Azrael was lounge on one of the viewing room’s couches when the rumbling on screen had started. Grabbing the remote to turn to volume up and sitting up straighter her watched the icy crevasses and the tar filled crevices opened up in the arena. “Well shit” He murmured to himself.
Task 016 - The Launch, the Arena, and the Bloodbath.
Today was the day ―the morning of the 99th Hunger Games. The nights leading up to today had been the worst. Ember had found it harder and harder to sleep as the games neared closer. She was thankful that she had Cooper there with her throughout these past couple of weeks. Next to her brothers, he was the closest thing she had to family. That was the hardest part of all of this, knowing that at least one of them would not make it out of the arena alive.
Despite her troubles sleeping, Ember had been strangely calm when she woke up. Perhaps it was a state of shock, or the fact that she had come to the realization that she had no other choice, and that the tames were inevitable. Shortly after waking up and eating breakfast, she was taken to the catacombs. She didn’t feel like eating. Who would at a time like this? But she knew she needed energy and nourishment, and who knew what, if anything she would find to eat in the arena.
Her prep team was waiting for her in the catacombs. They immediately grabbed at her, and began fiddling with her hair, and changing her into her outfit for the arena. She looked down at her clothing ―a long sleeve shirt and pants, with a jacket and boots. She wondered what the arena would be like. It must be a cold climate, she thought to herself, given the amount of clothing she was wearing, and the heavy shoes. She dreaded the cold, but perhaps it would be easier to get warm, than it would be to try and cool off in a hot climate.
Talise, Ember’s main stylist pulled something out of her bag. Ember shook herself out of her own thoughts upon seeing the object. It was Minka’s hairpin. Talise secured it into Ember’s intricate braids. She gave the girl a soft, yet somehow saddened at the same time, smile. “Thank you.” Ember said, and wrapped her arms around Talise. Who knew how many opportunities she would ever have to hug someone again. She only wished it could be someone she cared about more, someone she loved, like her brothers, or Cooper. She wondered what was going through his mind right now. Was he calm? Nervous? Scared?
She walked over to her platform, and turned around to look at Talise one last time. Sixty seconds until launch a voice called over head. A nervous look filled the female tribute’s eyes. “We’re counting on you, Ember.” The stylist told her, trying to look positive. Thirty seconds until launch, the voice repeated. Ember turned to face the other direction, as it was only a matter of time before she would be facing the Cornucopia. Ten seconds until launch ―the voice continued to count down until it reached zero. Ember emerged from her platform and ran as fast as her legs would carry her towards the Cornucopia. Her eyes rapidly searched for anything that might be of use to her.
