Chapter 1.- Dexsia Greentree

"Again!"

Aulus holds his position as I adjust my grip on the sword. The sun beats hot on the top of my head; beads of sweat trickle down from my bangs. Then I heft the sword again, the sun glinting off the blade, and strike at Aulus with what I hope he sees as a killing blow.

No such luck; he parries it away easily and disarms me with a single move. The sword clatters on the stone and stops.

"Is that all you have in you, Greentree?" Aulus asks, smirking at me. I toss my head and my braid swings behind me.

"Certainly not Mr. Buteo. I thought I should take it easy on you today."

"Ha! You're just tired. Take a break. You've deserved it."

"Running out of time, Aulus," I remind him, picking my sword up from where it fell.

"You're good, Greentree. I'm just better."

"I should be. I've been training with you for what is it now? Ten years?"

"Next month you get to see if you've worked hard enough," Aulus says, reaching for the sword. I hand it over to him.

"I'll be fine. You'll see. I'll win," I tell Aulus.

"You better. Or I'll have wasted all this time for nothing. Get home, I'll see you tomorrow."

Aulus won the thirteenth Hunger Games years ago. Now he mentors the tributes from District 2 during the Games, and in the off season he trains a few students that will volunteer when they're ready. This year I'm eighteen, and next month I'll volunteer for the thirty-sixth Hunger Games.

I wander down the street to my house, where I know my mother will be waiting for me. I'm her last kid at home now that my brother Gallus moved out with his new wife. I hate her, but what can I do? Gallus was never very good at anything weaponry, and it's always been a sore spot that out of all the kids my year, Aulus Buteo picked me.

My mother opens the door as I reach it. The house smells of freshly baked bread; I close my eyes and savor the smell. Mother gives me a kiss on the forehead before I go in and slump in my seat by the stove.

"How was training, Dexsia?" she asks, turning the fresh loaves out of their pans and putting them on the cooling racks.

"Good. I think I'm ready."

"I thought you were ready two years ago," Mother says, smiling.

"At sixteen? I was good then but I'm better now."

"Think you can win?"

"Of course I can. Otherwise I wouldn't even think of volunteering," I tell her, lifting my bangs up to cool my forehead. My hair is way too long but my mother won't let me cut it. Apparently it's my best feature, but I don't know about that. I don't really care much about how I look. Not like Gallus- he's the vainest boy I've ever seen. Always smoothing his hair back and grinning in the mirror. When he used to live here I teased him, but I don't see him as much anymore.

"You'll see, Mother. I'll win and we will be rich, and I'll be famous, just like Aulus. You'll see!"

Mother leans over and kisses the top of my head. "I'll see. I won't be surprised at all when you win, Dexsia. You've worked too hard for this to lose."

"When's Father coming home?" I ask, changing the subject. She shrugs.

"Whenever he's done all his work for the day. You know that."

I lean back in the chair and tip it backwards. "I know, but I want to tell him about today! I think I almost defeated Aulus." My father is a blacksmith and he never gets home on time. Ever.

"Well done, Dexsia! By the way, your brother is coming for supper," she says, grabbing a pot from under the sink. I groan.

"And I suppose he's bringing Lucretia, isn't he?"

"I would think so, them being married and all."

"Ugh, I hate her! She's so irritating. And vain; all she does is look in the mirror. I see why Gallus married her."

My mother turns to me and pushes the chair upright from where I was tilting it. "Not another word out of you about Lucretia. She's a good girl and Gallus is lucky to have her. Now, you're all grimy from training. Go wash up; your brother will be here soon."

I get up complaining from the table, but I do as I am told. When I get out of the shower and head back into the kitchen, Gallus is already there with that Lucretia. She's such an idiot I don't know why anyone wants to be around her. Certainly I don't.

"Why hello Dexsia! How are you?" she simpers at me, placing a strand of hair back into her carefully fixed hairstyle. I sit down across from her at our small table.

"I'm fine. Gallus, what's the news?" I say, ignoring her.

"Training is going well," Gallus says, taking his eyes off his wife long enough to look at me. "Goodness, Dexsia, don't you put any effort into your appearance at all?"

"Yes, but not right now. How's Peacekeeper training?"

"Top secret; I'm not allowed to talk about it."

"Well you're not very interesting, are you?"

"Dexsia!" my mother admonishes.

"Well, well, well, look at everyone here!" My father comes in through the door, and even though he's covered in dirt from work, I still launch myself at him.

"Dexsia! You just got cleaned up!" Mother says, placing the pot she was holding down.

"Hello my girl. How was today?" Father says into my hair.

"Excellent! I almost defeated Aulus!" I say, grinning up at him. He smiles back down at me.

"Well done, daughter! I'm proud of you!" I smile even broader until my cheeks hurt.

Mother comes over then to give Father a kiss. "Supper is nearly ready; why don't you wash up and join us?"

"I think I will. Hello Gallus, hello Lucretia," he says, letting me go and walking back into the bedroom he shares with Mother. I have my own room, and Gallus had his own when he lived here, but now his is empty. I have no idea what we'll put in there.

Father comes back out from washing his face and changing his clothes. My mother puts the rice bowls and the bread on the table.

"Another beautiful meal made by Gratia Greentree," Father says, acknowledging my mother. She smiles on the opposite end of the table from him.

"Enjoy. I'm glad to have you here, Gallus. We see far too little of you," she says, taking a slice of bread. One good thing about living here in District 2 is that we're treated very well by the Capitol, and we never seem to want for anything. If I may say so myself, we are the favored district- and I'm glad we are! We've had more victors than any other district, and it is an honor to compete in the Games. Every time a tribute of ours wins, we get treated even better for a year, which is another incentive for me to volunteer and win.

"Well, Lucretia and I have an announcement," Gallus says, taking Lucretia's hand. She simpers at us and makes a sort of chuckling noise in her throat. Please say you're leaving her, is all I think.

"Come the end of the year, you will have your first grandchild," Gallus continues. Shocked silence, then my parents erupt in joy. Mother cries a little. Father slaps Gallus on the back, both of them beaming.

I'm unimpressed. A baby? Any baby of theirs will be more irritating than adorable. Plus I don't really like babies. But I put a smile on my face and congratulate my brother, even though I don't really care. It's what I'm supposed to do, so I'll do it.

It takes ages for the conversation to settle down; Mother keeps wiping her eyes with her napkin. But finally my father turns to me and asks, "So. The Games are a month away. Are you ready, Dexsia?"

"Are you really going to volunteer?" my brother says, his face furrowing into a disapproving frown. I nod.

"Of course I am. Why do you think I've been training with Aulus since I was eight?"

"It's foolishness that will get yourself killed. If you can help it, don't go into the arena. It's not worth it," Gallus says.

"It's what I want to do. So I'm going to do it! I can't let Aulus down now!"

"Aulus isn't the one who could end up dead! Dexsia, I've been telling you for years that this is a bad idea. Why don't you listen?"

"I don't have to listen to you! You're just my brother! Aulus won because he was the best, and now I am going to win because I am the best! I'll be better than all the other tributes and I will come home to be rich and famous. What will you be when all this is over? Just another Peacekeeper with a stupid baby!"

"Dexsia!" Father and Mother say the same time. I know I've gone too far, but that was very satisfying to say.

"Dexsia, apologize to your brother!" Father says. I stand up from the table, sending my chair flying backwards.

"I have nothing to be sorry for."

"Dexsia, go to your room. I don't want to hear anything more from you today," Mother says. I grab a piece of bread and stalk off down the hall, slamming my door so loudly they can probably hear it at city hall.

I don't care what Gallus says. I don't care what anyone says. I will volunteer, and I will win the Games, because I am the best girl with a sword that Aulus has seen in years. I will be the victor.