The Hunger Games - Through the Fire and Flames - Book 1

Chapter 21

Blaze and I had stripped Aqua of her weapons and quickly moved back into the cave so that they could collect her body. Lia was in tears and required a long talk filled with words of comfort to calm her down. This was her first kill and she was obviously taking it hard. After talking to her Lia explained that she had just woke when she heard Aqua's threatening words and panicked. Her first instinct was to protect me like I did her and threw a knife at her with all the strength she could. It was a good enough throw to cut the first few layers of skin but what really did the trick was the poison that was on the knife. The knife she cut Aqua with was the knife that Blaze had used to knock the poisonus fruit from my hands the previous night. After that knowledge surface we quickly disposed of the knife.
Oreale had just returned from putting some more sunburst leaves on the flames and sat outside the small entrance of the cave to catch what little breeze she could.
"So just out of curiosity when can we go hunt the careers?" she asked.
I didn't even bother answering her question because she was there when 11 explained that 7 was temporarily immobile. If we went now we wouldn't stand a chance.
Though I had to admit, 7 looked a lot better then the previous night and that was a relief. He currently sat out by a tree shaving a branches tip down to create a spear. With the muscles he had from moving lumber he was an excellent throw. Admittedly he revealed that the only weapon he was good with was a spear. This gave me an idea, a trident was like a three headed spear so maybe he could use those.

I gave him Aqua's tridents and he began playing around with them. After a few hours he was on point. That evening we had some fruit again and after several complaints of the diet we agreed to try and get some hunting done so we could have some meat. We would all go on this trip because it was time to relocate. After the chase the previous night it was clear the careers now knew what area we were bunkering down in and were probably putting together some sort of plan to try and flush us out into the open.

From where we were I had 6 climb up the rocks to see our location and he had discovered on the other side was river and by the river was a long range of cliffs. He thought maybe we could move down to there but I was really unsure about it. It seemed too easy to get to. By nightfall we decided that it would be best to try and get back across the field past the Cornucopia and head to the cave that I had inhabited for two days.

We snuggled up in the caves waiting for the Anthem to play. The moment we did we stuck our heads out just in time to see Aqua's picture pop up and then flicker away. I saw several birds take to the sky very suddenly in the distance and knew only a loud noise could do that. I bet that was her team mate screaming in fury.

After the sky darkened we ducked back into the cave and went to sleep. I woke from the night as I heard several angry voices coming closer into range. Sitting upright I began shouting to wake everyone up. We gathered our things and stepped outside of the cave just in time to see the flames of our fire wall flicker its last flame then die out all together.  Standing on the other side holding weapons was the careers.

I grabbed Lia's hand and we took off running, my crew quickly following on my tails. A whistling sound filled the air and a spear stabbed into the tree inches from my head. Blaze made it to my side and suddenly fell to the ground as a career tackled him. Striking his rocks together quickly a spark began and lit the leaves around him, himself and the career on fire.

The career wasn't smart enough to remember to stop drop and roll but Blaze did it at once and was free of the burning flames. Getting to his feet he caught up with us and we continued on. I turned my head one last time to see the other 4 careers throw him on the ground and roll him back and forth to put out the flames.

We rounded a corner and found ourselves near the stream that gave us shelter. I pointed to the cliff and we quickly climbed. We made it to the top and ducked into the cave I stayed in on my first night in the arena just in time to see the careers come into view. Pushing ourselves back into the cave we waited. I leaned towards the edge and spotted them, they were looking around and even looked up in our direction. 11 quickly pulled me back.

"They can't see us, they don't have glasses that is why they couldn't keep up with us." I reassured her.

She let me go and the rest of us leaned towards the edge quietly. They seemed to be heading off in another direction. Oreale began to get figity when she spoke of needing the restroom. I handed her a pair of glasses and a knife and let her go. We watched her skim down the rocks to the ground and go over to a bush. Before she could reach a tall career ran up behind her and grabbed her. Her scream bringing me chills.

I watched as the career threw her to the ground and climbed on top of her before he began cutting her all over. Each cut resulted in a scream of pain. I wanted to help her but I knew that the other careers were probably nearby and waiting for us to give our position away. Sure I knew they couldn't see us but by the direction of an arrow in its victim they can easily tell from where it was shot or atleast grab a hint of the area. I just hoped he would end her life soon so she would be out of pain.

Then I remembered the night vision glasses Oreale was wearing. Squinting in the dark I spotted them on the ground. Only if I could destroy them without giving away our position. Then again, maybe I could. I grabbed my bow and sheeth and carefully made my way down the same way Oreale did but much more quietly. I edged along until I was shielded by some bushes and began making sure the area was clear before I launched an arrow into the careers shoulder he dropped his knife and I ran over to collect it and toss it into the river before I reloaded my arrow.

"You, over there and I will spare your life a second longer." He obeyed and I knelt down carefully beside Oreale. She was bleeding through over several cuts and gashes along her body but they weren't that bad. The one that I was more worried about was the cut in her throat, by the looks of it he hadn't finished.

She reached up and took my hand and pushed my bow against her chest right at her heart. She wanted me to kill her. I quickly moved my bow away but she began begging.

"Please" she mumbled in a raspy voice. "Sp much pain." she managed to say before a long squirt of blood sprayed from her wound all over my suit. Suddenly her wound opened up and her blood poured out in a continuos stream down to the ground. Soon a pool of red circled her body.

Within a minute a loud bang sounded and I knew she was gone. I leaned forward and closed her eyes so it looked like she was sleeping and rose to my feet. The moment I turned around I knew something was wrong. The boy who had attacked her was gone. To my left I heard it, several feet running in my direction. I looked to the ground and kicked the glasses into the stream and watched them float away before I took off at a run.

I managed to scale a tree a few hunder yards down the river and mellow out my breathing by the time they caught up. They didn't know I could climb or I bet they would have found me quickly. They listened, looked around and even peered in some nearby bushed before they headed off.

It took me a moment to realize that I was seperated by my pack and was fending for myself now. If I survived this it would be a miracle. I wondered if they would find me or even bother looking for me. All I knew was they were sitting ducks and I was a deer being hunted.