Since Last Games
The first ever Post-Games Victory Tour is held, with Victor Rome Artiman travelling the nation in celebration of his victory.
Designated District 2 Mentor, Ignus Moreson, is relieved of his duties. Rome is to take is place as District 2's Mentor.
Rome moves into District 2's Victor's Village.
The 2nd Hunger Games
Preface:
By the time the Reapings for the 2nd Annual Hunger Games roll around, many districts have managed to be in worse shape than they were at this point last year. District citizens are largely tired and downtrodden from rebuilding all that was lost in the Great Rebellion, and heartbroken over the losses that cannot be replaced. There's still plenty of rebuilding to do, though not enough goods to go around. Starvation is a common fate in the poorer districts such as 6, 12, and 11, while other districts that were prominent in the Rebellion such as 3 and 8 skyrocket downwards to join them. The only district in better shape than at this point last year is District 2. Given the fact that they won last year's Games and that they've been the most loyal district to the Capitol ever since the October's Uprisings, they're subject to special treatment from the Capitol. This results in a better economy for the district, faster rebuilding, and more goods coming from the other districts. Riots continue to pop up in Districts 3, 6, 8, 9, and 11, though they're all dealt with in a timely manner by Peacekeeping forces. President Regulus Corsican retains his hold on Panem, all the more eager to watch the districts squirm as their tributes are killed in the arena.
The Reapings across the nation pass by with less trouble than last year. The Games team of course remains the same, as President Corsican himself is the only one making decisions on how these primitive Games will play out. While he does have underlings involved, none of them have much say on anything other than what color pen they may feel like using at a strategy meeting.
Many of the tributes have rebel ties, as was true last year. Rosa from 11 is the daughter of the district's now-deceased ex-Mayor, who was a prominent factor in the district's participation in the war. Both of Manden from 3's parents were among the first of those from the district to be executed on national television for their parts in the Rebellion. The concept of volunteering is introduced this year, though only one steps forward. The volunteer, 19-year-old Cody Stallings of District 10 is a year too old to volunteer for his Reaped boyfriend, however, and thus the volunteering is null and void. Young Darci from 8 is sent into the Games despite suffering from severe seizures at unprecedented and abundant occasions. Tessa from 5 has been on the streets of District 5 since the war, and has since learned a thing or two about survival and daggers. Kevin from 4 and Jason from 13 also have backgrounds of surviving on their own and use of weaponry. The three band together during Training. Besides Cody's failed attempt, there are no volunteers.
The Tributes:
District 1: Princeton Harrisson, 16, and Tiara Lerven, 14
District 2: Brodyn Demaris, 15, and Agrippa Sergun, 16
District 3: Manden Cotes, 15, and Cassie Hogen, 12
District 4: Kevin Derrey, 17, and Ally Easton, 18
District 5: Chase Wenton, 17, and Tessa Kappford, 18
District 6: Declan Merrenon, 13, and Sheilagh Gagnon, 18
District 7: Anthony Ravis, 17, and Lana Borgen, 15
District 8: Nolen Reis, 18, and Darci O'Tenn, 13
District 9: Ryan Cassit, 14, and Carla Broley, 17
District 10: Byron Irving, 16, and Belle Donovan, 14
District 11: Benjamin Aristo, 13, and Rosa Jolly, 17
District 12: Zeke Loriah, 17, and Shauna Horwood, 15
District 13: Jason Kells, 18, and Nina Raynard, 16
Into the Arena:
The arena is virtually unchanged since last year. The Cornucopia sits in the same grassy field, with the arena sprawling out to include spotty trees of varying species and small ponds dotted here and there. The audience screams and cheers like wild, eager to get a front row seat to another Games. The only variable showing a significant change is the crowd of tributes scattered around the Cornucopia. Some look nauseous, most look uneasy, and a handful look determined as the Cornucopia Countdown ticks closer and closer to zero. Then, with fifteen seconds remaining on the Countdown, Rosa from 11 jumps off of her pedestal and bounds for the shining Cornucopia. She runs into the mouth of the structure, securing a giant pack, a smaller pack, and a weapon of her choice, and bolts away into the arena.
By the time the Countdown reaches zero, the other twenty-five tributes are still surprised. Many stand with confused or blank expressions on their faces as the audience mutters and whispers among themselves. There isn't exactly a rule against what Rosa did, or not yet anyway. When somebody in the audience blows an air horn to get the tributes' attention, they jump down from their pedestals and head right for the Silver Horn.
The lithe Tessa from 5 is the first to reach the Cornucopia. She's quick to scoop up a pair of daggers from a rack of knives, scanning the area for potential targets. Tessa trips Shauna from 12 as she runs by, remembering how brutal Alaina was with her pickaxe in last year's Games. Shauna screams as Tessa plants the two daggers deep into her chest. Blood begins to pour from the wound as Tessa removes her blades. In moments, Shauna's ear-piercing screams fade to silence.
Shauna Horwood, District 12 Female, 26th Place; Killed by Tessa, Bloodbath
Tessa's allies, Kevin from 4 and Jason from 13 spot a boy rummaging through a pack about six yards away. The boys exchange a look and nod, creeping closer to their intended victim. From a distance, Jason hurls a throwing knife into the boy's back while Kevin thrusts his spear into his throat. Jason retrieves his knife as the boy dies with an ugly gurgle.
Benjamin Aristo, District 11 Male, 25th Place; Killed by Jason and Kevin, Bloodbath
Anthony and Lana from 7 are escaping the Cornucopia when a boy stabs Lana in the shin with an awl as they run by. Lana screams, bringing a hatchet down into the boy's skull. Anthony stops to tie a cloth around Lana's leg to stop the bleeding. Lana digs her hatchets into the boy's head a second time, in order to ensure that he'll never get up again.
Declan Merrenon, District 6 Male, 24th Place; Killed by Lana, Bloodbath
Brodyn from 2 wanders the area for a minute before nearly tripping over young Darci from 8 as she seizes on the ground. Brodyn waits until the seizure concludes, then jams his daggers down into Darci's abdomen. Darci screams bloody murder as Brodyn wrenches the daggers around while they're still inside of Darci, ensuring the poor girl's death. Darci doesn't last long after Brodyn rips his daggers back out.
Darci O'Tenn, District 8 Female, 23rd Place; Killed by Brodyn, Bloodbath
Disgusted by Brodyn's killing of someone so innocent, a nearby Byron from 10 surprises Brodyn with a well-placed blow to the shin. Brodyn crumples to the ground as Byron smashes his club down on the boy's head twice, thrice, four times before stopping. Giving Darci and Brodyn a final glance, Byron leaves the scene, doing his best to ignore the dead and dying around him along with the blood spatter coating his tribute uniform.
Brodyn Demaris, District 2 Male, 22nd Place; Killed by Byron, Bloodbath
Kevin attempts to skewer Sheilagh from 6 on his trident, though the volant girl manages to block the blow with her machete. The two go back and forth for a minute, both inflicting minor wounds on the other, before a more-experienced Kevin manages to disarm his opponent. Sheilagh turns around to flee, though she isn't quick enough. She shrieks in pain as Kevin thrusts his spear into her back and out her abdomen. Kevin rips his spear back out, ready to search for more victims.
Sheilagh Gagnon, District 6 Female, 21st Place; Killed by Kevin, Bloodbath
With a pack on her shoulders and a dagger in her hand, Tiara from 1 is making her escape. She bounds away from the Cornucopia as fast as she can, weaving past supplies, weapons, killers, and victims as she does so. Tiara's mere yards from the edge of the Cornucopia's supplies when a javelin sails through the air and embeds itself in her back. The weapon sticks into her back, through her heart, and out her chest. Tiara flops to the ground like a rag doll as she swiftly leaves the world. From ten yards away, Nina from 13 allows herself a small smirk.
Tiara Lerven, District 1 Female, 20th Place; Killed by Nina, Bloodbath
Jason makes a second kill. A tribute rather unprepared for the Games, carrying more than he could handle and going too fast to remain steady, trips over a deep blue sleeping bag. As soon as the boy stands back up to dust himself off, one of Jason's throwing knifes finds a home in the boy's chest. In a twist of irony, the move sends the dying boy right back to the ground.
Manden Cotes, District 3 Male, 19th Place; Killed by Jason, Bloodbath
On the outer rim of the Cornucopia's supplies, Byron faces trouble as Carla from 9 swings at him with her scythe. Byron manages to dodge Carla's swings before tripping her with a large pack. The wind is knocked out of Carla as she hits the ground with a painful thud. Byron bludgeons Carla with his club just as he did to Brodyn, not leaving until he's positive that the girl is gone.
Carla Broley, District 9 Female, 18th Place; Killed by Byron, Bloodbath
Meanwhile, Carla's District Partner Ryan attempts to shoot Kevin down with a bow and arrow. Instead, the inexperienced flour mill boy misses all human targets, his arrow sticking out of the grass. Ryan sighs, reloads, and tries again. This time, his arrow finds a home in another tribute, though that tribute isn't Kevin. Little Cassie from 3 face-plants on the ground, Ryan's arrow sticking out of her chest. Blood pools up beneath the young tribute in seconds.
Cassie Hogen, District 3 Female, 17th Place; Killed by Ryan, Bloodbath
By now, a mere four tributes remain at the Cornucopia: The alliance of Kevin, Tessa, and Jason, as well as Zeke from 12. Upon realizing the three tributes are staring him down, Zeke scoops up a pack and tries to bolt. As he does so, Kevin's spear sails through the air and pierces his back, sending him to the grass. Tessa finishes him off with a quick slit across the throat with one of her daggers.
Zeke Loriah, District 12 Male, 16th Place; Killed by Kevin and Tessa, Bloodbath
When all is said and done, eleven tributes lay dead around the Cornucopia, with the alliance of Kevin, Tessa, and Jason being the sole tributes remaining at the Horn. The three tributes soon clear out in order to give the Hovercraft space to retrieve the bodies of the dead.
As soon as the deceased are lifted from the arena, the alliance of three returns to the Cornucopia. They plan to follow the example set by Rome Artiman and Alaina Valley last year, and camp out at the Cornucopia. By cementing themselves as the dominant alliance in the arena, as well as driving away or killing the other tributes during the Bloodbath, they've succeeded. The three allies engage in light conversation as they sort the remaining supplies at the Cornucopia. Kevin sorts the weapons, Tessa sorts the food and beverages, while Jason sorts the survival supplies. Once that's done, they allow themselves some rest and snack on some of the foodstuffs from the Horn. After killing five tributes between them this morning, accounting for almost half of the eleven deaths today, they decide to hold off hunting until the morning.
The Cornucopia group aren't the only tributes to form an alliance this year. After seeing how far Rome and Alaina made it together, helping lead Rome to victory, comfort and strength in numbers is felt among this year's tributes. Chase from 5 and Nolen from 8 teamed up after running parallel to one another as they escaped the Bloodbath. The pair of boys made out well, both snagging packs and a weapon of choice, a machete for Chase and a katana for Nolen. They trudge northwards for a little while before deciding to set up camp under a sturdy maple tree. Anthony and Lana also paired up. The pair from 7 knew each other from back in their home district, and have been allies since the Reaping. Anthony and Lana managed two packs of their own, a sleeping bag, and multiple hatchets from the Cornucopia. They settle down under a pine tree not too far from the Cornucopia, hoping to heal Lana's leg wound that's still dripping blood.
The eight remaining loners scatter across the terraformed arena. Princeton from 1 only managed a dagger and a canteen of water from the Cornucopia. He treks to the south a ways and rests under a small pine tree. Princeton figures he'll scour for some food after a short rest. Agrippa from 2 has a pack and a spear. Agrippa ventures to the east, finding a pond that strikes her fancy. The 2 girl settles down to rest, keeping her spear nearby as she munches on a cracker. Also camping out by a pond, Ally from 4 managed a trident and a small pack. She munches on some dried fruit and glances down at the fish swimming in the small pond. Ally could easily spear them with her trident. Now she has to think of a way to cook them without producing too much smoke. Shaken following his accidental killing of this year's sole twelve-year-old, Ryan runs so far south that he reaches the edge of the arena. He glances several stories upwards at the Capitol crowd, wishing he could join them. Knowing he can't, Ryan camps mere yards away from the edge of the grass, spreading out the supplies from his pack and keeping his bow nearby. Byron has a pack and his trusty club. The 10 boy heads west to one of the arena's few apple trees. Byron reaches upwards and picks one of the fruits before settling down under the shade to eat it. Belle from 10 scored a belt of throwing knives and a pack. Belle ventures to the east until she reaches a towering oak tree. She is quick to scurry up the tree as fast as any District 7 tribute could, resting herself and her supplies on a sturdy branch about twenty feet up. The rebellious Rosa hit the jackpot. Due to her little stunt, she got first dibs on supplies. Rosa settles down in the north of the arena, near another one of the apple trees. She sets down her two packs, one large and one small, as well as her twin sickles, and selects an apple to eat. Nina is also well-stocked. She has her javelin and a pack, plus the dagger and pack she raided from Tiara. Nina jogs north, stopping to rest under an oak tree with a small pond nearby. Unbeknownst to them, Nina and Rosa are within close proximity to one another.
Unlike Rome and Alaina, the Cornucopia Alliance takes their time going through their morning routine on Day 2. The three allies wake around eight thirty, chatting and snacking on foodstuffs until quarter past nine. They're not ready for hunting until quarter to ten. Tessa has to coax the boys a bit to hurry up after a relaxing morning, though they get moving in due time.
Anthony removes the bandage he put over Lana's leg yesterday. He does so as carefully as he can, not wanting to cause his District Partner any pain. Lana grits her teeth as Anthony takes the bloody bandage off, revealing an inflamed little wound resembling a volcano, with the hole left by Declan's awl acting as the "mouth". Anthony applies dabs of medicine from a first aid kid in his pack as Lana bites down on her fist to keep from yelling out. The medicine should reduce the inflammation with time.
Princeton hides behind an oak tree as the Cornucopia Alliance hunts mere yards away. Princeton is holding up too much of his weight on one low branch, and the branch snaps. The 1 boy falls on his behind in the grass as the Cornucopia Alliance bounds towards him. The three tributes stand over him and grin, a sure kill right in front of them. Princeton's only possessions are a canteen of water and his dagger. He holds his dagger out in defense, though the allies have him disarmed in seconds. Tessa saws to daggers of her own into Princeton's chest. The alliance raids him of his water, each taking sips as they search for more victims.
Princeton Harrisson, District 1 Male, 15th Place; Killed by Tessa, Day 2
Nina is attempting to catch a fish in her small pond when Rosa wanders by, her stockpile of supplies along with her. The two girls share a glance, and Rosa nods in Nina's direction. Nina swipes at a fish and misses. She glances back over at Rosa to offer an alliance, but the 11 girl is already gone. Nina sighs, returning to her poor excuse for fishing. It's not easy to do without a rod or a net.
Byron remains under his apple tree. He allows himself two apples throughout the day, as well as occasional swigs of water that don't amount to much either. Byron spends a good portion of the day drawing in the dirt with a stick that was lying at the base of the apple tree. Byron falls asleep while lying against the tree trunk around five in the afternoon without meaning to do so. He doesn't wake again for a good twelve hours or so.
Their ears picking up on faint splashing noises, Chase and Nolen are quick to gather their supplies and break camp, in search of the source of the sounds. In moments, the allied boys find Ally from 4 in her pond, spearing fish with her trident. Chase and Nolen share a look, and Nolen puts his finger up to his lips, making a faint shhh sound. Nolen starts to tiptoe in Ally's direction, motioning for Chase to stay put. Chase does as he is told. The electrician boy watches with wide eyes as Nolen thrusts his katana into Ally's back and out her chest. Ally lets out an ear-shattering shriek while Nolen wrenches his blade out of her. The 8 boy motions for Chase to come collect the now-ownerless supplies as Ally floats face-down in the water, her blood turning it an alarming shade of pink.
Ally Easton, District 4 Female, 14th Place; Killed by Nolen, Day 2
Agrippa munches on more of the crackers from her pack. The quarry girl is wary of her dwindling supply, though she keeps feeling the urge to snack due to boredom and nerves. Agrippa notices one of the little fish swimming around in the pond near her camp. She glances at her spear, then back at the pond, then at her emptying sleeve of crackers. It won't be long until Agrippa will be doing some spear fishing of her own.
Seeing no reason to leave, Belle stays put in her tree. Belle hums a soft song to herself as she gets to work making a bracelet from the stems of the leaves of the towering tree. It isn't very much fun, though she figures it's time-consuming and relaxing. Belle would much rather be up in the towering oak than down on the ground, at the mercy of tributes bigger and older than she is. For now, Belle Donovan feels safe. As safe as one can feel in the Live Arena, of course.
Just as the sun sets, the Cornucopia Alliance finds another victim. A shaken Ryan is about as far to the south of the arena as you can get. He lies in the grass on his right side, facing the towering metallic structure that is the stands where the audience sits. Though the first seats are about twenty feet up, they would've been close enough for Ryan to head their warnings of an incoming threat, had be been paying attention. Ryan is too busy staring off into the distance, his mind racing with paranoid thoughts to notice the Cornucopia Alliance's arrival. Two of Jason's throwing knives embed themselves in Ryan's skull, one after the other. The poor boy barely felt a thing.
Ryan Cassit, District 9 Male, 13th Place; Killed by Jason, Day 2
Day 3 begins as the twelve remaining tributes rise from sleep. The Cornucopia Alliance rises far earlier than they did yesterday. Last year's Games ended on the third day in the arena, but here they are on Day 3 this year, with twelve tributes still kicking. The Cornucopia Alliance is determined to reduce that number a bit throughout the day. They decide to split up after breakfast in order to cover more ground. Not paying close enough attention to how many she's eaten, Agrippa runs out of crackers. Agrippa allows herself a swig of water (the crackers are salty and dehydrating), before fiddling with a warm scarf from her pack in order to calm her nerves and pass time. She figures that she'll get to spear-fishing soon, as fish is likely the only thing on her menu for the foreseeable future. Chase and Nolen remain at what used to be Ally's camp. They're a bit better on supplies after raiding Ally's pack, though they have no use for her trident. Chase is playing with the weapon, thrusting it in and out of the pond out of boredom, when he notices he's speared a fish on one of the prongs. Alerting Nolen about this, the boys spend the next hour or so spearing as many of the small, evasive fish as they can. With Lana's leg healing, Anthony and Lana do a bit of exploring. The pair from 7 stroll through the arena, munching on some tree bark as they do so. It isn't the tastiest snack, but it's better than nothing. Byron decides it's time to leave his apple tree. He picks a good ten of them and puts them in his pack for future meals. Byron eats an eleventh as he walks to the east, growing closer to some of the other tributes. Belle is still in her oak tree. The young girl is stubborn about leaving, and more scared to do so than she's willing to let on. Finished with her bracelet, Belle decides to take a nap before starting on a second one. Rosa is also on the move. Armed with her two packs and twin sickles, Rosa regrets not killing Nina yesterday when she had the chance. The 11 girl decides she'll make up for it today. Rosa silently vows to kill the next tribute she sees. Nina manages to catch two small fish. She places them on dry ground, watching them to make sure they don't bounce back into the pond before they suffocate. As soon as they have done so, Nina starts a small fire, skins and guts the fish with a small knife, and cooks the fish in as little time as possible. The result is a bit rarer than she'd like, though she couldn't have the fire burning forever.
After breakfast, the Cornucopia Alliance splits up for the day. Tessa directs Kevin to go to the west, Jason to go north, while Tessa herself will venture east. They leave the southern quadrant of the arena out of the equation for the time being, as they had explored the region yesterday and had found Princeton and Ryan while doing so. The three allies agree to meet back at the Cornucopia tonight, then jog off in their designated directions.
Around two hours later, Nolen spots Jason hunting not far from his and Chase's camp. Adrenaline powering him forward, Nolen takes off in the opposite direction in order to avoid Jason's eyes. Nolen is over a hundred yards away when he notices his mistake: he didn't warn Chase. Nolen turns around, bolting for their camp to warn his ally, screaming his name in hopes of getting his attention. By the time he gets there, it's too late. Nolen arrives just in time to watch Jason's throwing knife embed itself in Chase's heart from behind a tree. The electrician boy falls to the ground like a rag doll, never to rise again.
Chase Wenton, District 5 Male, 12th Place; Killed by Jason, Day 3
With Chase out of the picture, Jason's attention turns to Nolen. Jason readies another throwing knife, ready to track the boy down. Jason heard Nolen's screams, and knows that he's nearby. Nolen stays put behind his tree, watching from a distance as Jason searches the vicinity for any signs of him. Gradually, Jason begins to work his way closer to Nolen's tree.
Jason reaches the other side of Nolen's tree. "Come out, come out, wherever-"
Jason's impending taunt is cut off when Nolen thrusts is katana into Jason's back and back out his chest, as he had done to Ally. Jason opens his mouth to scream, but no sound comes out. Pink spit drips from Jason's mouth as Nolen wrenches his blade out of the other boy. Jason sinks to his knees, then falls over onto his side as he bleeds out in under sixty seconds.
Jason Kells, District 13 Male, 11th Place; Killed by Nolen, Day 3
Nolen grits his teeth, taking a throwing knife from Jason's belt of many to keep for himself in case of an emergency. The 8 boy removes Jason's bloodied pack from his shoulders, piling any supplies that aren't ruined into his own pack. Nolen does the same with all of Chase's remaining supplies. A tear falling down his cheek, Nolen surveys the area one more time, saying goodbye to his fallen ally. He turns around to leave, trudging away as the Hovercraft comes into view.
Meanwhile, Kevin isn't having much luck hunting in the western portion of the arena. Following Byron's and Rosa's earlier departures, the sole tribute inhabiting the area is Nina. Kevin may have found her had she stay put, but after feeling sick from eating the fish, Nina has taken to resting high up in a pine tree. Kevin yells loud in frustration as his search continues to come up without a result. The yelling isn't going to draw many tributes to him either.
In the eastern section of the arena, Tessa had earlier passed Belle sleeping in her tree, but decided to leave her alone since Tessa doesn't know the first thing about how to climb a tree. Not after so many of them in 5 were toppled during the war. Around two in the afternoon, Tessa spots Agrippa trying her hardest to impale a fish on her spear. Upon noticing Tessa, Agrippa screams and jumps out of the pond. She doesn't make it very far before the speedy Tessa catches up to her. Tessa saws her daggers right into Agrippa's back, sending her falling forwards. With two more well-placed stabs to the chest, Agrippa is gone.
Agrippa Sergun, District 2 Female, 10th Place; Killed by Tessa, Day 3
Byron steps on some acorns, not much noticing that said thing had even occurred. An angry squirrel did notice, and makes a beeline for the much larger 10 boy. Byron shakes his head, subduing the thing with his club in two swings. He considers skinning the thing and cooking it for some protein, when he notices how squished it is. A disappointed Byron abandons the squished squirrel and keeps on moving.
Anthony and Lana come to a rest underneath a willow tree for a snack. They share some dried peaches from Lana's pack and some beef jerky from Anthony's. The District Partners remain under the willow for a while. The shade is nice, and Lana's leg had been getting sore anyway. Anthony and Lana will leave as soon as they see fit.
While Tessa may have had a hard time scaling a tree, coming from 11, Rosa's a pro. The rebellious harvester girl glances up at Belle sleeping on her branch twenty feet up. Rosa leaves her packs at the base of the tree, but tucks her sickles into her belt as she scales the oak. Rosa reaches Belle's branch in no time. Staying true to her promise, Rosa swings her sickles in an X shape across a barely-conscious Belle's throat. Blood gushes from the wounds, and adding insult to injury, Rosa pushes Belle down from the tree. The 10 girl is dead as soon as she hits the ground.
Belle Donovan, District 10 Female, 9th Place; Killed by Rosa, Day 3
The Final Eight would not be created and implemented until the 8th Games, but had a Final Eight been declared this year, it would have included: Kevin Derrey of District 4, Tessa Kappford of District 5, Anthony Ravis and Lana Borgen of District 7, Nolen Reis of District 8, Byron Irving of District 10, Rosa Jolly of District 11, and Nina Raynard of District 13.
Upon their return to the Cornucopia that night, Kevin and Tessa share stories from throughout the day. Kevin tells Tessa of his bad luck in hunting, while Tessa informs her ally of her killing of Agrippa. Both tributes had checked the Boards prior to their return, to see that the 13M slot was dimmed. Kevin and Tessa mourn their fallen friend before settling in for the night.
The morning hours of Day 4 are quiet. The remainder of the Cornucopia Alliance resumes hunting, as eager as ever to reduce the tribute count. Kevin and Tessa stay together today, not wanting to run the risk of further fatalities after what happened to Jason the day prior. Anthony and Lana are also on the move. While not explicitly hunting, they're not shying away from conflict either. They engage in light conversation as they roam through the Live Arena. Following the death of his ally and his killing of Jason, Nolen stays put under a willow tree. The leafy branches hang down to the ground, encasing Nolen in their natural shield. He spends the morning sleeping, not having much motivation to do much else at the moment. Byron breaks into his apple supply. While not a bloodthirsty tribute, Byron is also on the hunt for any other tributes. As morning fades into afternoon, the rancher boy grows closer and closer to Nolen's natural hideout. Her supplies even more abundant after pilfering Belle of anything of use, Rosa prowls the vicinity for someone else to take down with her sickles. By noontime, Rosa is a mere quarter mile away from the strolling 7s. Like Nolen, Nina isn't doing much. Feeling a bit better than yesterday, she comes down from her tree with the intention of at least moving her camp. Nina doesn't take two steps before the intense abdominal pains start up again. Clutching her stomach, Nina slumps against the tree, willing the pain to lessen. Damn, she shouldn't have eaten those fish.
It's early afternoon when Byron strolls past Nolen's willow tree. Byron doesn't give the tree as much as a second glance at first. Nolen would have gone unnoticed had he not begun to snore. Byron picks up on the noise immediately, pushing back the leafy branches of the willow and entering Nolen's camp. Nolen wakes up as Byron's club hits him in the gut. Nolen tries to scream, but Byron's blow knocked the wind out of him, barring him from doing so. Byron's club cracks down on his opponent's skull twice, ending the boy in an instant.
Nolen Reis, District 8 Male, 8th Place; Killed by Byron, Day 4
Rosa continues to trail Anthony and Lana. She gets within fifty meters of the pair from the Lumber District around three in the afternoon. Rosa decides to maintain her distance for now, planning to attack when they settle down for the night. For the time being, Rosa keeps on their trail but doesn't attack either Anthony or Lana. The harvester girl had to kill during the war, and she's more than willing to do so again to get out of this Live Arena.
Anthony and Lana are clueless to the fact that Rosa is following them. Blissfully unaware of their pursuer's proximity, the two continue through the arena, talking about their lives back home. They missed home with all their hearts, of course, though the longer they go without noticing Rosa, the closer they come to returning to 7 in white caskets.
Nina's abdominal pains subside somewhat, though not entirely. She takes occasional swigs of water in hopes of settling her stomach, ignoring the fact that her supply is depleting. Nina spots the Cornucopia Alliance hunting from a ways away. Nina starts getting her supplies together so she can make an escape, when Tessa notices her, pointing her location out to Kevin.
"Son of a bitch. I'm fucking dead," Nina says to nobody.
Nina knows she can't win a two-against-one fight in her condition. Her abdomen tightens with every movement, in part due to nervousness. Nina is prepared to either kill off the Cornucopia Alliance or die trying. Noticing Kevin is for some reason without a weapon, Nina takes the risk and hurls her javelin at him with as much force as she can muster. Kevin side steps, avoiding a fatal hit, but not avoiding a hit completely. Nina's javelin slams into Kevin's shoulder, sending him to the ground. Kevin's trident enters Nina's abdomen as the 4 boy hits the grass. Both Nina and Kevin are screaming in pain as Tessa advances towards the 13 girl. Tessa plunges her daggers into a screaming Nina's chest. Her screams fade to silence in no time.
Nina Raynard, District 13 Female, 7th Place; Killed by Kevin and Tessa, Day 4
After retrieving her daggers from Nina's corpse, Tessa comes to her ally's aid. She is careful removing Nina's javelin, not wanting to damage anything any more than it has been. Kevin balls up the sleeve of his jacket and bites down on it to keep from screaming. Utilizing a first aid kit from her pack, Tessa lessens the bleeding, cleans the wound as much as possible, applies medicine to the site, and dresses it with bandages. Once Kevin is ready, the Cornucopia Alliance makes their way back to the Cornucopia at a slow pace, postponing hunting until tomorrow.
Byron comes across a willow tree much like Nolen's. He considers using it as his camp for the evening, but decides against it. If he made a noise while asleep, he could wind up as the next Nolen. The branches of this particular tree are too thin to hold Byron up, so camping out in the branches isn't an option. Byron instead selects a more suitable maple tree, hoisting himself up onto a sturdy branch and taking a rest.
Rosa is getting annoyed with the chatty District Partners from 7. They're still walking and talking at their same pace as the sun sets, and continue to do so after darkness falls. Rosa considers attacking them several times, but can't work up the courage to do it. She doesn't want to go two-against-one with the hatchet-wielding pair. Or, not while they're awake, at least. After what seems like an eternity and a half, Anthony and Lana set up camp for the night under a shady oak tree. Allowing herself some rest time and waiting for the 7s to fall asleep, Rosa rests her head against the trunk of a tall pine tree some fifty yards from her targets.
About ten minutes past midnight, Rosa attacks. Soft snores come from the pair from 7 as Rosa inches closer. She places her sickles over Anthony's throat in the same X that she had when she killed Belle, and drags them across his neck. Anthony wakes from one nightmare right into another, unable to warn Lana of the impending threat as blood fills his throat. Rosa does the same to the sleeping Lana, rousing her as well. The tributes from 7 spend the final moments of their lives drowning in their own blood, watching their killer pilfer them of supplies.
Anthony Ravis, District 7 Male, 6th Place; Killed by Rosa, Day 5
Lana Borgen, District 7 Female, 5th Place; Killed by Rosa, Day 5
The tributes wake up in the Live Arena for the final time this year. The Cornucopia Alliance rises early yet again. Tessa remains unchanged, wanting to get hunting and get these Games over with. Kevin's shoulder is still sore, aching and stinging horribly from the impact of Nina's javelin. Tessa allows Kevin a little extra time to rest, but drags him up and out of the Cornucopia to hunt all the same. She reminds him that if he wins, his shoulder could be fixed in an instant by the Capitol. That gets Kevin moving more so than he was, though his wound still weighs him down.
Byron wakes up around an hour after the Cornucopia Alliance. The apples in his pack are starting to go bad, though he manages to find one that's good enough to eat. Byron has a breakfast of his apple, a bit of water, and a few strips of jerky, savoring the relaxing time. The Boards show that the pair from 7 died during the night, and a mere four of them remain. With so few tributes left, Byron is well aware that this could be the last day of his life. He puts a hand on his club, the weapon that may soon be his lifeline, and readies himself to help bring these Games to an end.
Rosa doesn't sleep in either. She's up bright and early, preparing herself for the finale. Rosa had set up camp not far from where she had killed Anthony and Lana the night prior, which is less than a third of a mile from the Cornucopia. As Rosa practices with her sickles, Kevin and Tessa are growing nearer by the minute. It's only a matter of time before the Cornucopia Alliance and Rosa collide, a fight that is sure to result in casualties.
Around eight forty-five in the morning, the Cornucopia Alliance finds Rosa at her camp. The 11 girl whips around in time to see Tessa and Kevin (to a lesser extent) bounding towards her. Rosa readies her sickles for combat but not before one of Tessa's daggers embeds itself in her chest. Rosa's jaw falls open in shock as she falls to her knees, clutching the wound like a vice. Some in the live audience murmur in disappointment as they had been expecting a drawn-out battle. Others simply gasp in shock as Rosa flops to the side, the lifeblood draining out of her in no time. Now just three tributes remain.
Rosa Jolly, District 11 Female, 4th Place; Killed by Tessa, Day 5
Kevin stands back, relieved for a bit of rest, while Tessa rips her dagger out of Rosa's chest. Red, sticky blood splatters onto Tessa as she does so. The 5 girl smiles before tossing her head back in laughter. Byron hears the laughing from .4 miles away, knitting his brows as he processes the sound. Kevin is taken aback as well. Tessa slaps her hand over her mouth after about ten seconds, claiming as though she has no idea why she did that. Whatever the case, Tessa and Kevin leave the scene and search for Byron.
Even after hearing the psychotic laughter, Byron continues to comb the arena for any signs of Kevin or Tessa. He hears a crunching noise up in a tree at one point, though it turns out to be a hungry squirrel chowing down on some acorns. At about eleven in the morning, Byron sees the Cornucopia Alliance searching for him about thirty meters off. In a strategy similar to Nolen's, Byron hides behind a sturdy tree, waiting for the two allies to search around his vicinity. As soon as they do so, Byron plans to jump out from behind the tree, and bludgeon them with his club.
It isn't the most inventive strategy, though your options are limited in that department in the Live Arena. It isn't even five minutes later when Kevin and Tessa reach Byron's tree. Byron runs out from behind the sturdy elm tree, smacking Kevin in the legs with his club. Kevin screams as he hits the ground, spraining his wrist in an effort to catch himself. Though Tessa is nearby, it's too late for Kevin to be saved. The injured boy is an easy kill, Byron bringing his club down on his skull until the screaming stops.
Kevin Derrey, District 4 Male, 3rd Place; Killed by Byron, Day 5
"You fucking bastard!" Tessa growls, staring daggers at Byron.
The 10 boy responds by knocking Tessa off of her feet with his bloody club. Tessa screams, but does a better job catching herself than her fallen ally had. Byron goes to bludgeon her again, but Tessa rolls out of the way. Rolling his eyes, Byron swings again. Tessa rolls the other way, plunging one of her daggers into Byron's right boot. Byron screams and blood gushes from the boot as Tessa rips her blade back out again. Gritting his teeth in pain, Byron swings his club with as much force as he can muster, hitting Tessa right in the side. Tessa moans and crumples into a bit of a ball, all of the air knocked out of her lungs. All it takes to end the Games is a couple more swings of Byron's club and a bit of blood spatter.
Tessa Kappford, District 5 Female, 2nd Place; Killed by Byron, Day 5
"Citizens of Panem, may I present to you, the Victor of the Second Annual Hunger Games, Byron Irving of District Ten!" President Corsican shouts into the intercom.
Trumpets begin to blare, a new addition this year. Byron drops his club and clutches his bleeding wound. The rancher boy tries his best not to look at Kevin and Tessa's bloody, dented skulls as he waits for the Hovercraft.
Afterwards
District 10 was pleased to welcome their first Victor home. Byron adjusted to the Victor life quicker and smoother than Rome had. He donated much of his Victor's earnings to the poor of District 10, a district whose economy would do better in the decades to come, in part due to Byron's contributions. Byron was more affected by memories of his Games than last year's Victor, spending many nights laying awake after images of the arena returned to him in his sleep. His Victory Tour went well, with Byron's speeches moving many of the crowds due to his talent with public speaking. Even Districts 4 and 5 found it in their hearts to forgive him, for the most part anyway. Byron would be a good Mentor, bringing several tributes back to the Livestock District before he parted with the world. He would never turn to drugs or alcohol to quiet his demons, though he did take a sleeping pill each night in an effort to ward off the nightmares.
Byron would marry and have three children. His sleeping pills were his only form of chemical escape, if they could be counted as such. Byron would live a long and healthy life. He would live to the age of 82, dying of old age in his sleep in December of 68 PR.
Victors of Panem
1st HG: Rome Artiman (#1, District 2)
2nd HG: Byron Irving (#1, District 10)
A/N: Another Games down. I hope to get out a couple more this month during the whole coronavirus shutdown. I would love to hear your thoughts, and hopefully this chapter was worth the read.
Until next time.