking for his allies to stop this entire thing. Instead, he lets his muscles dictate direction and Jordan keeps his mind silent.
It's not until Jordan's within a few feet of her that he recognizes Noemma's ally, the District 8 girl as the person standing in front of her. The weapon freezes in his hand, as his mind starts to disobey his earlier order to remain quiet. This girl is not a friend, in fact Noemma is not a friend in the arena. Jordan has made no allegiance to his district partner and yet he hesitates to do what is expected of him. The tip of his spear quivers in the air in front of him, but District 8 hasn't even noticed him.
Just kill her.
Noemma pushes a crate into her district partner when she sees him hovering behind Evi. Jordan is thrown off balance and his spear tumbles to the ground beside him. Evi turns around with wide eyes, looking between Noemma and Jordan before quickly understanding what happened. Noemma stares at Jordan for a moment, half hoping for an explanation and half hoping for him just to stay on the ground. Evi pushes herself to her feet and Noemma picks up Jordan's spear as it rolls into her boot. Noemma isn't sure why she's surprised that Jordan would actually try to kill someone, but she is. No amount of preparation in the Capitol could have prepared her for the screams she's heard or the blood she's already seen. Noemma casts one last look at Jordan as he slowly gets up into a crouch, but he just stares at her with the same blank expression she saw this morning.
She doesn't feel like crying, Noemma feels like screaming.
Sadira can see Erdan picking around the edge of the Cornucopia, but she still doesn't see Rion. She quickly stuffs as many small supply packs and scattered pieces as she can find into her vest pockets. It's hard to tell what any of it is because reading takes far more concentration that she currently has to give. The first part of her plan is working and Sadira can feel her heart speeding up even thinking that she's still alive. She tells herself not to worry about Rion, remembering her pep talk to herself as she stood on her platform, but she doesn't want to leave him behind.
The rational part of Sadira knows that it's okay if Rion dies today as long as she is still alive. The compassionate part of Sadira yells that the mere thought of abandoning him is bullshit.
The seconds are ticking by far too quickly and Sadira knows that they need to get out of here. She's already pushing her luck by sticking around, even if most of the other tributes are occupied closer to the center of the clearing. The next time she looks at Erdan, he is no longer casting brief glances in her direction. Sadira only see the back of his head as Erdan takes off into the center of the Cornucopia.
If anyone would have told Erdan he would be running into a mob of armed teenagers to save a kid he just met, Erdan would have told them they were insane. Turns out, however, that this is exactly what he's doing. Rion isn't that far from where he was picking up supplies, but the District 2 girl spotted Rion at almost the same time. She has a sword and Erdan has a pack of crackers, but that isn't going to stop him from being a total idiot apparently.
Erdan skids to a stop as he realizes that he isn't going to be able to outrun her. Rion is chancing a couple of circle checks, but he hasn't seen the volunteer girl. How could he be so stupid? Erdan asks himself, realizing the irony in his statement almost immediately.
"Rion!"
The second Sadira hears his name, her heart slips into her stomach and she drops the first aid kit she had been holding. Against her better judgement, she begins to run in the direction she saw Erdan heading but quickly stops herself from venturing past the first crate. Tears begin to build in her eyes, but she shakes them away. No one's screaming and Sadira can only hope that means everyone is still okay. She jogs closer to the light posts, hoping that it will shield anyone from seeing her as she waits for them.
Sadira flinches when she hears a shriek from ahead, but it's impossible to guess who it could have been. When it's Erdan and not Rion that comes running out first, Sadira still doesn't allow herself to lose hope. It's when she sees the tears marking his face as Erdan searches for her that Sadira knows he's not okay.
Even though Erdan is only a couple meters away from where she is standing, he is unable to see her. He gasps when Sadira reaches out to grasp his shoulder and pulls him towards the post. "It's me."
Erdan nearly collapses against Sadira when he hears her voice. He doesn't even bother to try and stop more tears from dripping down his chin, knowing that his effort won't get him anywhere. Erdan tries to speak, but his words are swallowed in hiccups and sniffles that try to control the dripping from his nose. He doesn't protest when Sadira leads him further away from the Cornucopia. It's like she already knows Rion's gone.
"I didn't," Erdan hiccups, tripping slightly over a tree root before catching himself. The arena is dark ahead of them, and he suspects that the only reason he can still see Sadira is because of the stadium lights behind him. "I saw. He's. I didn't know what to-"
"You don't have to say anything," Sadira says weakly and so he doesn't. Erdan doesn't know what words he would use to describe what he saw. English class never taught him how to communicate the gruesomeness of witnessing a kid have a sword shoved through their chest. Erdan closes his eyes for a moment and he can see Rion's eyes, so huge they almost bulged out of his head. Erdan opens them again, knowing that nothing hiding in this shadowy arena could be worse than what he just saw.
Romello is trying to make it look like a coincidence that he's been so close to the District 2 tributes since the games began. The truth is, Romello isn't sure if he's doing this because he doesn't trust them or if he's following them as proof that they shouldn't trust him. He's already proven that he can kill, Romello got the first one of the games, but now he has his sights set higher. The chaos of the Bloodbath provides the perfect backdrop, and Romello intends to make good use of it.
He's well aware that he wouldn't be able to take District 2 in a fair fight. If at any point Aristona got the bright idea to off him, nothing Ashara did would be able to stop her or her loyal puppy, Delias. Even with Jordan on their side, which Romello is still unwilling to count on, it's not a sure win. Romello doesn't want to play with odds, not when the stakes are so high.
That's why he plans to play dirty.
As soon as Aristona goes after the District 11 boy, Romello sees his chance. He shakes his head at her choice, the youngest and arguably one of the smallest tributes for the girl that can supposedly kill anyone. It's not the most noble choice, and Romello thought that Aristona was all about the honour system. Perhaps he was wrong about her, but Romello doesn't bank on giving her another look. At least not until she's dead on the ground while their alliance wonders who could have possibly killed the perfect soldier.
He should have told Ashara. Romello knows that he should be letting her in on this stuff, but she just doesn't feel as invested as he is. It doesn't matter anyways because, with her back turned, Aristona is not a threat to him. She thrusts her sword through the District 11 boy's chest and his choked cries are the perfect distraction. Romello rushes forwards with his knife, deciding to forgo the smaller throwing ones in favour of something a little more deadly, and pulls it back in preparation.
Aristona's breath catches in her throat as she turns around, her sword tipped down and dripping with the dying boy's blood. She brings both hands up to protect her neck, while also taking a fast step to the side. Aristona can feel a sharp sting below her eyebrow, but she doesn't care to investigate. Romello closes the gap between them again, swinging the knife back towards her head but Aristona dodges this one more easily. She lashes out with her sword, but when he moves away she punches him hard in the stomach with her opposite fist. Red coats her left eye and she isn't able to keep it open very long against the burning pain. Aristona is confident that she can take Romello if she needs to, but she's confused and angry and fighting with one eye closed.
Romello grunts but he doesn't stop his pursuit. It isn't pride that's driving him to keep going, it's sheer terror. Aristona wasn't supposed to see him coming, she wasn't supposed to turn around or even have the chance to avoid his knife. Now, there is no choice but to keep going. If she's left alive, Aristona is not going to let him live another minute. Romello knows this because he would almost certainly do the same to anyone who challenged his life. He has to win, and his shock advantage is running out.
The air is knocked out of his lungs as Romello is thrown into the side of the Cornucopia. He tries to catch his breath, but all that comes out is a choking gasp that sounds more animal than human. Pain explodes in his shoulder, but Romello refuses to let it stop him. He pushes himself off the metal wall and slashes the knife back towards the new assailant, who stops the weapon's path with his sword.
Delias. Romello pushes forward with the knife, slashing out with a technique many at the youth center would call 'winging it'. He can't lose. Not just because it means that he's failed, but because it means that he's dead. Romello lunges forwards with all of his strength, but Delias is quick to respond. Delias rips the knife out of Romello's hand and slams him hard into the wall of the Cornucopia.
Delias isn't looking at Romello as his ally hits the metal structure, in fact he doesn't even notice as Romello crumples limply to the ground. Delias runs to Aristona, who is holding a hand over her eye, blood seeping through her fingers. Delias searches for the others, not knowing who else could be waiting for them. Thankfully, he sees no one.
"Let's go," Delias whispers.
Aristona looks up at him with her good eye, the slight squint telling Delias all he needs to know about how painful her injury must be. "Go where?"
"It's not safe," he urges, hating every word that he has to say but knowing that each one is necessary. They can't stay here, not when there is no guarantee that it's safe. Romello could come back after them any minute and Ashara or Jordan could be just around the corner. Delias isn't usually the one to put the pieces together, nor is he the smartest one in the class, but he knows what he saw. Their ally was going to betray them. It's only by a complete fluke that he didn't get the chance.
"We're not supposed to leave," Aristona whispers, looking around as the chaos still ensues around them. The fact that she was almost just killed stopped no one, though she can't exactly expect it to. Still, the Cornucopia is supposed to be their place, their safe haven as the rest of the tributes are forced to duke it out in the wilderness. Aristona doesn't want to leave, as dangerous as it feels to stay.
After a moment of silence between them that stretches far too long, Aristona nods at Delias and the pair take off towards the lights. She doesn't know what is going to happen when they get past them or what could possibly be waiting for her in the darkness beyond. All that Aristona does know is that Romello wanted her dead. Nothing could have prepared her for the feeling of betrayal that follows her all the way past the tree line.
Ira doesn't run like the other tributes, she moves carefully and deliberately through the supplies to find what she needs. She is thankful for the crates that act like a maze in front of the Cornucopia, and Ira crouches behind a few of them to ensure that she will not be noticed. A bag swings from her shoulder and a knife sticks out of her boot- she's not sure if it's enough but it will have to be. She's stayed here too long already and it's time for Ira to get out. As much as she hates to think about it, she needs to disappear into the void of darkness that lays beyond the clearing.
Ira's always been afraid of the dark, it's the one childish thing that she just didn't seem to grow out of. She's always been a bit like the arena behind her, mysterious and unreadable to anyone that isn't willing to venture further. Maybe that's why she's so afraid to face it. As she crouches next to a short crate, Ira does her best to swallow the fear but that does nothing to quell the trembling that seems to coat her entire body.
A gasp escapes Ira's lips as someone runs out from behind the crate. Ira crawls backwards, her eyes widening as she spots the District 10 girl and the gun sitting stiffly in her hand. She has nothing to protect herself against a bullet and so Ira does the only thing she can think of, she takes off in a dead sprint in the opposite direction. Ira isn't sure if she imagines hearing a gunshot behind her, but she doesn't stop to find out. Taking one fearful breath, Ira dives past the light post and out of the clearing all the while trying not to think about the dark that's waiting for her.
Ira stands shakily at the border of the clearing, blinking rapidly in an attempt to quicken her adjustment to the new landscape. It's still fairly bright thanks to the nearby lights, but there is a dim fog that seems to stick itself into every corner of the twisted forest. Ira quiets her breathing as she listens, but there is nothing to hear. Just like all of the trees and tangled roots around her, the arena is dead and silent. Ira isn't sure if that makes her more or less afraid.
"Ira!" She jumps when she hears her name and it takes a second before her heart retreats from where it had become lodged in her throat. Ira looks around for him, but even in the generous moonlight the shadows hide a lot from her view. It's not until Florian moves out from behind a withered tree trunk that Ira is able to spot him.
"It's me," Florian hisses and Ira can't help but crack a small smile.
"How'd you find me?" Ira asks. She didn't expect to be able to find her district partner, in fact she has hardly thought about Florian since they got on the hovercraft. Ira feels a slight pang of guilt that she didn't look for him, but she swallows it down and refuses to let it show on her face.
"You can see the Cornucopia really well from here," Florian explains, pointing behind her until Ira turns around. She gasps when she sees just how right he is. While she couldn't see anything from the clearing because of the lights, from here it's the exact opposite. Ira can see everything. They both stand in awe for a moment until another pair begins heading in their direction.
"We should go," Ira and Florian say at the same time and they both give an awkward half-laugh. Things are still kind of weird between them, but the type of weird that Ira feels somehow very comfortable in. On the one hand, they come form completely different worlds and they're two of the most closed off people that have probably ever lived. On the other, he's the boy that explained his book to her for over an hour and cried on her shoulder this morning.
Ira trusts Florian, and that's not something she can say about almost anyone else. The arena is horrifying, the darkness is terrifying, but maybe things are just a little bit easier simply because he's here with her.
Verdana hates having her back turned as she dives into another crate. She doesn't want to have to trust Levi to watch her back, but that's pretty much the only plan that they have right now. For better or for worse, when the gong sounded Verdana found herself back beside Levi within seconds. She's fairly sure that she isn't to blame for that, but Verdana also can't say that she minds having him around. In a game where basically everyone else is actively trying to kill her, having at least one person by her side is certainly not a bad thing.
Still, though, Verdana doesn't want to depend on him. If he missteps or blinks at the wrong second, they could both be dead before Verdana even knows what's happening. All of this risk, however, will be worth it if they can find what they're looking for. Verdana told Levi that she wants good weapons, food, and extra layers if she can find them. What she really wants, though, is a gun. The Capitol almost always hides them in the closest supply stock, and there are almost always three of them. Verdana has heard exactly one gunshot since the games began, but that doesn't necessarily mean that there are still two left to find. Tributes could just as easily have pocketed the weapons for later use. That would make this the deadliest waste of time ever spent.
"We should go," Levi breathes from beside her, but Verdana ignores the statement because it's about the fifth time he's said it. Verdana definitely wants to get out of this place in a hurry too, but this might be their only shot. Besides, if there is no gun in this crate Verdana has already decided they will just run for it. A gun will only be useful if she is alive to aim it.
Verdana's hand brushes against something cold and her heart speeds up for a moment before she realizes it's just a tin first aid kit. Verdana huffs but moves it aside, becoming more and more certain that they are going to be leaving without the weapon. She sees the metal the second she moves the kit, and her fingers snatch it out of the corner of the crate. Verdana already has a knife in her boot and a backup in her bag, but it feels so nice to lay the gun in her vest pocket.
"Now we go," Verdana says as she slides herself out of the crate. Levi's face is pale as he looks around them, but she can easily see the relief in his expression. Not for the first time, Verdana wonders if he's going to make it as long as she needs him to. Of course, he's scared, he'd be an idiot not to be, but there's no one around right now. Verdana made sure of it before they chose this crate to search. Risks are necessary; stupid risks are not. She wonders if being with someone so obviously unprepared for this reality counts as stupid.
"What is that?" Levi asks as they sneak out near the side of the Cornucopia. His eyes are locked on her pocket and Verdana realizes that she hasn't taken her hand off the gun since she put it in there. Verdana slides it out just far enough for him to see and Levi's eyes widen. "A gun?"
"Yup," Verdana says proudly, shoving the weapon as far as possible into her pocket before zipping it closed. They were lucky to avoid most of the other tributes by taking the long ways around, and as they head towards the light's edge, Verdana can see some of the volunteers still skulking around the supplies. She has half a mind to pull out the gun and shoot them all right here, but she knows that would be reckless and bring all of them straight to her and Levi. She isn't confident that she could aim from this far away either, in fact she is more confident that she would miss entirely. No, Verdana tells herself, she'll be patient for as long as she needs to be. Suddenly, she's feeling a lot better about her chances.
Chase drops to his knees the second he leaves the clearing, the bag on his shoulder falling between the roots around him. He can still hear the District 8 boy's screaming in his ears, but when he brings his hands up to cover them it does nothing to silence the cries. Tears are dripping down his face before he can even think to stop them, and before he knows it he's sobbing into the sleeve of his uniform.
"Chase!"
Chase barely has enough time to turn around before Sinead barrels into him, wrapping both arms around him in a tight embrace. He pulls her close to him, unable to speak as he tries to catch his breath. Sinead pulls away from Chase and looks him over quickly, her eyes wide with fear. "Are you hurt?"
Chase shakes his head and lets out a weak chuckle. "I'm okay."
"You scared me!" Sinead hisses, smacking him on the shoulder but Chase doesn't even feel the blow. Through the adrenaline and his racing pulse, Chase would be surprised if he could even feel an injury if he had one. Thankfully, no one but Jayde got within striking distance of Chase and she just ran the other way. Chase wonders if that's her way of apologizing for the other night, and if it is he accepts it wholeheartedly.
Chase leads them along the edge of the clearing to find Capri and Jory as they leave the Cornucopia. Capri has a knife and a few stray supplies stuffed in her pockets, while Jory carries probably the largest blade Chase has ever seen. Chase tightens his grip on the messenger bag, feeling more than a little bit inadequate for failing to grab a weapon.
"Let's get out of here," Chase whispers once the four of them are finally reunited. Usually Jory would be the one to direct them, but he's yet to speak. Chase doesn't blame him, in fact it makes him feel just a little bit better about breaking down earlier. None of them could have expected the screams or the lights or the blood. However, what they're walking through now feels somehow worse.
"What is this place?" Sinead breathes, her dark eyes searching their surroundings as they venture further into the arena. Chase shakes his head, even though he's not certain she is looking his way. He's never seen anything like this, not even in the vivid nightmares he used to have as a kid. Thick fog seems to emanate from the crusted branches of the long dead trees, and even the moon above their heads struggles to cast light down through the haze. His allies' faces look grey and sickly in the dimness, and every once in a while, Jory all but disappears as he trails behind the group. Chase isn't sure if the low visibility is going to be a help or a hindrance at this point.
Chase freezes as he hears footsteps coming from his left side. They haven't been walking for very long and are definitely not far enough away from the Cornucopia to feel comfortable, but Chase lets himself believe it's just the wind playing tricks on him. He turns his head stiffly to investigate, but he can't see anything but trees and fog. Chase hopes that means that he is also invisible to anyone that could be coming this way.
"What's wrong?" Sinead whispers, taking a couple of tentative steps towards Chase that sound louder than he thought possible. Chase shakily puts his hand up to stop her, and for a moment the arena is still around them. Sinead's voice comes again, but this time it's so quiet that he wonders if he is imagining the word. "Chase?"
Sinead stumbles backwards into Capri as the figure darts out from between the trees. She screams and pushes herself to her feet, hearing footsteps behind her as she runs but unable to tell if they belong to her allies or not. Sinead catches up to Jory but trips again as a root catches her foot. It's almost impossible to run as she skirts around the trees, but Sinead quickly sees the solution. If she can avoid the trees, she can avoid the roots even if she can't see them.
"Help!"
She doesn't know how long they have run, but it doesn't feel like nearly long enough when the word stops Sinead dead in her tracks. She whirls around, knowing beyond all doubt who the voice belongs to, but Jory's hand pulls her ahead another couple steps. Tears fill her eyes as Sinead fights against him and she screams her ally's name. "Chase!"
Jory clamps a hand across her lips and Sinead does everything she can to pry his fingers away. She can hear him screaming and Sinead has to get to him. Why aren't we helping him? "Please be quiet."
Sinead sobs into his hand and shakes her head. They don't even know who's out there, they could have taken them. Capri and Jory have weapons, there's four of them, they can save him. The scream goes silent and Sinead clenches her teeth to keep from replacing the sound herself. She thought that hearing Chase crying for help was the worst thing she could imagine but hearing the cries end just pierces her heart even deeper.
"We need to help," Sinead sobs.
"We couldn't have," Jory whispers, but Sinead no longer cares about being silent. Chase could be dead and no one did anything to help him. He screamed for them to come rescue him and they just left him. Sinead shoves Jory away from her and tries to stand on shaky feet, grabbing a nearby tree for balance.
"It was the volunteers," Capri says finally, looking at Sinead with blank eyes. "I saw them before we ran."
"Sinead, no," Jory tells her, but there is nothing he can say that will stop her. If there's even a chance that Chase is still alive, she needs to get to him. "They'll be looking for us."
Sinead doesn't even bother to answer as she steps slowly back the way that they came. She can hear at least one of her allies trailing behind her, but Sinead honestly doesn't care. With every step, she becomes less certain that she wants to see what happened but she urges herself to keep going. If it really was the volunteers, even Sinead has little doubt that Chase will be dead, but she has to know. When she finally spots him, blood covering his torso like thick paint under the grey moonlight, Sinead's world comes crashing down around her.
Chiara isn't sure how long it has been since she left the clearing, but she is out of breath by the time she finally decides it's safe to rest. She shivers as she sits herself down by a thin tree trunk, and wonders as she leans against it whether the old wood will be able to support her. Chiara cringes as she hears the bark begin to tear and decides to sit up straight instead.
As she looks upwards, fog curls around stray branches and moonlight trickles into the woods above her head. Chiara rarely sets foot outside her house after dark, it's simply not safe to do in her area of District 6, but she doesn't imagine nightfall looks anything like this back at home. If only she were anywhere close to home right now.
As the cannons begin to sound, Chiara buries her face in her knees and tries to tell herself not to cry. As concretely as she knows her own name, Chiara knows that one of those cannons is for Emilia. It shouldn't matter, because one more death is one more step closer to going home, but it makes her feel sick to think about. Only a minute before Emilia was attacked by the District 9 boy, she'd checked in with Chiara to see what supplies she had. Even in the chaos of the start of the games, Emilia wanted to look out for the group.
And Chiara just left her behind.
Aristona stares in at the Cornucopia from the clearing edge, trying to determine their best course of action. The cannons have come and gone, five of them to be exact, but her and Delias have not gone far. After they left the Cornucopia, they ran into one of the larger alliances and managed to secure another kill for the group before losing the rest of them in the thick fog. Besides District 10, Aristona has been able to count four bodies by walking along the edge of the clearing. She's allowing herself to be glad that Romello's is one of them without feeling an ounce of guilt.
It's not right to go after your ally in the Bloodbath. He broke the unspoken rule of the volunteer alliance, where they're supposed to work together until the time comes when this is not an option any longer. Aristona should have been able to feel confident turning her back to him to get that kill, but he took it as a chance to get rid of her. Worse still, Aristona hadn't seen it coming. That might be the hardest part to swallow, that she believed Romello was like her.
Delias doesn't want to go back, he's made that pretty clear to Aristona but she is right that they need to see what's going on. It's not a hard leap to make that Ashara must have known about Romello's plot against Aristona. Hell, for all they know Jordan was in on the whole thing too. It doesn't sit well with Delias to even be this close, but he isn't sure if that's because he is afraid of being targeted or if it's because he doesn't want to answer for Romello. A not so small part of him knows that this won't look good on him. He didn't try to kill the District 1 boy, but Delias also did not hold back when shoving him against the Cornucopia.
He attacked Romello during training, so what's to stop Ashara from assuming he did the same today? Delias knows that his intentions were not to kill Romello but to protect Aristona. Delias also knows that people don't often care what his intentions are.
Ashara stares down at Romello as she walks past his body again, but she is not ready to stop and mourn him. She doesn't understand what could have happened to him, but part of her knows that her missing allies are somehow involved. As soon as the last tributes ran off, Jordan told Ashara that he saw them sprinting away about midway through the fighting. Ashara is still trying to decide what to make of that, but part of her wonders if she should have entertained Romello's queries about the District 2 pair more than she did. He didn't trust them, and she didn't blame him for that, but she just brushed off his conversations. It felt like they had time, but Ashara now knows that was a wrong assumption to make.
"We need to talk."
Ashara's throat goes dry as Aristona steps out into the clearing, the darkness parting behind her as Delias follows her inside. Ashara gasps when she sees the dried blood sticking to the side of Aristona's face, covering most of her eyelid and dripping down her neck. Aristona doesn't seem to care or notice the injury, but it's impossible to miss. Even Jordan pauses where he's examining a pair of spears to stare at the pair.
"What happened to you?" Ashara asks automatically, trying to keep her voice steady. She doesn't know what they want, nor why they haven't been with her and Jordan this entire time. Ashara can't help but be wary, especially with Romello lying dead just a couple meters to her right.
"Your district partner," Aristona answers flatly.
"Romello did that?" Jordan asks, no surprise in his voice. Ashara turns to him, wondering if perhaps he knew about this when she did not.
"He tried to kill me," Aristona tells them. "I assume you know that, though."
Ashara thinks back to the conversations that she had with Romello about District 2. He mentioned that they shouldn't be trusted, and Ashara implicitly knew what that meant, but to do something about it so soon? "No, I didn't."
Jordan shakes his head stiffly. Aristona eyes them for another moment before approaching, but Ashara notes that her sword is still firmly clutched in her hand. Ashara has the urge to reach for her knife as Aristona continues forward, but she doesn't. The last thing she wants to do is look like a threat. Sweat drips down her neck as Aristona walks towards Romello, but her eyes are not even looking in Ashara's direction.
Aristona leans down and places her fingers on the side of his neck, and Ashara already knows that she will find no pulse. Ashara already put that hope away several minutes ago. The only injury she was able to find was a sticky spot of blood on his left temple where her fingers dipped inwards through what should have been solid bone. Somehow, out of everything Ashara saw today, this was the worst one.
Ashara is unable to hold back the gasp that follows as Aristona plunges her sword straight through Romello's neck. Ashara closes her eyes for a moment and when she opens them she is almost surprised that there isn't more blood spewing from the wound. She briefly remembers something she learned during anatomy at the youth center- corpses don't bleed. That realization does almost nothing to stop the turning of her stomach.
"He's dead," Ashara croaks, her eyes filling with tears that are difficult to blink away.
Aristona pulls her sword from his neck and stands to look at Ashara, the flash of anger unmistakable in Aristona's pale eyes. "He's a traitor."
The way that Aristona looks at her makes it hard for Ashara to believe she is only speaking about Romello. He was her district partner and though she might not have known about any of his real intentions, to Aristona it probably doesn't look convincing. Even though Ashara isn't sure she wants to have District 2's trust, without Romello she doesn't have a whole lot of other options. Whether Romello betrayed District 2 or not, and Ashara can't help but lean towards the latter, Ashara needs to be on the side that will propel her forwards in the games. She needs to distance herself from Romello and Ashara can think of only one thing that will accomplish that.
Ashara steps forward and slowly pulls her knife from her belt. Aristona takes a step back from Romello, her eyes following Ashara intently as if already knowing what she is about to do. Ashara forces herself to look down at his body, trying but failing to make herself hate him so that this will be easier. She takes a deep breath and plunges her knife into his chest until the handle is resting on his skin. Ashara looks up at Aristona, easily able to hate the girl that now holds all the power.
24th: Aberro Tripe, District 8
23rd: Emilia Rorfile, District 5
22nd: Rion Dehart, District 11
21st: Romello Dupree, District 1
20th: Chase Hauver, District 10
A/N: Well here we are, a little later than I expected but hopefully not too terribly late! We've lost our first few tributes and I would like to first and foremost apologize to the submitters that gave me these wonderful characters. As I said in earlier chapters, I was/am attached to every single tribute and these decisions were not easy. That being said, I am doing what is necessary for the plots I have planned and hopefully that is understood. I would love it if you stuck around for the rest of the story, but I also know that isn't always going to happen. Either way, hopefully there are no hard feelings.
I'm going to be using a very similar format for the arena chapters as I used in For Evergreen, where there are no assigned POVs and I will move between tributes' thoughts/actions whenever necessary for the scene. I find it's the best way for me to showcase everyone's development and I simply enjoy writing the games like this. If things get confusing or if you have any criticism/comments/advice, let me know! I'm always here to improve.
Did any of the deaths surprise you?
What do you think of the arena (so far)?
Which tributes do you think are in danger of dying soon?
Also, congratulations to Jordan & Levi who tied as favourite tribute from my earlier poll. Also congrats to Ashara, Erdan, & Chiara who all got a three-way tie for second place. They don't get anything special but it's always fun to see which tributes y'all are connecting with.
I'm excited to get into the rest of the arena chapters and I hope to update in a few days with night one. Until then, please leave me a review to tell me what you thought if you can spare the time!
~ Olive