New plan: Uploading twice a week, always on a Monday as well as another day. Thank you so much for reading this! I'm going to devote a chapter to each day of training, a chapter for the assessments, and a chapter for the interviews, before continuing 1 chapter a day until the end of the games! This fan fiction is not stopping at the end of the games. There's going to be a 'book 2'. I haven't decided whether it will be in this book, or I'll create a new story, but whatever happens, this story will go beyond the games. I've already decided potential love interests, all the deaths (enter my massive excel file…), etc. Who do you think will win the 75th Hunger Games? Once again, as I have said multiple times before, I really appreciate all of you for reading my story. It means so much to me! I have a Discord server (invite in profile) with tribute appearances, announcements, etc, so if you have Discord and you'd like to join the group, be my guest! If you read this entire intro, thank you for taking the time to do so! Now for the next chapter.
After breakfast, we get back into the lift. It swoops down to the floor of the training centre. There, our district numbers are pinned to our backs. Over breakfast, Haymitch told us not to reveal our best skills whilst we're in training, and appear more mediocre than we are. So, I might have a go with one of the bows, once, but I'll focus on camouflage, edible foods, and other weapons. My best skill is most likely being able to construct shelter. In a way, we each bring something to the team. Jasmi can cook, Prim is a brilliant medic, Robin knows about herbs and plants, Nathan can identify poisonous things, and is pretty strong, Sapo can use brute force, I can build us a shelter and set some snares, and Argent can throw projectiles if anyone attacks us. But we're relying on some place with plants and wood. We've been instructed to all stick together. So, that's what we'll do.
The head trainer, a tall, athletic-looking woman named Atala appears, explaining the training schedule. We can travel freely from area to area, whilst heeding our mentor's instructions. Some stations teach survival skills, some combat. We're not allowed to fight other tributes, but there are assistants on hand if we want to practice with a partner.
When she finishes, those of us who aren't careers sort of stand around awkwardly, not speaking to anyone outside of our districts. I notice that I'm one of the tallest tributes – the only people who are higher are Sapo, some of the Careers, the Odair boy and a nasty boy from 11. Nathan is about an inch below me, but he's the closest to my height.
Nathan shuffles his feet slightly. "Should we check out the camouflage workshop?" He says.
"Sure. Sounds good," I say. We all awkwardly walk over. The instructor is delighted to have some tributes to work with. In the next hour, we learn how to paint ourselves in such a pattern that we would absolutely blend in beneath a tree. Alternating light and dark, it perfectly mimics the dappled shadows of leaves. We learn how to blend paint into the precise hue of a random stone. We learn how to arrange a pile of wood and stone in such a way that an entrance to a cave or hide-out can be completely concealed, yet hidden. Nathan is easily the best out of us all – his hand is indistinguishable from a patch of grass by the time he's done.
Robin tugs on my sleeve, and whispers that he'd like to do knot tying and edible plants, and we all agree to go over there. Unsurprisingly, he and Prim are both great at it. Jasmi is also pretty good. I'm better at knots than edibles, also unsurprisingly, given that I set snares on a daily basis. Sapo is just milling around. At one point, whilst we were painting ourselves, he picked up an enormous weight, and effortlessly hurled it at the Gamemakers. We were all horrified, until it bounced off a forcefield. Thankfully, no one got hurt. I can see the Careers eyeing him though. I don't know if he'll make it through the bloodbath. There is one Career who stands out, though. I think there must be two volunteers from 4. The Cyclone girl, and that brutal one with the platinum hair. The platinum girl looks nasty. However, the other one… she doesn't look cruel, or vicious, or brutal. She looks kind. Protective. I have a feeling that she's not going to be with them in the games.
After knot-tying, and plants, it's lunch time. At lunch, unlike breakfast and dinner, we eat in a hall all together. The careers all gather together, with a gaggle of younger kids as well as some other older members of their districts. I recognise a couple from 6 and 8, and a few others from other districts. What are they doing? Perhaps they've agreed to protect the kids or something, in exchange for… I don't know. It's odd. There's another table, with some of the District 4 tributes. The Odair boy, the two young girls, the Cyclone girl, a young girl from 2. I can easily see them trying to help the younger ones. They also have the two littlest from 11, 3 tributes from 7, and a boy from 9. Most of them don't look able to fight. The two older ones from 4, and the boy from 9 seem to be able to handle weapons. The Cyclone girl – Ann, I hear someone call her, is strong. She has a good aim, and can easily wrestle the assistants. The Odair boy is fantastic with a trident, and able to use a knife to good effect at close range. And the boy from 9 is pretty good with a scythe. There's a few more small alliances. Someone from 9, and 2 people from 8, a group of 3 from 10, and one group with a terrifying boy from 11, a sly girl from 1, and a cruel-faced boy from 9.
After lunch, we try out archery. None of the others can shoot, but they usually hit the target, even if it's not where they should be aiming. I consistently hit the target, but I rarely get a bullseye. Next, we decide to throw things. Argent tells us that he's playing mediocre. He says this loudly enough to get stares from the careers. What a cretin. I think Jasmi is smarter. But not by much. Everyone here is smarter than Sapo. We all take it in turns. None of us have done it before. Nathan is ok at spear throwing, Jasmi couldn't do it to save her life, Argent sometimes hits the target, Prim hates the idea of hurting people, and so does Robin. Finally, I try. I decide to start with a spear, then a knife.
To my shock, I hit the target first time, near the bullseye, skewering the target. Helayne whistles. She knows I haven't done this before. It must be a fluke. I try again, and nearly hit the bullseye. I do it a total of seven times in a row, with three bullseyes. Wow! I guess archery may have somewhat paid off. I pick up a knife, and throw. I notice a satisfying whistle as it flies through the air, and embeds itself in the dummy's heart. In the centre of the bullseye. I try again, aiming for the head. I hit my target. I am astonished at my apparent prowess. I have never done this before. Evidently, I had a hidden talent. Now half the tributes are staring at me. Great. Just great. At least I'll be able to get allies…
We all try throwing axes (less of a strong point for me) on to close combat. I'm really not very good at this. I can manage with a dagger, or a knife. I can use a machete to decent effect. I'm not great with a sword though, or an axe. I'm going to need to keep at a distance from other tributes. Helayne, however, is fabulous at fencing. She can use a longsword extremely well, and really enjoys using two at a time. Nathan is excellent with a large sword – maybe called a broadsword? Argent can swing it, with enough momentum. Mostly, he drags the broadsword on the floor.
That evening, when we're all eating, everyone drills us on how the day went. We all praise each other, Haymitch isn't too angry at our surprises, and overall, the day goes well. I sing Robin to sleep, before I go to my own room. Nathan complements my aim, and I thank him. I go to bed, and fall asleep. My dreams are plagued with maniacal laughing, splattering blood, falling coins, whistling knives, fiery explosions, white roses, and a firebird, dancing in the sky, all alone.