Thanks to AstralKnight98, Tales from the Cluttered Desk, Dani H. Danvers, owlthewriter, critixu, n3b, Very New To This, ladyqueerfoot, & Paradigm of Writing for the reviews.
WHO'S READY FOR THE END?! THE FINAL SHOWDOWN?! THESE CLOYING DELIGHTS?!
Whoops, the title for this SYOT doesn't work as well there like The Last Stop did.
FYI! If you're like me and like to review while reading, maybe don't for this one as there are spoilers at the very end for who wins. Or, open up notes app etc and write the review there.
Let's finish this.
Chapter XXXI The 59th Victor
Day 2 of the 59th Hunger Games
The inferno had torn through the whole southern island, turning half the arena into ash. The smoke bellowed up, forming dark angry clouds that dispersed the flamboyant colored clouds and threatened to clog out the sunlight. The rainbow water was already tainted, soot falling into it and turning the waters around the southern island into an ugly gray.
The last of the Career Pack stood on the sandbar crossing, safe from the flames and smoke due to the winds blowing south. Both of them looked at the the burning island with shock and awe. The flames reflected off of Cas and Maddie's eyes, dancing in them as it consumed the rest of the dead forest.
Meanwhile, Fest lay prone near the edge of the water, safe from the fire in the rocky section of the island. Her body convulsed with terror as she struggled to control herself, forcing her mind to submit to her will. But the terror of the Grosvener home burning flared up each attempt, the smell of burning flesh, the cheers of the crowd, the horror. She gripped her body in desperation, pulling the flame retardant cloak tighter around her, trying to find center.
Calen had no time to process these changes or his emotions. Tilly was dead and soon he would be too. The fires still burned around him and he was feeling helpless and lost. Tilly was gone! Lost to the flames and buried under fallen, burning trees! His lungs were torn to shreds by the smoke, his right arm burned and mind flailing.
He kept running, praying that it was the right direction. The flames were everywhere, like he was running through a furnace rather than anything natural. The all consuming fire and smoke obscured his vision, forcing him to his knees as he struggled to fight on.
He collapsed eventually, hacking and coughing up phlegm. Thick globs dripped from his lips, the sensation barely registering over the overwhelming heat. Calen looked at the ground, dark and dirty. This is where he was ending up. In the dirt, dying for the Capitol.
They took Tilly. Burned and crushed her out of this world like she was nothing. All that pain she endured, just to be a number in the rankings.
Calen screamed. It was an awful, animalistic sound, his throat destroyed by the smoke. If he could have cried he would have. He wanted to lift his head up so the Capitol could see his rage but even rising, just a little, felt impossible.
'But you have to!' He screamed at himself.
The fire around him was horrifying, but he had his own. Equally terrible, equally horrifying and twisted and fueled by hate.
'You don't get my death!' he shouted at them.
Calen rose, tripping twice, but steadying himself and he was off again.
He ran as hard as he ever could, ignoring his muscles as the cramped up and threatened to give up. He ignored the smoke, inhaled into his body with each panicked movement he made. He ignored the flames, which ate at his clothes and seared skin. All that pain was channeled into another roar. The words of his brother Oren came to him, to channel his anger and win.
'RUN!' his mind screamed.
A wall of flame before him. The only way was through! Throwing his arms up to guard his face he charged the wall and jumped into the fire.
The flames stuck to him but he made it through. He emerged on the other side, a section of the arena without forest for kindling. He slammed into the rocky ground, safe from the inferno but not from being cooked. Flames covered his body, burning through his clothing and scorching his flesh. He screamed and rolled around on the obsidian ground, tampering out the flames.
It worked, but not without cost. He screamed, high pitched, as a stabbing pain shot through his body. His right leg was burned clean though, and he thought he saw bone. He couldn't look for long, nor could he look at his arms or chest, seared and exposed to the elements.
He lay on the ground, struggling for breath as the smoke bellowed up. Yet he refused to die. Not for them. Never.
Maddie and Cas remained on the sandbar, watching their handiwork burn down half the arena. Two cannons had sounded and, after half an hour, it seemed that was all they were getting.
"Honestly… that went better than I expected." Cas commented, surprised it had worked at all.
"Four left." Maddie said.
"And I'm sure the other two are badly hurt." Cas said. "I don't care how deep of a tunnel you hide in, that smoke is getting you."
Maddie had to agree with that. There had been plenty of Hunger Games that involved fire. Everyone expected that to be the real killer only for smoke inhalation to be the cause of death. The Capitol definitely preferred one way over the other.
"The smoke might take out the others." Maddie theorized. "Now we just have to wait until the flames die down."
"Yes. Just wait." Cas repeated, offering a wink. Maddie's face scrunched with anger, arrow still pointed at him, who in turn still had his shield readied. They were yards apart, the sandbar straightening and growing wider as it approached the island.
"How long do you think it'll be?" Cas asked her.
"I'm not an expert on forest fires." Maddie told him.
"Now, now, Maddie. You know that's not what I meant."
"I know."
The water splashed gently against the sandbar around them, splattering against the sand and stone and soaking the ground between them. Behind Cas, the crackling of the blaze sounded across the arena. In that moment, it was only the two of them.
But before they could act, the Gamemakers meant to address the fire.
Both had always heard that a volcano erupting was an ear shattering experience. And while it didn't render them deaf, it did throw both of them off.
A harsh crack, deeper than the sound of a Tribute's death cannon and more piercing, cut through the air. After the sound, the shockwave. Chunks of rock flew upward as the top of the volcano came off, spewing forth a dark substance that made Maddie tense when she saw it.
Globs of chocolate erupted from the volcano and flew through the air, landing amongst the inferno below. The sound of a quenched flame, sizzling and dying, followed, as the chocolate lava snuffed out the fire. More chocolate lava poured from the volcano, now controlled, and slid down the volcano, working to smother the flames for the Careers.
While the subsequent outpouring of chocolate was controlled, the initial blast wasn't. Strong enough to almost break the sound barrier, it shook the sour southern island and the sandbar connecting to it. Maddie struggled to stay afoot, only managing so due to experience with wet surfaces in District 4. Cas was less fortunate, one foot up as he tried to balance with the shockwaves and falling on a slippery surface, skirting him off balance and his shield down.
She didn't hesitate. Maddie shot off an arrow.
Her aim wasn't perfect, also affected by the shock wave, but it was good enough for its purpose. Cas heard the twang of the bowstring of course and quickly raised his shield, blocking the arrow but, in the process, exposing his legs.
Maddie instantly had another arrow drawn. Realizing his position, Cas snatched a chakram from his waist and aimed it. Not at Maddie, but the water next to her. Realizing the danger, Maddie adjusted course too, aiming an arrow down to the water next to Cas.
Cas threw his chakram the same time as Maddie loosed her arrow and they both retreated, the respective weapons splashing into the waters near where they had been moments before.
On cue, and unsure which to go for first, the gummy wyrm mutt launched itself out of the water and dove across the sandbar, missing both of them. It let out a roar as it passed before landing in the water, leaving its body trailing behind and forming a wall between the two Careers. Both landed on their feet and readied themselves as the great wyrm passed.
'Six arrows!' Maddie counted, drawing another.
'Six arrows!' Cas thought, drawing a chakram. 'Thirty feet between us!'
Maddie drew a second arrow, tucking it into her belt for ease of grasp.
Cas loosened the shield's strap around his arm, ignoring the pain in his chest from the arrow's cut.
'One at him, one at the water!' Maddie thought.
'Block and throw at her. Close the gap!' Cas thought.
The wyrm's body began to thin as the tail end grew closer, the wall diminishing. Maddie unstrapped her sword from its sheath, readying it. Cas swapped the chakram with the shield, putting the latter in his dominant hand and arm.
'He could close the distance quickly.' Maddie thought out, 'But his chest armor was wrecked by the arrow. And the joints are weak!'
'If I get close she's weaker with a sword. But she just needs one hit to the chest and it's done.' Cas realized. It was a precarious spot, more so than he'd been in the entire Games. There was no where to flee to if he started to falter. Maddie realized this too, both of them understanding they were looking death in the eye.
The gummy wyrm's body was almost gone and Cas roared over the sound of crashing surf and the roar of the fire, refusing to diminish. "Come on, Maddie! I'm going finish what I started, properly!"
Maddie would not be cowed either, arrow readied. "Bring it!" She shouted back.
The wyrm's body vanished beneath the waves and the last fight of the Careers began.
Maddie shot her arrow quickly and, as expected by both of them, Cas blocked it with the shield. With lightning reflexes, Maddie pulled the second arrow out of her belt and notched it, launching it into the water next to him, as expected.
Unexpected for her, Cas did not retreat. Instead, he lifted his shield high and, with a shout filled with pained exertion, he threw the circular shield right at Maddie.
It left his grasp just as the arrow hit the water next to him. Using the momentum from the throw, Cas threw his body forward into a roll, narrowly escaping the gaping jaws of the the gummy wyrm as it launched itself from the water and crossed the sandbar. As he fell, the shield flew at Maddie like a deadly frisbee directly at her exposed head. Trusting her body, Maddie fell into a split, feet sliding opposite directions on the crossing and dropping her to the ground as the shield spun past her, narrowly missing her head. Cas was entirely exposed now, no protection from the arrows and Maddie quickly drew a third arrow.
Until, instead of a a crash of the shield against the sandbar behind her, she heard a loud "plop" noise. She spun her head quickly and saw that the shield had curved through the air and actually landed in the water next to her.
'Oh no!' Maddie thought.
The mutt was still crossing the sandbar behind Cas, but it was large enough to seek a second target. Looking into the ocean, she saw the rainbow scaled beast slithering beneath the waves towards her location. Maddie was up instantly and running forward, just as the beast burst from the water, screeching and crossing to find the shield. It's body was now on two parts of the sandbar crossing, forming a mini arena.
And forcing Maddie and Cas closer.
Cas had successfully closed the distance between them.
In his now free hand, Cas drew his sword while he kept the chakram in his other. He was on Maddie, ready to end it.
He saw no fear in Maddie's eyes though. In the heat of combat, she was focused, and drew her own sword, while keeping the bow out. As Cas sliced out with his sword, Maddie caught it with her own and held it in place. Their eyes locked and Cas saw no fear, no doubt.
She was ready.
Before Cas could act, Maddie was striking with her bow. With a shout she sliced out with it, slamming it's steel tip into Cas' temple, causing him to stumble back and lose his pressure on Maddie's sword. Quickly, Maddie pulled her blade away and stabbed at Cas who managed to knock it down with a chakram. Maddie sliced up with the sword, forcing Cas to dodge the slice and the follow up swipe of the bow as Maddie duel wielded them. The bow created an opening and Cas stabbed out with his sword for it, only for Maddie to block and repeat the dance.
Steel met steel, the clash and cries of both combatants sounding off each other. The last bits of the gummy wyrm sunk beneath the waves and opened up the sandbar, but the Careers were too entangled now retreat to long range. Their deadly dance continued as behind them the southern island burned and chocolate lava slide down the volcano to suffocate the flames, a backlight of rage and destruction to their fatal dance.
Before long, Cas had Maddie firmly on the defensive, his prowess with close combat giving him the upper hand. Maddie batted and blocked all attack from sword and chakram, though with one strong smash into it, Cas broke the bow from Maddie's grasp. It fell to the ground, leaving Maddie with only one weapon. He lunged at her and Maddie barely dodged and cut at him, though it bounced off his armored forearm uselessly. The impact though was enough to distract him and for Maddie to pull an arrow from her quiver, fashioning it as a dagger as she swiped out with it at close quarters, aiming for Cas' face.
There were no clever remarks from Cas as they fought, Maddie was too deadly for banter. The pain from the wound to his chest was flaring up with each swipe of his arms and his head began to ache, the caffeine wearing off and causing him to crash as it melded with adrenaline. He sliced out with his chakram, but now Maddie took the advantage and broke it from his grasp. The Chakram fell, clattering to the sandbar crossing next to the bow and Maddie threw herself at Cas.
He caught her – barely – throwing up his sword to block her's and using his free hand to grip her wrist that held the arrow, its sharp point aimed directly at his neck. Cas was stronger, but Maddie had the momentum and was able to break through, forcing Cas to a squat as he struggled to hold the sword and Maddie's wrist at bay, all while keeping footing on the crossing.
"Aaaah!" Maddie screamed, using all her strength to drive the arrow point closer to Cas' exposed neck. Cas' weight shifted, unable to keep the sword at bay. Desperate, Cas screamed too and with his strength threw his weight into his sword arm, dislodging Maddie's grip – and his own – before throwing his weight up and head butting Maddie.
A crunch as his forehead connected with Maddie's nose and broke it. Blood dripped out of it and into Maddie's mouth and splattered across Cas face. Maddie couldn't breath and Cas only saw stars. They both stumbled back and fell on their backs huffing and recovering.
Maddie gave choked moans, nursing her broken nose while Cas tried to stand to finish it. He only managed to slip and fall flat on his back again, ears ringing and lungs out of breath. Maddie sucked in air, trying to adjust to breathing with a broken nose. The two Careers lay there, unable to rise and exhausted. For a moment, despite the moans of pain from the two and the inferno behind them, the arena was peaceful, the soothing noise of the waves comforting.
Maddie snorted out blood, a thick glob that stained her shirt and cloak. She tried to rise but her muscles screamed at her in pain, exhausted from the combat. Cas too felt weak, though forced himself to his feet. He stumbled forward, falling to his knees and, grunting in pain, gripped his sword and waddled over to Maddie, still dizzy. Maddie grabbed for the bow, now next to her, and managed to get to her knees as Cas broke into a run and raised his sword high.
"Come one!" He screamed, slamming the sword down at her with all the finesse of a new trainee at the Career Academy, exhausted. Maddie raised the bow above her horizontally, gripping the tips of it, and blocked the blow, the recoil shaking her whole body and causing Cas to stumble backwards, arm wobbly. Quickly, Maddie regained her grip on the bow and began to rise, only for Cas to come back at her and repeat the amateur slam of the blade. Once more she blocked, the recoil this time causing her to shift her grip. She had to quickly adjust and rise to meet him.
Cas powered through and instead of falling back, he fought through the recoil. Arm feeling like jello, he swung his sword arm in a circle, flailing more than graceful, and slammed the blade into the bow for a third time. Once again, Maddie held it in place and blocked, only this time Cas flattened the blade along the edge of the bow and cut to the right towards Maddie's hand.
The blade skimmed the bow's frame, the movement causing sparks as he sliced along it and cut neatly through Maddie's fingers as they gripped one tip of the bow.
Maddie screamed as her joints were sliced off. She shot back, losing her grip on the bow. Cas didn't slow down, shifting his body and kicking Maddie square in her chest and onto her back. Maddie let out a breath as she hit the ground and another as Cas landed on top of her, knee in her stomach. He raised his sword above his head, pointed it down, and with both hands on the hilt drove it into Maddie's throat.
The scream choked out in her throat. Maddie gagged as blood spurt from her lips and wounds. Soft hazel eyes looked up at Cas, in total shock of what had just happened. Cas looked back, breathing heavily and body wracked with pain, the exertion opening up the arrow wound more. They looked at each other, no noise except those of the arena around them.
'It didn't have to end like this….' Maddie realized with horror. She could have won. She could have been Victor and made a life for herself. The pain was unbearable, but worst was the shameful realization. 'I could have won… I could have won… if I played differently…'
She hoped she saw Keef soon.
A cannon blast, and Maddie joined the Fallen. Cas remained on top of Maddie, leaning onto the sword firmly planted into her throat for support as he caught his breath. He kept his gaze on her, watching as the blood pooled underneath her and soaked her hair before fanning out, forming a blood red halo around her head. He closed his eyes, satisfied.
"Tough fight." He allowed her. Any other remark he had was buried in his throat. Maddie had earned that much respect, he figured. He finally got up and yanked the sword from Maddie and collected his weapons. He set off for the southern island, the chocolate lava finally reaching the forest and snuffing out the flames. Soon, it would be passable.
'Two more.' He thought.
The chocolate poured from the mouth of the volcano and down the mountain, carefully navigating trenches that had been dug months previously. From a control room a world away, Gamemakers adjusted the flow of the chocolate, insuring it would snuff out the flames and not the lives of the last two Tributes on the Sour Island.
The shockwave from the volcanic explosion had only caused Fest to spiral more, but as the flames subsided and the temperature began to change from frenzied to heavy humidity, she began to feel more like herself. More in control. At least she had stopped shaking.
The mask was tight around her face and the hooded cloak damp from her sweat and clinging to her body. Even as the fires died, Fest refused to take off the mask, fully aware of the damage lingering smoke could wreak on lungs. A heavy cloud hung over the southern island now, replacing the sour mist with soot particles and ash falling like snow. The forest was utterly gone now, now just mounds of solidifying chocolate that looked like sludge.
She had heard a cannon earlier, before the fires had died out. She had made the final three. She was reassured by that. Her mind was tired though, overworked and overwhelmed by the events of the last hour. If the three cannons were for people on the island, she was the last one standing. If so, then hopefully the final two Careers would just kill each other and be done with it. If there were even two Careers left.
'Focus!' Fest demanded. Crisis demanded attention and when you got sloppy, they won. She was so close. She'd been near death just before she volunteered for the Games. This had been her ticket to escape the noose around her neck. She wouldn't let it slip around her neck again.
A new life waited her back in 7. Free from Peacekeepers. Free from vengeance. Just… freedom. The thought was sweet.
Fest remained still, resting by the water, piecing her mind back together for what came next.
Cas had eyed the chocolate sludge – for there was no other way to describe the off putting mounds of it that covered the island – with concern, afraid that the chocolate would be hot and burn him alive. Or that it wasn't solid and he'd slip into it like Maddie had. Or a million other possibilities. After giving it another ten minutes to settle, and testing it with his sword, Cas braved the southern island.
He lifted himself up on the chocolate and traversed it. Bits of the chocolate surface broke and crunched under his boots, but it was otherwise solid enough. He ended up going right as well. The direction had served him well on the sweet, northern island. Don't fix what isn't broken and all of that. He set off, the smell of smoky chocolate in his nose.
Two Tributes remained for him to hunt down. Who they were, he had no clue. He hoped they were District 11 or 12. Nice easy deaths. He had a feeling 7 would be a pain to handle, but that girl had been all burned up before the Games. Maybe she snapped when she saw the fire and was dead. That was a pleasant thought.
Elegance was in his head again, telling him to be careful. 'Promise I will be.' He thought. It was bittersweet ending the Hunger Games without her. Even Amaya too. Damn, he was glad he had dealt with Maddie, who was nothing more than a pale imitation of the two leading ladies of these Hunger Games – among other things. This could have been a great moment with Elegance or Amaya. Now, he felt like a maid mopping up the last Tributes. Not the most memorable way to end the Hunger Games.
The end also meant going home. Back to District 1 and his friends and fellow citizens. Cas could see them all now, huddled around TV screens, watching and rooting for his success. Everyone knew how hard he had worked at the Academy, not for himself but for them. Now, a Rothschild would win the Hunger Games and make sure all of Panem knew the glory of District 1. An example for all of Panem, just like his father taught him to be. His father may not have pushed his boys to the Academy, but after his death, Cas knew it was right.
And, most importantly, a chance to set things right with Lothario.
Cas made his way across the chocolate hills, coughing occasionally from the smoke. His chest ached from Maddie's wound, just above his heart. Still, he kept moving, ignoring the strain in his muscles, his body drenched in sweat and blood. He was on a mission. He had to live up to it.
The hills broke apart and slid down into a consolidated gully, filled with jagged rocks and a few streams of water. He glanced over it, seeing if he could spot anyone amongst the rocks and haze.
Sure enough, a target. The pink hood and stripes on his clothes – though smeared by ash and smoke – were an instant give away. As was the bright pink number "11" stitched into his clothing. In the corner, near the edge on the opposite side of the gully was one of the final Tributes.
Cas had to slide down into area, the chocolate forming a wall along this place. He hit the rocky ground hard, ignoring the shots of pain through his body from the impact. He made his way over to his target, over rocks and streams of water that fizzled underneath him as he leapt over them. There was only his target now.
The boy from 11 was covered in burns, most of his clothing ate away by the flames. His dark skin was covered in ash and there was pink flesh exposed by the burns. Cas approached slowly, taking note if the boy had any weapons on him. A sword sheathed at his waist and a backpack were all that he seemed to have. Carefully, Cas approached and kicked the boy over, propping him up on the backpack and waking him.
Calen's vision came into focus. He acknowledged Casanova of District 1 was standing over him, looking every inch the Victor the Capitol desired. Calen let out a labored breath, throat too scorched to speak. He gave only ragged breathes as he saw Cas make his moves.
"Hello." Cas said, falling back into flair for the Capitol audience. "Not doing so hot, are you?"
Calen grunted, harsh enough that his hostility was clear. His eyes narrowed. The end was coming. No two ways around it. Imminent death was a constant sight in District 11, Calen knew it when it came for him. He met Cas' gaze, who was starting to despise all this eye contact with his kills.
"Well, let's get this over with. After you, it's just one left." Cas said, drawing his chakram. He looked up at the sky, addressing the Capitol. "We're winding down, ladies and gentlemen! Not the longest Hunger Games, but hey, it was short but sweet. I had fun, I hope you all had fun! So, let's end this!"
Even in the end, Calen didn't let his dreams and spirit flee. He saw it clear as day. Casanova leaned over, chakram pressed to Calen's throat. But Calen grabbed hold of Cas and pushed him away. Cas shouted in annoyance and then screamed as Calen jumped to his feet and knocked him to the ground. The Careers would be prone and his weapon turned against him. A slice across the neck and the tool of the Capitol was dead.
Calen tried. He really tried. But reality in this world never bent to his hopes and dreams, why would it start now? But the burns were too much, the smoke damage too extensive. Calen could only move an inch as Cas lifted him up by the scruff of his neck and sliced the chakram across his throat.
Life left him, soaking his clothes and the ground. Consecrating the arena with another dead District citizen. Another dead child. There was no way to change it.
"I'm sorry.' Calen though, though to who, he wasn't sure.
It took a little, but Calen was finally bled and a cannon blast echoed through the arena. Cas dropped him to the ground, his body falling into a pool of his own blood and splattering it against Cas' boots. He looked up to the mound of chocolate in front of him, musing to himself.
"Now, who's next?" He wondered aloud.
"Me."
Cas spun to meet the raspy voice, sword and chakram at the ready. He was shocked when his final enemy, the freak from 7, stood several feet away in bizarre clothing. A maroon hooded cloak, what looked like a gas mask, and… water bottles clipped to her belt?
One of them had been tossed through the air at him and he slice it away with his sword, knocking it to the side.
It took Cas a couple seconds to process what happened next. Quite sudden there was a sharp "pop" sound and Cas' vision went blurry. An excruciating pain shot through his body and he stumbled back, the breath knocked out of him for the second time that morning. As his vision cleared, he looked down at his left arm. It was soaked, and steam was coming off of it. Bits of the metal from the water bottle were embedded in the gauntlets strapped to his arm, metal that now felt like someone had taken a blow torch to it. The remains of a water bottle lay on the ground nearby, its contents steaming and heat coming off of it.
Cas screamed, high pitched and in terror as he realized the water was scalding him and eating into him.
Fest smiled at the sight. She had hoped for a bigger explosion and more traumatic impact, but Cas' arm was mangled and seared. She had another filled bottle at the ready and dropped a minty pebble into it, the water sizzling already in reaction. But as she began screwing the top back on, Cas was attacking. Trained, Cas powered through the pain and flung the chakram covered with Calen's blood at Fest and forced her to dodge. She dropped the water bottle, cap off, and the contents spilled from it on impact.
Fest still got up and sprinted away, taking cover behind a nearby rock as the bottle exploded, shards of metal flying through the air. Cas covered his face, but a shard embedded in his thigh and tore through his ear, causing him to cry out again.
"What in the hell?!" Cas demanded, hating the pain in his voice. He looked around wildly, drawing his sword with his only good hand while looking for Fest. The area was covered in rocks and the smoke was hazy enough that light didn't produce enough shadows for him to spot her's. Annoyingly, he was back in the same position he had just been in with Maddie, fighting an enemy with range weapons while he was injured. He looked down at his arm, gasping when he saw blisters forming on his left hand, tattoos on his arms disfigured and shriveling. "You're going to pay for that!" He roared.
Fest didn't reply. What was the point of chatting with the enemy? Already she had another water bottle readied. She was pissed that she lost one to clumsiness and she realized she should have practiced more with speed. The Capitol probably would have sponsored her more bottles too. It was too late for regrets though.
'Slow and steady.' She told herself. There wasn't any reason to rush things. Let Casanova make the mistakes. It had worked for one Career. It would work again. She didn't want the Career thinking clearly either. She had eight bottles left, she could sacrifice one. She tossed a mint into it, secured the cap, and lobbed it over the rocks in Cas' general direction, just to keep him on his toes.
He saw the bottle coming and sprinted towards some other nearby rocks, jumping in his skin as he heard the bottle explode and boiling water splatter and sizzle against the obsidian. He collapsed into the rocks, feeling the weight of his injuries and lack of sleep all at once. There wasn't any use whining though. Fest was behind the rocks next to him. He rose with a battle cry and charged them, knowing what he was running into.
As he drew close, Fest popped out but, instead of throwing another bottle, she fled. Cas sprinted after her, determined to catch her before she had time for another boiling water bomb, his scalded arm trailing behind him useless now. Fest kept going, moving fast though unable to outrun Cas and his longer, though injured, legs. There was a stream of water in front of them, turned grey and muddy by the ashes of the forest, and Fest hopped over it, tossing something small and white into it.
The familiar sound of a sizzle and Cas backed up, pain already flaring in his arm. He barely escaped as the stream exploded as though a torpedo had just struck its target. Cas fell back as the boiling water rained down. He avoided the direct hit, but light, hot bits of rain hit his face and body, causing him to scream.
He was in for another ugly surprise when he looked and saw Fest coming at him. Covered in her cloak, hood, and mask, Fest used the boiling water as a way to get close to the Career. The water hit her too, but it slid off the cloak like oil on water, unable to get through to her.
A sword was drawn and Fest slashed out, cutting into Cas' already injured arm. He shouted as blood spilled from the cut, right above his wrist, and once more as Fest sliced the sword across Cas' chest. The remnant of the armor protected his from a slash, but Cas' heart rate was up. He slashed at her, fighting through the pain, and connected with the girl's arm – only for the weapon to bounce off and a horrifying realization to hit him.
Fest had armor of her own!
She didn't press her advantage. Cas was injured and bleeding and scalded but Fest knew she couldn't push the attack further. She fell back, hoping across the stream again and tossing another minty pebble in, triggering another explosion. Cas backed up more, collapsing into a pile of rocks while Fest fled, hiding behind more.
"Come out and fight!" Cas screamed, body aching with pain. Again, no response. Fest remained hidden behind the rocks, plotting her next move. She needed just one good throw of a bottle at Cas, directly at his head, one he couldn't block and knock away. Enough to disorient him and she's swoop in and finish him off.
Cas realized this too. The girl had all the advantages while he was on the back foot. Damaged armor, useless arm, and cuts all over. The stream divided them and Cas sprinted across it, rushing the rock that the girl was hiding behind. Like with Maddie, he had to get her at close quarters and finish her off!
Another water bottle was flying through the air and Cas ran right, barely avoiding its blast. Just as quickly, another and again, Cas fled. He was backed against a rock, realizing how exposed he was now.
Fest had joined him. He could hear her on the other side of the obsidian rock, unscrewing a water bottle. Then, scratching. He looked up, realization hitting him. The girl was starting to climb up the rockside! He looked in front of him, spotting that he was boxed in. The girl had thrown the bottles and directed him to his tombs. There was only one exit, the way he had come in, but the girl could just throw it at him while he retreated and kill him!
Fest began her ascent, glad her aim had been accurate and the Career was trapped. It'd be over shortly.
Cas couldn't escape. The only way was through. To stop her before she got too high up.
"Seize your victory!" Cas screamed to himself.
He charged around the corner, just as Fest began to climb the rock to reach him. She quickly slid down, getting on solid ground, and dropping the mint in the bottle before throwing it at Cas, directly at his face, too close for him to dodge.
He didn't. Cas charged directly at it, sword at the ready and screaming.
'SEIZE IT!'
The bottle exploded, steam and boiling water and shrapnel flying everywhere, Fest barely shielding herself from it in time. She looked back up, peeking through her arms. A cloud of steam before her and Cas came through it, sword still raised.
Only it wasn't him. It was a ghoul. A banshee. Some creature from deep folklore that was unnamed yet had been given a thousand. Through the steam and agony, Cas came at her, the scalding water melting and blistering his face. Through the pain he charged her, wailing.
The melting skin. The screams. The blisters. Scars of a raging fire. The wails of her family. They were charging her, all at once. Dad, Mom, Granger. She saw them all. Pain. Suffering. Too much to bear.
And in that moment, Fest knew true fear.
She screamed, terrified and frozen.
Screaming, boiling alive, and powered on only by ego and dreams, Cas hurled himself through the air, stabbing out with the sword. Fest, paralyzed by terror, watched as the skin melted off of Cas' steaming face and the point of his sword came at her.
It felt like an age, but lasted a less than three seconds. There was a crack as the sword pierced Fest's fiberglass face shield. It stabbed through and buried itself into Fest's eye socket and, with a sick crunch, broke through bone and burrowed to the back of her skull. Blood spurted from the wound, but was trapped inside the mask, drowning Fest's face in her own blood.
Cas fell on his stomach, losing his grip on the sword as Fest fell to her knees, the weapon embedded into her head. Her body twitched and arms flew up, a delayed reaction to try and stop the attack. Her body suddenly went utterly still, arms and legs limp. She fell forward, the hilt of the sword catching and bouncing her off the ground. She collapsed on her side, her blood filled mask looking directly at Cas who continued to scream as boils erupted and popped across his face.
A cannon sounded, the last of these Hunger Games.
It was over.
Across the arena, speakers blared as the cheers from the far off Capitol audience echoed through the arena. Caesar Flickerman's voice followed, triumphant and filled with joy.
'PEOPLE OF PANEM! YOUR VICTOR OF THE 59TH ANNUAL HUNGER GAMES – CASANOVA ROTHSCHILD OF DISTRICT 1!'
Even in his state, Cas could make out the cheers of the audience. Cheering him. Praising him! He had done it! He fulfilled his dream! The dreams of his District! The duty of a Rothschild! He screamed in triumph, pride in every syllable.
"I did it!" He howled. "I won! I won the Hunger Games! I DID IT!"
Pain effects the mind in many different ways. It changes reactions, perceptions. Mixed with adrenaline and overwhelming emotion, reality twisted and bent. Cas had screamed, but his voice was agony. He spoke, but only garbles of unknown words. The boiling water had burned through his skin and taken some of his throat.
"I AH DAH!" He wailed, face melting and skin festering. "WON! A WON WON! EEEEH AAAH!"
Around him, a destroyed world. The sky had darkened and grown cloudy from the smoke. The rainbow waters around the southern island were poisoned by soot. The forest was gone, burned and buried under chocolate sludge. Calen lay nearby, burned and mutilated. Fest was dead, blood now seeping from the crack in the face shield and spilling onto the black rocks below. And in the center of it all, the Victor, surrounded by death and nothing else at all. A black scar marring an otherwise beautiful vista would be his victory ground, his wails the only cheering coming from the arena.
Cas kept screaming, his features morphing and heart race too high to sustain. A hovercraft materialized out of thin air above him and the bay doors opened. Typically a ladder would descend that the Victor would grab and be hoisted up on. This was not one of those years. Five medics, dressed in white scrubs and holding first aid kits, descended from the craft and landed with a heavy thud on the island.
They sprinted to the new Victor, ignoring the dead, and tried to stabilize him.
They stabbed him with morphling and a sedative, the only way to stop him from shaking and disrupting his skin more. He lay back and let them put him on a stretcher as he kept smiling, unable to feel how far back his lips had been pulled, exposing pearly white teeth and a bright smile.
It was all worth it. He had won.
'I'm coming home, Lothario.' He thought satisfied, just as the morphling took him into dreamy darkness.
*clinks a little tin can out* spare a review for the finale! Spare a review!
The Games portion of the story is done! As with the 58th Games, the post-Games will be a chapter focused on the Victor, three chapters for the Victory Tour/The Fallen's families (4 Districts a chapter), and then an epilogue with our Head Gamemaker and the Victor.
Up next: A Victor returns to the Capitol and home