A/N: Hi! Thank you guys for the reviews! I appreciate it and I'm glad you are enjoying this story so far. Anyways.

Without further adieu:

I only own my OCs and this storyline, the dialogue and events from the show belong to their respective owners.

Sentences like this in quotations are grounders, or anyone, speaking in Trigedasleng. Other sentences in the same form are thoughts.

~Enjoy!~


TWELVE: The Champion

Rory had lost track of how much time Ontari spent torturing her.

It was days, she knew that much. Some of her cuts had scabbed over and her burns began to welt. A healer had come by a few times to put something on her wounds so they could heal but that meant that Nia could just continue to torture her. Sometimes it was Ontari. Sometimes it was Nia. But Ontari was the worst, telling her that no one would save them and she knew how to make Rory suffer whereas Nia loved to punch her.

Rory was certain that she had broken ribs from the number of times Nia hit them the last time she tortured her herself, "Hey, SkaiNatblida. Wake up." The dark-haired girl turns to look over at Wyrm with a glare.

But she stops when she notices that the guards were looking into cells and she gets up with a struggle, "What's happening?" Rory asks.

"The Arena. Nia is looking for the strong." The woman says from her cell beside them.

"But this early? I thought you said she wasn't going to look for anyone until a week later, Edyn?" Rory asks as she had learned the woman's name a day ago.

Edyn narrows her eyes, "It has been a week, SkaiNatblida." She states as if it meant nothing.

Rory goes to reply, "Her." The guard says, interrupting them as they come by, "And those two." He gestures to Rory, Edyn, and Wyrm.

The other guards unlock their cells and pushes them to join the other five prisoners already in a line facing the door that was far away from the other that led to the main part of Nia's castle and where they took the prisoners to be tortured. Rory puts her jacket over the shirt that had been given to her in replacement of the one that Ontari tore apart during torture. She looks around at the other prisoners until she sees a familiar platinum blonde-haired man.

"Fenrir?" She asks and he turns to her.

He grows a smile, "Rory of the Sky People." Fenrir comes to stand by her, "It's nice to see you again." He says.

"Be quiet back there!" The Warden yells as he comes to stand at the front of the line.

Fenrir and Rory exchange a glance as the Warden leads the eight prisoners out of the Compound and towards a very tall wall that had snow covering the top of it and it seemed to drag on for miles but she eventually saw the turn it made. This gave her the indication that it was some circle. Rory breathes uneasily, not caring that her ribs hurt as she is handed a sword. She barely knew how to use a sword but it was the only weapon being given to them. Queen Nia joins them, standing off to the side.

"Azgeda Prisoners, you have been chosen by the gods. You will participate in my arena. If you survive, you will earn the title of being my Protathlitís. Which none have been for a long time." She says to the prisoners in their language.

Fenrir translates for her, "What is a Protathlitís?" Rory whispers to him.

"It means champion." He replies.

"Let them in."

The Warden nods a Queen Nia's orders but Nia doesn't notice Rory was there. The prisoners are each led to eight different doors by themselves. The doors slide up and they walk through; Rory more hesitant than the others as the door closes behind her. She grips the handle of her sword tightly, gulping while she slowly walks down the small hallway. Cheers come from beyond another door that had yet to open. She could hear the slapping of swords hitting each other until it stops and the cheers grow louder.

Rory sits down against the wall as another fight begins.

Four hours pass by until her door starts to creak open. Rory holds her hand above her head when the light from outside blinds her. Once her eyes adjust and she walks out, she withholds a gasp of horror. Snow littered the playing field but blood coated the white substance. And laying among it were the bodies of the prisoners she had grown accustomed to; someone named Aretha that was in the same cell as Edyn's and one she had learned to know as Ulrick. At the center of it all was a large figure. She couldn't tell if it was a man or something else.

The figure had on a body of very heavy armor and, as Rory creeps closer, she notices there were shadowy tendrils flowing out of his body like an aura. His helmet held blank slits so she couldn't see his eyes but two horns extended from it. She steps up to him finally as she notices how he seemed to grip his weapon tightly at her presence. Queen Nia stands up from her perch above the crowd before raising her hand and letting it fall fast.

Rory barely had any time to react as the figure charges her. She manages to step out of the way but he just twists and hits her, making her hit the ground hard. Images of Ontari torturing her flash through her mind as her ribs spark in pain. This gives the figure the time to discard his weapon and roll her onto her back as he begins to take advantage of her broken ribs. He begins to push his hand against them with all his strength while the crowd cheers.

Rory yells in pain as she definitely hears another snap while the figure watches her, enjoying her screams. The dark-haired girl grits her teeth in pain as her fingers reach out for anything to hit him with. Her hand grasps the handle of her sword before she sits up slightly against his strength and thrusts the sword straight into his gut. This causes him to stumble away from her.

She gets up slowly in pain and rushes at him, hitting the hilt of her sword with a kick. It goes further into his gut which causes the strange tendrils around him to stop moving as he makes a noise before falling onto his back. Rory stands there and breathes heavily while the crowds remain silent. She barely even notices that Nia gets up from her perch and walks over to the edge.

After a moment of silence from her, Nia glances among her people, "Hail the new Champion!" The crowds begin to cheer at her words.

All Rory could do was glance along the crowds at the many faces of Ice Nation people. The only thing she could think was:

What now?


After the arena fight and the defeat of Nia's previous champion, the prisoners had been returned to their cells.

All except for Rory.

She currently sat in the previous champion's room on the bed with a healer tending to her wounds. Rory didn't know what being Nia's champion meant now, but it was nothing she could change. As if sensing her thoughts, a knock sounds at the door as a guard announces the arrival of the Queen.

Nia easily steps into the room as the healer continues to even take care of the wounds that Ontari and the Queen herself had caused, "Leave us." She orders the healer.

The healer quickly leaves, not wanting to disobey his Queen while Rory remains quiet as Nia walks over to her.

"So, you are now my Champion. Do you understand what this entails?" Nia watches Rory shake her head and rolls her eyes, "Of course, not. It means you are to perform in the arena against the other prisoners whenever I wish it. It's clear that you have no combat training but that could be provided...if you accept my offer." She says with the rise of her brow.

Rory looks down at her shoes as she contemplates it. What would it mean for her if she does this? If she betrays her people by becoming Azgeda? She knows how cruel these people were compared to the rest of the Grounder nation, but she could never ever be like them. However, her thoughts turn to the people in the cages downstairs. Perhaps she could save them in some way? It was a stupid plan. But it was a plan.

"Fine." Nia raises her brows at the SkaiNatblida's words, "I'll join your people. On one condition." Rory says.

"Which is what?" Nia asks, willing to do anything to get another Nightblood on her side to ensure that Ice Nation rules Polis.

A voice rang in her head. One that she could never forget.

You did what a leader would. Not an outcast. Then start being one.

Rory stands up and makes sure there is every bit of stubbornness in her voice, "The prisoners will come to no harm while I fight for you, serve you, and possibly die for you. Those...are my terms. And if you cannot meet them, then you may as well kill me. Forfeiting your chance to have Ice Nation rule Polis and beyond." A swell of pride fills her when she spots the slightest sliver of fear in Nia's eyes.

A moment goes by as the Queen keeps her eyes locked with Rory's, "Very well. Your friends will be unharmed. But those emotions of yours will have to go away or you will be unfit to be my Champion." Nia says before she leaves.

The door slams shut which makes Rory sigh with a small smile plastered on her face.

That went...well.

A/N: Let me know what you think!

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~QueenOfSerpents27~