Sorry about the delay on this one, guys. I got back to work this week and I've had a bunch of stuff to take care of before I leave town (today). Crossing my fingers and hoping that the first chapter of Ladies First, or the next chapter of ItD will be released before the third of September. Maybe even both. Dunno.
Honestly, I can't get the first chapter of Ladies First to sound right, and I have set out a very difficult task for myself in the aftermath of the chapter itself. You'll see what I mean when I post it.
Thanks Adventuress, dreams and roses for the reviews!
This chapter came out a little shorter than recent updates, and I blame the fact that we have so few tributes left.
Esmeralda Annalise Dawn, Age 18, District 4
District Four Female, Sixth Quarter Quell
The death of the Five girl yesterday has done little to raise my spirits, as it reminds me again of how close to dying I am myself at this point. I've been in this shelter for the past two days, and no tribute has shown themselves to me. My leg has since swollen to incredible proportions, and I'm left to wonder when the Gamemakers will finally decide what to do with me.
The pain in my leg is almost tolerable now, sitting still as I am under this tarp. My back aches terribly, but I have no desire to try to shift into a more comfortable position. I'll take a bit of soreness over the excruciation any day.
I have to wonder, in my state, if the girl from Six or Soot felt as I have these past two days. The blinding pain, waiting eagerly for the next respite, before death finally claimed them. Surely the torture I forced upon them was worse than my current condition, but they endured my administering for much shorter amounts of time. I haven't slept since the cataclysm, this pain pressing into my every breath for the past two and a half days.
The darkness of the jungle is foreboding, and I try to watch for signs of movement. Tribute or mutt, I'd likely have little time to thrust my sword into its heart before it kills me. If I am to survive, I must be vigilant and tolerant all at once. I cannot forget why I am here.
At least Seven isn't winning. I think bitterly. Much of my goal coming in here was to take Victory over the Sevens, proving that Four is still the better District. We may not have as many Victors as One, and certainly not as many as Two, but at least we can fight for third place in the coming years. My trainers back home don't even like talking about what would happen if Seven pulled too far ahead of us.
The night feels like a lifetime, when in reality it's perhaps only six or seven hours after the last recap that the first rays of sunlight break through the jungle canopy. I get my first good look at my leg since I saw Devon's face in the sky, and I can quickly tell it's gotten worse.
Day Sixteen has arrived, and unless I can gather a few more Sponsors with thick purses, I likely won't live to see the end of it.
Aran Quade, Age 17, District 6
District Six Male, Sixth Quarter Quell
"Where are we going, again?" Henry asks. I sigh, stepping over a particularly large tree root. Malaya and I chose this area largely because of the thick foliage, because it's a pain to get through. Of course, we hadn't thought of having to get through it ourselves.
"Laya and I had our camp set up somewhere in this area. I figure we can see if we left anything behind in our haste to get out three days ago." Memories flood back, of packing up our old camp and tromping through the jungle, unsure of what to do, worried Devon might somehow lead the Careers to us.
"How long were you here?" He presses.
"Not long, really." Is my only reply, because the cataclysm actually happened just the next day. Malaya was dead not twenty-four hours after we found the spot, after I stupidly admitted how the Arena has made me see her.
I stop short as I hear a groan from up ahead. Holding my hand up, I hear Henry freeze behind me, before stepping up and whispering in my ear.
"I heard it too."
Carefully, we creep forward, heads swiveling back and forth for any sign of the tribute we just heard. It could be any of the girls, from Cassia to Esmeralda to Cheyenne. Hopefully, we'll be able to see her before she sees us.
Early morning light reveals Malaya and I's old camp, the tarp strung between three trees and a cooking pit, now long cold. I suppose the wave that Henry saw didn't touch here either.
"I know you're there." A voice comes from under the tarp, and I recognize a pair of legs spread apart underneath. Definitely not Ten, and the left leg is mangled and swollen under the ripped cargo pants. "Come over here and face my sword like a man."
"Who are you?" Henry asks. His voice doesn't waver, which surprises me. He knows he's facing a Career, right?
"Come closer, my darlings." There's a slight laugh, tinged with pain and madness. I pull out my bow, knocking an arrow.
"I don't think so." I say, taking aim.
I let the arrow fly, right into the girl's wounded leg. Her shrill scream pierces the air, and her sword flashes into view as it drops from her hand. Henry darts forward, seizing the weapon before jumping back.
"Four!" He shouts over her wails. "She has supplies, but it's all on her back!"
"Help me pull her out!" I say, gesturing toward the tarp. Four's good leg jumps and twists as she tries to fight the pain, but her wounded leg stays remarkably still. Henry follows my lead without question, his gaze hardening as I wrap my hands around her swollen ankle. He secures the flailing leg, before we tug her out into the sunlight.
"Let me go!" She screeches, spittle flying everywhere. "I'll kill you! I'll kill you like your pathetic little Partner, Six! And you!" She points at Henry, screaming again as I drop her leg in anger. Tears stain her eyes as she spits out her threat. "I'll gut you like a fish for killing Blue! I'll rip you apart like Seven and Five and Nine and Soot!" She groans, shoulders drooping, energy spent.
"You killed Jetta?" My eyes widen. "How many-"
"Blue was killed by the Five girl, Mera." Henry states calmly. "He was my Ally and my friend. Would never-"
"LIAR! I'm going to kill you slowly, you rats!" She laughs, and I decide that she is insane on some level. "Give me my sword, Eight! Or better, your spear! Was that Blue's? You steal that from his corpse? I'll paint you both so prettily like I did Six and Twelve!"
"What did you do?" I cry, stomach clenching.
"I made them pretty."
Henry Reynoso, Age 14, District 8
District Eight Male, Sixth Quarter Quell
The rage in Aran's eyes is clear as he realizes what Mera's victims had to go through before she finally killed them. The fact that one of them was his Partner likely makes it worse.
In a flash, he has another arrow nocked and embedded in her thigh. The break isn't up there; she likely shattered her fibula and tibia, but the pain is still real.
"You deserve much worse than death, Esmeralda." He says, and I tighten my grip on Malaya's spear. I'd been using it as a walking stick up until now.
Aran has his axe out then, stabbing down at the girl's left arm. In one swing, the girl's hand is gone. She screams, blood trickling from her mouth. She can't seem to form words anymore.
Aran shouts, and Mere's other arm is nearly seared through at the elbow.
"Aran, stop!" I shout, but the Six boy's mind is clouded with his rage. I don't know what would happen if he turned to me.
Mera goes silent as the axe finds her shattered lag again and again, though her body tremors as it's sensory is overpowered by the nerves. Blood is flying everywhere, and I scream along with Aran.
I step around the older boy, spear ready. One thrust into the girl's heart is all it takes, and she shakes for barely another moment before finally going still. The cannon follows soon after.
BOOM.
Aran glares at me, tears flowing down his face. I yank the spear out of Mera's chest, leveling it at him. "Are you about done, Six?" I ask tiredly. I try to ignore the shaking of my limbs as the weight of my actions press down on me. I killed that girl.
He takes a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself. "I wasn't." He says finally, standing. Without a word, he turns and walks away, axe dripping with blood.
I let the tears roll down my face then, dropping the bloody spear. I've killed two people in as many days. I collapse to my knees, retching beside Mera's corpse. Blood covers everything, and I imagine that I'll never be able to see the color red without panicking again.
I gather my things, staring down at the older girl. I can't leave just yet; Aran's going to want those arrows and supplies, though I'm not sure if he's coming back. Any minute now the hovercraft's going to be warning us away, and I'm ready to bolt as it is.
No, I can't risk it. If Aran returns in time, he can get the supplies himself. I'll be keeping my own, and the spear to boot. I can't risk myself now that I've made it this far.
Cheyenne Bruno, Age 13, District 10
District Ten Female, Sixth Quarter Quell
The finale is growing ever-closer. Sixteen days in this Arena, and finally it's coming to an end. And I think I've concocted a plan to win.
It's simple enough, and hopefully as effective as Infiniti had explained. Before she died, she taught me about a metal cylinder I had collected from the Bloodbath with my other supplies: a bomb of some power. With a little luck, I can throw it into the midst of the other three tributes and win in the space of a moment.
Fin explained to me that the bomb is complex to set but can be used in a variety of ways. Use the pressure trigger, and it will blow the next time something touches it. This can translate to using it as a landmine and a grenade, should it be thrown at a tribute and strike their body or chucked at the ground at their feet. A timer can also be set, which is what Fin suggested I use should the time come where I have to use it.
How I use my best and only weapon will depend almost entirely upon the situation I find myself in when I encounter the others. If I somehow find the place the Gamemakers want us to fight in, I can set the landmine and wait for the explosion. If less than three cannons go off, the survivors will likely be so wounded that it won't matter who they are; they'll be sitting ducks.
Not that I want to count on that, of course. I haven't taken a life before, and blowing them all up without seeing them is different from slitting their throats. It's much more… personal, and my hands shake just thinking about it. I'm sure I'll know what to do when the time comes, however; I'm ready to get out of this Arena.
Sitting under a tree in this thick jungle, turning the device over in my palms, I imagine the others. Cassia and Esmeralda are probably still alive, and Aran was predicted to get far as well. Of the three of them, I'd probably only feel a little bad for Aran, and his sister he talked about would hate me when I visit Six on my Victory Tour, but that hatred comes with the territory of being a Victor. Tabitha told me about hers; she can help me through it.
Carefully setting the bomb in the dirt, I lean my head back against the mangrove. Closing my eyes, I whisper to the heavens.
"Three to go, Tabitha. I'm almost home."
I will survive. I will win.
Cassia Lyra Maurise, Age 18, District 2
District Two Female, Sixth Quarter Quell
This is it, the moment I've been training for all these years. The finale. The pinnacle of every Career's story, the climax of everything they've ever worked for. And it comes tomorrow.
I suspect it does, at the least. I doubt the Gamemakers would wait until the Final Three to bring the tributes together; they typically prefer that the final fight isn't two on one, unless it's slated to be a pretty close fight.
The moon is plenty bright tonight, though it's light is downright dim compared to the latticework of glowing gridlines that appear over the Arena with the nightly recap. The anthem plays, drowning out all other sound, before the face of the fallen tribute flashes into view.
District Four.
So Mera's dead. Serves her right, for stealing my hairbrush and a number of other supplies a few days ago. The second deserter from the Careers and look where it got them. I am officially the last Career standing. I always knew it would be me, but I also thought that the six of us would be in the finale. The others all ruined that.
The Ones, who were cowardly and weak. Marcus died unable to defend himself, infection having spread to his heart. Malaya, the traitor, who nearly murdered her own Partner and went off gallivanting with an outlier.
The Fours, the deserters. Jasper also hung with an outlier from Day One, and he didn't survive to the cataclysm. Mera dared disappear into the night, and I bet that Six boy killed her. Weak. I'll have to make sure I find him first, killing him slowly.
And Mason, my own dear Partner, who couldn't even take on One and Six by himself. I'd bet he fell on his own sword, poor thing. I respected him while he was alive, sure, but his lack of ability killed him. There is no honor in dying to tributes like those two.
Tomorrow, I will find them all. I will slit Eight's throat, gut Ten like the little pig she is, and rip Six to shreds, like Mera did to his Partner and the little Twelve boy. They will all fear me, their Victor, before dying terrible, beautiful deaths.
The Arena will eagerly lap up their blood, and I will be the hand feeding her.
Deaths!
5th Place: Esmeralda Annalise Dawn, District Four Female
Speared by Henry Reynoso, District Eight Male
Time in Arena: 14 days 20 hours 37 minutes 22 seconds
Mera was fun. In an Arena with a surprising amount of killers, Mera stood out to me from the start. She was a joy to write, she was easy to write, and she was the showwoman I needed for some of these tributes' deaths. I knew Mera wouldn't go down easy with Cassia and Aran left, but she wasn't quite in my Final Four. If she was, I suspect she would have won. Thanks roses for two amazing and unique tributes, and I hope I didn't mess with your head too much.
Also, I didn't plan for Henry to kill both your tributes. It sort of just happened before Aran could go any further.
Individual Placings!
26th: Sparky Montgomery, Age 12, District Thirteen Male
25th: Kenzi Williams, Age 16, District Seven Female
24th: Tulle Salane, Age 15, District Eight Female
23rd: Thorn Ashbury, Age 13, District Eleven Male
22nd: Keola Foeba, Age 13, District Twelve Female
21st: Harvest Miller, Age 14, District Nine Female
20th: Rebelle Rine, Age 13, District Thirteen Female
19th: Soot Maloy, Age 13, District Twelve Male
18th: Denny Rico, Age 14, District Ten Male
17th: Marcus Caelum, Age 17, District One Male
16th: Jetta Carter, Age 17, District Six Female
15th: Darius Line, Age 17, District Five Male
14th: Infiniti Reagan, Age 17, District Three Female
13th: Willow Orchids, Age 13, District Eleven Female
12th: Logan Woodson, Age 16, District Seven Male
11th: Jasper Blue, Age 16, District Four Male
10th: Thanatos Rize, Age 15, District Nine Male
9th: Cordin Bolt, Age 16, District Three Male
8th: Mason Lepodolite, Age 18, District Two Male
7th: Malaya Garnet, Age 17, District One Female
6th: Devon Cynthia Rose, Age 17, District Five Female
5th: Esmeralda Annalise Dawn, Age 18, District Four Female
Kills!
Malaya Garnet: 1 (Logan Woodson, D7M)
Marcus Caelum: 1 (Kenzi Williams, D7F)
Cassia Lyra Maurise: 2 (Thorn Ashbury, D11M; Sparky Montgomery, D13M)
Mason Lepodolite: 5 (Malaya Garnet, D1F; Darius Line, D5M; Jetta Carter, D6F; Tulle Salane, D8F; Keola Foeba, D12F)
Esmeralda "Mera" Annalise Dawn: 4 (Infiniti Reagan, D3F; Thanatos Rize, D9M; Soot Maloy, D12M; Rebelle Sunflower Rine, D13F)
Devon Cynthia Rose: 1 (Jasper Blue, D4M)
Darius Line: 1 (Harvest Miller, D9F)
Aran Quade: 1 (Mason Lepodolite, D2M)
Henry Reynoso: 2 (Esmeralda Dawn, D4F; Devon Rose, D5F)
Thanatos Rize: 1 (Willow Orchids, D11F)
Other: 3 (Marcus Caelum, D1M (Sepsis); Cordin Bolt, D3M (Hellhound); Denny Rico, D10M (Jaguar))
Alliances!
N/A
Loners!
Cassia (2)
Aran (6)
Henry (8)
Cheyenne (10)
Questions!
We're really nearing the end, friends. I don't really have any questions to ask.
Long live the Victor,
Z
"And thus, Zag deemed that roses' tributes would die nineteen hours apart, and he smote them where they lay. And Zag rested, for he was of the mind that the day of reckoning would soon be brought about." – The History of Panem, Volume 150, Chapter 202, Verse 6a.x
