Night 8
At precisely midnight, a tree falls in each corner of the arena. The tributes, unknowingly, had chosen smart retreats for final night. There is no way that they will meet without intervention for they are so far away from one another. The Gamemakers do not wish to be patient. The Hunger Games will end before daybreak.
Airla is the furthest away from the Cornucopia. She is huddled under a tree and too exhausted to care that her clothing is soaked from the puddles at her feet. She sits up straight when the she hears the crash behind her, eyes flying open though it is too dark to see much. The second tree falls much closer, and the wind it creates sends pine needles up into her face. She stands shakily, clutching her only remaining knife tightly in her hand. Her wrist aches even from this slight tension, but Airla is too afraid to pay much notice. As the tree to her right begins to lean with an eerie creak, she knows that she needs to move. Though she does not know which way points to the Cornucopia, Airla is certain that this is where she will end up.
Emrys ducks away from the trees, heart racing as he looks into the darkness ahead. A tree falls beside him and he screams, scrambling in the opposite direction only to be trapped by another fallen tree trunk. Panic overrides him and Emrys jumps on top of the bark, scraping both knees as he fights to stand on it. He doesn't know where to go, and no direction feels safe. To either side, he can just make out the outlines of more trees crashing to the ground. Behind him is the same, though the graveyard of trees is still in that direction. There is no way to go except forward. He clutches the rusty blade, convincing himself that he will be able to use it when the time comes. Emrys jumps down from the trunk and takes off in a sprint, flinching with every sound but refusing to look back.
Madina gasps for breath as she tries to outrun the obstacles, but each tree lands just meters from her heels. She can feel every wind and the puff of twigs and needles it sends flying her way. Her ankle rolls as her boots slip under a broken branch, but despite the pain Madina doesn't dare slow down. She grasps the knife securely in her hand and can feel the empty gun slapping against her hip as she runs. Her muscles ache from the day, but she forces herself to keep moving. She has given up any hope that the arena walls will reopen, but Madina has not let go of her desire to get out. She slips again and rolls forwards, scrambling to her feet again as another loud crash comes from behind her.
Emrys sprints into the clearing, collapsing to his knees as the trees behind him fall and lock him inside. He struggles to catch his breath and can feel beads of sweat dripping down his forehead. The full moon makes the clearing much lighter than the rest of the arena he just ran through. He watches another figure emerge from the other side of the Cornucopia, but Emrys can't find the strength to stand again so soon.
Madina spins around as another tree falls at the edge of the clearing. She scans her surroundings, noticing that the area around the Cornucopia is almost bare compared to just yesterday. The water ravaged all of the remaining supplies, sending them all crashing through the arena except for the largest two crates. Madina wonders if she should run to them, to see if there are any remaining weapons that could help her. When she spots the other tribute on his knees at the other edge, Madina knows that she will have to make do with what she already has.
Madina creeps along the fallen trees, trying her best to conceal herself in the frayed branches. They have been brought here for the end, of this she is certain, and Madina is unwilling to waste any advantage she can garner. Her breathing is laboured, but the loud thuds as trees hit mud conceal her as she steps cautiously towards the other tribute. She will have time to regret what she is about to do when she gets out. There is no time left to be afraid.
Emrys spins around just in time to meet Madina, who then runs at him with her knife outstretched. He is far enough away that it doesn't take much effort to dodge, but his heart speeds up in his chest. Emrys brings the knife up to shield himself as he steps away from her. He is still too tired from running to fight, but Emrys knows that he isn't going to get very much time to prepare. He swallows his fear and the pain from his bruised hand, trying to convince himself that he will be okay. They both turn when another figure darts into the middle of the clearing, her eyes wide and gleaming in the moonlight.
Madina immediately recognizes the tribute, even after so many days away from the Capitol. Airla from District 2, the image that graced the top of the ranking board for the last day in the Capitol. Madina couldn't forget her name if she tried, though the girl standing in front of her has lost the regality that she saw in training. Airla looks no less terrified than Emrys, and Madina is certain that the look on her own face is identical.
Emrys leaps at her when he sees that Madina is still distracted. His body moves slowly, still exhausted but knowing that this could be his only chance. The knife in his hand feels foreign, but Emrys tries to remind himself that this won't be the first life he takes. He pressed the trigger on another nameless tribute, but Emrys wasn't this close to them. He wasn't able to see the flash of fear in their eyes like he does the moment his weight crashes into Madina. Emrys didn't have to feel the weight of the knife in his hand as he brings it towards her neck.
Madina blocks his blade with her own, gasping as his weight presses her into the ground. She tries to kick out at him, but finds both legs pinned into the mud. Madina doesn't have to look to see Airla heading towards them, she already knows that she will be there soon. Madina punches Emrys hard in the stomach and then rolls him off of her. She is on her feet again in seconds, Emrys still on the ground and vulnerable. Madina doesn't strike, though she knows that she probably should.
"Help me," Madina whispers, turning around and heading to the edge of the clearing before she can hear Emrys' answer. The longer she thinks about Airla, the more she remembers from training. The large alliance. The weapons. The targets. If Madina still had bullets this could already be over, but she doesn't. She will be going against the Capitol favourite, and Madina is not prepared to lose.
"Why?" Emrys says loudly, his voice not far behind Madina.
Airla sprints across the clearing towards the other two remaining tributes. The knife in her hand feels incredibly small as she glimpses the long blades the others carry, but it's all she has. Airla knows that she can kill them. She never wanted to be here, never wanted to make this choice, but that doesn't matter anymore. Airla is in the Hunger Games and her muscles know what to do. She will not think about Malachi or Valya or how much she wishes her life would return to normal. There isn't time.
"She's supposed to win," Madina says through laboured breaths as she climbs up over the fallen tree trunk.
"She won't," Emrys says definitively, though he doesn't feel nearly as confident as his voice suggests. He struggles up to stand beside Madina, unsure why he is following her. One look behind him tells him why. The District 2 girl is headed straight for them, but not the way that Madina ran at him a moment ago. There is no uncertainty in her steps. She knows what she is doing. He looks out at the arena and the toppled trees look like an obstacle course, the trunks even thicker than he remembers as they lay in his way. He will not be able to run, but there is still some time before Airla reaches them. He is not prepared to trust Madina, but he is starting to understand what she is hinting at.
"Truce?" Madina says quickly, her eyes darting between Emrys and Airla. It's the same word that Milan used when they met that first night. If they work together, they can kill her. If they don't, Airla will likely win just like the Capitol wants. Madina can't make him help her, but she needs to at least try. It's her best shot.
"What?" Emrys asks.
"Help me kill her," Madina says. "Or we're both going to die."
Airla reaches the edge of the clearing and considers whether she should follow the other two over the tree. She immediately decides against it and takes several steps back. If she follows, they could ambush her. Airla can't overlook the possibility that they're allies, and that could be dangerous. They have to come back into the clearing eventually. This only gives her more time to catch her breath.
The two tributes appear on top of the tree trunk and Airla takes another couple steps back. She tells herself not to show fear, but at this point that is almost impossible. In the dim light, Airla can almost picture Malachi standing up there staring down at her. It's not him, she reminds herself. Malachi is dead. The knife in her hand twitches, telling her that she could throw it now and have a clean shot at one of them. Airla resists the instinct, knowing that she will be pulling no more knives out of her boot. This is all she has, and it has to be enough.
Emrys's feet sway underneath him as they both jump back into the clearing. There is no plan other than to focus on Airla, they didn't have the luxury of time to think of something better. Emrys isn't as confident in his sparring skills as Madina seems to be. The fights he got into as a kid never had weapons. There was never much chance of getting seriously injured because the adults would always step in. Now the stakes are entirely different and Emrys doesn't feel ready.
Madina rushes at Airla, her knife tipped upward. She doesn't expect to get lucky with a hit; she just hopes that two people will be harder to focus on at once. Airla easily dodges the lunge and Madina takes up position on her right. Airla looks from Madina to Emrys, breathing through her nose to calm her racing heart. In an instant she chooses her target, the girl is clearly stronger.
Airla fakes a lunge at Emrys but instead throws herself towards Madina. Madina runs a few steps backwards, realizing that she is getting further away from Emrys but also not knowing what else to do. Airla is faster and she takes Madina to the ground, her knife catching on Madina's arm as they go down. Madina stifles a cry, kicking up at the girl with both feet. Airla is thrown back for only a second before she regains her balance and lands back on top of Madina. Airla doesn't have time to waste when there are two of them; it's almost impossible to watch them both and she has to take more risks than she would like to.
Emrys watches in frozen fear as the two girls battle it out. His hands tremble at his sides so hard that it's all he can do not to drop his weapon entirely. He knows that he is supposed to help, that he's made a deal to go after the older girl before Madina. Emrys just can't imagine why he would get in there and risk his neck. Airla isn't going after him… yet. He almost thinks it might be easier to let Airla kill Madina and then figure the rest out later. His mind wanders for a second to Koda and the promise he made himself to kill her for what she did. Emrys doesn't want to trust anyone ever again, especially not her. He stays where he is, debating whether it's fear or malice that keeps his feet from moving.
Airla grits her teeth as pain shoots down both wrists, but she understands that stopping now is not an option. She pins Madina's knife under her boot and tightens her grip on her own weapon. This needs to end now. There is no other option. Airla brings the knife towards Madina's throat as the girl thrashes in her grasp. The blade bites gently into the skin, but the fear in Madina's eyes stops Airla and for a moment she does the one thing she has been trained never to do- she hesitates.
That second of doubt is all that Madina needs. She lets go of her trapped knife and finds the gun in her pocket. It's empty but it will serve a fine purpose here. Madina clutches the barrel of the gun and slams the metal across Airla's face. Airla grunts and is unable to stop herself from falling to the side, free hand coming up to shield her face. Blackness claws at her vision but she blinks it away, ignoring the taste of metal on her tongue.
Madina grabs her knife and slashes it clumsily towards Airla. She can't remember anything about close combat from training, but instincts are all she needs right now. Airla scurries back, using her heavy boots to kick the blade away every time it gets close. Madina's knife is much larger than Airla's and, though her strikes are sloppy at best, they're effective. Airla kicks hard at the knife the next time it flies towards her, but Madina's grip doesn't falter.
"Move!" Madina shouts at Emrys, who is still several feet away. She's managed to gain the upper hand but she can't be sure how long that will last.
Her voice shakes Emrys out of his trance and he decides quickly to move towards Airla rather than far away, where he would much rather be. He doesn't want to trust Madina, but if he wants a fighting chance he needs to. Airla is obviously more skilled than Madina, and Emrys knows who he would rather fight if given the choice. Emrys' knife just catches the tip of her shoulder when Airla see him at the last minute. He redirects his momentum and stabs the blade into her back. It takes all his strength to drive the knife in as he squeezes his eyes shut.
Airla twists her body away as she feels the burning sensation explode across her back. She forces her eyes back open, blinking away the blurriness that fights to drop her. Airla bites her tongue to keep from screaming, flinging her knife back at Emrys and catching skin. Her knife slices deep into his knee and Emrys screams as he stumbles backwards. Airla is unable to stop herself from slumping to the ground as blood coats the back of her shirt and her breaths catch in her throat. Moving feels impossible even as she screams at herself to keep fighting.
Madina doesn't allow herself to look at Airla as the girl falls onto her side. She throws herself at Emrys, unwilling to give him even a second to recover. Her boot catches his knee and smears his blood down his shin, causing Emrys to cry out again.
"Truce over already?" Emrys says through gritted teeth. The cannon that follows is his only answer.
Emrys uses his weight to flip Madina onto her back, stifling another cry as his knee hits the ground. He didn't think to retrieve his knife, and he doesn't have the time to reach for Koda's smaller one. Madina slashes out with hers, but Emrys pins her arm down and cuts her range by half. He tries to grapple for the handle, but Madina refuses to give it up. She tries to kick out at him, but her legs are stuck under Emrys. As she writhes under his weight, the gun drops from her pocket and Emrys picks it up before she even notices.
Though he remembers from the feast that there is something wrong with it, Emrys points the barrel directly in her face and presses the trigger. Madina's eyes widen slightly but an empty click is all that greets her. He strikes out with the gun as if wielding a baton, but Madina turns away and he only barely hits the edge of her nose. The skin stings but Madina barely registers the hit. She arcs her knife towards him and Emrys doesn't duck in time to avoid it.
He gasps as the blade slices thinly through the top of his chest, but he retaliates just as quickly. He slams the gun into her face without giving her time to turn away again. Madina immediately tastes blood and cries out, thrashing enough to knock Emrys off balance. She thrusts her knife forwards again, but Emrys catches the blade with his boot and kicks it towards her. He puts all his weight down on the blade and its edge cuts into her abdomen. Madina bites her tongue to stifle her scream and quickly decides to let go of the knife. She can still feel it cutting into her, but now Emrys' attention is all on the knife and not on her movements. Madina grabs his head and pulls him down to the ground beside her. She gasps as more pain explodes in her stomach, then a second later she feels some relief as his weight lifts off of her.
Emrys lands on the ground beside Madina, his knee throbbing as it hits the floor once again. He scrambles for the knife, but Madina's hand reaches it first. Emrys throws his hands out in front of him and her first strike cuts into his wrists. He stares up at her with wide eyes, but Madina doesn't allow herself to even glance at his face. The knife slashes across his throat and his hands reach up to slow the bleeding, but come away soaked in red.
As his cannon sounds, Madina collapses to her knees and wraps her arms around her stomach. Blood drips down onto the ground below and nausea washes over her in heavy waves. She looks up and sees two still bodies, each of them coated in the same red that mingles with the mud beneath her.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to present to you the Victor of the 6th Hunger Games- Madina Kerrigan of District 8!"
The announcer's voice sounds faraway as Madina closes her eyes and sinks further to the ground. Mud cakes the side of her face and she tells herself that she must open her eyes, but her body doesn't listen. Her fingers tingle and her clothes are soaked through, but somehow no tears fall. This must be what it feels like to die, she thinks to herself. She's fought for days to keep her heart beating, but it's so much easier to let it stop. Madina feels a cold breeze on her face, reminding her of the first moments in the arena. Then, she feels nothing.
A/N: And here we are. I can honestly say that when I sat down to write these final scenes, I did not have a Victor in mind. I have spent a lot of time thinking about who deserves the title, who would make the best mentor, who has gone through the most development, etc. I think any of the final three would have made a fantastic Victor, but as I started to get into it I knew that it had to be Madina. She's an amazing, strong character that I feel in love with from the beginning and grew to love more every time I wrote her. She has gone through hell and back but remained the strong gal who never gave up on herself. Thanks to Chaos in Her Wake for submitting this amazing girl who I pretty much tortured for twenty-six chapters and congratulations on her victory!
I have some fun questions that I'd love for y'all to answer if you have time to review. It means a lot that so many of you have stuck by the story despite your tributes' deaths and I would love to hear some closing thoughts before the epilogue.
Who was your overall favourite tribute?
Which death was the most memorable?
Which scene (non-death) was the most memorable?
Who would you have chosen as Victor?
Final thoughts on the story as a whole?
Thank you to everyone that submitted, read, followed, favourited, or interacted with this story in any other capacity. I will be finishing off this story with an epilogue next chapter, and our lovely Victor will also be joining To The Wolves as a mentor as that story takes off. I'm also going to bring back my tradition of posting short epilogues for each of the tributes' loved ones on the blog so that we can all have a little closure. Thanks again and the final chapter will be up in a few days!
~ Olive