Task Description:

Fire trolls storm the arena, mindlessly killing off tributes.

This time I have no fancy opener, no catching line to draw you in. I slept like a rock in that tree that night, my body aching, and when I woke up the next morning my body hurt more. Though I think I would have slept much longer if Revere hadn't woken me up. 'What? Revere woke me up?' Yes. If he told you otherwise he's a dirty liar.

A voice was the first thing I was aware of as I exited my deep sleep.

"Oh Geary, I'm so glad you like me. I rather like you as well. In fact I'd go as far as to say we are best friends." The familiar perky voice drifted into my ears. No one should be that perky in the morning.

Revere. I thought mentally glowering at him.... But who the heck is he talking to? I knew for a fact he wasn't backstabbing me because our lives were linked, and the fact that nobody in their right mind would make an alliance with him.

I opened my eye drowsily to see he was talking to a circular object he held in his hands. "Are you talking to..." I paused squinting my eye, "a gear?" I asked incredulously.

He smiled at me, like the cheery dumbass he is. "Oh Carolina-Ax! Your awake! This is Geary, the gear. I don't believe you two have properly been acquainted. Geary, Carolina-Ax. There done. Geary is about my only true friend who has stuck with me throughout the ages. Shes beautiful not only on the outside, but on the inside as well." He stroked the gear lovingly.

I resisted the urge to make fun of him. This guy was either incredibly crazy or incredibly lonely. Most likely both. And honestly I still felt bad for pushing him out of the tree yesterday, so I settled for; "You realize thats not normal. Right?"

He nodded, seeming to barely process what I had just said. "Yes, thats what, I'm told." He looked away from me and turned his attention back to his gear. "Don't worry, I don't believe them, Geary."

Oh dear God. He's crazy. I thought looking at him through wide eyes.

He slipped 'Geary' back into his pocket and looked at me hesitantly. "Carolina-Ax, you know, I've only known you for about 20 hours or so, but it feels like I've known you a lot longer. I guess being thrust into a life threatening situation with someone else is very... bonding." He said, fiddling with his fingers. He was lying. He wanted to ask me something. I squinted my eyes at him. "So I want to get to know you more... there is something that just doesn't add up in my brain though." Yep. There it was.

I sigh and looked at him sadly as a hundred images flashed through my mind. "It doesn't matter. Trust me when I say you don't want to get to know me." I felt a whole bunch of strange tugging feelings nag my heart. Bizarre, they were. Part of me actually wanted to tell him, wanted someone to understand me. The feelings were the only thing that kept me from throwing an ax at his head.

"I rather do though, you seem like you... have potential to be nice...." That came out awful. I thought, amused at his discomfort. "I just want to ask you a question. Is that ok?"

I stared at him for a long time, a war between emotion and common sense being fought behind my eyes. Finally I spoke, making a compromise. "One question. Shoot." I said, doubting he would ask anything intelligent first off.

He grinned sitting up a little, "Ok, so in your interview you displayed the obvious signs of you loathing The Capital and The Games, however in your Reaping we see you volunteer for a girl you clearly didn't know.... Why would you volunteer for a Games run by a society you hate?"

A stream of swear words ran through my mind. I found myself glowering at him. I did tell him I would answer his question though.... "I volunteered because I wanted a chance at life." I said reluctantly, turning away. This conversation was over.

Revere had other ideas though." What on earth does that mean?!" He exploded "You volunteered for a death match only two come out of because you wanted to live? Was someone trying to kill you? You do seem like the type of person people would try to kill.-No offence! Lots of people want to kill me too... Haha. Apparently I am 'annoying' and 'obsessive', but you and I now thats not true?" He trailed off for half a second. "Ok so someone wants to kill you? Why couldn't you just report them to the peacekeepers- unless..." He paused, it was a long pause. A deadly pause for me. "You committed a crime you were going to be executed for, didn't you?! You saw that there was no way out, they would track you down and kill you, unless you could become untouchable. And the most untouchable people in the country are the Victors of The Hunger Games!"

I spun around to look at him, grabbing my ax. Uhg! If only our lives weren't linked! My heart was pounding to say the least. Actually I felt like I was going to pass out. "So who was it? Who did you kill?" He demanded, the thrill of triumph in his eyes.

I scowled deeply, jumping down from the tree. He flinched as if he was scared I would hit him. I didn't hit him, though I wanted too. "I think it's time we amputate that leg of your's. It's only getting in the way, and its also clearly infected. The infection is clearly doing something to your head- well more to your head anyways."

His eyebrows shot up. "E-Excuse me?" He said grasping his leg protectively, then letting go and vomiting in agony. Yeah, his leg was never going to heal. It was going to have to leave.

"You're just proving my point. Lay down." I demanded, lifting my ax upwards. I figured I'd just do a clean and quick chop. Like a gauntlet.

"Umm," He raised one of his long bony fingers while wiping a bit of vomit from his lip, "Might I ask how you are planning to go about this...?"

I rolled my eyes. Revere was so squeamish. I swear if we get out of this alive he will break the record for oldest living man he's so cautious. "I figure I'll do it quick and just chop it off." I informed him.

He let out a strangled laugh. "And how do you propose you stop the bleeding?" He asked looking at me as if I had four heads.

"I'll figure it out as I go along." I said kneeling over him, looking at the bloody hunk of deformed flesh that I had to remove. "Unless of course you have a better idea." I added, feeling slightly bad that he looked as if he was going to faint.

He blinked, "Of course I have a better idea! Get a fire going and your duel blade roasting over it. When you are finished weld the wound shut. It should work. Its just the lower section of my leg thats mutilated, you should just amputate that part. And please don't chop it, cut gently around the kneecap." He said freverently as if he thought I was planning on murdering him.

I almost laughed, yeah I was not fighting a career while amputating a leg. "Are you stupid? We can't light a fire. We will have careers on us in a second!" I snapped, resisting the urge to curse Mayla's name. Of all the people in this arena....

Revere shook his head, "Carolina-Ax, ether I die from bleeding to death or we take a chance of careers finding us, simply do it. Please. I promise I know what I'm talking about."

I sigh. It was daylight, so I guess the fire would be harder to see... Still those careers knew what they were doing, they weren't idiots- except maybe that blond from 1 and her girlfriend with the red hair. But I had no medical background, infact the only background I had was in killing both animals and people. Revere was one of those smart kids I would have beat up to steal their lunch money in school when I was a kid. He probably read a books on amputating legs for fun. I paused as I remembered this morning's events...On the other hand he was also convinced he 'spoke gear'.

I shook my head and began clearing the brush next to us for a fire. I was probably going to regret this.

"One last thing, would you mind knocking me out?" Revere's voice interrupted my work. He held a large stick in his hand, that he extended towards me. I smirked, finally something I was good at.

"I don't blame you, now?" I nodded trying to look solum.

He gulped. "Now."

I took the stick from his hands and cracked it over his head. His eyes shut and his head lolled to one side. He was definitely out. I dropped the stick and went about my work.

It took me about five minutes to get the fire going, then another five to build a roast and strap my extra blade to it. I took a deep breath as I stared at the rippling flames. This was it. I shuddered turning to face Revere's leg, hovering my ax over it.

I really hoped I didn't kill him, because then I'd die. I really wanted to live.

I brought the blade downwards, carefully sawing the flesh with my ax, cutting around the bone. Blood squirted from the wound, getting all over my hands- and everything else. Anyone besides me would have heard hurled when I hit the bone.

That was when everything went wrong.

The ground began shaking and I heard the rush of water. Dahm! I couldn't keep cutting! I couldn't even hold my ax steady. I pursed my lips, trying to keep my temper under control. I failed. Through the trees I saw a purple mountain erupted from the water. It was probably evil. Sent to destroy us. Hell, it was probably going to sprout legs and chase us.

I jumped to my feet. Shaking my fist at the sky and screaming at the top of my lungs."**** you Mayla! ****'s on your mother, ****'s on your country. Go rot in hell you fat *****! If I get out of this ******* kill you! Ya hear that? You! Are! Dead!" I shrieked, and I am proud to admit I meant every word.

The purple mountain promptly burst into flame and demons raced from it's top. I was so going to kill her. On the bright side the earthshaking had stopped. I knelt downward and continued severing the leg. I didn't have time to do this carefully. Sorry Revere. I chopped the remaining part free and the blood doubled.

A fire troll/demon thing jumped he from one side, I sent the bloody ax through its middle and it fell to the ground dead. Wow! They can actually be killed this time. Thanks Mayla! I thought sarcastically slicing another one's head off. Two more fell to the ground. I grabbed my ax which's blade was now a burning red. I leaned backward and began to clumsily close the wound with one hand and defend us from the scattered onslaught of trolls. The masses had not reached us yet.

Miraculously I was able to close the wound like this, not so miraculously the second the bleeding was completely stopped the masses reached us. I started hacking as many as I could down as I was overwhelmed.

I growled in frustration as lava fried my arms and limbs as they made contact with the lava. I glanced over my shoulder and saw that they were swarming him. I turned my back on the on I was fighting and tried to grab him to hoist him on my shoulder- I was pounced on, I toppled over into a couple of trolls, their molten lava burning my body. I lashed out as the scrambled from beneath me, managing to mortally wound one.

I tried to get up but was pinned to the ground by twelve trolls, their burning hands scorching my skin. "Let go of me before I have to kill you!" I screamed, my blood boiling with a combination of anger and fear. I lashed out again, managing to kick four off of my leg.

"Silence incompetent person!" A deep, primal voice growled. The trolls parted to make way for another troll. "You in no place to make threat. Empress Mayla-"

He was cut off by the rest of the trolls chanting, "Hail Mayla!"

He waited until they were finished and continued, "- is no happy with you. She have something special in mind for you. Simple death, she say, is too easy."

As if on cue all of little gremlins laughed. Thinking back it was downright creepy. In that moment though I was having a 'what the hell' moment as I watched these creatures slack jawed. This was exactly the last thing I expected to happen.

"Ok- Woah- You freakazoids were sent by Mayla, to punish me for threatening to kill her? I mean gah! She she that weak and sensitive? What? The big bad girl hurt her feelings? She went and cried to her mommy?" I said pouting my lips mockingly. Believe it or not I hadn't originally intended that to be an insult. It just kind of happened.

One of the trolls slapped me. "You no speak 'about Empress Mayla like dat!" It shrieked angrily as the other trolls broke into another "Hail Mayla."

Oh my gosh, I was surrounded by retards.

"Shut up Fido." The fire troll who appeared to be in charge, "She pay for her sins soon enough. Mwahahaha! But na, she been planning yo death for while. She no like you much. Dat why she give you 11 in training score. She hope careers target you. Careers fail so she send us." He spread his arms as if he was something special.

"Hell she is stupid!" I snapped in annoyance.

I was attacked by an onslaught of angry comments by her loyal minions, which were promptly trumped by their leader who said, "Ignore her. Bind her then we take her to alter! Mwahaha!" It laughed stupidly. The others joined in creating a symphony of maniacal laughter.

I felt my jaw drop, "Wait- you're marrying me off?!" I screamed as two of the stupid little animals strapped my hands and legs behind my back.

The lead dwarf clicked his tongue, "Can't touch dis."

"That makes no sense you freaky bastard!" I snapped wanting to cut his head off, but not being able to- which let me tell you is one of the most frustrating sensations I've ever experienced.

The dwarf creature ignored me and signaled to his friends. I was hoisted upwards along with Revere as we were carried toward the flaming mountain of death. It was rather embarrassing being hog tied and paraded through enemy territory by midgets. I kept looking at Revere expecting him to wake up- he didn't. I must have hit him hard. I wondered if I had accidently put him in a coma. Crap. That would be bad. I kind of wished he would wake up actually, as annoying as he was he generally could think us out of most situations.... I guess it was up to me to think us out of this one though. I began insulting the fire trolls, Mayla, and the entirety of Panem.

In retrospect, doing what had got you in trouble in the first place, but doing it 100 times worse, may not have been the wisest move. If nothing else, I hoped there were children crying back in the capital. I hoped they were sobbing their corny multicolored eyes out.

As we got closer to the mountain, lava streams started to appear, the trolls dodged them at first, but as they became thicker the trolls gave up and just trudged through them. We didn't stop at the base of the mountain, they continued trudging upward toward the volcano spitting lava. Then about halfway up the mountain they stopped and ducked into a opening in the rock that stretched into a long winding tunnel. It was dark and dank, the smell of mildew reached my nostrils. I was tempted to ask were we were going, but I didn't want to give them the satisfaction of knowing I was scared.

Finally, after what seemed like forever the tunnel opened up into a large cavern, lit by the light of molten lava dripping down one of the cave walls, why it wasn't flooding the cavern, I had no idea. Probably some game maker's moronic idea for a dramatic flair. Anyway, by the light of the lava I could see the interior of the cave. To one side I saw two other tributes who must have managed to get on Mayla's nerves. I squinted to make them out, it was the five pair. The center of the volcano though was what made my blood run cold.

An altar. And not the marrying kind.

The fire trolls dumped Revere and I next to the five pair and huddled together around the altar, starting to chant in some ancient language I didn't know. I squinted my eyes as one of the trolls got up onto the altar and began crying, "Oh, powerful, ever-living Mayla, we pray you accept these human sacrifices in your favor!"

Retards, I thought glancing at the pair from five who seemed transfixed on the ritual. In the flickering light of the cave their faces looked gaunt, their eyes sunken. A shadow of their future selves of they ever won the games, morphling addicts.

Their chances of winning were looking pretty slim at this moment though, and mine weren't much better. I glanced over at Sleeping Beauty, hoping he had woken up- Nope. Of course he hadn't. I scowled scooting backwards and feeling for some type of rock I could use to cut the rope.

"Bring forth the fire haired child!" The main dwarf demanded, jumping downward from the aftar. Seven if his brethren ran over toward us. I flinched half expecting them to grab me, but instead they grabbed the douchebag from five. He screamed as they dragged him happily toward the place the sacrificial offering would take place. One of the dwarfs hoisted a dagger in the air and laughed maniacally.

My hands searched the cavern floor for some type of sharp rock, but everything seemed to be rounded as it was formed by a gentle stream of lava. Or thats what it was supposed to look like anyway, I didn't think it had actually been formed by lava in the least.

I looked over towards Revere's sleeping face, wondering what he would do. He'd have a plan, he always did. I sigh and looked away- then it hit me. An image of Revere's beloved gear floated into my mind, then the memory of him slipping it into his pocket before I had operated on him... I tried to scootch over next to him inconspicuously, though in retrospect I don't think it mattered how I moved, everyone was so involved with the drama going on in at the altar, nobody was noticed me.

The evil dwarfs pinned the five male... William I think, to the table. The Troll in charge raised his dagger. "In order to show our complete dedication to Empress Mayla, our dedication with every part of our body, we shall slice young Fire Hair up piece by piece and cast him into the flames of the volcano." I had no doubt that Mayla had programmed them to do that. She was sick, I curled my lip in disgust as I shoved my hands into Revere's pocket, feeling for the sharp edges of the gear. I found it and yanked it free as the screams began.

I looked up as the dwarfs severed Williams's foot, he squirmed, desperate to get free as the dagger cut through flesh and bone alike. The bloody foot was hoisted upwards so all could see, then it was thrown into the gushing lava. Then they started cutting off the other one, the crack of the bone being cut echoed in the cavern. I started severing the rope, the gear feeling awkward in my hands.

The girl from five began to sob. "Stop, please! I'm sorry Mayla. I just don't want to die! I'm sorry!" Screams of tears gushed down her cheek and I rolled my eyes. Begging wasn't going to change anything except for the face you would have died with dignity. I pictured Mayla laughing in the control room as she zoomed in on the girl's face, to ruin her mood I muttered, "You are still going to die by my hand Mayla." I grimaced, really hoping that she didn't see the gear in my hands.

I glanced upwards as the other foot was cast into the fire. The main dwarf set the dagger aside and crammed his fingering into William's eye sockets, curling them around the eyeball and yanking. William let out a bloodcurdling scream as the eyeball was raised just as the foot had been, it's roots still attached, dangling limply as blood cascaded from them. They cast the eyeball into the flames as well.

I twisted the gear feeling a few hairs of the rope break free. Wonderful, three down, five hundred or so to go.

Up on the altar the dwarfs from hell were casting the other eyeball aside and were grasping his tongue yanking it with all of their might. I watched in grotesque fascination as the tongue gave way,the tortured screams of William became animal-like with desperation that begged for the pain to just stop. The tongue waggled like jello as the trolls hoisted it upwards in victory like they had done the others.

I saw it before the dwarfs did. William lifting himself upwards, blood gurgling from his mouth, his face strained with agony, and he launched himself into the flames, his screams were cut off abruptly as the lava silenced them eternally.

"No!" The lava troll that was doing all the slicing cried. "Now we have to do all over again!" It sigh in defeat.

You poor thing, I thought sarcastically. The rope was nearly halfway broken, I felt the adrenaline as I dug the gear harder into the rope.

One of the other lava trolls laughed, "Haha, you just sad cuz it my turn now!" He punched his friend and jumped on the bloody altar. "Go get the angry one eyed one." He demanded pointing at me.

Crap.

I jerked my wrists apart and the rope snapped. I grabbed Revere and jumped to my feet, forgetting that they too had been tied together. I glanced upwards. They were almost on me! I yanked the knot with my fingers and it gave way, I was sprinting down the dark curved tunnels before you could blink. The fire trolls hot on my tail. Revere's body was bobbing heavily on my shoulders. He was either a freakishly heavy sleeper or in comatose, most likely the later.

I broke into the sunlight, nearly running off of the cliff off the side of the mountain that fell into the ocean. I nearly screamed when I saw the red - headed career, what's his name? Mattress? That sounded right but I didn't know a mother in the universe who would willingly name her child Mattress. Anyway, point being he had a shark. And by 'had' I mean he was frigging riding it like a horse.

Mattress smiled and waved at me, as the shark reared out of the water trying to reach me, wich showed you how sharp the shark was because I had 20 feet between him and I. I caught my balance and kicked a stray rock at the career's head and sprinted the other way, only to have the boy from 12 who was partnered with the two girl jump in front of me, swinging his sickle at my head, I ducked shrugging Revere off my shoulder and kicking him in the jaw, he fell over but swung his sickle at my ankles. I jumped and kicked his face with my boot. His neck snapped backward and I pried the sickle from his hands.

"That was easy. Too easy." I chuckled thrusting the sickle toward his throat. "The careers must take kindly to having you around."

"Don't move or your partner becomes fish food!" A female voice shrieked, I yanked Ashler into a headlock and spun around to face whoever it was.

The female from two, Sabrina. She has a lethal look on her face, a lethal look that faded as soon as she saw she had my attention. She smiled sweetly as she held Revere by a foot over the cliff. The shark jumped hungrily.

I didn't say anything, one wrong move and we were dead.

She let out a giggle, giving me a menacing smile. "I wonder what would happen if my fingers slipped...." Out of the corner of my eyes I say that the rest of the careers were fighting off the masses of fire trolls, protecting Sabrina's back, but in the process also protecting mine.

I let out a strangled laugh myself. This stupid lapdog career honestly thought she could get away with blackmailing me like this? I don't think so. "If you drop him my fingers will probably slip and slice your partner's throat..." I growled glaring at her.

"Mmmm. Cute. It won't save little 6 over here." She smiled as if I posed no threat, which was stupid because my training score had beat hers, even if it was set in place to kill me.

"Yeah but at least I'll bring you down with me!" I snapped, racking my brain for some clever way out of this. I came up dry, but luckily for me I didn't need to, for at that moment Sabrina toppled over the side.

I cursed and ran over to the edge, peering downward. I saw the two figures underneath the water. Mattress tried desperately to stop his shark from lunging at the figure who was swimming up for breath, but the shark was much bigger than him, it chomped Sabrina in half dying the water a transparent red...

"Ops..." The career muttered looking around to see if anyone had saw that.

I had to get to Revere before he drowned, but I didn't want to get eaten..... I looked down at Ashler, his face was already paling from the poison. "How are you at swimming?" I demanded, then without waiting for an answer I flung him off the cliff. The shark propelled himself toward his thrashing body.

Glancing over my shoulder for only half a second, at the careers who were just realizing Sabrina was dead. One brunette guy pointed at me and charged, that was my cue to leave. I flung myself off the cliff. I hit the water in a dive, my body plummeting gracefully through the water toward Revere, who was struggling. Yes! He was awake! I wrapped my arms around him and kicked toward the surface. He gasped for air, taking huge gulps as we broke the surface.

"You seriously need to learn to swim." I snapped, even though I was overjoyed that we were alive. I thought I heard him sigh in annoyance but I ignored him. I began dragging us toward the beach, my strokes more clumsy than I'd like to admit. My muscles screamed from exhaustion with every stroke, but I pushed on. Terrified the shark would finish Ashler and come for us.

My feet hit the sandy bottom and I pulled us to shore. I stood there panting for only a second before hoisting Revere onto my shoulder and crashing into the woods....