Dagan Saga, District 9
I felt sick to my stomach as I walked down toward training, Emily close by my side. After watching the people who were going to try to kill me train for two days I was dreading the final day. My chest felt like it was going to explode from the stress that was mounting in me. I’d already volunteered myself to die for Emily. It shouldn’t matter how the other tributes were doing, my death was inevitable. Maybe the long talks with my mentor, Ray, about how I’d sacrifice myself to Emily were finally taking a toll on my sanity. I was scared to die, but Emily had more to live for than me, and I loved her like my sister.
Emily took a few extra strides to get ahead of me, her strawberry blonde hair bouncing as she went. She threw her weight against the heavy metal door of the facility and pushed it open. “Thanks.” I breathed, thought I wasn’t sure if she’d heard me because her eyes had settled on something in the room.
I took a few steps forward and peered into the room, following her gaze to the group of tributes murmuring nervously as they eyed each apprehensively. It reminded me of the meeting on the first day. From the center of the group I made out a familiar flaxen ponytail aside the slightly elevated head of Daryel. We were having another meeting…. I wondered why.
I paced myself with Emily as we approached the group, our feet padding on the matted floor of the facility. Cornelia Vestro’s cold blue eyes locked on us, “Okay is that everyone? I’m only going to say this once so listen closely.” She shifted her feet and pinched her shoulders back raising herself to her full height. “Due to the fact we only had one duel over the three days we’ve been training, we will be forcing you to battle each other, this will help determine your rankings and provide a little interest for your capital viewers, perhaps even snagging you a sponsor.”
Once again I felt a sickening wave rush over me. How could people find this fun to watch? Why were the districts going along with it? Why hadn’t someone done something? I shook my head realizing how immature my thoughts had become. The people of the capital had been brainwashed and the districts were too scared to do anything. Besides, even if we were brave enough to make a move, then what? We had nothing to arm ourselves with to fight.
Cornelia Vestro’s smirked at the distressed whimpers of a few of the tributes as she continued with a smug expression on her face. “The pairs were determined randomly, so don’t be insulted if you are with someone above or below your skill level.”
Daryle held up a long piece of paper, “The pairs are as follows. Emily and Marvin, Jin and Willow, Axel and Karen, Kaiden and Paisley, Malcolm and Acadia, Celeste and Dagan, Braven and Holly, Joshua and Stag, Mark and Jack, Fawn and Runa, Zeria and Robin. Because Georgette won yesterday’s battle and we have an odd number due to Cheshire Hydra’s solitary confinement, she is excused from today’s duels.” The girl from seven, Holly, let out a loud snort. Daryle ignored her and folded the list and placed it in his pocket. “First pairing to the ring.”
Emily sent me a grave look before striding toward the arena. A small boy with freckles and hair like a carrot also moved forward with much more hesitation than Emily. The way he wrung his black shirt in his hands showed he already knew the outcome of the battle.
It only took Emily one blow to down him, one single well aimed blow to topple a boy half her size. She didn’t even hesitate and judging my the look on her face she would have done it again in a heartbeat. Emily was quite apparently willing to do anything to get home, all of these kids were and that was what made the games so successful; desperation combined with the perfect amount of hope. I don’t know what about this sent tremors down my spine, but it did. This wasn’t the Emily I knew.
I watched her hop down and walk towards me wiping her bloody palms on her pants that hugged her hips tightly. She smiled at me like she expected me to be happy that she had won. She noticed my expression and her smile faded, she said nothing and turned to face the arena in which the next pairing, Jin and Willow, were taking their places.
I felt guilty, I should have been happy for her. The boy she had triumphed over would only suffer a minor bruise, but I just couldn’t get over the fact that she had choose herself over the pain of another. Then again, I remembered the morning before the reaping as I’d held the knife up against the peacekeeper’s throat in an attempt to save Emily and her child. The situations were different, but they showed me the same picture. All humans are monsters deep down inside.
I watched Jin and Willow’s swords clash before Jin’s training paid off and she toppled to the ground with a venomous look on her face.
I felt a little sick as I began thinking again. I didn’t want to fight anyone. I just wanted to be left alone- no I needed to be alone. I’d been paired with someone named Celeste? I sorted through the tributes but I couldn’t put a face to the name. I tried to close my mind and focus on Axel and Karen ducking under the ropes to face each other. Karen had chosen knives as a weapon while Axel stayed true to his District 7 origins and clasped a two handed battle axe.
It was another uneven fight, Axel downed Karen with two blows, the first making her shrink away, dropping her knives and the second landing her next to her fallen weapons, a little blood trickling from her nose.
The peculiar male tribute from District 1 was up next, I had not seen much of him and he did not interact with the other careers. Up until now he had hardly crossed my mind. The boy sloped up to the ring casually as if he were simply walking to his home, he went over to Kaiden and shook his hand smiling as if they were just about to play a friendly game of chess. Kaiden grinned and pulled the boy into a friendly bear hug before taking a step back and raising his brass knuckles eagerly as if to him, fighting was just a game to him. I frowned…. I didn’t understand how people could hurt each other out of fun- desperation yes, fun no.
I watched the boy from one lash out as Kaiden ducked, grabbing his arm and flipping the career district boy over his head as if he were no more than a twig. I glanced over at Cornelia Vestro who was whispering uncomfortably with Daryle, these fights were very unevenly matched, I think they’d been hoping for more blood….
Suddenly I wondered if I was wrong. What if fighting and killing was perfectly natural? I was a minority, accepting the philosophies of unconditional love and selflessness that my grandmother had hammered into me without question. What if she was wrong? Had I been brainwashed? Had everyone else been brainwashed? How did I know who was right? Was there even a ‘right’?
I looked up as the next pairing took their places in the ring, facing each other- it was the pair from two. They both had steely gleams in their eyes, neither was going down easily. Malcolm raised his sword as Acadia positioned her club. This was the fight that Cornelia Vestro and Daryle had been waiting for.
And the the two had charged each other, swinging violently in a flurry of blurs. I stepped back slightly swallowing hard, I didn’t want either of them to kill me. The prospect was terrifying as I watched Acadia’s club finally nail Malcolm on my head sending him tumbling backward- I thought that would be the end but he somehow managed to catch himself and launch himself into another full out charge screaming bloody murder.Georgette stood up and cheered, twirling a little and breaking into a full out giggle.
Malcolm and Acadia’s weapons clashed until without warning Malcolm sent his foot barreling into Acadia’s jaw, she hit the ground and leapt right back up but the match had already been won. I watched Malcolm smile triumphantly- if not a bit guiltily before ducking under the rope and disappearing into the crowd of tributes.
I stood there dazed for a second waiting to see the next pairing when I realized with a start it was me. My heart started beating faster in my chest like it was trying to kill me. I stepped forward very slowly. One hesitant step at a time. What was I going to do? I swung my leg over the rope of the arena, I felt my shoe snag on the rope and my face crashed into the padded ground. A murmur of laughter rung up from the tributes and I pinched my eyes shut- it was my childhood all over again.
I started to push myself upwards when suddenly someone offered me a hand. I looked up to see a young girl with silky blond hair and kind, smiling blue eyes. “Let me help you-” I took her hand. “I’m Celeste by the way, your Dagan right?”
I nodded without saying a word. I didn’t want to anyone, especially a girl who had been kind enough to help me up. I didn’t think it was right, I turned away and walked to my side of the arena. Celeste raised her fists meekly looking at me doubtfully.
I shook my head and let my hands fall to my sides. “I’m not going to fight you.” I said helplessly. Was that me speaking? Or was it my grandmother?
Celeste beamed, “That's good because I don’t want to fight you either.”
I had just breathed a sigh of relief when Cornelia Vestro’s voice boomed from behind me, “No. You two are going to fight. You don’t have a choice- neither of you are leaving there until one of you gets knocked to the ground by the other!” I glanced over my shoulder and instantly met her eyes. She was terrifying.
I swallowed hard, I was a lot of things but I wasn’t a coward- or was I? I forced myself to shrug and with that sat down crossing my legs on the floor. “Thats okay, I can wait.”
Zeria Maim, District 8
I suppose it’s time that I reveal myself from the cloaks of darkness that I have shielded myself in for so long. I can only guess you have questions since you heard Jack mention me, I’m sure. I just don’t make sense, do I? I seem out of place among the other outer district tributes, a black sheep if you will. How could I, a 18 year old girl from District 8, kill a man in cold blood? Sadly for you I generally ignore questions. I’m not much of a talker.
The fights were set up for the capital's amusement, I however found that seeing the tributes at their peak was very informative. Mentally I had began picking out threats and creating a loose ranking system as to who was most of a threat and who wasn’t. So far the pair from 2 and Georgette were at the top of my list. After observing Georgette’s cunning yesterday I was positive she might very well be the one to beat. I remember informing Holly that I’d seen her in hopes of an alliance of sorts, the brute of a girl had just gaped at me as if I had three heads though so I’d walked away.
It took about several minutes of Dagan’s and Celeste’s peaceful protest before they were dragged from the ring and the next pairing, Braven, the male from 5, and Holly took the stand. Holly swung her padded axes arrogantly cracking her neck as she took her stand. Braven just looked grim as he clutched his sword, judging by the clench of his jaw and the ever so subtle tremble in his hands he was nervous though. He had every right to be, everyone knew Holly was a force to be reckoned with.
Cornelia Vestro shouted, “Go!” and Holly charged Braven. With surprising agility Braven ducked under her arm and whacked her back with his sword. If it hadn’t been padded I knew, while the blow wasn’t fatal, it would have made a nasty goudge. Holly spun around and went into her berzerker mode, hacking and slashing like a cornered animal. Braven tried to block but his lack of skill with a sword showed and Holly managed to strike Braven multiple times, he barely was left room to go on offense- none of the opportunities he took. Holly twisted her ax blade under Braven’s wrist causing him to drop the sword. The casting her axes aside she shoved him to the ground.
Joshua and Stag were next, both were fairly forgettable their movements with their swords were clumsy and unskilled. I actually found their battle mildly humorous as they stumbled around awkwardly. Thank you for sacrificing your dignity to amuse me, I snickered. Joshua ended up triumphing by one accidental blow that knocked Stag out. Literally he cracked the boy’s skull.
Mark from 6 who had a bizarrely possessed look in his eye and Jack from 8 who looked as if he were 12 were up next. I thought it would be a fairly even fight however I was wrong. Neither chose to use a weapon, a mistake that took them toward the bottom of my threat list. Cornelia Vestro didn’t even get a chance to tell them to go before Mark launched himself at Jack biting the top of his head screaming something about a ‘Karen’. Jack stumbled around screaming bloody murder trying to get the insane boy off his head. So Mark was insane…. The insane ones always took a while to die off.
I watched as Jack threw himself to the ground begging for one of the instructor to get Mark off of his head. I watched in amusement as the possessed boy started brutally maiming the same one as if he were a rabid animal, clawing at his back and gnawing on his head. Daryel jumped over the barrier and grabbed Mark’s small frame and yanked backward with all his might. It took several hard blows before he was able to detach Mark from Jack.
Jack scrambled backward looking terrified as Daryel struggled to keep Mark under control. After a second Mark went limp and just looked around tiredly. Daryel hesitantly let go and Mark wandered back into the crowd as if he was a normal person. The crowd parted around him, no one wanting to stand next to him.
The next pairing was of Runa and Fawn. Both girls were small, though Runa looked older than Fawn and had weight on her side. I was reluctant to predict that it would be even after my prediction for Jack and Mark went so haywire, but I felt it safe to say. The fight was weak and forgettable, both girls were reluctant to hit each other and it took Fawn’s more fierce attitude to finally give her vantage over the meeker Runa.
I knew I was next, so I strode efficiently through the crowd and selected the twin daggers that had been laid out for me and leapt over the barrier into the arena. I watched the girl I was paired to fight with, Robin, approach the stage with just as much confidence as I, selecting a single knife as her defense. I frowned at her, she was making this too easy. The girl herself was pretty and well-fed, definitely a mayor’s child if I ever saw one. She sneered at me, “I’m going to kick your big old ass, 8!”
I raised my eyebrows. This girl was clearly deluded. And irritating. She was very irritating. I stayed true to my nature though and simply looked down at her coldly as if she was a idiot, which in this case she was proving herself to be. “Go!” Cornelia Vestro’s voice rang out.
It was pitiful, it only took me one well-aimed blow to have her howling on the ground in pain. I hadn't even hit her that hard. I turned around in irritation and walked back into the crowd, leaving the cowering girl in the dust. Cornelia Vestro was clapping her hands to her our attention. “Okay thank your for your cooperation! The capital shall enjoy this. You are free to do whatever you like for the rest of the day.”
I wasn’t sure what I should do. I could practice with my daggers, but I’d been using them on a regular basis since I was 8 so it wasn’t like I needed to improve on anything. Then of course I was already skilled lightly in survival skills and I’d mastered the obstacle course. In short there wasn’t much here for me to do.
Thats when I saw them approaching me. Hmm, I hadn’t expected this to happen. I stared at the careers coldly as they walked up to me, Malcolm did the speaking. “We need more members of our career alliance and we want you to join. We’ve been observing you in training and we couldn’t help but notice your skills. You’re unusually skilled for someone of your district.” He commented the last part like he expected me to explain. Ha.
I stared at them blankly for a few seconds before a small smile played across my face. “I’m honored that you would think that of me. Of course I’ll join.” I said trying to appear friendly, something was terrible at.
Keep your friends close but keep their enemies closer, this was perfect. It was a shame their motives for inviting me were probably along the same lines of theology.
I’d just have to outplay them which happened to be my specialty.
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Okay so what did you think of this chapter? What did you think of the individual fights? Which was your favorite?
And Zeria, what do you guys think of her?
Anyway I'm hoping to get the next chapter up quicker than this. The lineup is going to be Cheshire, Willow and one other tribute that I haven't choosen yet. And for those of you who are anxious to see Celeste again she will be POVing the interviews.