Everglow ➳ F. ODAIR

Chapter Seven

Standing in the training room is nothing like what the Academy prepared Ebony for. While it physically looks similar to the training center back in District One, the Capitol counterpart has a more foreboding and ominous feeling to it. The only thing the tributes have to their names is a slim hope of making it out of the Games alive.

Those are the current thoughts running through Ebony's head, as she stands next to Slate and the other tributes for their first day of training. Something that can make or break her chances of survival in the games.

"In two weeks, twenty-three of you will be dead. One of you will be alive. Who that is depends on how well you pay attention over the next four days. Particularly to what I'm about to say." the head trainer states to the group of tributes. Pacing back and forth, she continues reciting her practiced monologue.

"First, no fighting with the other tributes. You'll have plenty of time for that in the arena. There are four compulsory exercises. The rest will be individual training. My advice is: don't ignore the survival skills. Everybody wants to grab a sword, but most of you will die from natural causes. 10% from infection, 20% from dehydration. Exposure can kill as easily as a knife."

This rehearsed talk reminds Ebony of the same talk she had with Kyanite the night before. She has the same chance as any other tribute in this room. Weapon skills aren't enough in the games, though they help a lot. You need to know how to survive and live long enough to be the last one standing.

At the end of the head trainer's words, the twenty-four tributes split from the group to work on their training exercises. Not knowing where to go, Ebony follows a boy around her age to the first station. In this exercise, the tributes must use strength to pull them across a pole with the help of red rings. If one fails to reach the other end of the pole, he/she will fall down onto a pile of mats. If they succeed, the tribute makes it to the other side. Thus, proving their arm strength and ability to climb.

With this in mind, Ebony has a fifty-fifty chance of impressing herself or falling face-first on the mats down below. Either way, the odds are not in her favor of making her way through this obstacle. Therefore, she is now standing in line behind a male District Nine tribute waiting his turn on the obstacle course.

"You want to go first, One?" Nine asks her in a gruff voice. He towers over her at least a head, as she stares up in fear. Before she can say a word, he steps aside, allowing her to go ahead of him.

Gulping loudly, she takes a step forward and pulls herself onto the first ring. Taking a minute to compose herself, the girl reaches out for the next obstacle, tightly grabbing onto it. Allowing a smile to appear on her face, Ebony continues the course confidently.

As she reaches the halfway point, she grabs onto the next ring, letting go of the previous one. Before she can continue, her grip loosens, causing her to crash onto the mats below. Sitting up from her spot on the ground, the girl hears a chorus of laughter come from the other tributes at the station. Taking a shaky breath, Ebony stumbles her way up, before walking off the surprisingly hard mat.

"That was embarrassing." she murmurs to herself, trying her best to ignore the laughter from who she assumes is the career pack. Stepping over to the next station, the girl waits in line for her turn at hand-to-hand combat. If she can do anything now, she has to prove herself capable of surviving the games through combat. As a career district, this weakness can give the rest of the tributes the idea to go after her first. At this point, everyone is Ebony's enemy. She's the weak point and an easy target. Easier than District Twelve's young and boney tributes.