Warrior

Quintin Arrow

District 7 Male

Trigger Warning: Graphic depictions of violence.

I hadn't expected the gamemakers to grant me such a gift with their spectacle.

I keep eye contact with Olivia as I close in towards her. In her face I look for any fear, any hint of anxiety about her incoming death. But there's nothing. I frown and grit my teeth. When I have won, I'll force her to admit I'm far stronger than her in exchange for a quick death. Which I will then give her, the honorable warrior I am.

We both stand in a glade, creating a nice little arena for us to fight. Walking on the grass is at least more comfortable than the moss inside the forest. The wind is almost completely still. Above sits the star spiral, which is still sucking stuff up into the sky - a nice spectacle, and also clearly a mechanism to force prey into my hands.

Whoever hits first probably wins, I think, since neither one of us can block with our axes. Which will obviously be me. That is why I should-

I'm interrupted by Olivia almost cutting me in two.

I barely jump away from her swing. I clench my teeth. She's way too fucking fast. Before I could ready a counterattack she dropped her axe (what an idiot) and lunged at me. I crash down onto the ground, causing me to gasp, as she starts pummeling me. For a time all I can do is block her fists from crushing my face before I find an opening to start throwing punches back.

She has made a mistake. Even if I can admit begrudgingly that she's more used to the axe, I'm still stronger than her.

Eventually, I find a nice hit on her nose, which promptly makes a cracking noise. She yelps in pain and falls off me, finally giving me some relief. I start looking for where I dropped my axe while Olivia is on her knees holding her broken nose.

"Fucking hell," I mutter as I pick up my axe. Why do I constantly struggle with this wench? She's three years younger than me for fuck's sake! Clearly, there is something wrong with my technique. Wait, scratch that, it is probably because I hesitate too much. Even if I had trained myself on killing the animals I apparently still have problems with being strong. Unacceptable-

My contemplation is interrupted by Olivia swinging like a madman. I curse as I almost stumble trying to escape her violent barrage. Her calm mask has completely shattered and tears are streaming down her eyes. Her lower face is covered in blood, trickling down from her nose.

For the first time in a long time, I start sweating. Even my heart is beating faster. No! Get yourself together! Go now and cut off that annoying girl's head-

I make a mistake.

A swing comes from an unexpected angle. As an instinct, I raise my arm to block it, as if it would help me in any way. In one single slice, my right arm is cut in two.

A primordial, guttural roar manages to get out of my throat. An explosion of pain sears through my body, from the now-cut arm to my very bones. It hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts- I can barely think straight. I look down on my chopped arm and holy shit there's so much blood. It feels like the entire glade is covered in blood, all from my body and it's constantly gushing out more.

The world is spinning. I think Olivia is staring at me in a shocked state, holding the now bloody axe. In a single moment of clarity, I'm afraid. I push back all the pain, even if I can't because there it hurts so much, for a second to realize that I'm about to die. Olivia just disarmed me and is about to chop off my head, and that's the end. I'm going to die. I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die-

I'm not sure where I got the strength. Taking advantage of her shocked state, I pick up my axe from the ground with my off hand and shove it into her stomach. A gasp is all that she can manage. I release the axe, causing it to fall out and taking her guts with her. Finally, she crashes headfirst into the grass.

Boom.

I look down at her body, which is lying in a pool of blood and other body parts that had left her stomach. It's disgusting. It's so disgusting. I don't want to see Olivia's intestines - I would preferably like to not see her at all. This is so fucked up. What am I even doing?

My head starts feeling dizzy. I'm losing blood. A lot of it. Through the fog of pain, I'm able to realize that if I don't do something soon I will bleed out and I will die for real. Even if I managed to kill Olivia.

I start crawling towards my camp, pain pulsing every second from my arm. Eventually, I grab the backpack and push it towards the gaping hole. I scream again as another flash of pain explodes, but eventually it recedes. I sit down against a tree, gasping for air as I stare into the night sky.

I still can't think straight. Is this how that girl from 9 felt? Dania. I remember her name now: it was Dania. When I caved her head in, did she think the same thoughts as me and did she feel the same pain? Honestly, I'm unsure what I am even thinking right now. It feels like my brain is barely functioning.

At least Peter would definitely not be able to handle this.

The thought makes me laugh. Even if I didn't have an arm or my sanity left, I was able to one-up him one last time. He will probably be happy if I die. My family too. I hadn't considered that because the thought of me losing had not occurred to me. But alas, here I am.

Remus Sparrow

District 1 Male

Walking around the trap almost causes me to fall right into another one.

"That's unfortunate," I mutter as I watch the moss and leaf cover fall into the opening of a cave. She's getting better. After being an inch from falling in the first trap she made I have been carefully scouring the ground I walk on, even if it takes me extra time. However, it seems she is starting to adapt.

But it does not matter. I am getting close.

I scratch what I assume are mosquito bites on my neck. The only thing I miss from the cornucopia is sleeping bags: I assumed they would be too much of a burden to bear when I hunt. I also assumed I did not need a lot of sleep. However, after collapsing of exhaustion after walking for a day and night straight I remade my strategy. Using the middle of the day to sleep is a necessary sacrifice even if I waste time and speed.

Thankfully those sacrifices have paid off. I walk through a large stretch of ground covered by berry bushes until I find the clue I'm looking for: a recently trampled bush. Crouching down I feel the crushed berries. They're still fresh.

As far as I know, I will run into Blush soon. I take a deep breath and instinctively reach towards my crossbow. The idea that I will able to kill her maybe even today makes me feel… not excited, but calm.

I am ready. The arrow wound in my leg has been almost completely healed at this point - the medkit that was sponsored for me helped. However, more importantly, my senses are more clear than ever before, especially compared to the anxiety during the bloodbath. No longer have I to worry about how I am supposed to act around the careers or how I should fight. Neither do I need to ask myself who I should kill: it's Blush.

Once Blush is dead, it will finally be all over. I'm sure of it.

Walking through the forest I take another look at the sky. The stars are moving again, realigning themselves back to their original place. The strange spiral's suction thankfully didn't seem to affect my position. However, I did hear a cannon - probably some poor soul who got caught in the gravity storm.

My mind wanders back to Blush when I am suddenly stunned by a smoke in the sky.

Slowly I detach my crossbow from my backpack. She sometimes started fires to distract me - or for some other purpose, I would never be able to understand her even if I tried - but this one is close. Close enough for me to take a shot.

Sneaking closer I find a cliff that gives me a clear sight of what is potentially the end of my journey. With my crossbow armed, I take a good look.

Unfortunately, it's not Blush. Instead, it is the allies we left behind. Emerald and Alexi are sitting next to a fire, together with an outer district girl I don't recognize, cooking something I can't distinguish. They are arguing with each other: at least that is what I think they are doing. The fleeting thought of what happened with the girl from 7 briefly crosses my mind, but it disappears just as easily as it came.

Instead, I pull up my crossbow and contemplate if I should take the shot. My eyes are locked on Alexi; my arrow is pointed at him. The only thing that is stopping me from pulling the trigger is the doubt that it will hit. They are far away; from my years of experience, I can say for sure that it's about a fifty percent chance that the arrow will find its target at best. However, I fail to see a reason why I shouldn't take that chance. They can't reach me here, after all.

The only issue is the amount of arrows. I have only three left, enough to kill Blush, but I would preferably not waste them on a shot I don't even know will hit. And even if the distance would be shorter, would I still be able to hit them? I have shot two arrows so far in the games. And you missed the important one.

My hands start shaking again. Amulius, who had been abnormally absent these last few days, practically whispers my doubts in my ear. I had tried to block the thought in my head but it doesn't change that I missed. Missed Blush. It was an easy shot too and I failed.

Will the same happen when I meet her again?

My heart starts beating faster, just like after the bloodbath. No, no, no, steel yourself. I lower my crossbow. I can't shoot, even if it might hit, because I just can't. Blush needs to die first.

Almost immediately I feel my shoulders relax, like a huge weight had just been pressed on them and now lifted. I do not need to worry about anything else, because in my hunt for Blush, I am winning. She has tried to hinder my path in all ways possible, but I am on her tail still.

I am winning.

I take a final look at the group when a thought crosses my mind. What are they doing so far from the cornucopia? From what I have seen we are almost at the end of the arena: they won't be able to make it back to their base by nightfall.

As I ponder the question they seem to have finally gotten to an agreement and are now joking with each other. Emerald points forward, away from the center of the arena. I frown. Why would they do that? However, I also notice that she is pointing the opposite way of the star spiral, which is still dismantling itself. I realize that they probably ran away from the gravity storm, causing them to get off their path.

But if they go in that direction it would mean that-

Oh. I understand now.

I attach my crossbow to my backpack again. My hunt suddenly became a lot more complicated. However, it seems that the opportunity I have searched for will soon appear.

Casey Main

District 2 Female

The low growl of the beasts wakes me from my light sleep.

I grit my teeth as I hear the mutt wander in the snow outside my cave. Not again. I sit up from the rocky ground which had served me as a bed, causing a pain to jolt through my back, and pick up my bow. The cave I am hidden in is small - just big enough to fit me and my supplies. Small pools of icy water lay in crevices in the ground, caused by water dropping down from the roof. It smells damp.

While knocking an arrow on my bow I curse myself in my mind once again for my stupidity. Leaving Suri to die did absolutely jack shit. The gamemakers didn't even wait a day before sending those stupid mutts at me again. So for this past week, I have spent almost all my time running away from these weird crystal lion things - as long as I couldn't fight them of course. They are tough bastards: I don't dare to engage one if they aren't alone. If I knew this would happen I would have just shot the gamemakers during the private sessions.

Unfortunately, I can't remake the past no matter how hard I bash my head into the wall. Now I have to somehow get myself out of this mess.

If it just wasn't so damn cold.

Carefully I peek out of the opening that I have covered with branches and stones. A lone beast stands between a few puny pine trees. It holds its head high up like it usually does when they haven't found its prey yet, scanning the area for any child that is unfortunate to catch its sight. And with 'any child' I mean me. Because from I know there is no else on this god-forsaken mountain.

I double-check my surroundings to make sure it is alone. I take a deep breath. Okay, let's kill this goddamn bastard. Sooner or later I have to start culling these rats down if I want to have any chance to survive.

I crawl out of the hole in the wall, doing my best to make sure I avoid the beast's attention. I take my stance, the bow fully drawn, as I take one last look at the lion. No arrows, so it isn't the one I'm looking for. Mentally I take note of all the red spots. I breathe out; it's cold enough for me to see the vapor in the air.

It notices me and I fire.

The mutt turns around much faster than I expected so the arrow misses by a good margin. It roars and charges as I take a step back. Dammit. Immediately I fire another arrow, burrowing into the red spot in its head. Still, it is unfazed. I pray that lodging arrows into the same spot is more effective than spreading them out as I shoot two more in quick succession. The lion grunts in pain as cracks start to form.

Too bad the beast reaches me before I can load the fourth and final arrow.

I'm barely able to throw myself into the cave. The crystal lion crashes into the wall, too big to fit into the opening, and immediately starts trying to reach me with its claws. I press myself towards the cave wall, as the beast is barely half a meter away from tearing me up.

Breathing slowly, I take out an arrow. Despite the cave shaking like it's about to fall any second now I need to stay calm. The beast gives up trying to reach me and instead starts tearing the wall down.

Lose rocks from the opening start falling as the lion rips and bashes. I grip the arrow harder. Patience, I need to be patient. Adrenaline is pumping full-time into my veins. I hear it roar as the opening slowly but surely loosens up. The lion tries again to reach me and is now just a few centimeters from touching me.

I slow down my breathing further. Patience.

It then backs up and lowers its head, exposing the weak spot, in preparation for a ramming. Finally seeing my opportunity, I throw myself forward and thrust the arrow into the beast's head.

The beast unleashes an ear-shattering roar as it staggers backward. I sit still in the cave, listening to it stumble and groaning outside. Then, a loud crack is heard and the mutt goes silent.

Assuming it is the sound of my victory, I rush out of the cave. And, there it is: what's left of the beast is a pile of crystal rubble. The majestic lion is now barely recognizable and instead reduced to shards and rocks.

I smile so big that it almost hurts. Throwing up both my arms in celebration I take the chance to flip the Capitol and everyone else watching off. Fuck you all. They tried to kill me, and behold, they failed. It doesn't matter what the Capitol throws at me; I'll kill all of them the same.

My enthusiasm dwindles when I search the rubble for my arrows. When I find them they are broken in two: unfit for use. I frown.

I count the arrows left in my quiver. Ten. Not nearly enough to fight all the, what is it now, six beasts left? And tonight another one of those godforsaken meteorites will come to replace the bastard I killed. Even if I know I can kill them, it still doesn't make it easier to actually do it.

I look up into the sky and close my eyes. I hate this fucking mountain. There is barely any wood, other than the small groves now and then. This past week I have done nothing but eat rats, raw if I couldn't find any firewood, and drink melted snow. The more north and higher up I have moved, the colder it has become.

The cold is almost the worst. I look at my hands, which have turned red from the chill. The caves offer some shelter, but I still need to be constantly on the move. However, if I want to survive the Capitol's attempts to murder me I can't be bothered by something so banal as the temperature.

When Suri had suggested the mountain I thought it was a brilliant idea. She reasoned that it would be devoid of tributes who would instead search for easier living conditions. Since we were strong enough to survive in the harshest environment the arena has to offer, I wholeheartedly agreed.

How foolish I was.

A part of me wants to leave the mountain. Return to the forest, to warmth, and where food is easier. Where I have to find children instead of alien creatures. But I know that the winding caves and cliffs of the mountain are what have allowed me to survive so far.

I need to get rid of the beasts first.

My head is full of ways of getting rid of them when I notice that the snow higher up in the mountain looks quite unstable. In fact, there is a lot of snow that looks like it's about to fall any second now. It was something I had seen multiple times before. I remember an earlier game I had been forced to watch when I was younger, taking place in an alpine arena…

An idea forms in my head. If it works, it might wipe out all my problems in one go. The question remains if it is even possible to enact it.

My answer comes in the form of roars somewhere below me. I sigh and collect my equipment. The gamemakers aren't giving me a rest: the moment I stop, I die. Once again I wander deeper into the mountain to escape the hunt of the beasts, hoping that I have finally cracked the code to rid me of my plagues.

Roark Pickett

District 2 Male

Boom.

The cannon, the second one today, causes me to jump and drop the mushrooms I was holding. Disappointed, I look down on what was meant to be our future dinner lying in the dirt. I sigh. Guess I need to go back to the river again.

However, dinner plans quickly disappear from my mind when I turn around to see Ever crawled up in our makeshift shelter. He is slightly trembling, looking down at the ground and holding himself tight.

For a second, I hesitate. Do I even know what to say? Won't I make things worse?

However, my hesitation doesn't last long. I have a duty as the older one here to make sure he's well. Especially after the incident.

I walk up and sit down next to him. We are quiet for a few minutes before I realize I'm waiting for him to say anything. I resist the temptation to smack myself on the head. Even after a week in the arena, I'm waiting for him to tell me what to do. It was him after all who made the shelter; I spent most of the training days trying out weapons and running obstacle courses. It's him who is doing all the work here.

"Are you hungry?" I ask like an idiot. Really? That's the best you could come up with?

Ever doesn't say anything, although he probably is hungry. We are surviving, but scavenging food isn't turning up much. Well, it doesn't help that I'm the only one searching: Ever has stayed in the shelter for most of the time in the arena. Instead, he points out which is edible or not from whatever I bring home. It's a system that while working rarely lets us sleep on full stomachs.

I lean forward, deciding to be brave for five minutes. "You know, that was the fourteenth cannon. There are only ten tributes left. We have made it more than halfway there."

Ever sighs and unravels his legs. "Mmmh."

"And we haven't seen a tribute in a week!" I say. "We are safe here."

"I don't think we are," Ever mutters.

"We are," I insist. "Especially you. I'll protect you."

He doesn't seem to be very convinced. I sigh, and we're back to silence. The ground seem especially uneven this time for some reason.

"Did the cannon scare you?" I say, looking out of our shelter and at the stars.

"Not necessarily the cannon," Ever says. "It's just that… that-"

He turns quiet again. Suddenly I remember when we reunited the second time, after the incident. He hugged me almost immediately, and that seemed to calm him down. Maybe I can replicate that comfort?

I try to put an arm around him, but he bats it away like it's an instinct. I'm stunned for a few seconds, and so does he seem to be too. Then he looks into the ground in shame.

"Sorry," he whispers. "Really sorry."

"Don't worry. I get it," I say, trying to reassure him. However, even if I try to project calmness, I can't stop the anxiety from rising within me. Was he always like this when a cannon fired? I scramble my mind and realize that I haven't been with him during any time when they fired. Now that I think about it, it's not really a surprise: we haven't spent much time together. I'm too busy trying to find us food and water, so he doesn't have to work. The fact that it might have been a mistake is driving my anxiety even further.

"I'll get us something more to eat," I say and sit up.

Ever doesn't answer me and keeps staring at the ground. I walk out of the shelter and start picking up the mushrooms I dropped. I can wash them together with whatever I can find later.

We were lucky enough to find another river quite quickly after reuniting. Unfortunately, Ever panicked as soon as he saw the running water, which is why our shelter is so far away. Getting him to drink was a struggle: eventually, I had to guide him to the river while he closed his eyes.

I start wandering out in the forest, looking around at the bushes. However, this time it doesn't seem to matter how hard I try to distinguish the different berries - I can't focus. What am I doing here? We don't need more food, or well, it isn't an absolute priority right now. The mushrooms will allow us to survive. I should be preparing dinner right now.

But I don't wanna go back. What if I say something wrong, like I did before? What if he bats me away again? Maybe he needs some time alone. He always seemed like the guy who needed to recharge, so that's maybe what's best for him. Instead, I should focus on being more useful. To find more food-

I smack myself in the face. What kind of pointless excuses am I trying to tell myself?

I'm so useless.

I take a deep breath. Stop thinking. Just stop trying to think. At all. I should just stop listening to what my brain is saying and just do what feels right. Because whatever I am doing isn't working.

With that in mind, I run back to the shelter.

"Do you want to forage with me?" I ask, almost crashing into the opening of the shelter.

Ever almost immediately reacts, staring at me for a few seconds before scrambling to sit up. "Yes. I can do that."

I smile and start telling him where I have already searched and where we can potentially find more. He still looks a bit out of it, but at least he's listening to me. He comments that he still wants to look where I searched, which hurts my pride a bit, but we decide to head west.

While we walk I bombard him with questions, everything from what berries to eat to his family. At first, Ever seems overwhelmed, but slowly and surely he opens up more and more.

"Can we eat this?" I ask, holding up a small but slender mushroom with a brown hat.

Ever shakes his head. "No."

"Why? Is it poisonous?"

"Because it tastes terrible."

That causes me to laugh. "Really? I don't think that's going to stop me."

"I am serious," he says, giving me indeed a serious look. "It will taste so terribly you will vomit up your lunch."

"Ouch."

I raise the mushroom so it lines up with Ever and put my hand on my chin in a thinking gesture. "I think this mushroom kinda looks like you."

Ever's face immediately turns red. "No, it doesn't!"

"Really?" I say, pretending to take a close look at the mushroom. "The colors of the hat fit your hair. And also, you know, the height."

"It does not!" Ever exclaims again before picking up a particularly fat mushroom. "Well, this one looks like you!"

We are quiet for a few seconds before I burst out in laughter because of how childish we are and finally, finally, Ever cracks a smile. It's a small smile, one that you barely notice, but I see it. I smile as he goes back to scanning the ground. Right now he looks more energized than he has been in the last week. Half of the things I've said in the last half of an hour make me physically cringe thinking about them, but all of the shame seems to disappear when I see Ever relax his shoulders.

The path of healing is long, but we will make it to the end, step by step.

12th: Olivia Ashford, District 7 female, axe shoved into the stomach by Quintin.

11th: ?