THE EIGHTY FIRST ANNUAL HUNGER GAMES
"Dungeons and Dragons"
INTRODUCTION
President Cassia Obsidian's rule over the citizens of Panem remained in place. Unlike her predecessor, the devious Coriolanus Snow, President Obsidian's rule did not rely entirely on brute force and fear. Rather than only inflicting punishment, Cassia began placing rewards on the districts of Panem. For instance, in District 7, it was said that if the citizens could exceed their labor quotas by a mere five percent, everybody would pay three percent less in taxes. She also offered food and supplies to factory workers in 8 whenever their new designs played well with the Capitol, rather than overworking them as Snow would have done. Obsidian overall ruled Panem with a much looser fist than many other presidents the nation would see. She couldn't be the nice girl all the time, though. She still had the obligation of punishing rebels with floggings and jail sentences. Head Gamemaker Violet Turpin returned for another year. After so many torturous years watching other men and women steer the games ship, her mind was swimming with ideas for new arenas. All she needed was a pack of colored pencils and a loyal team of builders and the horrors of her imagination would be emptied into the nightmares of district children. Tragically, toward the end of the year, hosts Caesar Flickerman and Claudius Templesmith were both killed in a car accident. Several memorable interviews from previous games were replayed in their honor. Taking Caesar's place was his eldest son, Cadmus Flickerman. Claudius, a lifelong bachelor, had no children, so his niece Daria Pennypacker took the role after his death. Cadmus and Daria were an amicable duo; they would work well together for several happy years, and they would be responsible for some of the most famous interviews in Hunger Games history.
There was an average career pack this year, and several of them were forgettable despite their decent scores. District 1's tributes were polar opposites; the boy was your typical all-in-it-for-the-honor career who loved the Capitol's attention, while the girl was much more laid back and unconventional. District 2 provided the cream of the crop this year. The boy was tall, funny, striking, and memorable, and he was son of District 2's head peacekeeper. He displayed such a wide variety of skills in his private sessions that the gamemakers awarded him an extremely rare eleven. He was the first tribute with the score since Finnick Odair sixteen years prior. The girl, while much less extroverted, was very vicious and extremely beautiful, and her wit played well with the audience. District 4 put on a varied showing. The boy was the youngest at only fifteen, and he only scored an eight, but he was funny and calming. The girl, like Danube of the year prior, was among the fastest swimmers and runners the games had ever seen, and she knew sea life like the back of her hand. The training sores of the pack were average: one eleven, two tens, two nines, and one eight.
Many of the outliers this year were more memorable than last year. The highest score was awarded to the talented and lithe Marchesa from District 7. She was charismatic, beautiful, and could use a hatchet like an extension of her arm, and she was the early favorite. None of the other outliers scored higher than a seven. The sevens were earned by Dewitt and Safiya from 5 and Duncan from 11. The rest of the tributes scored between six and two in their private sessions. Rishi from 7 was another standout because of his sheer height; he was exactly seven feet tall, and he was so thin he was like a beanpole. Safiya from 5 and Winter from 6 found out that they were distantly related after they were reaped; they formed an inseparable friendship during training, and they were allies. The last standout was a very sad one. The boy from 10, Jonny, was completely paralyzed from the neck down, and it didn't seem like he stood any chance at all. There were no volunteers outside of the careers. Here are the tributes:
District 1: Royal Telford, 18, (10) 4-1 and Salandra Gardiner, 16, (9) 7-1
District 2: Calandrus Tussen, 18, (11) 3-1 and Alivia Calver, 17, (9) 6-1
District 3: Septon Dallas, 17, (6) 20-1 and Telata Osare, 15, (4) 27-1
District 4: Murdoch Hinnon, 15, (8) 10-1 and Talisa Plummer, 18, (10) 6-1
District 5: Dewitt Spartan, 18, (7) 14-1 and Safiya Verbeck, 16, (7) 16-1
District 6: Paxton Haslett, 13, (4) 31-1 and Winter Nirae, 15, (5) 24-1
District 7: Rishi Dauphine, 17, (6) 22-1 and Marchesa Redwood, 18, (8) 11-1
District 8: Roark Taylor, 14, (3) 40-1 and Silky Ianis, 12, (3) 46-1
District 9: Archie Phyler, 13, (2) 76-1 and Mallory Eischler, 15, (5) 25-1
District 10: Jonny Givens, 16, (1) 100-1 and Gaelynn Patrick, 17, (5) 22-1
District 11: Duncan Lilard, 18, (7) 15-1 and Vieve Aransio, 13, (4) 27-1
District 12: Etienne Pick, 15, (3) 42-1 and Dusana Crop, 18, (4) 26-1
HGBO Bets: 30% on Calandrus, 17% on Royal, 14% on Talisa, 10% on Salandra, 8% on Alivia, 7% on Murdoch, 4% on Marchesa, 3% on Dewitt, Safiya, and Duncan, 2% on Septon and Rishi, 1% or less on Telata, Paxton, Winter, Roark, Silky, Archie, Mallory, Jonny, Gaelynn, Vieve, Etienne, and Dusana.
THE GAMES
Violet Turpin was a woman who loved arenas with harsh natural conditions, and this year's arena would take that to the very extreme. The eighty-first annual Hunger Games were to take place inside of a bubbling volcano. The only space the tributes could occupy was a wide, cylindrical tube that led from the fiery heart of the volcano to the royal blue sky overhead. The curved walls of the chamber, which were made of rough black stone, were lined with ridges and stepping stones for the tributes to walk on. Additionally, there were dozens of rocky platforms that would gradually be consumed as the lava rose higher and higher. The very lowest of the platforms was where the cornucopia sat, meaning the horn and its supplies would be consumed in days as the glowing molten rock rose. The mutts of the arena were ugly beasts the sizes of dogs that looked to be fashioned straight from the hot lava, and they could spit fire incredible distances. The main highlight of the arena, though, was sleeping peacefully in a huge cave somewhere in the volcano. It was a dragon with roars loud enough to shake the earth and flapping leathery wings that could propel it onward at enormous speeds. It could use its spiky black tail as a club to slaughter its prey, and, to finish off the dangerous cake, it could breathe fire. The gamemakers would likely wait until the end of the games to unleash this mutt, however.
The tributes gasped with horror when they saw the bubbling pool of hot lava below the cornucopia. The lava was bright enough to light the entire inside of the volcano, and if they looked up they could see the dozens of rocky overhangs and stepping stones that spiraled upward. Sweating in their silvery suits, the tributes waited for the countdown to reach zero.
Unsurprisingly, not a single tribute turned tail and fled from the start. None of them liked the looks of the arena and didn't want to take their chances with what they could find on their own.
Talisa from 4 was the fastest runner in these games by a wide margin. In the blink of an eye she had reached the cornucopia and grabbed a bow and arrows, and just as quickly she was back at the pedestal ring. Paralyzed Jonny from 10 was lying on his front on his pedestal. He was completely helpless as Talisa fired an arrow into the back of his neck. He was quickly put out of the suffering he'd been feeling his entire life.
Jonny Givens, District 10 Male: 24th, Killed by Talisa, Bloodbath
Calandrus thundered forward, snatched a small girl off of the ground, and tossed her to the side. The tiny wisp of a girl crumpled to the rough stone ground in a heap, groaning softly and trying to get back to her feet. Calandrus snatched up a broadsword and thrust it into her back.
Telata Osare, District 3 Female: 23rd, Killed by Calandrus, Bloodbath
Royal hurled himself at an outlier boy and knocked him to the ground like a domino, grabbing him by either side of the torso and punching him repeatedly. Royal was trying to elegantly crush the boy's windpipe, but he failed miserably, only managing to make the boy cough slightly. Royal grabbed a dagger and thrust it into his stomach, killing him swiftly.
Dewitt Spartan, District 5 Male: 22nd, Killed by Royal, Bloodbath
Calandrus, having wiped the blood off of his broadsword, fluidly attacked his next victim. In front of the stone cornucopia, a boy was rummaging through a crate containing loaves of bread. The boy saw Calandrus' shadow and whipped around just as the 2 boy slid his sword into his chest.
Archie Phyler, District 9 Male: 21st, Killed by Calandrus, Bloodbath
Alivia and Murdoch ganged up on the muscular boy from 6. Both careers were strong, but the outlier boy was built like an ox, and he was surprisingly difficult to kill. Murdoch eventually managed to pin the struggling boy to the ground, and Alivia thrust a dagger that sat in a cluster of grey fungi nearby into his chest.
Paxton Haslett, District 6 Male: 20th, Killed by Murdoch and Alivia, Bloodbath
Ultrafast Talisa nocked an arrow into her bow and fired at a nearby girl. The girl held a pack in front of her chest, absorbing the arrow. The outlier tried to run, but it was hopeless. Talisa's arrows were almost immediately lethal at that close range, once she managed to land an arrow into her chest.
Mallory Eischler, District 9 Female: 19th, Killed by Talisa, Bloodbath
Salandra from 1, wielding two throwing knives, cornered a sniveling little girl against the cornucopia and hurled them both at once. They both landed in her body, and Salandra ran to her side to retrieve her throwing knives as her first victim's organs shut down.
Silky Ianis, District 8 Female: 18th, Killed by Salandra, Bloodbath
Calandrus was not slowing down for one second with his kills. He thrust his broadsword toward a smelly miner boy, and he blocked the blow with a sword of his own. Their duel was short-lived; Calandrus managed to disarm the boy in moments. He turned around tried to flee, but Calandrus grabbed the back of his neck and shoved him to the ground. He would never rise again.
Etienne Pick, District 12 Male: 17th, Killed by Calandrus, Bloodbath
Murdoch made the last kill. Wielding a crossbow, he grabbed Etienne's district partner by the neck and slammed her against the wall of the cornucopia. The girl slid to the ground, screaming, and Murdoch fired a number of darts into her chest, flooding her lungs with blood.
Dusana Crop, District 12 Female: 16th, Killed by Murdoch, Bloodbath
The careers sauntered lazily around the cornucopia. The air temperature was in the one-hundred tens, and the heat came in waves from the scalding surface of the bubbling red lava. Royal, Salandra, and Alivia all worked together to cool down the cornucopia; they affixed a total of five fans inside of the cornucopia: three on the back wall and two on either side of the entrance. They were much cooler now that the stuffy air was circulating. Calandrus laid out a yoga mat inside of the cornucopia and started exercising; even though he was in the games, he refused to take a break from his strict fitness routine. Talisa's outstanding speed made her the obvious candidate to go hunting first; she did a quick search of the rocky platforms surrounding the cornucopia. Talisa returned in minutes reporting that there were no outliers hiding nearby.
The outliers went their separate ways, the majority travelling upward to place more distance between themselves and the lava. Septon had a thermos of water and a pack containing a grappling hook, which helped him on his way upward. He fled up several stories and then collapsed on a broad stone platform between two stalagmites, sweating. Safiya and Winter were luckily both unharmed, and they had grabbed a black case that contained water and food among other things. In a few minutes, the duo came across a small cave that was flooded with green gunk. Safiya and Winter waded through the sludge and then collapsed on a large stone like an island. Rishi, the tall, thin boy from 7, travelled upward carrying a hatchet and a loaf of bread. He came to a sturdy stone platform and then rolled over the rough stone. The fine dust stuck onto his skin in layers, acting as a kind of natural camouflage. Marchesa was bleeding heavily from an arrow would inflicted by Talisa. Leaning forward to block the flow of blood, the 7 girl fled toward safety. She rested in a cave, healing herself on sponsored medical supplies and hoping she could heal soon. Tiny Roark was terrified as he trod the path of narrow stepping stones higher and higher. Crying softly to himself, he crouched down on one of the larger stepping stones and licked condensed water off of the wall to keep himself hydrated. Gaelynn was the only tribute who travelled downward. Knowing that hot air travelled upward, the girl found a cave that slanted down, and the bottom of this cave was pleasantly cool. She had no weapons, so she decided to fashion one herself. She spent all day chipping away at a black stone, sharpening its point until she had a deadly weapon. Duncan and Vieve from 11 were extremely mismatched by ages and training scores, but a sense of district loyalty held them in an alliance. They climbed upward to a cave that had a terrifying view of the bubbling lava below, and they tried not to look outside as they munched on sponsor foods and saltine crackers from the cornucopia. When night fell, the royal blue sky turned inky-black and scattered with stars. There was peace in the cylindrical inside of the volcano.
A cannon shot fired a few hours after midnight, frightening most of the tributes awake. The career pack, minus Royal, who was guarding the cornucopia, had settled down to rest on a rough platform that jutted out of the vertical stone wall. The trouble was that the platform sloped down on either side; if a career lost control, they could easily tumble off of the side, and that was exactly what happened. In the middle of the night, Alivia rolled sharply to one side. She started quickly rolling downward, and she woke up screaming. Even superfast Talisa couldn't reach her in time. The careers peered over the side of the platform and watched Alivia tumble thousands of feet downward before landing with a slap on the surface of the lava.
Alivia Calver, District 2 Female: 15th, Killed by Lava, Day 2
The remainder of the career pack figured Alivia's death was their signal to start the day. For the first few minutes the lack of light was an issue, but before long the sky brightened up and they could see more clearly. Salandra hurried away to gather breakfast. The only food inside of the volcano was scratchy edible moss that clung to the stone walls with thousands of tiny hooks. Salandra returned with her arms full of the moss, and breakfast was not a happy affair that morning. Talisa, who was always antsy to move around, skipped back and forth impatiently. She was somewhat shaken up by Alivia's death a few hours previously, but she tried not to let it bother her. Calandrus was happy with how his games were going; he felt he had a decent career pack, and with the exceptions of a few tributes like Marchesa the outliers would be relatively easy to pick off this year. Murdoch helped Calandrus break camp. Murdoch was holding the pack's only jug of water when he dropped it, creating a small crack. Fortunately, the jug cracked near the top, so it wasn't enough to completely empty the jug, but it irked Calandrus that he had an ally who was so clumsy.
Gaelynn woke and rubbed her eyes groggily. She was captivated by a gravelly, smoky smell. When she realized what it was, she raced for the exit. The rising lava had reached her cave, and it was now pouring inside, running in rivers over the stone and sizzling upon contact with the cool air. Gaelynn escaped moments before the only exit was covered by lava, and she raced upward, clutching her scant possessions for dear life.
The next few hours were deathless. Septon woke and groaned as he got to his feet. He'd gotten a terrible night's sleep; under all of his clothes, the night had been so hot he was sweating from head to foot, and without a pillow he had tossed and turned for hours at a time. The 3 boy decided to put science to use, and he found an area that slanted downward. He found a comfy spot between two stalagmites and quickly fell asleep where it was cooler. Safiya and Winter woke a few minutes later and spotted a handsome supply of sponsored food and water at the entrance of the cave. Winter waded through the green sludge to retrieve the supplies and carried them back to the island for herself and Safiya to eat.
Around noon, a cannon shot fired. Rishi's natural camouflage helped to keep the other tributes from spotting him, but it did little to keep away the vicious mutts that were sleeping nearby. Rishi left the cave to search for food and was immediately surrounded by the mutts. Each of them was roughly the size and shape of a dog, but they were fashioned out of glowing, red-hot lava. The beanpole of a boy sprinted forward and jumped over the smallest of the mutts. Its fangs grazed his ankle, singing off part of his pant leg. Rishi ran from the mutts for about twenty minutes. It looked like he might escape his doom after all, but then his foot hit a stone and he fell flat onto his face. He was surrounded in moments. Rishi was fried to death as the mutts opened their mouths and spit out tongues of flame.
Rishi Dauphine, District 7 Male: 14th, Killed by Lava Muttations, Day 2
Rishi's district partner, Marchesa, was on the other side of the volcano. For the past few hours, she had been regularly cleaning her bandages and taking medication, but now that her supplies were low she had no choice but to get moving. Fortunately, the wound in her upper leg healed quickly. Holding her twin hatchets, Marchesa ventured up the narrow path of stepping stones. Less than ten minutes later, she spotted little Roark from 8 hiding behind a stalagmite. Marchesa tried to kill him, but the nimble boy escaped her easily.
Vieve and Duncan plotted a large course ahead of them. For the first few hours of the day, the tributes wandered aimlessly around, taking the stepping stones up and down and stopping on platforms to rest from time to time. That evening, however, Duncan spotted something spectacular. A long strip of stepping stones led around the entire volcano and returned to where it started. Duncan and Vieve managed about half of the journey, and when night fell they crammed themselves into a small cave to sleep. Duncan fell asleep quickly, but Vieve lay awake for hours. She knew that her chances of winning would increase if she killed Duncan. In an arena like this, it would be so easy. She just had to push him off the edge of the cave and he would tumble thousands of feet down into the lava.
Duncan woke up screaming when Vieve pushed him in the back. He flailed his limbs and tried to grab onto anything for support, but he couldn't stop himself from falling off the side of the cave. Duncan was killed instantly upon contact with the lava, and a sense of guilt settled in Vieve's gut. She tried to ignore it, but it wasn't easy. She had killed.
Duncan Lilard, District 11 Male: 13th, Killed by Vieve, Day 2
Day 3 came about with a singular peak of excitement. The lava rose by a substantial amount, but no tributes were that low so this was largely ignored by the cameras. The cameras were really focused on what was transpiring at the north end of the volcano's cylindrical interior. Marchesa, wielding twin hatches, was stepping precariously over the stepping stones in one direction. That morning, she'd drunk from a small pool thinking it was clean, but a chemical in the water was causing her to experience hallucinations. She thought she saw a crystal clear fountain of water, and she was moving toward it. But Marchesa was really moving toward the career pack. With the exception of Royal, all of the careers were in one spot: Salandra, Calandrus, Murdoch, and Talisa. The audience was in anticipation as to how the inevitable meeting would play out: could the strongest outlier in these games beat down the toughest of opponents and get away safe and sound? Time would tell.
Calandrus, who was at the front of the procession, was the first to spot Marchesa's shadowy form. He ordered his allies to stop in their tracks and remain dead silent while he identified the tribute. As Marchesa drew closer, Calandrus ordered his troops to charge. Talisa was naturally at the head of the onrush, and her first blow sent Marchesa reeling. With only one arrow, Talisa punctured the shoulder of the outlier girl. Marchesa immediately snapped out of her hallucinations and tightened her grip around her hatchets. Marchesa spun around and around but struggled to discern where Talisa had gone. By the time she found her again, both Calandrus and Murdoch were in the front lines. Marchesa instinctively lunged out with her hatchet. Murdoch let out a gasp as the 7 girl's hatchet blade landed in his chest, cracking several of his ribs. The sailor boy was already beyond saving.
Murdoch Hinnon, District 4 Male: 12th, Killed by Marchesa, Day 3
Marchesa was on a roll, and her very next hatchet blow dealt a lethal wound to Salandra. The 1 girl had been largely hanging back for much of the duel, but was now on the front lines on Calandrus' orders. Marchesa swung her hatchet and cut into Salandra's hand, leaving the appendage hanging off by a thin strip of flesh.
Unfortunately, Marchesa's strength couldn't last forever. The trained careers could keep running long after Marchesa's legs lost their strength. On her knees, the outlier girl was helpless as Calandrus hacked open her back with his broadsword. Blood flew here and there, and the other careers fell back, intimidated, as the eleven-scoring boy cut his fallen rival to ribbons.
Marchesa Redwood, District 7 Female: 11th, Killed by Calandrus, Day 3
With the fight at its conclusion, Salandra, Calandrus, and Talisa returned to the cornucopia. Salandra was losing dangerous amounts of blood through her severed hand, and it looked as though she might bleed out in only a few hours if the others couldn't help her. Talisa had exceptional medical skills: her mother was a nurse. On the way back to the horn, Talisa did her best to help Salandra heal, but there was little she could do until they reached the cornucopia and had access to their supply of medical resources.
The three careers arrived at the cornucopia to find their ally Royal dead. Only a few minutes earlier, the 1 boy had woken up for a drink of water. All of the cornucopia's drinks were kept in a large refrigerator reminiscent of a vending machine, where a tribute could press a button to receive a certain beverage. Royal pressed the button to dispense his favorite flavor of water. The drink fell halfway down and then got caught on a different shelf before he could grab it. Royal tried two more times, with the same results. He tried to break the glass, but it was too strong. Royal grabbed both sides of the machine and slowly rocked it back and forth, wanting his treat to fall down. Of course, the machine fell right on top of him, and Royal couldn't scamper out of the way fast enough before the thing crushed him to death. The back broke right open—at least the other careers wouldn't have any trouble taking out the drinks they wanted.
Royal Telford, District 1 Male: 10th, Killed by Falling Machine, Day 3
The day was entirely uneventful for the outliers. A worm of dread was crawling in Vieve's gut. The knowledge that she'd taken the life of her district partner was bothering her more and more by the hour, to the point that tears started flowing and she had to stop moving for the day. When she finished the circular track she and Duncan had planned the day before, Vieve collapsed on a large rock platform. She saw a pair of mysterious blue eyes staring at her from the darkness. Vieve crawled toward the eyes to investigate, but they disappeared. Creepy. Vieve spent the rest of the night assembling traps with the wire she'd grabbed from the cornucopia. She saw the mysterious pair of eyes two more times that evening, and they chilled her down to the bone. Falling asleep that night was not an easy task.
Days 4, 5, and 6 were all deathless, but they were not completely uneventful. On Days 4 and 5, the career pack stayed at the cornucopia. Salandra was slowly bleeding out through the gaping wound in her wrist, but despite Talisa' best efforts to heal her she could not be saved. Talisa broke the news that she was dying, and Salandra's response was unintelligible. Since Talisa was occupied easing Salandra out of the world, it was Calandrus' turn to be impatient and hungry for movement. Multiple times he strongly considered killing both girls, but decided against it, not wanting to stain his reputation any more than he had to.
On Day 6, Talisa left to gather edible moss, and she returned to the cornucopia with terrifying news. The rising lava was dangerously close to the cornucopia, and at best the horn would be completely buried in a day. Heeding the warning, Calandrus helped Talisa bring all of their most valuable supplies up several stories. The careers watched from a higher platform as their cornucopia was slowly buried under the molten rock. Fortunately, they had more than enough time to save everything they wanted to.
Of the nine living tributes, six were outliers. Septon stayed relatively inactive. At one point, a group of two lava dog mutts ambushed him in the night, and Septon raced half a mile before collapsing in a small cave. He tied himself down with his grappling hook and quickly fell asleep. Safiya and Winter's supply of sponsor gifts quickly ran dry, and they had no choice but to leave their safe haven or starve to death. The two girls hunted up and down for most of the three days. Once, Safiya swore she saw a tribute in the shadows, but it was just her imagination at work. Roark, when his home was destroyed by the rising lava, fled several stories upward. The boy found himself at a thin stream of condensation, and he was so thirsty he couldn't help but take a sip. The water was so dirty that it just made him thirstier, and he took in so much foul water in such a short time that he experienced symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting. Gaelynn grew popular with the Capitol for her handmade stone weapons, which she used to ward off one of the lava mutts when it terrorized her in the night. She was one of the few tributes who still had a permanent shelter, which was located directly above her original shelter, which flooded with lava back on Day 2. Wherever Vieve went, she kept seeing the mysterious pair of eyes staring at her from the darkness. The trauma of killing Duncan was largely pegged by viewers as responsible for the hallucination. Once Vieve even screamed for the eyes to go away, but they stayed right where they were, staring sadly in her direction. She furiously assembled and dissembled her wire traps, struggling to keep herself occupied.
Shortly after sunrise on Day 7, a cannon shot fired. Salandra had been slowly bleeding out for several days, and she finally met her end. The last thing she saw was the rising sun.
Salandra Gardiner, District 1 Female: 9th, Killed by Marchesa, Day 7
That left the final eight: Calandrus Tussen from District 2, Septon Dallas from District 3, Talisa Plummer from District 4, Safiya Verbeck from District 5, Winter Nirae from District 6, Roark Taylor from District 8, Gaelynn Patrick from District 10, and Vieve Aransio from District 11.
The careers immediately resumed their hunting. They no longer had to drag Salandra around with them, so they could move much more freely. Calandrus had been ravenous to hunt for days, and Talisa was naturally as fast as an arrow, so the two careers got along well.
Roark was getting more and more miserable by the hour; he knew the dirty water was bad for him, but he couldn't bring himself to stop drinking because of his immense thirst. Waste was coming in geysers from both ends of his digestive system. The boy rolled back and forth on the black stone, groaning quietly to himself and praying for a miracle.
The most eventful fight of the day occurred somewhat less than an hour before sunset, when the sky was barely lit and most of the light came from the pool of lava far beneath. Earlier that day, Gaelynn had temporarily moved to a broad platform to create even more of her little stone weapons. Using a number of sponsored wooden dowels and string, Gaelynn was able to fashion arrows. She was finishing her first arrow when she heard two tributes drawing nearer. Gaelynn scrambled behind a stalagmite and waited quietly. Safiya and Winter strode into sight. The two girls were engaged in conversation, and they likely wouldn't have noticed Gaelynn if she hadn't made a crucial error. Gaelynn dropped her unfinished arrow, and she struggled to snatch it out of the air before it hit the ground, but in doing so she stumbled to one side and out of hiding. Safiya and Winter were armed with various knives, and all Gaelynn had on hand was one unfinished arrow. Gaelynn screamed as Safiya buried her dagger into her chest, and Winter polished her off with a machete blow to the abdomen. After taking a quick moment to pillage the deceased girl of her meager supplies, the duo left quickly.
Gaelynn Patrick, District 10 Female: 8th, Killed by Safiya and Winter, Day 7
Only one more major event transpired before Day 7 was out. Septon was sleeping contentedly in a small cave, oblivious to the fact that the most extravagant muttation in these games was hiding mere meters away. The sleeping dragon mutt was slowly waking, and every few hours it would shuffle back and forth, shaking the entire landscape. Septon woke, shocked, when a stalactite fell from the ceiling and cracked in half on contact with the cave floor. He tried to go back to sleep, but another stalactite fell a minute later. Suddenly the ceiling groaned and grumbled and he realized what was happening too late to escape. Septon had placed only one foot out of the cave when the entrance collapsed, trapping him in place. His entire body was inside the cave apart from one leg, which was crushed against the ground by the falling rock. Septon screamed and struggled, but he didn't accomplish anything other than draw his own blood. Three hours later, Septon collapsed, exhausted. Whatever happened, he knew that was going to be his home for quite some time.
By the end of Day 7, nearly half of the original arena was buried under the hot lava. Vieve was able to spot the lava rising before it was too late. Having escaped safely, Vieve prayed that the eyes would leave her alone. She thought they belonged to some kind of muttation that was stalking her—not that it was a figment of her imagination. When Vieve realized the eyes hadn't gone away, she screamed, grabbed up her supplies, and ran for the hills. After nearly five hours she collapsed, sobbing, and fell asleep instantly.
On Day 8, Vieve had finally had enough. When she woke up and saw that the pair of eyes hadn't left her alone, she grabbed her coil of wire and wrapped it around her neck and tight as she could pull it. She quickly grew faint from lack of oxygen, and just before she died she realized what those eyes were: Duncan's eyes.
Vieve Aransio, District 11 Female: 7th, Killed by Herself, Day 8
On the other side of the volcano, Talisa was snoozing away, and Calandrus was sleepily standing guard. When Calandrus heard the cannon shot, he tightened his grip around his broadsword. Calandrus promised his parents that he would kill all of the other careers once it came to the final six, and that wasn't a promise he intended to break. Talisa woke suddenly to see Calandrus towering over her, lowering his broadsword. Talisa yelped and rolled out of the way, and Calandrus cursed, chasing after her. Of course, the superfast 4 girl was far too quick for Calandrus to ever keep up. When she thought she had lost Calandrus, Talisa collapsed in a small cave, panting heavily.
Not much happened for the four remaining outliers. Septon, his leg trapped under the fallen rocks, struggled to escape, but it was useless. In fact, the nearby dragon mutt was causing even more pieces of rock to fall from the ceiling whenever it moved. If Septon didn't escape quickly, he might have been helplessly crushed to death. Safiya and Winter travelled up and down, struggling to survive in the broiling-hot interior of the volcano. Water supplies were lower than ever, and on Day 8 Winter drank the last drop of water the duo possessed. From then on, the two girls had to lick condensation off of the walls to survive. All the while, they kept hunting, hoping to make a kill and boost their quantity of sponsor presents. Roark was so dehydrated he couldn't move. Now immobile, he was unable to drink more of the filthy ground water. His face was pale from lack of water, and he was so emaciated he could easily count his ribs. He prayed that death would come for him soon. In the early morning of Day 9, Roark finally got his wish.
Roark Taylor, District 8 Male: 6th, Killed by Dehydration, Day 9
At the north end of the volcano, the sleeping dragon mutt finally woke. The cameras showed the enormous, lava-colored dragon open its eyes and spread its wings majestically. The humungous reptile slammed its wings against the wall of its prison, struggling to escape. The nearest tribute, Septon, screamed and flailed his arms, trying to shield his face from the stalactites that fell like icicles from the roof of the cave. Safiya and Winter, expecting some kind of natural disaster, took cover inside of a small cave and lay down under their packs for added protection. On opposite sides of the arena, both Talisa and Calandrus proceeded with caution—they didn't think the source of the rumbling noise was a big threat, at least not yet, and they didn't let it interfere with their hunting.
Safiya and Winter were huddling together in their cave when Safiya's eyes grew wide with terror. Winter followed her gaze, and she fell similarly silent. Enormous chunks of stone were falling from the same area of the volcano and chipping away like plaster. All at once, the enormous dragon mutt burst free from the chamber that had once held it prisoner. Roaring with triumph, the dragon exhaled, sending a jet of fire outward. Safiya and Winter thought the dragon wasn't moving, but it reality it was moving straight toward them. Winter screamed as the dragon snatched her straight out of the cave and carried her out into the open. Safiya watched, dumbfounded with terror, as the dragon mutt fried her ally to death with a single breath and then tore her to pieces with its claws.
Winter Nirae, District 6 Female: 5th, Killed by Dragon Muttation, Day 9
Safiya screamed and raced out of the cave, then sprinted upward as quickly as her feet could carry her. The dragon mutt could have easily out-travelled her, but the gamemakers ordered the mutt to slow down slightly so that Safiya had a small chance of managing escape. When she'd reached the very top of the volcano, Safiya collapsed, trembling and crying, and tried to protect herself with her arms. The dragon mutt finally gave up on her and flew downward in search of easier prey.
Near the original prison of the dragon, Septon met his end. A large stalactite on the ceiling came loose and fell downward. Septon tried to move out of the way, but the point of the stalactite landed in his chest and protruded from his back. The 3 boy was killed instantly. Now there were only three tributes left.
Septon Dallas, District 3 Male: 4th, Killed by Falling Stalactite, Day 9
Calandrus was the next to be terrorized by the dragon mutt, and he fortunately managed to escape. Having dropped everything but his broadsword, Calandrus sprinted west before settling down in a narrow cave that sloped upward. The dragon reached inside with its claw, but couldn't reach Calandrus, and the mutt left quickly.
With Safiya at the very top of the volcano and Calandrus at the very bottom, only Talisa was left to face the dragon mutt. She had only been running for a few minutes when she accepted she would either have to face the mutt head-on or die. What followed was one of the most iconic scenes in Hunger Games history: Talisa, a girl with a bow and a dozen arrows, versus the dragon mutt, one of the most elaborate mutts the games had ever seen at that point. Despite the dragon's best attempts to crush or bake the 4 girl, she always managed to escape; her speed and reflexes were outstanding, and she was truly one of the quickest tributes the games had ever seen. Talisa's first few shots missed, but her fourth arrow punctured the dragon's face, the least armored part of its body. By the time she had fully dispatched the dragon mutt, Talisa was bleeding in several places. She collapsed on the spot, panting, and healed herself with the piles of sponsored medicine that were building up around her.
On Day 10, the sky overhead turned grey and filled with clouds. With the first clap of thunder, chilling cold rain poured down into the volcano, slowly at first, then faster and faster. The rain was falling faster than it was ever natural for rain to fall. The tributes felt like they were standing under waterfalls as millions upon millions of gallons of rain fell into the volcano. Some of it landed directly on the lava and turned it into stone. Some of it landed on the stepping stones and platforms before rushing downward like a rapids.
Calandrus woke when his cave began flooding with rain water. Holding only his broadsword, he waded toward the exit. The roar was deafening as water crashed down to the bottom of the volcano, churning and thundering back and forth and throwing Calandrus off of his feet. Calandrus grabbed onto a stalagmite for dear life, struggling to raise himself out of the water. After several minutes, Calandrus fought his way to dry footing, and he scrambled up the stepping stones as the water rose and rose underneath him.
Talisa woke to the deafening roar of the flood and peered out of her cave. The surface of the floodwater was boiling upward, and in no time at all Talisa felt water splashing into her cave. The audience knew she could swim, but they had no idea how well. It was impossible to keep track of the 4 girl as she paddled through the water like a dolphin, overcoming the largest of waves that came crashing in her direction. When Talisa was finally too exhausted to swim any farther, she lay down on her back and took deep breaths, doing her best to stay afloat on the bouncing, rolling surface of the flood.
Early that morning, Safiya had left her home at the very top of the volcano and travelled several hundred feet downward to gather food. The pitiful girl had never learned how to swim, and she ultimately stood no chance as the water engulfed her. She was thrown back and forth, as limp as a doll. The water quickly claimed the life of one of 5's most beloved tributes.
Safiya Verbeck, District 5 Female: 3rd, Killed by Drowning, Day 10
Day 11 proved to be the last day of the eighty-first Hunger Games. For nearly twenty-four hours, Calandrus had been sprinting upward, stopping once and a while to rest, only to start moving again when the water reached him once more. Although he hated to admit it, he knew he would have no chance of defeating Talisa in the water. If Calandrus forced their final duel to take place on dry ground, he knew he would easily be able to overpower her.
Calandrus was just about to stop for a rest when he spotted his final competitor mere meters away. Talisa was paddling her arms up and down like duck's wings, treading water with remarkable skill. Calandrus just waited for Talisa to come to him, knowing that as soon as she was on land he could kill her in a snap.
The boy waited and waited, but Talisa didn't appear. In fact, it looked as though she'd disappeared completely. What Calandrus didn't know was that Talisa was directly underneath him, riding the rising water upwards and upwards. Calandrus didn't hear Talisa as she lightly stepped onto the stone platform directly behind him and shoved him into the floodwater. Calandrus fell like a stone into the water and disappeared instantly.
Calandrus Tussen, District 2 Male: 2nd, Killed by Talisa, Day 11
"Talisa Plummer of District 4, you are the victor of the eighty-first annual Hunger Games!" Cadmus and Daria shouted.
Talisa just smiled for the hidden cameras she knew were all pointed at her.
AFTERMATH
District 4 welcomed their charismatic twelfth victor with open arms. They'd gotten their last victor, Annie Cresta, eleven years prior: a sizable wait for a career district like 4. After her victory tour, Talisa immediately signed up to work at the academy. She held the job for nearly forty years, and she taught her students swimming and running; given her incredible speed she was clearly the woman for the job. Throughout her life Talisa would remain cheery and jokey, not as much as Victor Augustus Braun but close.
Talisa moved into the Victor's Village of District 4, the twelfth victor to do so.
Her victory tour went well, though a few of her jokes were too corny to be taken seriously.
Talisa would live to age eighty-eight, dying from a heart attack four and three fourths months after the one-hundred fifty-first annual Hunger Games. She would never marry nor have children. She always said the academy was enough for her.
NEWS
Talisa moves into the Victor's Village of District 4, next door to Annie's home.
Finnick Odair and Annie Cresta have a son named Poseidon. He is the first child born to two victors in Panem's history.
Beatrice Toland falls into a coma and dies three months later.
Markus Gardd is crushed under the fallen chandelier of his home in the Victor's Village, killing him before help can arrive.
Penelope Turek dies from liver failure after an alcohol overdose.
LIST OF VICTORS
1HG: Cordin Frey (#1, District 3)
2HG: Sapphire Waber (#1, District 1)
3HG: Molly Toliday (#1, District 4)
4HG: Amelia Spangler (#1, District 2)
5HG: Misty Sablone (#1, District 12)
6HG: Olivia Seager (#2, District 2)
7HG: Flux Stafford (#2, District 3)
8HG: Brandi Coyne (#2, District 1)
9HG: Isaac Crandall (#1, District 5)
10HG: Velvet Farrow (#3, District 1)
11HG: Mags Flanagan (#2, District 4)
12HG: Slate Ogston (#3, District 2)
13HG: Woof Dozier (#1, District 8)
14HG: Blaze Skalnik (#4, District 2)
15HG: Dina Wilmarth (#2, District 5)
16HG: Beatrice Toland (#1, District 6)
17HG: Amelia Bankston (#5, District 2)
18HG: Markus Gardd (#2, District 6)
19HG: Odius Ruttler (#6, District 2)
20HG: Seeder Kaiser (#1, District 11)
21HG: Freya Digard (#7, District 2)
22HG: Gold Carson (#4, District 1)
23HG: Ashlyn Breston (#3, District 6)
24HG: Dayta Albrand (#3, District 3)
25HG: Diamond Griego (#5, District 1)
26HG: Thor Rosner (#8, District 2)
27HG: Magnet Lisagor (#4, District 3)
28HG: Maria Dutra (#3, District 4)
29HG: Discordia Komine (#9, District 2)
30HG: Barley Chisolm (#1, District 9)
31HG: Marlin Coppi (#4, District 4)
32HG: Wyatt Kerdler (#5, District 3)
33HG: Molly Soltan (#5, District 4)
34HG: Grover Handa (#1, District 7)
35HG: Troy Stiles (#6, District 4)
36HG: Lana Voltaire (#10, District 2)
37HG: Lucy Said (#7, District 4)
38HG: Porter Tripp (#3, District 5)
39HG: Penelope Turek (#8, District 4)
40HG: Beetee Latier (#6, District 3)
41HG: Radiance Clinton (#6, District 1)
42HG: Technik Hartline (#7, District 3)
43HG: Dylan Levitt (#9, District 4)
44HG: Rye Boyum (#2, District 9)
45HG: Chaff Korsmun (#2, District 11)
46HG: Nolan Wrack (#11, District 2)
47HG: Klink Byrae (#4, District 5)
48HG: Brutus Cordley (#12, District 2)
49HG: Wiress Freid (#8, District 3)
50HG: Haymitch Abernathy (#2, District 12)
51HG: Lyme Mabbett (#13, District 2)
52HG: Ruby Rayfuse (#7, District 1)
53HG: Lily Eckel (#3, District 11)
54HG: Blight Holzer (#2, District 7)
55HG: Emily Pollick (#5, District 5)
56HG: Sally Vasilia (#6, District 5)
57HG: Mason Kittridge (#14, District 2)
58HG: Margaret Cartmill (#1, District 10)
59HG: Tiger Sterne (#8, District 1)
60HG: Cecelia Rieffel (#2, District 8)
61HG: Valerie Easton (#15, District 2)
62HG: Enobaria Rigatti (#16, District 2)
63HG: Gloss Linden (#9, District 1)
64HG: Cashmere Linden (#10, District 1)
65HG: Finnick Odair (#10, District 4)
66HG: Victor Xhang (#17, District 2)
67HG: Augustus Braun (#11, District 1)
68HG: Iuna Mosier (#12, District 1)
69HG: Alexander Westlake (#2, District 10)
70HG: Annie Cresta (#11, District 4)
71HG: Johanna Mason (#3, District 7)
72HG: Remus Daley (#18, District 2)
73HG: Apollo Reinold (#4, District 6)
74HG: Meredith Powell (#4, District 7)
75HG: Struve Lockman (#19, District 2)
76HG: Porcelain Wing (#13, District 1)
77HG: Router Lowell (#9, District 3)
78HG: Surge Upsdell (#7, District 5)
79HG: Kasey Slosser (#5, District 6)
80HG: Tarquinius Orfe (#20, District 2)
81HG: Talisa Plummer (#12, District 4)
A/N: When I talked about how cold it is in my area last chapter I got a lot of PMs and responses colorfully describing the horrific cold weather in different areas of the world. I feel bad for you guys. Stay warm!
I've seen a lot of stories where games take place on volcanoes, but very few that take place inside of volcanos. So yeah. I thought this one was pretty inventive, if I do say so myself! I especially liked the mutts of this year's arena. Creatures fashioned out of hot lava have always fascinated me.
I also loved this chapter's news section. Three victor deaths and a child born to two victors in one year—wow! And it's refreshing to see a new victor from 4, isn't it? Been quite a while—our last victor from 4 was Annie Cresta all the way back in the 70th.
Next year we'll be seeing a certain boy with a very peculiar training score. If you've intently read my SYOT you may know what I'm talking about. Otherwise, it'll be a surprise. Isn't it fun to keep readers on the edge?
