The Forty Ninth Annual Hunger Games


Introduction

After a rather satisfying, if not exactly groundbreaking, Games the year prior, Cyndala Clargy was rearing to continue emptying her expansive outdoor arena ideas into reality and the nightmares of little District children. After a few years of sitting in the gutter, watching her mortal enemy be the Head Gamemaker instead of her, she'd become fiery and bursting with designs and schemes. The only tinder needed was a sketchbook and colored pencils, and the creative genius of Ms. Clargy would pour forth. Now, the blurred sketches were becoming reality for a second time as Cyndala and her expansive team constructed a breathtaking arena. It broke Cyndala's one hundred percent natural rule just a tad. The singular clip that Cyndala had released was of a half eroded block of white marble resting in a field of overgrown grass as the wind rippled through the clearing. It left much to the imagination, and dozens of speculative arena possibilities bounced around the nation. The rumor mills ran amok with false news about these Games, a trend that would continue on for a while. This included "leaked" information about the arena, mutts, supplies, and Career volunteers from "reliable" anonymous sources. Coriolanus Snow remained the crown jewel of Panem's dictatorship. Like an anaconda, his will was slowly suffocating its prey, the Districts, as he upped their quotas and drained their bank accounts each year with increased ferocity. Poverty and crime were at all time highs, and Snow remedied the latter issue by sending more Peacekeepers into the Districts. It limited the crime for the time being, and disassembled a half put together uprising that was brewing in District Six. Caesar Flickerman and Claudius Templesmith returned yet again as the dynamic duo that ruled and glamorized the Pre Games festivities. They were as stylish and charismatic as ever, and they wooed the Capitol crowds and interested the District citizens enough that they didn't grumble too much about watching the mandatory things like the parade and interviews. The Careers were a bunch of screwballs this year. A major mishap occurred in District 1. The chosen volunteer, 18 year old Locketta Mirthe, freaked out and did not volunteer. Before anyone else could save the Reaped tribute, it was too late, and the flabby Fiacca became One's first Reaped tribute in decades. The overweight girl, who did nothing but sob before the Games began, was joined by her strikingly handsome and chivalrous District partner. In a bout of District honor, the boy resolved to protect his weakling District partner with his life as the pack refused to harbor her. He left the Careers and allied with Fiacca, hoping to be able to bring her home. The pair from District 2 was a little more normal, with no Reaped tributes. They had matching scores and ages and muscle mass, but not much else was the same. The female was a tall, bulky paler skinned, blond girl who looked rather masculine; she wasn't considered very attractive. She was rough and tumble and was as good at fighting with her fists as she was with a weapon. The male was very short, with cropped black hair, rich dark skin, and a body bulging with muscles. He made the entire nation swoon at his feet with his smile and good looks. District 4 produced two Careers that were a little younger. Especially the girl, who was skinny and short and quiet and only 16. Yet she'd somehow scored an astounding 12. Her District partner, her senior by a year, was thick with muscle and had the classic surfer look that Capitolites craved. He preferred the trident, of course. The Outliers didn't produce a stellar amount of standouts, but there were a few. Jacoma of 11 scored the highest of any Outlier, nabbing an impressive 8 in her session for her ability with survival skills and a pitchfork. Hatchet of District 7 had scored one point lower than her with a 7, and he was dangerous for sure. He and his District partner, Cara, quickly fell into a heated love affair after being Reaped, and we inseparable. The only Outlying alliances before the Games were the 7s and their friend, Kete from 10, along with the 11s who'd banded together. The lack of youngsters in previous years had been remedied; by pure chance, 2 12 year olds, 2 13 year olds, and 3 14 year olds were all Reaped, a higher total of sub 15 year old tributes than usual. The other tributes besides Jacoma and Hatchet scored between 6 and 3. There were no volunteers besides the Careers. Here are the tributes:

District 1: Fiacca Leuleus, 13 (4) 43-1 and Cognac Rieme, 18 (10) 8-1

District 2: Lyme Harriott, 18 (11) 6-1 and Robust Korsican, 18 (11) 5-1

District 3: Jana Helix, 16 (5) 32-1 and Niko Kopcho, 16 (4) 46-1

District 4: Undine Kirstmel, 16 (12) 4-1 and Arroyo Valence, 17 (10) 8-1

District 5: Caylee Wright, 12 (4) 48-1 and Phil Fayre, 13 (4) 44-1

District 6: Margarita Zhuravel, 15 (6) 24-1 and Bentley Eldridge, 14 (3) 56-1

District 7: Cara Hegarty, 17 (5) 35-1 and Hatchet Lewyn, 18 (7) 15-1

District 8: Georgette Linsey, 14 (3) 53-1 and Olyver Batiste, 13 (5) 32-1

District 9: Stephani Paige, 18 (6) 22-1 and Abdi Flores, 16 (5) 31-1

District 10: Arielle Greyson, 17 (4) 46-1 and Kete Suriyo, 15 (6) 23-1

District 11: Jacoma Retell, 18 (8) 12-1 and Nilis Huster, 12 (3) 54-1

District 12: Ferris Lafayette, 16 (6) 21-1 and Montgomery Hayle, 14 (4) 43-1

HGBA Odds: 21% on Undine, 18% on Robust, 17% on Lyme, 12% on Cognac and Arroyo, 6% on Jacoma, 2% on Hatchet and Cara, 1% or less on Fiacca, Jana, Niko, Caylee, Phil, Margarita, Bentley, Georgette, Olyver, Stephani, Abdi, Arielle, Kete, Nilis, Ferris, and Montgomery.


The Games

The arena was an agreeable temperature as the 24 tributes rose up on their pedestals. They sat inside an expansive sculpture garden, with thousands of statues of politicians, Victors, past tributes, and more that were crumbling and overgrown with vegetation. That was only the mile by mile circle of land around the Cornucopia. Past that, scant forests and numerous white marble ruins filled the landscape. The entire arena was modeled after an eroded Roman city, and the ruins were grandiose yet broken, awe inspiring but crumbling. Several small brooks carved their way through the dead city, and there was little fauna besides some mockingjays and a pack of hungry wolf mutts that prowled throughout the arena freely. The only thing the tributes could see around them was the central sculpture garden, and several were scared incredibly by the twisted faces of the sculptures of dying tributes that were clustered around the outsides of the pedestals. The Cornucopia, made entirely of white marble, towered over the tributes. The sculpture garden did not end after the pedestals, however, and dozens of decaying statues were scattered inside the Cornucopia field. Most of the supplies were even on or near the statues themselves. The only weapons found inside the Cornucopia were brass knuckles, maces, javelins, and short swords. Supplies were scant compared to the past couple of years, but many tributes were frightened about their surroundings and headed into the Bloodbath because they were unsure of how this arena would end up turning out. However, the Pack was fractured. This would lead to eleven tributes dying in the Bloodbath this year. Only two tributes would run away, both the youngest. Caylee from 5 and Nilis from 11 all left when the countdown ended. Nilis waited nearby for his ally and protector Jacoma, while Caylee made a dead sprint to the east for safety.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

The tributes burst forward, the Pack and Cognac sprinting at the front along with Jacoma and Niko. Niko was at the lead; despite lacking in other areas, he was a good sprinter, and he made it to the Cornucopia first. His hands quickly wrapped around and pack and he shot away. However, Lyme barreled out of nowhere, tackling him. She was a slower runner, and was just approaching the Cornucopia as Niko was leaving. The first kill was made as Lyme crushed Niko's windpipe with two hard punches to the throat, showing that she really was as lethal without a weapon.

Niko Kopcho, District 3 Male; 24th, Killed by Lyme, Bloodbath

Undine, using a slim javelin in both hands, dashed forward to look for prey. She watched as Arroyo threw a boy against the side of the Cornucopia. The boy screamed as blood poured from a large head wound he'd sustained. The boy tumbled to the ground at Undine's feet, and she happily finished the job for her District partner, jamming both javelins into the boy's slim chest. Olyver coughed weakly and then died.

Olyver Batiste, District 8 Male; 23rd, Killed by Arroyo and Undine, Bloodbath

Jacoma, gritting her teeth, picked up a javelin and searched for a pack. A girl leaped onto her back, and Jacoma threw her off, her muscles rippling underneath her dark brown skin as Arielle groaned upon impact with the ground. Jacoma quickly jabbed the javelin's fine, razor sharp point into Arielle's chest. The girl gurgled and moaned for a moment, spasming for a second before slipping away after Jacoma stabbed a second time.

Arielle Greyson, District 10 Female; 22nd, Killed by Jacoma, Bloodbath

Moments earlier, Robust had sunken his sword into the back of a shocked girl. Hatchet screamed in agony, short sword on hand, as his lover, Cara, fell to her knees, blood spewing from her grievous wound. She was dead in moments, and a heart broken Hatchet keened loudly. Kete tugged Hatchet away before Robust could fell him as well.

Cara Hegarty, District 7 Female; 21st, Killed by Robust, Bloodbath

Arroyo hurled himself at a nearby boy, slamming the mace he was wielding in between the boy's shoulders. The tribute yelped in pain, staggering to his knees. He leaped up at Arroyo, trying to defend himself with his brass knuckles. They were harmless on the weak boy's hands, and Arroyo managed to swat away his hands and plant his mace right in the boy's face. His skull exploded like a rotted melon under high pressure, and Arroyo swallowed the small amount of bile that crept into his throat.

Bentley Eldridge, District 6 Male; 20th, Killed by Arroyo, Bloodbath

A slim, blond haired Merchant girl from 12 had climbed halfway up a statue of a headless female tribute from some Games or other to grab a bulging lime green pack that was filled to the brim with supplies. As she slid down the rough marble to the ground, she felt Lyme's hand around her right ankle. The girl whimpered as Lyme tossed her like a rag doll through the air. When she tumbled down to Earth, her left leg broke with a sickening snap beneath her. She tried to crawl away, but Lyme pummeled her with her brass knuckled fists until the girl's face and throat were bloodied and she was dead.

Ferris Lafayette, District 12 Female; 19th, Killed by Lyme, Bloodbath

Cognac and Fiacca had been running west together, having both grabbed a few things before speeding away. As they made their move away, Arroyo and Undine intercepted them, unwilling to let the "deserter" Ones go and pull an Orestilla-like gambit where they'd halve the remaining Careers before the first week was over. Undine lunged towards Fiacca, and her left javelin scraped the obese girl's right shoulder. Fiacca screeched pitifully, and Cognac shoved her forward, screaming "GO GO GO!" Fiacca lumbered off as Cognac stood his ground, firmly not letting either of the 4s come near his District partner.

"Stupid boy," Undine spat. She was like lightning, and Cognac barely blocked her javelins with his short sword. He broke one of her javelins, but the other found its way into his throat. Cognac didn't make a sound as he fell to the ground, dead.

Cognac Rieme, District 1 Male; 18th, Killed by Undine, Bloodbath

Robust darted forward once more, his short sword singing through the air as it met its target: the back of the 6 girl's left calf. Margarita, carrying a coil of rope and a full canteen, shrieked in a high frequency that made Robust hesitate for a moment. However, he quickly regained his composure, and he shoved her to the ground and carved open her forehead and then plunged his blade into her skull as she struggled. She fell limp, and Robust moved on.

Margarita Zhuravel, District 6 Female; 17th, Killed by Robust, Bloodbath

Two boys had been struggling on the ground for at least a minute, fighting over a beige colored pack filled with a collapsible javelin and lots of food and water. Soon after the fight began, Abdi had managed to gain the upper hand, pushing Montgomery flat against the ground. As soon as he was able to finally pry the last strap of the pack out of Montgomery's firm, unrelenting fingers, he pulled out the collapsible javelin. Montgomery tried to scramble to his feet as the weapon telescoped out, but to no avail. Abdi stabbed him in the back of the head, and the weapon lodged itself in his brain, killing him in moments.

Montgomery Hayle, District 12 Male; 16th, Killed by Abdi, Bloodbath

Undine cackled as she chased a weeping girl away from the Cornucopia. They wove around statues and zigzagged all over the place, running around the fringe of the Cornucopia clearing as the girl tried to escape the Career, and the Career tried to catch and kill her. Eventually, as always happens, the Career prevailed. She picked up a hunk of marble and threw it at the girl. It slammed into the back of her head, and Georgette was out instantly. Undine polished her off, stabbing her javelins into the girl's chest.

Georgette Linsey, District 8 Female; 15th, Killed by Undine, Bloodbath

Arroyo made the final kill. As Undine had been chasing Georgette around, Arroyo had found the triumphant Abdi to be one of the only tributes left in the area near the Cornucopia. As Abdi hitched his hard won bag over his shoulder, Arroyo lunged at him and smacked his mace into Abdi's chest. The Careers then all collected to watch as it took two hours for the 9 boy to bleed out. Before he died, he went through several stages of wheezing and spitting blood, worsening every time. Blood had made the grass around him slick and maroon in color, and he was as dead as the ancient Roman civilization.

Abdi Flores, District 9 Male; 14th, Killed by Arroyo, Bloodbath

The tributes quickly spread throughout the arena. Pudgy Fiacca had run screeching after Cognac had sacrificed himself for her, supply-less, and she kept stumbling along until she neared the edge of the sculpture garden. She'd found a small little cement fountain that gurgled crystal clear water on the eastern end of the garden, and she drank heavily from it. She slept in a bunch of scraggly bushes situated near the water source. The Careers grumbled over their lower number of members and kills compared to the past two years as they retrieved the leftover supplies from the statues and the like. And then they started demolishing the statues within the perimeter of the pedestal ring so they'd have a better view of the area around them. By nightfall, they'd reduced most of the statues to rubble with the Cornucopia's bounty of maces. Jana had made it away with a bright orange pack that stood out especially against her darker skin. It contained a small pocketknife, an empty plastic water bottle, two pairs of sunglasses, and a handbook on insects. She sprinted through the sculpture garden and out into the northern ruins and forests. She tumbled into the ruins of a temple dedicated to the goddess Ceres, the patron of the harvest. At the cracked altar sat plentiful amounts of food, and there chowing down was little Caylee of 5. The two shakily formed an alliance, and they shared the food and set up camp within the temple. Meanwhile, Caylee's District partner, Phil, followed a thick stream he found after leaving behind the sculpture garden with a spool of brass wire and a loaf of rye bread. By nightfall, he found the place all of the rivers and brooks collected at: a smaller, clear-as-glass pool in the southeast of the arena. Sitting in the center was a temple to the god Neptune. Phil waded over to the crumbling temple, drinking from the clean waters of the pool. Inside the temple he found a brilliant silvery-blue harpoon and a handwoven net. He gingerly moved around the weapons, too heavy for him to wield, unsure of what to do with them. A seething Hatchet and his quieter, calmer ally, Kete, tromped through the western sector of the arena. They set up their small camp inside one of the stretches of forest, crawling up into a tall, leafy oak. They had a short sword, a pair of brass knuckles, and a pack full of jerky. Stephani sprinted east after leaving the Bloodbath with a slab of cheese, a bottle of iodine capsules, and an extra pair of socks. She trekked through the woods until she discovered a shrine to one of the Dryads. Although Dryads were from Greek mythology, the Gamemakers didn't think much of mucking up history a little if it added more fun to their Games. The dingy shrine gave Stephani a single gift after she read the name inscribed on it: Phigalia. It bore her a sickle, and Stephani marched off in search of more altars. She didn't find any, and settled to sleep in the branches of a squat willow. Jacoma and Nilis sped to the southeast, and an hour after the Bloodbath ended with Abdi's death, they found the ruins of a giant structure modeled after the Colosseum. Both were wowed as they walked into the structure. A miniature forest had sprung up in the center of the massive amphitheater, and a treasure trove of gladiator armor and weaponry was hidden in various nooks and crannies of the structure. The District partners and allies settled within the forest inside of the Colosseum replica, where they found leather armor that fit Jacoma snugly and hung very loosely on Nilis.

The atmosphere and interesting arena would not allow for this to be a slow Games by any means. Cyndala was done trying to stretch Games longer than they naturally would be, and she sat back and let the events of the Games unfold. As daybreak occurred on the morning of Day 2, already some of the tributes faced challenges. Overnight, all the sculptures the Careers had demolished had rebuilt themselves under Gamemaker will. However, they'd done so incorrectly on purpose, and they were a grotesque mix of broken and mismatched body parts. The Careers' effort was put to waste, and the 4s became annoyed with the 2s, who had insisted upon the project being completed, for now they'd wasted the whole first day and much of their energy. Also, the ravenous wolf pack caught wind of Stephani's scent as they prowled through the eastern woods in the early morning. They bounded towards where she slept, barking enthusiastically. Their noises awoke Stephani, and moments later one tried to jump into the tree the snap at her. When it pounced again, she slammed her sickle against its snout, cleaving its nose off. The wolf howled, staggering backwards, and Stephani proceeded to fend of the wolves for a good forty to fifty minutes until they were all bloodied and tired, just like the 9 girl. When they finally retreated, Stephani made sure she hadn't suffered any serious injuries before falling right back to sleep for a few hours, exhausted.

The rest of the day passed swiftly. Tensions were already high in the Career pack due to a lack of calming, funny 1s in it, and the personalities of the group were grating against each other. The 2s and the 4s banded together and quickly grew to dislike the other District partner pair. Lyme tried to remain partial, and Arroyo wanted to patch things over. But Undine and Robust both became bitter with one another, and Lyme and Arroyo sided with their District partners out of loyalty. The Pack wasn't going to split yet, but this group seemed to be on schedule to have the earliest split in a long, long time. The rest of the tributes stayed in about the same position excepting two. Phil strayed from Neptune's temple, instead foraging in a stretch of woods. He found edible mushrooms and ate them before finding a small dilapidated building made of white marble in the woods: a crematorium. Phil lathered himself in ash and laid down in the building, which had insides covered in cinders. He blended in well. Sadly, Phil had no idea what he was rubbing all over himself. Stephani abandoned the woods after her run in with the wolves. Running up a hill, she spotted the duo of Hatchet and Kete trekking along, chatting quietly and looking for other tributes, determined to make a kill for themselves. Stephani bit her lip and hunkered down, burying herself under a pile of dead leaves. The two boys passed by, and Stephani sprinted down the hill, taking refuge in the ruins of the temple of Jupiter. The electric supplies for building electric traps inside were of no use to the 9 girl, and she fell asleep there.

On the third day, nothing else happened of note either. The Careers were reluctant to hunt. With the extreme tensions, they were mostly paranoid, except for Lyme, who seemed indifferent and unperceptive to all the stress that was exuded from her allies. One of them had to stay back to guard the supplies. They were scared that if one of the 2s went out with both 4s, or vice versa, then that lone District tribute would be offed by the other two. It was a true concern, and they finally settled on sending two people to go hunting. The boys, Arroyo and Robust, went hunting, while Lyme and Undine took care of camp. Lyme was the most agreeable of the Careers, and Undine didn't mind her much. As the boys hunted through the sculpture garden unsuccessfully, Arroyo got along a little better with Robust. The Outliers had little problems. Hunger was starting to set in for real for some, but otherwise they seemed to be doing fine.

On the fourth day, the Careers finally split. Upon awakening, the 4s discovered that Robust had fallen asleep during his guard duty shift for the last couple hours of the night. Undine became furious, shouting and frothing. Robust snarled back, and the two short Careers snapped and hissed and cursed, and soon enough both were lunging for their weapons. Arroyo grabbed Undine immediately, while Lyme stared intently at Robust, shaking her head curtly.

"Get off me," Undine grunted. She squirmed out of Arroyo's grasp and grabbed her javelin, brandishing it towards Robust and Lyme. "You two, leave now. We're done with your careless antics." Arroyo looked mortified, and Lyme had no reaction.

"You can't break up the pack like that," Robust growled.

"Want to fight me? I'll show you why I really earned that 12," Undine snapped back. It was too early for Career infighting, they all knew it, so Robust and Lyme hesitantly collected enough supplies to last them at least a week before heading off on their own, tromping north. Undine watched them go with a triumphant, cruel smirk, while Arroyo looked still shocked. Once he recovered, he hid his emotions and laughed along with Undine.

Lyme and Robust took advantage of their situation. After dumping their supplies deep in the ruins of a trashed bathing house, they decided to go hunting. Robust had his short sword, while Lyme decided to stick with her brass knuckles. Her Mentor, Januaria, was a little exasperated, and she sent Lyme a long, serrated dagger. Lyme armed herself with that as well, and then the duo marched off into the woods and ruins, looking for victims.

A couple of hours before sunset, they spotted movement among the crumbling rock of the temple of Ceres. Caylee sat on the broken front steps of the temple, eating a slice of watermelon pensively and staring at the bright blue sky dotted with puffy clouds. Jana was near the altar, clearing away the fruit and vegetables that had rotted already beyond a level of consumption. As Jana dumped an armful of molding melon and broccoli behind the ruins, she heard Caylee's sharp little scream. Jana freaked, filling up her bright orange pack with food, her pocketknife, and her empty water bottle. She sprinted away into the woods as Caylee's cannon was like a thunderclap through the arena. Robust, who'd emerged from the woods and shoved his sword into the girl's back as she'd tried to flee, drew his blade from her corpse. Lyme saw Jana vanish off into the forest, and she cursed under her breath. She and Robust continued to hunt as Caylee's body steamed on the front steps of the ruined temple to the goddess of the sacred Harvest.

Caylee Wright, District 5 Female; 13th, Killed by Robust, Day 4

Jana was wheezing by the time she stopped running an hour or so later. She was near the fringe of the arena, and she collapsed by the side of a tiny little stream, barely wider than her hand. She ate some melon from her pack and cursed herself for being a coward and not trying to help poor little Caylee, who she knew had to be dead by now due to the cannon and her prior scream. Jana fell asleep as the sun began to set, but she was startled awake as the sun dipped below the horizon by another cannon.

Jacoma and Nilis had long ago given up being holed up in the scrawny forest inside the ruins of the Colosseum, exploring the other parts of the amphitheater. This included the seats, the armory, and the holding chambers below the building where the gladiators and wild animals were stored before the fights were held. Jacoma spotted a rusty pitchfork inside one of the cells, and she became excited; her weapon of choice, almost in her grasp! She picked the lock of the cell and slipped inside, hands wrapping around her prize. However, the iron bar door of the chamber clicked closed and locked itself. Nilis gasped in horror, mortified, as Jacoma rattled the gate and tried to unlock it to no avail. Jacoma instructed her little ally to remain calm. Nilis transferred some of their supplies into the catacombs and watched, transfixed in horror, as Jacoma tried fruitlessly to free herself. It was no use.

Stephani decided to move camp, marching away from the temple of Jupiter as the afternoon wore on, looking for a place that would be of better use to her. She approached another temple as the sun began to set; the temple of Minerva, the goddess of wisdom. Inside, on the altar, was a lot of water along with mounds of books about things from physics to microbiology to survival skills, even. Stephani drank freely and read about some survival skills in a book. She was spooked by a cannon as the sun fell.

Fiacca had an erratic sleeping schedule, and a time before the sun was due to set, she woke up after sleeping since noon. She crawled out of the scratchy cluster of bushes where she still resided before standing and stretching out her lacking muscles. She then hobbled over to the fountain, sipping from cupped hands that caught the crystal clear water with ease. As she sucked down another handful of water, she heard lots of scuffing and a few nearby barks. She whirled to see the rabid wolf pack bounding towards her, only a few hundred feet away, their mouths foaming and their fangs glistening.

The Reaped 1 girl screamed loudly as she lumbered away as fast as she could. It was no use; the wolves were much faster than the basically defenseless little girl. One pounced on her as she tried to run across a field and into the woods. Fiacca fell face first onto the rough ground of the sparsely vegetated meadow as the wolf's fangs dug deep furrows in her right calf. As blood gushed forth, Fiacca screamed. She kicked the wolf in the face with her good leg and tried to drag herself away, but the others were then on her, tearing into her and rending her a bloody, mushy mess. When she finally let out her last breath, the wolves had eaten a good fourth of her, and she was nowhere near recognizable.

Fiacca Leuleus, District 1 Female; 12th, Killed by wolf mutts, Day 4

The final hours of Day 4 passed in relative peace, with little to no action in all quadrants of the arena. As the sun broke over the horizon, however, on Day 5, more action was bound to occur as Cyndala prepared to release a new twist upon the tributes.

Jana woke up to see two small stone statues standing to her right. She staggered to her feet and inspected them carefully. One was of a roaring lion, while the other was of a coiled, hissing serpent. Carved on their bases were the words: Choose one. Jana hesitantly picked up the lion statue, flinching, waiting for something to happen. Something did happen, but not to Jana Helix. She was safe and sound. Jana put the statue back down. A little flustered and bothered by the statues, she marched off to look for a new campsite while her choice created havoc in another sector of the arena.

Jacoma had fallen asleep inside her cage after failing for the billionth time at trying to pry open the door of her enclosure. Nilis had fallen asleep right on the other side of the door, and they held hands through the bars. The little boy stumbled out of the catacombs as the sun rose to fetch some stuff to eat and drink for breakfast from their stores in the middle of the little forest within the amphitheater. As he stooped to pick up a pack of jerky, he heard Jacoma yelling. He frantically ran back towards the catacombs to see a huge, growling lion emerge out of the corridors that was connected to one of the cages. Jacoma was screaming Nilis's name, telling him to run and hide. She was safe inside her cell from the beast, but she knew her little District partner was not. Nilis freaked and sprinted towards another corridor that lead to where Jacoma was waiting, trying to free herself to go rescue her friend and ally. The lion gave pursuit, tromping after the boy. Nilis skidded down the hallway and wove through the cages as the lion bounded after him. Nilis made a breathless escape, squeezing through the bars and falling into the cage that Jacoma hid in. The two huddled in the farthest corner from the bars as the mutt snarled and tried to paw them, sticking its huge forearms through the gaps in between the bars. After three hours, the lion finally retreated, disappearing into a hole that suddenly opened up in the ground near the 11s cell. Nilis, breathless, squirmed back out of the enclosure and carried more supplies down to the catacombs, scared beyond belief, as Jacoma continued to try to free herself, now trying to smash open the cell door with a hunk of rock.

Robust and Lyme hunted for a few hours that morning in the woods, looking in, behind, and under trees for anyone that was concealing themselves there. Their search was fruitless. However, they slowly were coming closer to where Hatchet and Kete were hunting, and the two groups closed in on each other unintentionally as the day wore on.

Kete and Hatchet were the first to come upon the river that cut apart two sections of forest. The marble ruins of an aqueduct laid in a crumbly mess in the middle of the slow moving river. The two boys waded through the river onto the island of sorts in the middle of the waterway, sitting in the shade under one still stable arch. They purified and drank water, and blended in well, as bushes masked them from view. About thirty minutes after the boys had arrived, Lyme and Robust appeared on the scene, sweaty and thirsty. They purified water of their own and drank greedily.

Hatchet watched Robust intensely, his anger soaring to new heights. The 2 boy had murdered his lover in the opening minutes, and the wound was still fresh and bleeding profusely. Hatchet immediately stood, grabbing his short sword, prepared to end Robust. Kete grabbed his friend's shoulder, telling him that it was too risky, but Hatchet ignored him. Kete pleaded quietly but soon realized that Hatchet would not listen. As the heartbroken 7 boy prepared to lure in the Careers and murder Robust, Kete silently nabbed all of their supplies except Hatchet's sword and made a quick break for it, disappearing into the woods before anyone else noticed.

Soon after, Hatchet began to cough loudly, and he sent a torrent of rubble splashing into the river. Both 2s perked up instantly, and they slogged through the river and stumbled onto the island of sorts, looking around for their prey. Hatchet was crouched behind a jutting piece of rock that hid him from view atop the stable arch of the aqueduct. As Robust walked underneath it, Hatchet pounced, falling a story and a half onto Robust's shoulders. The 2 boy shouted as Hatchet buried his sword in the boy's skull, blood splattering across his face. Robust was dead in moments, falling to the ground as Hatchet pulled his sword jerkily out of his skull, grinning deviously, feeling high and mighty and accomplished, having successfully fulfilled his revenge.

Robust Korsican, District 2 Male; 11th, Killed by Hatchet, Day 5

He'd forgotten about Miss Harriott in his calculations, however. Lyme roared in fury. Robust was her friend and ally. She enjoyed his company, and now she'd also have to face both Arroyo and Undine on her own without Robust's help. She lunged at Hatchet, ripping his sword from his hands and stabbing it into his right knee before tossing it into the river. Hatchet screamed, trying to stagger away, but Lyme would not let him go. This would not be a quick death for Mr. Lewyn.

Lyme picked him up and punched him in the face over and over, burying her brass knuckled fists into his face over and over. She knocked out twelve teeth, mashed his nose until it literally fell off, blinded him by destroying his eyes, broke his jaw in three places, fractured his skull, and destroyed both of his ears. She then dropped him on the ground. He was heavily wounded, but nowhere near dying. She then used her serrated dagger to cut into him several times. She then tossed him into the river and watched as it carried him off, blood streaming from his wounds. Lyme sighed shakily; she wasn't one for such intense violence, and as she looked over at Robust's ruined corpse, she choked back a few tears of agony and fury. No one messed with those Lyme Harriott was loyal to.

Hatchet's tattered body bobbed along in the river for a good ten minutes until he washed up on a rocky bank. He was too weak and had lost too much blood to even move. His ally Kete had spotted Hatchet being carried along by the current, and he ran to his side, a roll of gauze out. He stepped back the moment he saw the state of his friend, however. As he debated whether to finish off the 7 boy or not, a cannon beat him to it.

Hatchet Lewyn, District 7 Male; 10th, Killed by Lyme, Day 5

That night, as the faces shone in the sky, Undine and Arroyo grinned to see Robust up there. They didn't really care how he died, if it had been tribute or arena caused. They just knew that he was dead, along with one of the strongest Outliers left, and that now eliminating Lyme would be an easier task for the two of them. Sponsors sent them a bottle of sparkling grape juice and a pair of champagne flutes, and the two toasted and had a feast of dried fruit, crackers and jerky from the Cornucopia along with another sponsor gift, a packet of colorful gummy bears and gummy worms.

The next morning, Phil woke up, still in the crematorium. Sitting in front of him were two little statues: once again the giant, wound up serpent that Jana had not picked, along with a statuette of a sphinx. With the head and chest of a woman, the body of a lion, and feathery wings, Phil chose the interesting looking creature statue to inspect it with curiosity, not even noticing the inscriptions until after he'd picked up the sphinx.

The temple of Minerva shook with tremors on the sixth morning, waking up Stephani immediately. She'd been buried in a book about astrology, something that her great aunt practiced for extra coins when she wasn't working in the flour processing plant, and it was splayed out on her lap. She rose to her feet, rubbing her eyes, and then suddenly the sphinx appeared in front of her, flapping down from the heavens and through the nearly nonexistent roof over the dilapidated temple.

"What animal is that which in the morning goes on four feet, at noon on two, and in the evening upon three?" the Sphinx hissed. Any educated person would know the answer to the common, historical riddle, but Stephani had worked in the flour processing plants most of her life instead of going to school to feed her large family when none of the others were old enough to work. She looked dumbly at the mutt.

"Um...a...a...turtle, wait no-"

"Turtle is the incorrect answer," the Sphinx murmured emotionlessly before Stephani could conjure a better answer. She pounced instantly, tearing Stephani's head from her shoulders before the 9 girl could even think to scream. Her cannon fired. The Sphinx tossed Stephani's dismembered head to the ground and flew back into the sky, disappearing into the clouds mystically as now only 8 tributes were left alive in the arena.

Stephani Paige, District 9 Female; 9th, Killed by the Sphinx, Day 6

That left the Top 8: Lyme Harriott from District 2, Jana Helix from District 3, Undine Kirstmel from District 4, Arroyo Valence from District 4, Phil Fayre from District 5, Kete Suriyo from District 10, Jacoma Retell from District 11, and Nilis Huster from District 11.

The rest of the day, the Top 8 milled about. Lyme hunted on her own, determined to thin the herd. Jana found a nice camping site in the middle of the ruins of some building; it was far away from all the other tributes, and so weathered that it was not easily recognized. It had just been a courtyard with lots of marble pillars, now eroded beyond recognition. Undine became bothered by all of the statues, and she and Arroyo destroyed them again, amassing all of the rubble far away from the Cornucopia. Cyndala was becoming annoyed with Undine for thwarting her attempts to keep the Games interesting. She'd broken the pack and was being rather rude to Arroyo, and her popularity was slowly plummeting in the Capitol. Phil foraged more and returned to his crematorium to rest. Kete laid low. Now that Hatchet was not forcing him to hunt rabidly along with him, the 10 boy preferred to stay out of danger and the limelight. Jacoma labored over trying to free herself and still she did not succeed; the Gamemakers wanted to keep her trapped for the time being. Nilis tried to help her the best he could, but he accidentally spilled all of their water when he tried to hand it to Jacoma in her cell. He was too frightened to go for water on his own, and Jacoma tried to soothe him.

The seventh morning, Nilis woke up to see two statuettes in front of him. One was a golden statue of a naked, well muscled man, while the other was a clear, crystalline piece of a bare woman. The man figure held a sun, while the female figure held a crescent moon. Nilis inspected them and woke up Jacoma, showing them to her. Together, they decided to pick out the woman, wondering what she would bring.

Suddenly a thick cloud of vapor was emitted from the glassy female figurine. It had been designed to release a small blanket of clouds all over the arena that would make it sprinkle just a little bit of snow and make it dark like night. The statuettes were randomly given to a tribute based on a public Capitol vote. Nilis had won it this third day, and now that he had released the snowflake cloud inside the catacombs, hell would ensue. It began to snow violently as the small chamber containing Jacoma's cell and a few others, along with a corridor leading into the amphitheater, was flooded with snow. Jacoma threw herself against the bars, trying to free herself, as the snow piled around her. Meanwhile, Nilis had fled in fear, and he watched in utter horror as snow drifted out of the corridor. It was filled to the brim. He began to weep as Jacoma's cannon fired; his best friend and protector had suffocated to death under the snow because of his terrible choice. If only he'd chosen the sun man, and it would've just made the entire arena a little warmer...

Jacoma Retell, District 11 Female; 8th, Suffocation, Day 7

As Nilis sprinted out of the Colosseum with nothing but the clothes on his back, sobbing uncontrollably, the 4s awoke to see that the statues had assembled themselves together once again, and they'd all crowded around so close to the Cornucopia that it was difficult for the 4s to worm their way out. Undine took to bashing again, gritting her teeth and swearing as she obliterated everything again. Arroyo bit his lip as he watched his ally demolish the place again. He knew this would be bad news for them, as he was sure that Undine was pissing off the Gamemakers, which is never smart to do. Even a 12 can't save you from Cyndala Clargy's wrath.

The entirety of Day 7 besides Jacoma's death was tiring and pretty uneventful. Lyme bathed in her full arena uniform after hunting all day, refusing to show the crowds any skin (not that they really wanted to see any). Jana had caught a cold, and she was coughing and sneezing up a storm; she tried to muffle her noises by doing so into her empty orange bag, and it did so decently. Jana begged for medicine, but Wiress knew she'd need something else more later on, so she withheld the cough syrup and aspirin that Jana dearly wanted. Undine destroyed all of the statues around the Cornucopia once again, with Arroyo reluctantly helping. He quietly gathered things and planned to desert her in the coming days. They were already in the Final 7, after all. Phil strayed from his crematorium while foraging and got lost. By nightfall, he found his way back, but he was being chased by the wolves. He ran into the crematorium and hid, and the wolves finally left after they sniffed around for a while. Kete had holed himself up in an oak tree, and he swung through the canopies, moving quietly and slowly through the forest, never touching the ground. He was half heartedly hunting, in a sense. Nilis fell to the ground, tired and weeping, on the steps of the crumbling temple of Juno. He suddenly felt as if someone was there caring for him; after all, Juno was the mother goddess. The Gamemakers had released a calming gas that made Nilis hallucinate. He saw his mother, six siblings, and his deceased father, and he sobbed in joy and felt content and happy, one of the more joyful moments of these Games.

The placidity and the uplifting moments could not last forever, nor did Cyndala want them to. The tributes woke up to cold, bitter rain pelting everything it could reach on the eighth morning. Lyme, who was resting in a tree with rudimentary traps rigged around it, didn't mind the pouring rain. Jana was miserable, only keeping herself half dry. The freezing rain only made her cold more severe, and it was becoming a serious health issue. Wiress reluctantly flew down some simple medicine to Jana soon after she woke up. Jana greedily popped off the plastic cap and guzzled the whole vial of cherry flavored liquid. Phil stayed curled up in his crematorium, safe for the most part from the rains. Kete crouched in a large, leafy oak, keeping partially dry under the thick, extensive canopy of the soaring tree. Nilis huddled inside the half eroded temple of Juno. Lots of rain stung across his skin, but he was still partially dosed on the hallucinating gas. He saw faint visions of his family and his hungry yet cheerful childhood, and it distracted him from the numbing cold and the slap of cascades of raindrops.

Undine was tired out extremely from demolishing the statues the day prior, and she'd fallen asleep during her guard duty shift despite herself. When Arroyo awoke late, around noon, he noticed that the Cornucopia field was still clear of statues. It seemed for a moment as if Undine had won the battle against the statues. And then he saw them. Crawling through the dirt, hobbling, a few of the more stable ones even jogging, the dozens of statues Undine had demolished, more jumbled than ever, had come to life. Arroyo was frightened for his life, knowing he would be unable to save himself, not to mention Undine, from the horde of living busts that were surrounding them. He took the pack he'd filled with supplies and sprinted away, ducking a blow from a statue with the head of Brutus Asesino, the torso of Agathia Snow, and the legs of a popular Capitol singer, Hetalia Raco. As he disappeared through the statue garden, the living creations crowded around the mouth of the Horn, all eagerly awaiting the moment the brash girl would wake up and face her demons.

Undine awoke around one in the afternoon to see the dozens of statues gathered right around her. One of the closest, whose shattered face had pieces of Lima Xabie-Sombray, Clermont Lackrey, Barcelona Sepias, and Caesar Flickerman in it, tried to speak. Its lips mouthed a single word as they crowded around the 4 girl: surprise.

Undine screamed as seven dozen lopsided statues lurched towards her in unison. They trapped her against the side of the Horn. She tried to haul herself onto the top of the Horn, but they just dragged and pushed her back down onto the ground. They punched and slapped and tore, ripping away most of her clothes and bruising her immensely. This would not be an easy death. It was inescapable; there were no weapons near enough to her, and she could see nothing but the motley mix of marble statues, the blazing gold of the Horn, and the stinging rain pounding against her. She began to yell and screech as they hit and kicked her harder, trying to draw blood. It all ended soon after the third hour had ticked past. A mostly intact statue of ex-President Patrice Dominicar, with hints of Nadoia Brutt, Ilius Turum, and Ivelisse Horner, sat down with force on Undine's battered head. It burst like a rotten melon, accented by the clap of her cannon. Her brutal death showed once again what happened to those who tried to defy the authority of the Capitol in any way, even if they were mostly loyal to the Capitol in other respects.

Undine Kirstmel, District 4 Female; 7th, Killed by horde of statues, Day 8

The rest of the eighth day, and then the whole of the ninth and a majority of the tenth tenth, ticked by with the pounding rains, unrelenting and inhibiting the movement of all of the tributes. Even the final two Careers didn't move much. Lyme stayed mostly in her tree, only departing to go to the bathroom and hunt around for some edible plants to add flavor to her bland meals of crackers and jerky. Arroyo searched for a hiding spot, and by the end of Day 8 he settled in the halls of the intact temple to Neptune, fitting for a tribute from his District. He grinned after finding the harpoon and net that Phil had abandoned, finding them to be of better possible use to him than the mace he'd carried the entirety of the Games. No one moved at all really on Day 9 and most of Day 10 as the rains continued to pound. Jana's cold healed somewhat, and she felt a little bet, but she was still drenched and numb due to her lack of sufficient cover.

At around four or five in the afternoon of Day 10, the rains swelled even more, and the event Cyndala had been building up to occurred. The banks of the rivers poured over even more so, and torrents of water gushed out of the highest spots in the arena all of the sudden. The water soared down the slopes towards the center of the arena; the very fringes were about sixty to eighty feet above sea level, while the Cornucopia field was exactly at sea level. The floods weren't horrendous, but they did scare some tributes. Jana got so waterlogged that she didn't remember what being dry felt like. Waters washed into Phil's crematorium, swiping away his ashy camouflage and cleaning out his hiding spot. It didn't effect Lyme, Arroyo, or Kete much. Lyme and Arroyo both went hunting as soon as the floodwaters calmed, knowing that at least one tribute would be exposed and disoriented after an arena event like that.

The rain slowed to a normal pace, which felt like a light drizzle compared to the torrential pounding that had been going on in the prior days. Little Nilis's temple of Juno was at one of the lowest points in the arena, and more bad luck plagued him. Waves of water crashed across the ruins of the temple, destroying it further. Nilis was still asleep, and the waters picked him up and spun him around. Coughing, he slogged through the strong currents, trying to walk against the rush of the waters to grab his supplies. The current easily fought back, whisking his weak frame the way it was heading. Nilis groaned as the water shoved, bobbed, and swirled him around. By the time the waters fell away and he was back on land, albeit soggy land, he was coughing up lungfuls of water. A piece of debris had punched a small, bloody hole in his left leg.

After retching up as much of the floodwaters as he could, Nilis stumbled to his feet and staggered along. He was in an open expanse of land, and he was cold, tired, and waterlogged. He fell to his knees halfway across the meadow, and he couldn't compel himself to get to his feet. The clearing was on higher ground, and was drier and was made of soft grasses and cushy soil. Nilis fell asleep without meaning to.

By the morning of Day 11, the arena faced an entirely different type of weather. The sun rose earlier than normal and was baking the tributes alive moments after it appeared over the horizon. The temperatures picked up immensely, and it became rapidly a lot more humid and stifling in the arena. Nilis woke up, laying on his back, insects buzzing around him. His left leg was streaked with blood, and his wound looked dirty and already infected. His entire body felt achy and feverish, and Nilis groaned and tried to climb to his feet. He was unsuccessful in his attempts to stand.

Nilis had been washed into Arroyo's corner of the arena, and the boy was hunting hungrily. His bloodthirstiness had been swiftly growing since his last kill ten days ago in the Bloodbath, and he needed an outlet to sate it through. The surfer boy spotted the sodden lump of Nilis trying to stagger to his feet and failing once again with a confused huff. Arroyo didn't even try to sneak up on the boy. He had his net in one hand, and his harpoon in the other. Even though he didn't need to, he tossed the net over the distracted boy. Nilis screamed once the net wrapped itself around the upper two thirds of his body, and he looked up, purely fearful, into Arroyo's gleaming, hungry eyes, struggling to free himself. The fish boy jabbed his slender harpoon down into the boy's chest, wrenching it around in the 11 tribute's chest until his cannon fired a couple of seconds later.

Nilis Huster, District 11 Male; 6th, Killed by Arroyo, Day 11

Lyme had been prowling along in the arena soon after the sun started to peek over the horizon, and she'd drifted in the direction of where Arroyo and Nilis had met and "fought", if the encounter deserved such a grand term. She heard Nilis's frightened shrieks and she loped towards the way the sounds had come from even after the cannon boomed ominously. She knew that if it was a mutt or arena event, she'd leave the place and not waste her effort, but if it was a tribute, she'd face them. She was the strongest tribute based off of training scores left alive; it was now her Games to lose, pretty much.

Lyme arrived at the clearing within an hour. Arroyo hadn't moved far from the place where he'd murdered Nilis, only far enough from the corpse so that the hovercraft would descend and retrieve it. Now the 4 boy was locked in thought, staring at the bloody rumple in the swaying grasses where the dead Nilis had lain minutes before. Arroyo sighed, readjusting his net over his shoulder and picking up his harpoon, ready to move on to find the next victim.

The 2 girl crept around the edge of the clearing, staying mostly out of sight as she watched Arroyo lumber off towards the south across the field. She looped around him and jogged up behind him, her brass knuckles fitting snugly on her fingers and the serrated dagger wrapped tightly in her left fist. She leaped onto Arroyo the moment she was close enough; he was too lost in thought, Lyme too stealthy, for him to notice before. She made his death quick, stabbing him in the back of the head with her dagger and then collapsing his windpipe with a sharp, forceful blow to the throat. His cannon fired before she even drew back her fist from his neck.

Arroyo Valence, District 4 Male; 5th, Killed by Lyme, Day 11

The rest of Day 11 continued with the broiling heat cooking everything away, with the sun burning so bright that the temperatures rose to the 100s. The plants began to wilt, and the rivers, which had been choked with rainfall, started to recede. Some of the smallest brooks were even dried up by the end of the day. All of the tributes were tired and sweaty. There was no good place to hide. Even in the shade of the trees or ruins, it was still blazing. Phil left his crematorium, sweating from being in the confined space. Jana, who was still a little sick, felt terrible with the sudden change of heat, and she was addled by a mixture of slight illnesses that made her disoriented. Lyme reluctantly stripped down to her bra and underwear to cool off. Lyme didn't appear much on the screens that day. Kete stayed in his tree, moving with the shade and trying to keep cool.

Day 12 was more of the same, and by the end of the day the tributes were exhausted, boiling, and above all thirsty. The plants were all dying. All the water in the arena had dried up by now, and their water bottles were warm, the water inside tepid and disgusting. Jana, Kete, and Phil were all on the smaller side, and they were quickly becoming dehydrated. Lyme was also dehydrated, just not as severely. During the mid afternoon of Day 12, Claudius Templesmith's voice pierced the blazing, shimmering, overheated air of the arena. All four tributes perked up at the sound of his alluring proclamation.

"Tomorrow, at daybreak, a Feast will be held at the Temple of Victoria. Tonight, a blue beacon will hover in the sky above the temple so you will know where to go. Attendance is not mandatory. Good evening, tributes, and may the odds be ever in your favor," Claudius announced.

The Gamemakers ticked up the heat even more, so now it was almost pushing into the 110s. Lyme, Jana, and Kete all immediately began packing their things as night fell. It was still blazing hot at night, in the high 90s, just somewhat cooler. A shimmering blue beacon made of holographic light sprouted in the air at midnight after an anthem with no faces, and those three headed towards the beacon. Jana was the closest, while Kete was a little far away, and Lyme was on the opposite side of the arena. Phil stayed huddled in his crematorium, thirsty and tired and overheated, but unwilling to risk his life at a Feast.

At daybreak, the sun glinted over the horizon just a smudge, and a small table rose up in the center of the pile of marble blocks that could loosely be considered a temple. Laurels lay around the silver table's base, and on top sat a large cooler keg. It was full of ice water, and it was made of special material that would keep the water deliciously freezing for at least a week. Packages of little paper cups also sat on the table.

Kete hobbled out into the clearing where the ruins of Victoria's temple sat first. He spotted to water cooler and the packages of cups and he broke out into a mad sprint after unclipping his metal water bottle from his pack. He fell to his knees in front of the keg and pushed the tap, watching with a toothy grin as cool water gushed out into his bottle until it was almost overflowing. He forced himself to drink slowly, but in moments he was chugging all of the water. He managed to hold it down, and he filled up his water bottle again and reluctantly headed away from the treasure trove of water. He hadn't touched any of the cups, and there was little sign that he had been there at all.

Jana arrived next, and she was almost crawling by the time she got there. Despite being the closest, she was sick and weak and severely dehydrated. Her dark skin was slick with sweat and tears of relief once she spotted the keg. She pushed herself to her knees and staggered to the keg. She collapsed in front of it, and she positioned her mouth below the spout before opening it. Cool water cascaded into her mouth, and she could barely swallow most of it. She shut it off once her mouth was full and water had drizzled all over her burning face and limbs. She swallowed carefully, and almost threw up from the huge gulp. As she ducked under the spout again for another drink, she felt hands on her silky black ponytail.

Lyme had arrived last, and she was tired and severely thirsty from her trans arena trek. She hauled Jana over her shoulder and slammed her on the ground, knocking her unconscious. Instead of finishing the job, she greedily knelt before the keg and drank slowly to her heart's content. By the time she was refreshed and rehydrated, Jana was coming around. The disoriented 3 girl tried to crawl away, unsure of her surroundings. Lyme unsheathed her dagger and slammed it into the back of the girl's neck. She drew it out with a loud, wet sound, and Jana's cannon fired moments later.

Jana Helix, District 3 Female; 4th, Killed by Lyme, Day 13

Lyme then filled up the two water bottles she had along with the one Jana had on her person with water before she poured out the rest of the cooler. She didn't want anyone else to have more of an advantage than her. As she was pouring the half full keg out onto the desiccated ground, she spotted a shoe print. It was too small to be hers, and a little too big to be Jana's. Kete walked heavier than many, and Lyme quickly took to his trail, following faint whispers of footsteps, cracked branches, and scraped rocks as she traveled through the forest, intent on ending the Games as soon as she could.

Meanwhile, Phil was trying to distract himself from the oppressive heat. He was playing around with some of the little levers and wheels that he found in one of the walls of the crematorium. They didn't look very Roman at all, sleek and metallic and clean, and they piqued his abounding curiosity. As he began to tweak them, toggling them and spinning them, suddenly the fires of the forge burst to life, the fires where bodies were incinerated after death. Phil yelped and sprinted out of the crematorium as the flames roared, strong and high, pouring out of the fireplace-like feature and licking at other parts of the building, but not creeping out into the forest due to Gamemaker interference and the inflammability of marble.

After several minutes, Phil was still sprinting. He suddenly ran into something. As he stepped back, his eyes met the beady, determined ones of Kete Suriyo. Phil had been closer to the temple of Victoria, closer than even Jana, and as he'd run he'd crossed paths with the departing Kete. The 10 boy had been playing it safe so far, but with only three tributes left, Kete was determined to thin the field. He lunged at Kete, his weapon, a short sword, held tight in his hands. The blade made a small nick on Phil's left elbow, and he ran screaming back towards the only place he felt comfortable: the crematorium.

Kete gave chase, almost close enough to Phil to end him the entire chase, but not quite. Phil ran into the crematorium about ten seconds before Kete, and he knew what he had to do. He slammed and bolted the door and then shut off the fire, going backwards in the steps he'd gone through before accidentally. Kete was slamming the pommel of the sword against the wooden door, trying to get in. Once everything had cooled, the door finally splintered enough for Kete to step through.

The moment he was inside, Phil lunged, shoving him with all of his might into the fireplace. Kete groaned when he landed hard on the bumpy bottom of the cavity, which still had sizzling embers in it. As Kete tried to pull himself out, Phil quickly switched levers and spun wheels like a maniac, and in moments the flames were alive again, leaping eagerly forth to devour the 10 boy. Kete's screams were horrendous as he was burnt alive. Phil abandoned the crematorium for a second time, weeping quietly, as Kete burnt alive inside the crematorium, reduced to ash and then some as his cannon fired.

Kete Suriyo, District 10 Male; 3rd, Killed by Phil, Day 13

Lyme had been dutifully tracking Kete's path for the past hour, and she spotted a running Phil soon after passing the place where Kete and Phil had met only ten minutes earlier. She slunk through the trees, abandoning her dagger for just her brass knuckles and fists. She cracked her knuckles as she glided after Phil, rather graceful for her bulk. Phil couldn't hear her, but he did hear the cracking knuckles like she'd intended. His head started whipping around in fright as he looked for a possible assailant. If he was thinking straight, he would've ran right back to the crematorium and tried to pull the Kete trick again, but he was still crying a little and was weak and dehydrated, and he couldn't think about anything but water and running.

Lyme followed him for two hours as he bounded along through the arena, traversing at least five miles as they zigzagged around through the place like balls in a pinball machine being piloted by a maniac. Finally, after some time, Phil's legs gave out, and he collapsed near the steps of the temple of Mars, the war god. It was fitting for the final death of the Games to occur on the steps of the temple where vicious soldiers prayed that they'd be the ones to kill more enemies in battle.

Lyme pounced then, grabbing the boy and picking him up. She hurled all sixty eight too-light pounds of him onto the steps of the temple of Mars. His right arm crunched beneath him like a brittle piece of bark. As he groaned in pain, trying to drag himself away, Lyme began to punch. She propped him up against a pillar and held him there with one hand while slamming the other hand, balled in a fist and wearing brass knuckles, into his face. Blood spurted and Phil wept terribly. Lyme didn't seem to be enjoying it one bit, but she did know that she had to give the Capitol a show for their finale. She might've not have been the best listener at the Academy, but she wasn't stupid, and she knew that for her future to be bright after the Games, she needed to leave the arena with a gory final kill.

After around twenty minutes, the young man's body was so battered he could barely move. Lyme couldn't stand it anymore; he looked too pitiful, and hurting him more was pointless. Instead of waiting around for him to bled out, she broke one of the last intact parts of his body: his neck. The snap was sickening to hear, and many little children had nightmares of Phil's unrecognizable, with a disjointed neck, rolling down the steps as Lyme staggered back. His cannon was loud in the arena, and it was followed by a symphony of trumpets, congratulating the newest Victor.

Phil Fayre, District 5 Male; 2nd, Killed by Lyme, Day 13

"Lyme Harriott of District 2, you are the Victor of the 49th Hunger Games!" Caesar and Claudius roared into the arena through the blasting brass noises. Lyme grinned wildly, pushing away the newly minted memories of torturing little Phil. Instead, she pumped her bloody fists into the air, roaring in Victory as the blazing sun glinted across her lethal brass knuckles.


Aftermath

District 2 happily congratulated Lyme on her win, accepting her readily into their swiftly growing family of Victors. Counting Caelinia, District 2 was now the first District to reach the double digits in number of Victors, with Lyme being the tenth winner from the quarry District. It was the cause of quite some celebration, although there weren't any official "double digits" celebrations until the next official 2 Victor won due to the rest of the nation being clueless about Caelinia's survival. Lyme had a pretty memorable Games, which is saying something since most Games before Quarter Quells are usually bland in arena and tributes. She wasn't a superiorly memorable Victor by any means, especially due to the fact that she was not desirable at all, so she faded from the public eye within a decade. She's still considered one of the best tributes and Victors to ever specialize in hand-to-hand combat, and she taught that class and a weights one her entire life at the Academy after her win. Lyme was more reserved and solitary than a lot of the 2 Victors. She had good leadership skills, however, and she even served as Headmistress for a short two months at one point. She stayed clean of drugs and the like, and was an all around likable and responsible Victor, one of 2's better success stories.

Lyme would live to the age of 86, dying a couple of months after the 117th Hunger Games from old age. She would marry to a man much later in life than usual. She had a single son named Scipio that she raised as her own. At the time, she said that Scipio was the product of a one night stand; however, it has been proven recently that Scipio was the son of Lyme and another 2 Victor, the infamous Brutus Asesino, who had a brutal on and off relationship that lasted until about a year before Lyme would marry. Lyme went to great lengths to conceal the identity of the father, saying she didn't know the father and even tampering with Scipio's DNA, changing his skin color so he would not be born and look like his father. Her son would later go on to compete in the 73rd Games.

The payouts on her Victory were okay, as 17% bet on her.

Her Victory Tour was nothing of note besides the mini revolt that occurred in the angry District 5.

Fun Fact: With Lyme, District 2 is the first District to reach double digits in terms of how many Victors they'd gotten.


Victor's News

Lyme moves into the Victor's Village of 2, in the house next door to Brutus.

Wiress and Beetee become engaged after two years of courtship.

Caelinia and Clodi decide that they don't need to get married, as it will cause government issues. Instead, they remain in a loyal, committed relationship, just sans marriage.


List of Victors

1st: Kelan Thather, District 4 (1, 1 Male)

2nd: Dillon Tripp, District 9 (1, 1 Male)

3rd: Tugra Ertra, District 5 (1, 1 Female)

4th: Noor Tuskararus, District 2 (1, 1 Female)

5th: Ishania Patel, District 7 (1, 1 Female)

6th: Guild Tonneroy, District 1 (1, 1 Male)

7th: Chaplin Nastaro, District 3 (1, 1 Male)

8th: Irmentrude Marley, District 5 (2, 2 Female)

9th: Vissarion Chamantel, District 11 (1, 1 Male)

10th: Greason Trails, District 6 (1, 1 Male)

11th: Mags Flanagan, District 4 (2, 1 Female)

12th: Salandra Valour, District 1 (2, 1 Female)

13th: Barcelona Sepias, District 10 (1, 1 Female)

14th: Freeha Indepp, District 11 (2, 1 Female)

15th: Clermont Lackrey, District 1 (3, 2 Male)

16th: Bex Martin, District 4 (3, 2 Female)

17th: Jaguar Crusoe, District 10 (2, 1 Male)

18th: Deana Mitchellson, District 9 (2, 1 Female)

19th: Romulus Armidale, District 2 (2, 1 Male)

20th: Grover Elms, District 7 (2, 1 Male)

21st: Fitore Renoro, District 2 (3, 2 Male)

22nd: Mascara Curler, District 1 (4, 2 Female)

23rd: Woof Parsons, District 8 (1, 1 Male)

24th: Dorsal Rance, District 4 (4, 2 Male)

25th: Venice Grammar, District 12 (1, 1 Female)

26th: Calculata Fenceley, District 3 (2, 1 Female)

27th: Florianna Urnston, District 2 (4, 2 Female)

28th: Mercedes Benson, District 6 (2, 1 Female)

29th: Fox Rennolls, District 5 (3, 1 Male)

30th: Tarquinius Isselhardt, District 2 (5, 3 Male)

31st: Ivelisse Horner, District 1 (5, 3 Female)

32nd: Pomona McCrea, District 7 (3, 2 Female)

33rd: Beetee Latier, District 3 (3, 2 Male)

34th: Flotsam Bresten, District 4 (5, 3 Male)

35th: Organza White, District 8 (2, 1 Female)

36th: Januaria Shale, District 2 (6, 3 Female)

37th: Gnaeus Deccum, District 2 (7, 4 Male)

38th: Porter Tripp, District 5 (4, 3 Female)

39th: Seeder Howell, District 11 (3, 2 Female)

40th: Zion Alvarra, District 1 (6, 3 Male)

41st: Indigo Arnett, District 6 (3, 2 Female)

42nd: Surge Tomlin, District 5 (5, 2 Male)

43rd: Syren Calanthe, District 4 (6, 3 Female)

44th: Brutus Asesino, District 2 (8, 5 Male)

45th: Chaff Abwenza, District 11 (4, 2 Male)

46th: Wiress Furuya, District 3 (4, 2 Female)

Aux. 46th: Elaine Canterbury, District 10 (3, 2 Female), Caelinia Thatcher, District 2 (9, 4 Female), and Bettyann Pulliam, District 8 (3, 2 Female)

47th: Nefertiti Kouri, District 1 (7, 4 Female)

48th: Enzo Faithlen, District 9 (3, 2 Male)

49th: Lyme Harriott, District 2 (10, 5 Female)


A/N: I hope you enjoyed this! Once again, I got too caught up in this and wrote a super lot and neglected to work on BMO. :( BMO is next on my list of duties, however, and there should be a new chapter up there as soon as I can get it out.

I hope you really enjoyed this one! Despite a bigger Bloodbath, there was still a heck of a lot of detail, and that wasn't even intentional. I just really meshed with this arena and the tributes this time around a lot, I guess, and I hope the result was good! It did only fall about a 1,000 words short of our two longest chapters, the 46th and the Sweet Sixteen Games.

The next chapter is the infamous 2nd Quarter Quell, with Haymitch, Maysilee, and a cast of a lot of other tributes you'll get to know soon-ish! Since we have double the tributes, that one will probably be super duper huge and take longer to come out sadly, but it is Haymitch's Games; I don't want to do them averagely :)

What did you think of Lyme? Who were your favorites besides her? Any other thoughts?

Please review, as I always love to hear what y'all have to say, even if it's a simple "Nice!" :D XD

Until Next Time,

Tracee