Chapter Seven, The Parade

"Let's go see Silyah, shall we?" Ilranor eyed Artemis once again, satisfied with how her outfit came out. Artemis simply nodded as the lady in gold turned around and opened the door of her quarters.

Just upon leaving the room, Artemis noticed something shiny under the pile of his previous clothes. Of course, it had been the golden coin Holly had given him. Quickly, he took it from underneath the pile. Closing the chain around his neck, he carefully hid it under his jumpsuit as he followed his stylist.

The slender woman walked swiftly among the sea of stylists and outfits until she caught sight of a door on which the number three had been painted. She opened the door for Artemis and motioned him to go inside. Ilranor followed the boy, carefully shutting the entrance door behind her, joining Silyah and her stylist, as well as Effie and Beetee who were already inside the room.

The young girl's long and naturally curly hair had been straightened and something that looked like a laurel crown was on her temples. She was wearing a more feminine version of what Artemis was currently wearing.

"Go beside her," excitedly instructed Ilranor to Artemis.

Artemis gave his stylist a nod before he walked over to Silyah. "You look stunning."

"So do you," she replied hoping that her concealer would hide the fact that her face was getting slightly red.

"Save the compliments for later and run your fingers on the hem of your left sleeves!" Exclaimed Silyah's stylist. The two tributes did as they were told and lit up their glowing outfits. "Now, Silyah, run your finger on the seam of your left shoulder. Artemis, do the same thing with the right one."

Artemis raised an eyebrow, but at this point, the strangeness of the thing did not surprise him. This world had not shown any signs of being normal yet and Artemis doubted it would ever do so. Therefore, he did as Silyah's stylist instructed him to.

"Alone, these outfits look really pretty and all, but as a pair, they are a miracle of science, thanks to your District," the male stylist continued. He turned the two tributes so that they faced a large mirror on the wall.

Silyah gasped and watched in amazement. She had seen her outfit light up when she had tried it on, but that was a whole other story…

A multitude of electric arcs had formed between Artemis and Silyah's shoulders, dancing between the crystal spikes, creating various shapes, but most of all, spelling an imposing "District 3" every now and then. The result was… Electrifying!

Artemis was also gazing at their reflection with fascination. The raven-haired boy starring back at him from the mirror could not be him, he thought. Obviously, it was him, but somehow, Artemis had troubles believing in it. They looked like Greek deities. Artemis's lips formed a smile. This was impressive. He had to admit it.

After all, the two teenagers had become human Tesla Coils! Or perhaps some types of electrical holographic devices…

"Your costumes are going to be quite a shocker tonight!" Commented Ilranor. "And, just for your personal information, these suits have no batteries. They are rechargeable by motion. If ever you feel like you are not shining bright enough, move a little bit and enjoy the sparks!"

"This is simply remarkable," said Silyah, looking at the two beautiful strangers of light in the mirror.

"I can't but agree," nodded Artemis.

"Fabulous!" Proclaimed Effie. "Very fashionistic!" She applauded the two stylists and looked at the time. "We better go to the carts, the show is about to start! Oh, and close your suits before the parade actually begins. Keep them a surprise for the other tributes."

Artemis and Silyah turned off their magnificent lights and Effie's high heels began to echo even in the small room. The group followed the stylists out of the preparing area to go to the one where the parade carts led by majestic horses were parked.

For the first time, the District 3 team would meet the other tributes.

They had barely landed a foot inside of the carts' room when they heard Effie squeal, not too loudly, but very obviously. They turned, letting their eyes fall on the object of Effie's attention. "He is even more handsome face to face," she whispered. Apparently, she had seen Kalheb Frotz.

Artemis could not resist rolling his eyes. Kalheb Frotz was maybe 18 years of age, with a faint tan and golden eyes. Dark brown curls covered his forehead and he seemed way too fond of the attention his female stylist gave him as she replaced a few of his locks.

"Look at the other District girls already trying to befriend him," sighed Silyah. Effie gave her a look, which Silyah replied to with a shrug and a nonchalant: "He's just not my type."

"Then, what exactly is your type, Silyah," asked Artemis with a hint of a smirk on his lips.

"I have no social life; I don't have a type." She rolled her eyes and smirked back at him. "Why would you even want to know?"

"Curiosity."

"Curiosity killed the cat," she laughed.

Artemis's smirk grew. "And satisfaction brought him back."

"Huh?" Silyah raised an eyebrow, honestly wondering what that last statement meant. She shook her head. "Do you want to go see some other tributes?" She suggested, trying to change the awkward subject.

Artemis gave her a sign of approval. "I see no reason not to. It's always a good thing to know the faces of the people you'll be hunting, or get hunted by, on a matter of perspective." He whispered to her.

They walked side by side among the carts, carefully observing everybody. The tributes were apparently already forming cliques; the Careers had found one another whereas most of the other tributes were just chatting calmly. The pre-game atmosphere had change a lot since the earliest Hunger Games… How strange was that? The tributes were actually talking and laughing and yet, in a few days, they would all be trying to kill one another.

A few tributes stood out of the group, however. Kalheb was surrounded by the girls and was trying to meet as many people as he could, even the Careers. In one corner of the room was a brown-haired girl, also observing the scene. Silyah quickly recognized Silver.

Silyah was about to ask Artemis whom he wanted to meet when four tributes walked towards them. Two were entirely dressed on colorful threads, much like string dolls. The other girl was wearing a long, stiff looking shiny black dress with some flame-colored accent pieces, which went rather well with her light blond hair. The boy from her District was sporting the same type of fabric, but on a suit. Their arms had been painted to look as if they were wearing gloves made of coal.

"District 8 and 12," whispered Silyah.

"You are those from District 3, right?" asked the girl in the black dress.

"Yes," confirmed Artemis.

The girl smiled. "Hi! I'm Quartz. District 12 as you could have guessed."

The boy in the black suit presented himself as Scpenser Ross, while the ginger-haired girl with dark blue eyes from 8 was Thea.

Judging by the two girls' looks, they could not be more than twelve years old.

"And I'm Cylan," said Thea's fellow male tribute.

Silyah shook the hands offered to her and introduced herself.

"And you are you?" Scpenser asked the boy who had remained quiet during the presentations.

"Artemis," he replied.

"Nice to meet you, Art," nodded the District 12 boy.

Artemis's face changed to a subtle displeased look. He did not enjoy pet names… Except, maybe for one… But then again, very few people had a close enough relationship with him to actually be able to use it.

Then, a supervisor announced that the supper had arrived, much to the tributes from the poorest districts' joy. They were all already craving for the limitless amount of delicious food from the Capitol.

After the supper, the Games' supervisors requested the tributes to go on their chariots.

Beetee was beside Artemis and Silyah's when they arrived. "When you will parade, just act natural," he advised them, not losing a second. "Whatever feels right to you, do it… Unless the Capitol would disapprove of it, of course."

The stylists quickly fixed the District 3 tributes' hair and activated their suits, helping them climb up in their chariot.

A countdown was displayed on the front wall of the room. When it ended, the national anthem of Panem began to play. The big doors of the chariots' room opened up to a cheerful and colorful audience and the horses started to move.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the wait is finally over! Live from the Capitol, I am proud to present you, the tributes of the 80th Annual Hunger Games!" A powerful voiced burst through the Capitol's City Circle. "I'm Caesar Flickerman, here with my pal, Claudius Templesmith, ready to be your eyes and ears for tonight."

"What a fine evening we have! Almost as fine as our brand new tributes, don't you all agree?" The crowd went completely wild as Claudius Templesmith spoke and as they caught a glimpse of the first tributes.

A few horse steps away from the doors, Silyah looked at Artemis. She was more stable on her two feet than how she had been during the Reaping and that was despite her high heels, which had been designed to be shaped like black lightning bolts decorated with circuit patterns.

Once they got through those doors, Artemis became aware that there would be no going back. Of course, there had been "no going back" ever since his name had been picked during the Reaping, but this was one of the few last steps before the dead end Artemis would soon have to face.

The girl slid her arm around his, almost as if she had read his dark thoughts and was trying to gain mutual strength. That one simple movement had caused their suits to glow brighter. The electric arcs flickered between their shoulders.

"Oh my! Look at these two! The tributes from District 3 are making sparks!" Caesar commented, making the crowd cheer even louder.

"They are electrifying the streets of the Capitol, ladies and gentlemen!" added Claudius before reciting a few statistics about District 3's previous tributes.

Meanwhile, Artemis had given Silyah a puzzled look. Physical contact? Not that it mattered much, thought the boy as the audience's wild cheering and applauding rang in his ears.

"Don't look at me like that! Just look at them and enjoy this moment!" said Silyah, almost euphoric. She smiled and waved at the people chanting their names, pretending that she was not extremely nervous on the inside.

Artemis did not exactly feel go with all the attention either. All of those eyes starring at him… He was a criminal mastermind for crying out loud! He was working in the shadows and he always would until he intended for the world to know him. Now, he was forced under the spotlight and it made him slightly uncomfortable.

Silyah squeezed Artemis's arm. She was way too good at reading his state of mind. "If you feel uncomfortable, try to imagine these people in their underwear," she whispered, laughing.

The comment actually brought a smirk on his lips. To imagine the crowd in underwear might work for ordinary people, but Artemis Fowl II would certainly not do it.

About twenty minutes later, the twelve chariots made their way to the front of the Capitol's City Circle, under showers of affection from the audience and clever comments from Caesar and Claudius. The extended version of the Panem anthem came to an end and the crowd quieted down.

A short man with a white beard stood up from a balcony. He saluted the audience, one slim hand raised in the air. Caesar introduced him as the leader of Panem; President Coriolanus Snow. The man dropped his arm and adjusted his microphone. "Dear people of Panem," began the president. "Let the 80th Annual Hunger Games begin… And may the odds be ever in your favor!" He articulated slowly, pronouncing each word with great care. The man seemed to be a formidable speaker, but by judging by the tribute's expression, he was the one to blame for many horrors and massacres.

Artemis did not know this man, but he already felt loathing towards him. How could the man supposed to run a nation even allow this kind of bloodbath to occur once a year? It disgusted Artemis deeply.

The president gave a speech similar to the one the Mayors of the Districts had given their people during the Reapings. He did however, put a special emphasis on the fact that the beautiful country of Panem would not be what it was were it not for the Hunger Games. Truth to be told, every single person living in the Districts of Panem could have made up a witty or sarcastic reply to that statement.

If it weren't for the Hunger Games, thought Artemis, so many innocent young people would not have to die each year. How the deaths of so many people could help a nation was lost to him. He saw absolutely no beauty in it.

By the look on Silyah's face, she did not appreciate either.

For a moment, Artemis met Silyah's eyes. How were people able to live like that? Those from Artemis's time would certainly not accept such a way of ruling governmental affairs. Though to be fair, war was not any better that the Games; in fact, there was not such a huge difference between these two things.

President Snow concluded his speech, demonstrating that he had been speaking in public for many decades before presenting the ceremony's special guests. "And now, I would like to present you this year's Head Gamemaker and his talented crew, the one and only Plutarch Heavensbee," he gave a nod to the people in question before leaving his place on the podium. Plutarch took his place, a small crew of Gamemakers following him.

For the past minute or so, Artemis had felt one particularly burning gaze in his direction and he had been looking for the source of it. Now, he knew. He had found a pair of deep brown eyes… Eyes he just knew too well. Only this time, they looked more human.

The familiar Gamemaker and the District 3 tribute gazed into each other's eyes for what seemed like a long instant. She cocked her head and smiled.

There was no place for doubt in Artemis's mind. She was here, in Panem, in the Captiol and as one of the Gamemakers. Now, those death Games seemed easier to understand. She was a maniac; if she was part of all of this, who knew what she might do to make sure she would enjoy watching his death on a big screen.

If it had not been for the audience watching her, she would have given the boy a mix of a disgusted and triumphant look, but that would not have been too pretty…

Artemis quickly glanced away, his mind beginning to race.

The Head Gamemaker introduced the members of his team and went back to his seat. The national anthem played once again and the tributes were paraded one last time through the City Circle.

Artemis had slid his arm around Silyah's, creating gleaming sparks; everything to wipe the brown-eyed lady's face from this retinae.

The Capitol's audience members were still screaming their lungs out when the last two tributes, Quartz and Scpenser from District 12, got back in the Training Center.

The door closed behind them and each of the twelve carts was suddenly surrounded by members of their official teams.