Chapter 15:

Sri Gadrel, District One, Age 17

Victor of the 90th Hunger Games

There was a big uncertainty going into the Games this year with a brand new Gamemaker at the helm. But one thing didn't change when Akakios Salome took over: the arenas were still all about entertainment.

And Sri was okay with that. Sometimes it's good to have some consistency, even if that consistency is just the Gamemakers wanting to make the Games as entertaining as possible. Sri is able to work with that to earn their victory. But really, they're just glad it's somewhere out in the sun and not that dark and freaky funhouse arena from the previous year. Ugh, just thinking about it sends a shiver down their spine.

Sri has always had a bit of a flare for the dramatic – they didn't actively get leads in the newly rebuilt theater department for no reason – and so they knew what had to be done to make sure the Gamemakers favor them for victory.

They made it so easy for them with this arena.

Sri had charmed their way into the alliance that had holed up in what seemed to be one of the two bases of the arena that they could only describe as a pirate island. It didn't take much to win their trust and then slit their throats in the night, leaving them as the sole occupant of the building. There was only one entrance to the building on top of a cliff and that was across a rickety rope bridge and they were ready to take full advantage of that whenever the Gamemakers sent a tribute their way.

That time had finally come.

Sri hears the clinking sound of the bone trip wire, signaling someone was approaching and quickly put on the old hat they found and picked up the scimitar. They twirl the sword in their hand a little bit and take a couple deep breaths, hyping themself up for the fight that is about to happen. This is what they've been preparing for, after all. But now that it's here…they're a little scared.

But it's show time though. They have to go out on stage – or rather, out into the arena. They slap the side of their face a couple times to hype themself up, just like they do back in One before any show, before kicking open the door with a shout of rage. How dare these tributes come towards them! They will tremble in fear at them!

"Who goes there?!" they shout in a booming voice as they stand on the porch, staring out at the approaching threat. They keep their chest puffed out, one hand holding their scimitar up and the other on their hip, hoping to look threatening.

But they very quickly realized that they were not the bigger threat, for standing at the other end of the rope bridge was not one, not two, but three tributes. The other tributes aren't the ones trembling in fear. Sri is the one trembling.

"Oh shit," Sri mutters to themself and quickly runs over to the rope bridge, knowing they have to work fast if they are to have any chance of survival. They start hacking away at one end of the rope where it connects to the posts, hoping that somehow this will work.

It takes until the three are halfway across for them to get through one side and the bridge shakes precariously. They desperately cling to the rope as Sri starts hacking at the other side and they realize what they are doing. "What the fuck are you doing?!" the girl from Five shouts at them. She starts running towards them while the other two start running back to the other side, desperately trying to get off the bridge before Sri can make it collapse.

Sri lets out a cry of success when they get through the remaining rope and the bridge starts swinging over towards the cliff. The girl from Five tries to leap towards them at the last second, but her hands scrap at the cliff as she screams, falling down to her death. The other two cling to the bridge as it slams into the other side of the cliff. The impact sends one of them falling to the ground and two cannons fire in quick succession.

"HA!" Sri shouts at the one boy who has managed to cling to the bridge. He starts climbing up it, almost slipping a few times, and Sri scowls when he pulls him up onto the other side of the cliff. But hey, at least they managed to get two more kills in a matter of minutes! "That's what you get for trying to mess with me! No one can touch me, the victor!"

With that, Sri turns and starts heading back into the building, but they realize that truly no tribute is going to be able to touch them here. But that can't last forever. Not if they want to get out of this arena. The Gamemakers won't let them win without making any other kills.

Sri glances back at the rope bridge they cut down, realizing they had cut the only way to this cliff. Their plan worked well…maybe too well…

How were they going to get down from here to find the other tributes?!

And there we have Sri Gadrel, victor of the 90th Hunger Games and for anyone that likes stats, their win puts D1 in the lead at this point with the most victors. This also kicks off a new era of the Games with Akakios as the Head Gamemaker that will span a couple decades.

Not much for me to say here aside from the usual. At the time of posting this, I have 8 updates stockpiled for this so as long as I remember to update, there will be consistent updates for a while.

See you next week with a familiar victor from District Two.