Welcome back to Fates Bounty! Today is an exciting day, as we have our first pair of Tributes, Lithe Cavendish (submitted by Revenant12) and Azoda Chari (submitted by tegxns)!

Sorry for this being a little late, I kept changing my mind on if I wanted to do two districts at a time, and whether or not I wanted to include the Goodbyes. In the end, I decided to do one District per chapter so that everyone could have a bit more space to be properly fleshed out. Also, I cut out the goodbyes as I felt the chapter was getting a bit long. Instead, there will be a separate chapter for Goodbyes after all the Reapings conclude.

With all of that out of the way, please enjoy! I really love these two!

The sound of winding down music filled the air of the Cavendish household as the only daughter and eldest child of the family, Lithe, sat in the center of the living room, producing the music with the help of her violin.

After she finished, she set the violin down and looked up to see her instructor softly clapping. Lithe bowed and looked behind her instructor see her mother, Victoria, studying her with a pleased smile.

Lithe gave a polite farewell to her instructor; it was nice to see the older woman. Lithe had mastered the violin years ago and didn't really need her guidance anymore, but it was nice of her to stop by to see her perform. With her instructor gone, Lithe turned to her mother.

"I did not realize you were watching." Lithe admitted in a respectful, but firm tone.

"What? There's nothing wrong with a mother watching her daughter display one of her many talents." Victoria replied with a light chuckle.

"Thank you," Lithe said quickly, beginning to walk upstairs. Lithe was very talented, and she knew it. However, she didn't like how much her parents bragged about it to everyone. Anytime they went to a social event, Victoria, or Lithe's father, Justice, were quick to share whatever achievement Lithe reached or skill she learned. While Lithe was proud of herself and her accomplishments, she didn't see herself as better as anyone else, and didn't want to rub her attainments in other people's faces. This sentiment was not shared by her parents one bit.

"Now where are you going?" Victoria asked pointedly. "Embrace me, child." Victoria stretched her arms out, beckoning Lithe over. Lithe failed to hide the surprised look on her face as she walked over to her mother and hugged her back. Despite how proud her parents were of her, it was out of the ordinary for them to be so openly affectionate with her. "I know I don't do this often, but it's a special day. And with all of your training, I know volunteering isn't off the table..." Victoria trailed off, staring ahead blankly.

Lithe smiled. "Please, do not fuss over me Mother. I assure you I will make the best possible choice." Lithe said, doing her best to ease her mother stress. However, Lithe truthfully didn't know what she would do today. Lithe was well trained, but not at the Academies. She used to train at the academy, but eventually dropped out due to how toxic of an environment it became. Instead, her parents hired her private trainers, allowing Lithe to hone her combat skills and become extremely well versed in fencing.

"I sure would love to see the look on those academy snobs faces if you volunteered and showed them how it's done." Victoria said sourly before changing her demeanor. "But you know you have everything you could possibly need here,"

"I know mother. I promise my decision is the right one."

"Of course it is...I trust you." Victoria finished before the vulnerable look on her face was again replaced with her normal cold expression. "Well, I suppose you should go prepare for the Reaping now, dear."

"Yes, I will go do that now," Lithe said with a nod as she ascended the stairs once again. As she stepped into her room, she closed the door behind herself and let out a sigh. The decision was weighing on her heavily.

Lithe let the subject go for now, moving on to getting prepped for the reaping. She began to brush her long, blonde hair. She was careful to make sure every hair was in place, as appearances were everything here in District One. She was the only daughter her elitist parents had and she had to look the part. For Lithe's entire life, she was basically given anything she could ever dream of wanting. It was a wonder she didn't turn out extremely spoiled and pompous like the rest of her family.

As if on queue, there was a knock at the door before it was shoved right open, slamming into the wall, and Lithe was greeted by the faces of Bradley and Ezekiel, her twin younger brothers.

"Watch the wall!" Lithe exclaimed. "You could have damaged it!"

"Ok, but we didn't." Bradley rolled his eyes. "Anyways, what you up to sis?" He asked casually as Ezekiel flopped down on her bed. Lithe frowned as he messed up the pillows.

"Getting ready for the Reapings, of course," Lithe replied plainly, preoccupied by looking at herself in the mirror as she spun around. She was wearing a classic black dress with a silver pendant around her neck. Once she was satisfied with her appearance, she turned back to her brothers. "and may I suggest that you two do the same." She gave them a stern look and placed a hand on her hip.

"fiiine." Ezekiel said in a whiny voice, trudging out of the room. Bradley shot Lithe a dirty look as he followed his brother out of the room.

Lithe didn't pay any mind to their irritation. They were always like that. Despite only being a few years younger than herself, she felt as if they were still children. She never remembered a time where she was that immature.

But that was them. She needed to focus on herself, and the only problems she had to face. She gave one last look at her slender form in the mirror before heading back downstairs to the sound of the doorbell ringing. Lithe opened the door to be greeted by the warm smile of her best friend, Yasmine Atkins.

"You. Look. Stunning!" Yasmine complimented dramatically as she stepped inside, a bright smile lighting her face up

"As do you." Lithe gave her a matching grin. "Are you nervous for today?"

"Of course not." Yasmine remarked quickly. "Are you?"

Before Lithe got the chance to respond, her parents came down the stairs, followed quickly by the twins.

"I can't believe you two waited this long to get ready!" Victoria scolded as Ezekiel was still buttoning up his shirt.

"It's not our fault..." Bradley murmured. Lithe watched the entire display quietly, only slightly embarrassed by what was happening. Yasmine was at their house often, so it wasn't like this was foreign to her.

"Would you two keep it down? We have a guest." Justice snapped at his sons before putting on a smile and extending his hand to Yasmine.

"You two look gorgeous!" Victoria declared, staring at the two teenage girls.

"Thank you," Lithe and Yasmine both said in unison. They turned and looked at each other, both girls laughing lightly.

The moment was interrupted by Lithe's father. "I hate to rush us, but we better start heading to the Reaping. The last thing we need is to be late."

"Of course, Father." Lithe said obediently as she lead the way out of the house, putting on a face of pure confidence. But deep inside her, she felt a strange sense of unease. Her confidence never wavered, but something felt off about today compared to past years.

I'm sure its nothing. Lithe told herself inwardly. But despite her doing her best to brush the feelings off, the small sense of inner turmoil still was resting heavily in the pit of her stomach.

It was a cold, rainy night in District One.

Azoda had just finished working out for the day and quietly stepped into his younger sisters room to see if the restless girl had finally achieved sleep. Azoda allowed a brief smile to appear on his face as he looked at her youthful form, deep in slumber. She looked peaceful.

He quietly closed the door to her room and began turning off all of the lights in the house. He was ready for sleep, fatigue from the day having him drained of energy

As he stepped into the foyer, he looked outside the window and noticed a shadowy figure. He narrowed his eyes and looked closer, unsure if it was real or if his eyes were just playing tricks on him. He would not have to wait to figure out what was happening as a large rock flew through the window, shattering it and sending glass shards flying in every direction.

Azoda stood, paralyzed, as someone leapt through the hole, dressed in dark clothing. The man who broke in had a shocked expression that mirrored Azoda's own. He must have assumed no one was home.

Azoda's heart was hammering in his chest in fear. His heartrate doubled at the sight of knife in the trespasser's hand, glinting in the moonlight. Without warning, the man lunged at him, and Azoda knew he had to fight back.

The robber was on the offensive, swinging wildly at Azoda, who barely managed to dodge each swipe of his knife. Azoda then threw his fist forward, connecting with the intruder's jaw and sending him reeling.

But he was relentless. The man's grip on the knife tightened as he lunged at Azoda, knocking him to the floor, trying to drive the knife into his chest. Azoda grabbed onto the man's hand and tried to restrain him, but he realized with a thrill of fear that the blade was slowly getting closer to piercing his flesh.

And finally, it did. Azoda howled in pain as the knife slowly started to enter his body. The only thing he could think about at that moment was his sister, and how he was the only thing stopping this man from attacking her next.

Rage began to fill Azoda's system as he thought of his man harming Gemma. With newfound strength, Azoda shoved the man off him, adrenaline allowing him to briefly ignore his wound.

Azoda grabbed his assailants arm, which felt surprisingly thin and emaciated, and used it to slam the man into the wall. The impact sent multiple paintings crashing to the ground, one which even knocked over a vase, but Azoda didn't care. He kept slamming the man into the wall, ignoring his humanity briefly, his only thought was protecting his sister.

However, the arrival of Peacekeepers rushing through the door put an end to Azoda's rampage as he slowly backed away. The man was still alive, although his face was covered in bruises, his nose bleeding. He groaned in pain as two Peacekeepers grabbed onto him and roughly dragged him out of the house.

It was at this point, Azoda remembered his own wound. He looked down to see his white shirt soaked in blood.

"Follow me," a female peacekeeper with a stern voice ordered. "I'm taking you to the hospital. Now."

"Wait!" Azoda said. "I need to check on my sister,"

"No, you need to come with me-" the woman started, but Azoda was already at his sisters door. She had awoken from the commotion and looked terrified, her fear doubling as she saw the open wound on Azoda's chest.

She was crying softly from what had happened, and Azoda gave her a hug, careful not to get to close to her, as he didn't want to cover her in blood.

"We're gonna be okay..." Azoda said as he began to feel lightheaded. "I promis-"

He didn't get the chance to finish his sentence as he fell backwards, and everything went dark...

Azoda traced his fingers across the scar on his chest, the events of that night playing out in his head once again. Luckily, the hospital was near his house and the doctors saved his life that night. But the scar he got from that event would stay with him for a lifetime. It was a bad memory he would never be able to forget, and he always made sure to be wearing a shirt to hide it.

Azoda was thankful he was able to protect Gemma. But that night was also a source of shame for him. He had been so weak. He had nearly lost to a desperate, starving man, whose options were so bleak that he had resorted to stealing.

After that, Azoda took watching out for Gemma much more seriously. He always looked out for her ever since he was young, as it wasn't like their parents would. Although they had well paying jobs and provided a nice house with plenty of luxuries, the neglectful pair of adults was always out partying and never really seemed invested at all in their children's lives. Azoda remembered the night they come home after the attempted robbery, and how they seemed more concerned about the destroyed artwork and pottery then they were about his own near-death experience.

The night of the attack was only two years ago, but for Azoda, it was such a vivid memory that it felt like it had just happened yesterday. It changed who he was and how he saw people. He had always been charming and had attracted friends. But now, he was suspicious of everyone, and was closed off, only putting his trust in his sister. She was everything to him, and he always watched her like a hawk.

Along with his role as Gemma's caretaker, he also took working out much more seriously. He wanted to be physically ready for anything life would throw at him, knowing that if anyone tried to harm him or Gemma again, he would be able to fend them off.

However, this didn't mean he trained for the Games. He just worked on weight training and growing stronger, not practicing with weapons. He had no desire to ever train and volunteer like others in District One. The Games were terrible to him, and he was not interested. Of course, he had seen them before as certain parts were required viewing, but he never watched anymore then he had to.

He was thankful for the fact that he was now eighteen, and that this would be the last year he would have to worry about being sent to die. He just wanted to focus on finding somewhere else to live for him and Gemma, and escape their shallow parents.

Although his eligibility for the Reapings was almost over, Gemma's was just starting, which worried Azoda deeply. She was newly twelve-years-old, and this would be the first year she had a chance of being selected. The odds were slim, but not impossible.

Azoda knew she was nervous, so he wanted to spend as much time as possible with her before the Reapings began. He quickly dressed himself in black dress pants and a white collared shirt, eager to cover up his scar. His green eyes looked at his reflection in the mirror and he adjusted his dark brown hair slightly. Satisfied with his appearance, he left his room and went into the kitchen, surprised to see that his parents had gotten breakfast ready for Gemma.

Nice of you to be parents for once. Azoda thought as he took a seat next to Gemma. "Hey pretty lady," Azoda gave Gemma the biggest smile he could summon on Reaping Day as he complimented her. Azoda didn't smile much but Gemma was always able to bring one out of her.

She smiled gratefully, tucking her brown hair behind her ear. She was wearing a white dress with a white flower pinned onto it. Gemma always loved to dress up, after all. "Aren't you going to eat?" Gemma asked as she suddenly stared down at her lap.

"No thank you, I'm good." Azoda responded. He never had an appetite on Reaping Day. "Thank you for the offer though," Azoda added.

He could tell Gemma was feeling the same way as she sat there, her food untouched. Azoda noticed his parents had left the room, so now was his chance to speak to Gemma without worrying about filtering themselves.

"Look, I know you're nervous, and I know it's hard but please don't be scared." Azoda looked at her and tried to speak in the most encouraging voice possible. "You only have your name in their once. You won't get picked. I promise."

"I'm not worried about me, I'm worried about you." Gemma admitted.

"I won't get picked either, I promise." Azoda replied.

"Pinky promise?" Gemma asked, holding out her pinky finger. Azoda wrapped his own and around it "Well, if you pinky promise then I guess I'll believe you," She let out a sigh of relief. "I do feel better now. Thank you." She finished with a genuine smile.

"Of course." Azoda said, standing up. "But I think we should probably get going."

Gemma nodded and they met their parents at the front door.

Now, let's hope I can keep that promise. Azoda thought grimly as he stepped out into the sun.

The trip to the square felt short to Lithe, who was consumed with her thoughts entirely. Like clockwork, she signed in, as she had done all of the years prior to this. She had made small talk with Yasmine, who Lithe was thankful to have near her. Yasmine always made her feel more comfortable.

The two girls made their way to the section designated for 16 year old females, and Yasmine lead Lithe to the middle of the group. Multiple girls instantly started blabbering away to Yasmine, who was quite popular. Lithe stood close, pretending to look interested in the conversation, as she didn't want to appear impolite. But truly, her mind was elsewhere.

After a few minutes of this, the Mayor suddenly began to speak, flying through the proceedings. He knew District One was one of the Capitol's favorites, and that he shouldn't waste time as the audience would be eager to see the two tributes this District produced.

It was now the escorts turn as he made his way to the center of the stage. He began his speech, making big grand gestures with each word, soaking up every moment as the cameras zoomed in on him. "It's now time to see which two lucky tributes will be representing the lovely District One. It is my pleasure to be in such a wonderful place."

Lithe wasn't phased by the escorts theatrics, as he always did this. He had been the escort for District One for quite some time now, and she was certain he had to be at least middle aged, if not older. Although with all of his cosmetic enhancements and surgeries, you would never know. This didn't stop him from looking any less ridiculous, with his powder blue wig and eyebrows of a matching color.

Lithe stood patiently as he drabbled on, although she could tell some girls near her were growing restless.

"Without further ado, it's time to select the lucky lady!" He shouted, making a few long strides toward the glass bowl containing the slips of female names. He plucked one right off the top, and opened it up as he reached the microphone.

"Yasmine Atkins."

Lithe was taken by surprise as she turned to her best friend, whose mouth was gaping in shock. Lithe looked at her eyes and saw them filled with fear, despite her confidence she had just earlier this morning.

The entire weight of Lithe's dilemma on whether or not to volunteer suddenly was lifted from her shoulders. This had made the decision quite easy for her.

"I volunteer!" Lithe said calmly, raising her hand. It took a moment for the escort to even realize what she was doing. Lithe began to walk toward the stage, taking note that no on else had challenged her for the spot. As Lithe approached the stage, she saw many shocked faces looking at her. Many people probably wondered who she was, as she hadn't trained at the academies in years.

"It appears we have a volunteer!" The escort said, his voice filled with astonishment, despite the fact that District One had at least one volunteer every year.

Lithe mounted the stage gracefully, and stood next to the escort, waiting for him to follow protocol. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "And what is your name, Miss?"

"My name is Lithe Cavendish, and it is my honor to represent District One." Lithe bowed after she finished speaking, some people in the audience clapping for her. Lithe then folded her hands behind her and stood back, eyes scanning for her parents. She finally found them amongst the crowd, but they both had unreadable expressions. She wondered how they felt.

Lithe knew she would find out soon, so she turned her attention to the escort as he read the slip he had obtained from the male bowl.

"Azoda Chari."

Lithe waited for the sound of a volunteer, but it never came. She was a bit perplexed. This wasn't the first time this had happened in District One, but it was still surprising nonetheless.

The boy in question then emerged from the 18-year-old section, looking a bit upset, although he appeared to be doing a good job of hiding it once the cameras got close to him.

He was quite handsome though, Lithe observed. His beautiful green eyes looked into hers as he climbed onto the stage, and she took in the fact that he was also quite tall and fit. Although he didn't volunteer, he was nothing to scoff at and would definitely be a competitor.

"I think District One has a great chance this year!" The escort gushed as he looked back and forth between Lithe and Azoda. "Now shake hands!"

Lithe offered her district partner a polite smile as she extended a steady hand to him. His expression was still giving nothing away as he hesitated for a moment before finally reaching his hand out to firmly shake her own.

Lithe bowed one more time before the Peacekeepers began to guide her into the Justice Building behind them, and she silently hoped that her parents would approve of her decision.

Azoda walked a bit behind his family as they arrived at the square, not in the mood for small talk with his parents. As soon as his parents bid him and Gemma farewell and made their way to the spot for family members, Azoda grabbed Gemma's hand and lead her to the sign in area.

He had already warned her about her finger getting pricked, so she was prepared. Azoda noticed the scared looks on the faces of some of the other young children and could tell they weren't ready for it.

After signing in, Azoda lead his sister to the place in the back for girls in her age group. "I'll come and get you after, okay. It'll be over quick." Azoda assured her. Gemma wrapped her arms around her older brother, and he returned it for a few brief moments before he left her behind to make his way to the front.

Azoda looked over the heads of a few boys in front of him, using his height to his advantage. He didn't speak to any of them, not choosing to take part in the buzz of chatter that was going on around him.

The mayor and escort went through their spiels about the reason for the Games and how everyone should be thankful, and to Azoda, it felt like an eternity although it was really only a few minutes. Finally, the ridiculous looking man with blue hair made his way to the first bowl of names, snatching up a slip and reading the name on it. Azoda had no idea who the reaped girl was, although it really didn't matter, as he was focused on the fact that it wasn't Gemma. Relief washed over him.

Besides, someone was sure to take the girls place anyways, and sure enough, a 16 year old girl raised her hand and began to make her way to the stage. Azoda had never seen her, and judging by the reactions from the boys around him, neither had they. This made him wonder if she was someone who trained for the Games beforehand.

She introduced herself as Lithe Cavendish, but didn't give much away in the way of emotion. Instead, she looked carefully out into the crowd, holding her head up in a dignified way that demanded respect, hands behind her back.

Azoda eventually redirected his attention to the escort once again, who now was standing in front of the microphone, the male slip in his hand.

"Azoda Chari."

He felt a slight flicker of panic at the sound of his name, but he quickly regained his composure, remembering that he was in District One. Someone would volunteer.

The next few seconds contained a painful silence as Azoda realized no one would be taking his place. He wouldn't be able to keep his promise to Gemma. Azoda was extremely upset, but as he began to break away from the crowd to head to the stage, he tried to collect himself. As the camera zoomed in on him, he hid his expression, not wanting to give the sick Capitolites what they wanted.

He mounted the stage and got a better look at his District partner. She was tall and had long, blonde, curly hair and fair skin. She peered at him curiously, and Azoda noticed that her right eye was a soft blue, with the other a sharp, amber yellow color. Azoda wondered for a second if it was natural, but didn't dwell on it. It didn't matter. She would be dead within a few weeks, if he were to win. And he would.

Lithe extended her hand to Azoda, and he looked down at it. Although he couldn't possibly fathom how someone could willingly go into the Hunger Games, he would be respectful of his competition, at least for now. So he reached out his hand, shaking Lithe's firmly.

As the escort finished up the ceremony, Azoda started ahead distantly, not looking at the crowd. He tried to focus on the fact that Gemma wasn't reaped, and that in all honesty, his chances to win weren't too bad. If he won, he would be able to move into the Victor's Village with Gemma, and he wouldn't have to give his parents a cent.

But that relied on him winning. The odds being in his favor.

And so far, they weren't.

With that, we have our first official pair of tributes, ready to be shipped off to die. Or maybe live, who knows.

I hope you enjoyed this update! Please consider reviewing if you would like, I would love to hear your thoughts on these two!

See you soon, when we meet our District 2 Tributes!

That's all for now, thank you for reading!