I woke up the next morning, staring into the eyes of my Avox server. They were hauntingly blue, and I shook my head and stood up.

My Axov had woken me up relatively early, breakfast wasn't for another hour and training wouldn't begin for a few hours. I had plenty of time.

I took a quick shower and got dressed. I threw on my training clothes, which had been laid out by the Avox. They were simple leggings, comfortable boots that fit to my feet, and a dark blue t-shirt. I flexed my arms and grabbed my hairbrush and put my hair in a high ponytail. As a finishing touch, I added my mother's cotton ribbon to my ankle.

I wasn't exactly sure what to do, so I decided to watch a recap of the Reapings. The Avox had brought up the tape, with instructions from the Capitol if I wanted to watch them. I inserted the disc into the DVD player and watched.

The first District to come up was District 1. A burly boy that looked to be around seventeen or eighteen was quick to jump up and volunteer, I noticed. He strode confidently onstage, smiling at the crowd cockily. I shook my head. I immediately disliked this boy. His name is stated as 'Ripper Vinard'. Even his name sounds menacing. I'd have to watch out for him in the Arena.

Next came the girl. She was reaped, and by the surprise on her face I could tell that she wasn't expecting it. She looked to be about fourteen years old. Although she obviously didn't seem to expect being reaped, she was excited about it. She practically skipped onstage and glared at every girl in the crowd. She seemed eager to get into the Arena. Her name was 'Faith Mortemer'. She seemed cute on the outside, but I'd seen kids like these from the Career districts who knew dozens of ways to kill you with a single kick to the neck.

District 2 was the next district up. A feral-looking boy was chosen, and no one volunteered for him. By the look of the crowd, you could tell they were afraid to. He walked onstage indifferently, and stood up there looking as though it was a normal day. I wasn't sure what to think about him.

The girl was a whole different story, though. A young twelve or thirteen year old was reaped and this girl came running up, screaming to the escort "I volunteer!" The district escort merely smiled and beckoned her up to the stage. The girl went shakily, shoving the small girl behind her. The cameras picked up her saying "I told you not to get extra grain and tesserae." I already liked her. For a Career, she seemed decent. She had spirit, spirit that one would need to live. 'Karis Montfort'. "Pretty name," I said aloud.

District 3 was next on screen. The boy was a shaken small child who maneuvered his way on stage, trying not to collapse. His name was Cordin Smith. Poor boy. He was terrified.

The girl was large and cold. She shoved people out of her way and stomped up to the escort, who forced a smile to her. She glowered back, curling her lip in distaste. I nearly jumped back when she bared her teeth to the crowd. She was worse than an animal! Her name was announced as 'Sasha Rhine'.

Four was the usual. A broad-shouldered boy and a large girl were both reaped. Both looked around seventeen. They were confident. The boy showed off his muscles and the girl tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder. Their names were Allan Viper and Charlotte Parks. I frowned. Careers tended to behave like that.

District 5 was a surprise. A chubby boy waddled onstage, nearly tripping over his own feet a few times. If he could barely make it up the stage, there was no way he'd make it past the bloodbath. His name was Viktor Murr. The District 5 escort laughed when she heard his name. "Hopefully his name will bring him luck," she joked, her eyes sparkling. I shook my head. What a sick joke.

The District escort hadn't even called out a name when a small girl who looked to be barely twelve stood up and volunteered. The crowd stared in shock, as did I. She was sending herself to her death. Why on earth would she ever volunteer?

She wasn't cocky or arrogant. She simply walked on stage and stood there. I felt sad for her. I hoped she'd make it past the initial bloodbath. Jessica Lerva was her name.

District 6 had a tiny boy as their male tribute. He, like the District 3 boy, was trembling in fear. No one volunteered for him. His name was Darren Hills.

The girl was tall and slim, striding on to the stage like it was a runway. She smiled at the crowd and blew kisses. I scoffed silently. How could she ever be expected to make it through the first day? Her name was exotic, much like the girl herself. Ciara Morris.

Then there was my district, 7. It showed Felix shakily volunteering, but striding on stage confidently. He tried to have a brave demeanor, but I saw right through it.

Then I was called. At first, I was shaken. Afraid. Terrified, even. But I gathered my wits and walked on to the stage. My eyes were crying out to Faye for help. But she stood frozen.

When I looked at myself, I simply looked determined but scared. Frightened but fierce.

Like I would do anything to win. At any cost.

My face went out of focus and District 8 came on screen. A short, stocky boy was called. He trembled when he walked, but determinedly strode onto the stage, refusing to collapse. My heart fell a little. The poor boy. He was called Brendan by his mother, who screamed over and over.

The girl was petite. Her nimble fingers were scarred, probably from working in the textiles. She flounced on stage, tears gathering in her eyes. A small boy in the twelves section burst into sobs, a boy who must have been her brother. He seemed devastated. I understood why. Her name was announced as Peggy Lynn.

Nine was no different than every year. A tall, dark-haired boy was called out of the crowd, named Ian Stork. A slim, redheaded freckled girl waltzed onto the stage. He name was Maria Lancer. Nine usually died in the bloodbath every year. And these thin tributes whose ribs showed, didn't seem to have any potential. They looked weak and scared.

District 10 had a sandy-blonde, handsome boy called out. He seemed to be around fifteen, my age. He walked on stage, glaring at the escort. He clenched his fists. I smiled a bit. Determination. With a touch of rebellion. He was good. I'd have to see his training score, first, before I decided on any potential allies. But he showed promise, just as the District 2 girl and District 5 girl had. He introduced himself as Roran Cooper.

The girl was blonde too, and snarky. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and smiled flirtily, then glared back at the crowd. She smiled at the boy and made what seemed to be a nasty comment about their District escort. I rolled my eyes. What a little witch. Mary-Grace Hodnett, was her name.

Poor eleven. Both their tributes were weak fourteen year olds, who looked like they hadn't eaten a day in their lives. They were dark-skinned and bony, and had numerous scars covering their bodies. The girl, Leila Shard, had a red handprint on her cheek, and the boy, Andrew Larr, had a bloody gash in his leg. They must both have been from the District orphanage.

Twelve offered up a tall Asian boy who seemed to be around eighteen, named Jack Shan. The girl was a petite child, who seemed to be only thirteen. There was something about her, though, that I liked. She had a certain quality about her, the way she carried her shoulders, and chewed her lip nervously, yet stood tall and confident, her bravery never wavering. She was a good actress. The question was, was she a good fighter? She was called Shing Curren.

The screen showed the Capitol seal and then went black. I sighed. Well.

The Careers would be vicious. Maybe not the 2 girl. But the others looked savage and out for blood. The District 3 girl might be a formidable opponent, too.

I liked the girl from 2, girl from 5, and boy from 10. Perhaps, after I see them in training, I'd propose an alliance with them.

I had things to think about.

My Avox arrived in a minute to take me down to breakfast. I sighed and walked with her silently, my footsteps echoing in the empty hallway. We walked the flight of stairs to the dining area, where I saw Maia, Geisha, Felix, and his stylist sitting primly and properly. Our mentors sat grinning at each other and exchanging looks. Felix wore a polo shirt and pants, Geisha, Maia and Felix's stylist wore typical Capitol clothing. I scowled and rolled my eyes; what was the point of getting all dressed up for breakfast?

I plopped down in my seat and narrowed my eyes at everyone else at the table. They were all staring at me with a look of displeasure.

"What?" I finally burst out with, glaring at all of them. "What's wrong with my outfit?"

"Nothing, dear," Maia said quickly, glancing at the others. Felix had a look of disgust on his face. "It's just that we expected you to be dressed a little… differently. But," she added after seeing my anger, "What you're wearing is okay."

I slumped back in my seat. I was wearing my training clothes. So what? I shook my head. I'd never understand the ways of the Capitol.

Avoxes brought platters of delicious-looking food. Scrambled eggs. Hard-boiled eggs. Omelets, french toast thick with butter and syrup, waffles, pancakes with whipped cream: All of it a District 7 kid's dream feast.

Felix got some bacon and eggs and sat down, eating with his fork and knife. I, however, shoved some of everything on my plate and began to shovel food down my throat, not caring about the horrified looks I was getting from the Avoxes and stylists. It was delicious food.

When I was finished, I licked the syrup, butter, grease, and whipped cream off my fingers and wiped my face on my napkin. Everyone at the table sat there with a look of disbelief on their faces.

I curled my lip, I didn't care about their stupid opinions. I shoved my chair back and stood up out of my seat and stomped out of the room, my heels sinking into my boots. My Avox attempted to escort me to my room, but out of fury I shoved them aside and stepped into the elevator. I punched in the bottom floor, the basement, and stood in the elevator fuming as I rode down alone to the training area. I was hours early, but I had nothing better to do. Might as well get there early.

The elevator doors opened to a gigantic room filled with everything a tribute could possibly use in the Arena. Humanlike targets for shooting and aim. Racks and racks of spears, swords, bows and arrows, axes, knives, and pretty much every single weapon imaginable. There was a small recreated rocky area of terrain for climbing and specialized combat, for tough situations. There were wrestling stations, knot-tying areas, snare-making areas, ropes stretching across the ceiling for climbing, and many others. The Training Area was huge, and it probably stretched to be the size of three football fields combined. It was tribute haven.

A small balcony where Gamemakers sat preparing for the training and Avoxes were preparing platters of exotic foods was above the training center. A Gamemaker noticed me and nodded his head slightly. He mouthed "Take a seat". I guess they didn't want any tributes having an advantage over any others by being able to start training early. I sat at the edge of the Training Area and took in the whole Area. Trainers were beginning to assemble and prepare their stations. I was sitting there waiting when the District 2 girl suddenly walked in. The girl who I had admired during the reaping.

She noticed me and walked over. I took in her physical appearance. She was strong-looking and every single move she made, her muscles flexed and moved. Her brunette hair fell in delicate waves, and although she was strong, she managed to make every move of hers look graceful. She glanced around the Training Area and moved towards me. She crouched next to me and plopped down, setting in. Her black boots were light and moved swiftly, her white t-shirt was fresh and light, and her leggings looked soft and flexible.

"Hello," she greeted me, her voice empty of hostility. She seemed almost.. friendly.

"Hi," I replied cautiously. I didn't want to jump into conversation with her too quickly.

"My name's Karis. I'm from District 2." I began to introduce myself to her, but she interrupted me. "I already know who you are, Asher." She smiled a little. "I saw you during the Reaping."

I steadied myself. "I saw you too. That was great, how you volunteered for the little girl. It was very… heroic, of you." I looked in her eyes.

She looked back at me with sadness in her eyes. "Yeah. That's my sister, Kira. She's twelve, it was her first reaping. And I couldn't let her go into the Arena. She's too innocent."

I smiled at her consolingly. "It's okay. You did something great for her, and saved her life."

She smiled back. "Thanks. Do you have any allies yet?"

I shook my head. "Nope. I'm assuming you're with the Careers?"

"No," she replied. "My older brother, Kaylin, was reaped a few years back. He was murdered by his district partner. Ever since then, I've sworn never to partner with Careers." She curled her lip. "It was the District 7 girl that killed my brother's murderer. That's why I've been so friendly with you. I've admired District 7 ever since then."

I sighed. "That's terrible." I looked around. "So why'd you come to training so early?"

She shrugged. "I dunno. Got bored, I guess. You?"

I rolled my eyes. "Breakfast went bad. My temper flared and I took off." I made a face. "Stupid District partner. I hate him. Too cocky and arrogant for his own good." I shook my head. "Whatever. Anyways, have you been training for this your whole life?"

She nodded. "Yeah. My specialty is with spears and swords. What are yours?" She seemed genuinely interested.

I hesitated. I wasn't sure if I should tell. Whatever. "Axes. I've been training all my life with them. Basically since I could toddle. Would you be interested in teaming up? Allies?"

She grinned. "Definitly. I'm assuming we're both good with our weapons. We could make a good team. Let's train together during the training session."

I smiled. A friend. An ally. Too bad only one of us could win the Games.

We talked about our Districts and weapons and skills for a while. We arranged training plans together. We were both strong and clever and fast. We'd be a good team together.

We talked until the rest of the tributes came down to the Training Center. I re-thought my strategy. I barely knew this girl. Should we really partner up? After all, District 2 had a history of cunningness and manipulitality. I shrugged it off. I'd see if she seemed genuine about her partnership with me, and I'd ask my mentors for advice. Then determine my next moves.

The head Trainer, Mara, came over to where all of us tributes stood in a circle. She gave us a short lecture on how not to hurt each other or fight each other, and how that's what the trainers are for. She gestured to each station situated in the Center, and described each one briefly.

During the lecture, Felix's eyes and mine met for a brief moment, until he looked away, his expression hard. He glared at Mara for the rest of the lecture.

Mara dismissed us and told us to go train, a small smile hinting at her lips. Karis and I exchanged a glance and we both headed over to the sword-fighting area. Karis grinned at me, and we both picked up swords. She whispered to me, "I'll give you some sword-fighting lessons in exchange for some axe-throwing lessons?" I nodded quickly. It'd definitely help to have some extra skills in the Arena.

Karis poked and prodded through the racks of swords before coming up with a heavy jade-studded metal blade. She balanced it in her hand for a moment before giving it a few thrusts and smiling approvingly.

I, on the other hand, couldn't find the right sword. They were too big, and too heavy, and too sharp. I sighed as I continued rummaging through the rows of swords. I was about to tell Karis that I couldn't find anything to use, when a sword caught my eye. It was gleaming silver, with a smooth hilt and a pointed tip. I took it in my hand. It was a perfect fit. I grinned and raised an eyebrow at Karis, who stared at me. I walked over to her, and we stood side-to-side as the trainer came over to us. Karis and I smiled and introduced ourselves, and told him how we needed some sword-fighting practice.

The trainer nodded and gestured towards Karis. Karis stepped into the sword-fighting ring and took her place. The instructor did the same. "On your mark.. Get set… GO!" The trainer yelled to Karis as he lunged towards her. She parried his attack easily and kicked him squarely in the chest. He lurched backwards with a grunt, and re-steadied himself. This time, Karis was ready. She jumped towards him, and in a matter of seconds, the tip of her blade was resting atop his chest. He growled and got up, congratulating Karis on her skills. During the fight, the Careers and many other tributes had stopped to watch Karis's sword fight. Some looked on, impressed, while others glared at her with envy. Light on her feet, Karis jumped out of the ring and landed next to me.

"Your turn," she said delicately. I shook a bit. Some tributes were still watching me, waiting to see if I had the same kind of skill as Karis. Nervously, I grabbed my blade and ducked into the sword-fighting ring. The trainer looked at me expectantly. I gulped and lined up, directly across from my trainer. "On your mark.. Get set.. GO!"

He circled me, and I backed up. Instinct and adrenaline kicked in as he began to lunge forward, thrusting his sword powerfully. His blade missed me by inches as I rushed around the ring, dodging the tip of his blade. Finally, after I had run around the entire ring five full times, I stopped, tired. The trainer spotted my weakness instantly. He lunged, and I was barely able to parry his attack. He lunged once again, and I fell hard on my back, the wind knocked out of me. Instantly, the tip of his blade was at my throat. I could feel my heart beating quickly, the pulse in my throat faster than normal.

At seeing my discomfort, he removed his blade from my neck and helped me up. Smiling, he said to me, "That wasn't bad. You're very quick. Was that your first sword fight?"

I nodded, unable to speak.

He smiled again. "Well, good job! Keep up the training."

I nodded once again and practically flew out of the ring, plopping next to Karis. She grinned at me. "Good job, Asher!"

"Thanks," I muttered, cheeks on fire. I was nothing compared to Karis.

Karis, sensing my embarrassment, changed the subject. "Why don't we go to the axe-throwing station? That way you can show me up." She smirked.

I shook my head. "I don't really want to. I'd rather save my talent for the Arena." Seeing her disappointed look, I promised her that as soon as most of the tributes had scattered, we'd find a shrouded area later to practice. In the meantime, I suggested that we separate and practice alone. Karis agreed and we parted. I went to the climbing station, while she moved a station with some deadly, spiky-looking maces.

I practiced flying around the treetops, climbing on the slimmest branches, and swinging from tree to tree. By the time that most tributes had left, I had gotten pretty good at climbing and moving from tree to tree, I had to admit.

When only a few tributes remained, I motioned to Karis to come to the axe station. Going over to a dark corner, we slipped unnoticed by tributes and trainers alike. The Gamemakers sat atop their balcony, most drunk or eating. Few paid attention to the remaining tributes. It was perfect.

I showed Karis a rack of axes. I immediately grabbed a short-hilted axe with a deadly sharp blade. I swing it around me once and it curved perfectly through the air. I nod once in approval. Karis still struggles to find her perfect axe. Nothing fits her hand correctly. I smiled. It must be the way that I was earlier, at the sword-fighting station.

Finally, she found a long-hilted, short-bladed axe with a dull, silvery color. I motioned to her as we walk over to the dummies that were strategically set up in the axe-area.

I glanced over at Karis once, to make sure she's watching, and then grab the hilt of my axe tightly. I stared directly at the heart of the dummy and position my arm.

Then I threw. The axe seemed to practically fly through the air, landing gracefully and perfectly on the target's heart. I was rewarded by a burst of stuffing flying from the dummy's heart. I grinned. I love axe-wielding. I turned back to Karis, who is staring at me with a look of wonder on her face.

"Amazing," she murmured, staring at me in awe. I grinned.

"Try to beat that," I joked.

She shook her head. "I'll try, but I'm guessing that I can only dream of it."

I smiled, and she grinned back. She stepped up to the dummy, making sure to stay far enough away from it.

She positioned her slim arm, pulled her wrist back, and threw. She had a powerful arm, but her aim wasn't too good. The axe landed on the edge of the dummy's shoulder, barely making a mark.

"Good job!" I said encouragingly.

She rolled her eyes. "Stop trying to be nice. You know I'm terrible."

I shook my head. "No, you were decent. Besides, at least now you know how to throw!"

She smiled once more and motioned back to the Gamemakers, who sat drunken, perched on their balcony. "Shall we go back now?"

"Yeah," I agreed. I was tired out of my mind. And we had a few more nights of practice before the individual training sessions and the interviews.

We rode the elevator back up to our floors and departed, smiling. I walked back to my room relaxedly. I threw on some silk pajamas my Avox had left out for me, and snuggled into bed.

I really liked Karis.

How could I kill Karis?

How could I kill, period?

I'd have to learn.

It was my only way out of the Arena.

These thoughts ran through my head as I dozed off.