Author Games: Age of Rebellion

Task Three - The Hostage - Females

DISTRICT ONE - Pyrite Mendelax

NO ENTRY

DISTRICT THREE - Eclaire Cyppel

Unlike yesterday evening when Auriel, Meri, and I were hanging out in the back of the crowd, far away from the fallen rebels of that day, I am now in the front of the pack. The flames aren’t as high as they were after the battle, but the sorrow is just as evident in the cries and soft voices around me. My sobbing is among them, as is Auriel’s if her raggedy breathing suffices. 

The youngest of the rebels, our daring and charming friend, lies on the outskirts of the fire, her dark hair singeing at the edges. Even in death, Meri looks stunningly beautiful, her clear blue eyes shining into the night. And to think just this morning she was as lively as any of us, ready to pounce and take on some Capitol scum with her bare hands if needed. 

The stream of tears begins again, quickly evaporating from the intense heat. A strong wind rips through Glory Square, spreading ashes into the night and whipping my hair into a tangled frenzy, but I don’t shiver. The anger I have at Julius Justinius is still as hot as the fire before me. The fact that he slipped our defenses so easily is what really scares me and ticks me off. If one man can do this much damage, who knows what else the Capitol has under their sleeve.

Answering my silent question, a white light shines through the night haze. Everyone is quiet until the Capitol Seal appears. Then, chaos erupts. 

“Battle stations, now!” Peter Steele, a high-ranked and beefy man from Two, is the first to make action by grabbing a thick gun and wielding it to the dark shops beyond our camp borders. Iliana forms her team quickly and sprints out of camp without another word. All the while, Auriel and I sit frozen on the tile, eyes glued to the Seal.

 The anthem rings out from the speakers all over the square and, after a seemingly long time, stops. The newest gamemaker, Elpis Regnum, takes its place, grinning wildly in his white suit. He clears his throat and begins, “Surprised? You shouldn’t be. We have been watching you. We know your names, your ages, your strengths and weaknesses...” Elpis shoots someone behind the camera an angry glare, then collects himself.

“Aren’t you forgetting someone?” The screen changes and shows the flat, desolate land above Rebel Headquarters. A gasp can be heard from everyone as the gears snap into place. No, no, no, no. This has to be a bluff. They can’t get in there so easily. Surely we have precautions for this situation. Right?

A shiver runs down my spine as Alithia, the head gamemaker, swoops to Elpis’s side at the podium, a wave of superiority emitting from her. She whispers something in his ear, then turns toward the camera, all seriousness evident in her tight jaw. “Consider your position. Your numbers are dwindling. Can you really sustain this against the force of the Capitol? More importantly, can you afford to risk the lives of those you love yet again? Give yourselves in and we will let them go and look upon you kindly. Within reason. Goodbye.” The light disappears and the gamemakers are gone.

Below, the rebels are still in discord. Beside me a pair of girls, Pyrite and Amelia, are in a heated fight of visious words. Vibius stops them with a flurry of leadership, but the tension is still hot in everyone.

My mind is also on Alithia’s offer. Wyre and Drifton are back in Thirteen right now and thinking of a bomb hanging over their heads makes me very worried. I could just sneak off in the night when everyone’s asleep and turn myself in; maybe Alithia will be true to her words. I could save them both and we could escape the Capitol’s wrath.