" Riley get up. It's Training Day." Tucker says from the hallway, obviously not wanting to wake up today.
I push the covers to my side and I get out of my bed. My feet landing on the soft floors of my room. I slog my way out of the room into the hallway. When I release myself from my room and into the hallway and make my way to the living room. I spot Portia already putting on her 3 pounds of makeup at the window seal. I turn to the elevator when I notice a uniform laid out in front of me. It is a black jumpsuit with red and gray lacing it. A gray line on the sides of the legs and arms. Some red fixated on the back and some on the front. Also a number in gray surrounded by a gray box on the sides of my arms and on my back. 12 for my District. After examining it I head to my room where I slip into it. The black cargo boots are actually really good for running, hope it is in the arena. I leave the room and meet up with Tucker on my way to the elevator.
" Hey nice outfit." He says even though we wear the same clothes.
" You too. So what are you going to do in training?" I ask when we are in the elevator.
" Whatever is there I guess. I know I need to know how to use a weapon so I guess maybe a sword." I nod and he presses the button that leads us to the Training Center.
As the elevator descends down he starts up again. " How about you? What are you going to learn?" He asks right when the elevator comes to a stop and we are at the Training Center.
" Knife skills. Not throwing but just defense and stabbing fast enough to run away unharmed, or dead. After that some survival skills." He nods and the a large gate in front if us opens, revealing the Training Center.
It seems like stone and marble are everywhere in the Capitol. A gray marble floor and stone walls with stations situated everywhere. When we pass the gate I spot the Gamemakers room. A large hole in the wall with furniture and Capitol Gamemakers chatting about us. I ignore them and split paths with Tucker. I walk over to the knife station where a trainer stands. He has dark black hair, brown eyes, and dark brown skin. He appears humble to accompany me in training. Finally someone who cares.
" Hello I am Henry, I will teach you knife skills today." He says with a smile on his face.
" Okay. So when do we start." I ask as he hands me a knife and presses a button, making a dummy appear from the floor.
" So first I will show where the best places to cripple, harm, or kill your opponent." He then points to many parts of the body and tells me if stabbed there what pain will be inflicted.
" Head is death, neck is death, stomach is death if not tended to fast, and heart is automatically dead unless missed on accident, one of the hardest to get to. Then there is the crippling pain you can do with a knife. If stabbed in the arms of legs you can deal a great amount of pain to them. You can cripple their legs so they can't move or just can't keep up with you. Then the arms, they can't stab or throw right after that. After that if hit anywhere else it will most likely not do much to them and cost you your life if they power through it."
I nod along and understand what he says the entire time. When he finishes talking he tells me to do precisely what he just taught me on the dummy. He places a silver blade with a dark black handle in my hands. I grasp it in hand, then I run towards the dummy knife in hand. I stab and slice him up until I register what I did. I move away and see parts of him on the floor, and I find which parts they are. He now has no head or neck, a viciously stabbed heart, stomach, arms, and legs.
" Good job Riley, really good job. Henry says, obviously impressed that a girl from 12 can do that.
" Thanks Henry, I will surely come back tomorrow for more information on this." I say handing him the knife back.
" I will need to get more information than." He says and we laugh together.
" Bye." I say leaving the station.
I then head over to the ropes and knots station, which is empty. When I sit down the man smiles at me, finally having some tributes for once. I am there for a while learning about ropes and what to do with them and by the time I leave, I master it. I say goodbye as I head to my last 2 stations I want to go to. I arrive at the Edible Plants station and there are already Tucker and some other tribute there.
" Hey Tucker how is the sword training going?" I ask as the instructor retrieves plants from the bag and mini garden behind them.
" Not so great turns out I am not stong enough to swing with the swords. But I guess I could pick up on something else. Doesn't matter how about you? Going good?" He asks me,
" Actually great. I'm very skilled in knives and tying knots so far, all I need now is what plants are good and how to make a fire." I reply as the instructor hushes us and begins teaching us about plants.
She begins showing us a chart of plants explaining which ones to beware and ones to eat. Many plants seem to be dangerous, gladly I am here to learn to eat the good ones. I jam the information in my brain when she gives us the test, consisting of pictures of plants and answering good or bad, I got a 100% even though we all did it really isn't that hard to learn this stuff. When I leave the station I say goodbye to Tucker and the other guy, I think the boy from 6.
The last station I go to is the Fire Making station. I am there with both from 7, a blonde girl and guy with both green eyes and olive skin, they are possibly twins. The trainer is strict with us, wanting us to learn the concept of making a fire. After about 30 minutes of constant yelling, I finally made my first fire. Not a good one but still good enough for me. I keep trying though, eventually making a fire that I'm impressed by. No matter how hard I try, I can't beat the girl from 7. She made a fire better than mine in the first 5 minutes I couldn't even get a spark at that point! I consider an alliance with her but I just push the question in my mind to tomorrow.
A bell rings and that marks the end of the first Training Day. The Gamemakers call us to a 12 tables and give us some food, and the opportunity to ask tributes for an alliance. I just sit next to Tucker and the guy from 6 at our table. The guy from 6 appears to be in an alliance with Tucker, but at least he has one.
" Hey Riley, take a seat. You know how we are in an alliance? Well Micheal here wants in on that so what do you say?" Tucker asks while I shovel mashed potatoes in my mouth.
" Sure that would be great! We need all the help we can get being from 12 and all. So since we are now in an alliance, what are your talents?" I ask Micheal who is drinking his drink called ' Coca Cola' or something like that.
" I can handle a sword great. I know every pressure point in the human body, and I don't need much food since I didn't get much being in the slum area of my District." He says without trying to make it sound like a big deal.
" Well that is good, sounds like a day." Tucker says as we shovel down all the food he got.
Another bell rings about 10 minutes after I finish my food and we are all escorted to the elevator. All the tributes from 1 to 6 fill into the elevator, trying not to bring it to its carrying capacity. As the elevator descends up in only a few seconds the elevator comes right back down. Now the rest of us go to our rooms, us being the last ones to get there.
When we arrive in our rooms Portia is watching the re-run of the past Games. Apparently the girl from 3 won last year, named Wiress I think. I exit the elevator and go into my room and jump on my bed. I don't even take off my training uniform when I fall asleep. All I remember is a bird landing on my balcony with a stick in its mouth when my fall asleep.