Chapter Twenty-Two, Parting Ways

Moss Alsevre sneaked out from behind the tree he had been hiding nearby since the Fallen had appeared in the sky. He had waited until dusk to make sure that all of the other tributes would be asleep before building a shelter in which to spend the night. That was exactly what he had done during the previous day and it had worked perfectly fine…

The boy took out his axe from his backpack. He had received it from his District – District 7, lumber – when he had first executed his "night shelter plan." He mentally thanked his mentor, Johanna Mason and began to cut the trunk of a tree, which he would then use to build a place to sleep in unnoticed.

Somehow, the boy had managed to stay away from every other tribute ever since he had gotten out of the Cornucopia's meadow. Even though he considered himself quite powerful, the thirteen year old's main plan was to avoid confrontation and let the others kill themselves off. Up to date, that technique had also worked out just fine.

The District 7 tribute kept on hitting the tree with his axe's shinning blade, satisfied with how easy it made his job. He hoped that if he ever got out of the arena, he would get to keep the axe; it was by far the most prestigious one he ever had.

About half of the trunk was severed when Moss decided to take a break. He wiped a film of sweat from his forehead, dropped heavy axe and stretched. He tried to ignore the low rumbling which kept on reminding him of how hungry he was. He grunted. His stomach was being way too noisy for the quiet night. The young man took a few seconds to look around in case he could spot a small animal or an edible plant close by. He adjusted his glasses over his nose. He could not see much in the darkness. With a sigh, Moss got back to cutting his tree.

Thea had been traveling in the dark – the safest way to wander in the arena according to her – when she noticed Moss. As soon as she saw him turn around, she froze. The boy scanned the horizon and the District 8 girl tensed. He would notice her, for sure… But no… The short boy picked up an axe from the ground and got back to hitting a tree with it. Thea took a dagger from her belt, slowly making her way towards the tribute. Concentrated on his task, Moss never noticed that someone was now behind him… The girl took a few steps closer, like a panther hunting. Thea was just behind the District 7 boy when she swiftly moved her hand, bringing it to the young man's throat. A quick laceration was all she required.

The young woman heard a cannon, but unfortunately for her, that deep noise marking her as a murderer was the last thing that she got to hear…

Every tributes nearby had the opportunity to notice the earth shaking and the loud bang the tree made when it fell right on Thea, breaking her spine, flattening her against the cold ground.

In this whole chaos, a second cannon rang. Thirteen tributes now remained.

Silyah, Silver and Novia had started to move as soon as they were all up. They did not have the best of the nights with the "earthquake" and the cold. At one point in the middle of the night, it had even started to snow.

Shaking the snow from her brown locks, Silyah dug her hands in her coat's pockets. The three girls had been walking for at least two hours now, yet despite the physical activity, the District 3 girl's hands were freezing.

Novia searched through her bag, trying to fish her coat's warm layer out of it. "Should we stop and make a small fire?" she wondered. By the way Silyah's long hair blew in every direction around her face, the girls all agreed on the fact that making a fire was too risky for their own safety.

However, they did decide to pause to gather some food before snow could freeze every source of nutrients the arena had to offer. They therefore split up and collected every edible plants they could find.

When Silver got back to the rest of her group, a small grin was beginning to spread on her face. "I think I found the Careers…" she said.

Novia looked at her in disbelief. "Have you seen them?"

"No, I heard them… Want to go say hi?" she suggested, glad to have an excuse to go fight with someone. With luck, she could perhaps find Caskar… "Come on, this will be fun!" she started to head back to where she had heard the Careers, eyeing her two allies.

Novia bit her lower lip. "All right…" she mumbled, taking long and slow steps towards Silver. "Are you coming?" the District 5 girl asked Silyah, glancing towards her. The District 3 girl's feet seemed to be locked on the ground and she was fidgeting with the bracelet around her wrist.

After inhaling deeply, Silyah shook her head. "I… I'm sorry… I can't."

"Clockwork Angel?" Silver turned to the brunette girl, who was still shaking her head from left to right.

"I can't risk it… You can go and fight them, but I'm not a fighter; I would die right away." Truth to be told, she was terrified of falling on another tribute.

"Do you want us to –" began Novia.

"No, don't restrain yourselves for me; if you want to go, you are completely free to do so. We can get back together after you girls get rid of the nasty Careers." Silyah smiled.

"Okay then… Stay safe, Angel," Silver saluted Silyah.

"Likewise, Weapon Girl," laughed the District 3 tribute. "Good luck," she replied more seriously.

"We'll see you later, Sily," added Novia as she vanished in the woods with Silver.

Silyah leaned against a tree and looked through her stuff. She still had a water bottle, her plastic bag and her bed sheets. Her first aid kit was securely tied at her belt and she had a few of the roots she and Novia had collected. Silver had given her a knife, as well as the two smaller ones that were now part of her boots… She would be able to work with that in case something was to happen…

Elon had followed Caskar since the beginning of the Games for one reason and one reason only and now, he could actually feel that he was getting closer to his goal. Actually, the Careers were standing approximately ten meters away from it.

"Okay everyone, time to split up." Caskar marched in front of his group, observing every face before him. "We have to circle the caves; they may have many entrances and nothing can guarantee us that the one we are searching for is still acting like a coward inside of them," he snapped dryly. "Elon, Crelin; you will go around the mountain and explore the area. Kalheb, Acassie; you will take the back of the mountain. Geneva will take the front, I'll take the side."

"Understood, boss," said Acassie, resisting against the urge to roll her eyes despite the fact that she had nothing better to do than to obey Caskar's orders.

"Let's meet up here when we'll be done," grinned the District 1 boy. He then dismissed his allies and headed for the side of the caves.

Elon eyed Crelin as they walked around the mountain. "Do you think we should try to find him on our own, like the lady asked us to?" he whispered to her.

"Most definitely," nodded the girl. "She promised us a way to win if we disposed of him, after all."

"I say that we go around the mountain, like Caskar said, but after that, we separate from the alliance and concentrate on that…"

"Yes," smiled Crelin.

It was their mission in the arena, in the end. The lady with the black hair had requested it during their training. Her tone had seemed so kind. She had promised them that they would get out of the arena alive and well if they did as they were told…

Scpenser eyed Artemis from the tip of his toes, to his injured shoulder, then to his head. He was not doing so well… The raven-haired boy was sickly pale, leaning into the cave's wall, panting for air and in sweat. His good arm was wrapped around his almost healed wound… There was no doubt about it, something had gone wrong with his healing process. A blood poisoning caused by the moss Artemis had used to stop his initial bleeding was the most plausible answer considering that it was something beyond the abilities of his ill-gotten magic.

"Art? We have to get moving. Do you think that you're well enough to go out and get food?"

"I could tell you that I am, but even you must be able to see that I am in no such state…" Artemis did not even bother to correct the fact that Scpenser had called him Art.

Further in the caves the sound of footsteps echoed against the walls. The steps themselves were still far away, but another tribute was nevertheless approaching.

"Art!" Scpenser had tried to get the boy to move ever since he had first heard the nearing opponent and if his last attempt was not to work, he would have to go towards a more radical solution. "It's not in my intention to die here. We've got to get going."

Artemis nodded, his ahead spinning despite his slow movements. "I know… Give me a minute…"

Artemis really did try to get up, but Scpenser knew that this would not cut it. The footsteps were increasing in intensity. It did cross Scpenser's mind to just leave Artemis in the caves as he made an escape, but the possibility of the District 3 boy following him and putting him in danger was what convinced him of giving up on mercy. The strong boy from the Seam placed one hand on his hammer pick. "Art," he said in a sharp tone, not even hiding his annoyance.

Artemis took a deep breath, moving away from the wall with caution. He could hear his blood pounding in his ears. "Yes?"

There was a strange glow in Scpenser's eyes. "I'm sorry it had to end this way, Art."

"I beg you pardon?"

Scpenser raised his hammer, aiming it in Artemis's direction.

The pale boy's eyes grew big. He managed to duck the attack mere seconds before the hammer lodged itself on the cave's wall. By it's position, the weapon would have punctured Artemis's skull had he stayed still. "Scpenser… What are you –" began the raven-haired boy as the District 12 one retrieved his hammer pick, cutting his question short with another hit.

Even if Artemis was still slow, the adrenaline rushing through his system forced him to dodge every attack Scpenser laid on him; the deadly situation had had the advantage of making the weak boy move.

Stumbling through the caves, the pair finally reached the mouth of the gallery they had been hiding in. For a moment, Scpenser paused, having to squint as he caught a glimpse of the ground, which was covered in pure white snow and reflecting every parcel of light that would hit it.

Snow… Wonderful, thought Artemis, also noticing the change of weather before being quickly tossed back into reality by Scpenser.

"Why won't you let yourself die, Art?" shouted the boy from the Seam. Would he have been aware that shouting in an arena would have repercussions, he would probably have avoided it…

Artemis moved backwards, glancing over his shoulder. A few more steps and he would reach the edge of a small cliff…

Scpenser steadied himself on the snow-covered rocks and aimed the pointed end of his hammer one last time towards Artemis.

The raven-haired boy took a final step back, his feet no longer finding the ground, sending him over the edge of the cliff as he let go of a choked scream.

The District 12 boy looked over the edge of the small rocky cliff. Artemis's fall would not be lethal, but it would certainly keep him out for a few minutes, if not hours. Scpenser tied his hammer back on his belt and took the time to let his eyes adjust to the light. From where he was standing, he could see most of the arena. He could see the waterfalls, the Cornucopia, the path leading to the caves… But he never saw what was behind him.

Geneva lifted her new and shiny double-bladed axe above her head, glad to have received this nice little treat from a sponsor. At first, she had expected to find Artemis, but instead, a tall and strong-looking boy was standing in front of her… Not that it made any difference to the District 1 girl; a kill was a kill. She therefore moved closer and hurled her axe straight on the young man's neck. The boy who had tried to save his life by getting rid of Artemis had not even gotten the chance to realize that his plan had led to his loss. Soon enough, a cannon confirmed the damage done by Geneva.

The feline girl retrieved her precious axe, licking it clean of blood. She walked over Scpenser's body, peering over the edge of the cliff. On the ground below her was a small trail of blood… Artemis's without a doubt…

The Careers, or at least some of them, were really close; Silver and Novia were certain of it.

"I hope that it's Wannabe Caskar," murmured Silver with a laugh. "I'd like to show him my skills."

Novia smirked. "I don't think that you would have to him many skills; he's hopeless."

Silver sent her a grin. "True," she nodded. After a little while, she could no longer hold back what she had in mind. "So… On to another subject: what do you think of the Clockwork Angel and the Ice Prince?"

"I don't know… They may be pulling a 'Katniss-Peeta' thing…" Novia then shook her head. "Who am I kidding?"

"No one," smiled Silver. "That's is most likely why I saved him earlier in the games," she winked.

"Really?" They walked more slowly for an instant. "What exactly made you save them?"

"I…" Silver's eyes went far away… Back home, to be exact. "He reminded me of someone I know…"

Novia's own eyes found Silver's necklace, where hung a diamond studded cross and a thin gold band that used to be on the District 6 girl's finger. "Would that person be the one who offered you that ring?"

Silver sighed. "Yes…"

For the first time since she had met Silver, Novia got a glimpse of the girl behind the weapons.

"I promised him to win and come back so that we could marry."

Novia understood by Silver's tone that the last thing she had said had been meant to soften the Capitol's audience, for there was something hidden under the layers of her voice. From having watched the Reapings, Novia remembered that Silver had actually volunteered for the Games… She furrowed her brows, but did not ask further questions.

"Let's go," suddenly said Silver. She had heard the sound of leaves rustling and the one of boots walking on the fresh snow… They were close to someone else.

Elon had run around the mountain, as well as around a small frozen lake when he realized that he had lost Crelin. He had figured that the one he was looking for might have left the caves to explore the adjacent areas and had therefore decided to do the same, being too preoccupied by his goal to even notice that his ally had left his side.

"Why won't you let yourself die, Art?" shouted a strong voice from relatively far away. Elon quickly turned. Someone had found Artemis. At first he had intended to follow the voice, but two things prevented him from doing so. First, a cannon blasted through the air and then, a small metallic object flew in front of the District 2 boy's face, only missing his nose by a few inches.

"Hey!" The boy searched the woods for the sourced for the attack despite the fact that something at the base of his skull – an impulse – was fighting to make him go to Artemis. "Crelin?" he called, hoping that his District's female tribute was close by. There was no reply… At least, not from the girl in question…

"No, not Crelin," said a female's voice.

A blow dart nearly brushed Elon's face once again. What had the lady said about that? Destroy everything that prevents you from achieving your goal.

"Looking for the Ice Prince, aren't you?" Silver moved from behind the trees, feeling confident enough to confront him.

Novia shortly followed Silver. "It's just the boy from 2," she said, exaggerating disappointment. "May I?" she asked Silver, not even waiting for an answer before pulling out a weapon from her bag and launching forward.

The impulse at the base of Elon's skull soon became too strong to be controlled. He did not have the time to fight with the small dark-haired coming his way, therefore he ran away in the opposite direction.

Novia went after the Career tribute, eager to show the audience that she had some skills. Maybe she could even get some sponsors if she caught and killed Elon. She took a small knife from her belt and threw it towards the boy. The knife slid along Elon's cheek before lodging itself into a tree. He tried to ignore Novia as he ran towards where he hoped Artemis would be, but it soon became impossible. The girl would not be going down without a fight. Elon slowed his pace, letting Novia reach him. The girl attempted an attack, which was stopped by Elon's strong hands.

"Leave now…" The boy warned her.

"Scared, Career?" Novia took a second knife from her belt and aimed for Elon's throat. The boy avoided the attack, the knife ending up making a slice in his arm.

Now that was it. He had to get rid of Novia.

Elon got hold of the District 5 girl's neck, wrapping his fingers around it. Novia fought him back; kicking him and digging her own fingers in the wound her knife had let on his arm. Using his strength at his advantage, Elon lifted Novia and shook her up like a rag doll, destabilizing and disorienting her. Feeding his impulse, Elon then ran towards a tree, smashing Novia's form on its trunk. An awful cracking sound pierced the air. Novia was unsure if it was the tree or her skull.

In a flash and without ever looking back, Elon ran away.

Silver had followed the fighting pair through the woods, unsure of how she should handle the situation. If she got in the fight, she would risk killing Novia while attacking Elon… The girl blew a few blow darts in the boy's direction, carefully avoiding Novia. She was about to give up the darts and get to physical fight when suddenly, she saw Elon shattering Novia's head against a maple, to then simply go back to running. For an instant, Silver contemplated going after him, but a weak whimper coming from Novia made her decide otherwise.

"Novia…" Silver made her way towards her fallen friend, kneeling down beside her. "Novia?"

"Silv… Please… Tell me that the noise I heard…was the tree…" the small girl was breathless.

Silver sighed. "It wasn't…" Why lie? There was absolutely no point in trying to comfort the other girl by giving her too much hope; she was going to die, no matter what.

Novia's shaky hand went to the back of he head. "You have no idea how much it hurts," she whispered, blinking away tears. She removed her now bloody hand from her hair.

"No, I have no idea…" Silver took her ally's hand, her blood smearing over her slim fingers. She tried to hide her sadness, but even a tribute like Silver had their weak spots.

"Can you… Promise me a revenge?" The District 5 girl's voice was growing fainter through her jagged breathing.

"It's the first thing on my list. I'll find Elon and give him what he deserves." A burning hate gleamed through Silver's blue eyes as she spoke.

"Thank you…"

Silver murmured a soft and short lullaby in Novia's ear as the petite girl cried in her arms, trying to hold on to life a few more seconds.

"Go get him…" The last District 5 tribute asked Silver, closing her tear-filled eyes.

Silver nodded as she got to her feet, feeling something wet making its way down her cheek. She quickly removed it, now seeing the small drop of water on her finger. A tear…

As Silver followed Elon's trails in the woods, a cannon went off.