Look at that, two chapters in one day. It most likely won't happen again, be warned!
Also, small Note, the small sections of stories are from within the Games hence the two weeks earlier. They are snippets from events that will happen but they are not necessarily connected to any of the Tributes mentioned in the story. They may even end up being the POV of a Tribute not yet submitted.
"Would you like to swing on a star
Carry moonbeams home in a jar
And be better off than you are
Or would you rather be a mule?"
It's feet shuffled along, it's right one dragging against the hard wood floor. It sounded like it was trying to speak but instead all that reached my ears were grunt and breathless screams. As it moved past the cupboard in which I stood, it's foul rotting scent drifted in through the small crack in the door. Then, for the first time I finally got a full view of the creature.
I felt my stomach turn and flip as what little food I had consumed that morning threatened to make a reappearance. I had never seen something so foul in my life. To say it was a zombie would have been a mercy. No. This was something far more terrifying.
Two weeks earlier...
Belinda Herd, Victor of the 60th Hunger Games and Mentor for District 10
It took some convincing but I managed to arrange a training session with Friesian and Fazana alone. I was just going to call them Faz and Fri.
Naturally I would have been the first choice for their mentor, having won a program just like theirs twenty-five years earlier. Unfortunately I had spent those twenty-five years as general for the Capitol Military. It was a group of soldiers trained and dedicated to protecting not only the Capitol but our president. Naturally, it was not a post I could just step away from for ten years. But they had given me four week leave to help train the District Ten Tributes in their final days. Boy did they need it.
I had my doubts about how Akhal had trained them. She was sweet as pie and as gentle as a butterfly. A lovely woman and one of the few who deserved victory. But I wasn't sure she was the best choice to train up two future killers.
I had read reports that she let the Faz and Fri have free reign over what they learned. She believed it was best to find their natural weapon and allow them to grow that. She let Fazana conduct autopsies on the practice dummies. She allowed Fri to thumb through book after book on being a kind and giving leader. She gave them whatever they wanted. Sometimes skipping training sessions with them to take them into the centre of the Capitol shopping. They were the most loved and spoiled Tributes in the Capitol but that didn't win the Games. They were skilled and deadly, far better than most 10 Tributes but I could only think how formidable they would have been if I had been training them for ten years.
When I entered the room Faz and Fri were muttering among themselves. About me.
"I hope she is nice," Fri said.
"I hope this isn't a waste of my time," Faz grunted in return.
When they noticed I had entered, Fri stood up straight back and gave a salute while Faz looked on.
"I'm Fri-"
"I know your names," I said bluntly as I walked up to the pair. "Friesian, stop slouching!" The girl looked back up at me. Her eyes were cold and vacant.
"Why?" She asked, cocking her head to the side.
"Because I'm your superior and you do as I say."
"If you can give me a legitimate reason to, then I will. Other than that, I fail to see how it will aid me in today's training." On paper this sounded like sass. Yet her voice was sincere. She was truly asking me a question. A question I didn't know the answer to. It was a sign of respect. There was really no logical reasoning for it.
"I expected Akhal to have done a poor job in training you but I at least had assumed she would have taught you manners!" I snapped, leaning close to Fri's face that twisted in disgust.
"Hey!" Faz squeaked, his voice breaking slightly. As I turned to look at him, he recoiled slightly. "Akhal is nice-"
"I'm sure she is but being nice doesn't teach you the life skills you need to win the games." Faz lowered his head and gave a nod. I wasn't surprised Akhal had trained something so passive.
"Akhal wouldn't have wasted the past five minutes shouting at us," Fri finally spoke. There was a bit more venom in her voice this time but it was still very dry and cold.
"I'm sorry that I'm trying to make Victor's out of the two of you...maybe you'd like me to teach you how to toast marshmallows instead? I'm sure you'll win the games that way!" Most soldiers would have caved by now but it was easy to forget these were trained killers. After ten years worth of training, it was unlikely any would be frightened by me shouting at them.
"How did it feel when you snapped Evelyn's neck or when you watched Coutille bleed out?" She asked, her eyes looking deep into mine. "Did you feel powerful? Did you feel happiness that you were victor? Do you think if the two of them could have stood up straight they would have won?" I was taken back by her words. Memories of slamming my sword into Evelyn's head and hearing the snap of her neck or cradling Coutille as she bled out flooded. It was easy to forget these kids had watched my Games. Watched it a thousand times and studied it. They knew all of my secrets, my romance with Grover, being cheated on, and who I had killed. They knew everything that hurt me even twenty-five years on.
"No-"
"Then it's settled then," Fiz sighed, brushing down her training jumpsuit. "I'm off to work on an experiment, something that might actually help me win." She left without another word as I stood frozen in the same position. Unable to stop replaying my own Games within my head. Memories I had buried for years.
"She is really not that bad once you get to know her!" Faz said with a sigh. "Don't think she likes you though." I didn't answer, I didn't care if she liked me.
Faz was what I expected Akhal to produce. A kind hearted boy who would rather make friends than enemies. I wasn't sure if Akhal's laid back style was to blame or if it was the way Fiz had always been. Either way the girl who just stood before me wasn't a girl but rather a monster.
So that was Belinda Herd, Victor of my story Chosen Warriors and the District 10 Tributes, Friesian Rietveld and Fazana Kostyk. I've only just realised District 10 is the only District to have both Mentors as Victors from my universe.
Next up we have Lux and Atlas. Then we will start introducing the Tributes completely. Hopefully I'll have all of them or at least most of them by that point so I can start forming the overall story.
Until next time!