The 34th Annual Hunger Games.
Lilan Prospero, District 8.
Mjolnir's boy had now been hunting for the last remaining tribute in the plains for three days and he was beginning to get restless. Woof wasn't worried. He had every confidence in his tribute.
The District 2 boy that year was burly, quick on his feet and eager to please the Capitol. He'd also gained a lot of sponsors and popularity for being the first relative of a victor to volunteer for the arena. Woof briefly recalled his surname was the same as Mjolnir's but he was too old to be his son, so it must be uncle-nephew.
The Games had dragged on for longer than usual that year, over three weeks and the Capitol were beginning to get restless; after a thrilling face off between the 6 Careers that ended with Mjolnir's nephew slashing the District 4 male across the chest, it looked like these Games would end disappointingly anti-climatically, with an expected Career victory over the latest forgettable outlier. Woof could already hear the 2 victors conversing, some of them debating what approach the 2 boy-Woof remembered his name was 'Rolf' now-should take in the final interviews; bubbly and pointing out his greatest moments in the Games with glee or calm, suave and confident, letting Caesar Flickerman do most of the talking and bouncing off of him with dry humour.
Rolf was now less then two hundred yards away from Woof's boy; he was clearly no tracker, having been born and raised in District 2 all his life. Woof snorted. It was certainly a good thing he'd made it in to volunteer for the Games then, he would have had no chance as a Peacekeeper. He would have been lost over his head in Woof's own arena, though in fairness no one except Woof and his ally had really known how to navigate the labyrinth complex that year.
Woof's eyes narrowed as the Career boy finally began to close in, then flickered over to his own screen. Lilan was hiding behind one of the many high waves of plains that dotted around the arena, prepared to jump up and run along the surface or to jump down and sprint away from the Career boy wave by wave.
Of course, he didn't know what weapon his opponent was armed with, Woof realised. Lilan had insisted on not engaging with the other tributes at all in training, claiming it would only make him overly attached and take away from his ability to plan in the arena. So he didn't know that the Career boy had avoided the obstacle course in the training centre, and was only armed with a sword that wouldn't be good for long distance fighting…..if Lilan climbed on top of the wave he'd be at the advantage from the high ground. If he only got up there he could wait out the Career boy, he would be at the advantage and might take him by surprise…
The District 2 boy wiped sweat from his eyes and walked forward more slowly, on guard for any last minute threats. Given how the Gamemakers liked to spice up anti-climatic endings with creatures out of Woof's nightmares, that at least showed he had some sense.
Suddenly Woof raised an eyebrow when he heard a loud exclamation of pain, and saw his boy take off running at top speed…right in front of the Career boy.
Woof raised an eyebrow as the crazy tribute charged right into the eyesight of his final opponent, who gleefully sprinted after him at top speed. Was the tribute trying to get himself killed? Woof had been hoping to bring home another victor before the next Quarter Quell, you know.
Neither tribute had eaten exceptionally well in this arena, with the sponsor's funds drying up over the final few days of the Games, and Woof was not surprised to see them both pant to a fault not long into the little final chase. Nonetheless, the Career boy was professionally trained, and Woof saw him do some sort of tumble to catch his breath, then brandish his sword and advance, grinning.
'Eight, you've run for long enough' he called out in a slightly raspy voice. 'If you go to sleep now I'm sure it'll just feel like you never wake up. Come now, you know you can't win this'.
Woof's boy raised an eyebrow then suddenly got up-he had pulled what Woof believed the ancient swording term was a 'feint' and sprinted back up towards the closest pillar of rock. The Career boy looked up, exasperated, and growled out loud before following.
He only just ducked out of the way of the incoming projectile in time, however, and snarled in confusion and disbelief as the District 8 boy threw down a large rock half the size of his head.
'You could have killed me with that but missed?' he called up in contempt. 'What do they teach you over in District 8? They actually teach you how to lose the Games? You must have been an absolute pro'. He growled and held the sharp point of the blade up. 'I'm going to start with your toes. Then the ears, slowly, then the fingers and-'
No one ever learnt what body part Rolf Joriksson would have removed after the fingers, because at that point every one was too distracted by the enormous cracks in the ground that were spreading at a quick rate. Both tributes could hear…..sounds coming from inside. Strange sounds.
The District 2 boy cursed and tried climbing the pillars of rock quicker but Lilan grinned as he took another rock sample out of his bag. Over at the other mentoring station Mjolnir's expression hadn't changed at all, while the fellow mentors-Woof recognised Lancel and Elena-were exclaiming in disbelief.
'Your choice 2' called the other tribute pleasantly. You can either go down there and take your chances with the nasty mutts or climb up here and hope you can dodge these rocks before I smash your brains in. Your choice friend'.
Rolf was about to growl a reply but his hair stood on end when he looked down to the large spider mutts crawling out of the ground, their fangs gnashing and mouths foaming. He narrowed his eyes, knowing where his odds best lay-
Another rock fell and Rolf swore out loud before sprinting off to the side, trying to find a better angle to climb the pillars at. He was going to make this little worm pay. If only he'd had a spear…..
One of the spider mutts was on its way over to him and Rolf charged over to it, slashing the sword through its brains and dodging the fangs of the next, giving it a 'back off' swipe before taking stock of the others.
10 metres up, Lilan smiled in anticipation.
The Career boy made another dodge for the rock pillars and only just dodged the next mutt, cutting two of its legs off to leave it stumbling. Another mutt, another slash. Another mutt, another slash. Another mutt, another slash.
When Lilan called down to dodge to his right, Rolf was too tired to remember that they were enemies, and took his advice, only to find a mutt waiting for him in that exact position.
Before Rolf could yell an insult or dodge, the creature had bitten into his sword arm and sank its jaws in.
The boy from District 2 tried to punch the mutt with his other arm and get free but another spider was on him, this one taking his left leg, and the venom must have taken a lonnnnnng time for the Capitol to prepare.
Rolf was barely able to think over the pain everywhere and couldn't hear himself scream up to the District 8 boy, questioning his sadism.
Lilan, who was quite safe on his pillar, sat down and smiled.
Rolf had no way of hearing him now but that didn't make any difference to Lilan Prospero at the moment.
Woof merely remembered the rumours he had heard about the lower classes in District 8. Treatment by the Peacekeepers, particularly some of the more brutal ones originating from District 2. Crimes that the Capitol try very hard to keep covered up. Crimes against women and children in particular.
Woof took a careful look at his tribute's face and thought he understood. Even when the cannon had gone off, and the trumpets had blared out, Lilan never took his eyes off the scene. Not once.
The District 2 boy was almost completely consumed by the spider mutts now and Woof turned away, hoping the cannon would just go off soon enough now. The sooner they could get the interview and Victory Tour out of the way, the better.
Woof tried to understand. He thought he did.
AN. Well, sorry about that delay. You know how it can be this time of year…..yeah, apologies. So that's the second victor for District 8 and man they just keep getting weirder…
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