Arena (*Hunger Games Fanfic*)

Chapter 4

I woke up to the sound of birds chirping. The sound was confusing, because in a desert, you rarely see a songbird, much less hear one. I shot up, and turned to my left. The alarm clock was immitating nature. Stupid thing. 

I hopped out of my bed, and boldly walked out of my room with a night gown on. Oddius was awake in the coach kitchen, pouring himself coffee. He turned to greet me.

"Dear, you're awake. Do you like coffee?" He yawned, and I shook my head. In Judaea, coffee was a luxury, but I had never liked it. The bitter taste along with the strange sensations afterward was too much for me. 

I sat on the fluffy red coach near the window, and I heard the creaking of a door opening. I looked and saw Hecatia, in a shiny pink bath robe and her hair put into a bun. 

"Lucerna, I never knew you got up so early! Oddius, good morning." She casually strutted, as if she had lived on this train her whole life. I remembered yesterday, when she was so nervous. Now she was showing her true colors-calm, relaxed.

"Hecatia, will you teach us some survival skills today? And how do you even know any survival techniques? I mean, you were never in the Games." I asked bravely, and she sat next to me, and tapped her cheek. 

"That's my job, right?" She smiled, but I was unmoved. "I had always had an interest for the Hunger Games. They seemed almost glorious, but in a demented way." I didn't know something could be glorious, yet demented? 

I interupted. "So you just stood up one day and decided to be a mock-victor?"

She just laughed, almost on purpose. "Of course not. My father put me through survival courses in Alemagnia. It's desolate there, and really cold during the winters. But I toughed it out, and learned many useful tricks there. Plus, that's where they make all the alcohol, so I had a total blast!"

The way she was talking, it wasn't right. Hecatia shouldn't be so gleeful.  I hadn't forgotten that once I got off this train, I would be in constant fear, and once I got put in the arena, well I didn't want to think about that yet. 

I was about to ask Hecatia about how to find food in the winter when Silius walked in. He glanced at Oddius, and disregarded him. He then looked at Hecatia and me, and faked a small wave. 

Hecatia seemed to be delighted he was up. "Silius, come sit. We were about to talk about strategies in the Games." 

Silius just gave her a dumbfounded look. Then his expression turned to ice again. "I thought about you helping me, and I revoke what I said. I want to train alone. I found some really good books about how to survive in the woods, and how to navigate through cities. It's really useful." 

Silius looked at me as if he was hiding something, and I felt uneasy. "Silius, can you show me those books?" I asked, trying to find a way to talk to him alone.

"Sure. Hecatia, stay here, we'll be right back." He told her, and I stood up and followed him to his quarters. When I was walking down the hall, I noticed something. Silius wasn't wearing his usual fun, colorful clothes. He was wearing a tan teeshirt and blue jeans. Something was off. 

We came into his room, and he immidiatly shut the door. "Don't trust anything Hecatia says." He barked. I backed up onto his bed. 

"Why not?" I asked. Hecatia didn't seem untrustworthy. 

"Because I found this on her suitcase. Doesn't look like the Judaea stamp, does it?" He held up a waxy stamp, which featured a red shield with fourty-eight stars alligned on it. The Senatia seal. 

"Well, maybe the luggage was from Senatia. This is a Senatian train." I tried to explain. 

"No, it's her personal baggage. Also, her accent isn't Judaean. It's a Senatian accent as well. I promise, she's a snake." He said. I almost wanted to believe him, but Hecatia didn't seem intricate. She seemed simple, not deceiving. 

"I'll keep an eye out for her. But where did you get the stamp...?" I asked, but Silius shook his head.

"Don't worry about it. Let's go eat and study up on how to survive." 

We walked back to the main coach, and Hecatia and Oddius were talking in hushed voices. When Hecatia turned to see us, she just gave a fake smile and waved.

"Ready to eat?" She said in a giggly voice. Silius shrugged, and I waited for him to say something cocky. He never did. 

Oddius clapped. "Servants, breakfast time!" He spoke like he was addressing the Senate, but in reality he was just talking to a secretive mock-victor, a couple of servants, and two tributes who would end up dead in a week. 

The servants strolled into the room carrying platters with fresh cheese, pancakes, syrup, and every other delicasse you would expect to see at a wealthy person's manor. Oddius brashly stuffed his face with the french toast, while Hecatia and Silius ate slowly, watching each other. It was like Hecatia was suspicious of Silius as well. 

I reached for some fresh fruit, and ended up with a glossy apple. I bit into it, and tasty the sweet juice. We finished up breakfast, and I was about to get up, when Hecatia stopped me. 

"Since Silius doesn't want to train with me, are you still game?" When I didn't understand what she had said, she repeated herself. "I meant, are you still going to work with me?" 

My eyes farted to Silius, and his face warned me. Say no, Lucerna. Trust Silius for once. Maybe he's right. 

But my insticts told me otherwise. "I would love to train with you, Hecatia."