Ch. 18- Solving

Okay, here's a chap!

Jack POV

Huuuuh… right now, I'm walking along in the back of the group, looking for a new place. Hiccup isn't talking to me. Rapunzel is his reluctant messenger. At least Percy and Mer talk.

Currently, we are going towards the lake. Hiccup said something about 'The top of blue glass' and reflections. Mer promised to explain later.

I don't feel right. It's like… I dunno. Something's wrong, I think. It's the atmosphere. I keep my stick at the ready.

I can see the others feel it too. Hiccup has his hand by the pocket that has his dagger in it, Punzie's fingering her frying pan (I've still got a lump. Those things hurt!), Merida has her bow, Percy his sword, and I know Bianca and Nyssa have swords. I honestly have no idea what Frank and Leo are doing.

The lake emerges from the trees. It looks so refreshing. Not a breeze ripples the surface. An old-looking temple is by the shore. I can hear talking.

Hiccup curses. "Okay, Merida? Please tell that weird brown-haired guy that you and him are going to sneak to the other side. While the remaining rush it, you guys will pick of those who try to flee. Got it?"

Mer sighs in exasperation. "He can hear ya. Fine."

It was easy to get around them without getting noticed. I could've danced and they would just keep on arguing.

"The Careers are stupid, but tough. So I say we lay a trap."

"No! We make some alliances, then rush in!"

"I think we should attempt an alliance with them, and if they attack, we lead them into a trap."

The argument continues as such. They aren't much of a team. One wants the toughest way, one wants the trickiest, and one wants peaceful. They should be easy to take down.

Then, I see the tricky one smile, and she suddenly throws her javelin into the undergrowth where the others are!

A girl cries out, it grows strangled, then dies completely.

With a roar of rage, Bianca is sprinting towards the group sword in hand. The others are close behind. Wait! Not all the others.

Nyssa's missing.

Before I have time to think, Merida jumps up and starts shooting. I rush into the fray.

It's not much of a competition, actually. I take down the only boy of the group, and Leo takes down a girl.

I see black hair in the bushes… I must have imagined it.

The battle is over before it even started. Two bodies on the floor, bloody.

Hiccup frowns. "Weren't there three people? We're missing the other girl from 5!"

I blink. So that was district 5?

"I see Maleficent Sorceror is dead, Tom Riddle is dead, I remember Junior MacIntosh was already dead. Where's Seraphina Earth?"

I will attempt to speak with Hiccup. "I think I saw black hair go into the bushes. I thought I imagined it."

He scowls. "Sorry, did anybody else hear something? Can what did you guys hear?"

Leo impatiently repeated the information.

The brunette nods. "I guess she escaped. Look out for her in watch. I've heard that she's the daughter of Pitch with a district worker."

Wow. I did not see that coming. But probably just a rumor.

Suddenly, Hiccup starts examining the walls. "Aha! I knew there would be runes here! Just a minute…"

After about 60 minutes, his head pops into the world of the living once again. "They say, 'the bladed key will unlock victory'." I'm thinking it means a sword. But everyone has a sword. Or maybe we need a certain one to unlock the thing under the lake…"

Merida blinks. "How do you know it's under the lake?"

Hiccup smirks. "The top of blue glass! It's simple! Under the lake, there's something that can help us! It's so simple, I don't know why I hadn't thought of it before today."

Actually, I can tell it's making everybody but me feel stupid. "What are you talking about? Runes? Lakes?"

He is so excited he forgets to not talk to me. " l learned how to read these runes that are popping up everywhere and they give hints, one said, 'Under the top of blue glass, the secret is kept'. It was talking about the lake! And one led us to those passages in the castle walls! And now this one said a sword will unlock or activate something that will help us!"

Oh. That makes sense now. Kinda. "Thanks."

But Hiccup is already talking to Percy. "Can you build boats?"

The District 4 looks offended. "Of course I can build boats."

"Can you build one if we pick up this timber?"

"Yeah, but it'll be rickety. That okay?"

"Yep. Wait- Raise your hand if you can swim!"

Frank, Percy, Leo, Hiccup, Merida, and Rapunzel.

Bianca murmurs a little about how she can only tread water, and I don't say anything. My worst nightmares have always been about one of two things: losing Emma, or drowning. I'm not getting on that boat.

The boat is almost finished. It's night. I hear music playing, and I rush out to see the dead.

District 1: Ethan Nakamura. Ethan was killed today?

District 3: Nyssa Forge. I hear a muffled sob from Bianca.

District 4: Amphitrite Nymph. Percy is emotionless.

District 5: Tom Riddle, Maleficent Sorceror.

District 8: Hermione Granger.

District 9: Tam Farrell.

District 11: Sophie Prentice.

The Capitol Anthem plays again, and the screen is turned off.

Percy hasn't said or done a thing about the death of his District Member. I ask him why.

"I've never liked her. Always too eager to please, and too quick to bully. Me and my brother Tyson were always her favorites to pick on."

Ah.

It's time for us to go to sleep. Hiccup is still not going to trust me with guard duty, and guards himself. I close my eyes.

There's blood everywhere, staining the grass and the dirt. All of the remaining tributes are fighting, District versus District versus District. Percy is stabbed through the guy by Jason. I try to move, but I can't. Rapunzel is burned to death by Seraphina. Hiccup kills himself when Rapunzel dies. I see Bianca hugging a little boy who looks like her, trying to protect him. But shadows come and swallow both of them up.

People are killed off, one by one.

Then the worst comes. Every tribute that was killed comes back made of shadow, and each flanked by horses of black sand. It's only me and Merida left. She's shooting arrows desperately, but it doesn't affect the horrors.

I swing my stick through them, and for some reason they distenagrate. They are all gone. Then, Pitch is standing there. He's holding a gun. He fires at Merida. I push her to the side, and I take the bullet. It knocks me into a small pond. A black cloud collects in the freezing water.

I see Emma fade away before my eyes.

I can't breath… I'm drowning…

I wake up in a cold sweat. That was easily the worst dream I've ever had.

Hiccup glances over at me, dark circles under his eyes. It's the middle if the night.

"Hey, you look tired. How 'bout I take over guard duty for tonight?"

He hesitates, then nods. Within minutes, he's asleep.

I look around.

There's nothing in the woods.

Hiccup and Rapunzel are sleeping close to each other. I smile.

Then I look at Merida. She was so beautiful when she slept, no frowns, no angry faces. Just neutral, with a small smile on her face, like she knew something we didn't.

One thing I need to clear up: yes, I watched her sleep. For a minute. No more. It sounds stalker ish, but I was bored and had nothing better to do.

Ok, now I pick up my stick. I need to practice right? As I swing it around, I think of my fondest memories.

Teaching Emma how to hunt.

"Okay, you're better with a bow than I am, so practice with that later. See this knife, you just pull back, aim, and… fire!"

Her arm snaps forward,and strikes the fake rabbit in the eye.

She giggles. "I did it, Jack!" With a proud smile.

Walking with Sandy.

'The woods are quiet today.'

"Yep. And they seem even prettier."

'Yes. How's your mother?'

"She's better. That bout of flu was nasty, wasn't it? And we couldn't afford a cure, since Dad had earned all the money before he left. I'm just glad Emma and I didn't catch it."

'Yes. We were truly blessed.'

"I'm glad you didn't get it either, Sandy."

Playing with Dad when I was little.

His father was a big man, and always ready to play.

"I am going to get you! Vere could Jack be…?"

Jack giggles.

"Is he… under the bed? No… is he… in the bed? No… is he… under the table…?"

The big man lifts up the table cloth. Jack shrieks in surprise, then scurries away on all fours.

"Jack isn't getting away from me!"

He reaches down, scoops Jack up, and tickled him.

Jack and his Father's laughs echoed through the school building, where his father worked, together.

Emma's little hummingbird that she keeps at our forest base.

"Hey Jack?"

"Yes?"

"This hummingbird is always here. She reminds me of Tooth… can I keep her?"

"Sure!"

"Thank you, Jack! I'm going to name her Baby Tooth, and she's going to be my best friend!"

Sure enough, Baby Tooth followed her everywhere.

Tired, I look up at the moon. It is a half-moon tonight, but still so beautiful and bright…

I lean against the nearest tree, and watch the moon and the others for the rest of the night.

I didn't know how to end this one. But you got some info on Jack, solutions to the riddles, and plans, and another possibly important character. If you're wondering what happened to the Careers, they got in a tousle with Districts 8 and 9. Sophie from Distrct 11 fell into a trap.

To anyone who possibly guessed that the lake was the 'top of blue glass', congrats! You get cookies.

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To those of you who didn't guess, aww well. You still get cookies.

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Another chap soon! Real soon!

G'syr: yep, she's writing it as you read this.