Day 8
Valya trembles as her and Laurent watch the Cornucopia for any signs that the feast has begun. Light is only just beginning to fill the arena, but it feels like they have already been here for hours. There's no way to know when the Capitol will send out the food, so they lie in wait. Valya glances at Laurent, who keeps adjusting the sleeves of his uniform that are now tied at his waist. The arena has gotten much warmer since the snow first started melting, but neither of them is willing to discard the warm suit completely. They have no way of knowing what will be thrown their way in the coming days.
Laurent's hand clenches the sleeve's fabric even tighter when he sees the ground begin to move near the mouth of the Cornucopia. It's light enough that he can see the table, trimmed with lace and piled high with plates, as it seemingly rises from the ground. Despite the fact that he and Valya ate this morning, the steam dancing above the table is enough to make his mouth water. Laurent hasn't had a hot meal since they left the Capitol. It will be difficult not to head straight for the food, but he has to remember why he is here.
He is shocked when he sees her, though he knows that he shouldn't be. Of course, Airla would come to the feast; she can't resist an opportunity like this. The real shock is that Malachi is not with her, though that doesn't deter Laurent in the slightest. He and Valya came here for Airla, the outer district boy is of no consequence to Laurent. He'll find him eventually, there are only so many days left and so many places to hide.
Laurent doesn't wait for Airla to reach the table, he breaks into a sprint as soon as she is far enough into the clearing that she won't be able to turn back. He comes at her from the side, but Airla spots him easily. She is already holding a knife in her hand and she feels for her second one. She knew that Laurent would be here, but she didn't know how soon she would see him. Airla just hopes that Malachi is watching her back like they agreed.
Valya is right on his heels, unsure what else to do but follow. She has one hand in her pocket, clutching the handle of the gun knowing that it could be her only way out of this situation. To run into the feast when there are other likely other tributes waiting nearby feels like suicide. Valya can only hope that she is the only one with this advantage, otherwise this could end very quickly.
Airla takes a sharp turn at the table, but Laurent is ready for that. He lunges at her, catching Airla's foot and tripping her. She kicks him away as hard as she can and scrambles to her feet, her usual solemn expression taken over by adrenaline. Laurent grunts as his fingers get pressed back by her foot, but he isn't willing to let her get away so easily. He pushes himself back up and takes off after her, shouting at Valya to keep up.
Valya follows Laurent out of the clearing, only seeing glimpses of Airla as she zigzags between the trees. She's only made it a few yards when feels a body slam into her. They both immediately crash to the wet ground, mud spraying up around them. Valya calls out to Laurent but he doesn't even seem to notice. She kicks out at her attacker, but they dodge every move. Valya sees the sword first, and her ex-ally who is wielding it second.
"Malachi!" Valya says, tasting dirt as it slides into her mouth. He looks thinner than she remembers, and much dirtier. Valya has the urge to reach out to him, remembering their last conversation before he left. Malachi stands before she can even attempt it.
"Where'd they go?" He says loudly, his chest heaving from chasing them. Malachi's face is striped with mud and his eyes are desperate as he looks for any sign of Airla or Laurent. His fingers clench the sword tightly, but he makes no move towards her with it.
"I don't know," Valya says, wiping mud from her lips. "Laurent followed her."
Malachi looks down at her, wondering what to do next. Their plan was for Airla to bait them into following her so that Malachi could follow and help take Laurent down if needed. At first she suggested he go for the food, but Malachi knew couldn't just leave her to fight them both off. Valya isn't the dangerous one, it's Laurent. Malachi needs to get him away from Airla. She's confident that she will be able to handle him, but Malachi isn't as certain. Trained or not, Airla is smaller than Laurent and a little less insane.
He looks in the direction that he last saw them, then back at Valya. He is wasting time when Airla could need him. "Stay away from him. He's dangerous."
Valya can't keep the surprise from her face, but Malachi doesn't catch it. She watches him turn to leave as if in slow motion, considering her next move for only a split second before she reaches into her pocket. He's willing to let her go, but Valya isn't going to make that mistake. There are only so many tributes left and Malachi is someone who could easily beat her if it came down too it. She can't afford to let him go and, with his back turned only meters away, he is a ready target.
She pulls the trigger before she can think, knowing that if she hesitates any longer that she won't be able to go through with it. The gun is louder than she expected and as soon as it fires, she drops it to the ground as if it had stung her. The bullet strikes in the center of Malachi's back and he falls before he can take another step.
Valya covers her mouth to stop her own scream, hearing his choked breath as it catches in his throat. Malachi crumples around himself, tilting his head back into the mud as his arms reach across his body. He doesn't hear Valya scrambling to pick up the gun again nor the zipping of her pocket as she hides it away again. He tries to speak but breathing requires every ounce of his remaining energy. All he can think is that he needs to get up again to follow Laurent. By the time Valya steps around Malachi to run deeper into the forest, he can't even focus enough to follow her movements.
The other tributes sprint out of the clearing and Emrys knows that he has to take his chance now before they head back. As soon as Emrys starts running towards the table, he sees another figure darting out of the forest in front of him. At first, it doesn't matter because he knows that he is in the better position to reach the table and then get away before they meet. Then Emrys recognizes the girl and his entire plan changes.
He stops in front of the table, but his eyes are no longer locked on the feast set out for him. Emrys sees Madina still several yards away before she notices that he is not looking at the food at all. Her eyes widen when she sees Emrys watching her. Madina glances at the table for a moment longer before she spins around to head back into the forest. The look on his face is not welcoming, and Madina can still hear his voice echoing in her mind from yesterday. Madina can't be certain that he's out for blood but she also can't ignore the risk. The food won't be worth anything if she's dead before she reaches it.
Emrys dashes after her, memories of yesterday still tearing into his mind. He couldn't find her after she caused the explosion that killed Koda. He wasn't able to make her pay for what she did to him, and Emrys isn't willing to lose that chance again. He doesn't care that the pitiful knife in his hand doesn't come close to measuring up to the one swinging from her belt. Emrys doesn't even think about that. All he sees is blood, but not Koda's blood this time. He sees her blood.
Madina looks over her shoulder just a split second before Emrys lunges at her, lopping his arms around her legs and causing them both to crash into the ground. Madina doesn't have time to think, she shoves him as hard as she can and slips her legs out of his grip. She tries to grab for her knife, but it's caught in her belt and she doesn't have time to think about freeing it. Madina's hand clasps around the empty gun in her pocket. She holds it out in front of her, fingers poised on the trigger but knowing that it will do nothing.
Emrys freezes as he stares down the barrel of the gun, the end of which is mere inches from his nose. He braces for the shot, knowing that he will not be able to get out of range in time no matter how fast he runs. The seconds tick by in silence, but she doesn't pull the trigger. Emrys can't understand what she is waiting for, but then he sees her other hand fiddling for the knife handle looped onto her belt. It doesn't take long for him to piece it together. The gun doesn't work; she's distracting him.
Emrys uses the back of his fist to smack the gun away from her, but Madina's grip holds tight to its handle. He lunges at her, his own knife pointed right at her throat. Madina uses both her feet to kick him as hard as she can in the stomach. Emrys' breath comes out in a choke and he rolls off of her. Madina presses up to stand before he can recover, all thoughts of food abandoned.
She only gets a few steps before a loud cracking sound comes from behind the Cornucopia. Madina and Emrys both turn towards the noise, a synchronous gasp escaping their lips.
Airla still hears footsteps behind her, but she knows that she will not be able to run forever. She spins around, knives gripped tightly in her fists and poised to greet Laurent when he turns the corner. She fights to keep her breathing steady, but her chest still heaves from running. There is not going to be enough time to recover, and Airla can only hope that Laurent will be in no better condition to fight when he catches up.
She doesn't hesitate when Laurent finally appears a few seconds later. He is breathing just as heavily and, more importantly, he isn't expecting her to turn the chase around. Airla lashes out with her right hand, putting her weight behind the movement. Laurent barely moves in time to avoid it, but Airla's momentum forces her forwards. She manages to stay upright, but only just.
Laurent takes a step back from her, his eyes wild as Airla regains her balance. She doesn't waste a second before lunging towards him, slashing out with each hand in a seemingly random pattern. One slice rips through the skin of his upper arm, but the rest just cut air as Laurent scrambles backwards. He is surprised by the number of attacks, unsure what to do besides give up ground. Laurent brings his knife up to block, but he's not fast enough to do anything else.
Branches bite at his back before Laurent realizes that he has nowhere to go. Anger flares up in his cheeks, realizing how stupid he looks running away from the girl who just seconds ago he was chasing. This isn't just her fight, it's his. Laurent is determined to win even if he doesn't have the fancy training that she does. How much could she possibly know?
The next time that he blocks her knife with his, Laurent reaches out quickly to catch Airla's wrist. She gasps in surprise, but that doesn't stop her for long. She tries to lash out at his hand with her opposite arm and blood begins running down his hand. Laurent grabs her other hand, now holding his knife between his teeth. He grins at her, but there is no comfort in his smile. Airla's eyes widen as he twists her wrists, feeling the pain immediately but holding onto her knives with every bit of strength she can muster. She knows that if she drops them, she may as well kneel down and let him kill her.
"Malachi!" Airla shouts. He can't be that far behind; he must have seen what happened and come after her. In the silence that follows, Airla can almost believe that she hears his footsteps coming towards her. Then the sound of a cannon drowns them out.
She can feel his grip slip just slightly as he too likely wonders who it was. Airla takes the opportunity and drives her knee up between his legs as hard as she can. Laurent cries out and lets go of her before he realizes what he is doing. He looks and feels like he might throw up. Airla pushes herself backward to get away, rubbing each wrist in turn to try and stop the pain. She briefly considers running again, but she knows that he will follow her. Laurent wants to end this and Airla is inclined to agree with him this time. She would feel a lot better about her chances if she knew that he was dead.
They both turn as a third tribute enters the clearing from between the trees. Airla tightens her grips but her wrists immediately protest and she has to fight to keep her expression neutral. Valya steps into the clearing and Laurent immediately turns back to Airla. He could care less that his ally is here, but a second body might be just what he needs to scare Airla. He knows his strategy now. He can't beat her with weapons, but he is stronger than she is even without training.
Valya watches as he throws himself at Airla, who barely suppresses a scream as she is taken by surprise. Valya feels as helpless as she did during the fight with Zaid, but this time she is not stupid enough to intervene. She watches as they struggle on the ground. Airla loses one knife that Laurent promptly kicks away. Valya finds that she is unable to tear her eyes away. She has to be here if Laurent wins, but she also finds herself hoping that he doesn't. Just because she has decided to take her chances with him doesn't mean that she wants him around much longer. He is a threat and just a generally horrible person. She had planned to wait until the end to use her gun, but that seems stupid now.
She has two bullets left and two of her biggest competitors standing right in front of her, ignoring Valya as if she weren't even there. She slowly unzips her pocket, unable to calm the shaking in her hands as her finger graze over the cool metal. Valya pushes the thoughts of Malachi out of her mind. It's nothing personal against any of them. She would save them all if she could. The problem is that she can't. Only one of them is going to leave the arena and killing both of these tributes skyrockets the chance that it will be her.
Valya takes the gun from her pocket, her eyes flipping between the two tributes. She could kill Airla now and hope that Laurent isn't quick enough to notice what is happening. Laurent flips Airla onto her back, his fist landing in the mud beside her head when she dodges it. Valya knows that she doesn't have a clear shot of Airla. She can't afford to waste a single bullet so her choice is made.
Airla sees her first and is unable to stop the gasp before it escapes her lips. Laurent immediately turns around, seeing Valya exactly where he remembers her walking in. The only difference is the gun raised in front of her, its barrel pointed straight at him.
Laurent is on his feet before Valya even knows that she has been seen. She panics and pulls the trigger, no longer knowing what she is aiming at. The bullet grazes his shoulder, but Laurent only winces to acknowledge it. He closes the distance between them quickly and wraps his hand around hers, pointing the gun towards her with Valya's fingers still stuck on the trigger.
"You were going to kill me," Laurent hisses, his voice a mixture of fear and hatred.
"I-I-," Valya stammers, staring at the gun as it twists towards her. Laurent uses his free hand to push down on her head, pressing her towards the ground. She focuses almost solely on trying to free her finger from the trigger, even as her knees sink into the mud beneath her. Tears blur her vision and her breaths come in quick gasps as Valya tried to think of a way to stop what she knows is happening. She needs to say something, but her voice only comes out between sobs. "I wasn't."
"Liar!" Laurent roars, staring down at his ally. He can't imagine that she would try something so stupid. Laurent has done everything to keep her safe and Valya takes the first chance to betray him. They could have killed Zaid with this gun, could have killed Airla before she even knew they were there. They would have been unstoppable, but Valya didn't even tell him. "After everything I did for you?"
Laurent twists her hand until the gun barrel is poised perfectly into the crevice between her neck and her chin. Valya sobs again, trying to say more but fear overrides her. She tries to move the gun away but Laurent is stronger and keeps it set in place. Valya closes her eyes, fighting against Laurent's grip on her fingers to keep them away from the trigger. It doesn't take long before she loses the battle.
Airla flinches as the gun goes off, unable to keep the bile from rising into her throat. She knows that she only has a few seconds before Laurent turns back to her. Airla reaches for her lost knife and rises to her feet in preparation. She is confused when the sound that she hears immediately is not a cannon, but instead a loud cracking that seems to come from behind them. The bang of Valya's cannon is lost to the deafening sound of rushing water.
Laurent freezes when he hears it, for a moment unable to even consider what could be responsible for the sound. He rips the gun from Valya's hand, ready to make use of the new weapon, when he sees the water flooding towards them. The weight of the water breaks large chunks of branches off the trees in its path, and it's headed straight for them. Laurent takes off past Airla, no longer caring that she is even there. Airla takes off behind him, agreeing that avoiding the water is the best chance she has. The forest floor is already littered with deep puddles, but that's nothing compared to the flood that is coming up behind them.
Airla can hear the water getting close behind her, and she reaches for the nearest tree branch, attempting to hoist herself up. The water crashes into her just seconds after she loops her arm over the branch. Airla holds on with all her strength, but soon the branch comes loose and she feels herself being swept away. She screams before quickly thinking to hold her breath, reaching out on all sides for something to hold onto. Her body slams into a tree trunk, pushing the air from her lungs as Airla fights to hold on.
She looks beside her and is shocked to see Laurent caught on the same tree. His leg is swung over a nearby tree branch, and he looks more stable than she feels. The pressure of the water is the driving force allow her to cling to the tree trunk. Airla twists her body so that she is able to get a grip in the thicker branches when Laurent calls out to her.
"What's happening?" He shouts as the water continues to rush over him.
"I don't know," Airla replies. She is terrified as she looks down at the water. It's several feet deep already and the waves looks ready to tear her apart if she loses her balance. She isn't certain that she knows how to swim well enough not to drown and she certainly doesn't want to find out.
Laurent sees the fear cross Airla's face as she stares out at the rushing water. His knife was lost to the waves along with Airla's weapons, but that doesn't mean that he can't still win this. Laurent shimmies closer to the tree trunk, ensuring that his legs stay tightly gripped to the branch. He reaches down towards Airla, trying to knock her off balance. Just as he expected, she ducks away from his grasp. Airla gasps as the cold water crashes over her head. She reaches to pull herself back up, but Laurent blocks her.
I'm going to die. That's all that can seem to permeate Airla's mind as the water continues to push against her. It feels like hours have passed since the flood came, but it's probably been less than a minute. She doesn't know how long she will have to stay here. She doesn't know how long it will be before Laurent pushes her further down the tree trunk.
It takes all of her strength to make herself dip down further into the water, reaching for her boot and the only remaining weapon that she has. Airla holds her breath as she pulls it out, coming back up to the surface with wet hair sticking to her forehead. She wastes no time, lunging up at Laurent with the knife and sticking it deeply into his thigh.
The effect is immediate. Laurent is unable to keep himself from letting go of the branch as pain explodes in his leg. He flails out attempting to keep the branch in his grasp, but the water catches him before he can take hold. Laurent cries out, but water floods into his mouth as he is carried farther away from the tree. He feels several branches tear at his limbs as the water pushes him further into the arena. Laurent tries to cough but more water replaces what he manages to spit out. His lungs are burning, but Laurent can't seem to catch hold of anything even remotely solid.
Laurent doesn't feel the moment that his head makes impact with the tree trunk and his body goes still. With no way to fight back the flood of water that invades his lungs, it takes only minutes before his cannon echoes through the arena. Airla clings to the tree, unsure if tears or water are running down her cheeks as she stares down at the muddy waves.
Madina doesn't have time to run more than a few steps before the waves sweep her and Emrys away. She spits water from her mouth and looks around, searching for something to hold onto. The water moves quickly, but she sees the tree approaching and opens her arms to catch it. She slams into the branches but manages to hold tightly. Emrys lands in a nearby tree, but his eyes are no longer locked on her.
Emrys shakily pulls himself further up the tree, choosing each branch as carefully as he would choose a name for his child. The sound of rushing water and snapping branches explodes around him, but Emrys doesn't let himself think about what would happen if he fell. He pulls himself above the water and grasps the branches until his knuckles turn white. He's never seen this much water in his life.
"What's going on?" He says, mostly to himself but also welcoming answers. Emrys can see Madina making her way up the trunk in front of him. He can't help but be disappointed that she didn't die in the flood.
A cannon sounds and Emrys finds himself clinging even tighter to the bark. Madina points to the area behind the Cornucopia and he follows her gesture until he sees what she does. Of course, the lake, Emrys remembers. He had only caught a glimpse of it when they were first launched into this place but thinking back, he can see it clearly. A solid chunk of ice that probably didn't do very well in the heat. Figures that they wouldn't get a break in this place.
Madina isn't sure what she is actually seeing as it begins to happen, but within seconds it's obvious. Beyond the lake, she can no longer see the collection of pine trees that had always been there. Madina thinks back to the day that she tried to cross the frozen water, realizing now why the muttations didn't want her going that way. The arena doesn't go that far. It's not real.
The water begins to drain beneath them as the arena walls open to reveal the dry tundra surrounding them. Emrys and Madina both gasp as they stare out at the sandy landscape. It feels impossible yet there would be no way to deny what they are seeing. The arena is opening and they're not in the Capitol. By the looks of it, they're far outside of the walls of Panem.
Madina drops from the tree without hesitation. The water is only a few inches deep when she hits the ground and she wastes no time in sprinting for the outside. She smiles more genuinely than she thought possible as her heart races in her chest. She is so close she can almost feel the sand under her feet. Madina doesn't care if Emrys is following her, in fact she doesn't even look back. She can get out of the arena. It would be too fantastical a thought to entertain except that she can now see where the arena ends.
The reflection slides back into place just a few feet from Madina, the outside so completely gone that Madina can't help but wonder if it was even there at all. She takes the next steps slowly, hand outstretched. The second her hand touches the wall, tears begin to slide down her cheeks once again. The pine trees stare proudly back at her, but Madina knows the truth. The outside is just on the other side of her hand.
Airla stays huddled in the tree branches until her legs go numb. She is greeted on the ground by a small white parachute and greedily eats the dried meats inside. Her only remaining knife remains clutched between her fingers. She cannot be certain that it was Laurent's cannon that she heard. After what Airla saw him do to Valya, she is unwilling to take the chance of lowering her guard until she knows for sure. Her wrists ache and bruises begin to form as the day drags on. Airla wonders if she will still be alive to watch them heal.
As the anthem plays, Airla prepares herself for three faces knowing only one of them for certain. She cries for Malachi and smiles for Laurent, not caring what the Capitol thinks of her reactions. It feels better to know that Malachi didn't choose to leave her to fight Laurent alone. It feels much worse to know that she will never see his kind smile again and that she is truly alone.
Madina stands at the edge of the arena for as long as she dares before following the wall further from the Cornucopia. She discards the tattered uniform in the remnants of the frozen lake and lets the sun dry out the clothes underneath. She keeps her knife looped into her belt, almost waiting for the next wave of water to crash over her. All thoughts of the other tributes are gone from her mind. The only thing she can think of is how quickly the walls closed back in on her.
Madina receives nothing from her sponsors. When she finally tucks herself under a tree as the sun disappears behind the branches, the rumbling of her stomach keeps her awake long past the anthem. She knows that there are only three of them left, but she has no desire to seek them out. Madina is exhausted and, as she slips into a restless sleep, she dreams of the dry tundra beyond the arena.
Once the water drains from the arena, Emrys returns to the waterlogged Cornucopia. He searches through the battered crates until he finds what he is looking for. Emrys tucks the small knife from Koda's backpack into his belt and carries the new larger one through the arena. It's rusted and bent, even as Emrys attempts to scrub the brown from the blade. He gives up and figure that it's no worse than stabbing someone with a clean sword. They'll be dead either way.
Emrys does not remember the faces that appear in the sky, and he doesn't cry for any of them. He sinks against a tree and tries to keep his mind from wandering, but of course it doesn't listen. The memories of his dead allies stay with him both in and out of sleep. They ask him why he should still alive when they are heading home in coffins. Emrys doesn't have an answer for them.
Emrys flinches awake hours after nightfall, trying to blink away the exhaustion as he looks hurriedly at his surrounding. The back of his neck is slick with sweat and Emrys can feel his fingers trembling despite the warm wind. He sinks further into the tree to try and fall back asleep when he hears something fall to the ground around him. A moment later, a second crash echoes in his ears and Emrys knows that something is very wrong.
A/N: Here we are with the final three tributes. It's been incredibly difficult to narrow it down to these three, but I feel that each of them represents a very different arc and a very different type of potential-Victor. They all deserve to be here for various reasons, and I am extremely happy with my choices. Writing this chapter was a complete head rush and there will be no break as we head into the finale next chapter (night 8). Congratulations to the submitters whose darlings made it this far but remember that there can only be one.
Who do you see as most deserving of the Victor title? Full disclosure that I always choose my Victor as I write the finale so, like, convince me of your choice because absolutely nothing is set in stone.
If you could bring back one tribute to fight again, who would it be?
Thank you to everyone still reading. You guys have really been a huge driving force behind this story both with your amazing tributes and your amazing feedback. There are only two more chapters left in this story (one being an epilogue) and I can honestly say that I will miss it dearly. It has been a wonderful re-introduction to my love of writing and I have learned a lot.
One of my favourite people, Da Member Hogwarts 2.0, is now accepting tributes for her new SYOT 'Quadrophenia: The story of the 26th Hunger Games'. The story is sure to be a lot of fun and you definitely don't want to miss submitting!
~ Olive