The Hiro Games

CHAPTER FOUR

       Loud, blaring music had roused me from my sleep. Although my eyes were now open, I was met with a black nothingness. For a moment I had forgotten I was inside of the arena, but I quickly recognized the boisterous melody as the anthem of the White Lotus, which reminded me again of where I was. I tried to move but found that my arms were pinned together, as were my legs. With each motion I could hear the clinking of my restraints, like shackles, as I began to panic.
      "He's awake," I heard a male voice call, somewhere in front of me. "Just in time, too."
     As he said that, I heard the snap of some fingers, and my vision was returned to me. A heavy metal band fell from my face, and onto my lap. I looked up and around, squinting my eyes as they adjusted to the bright lights in the sky.
     "We were worried you'd miss the morning show," the same voice said, which I now saw to be coming from the squirrely, slim boy across from me. He pointed a pale finger to the sky, and I looked up. It was a projection across the pale clouds, showing the seal of the White Lotus, like that of a tile in a game of Pai Sho. The seal soon faded, and the music continued, while the face of our fallen tributes from the day before appeared, in order.
      The first was a male airbender. I immediately noticed his incredible gray eyes, and then how young he was. He had no airbending tattoos, and I understood why; he couldn't have been more than thirteen years old. Next was a male waterbender. He was much older, with an aged face and bronze skin. His hair was long and wild, tied in loose braids with whalebone. I couldn't help but think that he could have won the Games. Then came the firebender girl I had watched the night before. She was stunning, with sharp features, and eyebrows that made her look forever angry. The stylishly shaved part of her hair made her appear all the more fierce. It was a shame that someone so beautiful had died so horrifically. Last, was Sayuri. I could hardly look up at her wide, innocent eyes, which seemed to accuse me. Her hair was perfect, like it was at the start of the Games, and her face had a blank expression, oblivious to her fate.
        The squirrely boy seemed to catch this and began to taunt me. "You know, I'm a big fan of your handiwork," he enunciated.
          I only threw him a harsh glare.
      "I took a look around the place and you really know your stuff. I wouldn't have gone for a scalping, though, but I guess that can be your thing. How hard did you have to --" Another voice interrupted his, this one female.
        "That's four dead, six alive," it said with an accent I had never heard before. "Three of us are here so that leaves one from every other element. The airbending girl, the waterbending girl, and the firebending boy. It looks like we're the only element that's still left in a pair."
       I looked at the girl as she spoke. Her tribute garb was covered in metal battle armor, undoubtedly from the Cornucopia, much like that the Earth Empire had commissioned long ago. She actually bore a striking resemblance to Kuvira, although with much darker skin. The way she moved was purposeful, like she wasted no energy she didn't have to.
      "Eat," she commanded promptly, handing me a metal canister that had a small silver parachute dangling from it. With her other hand she snapped her fingers and undid the metal clasps along my wrists.
       "You're earthbenders," I pointed out dumbly as I began to sip the broth from the can.
       "Yeah. We kind of thought so," the boy stated bitingly as he played with three black globules that hovered just above his palms. He manipulated them into various shapes, like a magical clay. With every change, an odd metallic screech emanated from them. Odd because the globs were as fluid as water, and yet as tough as steel.
        "What are your names?" I continued sheepishly, watching the forms.
        "I'm Varun. That's Sona."
        Sona was on the far end of the encampment, squatting beside a doused fire pit. She appeared to be writing something, as though she were taking notes on the very environment.
      I couldn't stand the nonchalance of it all. It was like they were hanging out, and enjoying a friendly silence in the middle of an innocuous wood.
         I broke their leisurely hush with a strident tone. "Why am I here?"
        Neither of them seemed to really react. Only Varun answered, still playing with the metal globs. "That's what I'm wondering, man." I didn't quite get his meaning, and he sat up, clarifying himself. "I keep telling her that we should just slit your throat." When he said this, his liquid metal spheres converged and took the form of a large blade. "Or maybe scoop out your eyeballs. You know, something fun." I simply turned away from him as he chuckled to himself.