Author's Note: Something a bit different and fantastical here. But it's the Capitol and the Hunger Games so anything is possible.

….

The Ninetieth Annual Hunger Games: Santiago Caballero Rodriguez, District Ten (18)

The pedestal lifted him into the arena, and he could barely see a thing. Mist swirled around him, and the sky was grey. He had been in the arena a matter of seconds and he was already damp. Anybody who made it through the first fifteen minutes of the Games would be soaked.

As his eyes slowly adjusted, he could make out lights in front of him, marking the outline of the Cornucopia. He scanned the floor starting with the area around his feet. Wet grass would lead him towards what looked like a rucksack on the floor. That was achievable, going any further would be too risky. He could barely see the weapons available in and around the Cornucopia and could only just make out his fellow tributes.

The boy from Eight and the girl from Five stood on each side of him and he had no concerns about them. He also did not need to harm them, unless they turned on him. He was going for the backpack and leaving immediately.

He listened in and his ears alerted him to strange sounds he had never heard before. They sounded muffled and drowned out by the countdown, but he was sure the noises would get louder as the Games went on.

The gong sounded and Santiago stepped off the plate and ran towards the backpack. He aimed for the floor in front of him, swept his arm down and picked up the bag in one swift movement before turning back and running away from the emerging fight. The grass was slippery, and he had to concentrate to keep his footing. One slip now could be fatal if he were caught off guard.

He ran as fast as he could, as far as he could away from the shouting of the Cornucopia and found a hiding place within some rocks. He hoped nobody would find him anytime soon and he could use this time to consider what to do next.

He still could not believe this had happened to him. At home, he was Santiago Caballero Rodriguez, the eldest son of a family of equestrian breeders and trainers. Now, he was a tribute in the Ninetieth Annual Hunger Games. Like almost every worker in District Ten, he and his family were vastly underpaid, but they were not the poorest of the poor. He had not taken tesserae and had the minimum number of entries for an eighteen-year-old. But luck was not on his side.

He was somehow going to have to change his fortunes from within the arena and Santiago knew he could not do that by hiding the entire time. He didn't want to kill anybody, but he had no choice if he wanted to come home and he wanted nothing more than to see District Ten and to ride one of his horses under the sun again.

The cannons sounded, marking the end of the bloodbath, drawing Santiago from his thoughts about his life before the arena. Only six deaths. Most of the tributes had the same idea as he had. The volunteers would be on the prowl soon enough as Santiago knew that the Capitol would expect more excitement on the first day than six deaths. Either the tributes would have to kill again or the Gamemakers would make their move.

Santiago had spoken about the Gamemakers and strategy with Adan. His mentor had told him that he would support the strategy he chose. He was old enough to make his own decisions. If he disagreed entirely or there was a danger to avert, Adan would send a message with a sponsorship gift to change his tribute's mind.

Santiago had discovered that Charo and Adan were popular in the Capitol and that there were sponsors who would help District Ten regardless. The fact he was eighteen and not visibly malnourished would apparently help him further. Santiago could not say he completely understood everything Adan said about the Capitol, but he trusted his mentor.

So far, no messages had been sent, so Adan seemed content enough with what had happened at the start. He had told Santiago that whilst most victors killed at least one tribute at the bloodbath, he had not attacked on the first day. Adan was proof there were other ways forward until the heat of the Games reached him and his hand would be forced.

They had decided there would come a point where Santiago would have to be active and not reactive. Avoiding the Gamemakers' attention was a way to improve his chances of survival so he decided to move on from his first hiding place. With eighteen tributes remaining, there was a chance any of them could find him.

Santiago left the relative safety of the rocks and walked over the top of one of the hills and into an area of scrubland where one of the very few trees he could make out through the mist stood. True to his prediction, he was soaked, the constant mist and drizzle reaching his skin through his clothes. It was entirely miserable and the Gamemakers showed no sign of changing the weather or lifting the mist to improve visibility.

He settled in the shadow of the tree in the scrubland and assessed his surroundings. There was edible foliage near where he sat, so he moved to start collecting what he could, eating as he went. You could never guarantee another meal in the arena, and he wanted to spare Adan from sending in food if it was available to him. He was not a well-fed volunteer. He could go without every so often.

Realising he had not found a separate water source, Santiago decided he had to try the rainwater. There was no bottle in his backpack, only a large pouch he could leave in the open or tie to the tree and wait for water to gather. With no sign of anybody else approaching, he decided to make camp under the tree. He fastened the pouch and waited to test the water once there was enough to drink.

Whilst he waited, he thought he saw creatures moving in the grass and into the scrubland where he was camped. He stood up and realised that small, ragged creatures covered in leaves were approaching him. Santiago doubted they were physically dangerous, but he was alert to the risk of poison. He picked up his backpack and untied the pouch which he hoped was filling with water.

But as he approached the tree, the creatures ran to join him and tried to climb. Santiago was startled and realised they were trying to steal his water supply. He didn't want to have to start collecting from nothing again and he did not want to lose the pouch, so he removed the backpack from his shoulders and swung it repeatedly towards the creatures until they ran away and left his water supply untouched.

As they were leaving his camp, two cannons sounded, and the creatures sped up in their retreat. Santiago decided it was safe to remain where he was. Eight deaths would be more palatable than six and surely people had watched his encounter with the Gamemakers' mutts. Hopefully, the Capitol had their fix of excitement and could leave him alone for the night.

Adan had not sent any notes to indicate the water was unsafe and Santiago was sure that none of the creatures had managed to tamper with the supply. He decided to drink the water and leave it to replenish as he tried to sleep.

He slept fitfully but woke up to no ill effects so decided to eat more of the foliage and drink the gathered rainwater once more before packing up his supplies. He needed to stay on the move, and he needed a weapon.

The Cornucopia was a strategically useful location for the volunteers so Adan decided they would maintain a presence there as long as possible. Any attempt to return for a knife or sword would likely not end well so Santiago decided he would have to use what he could find.

He climbed the tree in search of anything that could be useful but instead found swathes of moorland, partially visible through the mist that continued to swirl. There were grassy hills, scrubland, rock structures and very few trees to serve as landmarks. It would be easy to get lost in this environment as so much of the terrain appeared the same.

Deciding that the branches of the tree could be the most useful starting point, Santiago snapped what he could and hoped he could use it as a staff of sorts. There were smaller rocks to be found on his next journey, so Santiago pocketed those and decided he could throw them at any incoming threat.

As he was picking up a pile of rocks and adding them to his backpack, he heard screaming followed by a loud growl, like what he had heard at the Cornucopia. Only now it was closer, and he could hear the screaming more vividly. Santiago decided he needed to leave the area quickly but as he started to run, he saw a girl running closer to him, followed by a large black dog.

He ran faster, trying to escape the screaming but the girl seemed to turn in his direction. Santiago could not turn back as it would put him directly in the path of danger, so he carried on. He heard another ferocious growl and looked behind him to find the dog looking in his direction.

Santiago panicked and begged his legs to run faster but the dog had picked up his scent and charged in his direction. He kept on running but realised he would not outrun the hound for much longer before he realised he was holding onto one of the rocks he had collected.

Stopping briefly to check his aim, Santiago raised his arm and threw the rock towards the black dog. It hit its side and only served to anger the beast further.

He had no choice but to keep on running. He reached into the side pocket of his backpack, picked up another rock and with a scream, launched it towards the dog and hit it square in the face. But Santiago kept running. It was only when he went to throw another of his rocks that he realised the dog had become disorientated and had turned its back on him. He decided to change direction and hoped the dog would not pick up on his scent again as he escaped.

Santiago continued running until he found another rock formation where he could hide in the middle. He was exhausted and collapsed into the grass. He was already soaked, so the wet grass no longer bothered him as he tried to catch his breath, hoping nobody would hear him.

His efforts were rewarded by a bottle of water sent by Adan which he consumed half of before remembering he ought to ration what he had. He also found a small packet of dried fruits at the bottom of his backpack which he ate before deciding it would be time to try sleeping. The day seemed short as the sky grew darker. Santiago had only heard two more cannons so he decided he ought to do his best to be ready for what would inevitably be thrown at him tomorrow.

He woke up to find a parachute on its way to him. Adan had gifted him a slingshot, so Santiago took this as his cue to gather more rocks. The audience must have enjoyed it and his mentor decided it was a feasible strategy. Santiago decided to spend some time practising for when it had to be used against an opponent.

But he knew he had to move on again. If he made the first move, he could choose where to set up camp instead of knowing he would be forced closer to the other tributes or the mutts lying in wait.

The next dilemma for Santiago occurred as he was walking to a new potential base. At first, he thought they were horses, so continued walking, thinking he was in familiar territory. He knew how to behave around horses. He had grown up around them. But as he continued his approach, he realised their torsos were more human in form. These were likely more mutts created by the Gamemakers that he could not anticipate.

It was too late to turn around and escape unnoticed as one of their number had noticed him and approached. Santiago acted as he would in front of any horse he thought was about to bolt or act out of character. To his surprise, the centaur stopped in front of him and assessed him, glancing him up and down.

Santiago knew he did not fully have the measure of these creatures, but he felt compelled to approach and he did not understand why. The centaur did not react, and Santiago found himself staring the creature right in its eyes before bowing his head and taking a step back.

Still, the centaur did not react, so Santiago walked directly to it and ran one of his hands along its back as if he would any other horse. The creature seemed happy, and Santiago began to relax in its presence.

But he knew he needed to move on and was surprised when the centaur followed him. Santiago tried to push his luck that bit further. He signalled his intention, as he would any other horse he was training, and the centaur responded and allowed him to sit on his back and they moved through the arena together.

The creature remained with Santiago as he set up a new camp and started to act as a guard. But its behaviour soon started to change, and Santiago began to worry that he had been incredibly foolish until he heard another girl approaching him. It was the girl from District One and she looked wild. Santiago had no idea what had happened to her to reduce her to this state, but he knew that she posed an immediate danger to him. He readied his slingshot and took his first shot in her direction. He missed completely and the girl continued heading towards him, moving closer with each frantic step. He tried attacking again and this time some of his blows landed, knocking the girl off balance and to the floor.

But she stood up and Santiago began to panic as the centaur reared onto his hind legs and turned straight to the girl. She was fast and able to weave around the creature's moves and whilst it knocked her, it did nothing to stop her approach. Santiago knew she was in too close range for his slingshot, so he quickly filled it with the biggest rocks he had gathered and swung it wildly at the girl, hitting her head until she fell, and a cannon sounded.

It was his first kill, and he did not know what to do with himself. He could not cry and screaming would give away his position, so he started to pace until the centaur caught up with him and shook its head in disapproval. Santiago sighed and realised he needed to gather himself to make sure he was not caught off guard in his vulnerable state. He picked up the rocks the slingshot had launched and decided to move on again. Despite, its disapproval, the centaur offered Santiago a seat on its back as they continued through the arena.

Once they had settled, a parachute descended, and Santiago was rewarded with a meal and a note from Adan.

"Keep this up and keep it together."

Santiago figured that his strange, unplanned strategy was working and that he needed to continue. For reasons he could not understand, the centaur showed an instinct to protect him so he knew they should stick together.

He was led further into the moors by the centaur until they found two of its companions. They were not as instantly keen on Santiago and showed the first signs of aggression. But Ten's boy reacted to them as he did the first centaur and they seemed to calm down. They did not seem inclined to accompany him unlike the first creature, but they tolerated his presence and Santiago decided that they did not pose a threat.

That night, the girl from District Four approached his camp. The three centaurs did not offer her the same reception. Before Santiago could ready his slingshot, the creatures turned on her entirely and were relentless in their attack. Ten's boy backed away and managed to ensure he was out of the girl's sight as she tried to fight off the mutts until she could do no more and her cannon fired.

Concerned they would turn their attention to him, Santiago was slow to return to the pack and only approached cautiously sometime later. But the pack did not respond to him, and he was able to sit back down on the ground with ease and eventually fell asleep in their presence.

He did not understand why the centaurs were not hostile to him when they were to every other tribute they came across. The following day, he watched them attack another tribute who approached whilst he had his back turned and was collecting more rainwater. Santiago simply kept his eyes down and tried to ignore the boy's screams as he was attacked. Adan was now in the final eight, so his strategy was working.

Along with the first centaur he encountered, Santiago left their camp before his hand was forced and that night, he used his slingshot to kill the boy from Five. He used the same technique as with District One's girl and when it was over, he simply let it be and sat back down to eat. The centaur was far more approving this time around. Adan was impressed too as he was rewarded with a substantial meal and a new slingshot as the original one had become damaged.

But Santiago knew the finale was approaching. There were two cannons in quick succession and now only five tributes remained. He was not surprised when he woke up to find the moorland surrounding him on fire. The scrubland he had been using for sustenance was completely burnt out and he knew he had to escape quickly. Luckily, he did not have to run as he hauled himself onto the centaur and they charged through the arena.

On the way to the Cornucopia, where Santiago knew the remaining routes would lead them, two more cannons fired, and he was in the final three. But there was more to worry about than the danger the remaining tributes posed as he turned to find the source of the fire.

A giant dragon had come into view and was sending fireballs in all directions. Santiago had to duck and use the centaur's body as a shield, all whilst hanging on desperately as they carried on through the moors.

Another cannon fired and Santiago knew the centaur was tiring. He kicked and encouraged the creature, just as he would with one of his horses and tried to galvanise it through the remaining safe land until he could see the Cornucopia.

He had somehow held onto his slingshot but had lost some of the rocks he had stored so knew he would need another weapon. He directed the centaur right to the heart of the Cornucopia where he leant down, picked up a sword and raised it aloft as the centaur charged the boy from Two who was confused at the sight that greeted him.

Santiago drove the centaur forward as Two's boy ran in the opposite direction until they were both confronted by the dragon. Fire descended in their directions and this time Santiago felt its flames sweep across him. He knew his back was burnt as he tried to sit up once more but adrenaline was coursing through him as the centaur drove them in circles around the Cornucopia.

He kicked again and tried to drive the centaur back around in another loop, hoping they could exhaust the boy from Two, but their efforts were halted when the black hound from days previously emerged and went on the attack, completely ignoring Two's boy.

Santiago realised that as the centaur answered him, Two's boy had control of the black dog who was protecting him from their advances. To complicate matters, the dragon still hovered above them, breathing fire whenever the tributes got too far apart.

Both tributes were tired and burnt but Santiago was trying to push the pain to the back of his mind. He had kept hold of the sword, raised it and swung towards the dog. Every time they crossed paths, Santiago moved to strike, but he could barely wear the hound down.

He realised he was going to have to turn his attention to the boy from Two directly. They were equally burnt and exhausted, no amount of volunteer training would ward off an attack from a Gamemaker-controlled dragon. Both mutts were seemingly immune to the dragon's fire so it would be down to the tributes to end the Games.

Santiago forced the centaur to change course to evade the dog and charge the boy. Two's boy raised his sword in response and caught Santiago's arm, but Ten's boy responded in kind, driving his sword into his opponent's shoulder. They exchanged blows until Santiago launched himself to the side and beheaded Two's boy.

The trumpets sounded, the dog started howling, the dragon's fire ceased and the centaur supporting Santiago fell to the ground. Santiago was the sole survivor and was lifted from the arena.

He woke up confused, covered in bandages and with Adan at his side.

"We'll get you home soon," his mentor said as he took hold of Santiago's hand.