The Price of Fame and Fortune (Hunger Games)

31

We found out from the fallen that it was the girl from Three and both from Nine. It means that the only tributes left are the Careers, Trent and the Mellark twins. Oh, and Liam and I.  But what it really means, is that we're running out of time to find Trent. If we don't find him then the careers or the twins will. And well, we know at least one of those alliances have been getting their hands dirty.

I frowned, maybe all of them except Trent have gotten their hands dirty. Fifteen are dead. I know that personally Liam and I are only responsible for five of those cannons. The four we killed together and whoever got on the other end of Liam's trident during the bloodbath.

So, Leaving out the boy I saw Fragrance kill, it's nine deaths unaccounted for. Actually, there was that idiot that ran into the force field. So eight deaths unaccounted for. Still, I hated the idea of Trent all alone with a score of seven while everyone else has a score of ten or higher.

It officially labels Trent as the weakest player. Thus, he's now a target. 

The two of us stood in the field of doors, Liam ever patiently waiting for me to pick one. I looked at him briefly as he admired the end of his trident as he leant against a door frame. The number twenty-three to be exact. 

I stared at the sky in frustration before shooting Liam a small smile. "I think the twenties are bit...I don't know, foreign?".

Liam's nose crinkled in amusement.  "Foreign...okay".

I shrugged. "He wouldn't know what the arenas are like here".

He tusked. "I'm telling you, he was standing on that pedestal". He indicated towards the pedestals and empty table. "And twenty-two would've been the closest door, to the left". He chuckled at the end of his sentence. 

I frowned. "We thought it was smart".

He gave me a 'really' look before shaking his head in amusement. I ignored it and tipped my head at door twenty-two. I shrugged. "Worst comes to worst we just check all twenty doors to the left of his pedestal, right?".

He nodded. "Yep. All twenty of them".

I bit my lip to hide my smile. I knew the last thing Liam actually wants to do is look for Trent Perry. He knows we could easily end it. He told me Enobaria, Gloss and Cashmere won back to back years directly before Finnick's games. Meaning we've got a pretty big hunch we'll find both sets of the careers somewhere behind doors 64, 63 and 62.

And the Mellark's?...well, they could be anywhere. Trent we think is behind a door ending in twenty-something. Based off Liam only thinking he saw Trent on a pedestal, four pedestals across from himself.  And all the doors to the left of said pedestal range from 18-38. But, if it's the left of the upmost left then it has to be door twenty-three. 

Of course, there's always Blight's arena but between the two of us we don't know what year. Okay, I quickly rolled out my shoulders and opened the door. That familiar sound of thunder echoing around me.  

What I was met with is a valley. Like, a huge meadow with pretty flowers and a mother-fucking rainbow to top it all off. Birds were singing and it had a distinct smell of honey. A sudden clap of thunder came from behind me and I turned to Liam with a shrug. "Well, there's no trees".

Liam observed the meadow and like me, he frowned at the massive rainbow at the end of the valley. "Weird arena".

I nodded. "Peaceful though. Probably a nice place to die".

Liam snorted. "Yeah totally. I'm sure the twenty three that did really appreciated the scenery".

It took everything in me not to laugh. Instead, I bit my lip and nodded. Suddenly I felt Liam tap my shoulder and he indicated to a silver hut. "It's empty. Maybe Trent likes rainbows".

I frowned maybe when he's high, but I doubt even Trent could get weed in the hungergames. I clicked my tongue at the cornucopia. It's too much of a coincidence. "Fine. Let's go see if there's a pot of gold at the end of that rainbow".

We walked down the meadow. Butterflies and bees bobbed along with us. Liam had scoffed in disgust and noted how 'pretty' this arena is. Unlike the garden of the fiftieth games, nothing in here has struck out as deadly. It's simply sweet.

We came across an apple core and I stopped mid-step. Every arena has been polished for the one hundredth games. By polished I mean, tidied and cleaned. No blood stains and certainly no remains of trash. 

I pulled back on Liam's hand and indicated to the lone apple core. His eyebrows creased together and he shrugged at me. "Does Trent like apples?".

I frowned. "I guess?. It's food in the games he wouldn't not eat one".

Liam smirked. "Well, I'm no genius but I have a feeling we probably just found someone's source of food".

I frowned. "What are you tal-"

I stopped mid sentence as I looked behind Liam. There in-front of us was a cute little orchard filled with apple and orange trees. Trees...

Instantly, I ran forward while screaming "Trent!".

I stood with my hands on my knees completely out of breath infront of the orchard and screamed again. "Trent!"

Like a miracle...one of the trees in the right corner seemed to rustle, then sway before a figure down right fell to the ground. He groaned before meeting my eyes with cat like grin. "Vicks!".

And that was it. We were laughing hysterically while hugging the crap out of each other. Trent pulled away slightly and sighed. "You have no idea how scared I was when I heard that thunder. I thought for sure it was the careers".

I smirked and shook my head. "Nah, I wouldn't let that happen.".

He nodded. "Yeah...wait. How did you even find me?".

I shrugged. "Well, Liam said he saw you in the bloodbath on your pedestal. And you know, go left".

He ran a shaky hand through his hair and gave me a pointed look. "Liam, as in Liam Odair?".

I avoided eye contact.  I could already see the disappointment on his face. "What happened to not playing?".

I looked up to see him eyeing my axe. My axe coated in dried blood. I cringed. If I told him it was self defence then I'd be lying. The whole country would know I'm lying. I blew out a shaky breath. "It-I..". I sighed. "It didn't work out that way".

He tusked in obvious disappointment. Disappointment at breaking a promise to him for the first time. "Well, I'm sure you've made Johanna very proud".

Only Trent would know the exact thing to say to make me nearly break. 

I muttered out a small dejected "yeah" as a response. 

Liam chose that moment to make himself known. He cleared his throat and nodded at Trent with a smirk. "Nice to meet you, Trent. Victoria never shuts up about you".

Trent gave him a fake smile and shook his hand in that weird guy way. "Yeah, you too".

I felt myself chewing my lip in frustration. Something tells me this alliance won't be as easy as I once thought.