Saving the Tributes || Demigods in the Hunger Games

.oOo. Frank .oOo.

Everything was black. I widened my eyes, straining them for any spark of light, but nothing. I squinted them some more and finally a speck of light shone in front of me like a long tunnel. Then everything came into focus.

I blinked and started around, recognizing my surroundings. I was in Olympus. Why was I in Olympus? I saw Piper next to me, already conscious.

Zeus was looking at me with a bored expression. "You back yet?"

I blinked again. "Yessir."

"Good." He grunted. "We didn't think any of you would die this quickly, so we weren't very prepared. There was like a glitch or something and because you died in the future, you're still back here."

"Can we not talk about our deaths like a glitch?" Piper grumbled. "I was trying to get resources, thank you very much."

"But now that you're here," Zeus continued like Piper hadn't spoken. "We still need some purpose for you." His stormy eyes bore into my skull. "We're stationing you in the Capitol."

"The Capitol?" I blurted. "We're going undercover there?" I shuddered, thinking about the kind of clothes Piper and I would have to wear to blend in.

"In the control room," Zeus specified. "To make sure things go smoothly." He smiled grimly. "Now it's best we send you back so you can tell the others you're okay."

.oOo. Percy .oOo.

My mouth was increasingly dry. The sun was shining full blast down on us, and I estimated that it had been about 12:00 when we first entered the arena. Judging by the sun's location, it was about 5:00, even though it felt like days.

And you can't sense any water? Annabeth asked me. I could see she was as thirsty as I was, though we were nowhere near how dehydrated we were in Tartarus.

I grimaced. I'll let you know ASAP, I promised her.

It's a constant downwards slope. If there's any water, it should be running this way, Annabeth estimated. She pointed upwards at the sun, which was setting quickly. We need to stop soon.

My stomach growled, and I wrapped my arms around them as if to silence it. No food?

Don't risk it, Annabeth warned. She hefted her spear and eyed a rustling bush nearby, hopefully full of burgers. I could tell she was weighing her chances of killing a rabbit without telling Katniss we were stalking her. Eventually, she crept forward.

That's when something suddenly snapped from inside the bush. Annabeth stopped, and I could tell her heart was racing. She pried the leaves back, and her shoulders sagged in relief.

It's just a snare, she told me. Then she tensed up again. Who set the snare?

I glanced around for Katniss, then realized that we had lost her. Preoccupied by getting food, we let the Girl on Fire slip away from us. I grunted.

Well, at least we got a rabbit, Annabeth tried halfheartedly. She held up the trapped animal in the snare, wiggling it loose.

Do you have an oven or something to cook it with, though? I asked. Annabeth shook her head. We just have to hold onto it then. I'm not eating raw rabbit.

You just might in a couple of days, Annabeth chastsized. Should we keep looking for Katniss?

I feel like a stalker, I said as I pushed myself off the tree I was leaning on. Annabeth looped the rabbit into her belt (disgusting) and we continued on. Then I tilted my head to the side. My skin was tingling...

Water? I walked around a little and followed the sense of tingling on my dehydrating skin, feeling ridiculously like a compass. Annabeth followed behind me as we traveled on, my skin prickling under the setting sun. It had to be water. I could feel it. At first it was weak, but then it grew stronger and stronger until I could almost smell it. Then I realized I was smelling it. The fresh scent of water, of lilies on a pond, of mud. I licked my lips in anticipation. We weren't disappointed.

"Hah!" I felt the relief of actually making a noise from my throat in addition to seeing water sloshing around. It was a small pond with rocks at the side, where Annabeth and I sat down. I glanced around, not seeing any container we could carry water with. But that wasn't a problem, as long as I could always find it like this. I thrust my hands into the water and formed a small cup, letting the cool liquid wet my dry mouth. Immediately the fatigue of hours of walking washed away, leaving a bright alertness in its place.

"Can you clean my water?" Annabeth asked under her breath. "I don't want to be drinking any bacteria."

I focused on the water and imagined the unclean droplets straining through her fingers while the pure water rested in her hands. I watched as she sipped it, relishing in the coolness.

"We should find some cover," Annabeth said once she finished. "A tree, maybe?"

I made a face. "You can camp up there, but I'm staying in the rocks." I stood up and stretched around, finding a small hollow between two of them. It was partially filled with water, but that didn't bother me.

"Fine." Annabeth rolled her eyes. "First thing next day though, we need to find..." she trailed off, her eyes darting around. I heard it too. The tromp of feet as they recklessly crushed branches under them, the drag of weapons on the dirt ground. Quick as a squirrel, Annabeth darted up a particularly strong oak tree and froze in its branches, her dark clothing blending in with the partially dark sky. I ducked under my rocks and waited for them to leave, willing myself to get wet. It was uncomfortable, but I could always dry myself later.

"No one so far." I recognized the voice as the male tribute from district 1, Hazel's partner. My heart jolted. Hazel.

Hazel, are you near a pond right now? In the forest? I heard Annabeth ask her.

As a matter of fact, I am. We're 'hunting for tributes', Hazel explained. Leo's back at the camp, organizing stuff.

Stay away from the pond, I warned. That's where Annabeth and I are hiding.

Got it, Hazel responded, and a moment later, I heard her voice.

"Hey, I think I heard something over there." The sound of feet echoed into the darkness of the night, which was now pitch-black.

I sighed in relief, my shoulders sagging with built up tension I didn't know was there before. I silently cursed myself. It's just how jumpy everyone else is, I told myself. They're not actually dangerous.

But that didn't make up for the eight deaths in the first five minutes. Eight people dead, including Piper and Frank.

The night was cooling quickly, and I shivered in the cold water, wishing I could dry myself. But I was certain there was a camera in my Little Rock cave, so I had to settle with heating it like a jacuzzi. It quickly grew warm.

My stomach growled. I hadn't eaten since we dropped into the arena, and even though I had water, hunger pains still gnawed at me. I shoved it down. At least we're not in Tartarus.

Suddenly, the sky lit up. I sat up quickly and banged my head on a small stalactite jutting downwards, but the pain drifted away quickly. Instead, I focused on the images projected from above.

Lodi from 6, Kalex and Aivilia from 7, Ethan and Piper from 8, Hayley and Walen from 9, and Frank from 10. I shivered again, despite the warm water. Almost all of the non-demigod non-career tributes were wiped out in the first day. It was the careers, Jason's partner, district 11 and 12 left. Five normal tributes. Four careers. Seven demigods. And we were all trapped in an arena in a fight to the death.