Happy Hunger Games Tuesday everybody! A little late today I know but I worked in the morning today. Either way I'm back. Thanks for the reviews to those who gave them! On their note I know the chapters have been a touch on the short side. Part of it is because of the hunger games Tuesday. Which I do want to keep doing otherwise I'm going to start missing days and I'll never finish . . . I know me on that one. But if enough people don't like the short chapters then I'll bump them up on my next story.
Enough rambling though. Hunger Games!
Chapter 5
Korra enjoyed the way the district 1 tributes watched the fives. The boy specifically eyed the girl like a piece of meat waiting to be carved. Korra wondered if their skin could catch fire from the intensity.
Korra nearly jumped out of her costume when the district two tribute tapped her shoulder from behind. Her hand was already straight and could feel herself reaching for ice to throw. The boy looked ridiculous. His outfit was meant to reflect something with the old Earth Kingdom. The suit was tight and gray leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination. Stone bits of what she was sure was gravel clung to it on the shoulders, back, and most of his legs. The muscles of his chest were clear through the fabric.
"You must be the 4 volunteer I heard about." He said.
"Then you must be from 2?"
He nodded, "Wasn't it obvious? We should be working together. I'm Wei. Wei Beifong."
"Korra." She extended a hand and he took hers. Neither drew attention to the way they looked at each other. He was small, but his strength was clear from his costume. Earthbender no doubt. Possibly metalbender too if he was really a Beifong like he claimed. No one would pretend they didn't know the Beifong story. Their family were legends, champions of district 2. In the entire world no one compared to the glory and downfall of their one family.
Toph Beifong was the winner of the very first Hunger Games. In any normal games she would have been too old, but there were exceptions made for the first few games in most areas in an attempt to make them as explosive as possible. And Toph was exactly the picture of victory the capitol wanted. She was ruthless, vicious, and let nothing stop her. But even after she was entered her line was not safe from the games. One after the other both of her two daughters were entered, both winning the game in their year. From that point on the two lived very different lives. The older, Lin Beifong, lived a life of solitude as a peace keeper for her district. The younger, this boy's mother no doubt, began a family. Suyin would be the last in the line of Beifong glory.
Less than five years ago her oldest son, Baatar Beifong Jr. was entered into his games. He had done well enough to survive until the final six. Even Tonraq had admired his resourcefulness and engineering genius he used to buy his support from the carrers. Eventually though they did turn on him as they all knew there could only be one winner. Three years later Huan Beifong didn't even survive the cornucopia.
"Well Wei." Korra finally said with a cough, "I'll see you at training tomorrow. It's been uh, nice meeting you." He said his goodbys and she went to where her mentors and the other 4 boy was waiting at the elevator.
How many floors up was hers? The button in the elevator said four, but she had to have been higher. Korra couldn't bring herself to try to put her head out the window to look down. She was practically in the sky! As the sun set the entire capital lit like a jewel just for her.
Korra even slept well for the most part. It would have been nice to learn about Mako today, but it could wait another day. Seeing a Beifong was a nice addition. She did worry about how he would do though. He seemed much stronger than his brothers.
The bed here was firm, but not hard like the wooden frame of her bed in the water tribe. The blankets were soft and warm and comfortable and Korra seemed to sink into them. She still found herself wishing for the rough touch of the furs of the animals her father had hunted.
To help her sleep a small device had been installed that control the sound of the room. She spent what had to have been more than an hour scrolling through things like passing satomobiles and birds. At last her room sounded much like the inside of a cavern dripping with water. A fire crackled and a wolf howled peacefully in the distance. It was the rhythmic lull of a steady drumbeat that finally eased her into sleep.
When she wrapped her arms around her pillow she could almost feel her father's rough hand on her shoulder. She missed it. She missed the cold of winter. She missed her home. She told herself it wouldn't be long until she saw them again.
When morning came she tried to listen to her mentors. They knew what they were talking about, but her mind wouldn't sit still. The first day of training was less than an hour away.
The mentors warned against showing off to much of their skills. Save it for the arenas and the game makers they said. Focus on what they don't know. Tonraq had told her the same things countless years before. The boy hardly picked at his food. It seemed he was determined to starve himself before the games began.
At the bottom of the elevator the other tributes had gathered. Korra had left the boy along to finish eating. She wasn't the last one there but Wei called her over right away with a wave. He was already with the careers from district one. Wei was proving to be social and none of the glances his way were ones of dislike. Korra hoped the game makers on the balcony overlooking the training arena didn't like him too much.
The two careers from district one were named Chee and Yong. Both were thin but Korra could see the lean muscle in their limbs. Korra knew there was bound to be fire burning in them. Chee had extraordinarily long black hair. Perfectly straight and held in place with pins. Another trademark of the women of district 1.
The sound of a shrill whistle caught the tributes attention. The other four boy had finally joined them. When Korra looked at him she noticed Mako nearby. He was alone, indifferent almost, to the others. He leaned against a wall with his hands in his pockets looking towards the whistle blower.
The man stood in front of the tributes like a statue of stone. Fire Lord Zuko's very own grandson, Iroh II. He had been forcibly entered into the second hunger games as a young boy. For every year after he oversaw training to ensure every tribute had equal chance of survival. Though he stayed true to his code to treat all tributes equally the careers from district one tended to treat him like a war hero year after year.
"Listen up tributes." He said sternly, "The biggest question you've been waiting for." He waited a moment as each tribute leaned closer, needing to hear his answer. "Yes. There will be bending in this year's hunger games."
The boy from seven and the girl from six almost broke down at the announcement. They were easy, non-bending targets for the rest of them no doubt.
"Now, this is going to be your training arena. You can use any of the equipment that you need. Instructors are at every station if you need help. And that," He pointed to a small, windowless black door along a wall "Is your sparing room. Only two tributes may enter at a time. And fighting between tributes is permitted only in that room. Keep in mind that everything in that room is monitored and you will be accompanied by trainers." He nodded to the line of them who were waiting for the session to begin. There were so many of them Korra wondered what they did during the off season of the games.
Iroh went on about more rules and restrictions. Korra wasn't listening. Korra was watching the other tributes. The other careers were doing the same and she knew why. Who would they challenge? Nothing else would be a better display of her opponents strength, skill, or style.
Wei she could challenge for sure. She needed to see if he carried the same curse of the other Beifong children. The shrill blare of Iroh's whistle marked the beginning of training. Before she could ask Chee made his challenge to Wei and the two headed towards the room.
Korra spent a moment pouting with a scowl on her face. Finally she settled on utilizing a climbing wall. In the flat, frozen landscape of the frozen tundra there wasn't much of a need for the skill. Korra hardly did it well. She had poor judgment for handholds and was constantly left slipping. Only her sheer upper body strength alone kept her on the wall until she reached the top. Being up so high made her a little nervous but jumping down she found easy.
She passed the boy as she went to a different station. He struggled over a pile of wood as he attempted to light a fire. Korra shook her head. What man didn't know how to light his own fires? Then she remembered he wasn't even old enough to go ice dodging, much less be a man. Korra pushed on before she could develop sympathy for him.
Korra tried her hand at a less interesting challenge: Archery. The girl from district three was proving to be plenty useful at it. Giving into the girls taunts Korra fired and missed her target horribly. Korra's skin burned under her laughter.
"Come on," A voice korra didn't recognize spoke up. Good thing too. Visions of turning that bow into a club were starting to show up. "Leave the fighting to the games." Archer girl almost said something back. Iroh's whistle stopped her and she backed away with narrow eyes.
"I could have had her." Korra grumbled drawing the bow a second time. Her muscles ached at the unfimilar pull.
"I'm not here to fight you." Mako said
"Maybe you missed the point of the games."
"That's actually why I'm here. You volunteered for four didn't you?"
"Yeah,"
"Your dad won his own games right."
"So you want to be allies?" Korra dropped the bow, glad not to shoot it again.
"Couldn't hurt." He shrugged, Korra was less willing. She didn't like his eyes. A deep anber that was both dull and calculating. She had seen the same look in her father's eyes when they watched the games together. She remembered the way he fought the peace keepers when they announced his brother. His wild and raw skill.
"Alright, but I won't just work with anyone." She told him, "I need to know I won't be wasting my time."
"Let me guess." He glanced at the sparing door. A loud buzzer announced the return of the other two. Wei was rubbing his shoulder and Chee walked with a small limp. It was impossible to tell who had won. But Wei at least was smiling as he waved to the trainer of another station and made his way there.
Mako cleared across the room to Iroh to claim his spot before Yong came. The instructor gave him a nod before he waved her into the door.
He was being far too nice. Far too trusting. It had to be some kind of ploy to get her guard down. She would have to knock him down a few pegs just to be sure.