Liberosis - The Hunger Games

41

The final days of training passed quickly, soon enough a tense allegiance between Katniss and I had formed. Katniss was tricky to read, the best I could do was hope she liked me more than she liked my fiancée. Finnick and Johanna were driving her mad with their antics, causing her to avoid them at all costs. Unfortunately, the poor girl couldn't be spared by Lorelei and Atlas, Lorelei had gained a habit of popping around corners and frightening the girl out of her wits. Atlas alternatively was acting very Haymitch-like in his mannerisms- something that had drawn Katniss close to punching him in the face.

"I hate this," Katniss hissed, awkwardly running a paintbrush down her arm in a futile attempt to imitate the grains of bark on the tree we were camouflaging into.

"It's ok," Peeta encouraged her, "It takes some practice, that's all,"

"Natural talent is involved at least a smidge," I tried, the pitch of my voice rising, "Try loosening some of the tension in your shoulders- I think you'll find you're fixating on the wrong details,"

Katniss let her shoulders relax, her brush gliding along the skin with a smoother motion. I nodded approvingly, standing up to meet Lorelei at the sparring station. Katniss was watching me as I left and when I turned around, I noticed her mumbling to Peeta, who was staring at Finnick. Lorelei was tossing a knife idly, a bored expression on her face which lightened as she saw me coming.

"I thought you were never going to leave them," She grumbled, kicking a trident over to my feet.

I picked it up, carefully twisting the weapon around my body with a grin on my face, "Now, now, Lorelei- I can't hurt to make friends," I teased, patting her on the shoulder with a gleeful smile. We would be fighting in tandem, against two trainers who looked incredibly nervous at the determined look in Lorelei's eyes.

The two of us circled our competitors like hungry wolves, our jaws tensed and breaths heightened. The entire training centre had turned in our direction to watch the fight, Finnick had his elbow resting on Johanna's shoulder, the bottom of his lip tucked under his teeth. Johanna held an amused expression, her eyes lingering in the direction of Lorelei.

The trainers were the first to strike, both with long spears that plunged in our direction, we had focused on one each. They were both towering over us in height, bulky muscle packed around their arms and the trademark Capitol cosmetic extensions over their bodies. The unnatural tattooing and face structures somehow filled me with more focused anger. I blocked his attacks without so much as a bead of sweat, Lorelei was doing the same, a smug grin on her face that seemed to make her opponent angrier by the minute.

"Come on," I teased as the trainer attempted to strike again, he bared his disgusting, jewel-encrusted teeth and I grinned, making my first strike, slashing his shin. He staggered, but remained on his feet, "Come on!" I yelled at him this time.

"Come on girls," Atlas called from beside Finnick and Johanna, "Stop playing with your food,"

Lorelei and I had fought together many times, so when we locked eyes and grinned, I knew it was time to break into action. Lorelei, leapt over her opponent, rolling over his back skilfully and throwing a knife into the arm of my trainer. I slid underneath him, creating small incisions behind the knees of the second trainer.

They were still fighting, albeit weaker than when they had started. I struck at his spear with enough force that it shook, flying out of his hands. I had him on his knees, the sharp point of my trident sat on the delicate skin below his Adam's apple. Lorelei had her opponent pinned to the ground, writhing in her grip, a knife placed against his neck. Three taps resounded from both, and I heard the crowd erupt into applause.

I twirled the trident effortlessly, throwing it across the room so that it landed directly in the centre of one of the archery targets. Katniss' eyes had widened as I folded my arms across my chest, Lorelei clapped me on the back with a smile, "Still got it," She teased me as we left the sparring ground.