Today is Victor's Birthday….
An enormous pile of presents sits before him. It's so huge! He feels like royalty. All hail King Victor! He rubs his hands excitedly. It's all his! He grabs one with green shiny wrapping. It's a white shirt, with a ruffled collar. He holds it away from his face. That's not a very good present! Then he remembers the ripped shirt sitting in the back of his clothing drawer. Mommy bends down next to him. "Do you like it, Vic?" Victor sees his mommy's big belly. She's having a baby soon and Victor's going to be a big brother! It's going to be a girl, but that's okay. He's just excited to be a big boy now. But this present doesn't really look like something a big boy would wear. He frowns. Victor knows he shouldn't lie. That would be mean, right? "I don't like it mommy." He says truthfully. Everyone in the room begins to laugh. What's so funny? He told the truth, that's all. His mommy's face turns a shade of red as she grabs the shirt from him. Well good. He didn't want that anyway. "That is not what you should do." She whispers through clenched teeth. Uh oh. Mommy's mad. Victor does not like it when his mommy gets mad. But now his daddy's hand is on her shoulder. "Crystal, it's all right. There are plenty of other presents." He's right. Soon, Victor is attacking the pile again. A toy train. A teddy bear. An army of toy soldiers. Victor sits back, smiling. The teddy bear is for babies, but he'll play with the soldiers. Now there is just one package left. It's bigger than the rest. He rips it open. A sword! It's a wooden sword, painted shiny, metallic silver. He lifts it up, grinning. It's a sort of tradition that District 1 boys who are going to be Careers to receive a wooden sword on around the time of their fourth birthday. But Victor doesn't know this. All he knows is that he's been wanting one for a long time. He squeals excitedly and begins waving it around.
"Look Daddy, I'm strong!" He shouts, hoisting the sword above his head. All the adults laugh. What did he say? But he's having too much fun to care. Suddenly, he feels the sword being tugged out of his arms. "I wanna a turn!" Little Emory has yanked it out of his grip. Oh, that is just too far! Victor yanks the sword back, and pushes Emory back for good measure. "Mine!" Victor shouts. Aunt Ivory, Emory's mommy, grabs her baby and begins to scold Victor. How could he! He's just a baby! But Victor sulks. It was his! Crystal moves to Victor, shaking her head angrily. She turns to Victor's daddy. "Well, aren't you going to do something?" She demands. But he just leans back on the couch. "He's a fighter who knows what's his. He's going to be tough." Victor beams at his daddy's pride. He's going to be tough. His mother, however, is less impressed. She and Aunt Ivory give Cornelius a look as if to say "I can't believe you." Upon seeing this, Cornelius simply gives them a very sad smile.
"The boy has the right instinct. You've got to keep what's yours from the weaker ones in that arena. And if the weaker ones get too close, you've simply got to get rid of them."
The room is silent. Even Great Aunt Opal, who is always talking, has nothing to say. Victor sits back, confused. What's daddy talking about? What's an arena? But he doesn't want to just sit here and think. It's his birthday! He jumps up, sword in hand. "I'm going outside to play!" He shouts. Uncle Mercury nods. "Yes, why don't you and Ruby go outside?" Ruby grabs his hand and they both run out into the sun. Oh, it's so warn outside! Victor takes his sword and begins to swing at a tree. Ruby giggles. He begins to giggle too. It's hard to swing a sword while giggling! So that just makes him laugh more. Ruby puts her arm around him, shaking with laughter. "You just looked so silly, swing it like that." Ruby tells him. Suddenly, he turns to her. He's got a question. "What's an arena?" He asks. Ruby sits on the porch steps. "You learn about it at the Training Center." She says.
"What's that?"
"It's the place I go to now. You'll get there when you turn eight. You train there, for the arena. Because the arena's where you fight. Not just with wooden swords, but real ones." She says wisely.
"Oh, so I am going to fight with swords in the arena." Ruby nods. "That sounds fun!" Ruby grins. She tells him that it is. Victor can't wait. Someday, he's going to get a real live sword!