Hello and thanks to everyone who read,reviewed and suscribed to my first chapter:the new year. This chapter is mainly meant to introduce characters,thier motivations and the academy. As the fanfiction starts to flow,I'll aim to post one chapter a week. There is also some combat in this chapter which is the fruitition of a lot of research into knife throwing. It seems tame compared to other Clove fics but remember these are young children being taught to enjoy hurting each other and adults watching this. The capitol is the real villain.
Anyway please enjoy,rate,subscribe and review. Even a small review can make all the difference. May the odds be ever in your favour. (Couldn't resist)
Chapter two:Red Stones
Clove's POV
I remember when I met Alex a month ago. Or as I'm meant to call him Commander Henderson. Here,in the academy we have to call everyone by their title and their last name so I'm Recruit Clove. Which suits me fine,it was fun to see the shock on the Commander's face when I said it in training. I mean it's not too hard to do a search through the Academy extranet files even for a six year old like me. I knew the password would be Snow. All the grown-ups talk about him during military strategy which is almost always boring. Today though we learned about a man called Mr Caeser and his army who stood in a weird straight line to protect each other from arrows shot by traitors to the Capitol. Cato told me it's made up for babies like me,but he's scared that I'll tackle him again so he was careful not to annoy me too much.
Anyway I learned that he's a very brave man,he used to work for Snow and he was a trainer in the last hunger games. It's nearly time for the victory tour this year and I'm so excited to wear something pretty. Like a warrior princess. A lot of the girls are mean because they can wear more expensive clothes since I don't have a dad and mom has to work at the knife factory so we can make ends meet,whatever that means. The new house we got to move in is lovely though,it's next to the academy and victors square and it's the nicest village in District 2. The best thing though is that we can stay there as long as I keep doing well at the academy. I'm going to be the toughest pupil and one day..one day I could win the hunger games and live in Victors Square with it's beautiful gardens and houses the colour of a pearl bracelet. The games are easy,just a game they tell me.
"The key to surviving a fight is three things. Knowledge of yourself,your weapon and the enemy." Henderson paces around the twilight of the training centre,the simulated lighting casting a sharp shadow across the floor. The mediterrainian sunshine from outside was trapped by the closed skylight. The recruits stood in a precise military line,though the atmosphere could be cut with a knife,it was that tense. They had been preparing for this moment for weeks.
A metal table stood before them all,piled with weapons. Henderson's wolfish eyes narrowed as he looked over the children. All stood remarkable still for six to ten year olds. "You must be prepared for everything which is why you must team up in 15 different teams. The winning pair may give the wreaths to the victor of the 65th Hunger games,Finnick Odair". he pointed to the board that hung on the board matching the recruits together. "This should be interesting" he thought.
Clove glanced at the list nervously as did the other kids. She read clearly on the board,Team 5 - Recruit Clove,Recruit Selena. Selena was a wildcat from one of the more aristocratic families in the district,using her first name rather than her second like the other children. She had a heart shaped face,silky brown hair,skin as pure as pale moonlight and violet eyes,the colour of a hazy sunset. "The last one you'd ever see" thought Henderson,remembering the last time she sparred.
Clove and Selena stood in a small circle with thier respective weapons ,surrounded by the entire academy and a group of strange men in black suits who looked eager to return home and glug wine. They were in a formal room of the academy,informally known as "the arena". The circle was surrounded by row upon row of metal seats and almost romanesque pillars. In the private box where the elite tutors stood,gathered from rank upon rank of peacekeeper forces,Henderson watched concerned for his daughter. "How do you think they'll face Commander?"
Henderson almost gasped in surprise as the vampric woman stood next to him drinking blood like wine,baring her golden fangs. He looked her over,she was definitely intimidating with her golden fangs that almost capured the sunlight. Her eyes had an almost bloodthirsty look to them. In short her presence could evoke fear in even the toughest tributes. Only twenty years old,she was determined to dominate the career circuit as a mentor for her beloved district two. Which they'd been only so "happy" to oblige. Not everyone is capable of killing someone by ripping thier throat out with thier teeth.
"Enobaria. Pleasure to see you again." A deep crease appeared in his brow as he offered her a handshake,his fingers scrunched up in the process. He couldn't help it but he felt concerned for his daughter. She had spirit but Enobaria was an expert with Clove's chosen weapon,she would know if Clove screwed up. "Knives. Like at her mothers factory." Henderson remarked to himself,he knew what Katrina had to do to make a living once he left,feeling a pang of guilt. "They'll do fine. Their tough girls" he said,his heart as tough as a wolf's hide.
"The darker one looks a little small." said Enobaria analyptically. "She might be at a disadvantage." He frowned,caught off guard by the feral woman ten years younger than him. "I wouldn't count her out,she's determined" he says defensively. "Five raw steaks fresh from district ten,dripping with blood against a bottle of the finest district one wine says the pale one wins" retorts Enobaria,sensing his vulnerability and preparing to take advantage of it. Steak was a very valuable commodity,at least in her world. A cheeky wolfish snarl appears on his face. "You're on". An amplified voice is thrown over the room,forcing them into a perpetual silence.
"Honoured gamemakers and guests,Welcome to the Academy,training youth to be the best peacekeepers and tributes in Panem. You are about to see our finest female recuits in the six to ten year block,prepare for your reflection upon them."
A silver coloured table rose up from a slot in the metal arena. "Combatants,choose your weapons and wait at the block. Any pre-emptive strikes will lead to disqualification."Clove eagerly sprinted forward collecting a belt of throwing knives,all different shapes and sizes,she walks back as Selena collect's her weapon,a fine rapier,perfectly balanced with a golden hilt in the shape of an eagle,the academy's symbol,with wings outstreched as the crossguard. The academies true name engraved below on the handle. Academiae rubrum lapides.
They both stood facing each other on dark red blocks,a sanguine expression on thier faces. "I need to win,you can do this!",Clove though optimistically then the shrieking sounds of the bell,that sounded like Valkyries rang signalling them to start. The girls stared at each other,though they had never even talked she felt a bitter hatred for her opponent with the heart shaped face and eyes as blinding as the moon.
Clove smiled,she had the advantage for now,Selena had to get close to attack her whilst she had better range. She took a stiletto knife,feeling it's weight balanced upon the tip of the handle,pinching the blade carefully between her thumb and index finger. Becoming a natural extension of her arm,she visualises the rotations of the knife slicing through the air,aiming for Selena's left arm,hoping to incapacitate her.
One Rotation. Selena charges directly for her,providing an easy target.
Two Rotations. She flicks the weapon,testing it's weight as she closed the distance. Nearly there.
Three rotations.Selena suddenly ducks down avoiding the deadly projectile. Clove frowns,her pride wounded she jabs at her with the deadly saber.
Caught off balance with no weapon drawn,she's forced to leap out of the way,noticing a small red drop of blood on the floor. Hers. She must have caught her finger with the knife while she threw it. A searing jolt of pain explodes in her hand as if answering in response. Her pride wounded,she angrily draws a bowie knife from her belt,with a saw edge,better suited to hand to hand combat. Her opponent lunges at her as Clove dodges it again,imagining that she was Cato. Her worst enemy. Spinning round,the bloodcrazed girl growls like a wildcat contrary to her usual aloof demeanour. Rapier in her hands slashing at Clove like the claws of a tiger. Heated up aswell,Clove deflects a blow to her head with the small hilt of the knife. Something only elite knife fighters could do. The hilt is stained with blood,her own from her finger. The sawline of the knife rips against the wildcat Selena's life as the mouse Clove kicks her in the shin to throw her off balance,causing her to fall adjacent to the sharp knife.
The crowd seems to cheer at the blood,Enobaria's lips moisturising each other delicately as if enjoying the pretty splashes of red against the floor,almost as if anticipating her steak. Clove can almost hear her teacher's words from when they first met,"Your knife is your best friend." Overconfidently she attempts to tackle Selena and hold the knife to her throat. "I'm better than you. Stoneworker." spits the downed girl,using the biggest insult available to children thier age in the upper classes. Clove then feels fain as she is pushed over and pinned to the floor. Blood painted on her hand.
Faint. So very faint. All she saw was a wolf eyed figure and disturbing golden teeth,leading her to the medic. The last thing she heard was a female voice,a voice that belonged to a predator of the highest calibre. "I always win. Now for that shipment of steak."
Henderson's POV
A growl surfaced from my lips as I looked at the board of recruits,paired up into teams for this testing exercise. They were tested everyday to see if the had the stones to be a tribute or peacekeeper commander. No pun intended of course. There was a reason the academy of the red stones was the finest in Panem. Still I wish my daughter wasn't here.
I wanted her to have a safe life. But it's my fault she ended up here,I believed that...ok I didn't believe anything. I was a good soilder,did as I was told and forgot the incident. I shouldn't care about her,I can't care about her. She'd be safer that way. But she's had to become hard as the rocks in a kiln because of me.
When I saw her name on that board,I saw the girl that fainted from blood loss from her own knife. Now partnered with her worst enemy,the two bright sparks of the academy that threatened to spontaneously combust into an inferno anytime,destroying itself in it's glory. The only person who was more of a danger to my girl was that boy Cato. He was strong,ruthless and had no mercy. A shoe-in for tribute in a few years. If my daughter or any of my other students happened to be in the same games as him there'd be trouble for sure. I just want to protect my little girl. But the only way to do that is to ignore her and do my job. If she ever knew about me and Katrina,what happened in the past,she would smile manically as her pain stabbed into my heart like a dagger. What kind of crap am I,Alexander Jonathan Henderson talking about. I just need to do my job. No feelings,just what needs to be done.
Like a lone wolf looking out for itself in the world.
Authors Notes:
The extranet that clove refers to in her pov is based on the internet. I imagine that the wealthier areas of the districts and Capitol would have access to it,and as the academy is unoffically sanctioned by the capitol I assumed they would have access to it for communication between them and the capitol and for accessing information to educate the recruits. And Clove accessing it was an attemp to show he clever she could be and the predictability of the teachers,being spoonfed from capitol propoganda.
Mr Caeser was meant to hilight the sort of thing the students were taught. Capitol officals would have some idea of the past from old books,relics etc but they would probably mould it for the own purposes as propaganda and misinformation. And hint at Cato who I unfortunately couldn't fit much of in this chapter.
Selena is quite an important character in her influence on Clove and I've tried to prevent them both from being mary sue's and Stoneworker is a reference to the fact only the weakest and poorest families in the district are stoneworkers. Coming from a much richer background from Clove who had to enter the academy for the preferential treatment "unoffically" provided to the family recruits,I thought it was apt. The "Arena" is a refrence to the culture of district two,similar to ancient rome. And the Academies name,Academiae rubrum lapides or Academy of the red stones is in latin and is a refrence to the blood spilt by thier graduates onto the ground and caries on the romanesque/stone theme.
Apologies for the huge amount of clarifications,if anyone is confused feel free to pms. More will be posted next chapter. And finally if any of you are Cinna fans,I really reccommend reading The mockingjay killed my father by Annabelle Carlie,it's an interesting concept considering the lack of information on Cinna.