Let the Games begin.

Disclaimer: i only own Septa

I am soaring through the sky, a golden predator looking for my prey. I see it. It is a Jabberjay. I change my mind. I do not want the Jabberjay. What is the point? The Capitol will just make more if they want to, though it was them who tried to get rid of them. I catch a mouse and eat it quickly in a tree. Then I am taking off and soaring through the sky again. I am free. I look down and see a Mockingjay below me. I ignore it. I am not going to worry about it. There is nothing about it that I can worry about. It is not a threat to me. But why is it beneath me? Since I took off, it has been with me. What does it mean? Is Katniss trying to tell me something? I do not want her help! The thought to kill the Mockingjay crosses my mind. I dismiss it. The Mockingjay is beneath me. I continue flying.

"Septa, wake up." I slowly wake from my dream. It had been so good. I had been an eagle, flying through the skies, free. I open to see Rynna standing over me. She is holding a simple shift in her hand. "You will dress in the catacombs." She tells me. I only nod and get out of bed. My back itches. I look at her. "It's called a tattoo. It's done some here in the Capitol. Usually, the person getting the tattoo is put into a coma until the skin has healed." She smiled slightly, knowing I knew what she meant. They didn't have time to for the skin to heal. "Whatever you do, don't scratch it." I nod and follow her out to the roof. A hovercraft is waiting for us outside. I grab the ladder and am frozen in place. I am lifted inside. A woman in a white coat walks up to me.

"This is a tracker. Stay still so I can place it." Ha! I am glued to this damn ladder. I am released and Rynna is allowed onto the ladder. Once she is inside the hovercraft, we are directed to a room where breakfast has been laid out for us. I can only eat a bit of toast and drink some juice. I am nervous and have no idea how I was able to sleep last night. I look out the window and remember my dream. An eagle, soaring through the sky, safe and sound. I look at Rynna when the windows black out. She stands and I follow suit. She lets me go down the ladder first. She follows. We follow directions to the launch room and I immediately shower. The water soothes the itching in my back. When I see Rynna again, she has the clothes for me. All the tributes wear the same thing. The stylists have no say. She helps me dress in the undergarments and then hands me a pair of thick black pants. The shirt is of lighter material, but also black.

"Cotton." She says. "It helps keep cool or warm. Expect some weather changes." She hands me a black jacket with a hood and nods. "And rain to." She hands me the belt and I buckle it on. I turn to face her as she slips something over my head. I look at it. It's my pendent. The silver eagle. "They let it pass pretty easily. The only danger is to yourself." She hands me a pair of boots and I put them on. The soft leather reminds me of the ones I wear at home in the smithy. I hope I get back to it. I drink some water, but don't eat anything. We sit in silence until a female voice tells us that it is time to prepare for launch. Rynna gently guides me to the metal plate. She gives me a quick kiss on the cheek and then a glass cylinder separates us. She stands tall and looks at me, steel in her eyes. I look at her the same way. I know what she is telling me. You are an eagle. Do not let yourself be brought to the ground.

I look around as I am raised into the open air. We are in a large meadow next to a lake. Behind me is a forest. I make that my hiding place. I look at the Cornucopia. I look around for weapons within easy reach, ignoring Claudius Templesmith introduce the One Hundredth Hunger Games. Ten steps in is a knife. I decide not to risk it. I see a small loaf of bread next to my feet. I decide to grab it and run when the gong rings.

Lin's POV:

He gazed at the screen, keeping his eyes on one figure alone. Septa. He watched as she took in her surroundings and then looked at the Cornucopia.

"She's going to go in for it." Katniss said. He didn't reply and watched. A clock began to count down the final ten seconds. Eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. The gong rang and all hell breaks loose. He smiled as Septa grabbed the bread and ran for the trees. "She didn't,"

"She's not you." He said sarcastically. "Don't you have somewhere to be?" Katniss stormed away. He decided to do something for her uncle. "Stylists may not be able to bet on the Games, but we can. This is for you, Cinna. Watch over her." He walked up to the gambler.

"Who you gonna bet on?" He asked. Lin looked at the board.

"Septa Águila, District Twelve." He answered and placed the money down.

"You sure you want to make that bet? Everyone's betting against her, her being an Águila and all."

"I am sure."

"Alright. Here's your ticket and may the odds be ever in your favor. Though, I doubt they will be in this case."

"I am confident."

Septa's POV:

I clutch the bread to my chest as I run. I knew I should have gone for the knife, but it was not worth getting killed over. Christa had tried to get away with a large pack. That was how she got the arrow to the back. She went too far in. I did not want to make the same mistake. I trip as something whizzes over my head. I look up. It's a knife and it was aimed for my back. I look behind me and see the Careers killing off stragglers. I count myself lucky. This must have been a random shot into the forest. I pull my hood over my head and grab the knife. Now I have a weapon. As I walk, I take stock of my surroundings. I know I won't last long without some sort of water source and I won't be able to live on bread alone.

I look at the loaf in my hands and feel something hard on the bottom. I turn it over and see a sling shot and a sling. I have never used one before, but Dad told us about them, in the dead of night, when no Peacekeepers roamed the streets. I see birds flitting from tree to tree and smile slightly. I have a means of hunting until I can obtain a spear. My mood doesn't dampen when the rain starts to fall. I need to find a hiding place for now and take a better look at my surroundings. Once I have done that, then I can worry about the pack I know will be coming after me. As I walk, I look for a low tree branch and curse when I can't. Damn the Game-makers. They have tethered me to the ground for now. I find a thicket and crawl into it. It's dry and well hidden and my black clothes hide me well. I look at the sky for the dead tributes. Joel is not among them and neither are any of the careers. District 8 still has both tributes and the girl with the three is still alive as well. District Three lost one tribute as did Five, Six, and Seven. District Nine lost both tributes. They must have gone too far in. Six dead, eighteen left. Not bad for the first day of the Games if you think about it from a Capitol point of view. I turn over and go to sleep.

I look around at the land around me. This is the Quell so nothing is as it seems. This forest can be dangerous as well. The arena is split into two areas this year. There is the forest where I have hidden for now and then the meadow. The meadow is full of little bowls surrounding the Cornucopia. It glints gold in the sunrise. I know I have to find water, but I do not trust this forest. I know that I have to hunt down the rest of the tributes, except for Joel. I do not want to have to be the one to kill him. No matter what people say, he is from District Twelve. If I kill him, I have killed my home. I sigh and climb down into the thicket. I need to find a water source. I stream or river would be nice. Those have nice stones, perfect for a slingshot until I can get a better weapon to go with my knife. I also need food. The bread will only last so long.

I crawl out of the thicket, keeping my hood up, and begin walking. If I learned anything from training, it was to follow the animals. They need water as well. I see a long stick and pick it up and draw my knife. It'll be crude, but at least it will be a weapon. As I walk and form my spear, I think. I didn't stay to see the blood bath at the Cornucopia. The Capitol is probably thinking of ways to kill me off now. They know that I will not die easily, just like my brothers. I am so deep in thought that I do not see the river until I nearly fall into it. I smile weakly. I do not have any iodine to purify it and I will not risk a fire. I bite my lip as I look at the water, still carving my spear. The river is full of fish which I know I can eat raw. But there is still the problem of the water. I know that the Careers are going to have most of the supplies guarded and I am not going to destroy those just yet. I need to find a safer place to stay. Mountain water is usually the safest to drink as it comes from the snow. "Wait, there are mountains here!" I turn back towards the meadow. I didn't have to climb up the tree far before I could see the meadow. I am in the mountains. They are forested, but I am in the mountains, which means that this water is safe enough to drink without purifying it.

I go to drink and then stop. What am I thinking? These are the Games and the Quarter Quell. This water will not be safe for me to drink, let alone any of the animals. And I am right. There are no animals in sight. Trust them, that is what Dad always told us. "The Capitol may be able to engineer mutts, but they cannot deny the laws of nature." I back away from the water and toss a stick in it. Immediately, the stick is destroyed. By what, I have no idea. I am just glad that it wasn't me. I turn on my heel and make my way back down the mountain. The only safe water is going to be the rain. I need some way to catch it. I check my jacket, maybe there is something there I can use. There is nothing hidden in it. It starts to rain again and I notice that the rain drops are pooling on the surface. "Water resistance?" I wonder and smile. Perfect. I strip out of my jacket and cut a square off the bottom. I am soaked by the time I put it back on. I cut holes along the edge of the square and then take the drawstring from my hood and thread it in and out. I hold open the bag and it fills up without soaking the square. I smile and drink some. This is a lot safer than the river. I tie it and then tie it to my belt. Now, to hunt.

what did you think of her dream? please review. they are so very helpful.