Chapter 13
1975 Words
Estrella Vasquez POV
Azure would be mentoring Rapture, but I had a duty to him all the same. I'd half-expected to see him every year, and here he was at last. He looked strong and capable, though I sensed a lack of the necessary bloodlust in him.
"You were probably expecting someone else," I said to him. "I have some unfinished business to clean up. I was Diamond's mentor." He clenched his fists and glared at the floor.
"She did good," I continued. "If it makes any difference, I was proud of her. Of course it doesn't, since she's still dead. I'm sorry. If you need any advice, don't hesitate to ask." I smiled wryly. "Of course, maybe you don't want my advice." I left him then. My mere presence was probably painful.
Priscilla looked familiar, and I remembered that she was a legacy just like Rapture.
"Ready to kick some butt?" I asked her. "Hope you like it as much as I do."
"I need to kill the boy from Ten. Can you help me?" she asked.
"The boy from Ten? Girl, I'll help you kill them all," I said. Dream big. Fight hard. Never say die.
Pray Jager POV
Margo was a lot like me, and I could work with that. After Two's lackluster performance last year, I was dying for some excitement. Even watching children kill each other lost its thrill when my girl was out of the race.
"Please tell me you'll last longer than the Final Ten," I said to Margo. "This is the one time of the year I get to leave the lap of luxury and start living again."
"The Final Ten is for amateurs. Me, I'm headed for the final one," Margo said. "Can we start training now?" She had me beaten in passion, although just about everyone surpassed me in emotional things like that. I liked her style.
"The rules state that we're not allowed to train until we reached the Games center. A little friendly advice from your mentor, however, supported by a few demonstrations, is another matter entirely."
Acee Hal POV
"Hi, I'm Wyatt," my male mentee said, grabbing my hand and shaking it with vigor. "You probably saw me on TV."
"Oh, I saw you all right," I said. "I'd ask if your brain is as big as your mouth, but that doesn't seem possible." Wyatt laughed and slouched into a chair. I'd been informed earlier that Emmeline had been taken to the infirmary car to check on her bruised hand. She seemed like my only hope, and I wished her a quick recovery.
"You're rather casual about all this," I remarked. Wyatt's smile faded and the sadness I had expected showed on his face.
"I can die crying or die laughing. Which would you choose?" he asked.
"You're never going to give up, are you?" I asked. The only weapon Wyatt had was his spirit, and that might go farther than he ever hoped. A light heart takes a long time to sink.
Shelle McDan POV
"So, how do you plan to win?" I asked Vera. She was looking all over the cabin and fiddling with the table decorations.
"I was thinking more of a outlast sort of strategy. I know about survival and stuff," she said.
"That's a good idea. You must still have a weapon, though," I said. Vera was looking out the window and didn't reply for a minute.
"Huh? Oh, right," she said. "I'm decent at stabbing weapons. Hey, what are the other cars on this train like?" she asked.
"What? We have to focus," I said, but Vera stood up and poked her head into the next car.
"Yeah, I will. Just let me take a quick peek around. Five minutes, I promise," she said. That girl was antsier than a landed fish.
Erwin Jackson POV
Adair was trying not to cry. He pressed his face against the window and tried to twist back so he could see the District we left behind an hour ago. I waited for him to start any conversation. I hardly wanted to be there any more than he did. He finally straightened out and looked at me like I was a Peacekeeper.
"I don't really know how to do much," he said.
"You want my help or not?" I asked. The less I got attached to another walking corpse, the better.
"I don't want to be a bother. I'll probably die anyway," he said.
"Fine. Get to it," I said, and I left the car. The triplets were waiting for me in my sleeping car. I hated exposing them to the Capitol, but they were just so darling and they loved them so much there. Victory doesn't include freedom.
Toby Cash POV
Hermes seemed lifeless, like the light inside him was already off. I couldn't blame him. I'd been that way for years. It seemed like he'd been that way before he got Reaped, though, and that wasn't right. Little kids should be happy and innocent.
"Are you all right?" I asked him as he stared at his lap. He started to tremble, and then tears dripped off his face.
"I'm going to die," he whispered roughly. "I never meant anything." His words cut into my heart and I wished I could tell him a million times over how he was wrong. I didn't know how to begin.
"No, you mean everything. Every year I watch you die. Each time my heart breaks again. I can't say I'll protect you from going, but if you do, I'll never stop mourning you. You're priceless, and I wish more people understood that," I said. I moved around the table and wrapped my arms aroun Hermes. He snuggled into me like he was trying to hide himself. I knew losing him would break me all over again, and I wished he knew how much it would hurt me.
Sequoia Wilson POV
Nothing can be done for that imp. I didn't care what the rules said. Myrtle was on her own. I'd help Paul with Asper. There was a fine boy. I'd have to get his hearing checked, though. I always had to repeat myself when I addressed him.
Tillo Peters POV
"I'd like to start an alliance," Haber informed me. "With all the girls. None of the boys, though. We'll take care of them." I'd have a few bad experiences with men myself, but allies were allies, and I tried to reason with her.
"Tell the truth, I'm just here because I have to be. I don't really care what you do, but some of the males this year would be excellent allies," I said.
"No!" Haber growled. She curled her lip. "They're brainless and barbaric. I can't believe any of them ever managed to win."
"I judge people by character, not gender," I said.
"Then you're as stupid as they are," she replied.
"Have it your way," I said. I left her to her plans and prejudices and washed my hands of her.
Chimera Ilium POV
'Okay you two, what's the plan?" I asked Barley and Dominique. "It's high time we have a real mentor around here, and it's certainly not going to be me."
"I want to go home," Barley muttered. He was rocking slightly and breathing heavily.
"You can if you win," I pointed out.
"I think I need some allies," Dominique said. "Maybe Barley. He's nice." She looked over at her District partner like she was trying to pretend he was braver.
"That's good, but you should also learn some weapons. Something cool, like a sword," I said excitedly. Dominique looked at me like that was a silly idea.
"I've never even killed a mouse," she said.
"Well, it's time you learned."
Cornflower Fields POV
Castiel was one of us. I could tell right away. We weren't the same but he was aberrant as well. Crazy Castiel to go with Crazy Cornflower.
"You have experience. How do you win the Games?" he asked.
"Me? Mostly luck," I said.
"Can you help me, or am I wasting my time?" he demanded.
"You're probably better off on your own," I said. He left the car, leaving me with Serena. We both pretended not to notice each other. I didn't mind silence and she apparently didn't either.
"I'm Seren-na," she said after a minute. She stuttered with her mouth just like I did in my head. She seemed embarrassed about it. She offered her hand and I took it lightly. It was as cold and clammy as they always were.
"I do that too when I get nervous," I said. Nervous nervous nervous. Then her nose got all red and she started crying. I stiffened and tried to think of what you're supposed to do at a time like this. I didn't like people seeing me when I cried, so I finally just slunk out of the car. Poor girl. I told Fluvius what happened and he went to cheer her up. I'd just make things worse.
Peppermint Wilson POV
"I'm Pepper Wilson and I'll be your mentor today," I told my newest charge. Jay sat across the car with Orchard. They were bent over planning, and Jay seemed in it to win it. Most Tributes were crying or in shock by now. That boy had guts.
"I'm Pepper too," she said. Like most of them, she seemed to think I'd eat her if she looked at me the wrong way.
"Small world," I said. "Got any skills, or do we have to start fresh?"
She didn't say anything. I gotta do everything around here.
"There are two ways to win. You can outfight or outlast. I'm going to go out on a limb and say we might want to go with outlast," I said.
"All right," Pepper said, but she was looking over my shoulder. Weird kid. She looked back at me. "I'd also like some allies."
"You could use them. Try to get someone close to your age and skill level. If someone stronger tries to ally with you, they probably just want an easy kill," I said. I didn't hold out much hope, but it was worth a shot.
Demi Bottle POV
I fussed and fretted over Elara as we waited for Ben to come back from the infirmary car. That all really wasn't necessary. Ben was a child. They didn't need to shoot him. I hoped he'd be back soon.
A servant came and set a tray of refreshments on the table. Elara took one look at it and snatched a handful of pastries, shoving them into her mouth and hunching over them protectively.
"Good gracious, I wasn't going to fight you for them," I said. "Are you that hungry?"
"Of course I am," Elara mumbled. Her eyes scrunched in confusion.
"Are you always so hungry?" I asked.
"What do you care?" she asked, more in earnest than in rudeness.
"It isn't right for children to be hungry," I said.
"Take it up with the Capitol," Elara said as she continued to eat. I started to understand that this was probably Elara's first good meal, and it would probably be among her last, like all the other Tributes I'd escorted. It didn't seem as thrilling to watch my Tributes fight for life when they were already so close to death. I'd always wanted to bring home a Victor, but this time, I didn't want Elara to die. I knew I would do everything I could to help that girl live.
In a move of staggering genius, I deleted my list chapter and now I can't adjust it. Hermes will be with Adair's alliance.
I started a new job working 3 am- 3pm (with driving included) Monday-Thursday, so chapters might be slower. I shall endeavor to simply write more quickly.
- Writer
