My writing times for these chapters have been unorganised since the break I went on and I've been reading the Mortal Instruments so yeah, sorry. (It's really good omg, up to the third book already)

All characters belong to the lovely Sarah J. Maas .

SIX

Sam was in the far corner training his combat skills against a dummy unlike the other competitors with their sponsor's trainers to train them. Damn Archer, always thinking about himself. His punches were beginning to harden, making bits of sand spill out.

This was what Archer had always done when they were young, leave when he and Celaena needed him most –when they got in trouble is what he meant. But this time it isn't some petty thief work, this was his neck on the line and now he has left for more than ten weeks.

A cold finger jabs his shoulder. Sam turns to see Celaena beaming at him and he couldn't help but smile back. He would survive without Archer because he had Celaena and that was all he needed, Celaena.

"Chaol just told me you were to train with us. Come," she turned on her heels and made her way across the room to where Chaol was examining blades.

Walking behind Celaena, Sam noticed that her clothes were too big for her. Her brown shirt started at her shoulder blades and finished a quarter over her thigh and her pants were baggy but that didn't stop her from swaying her hips as she walked like she always did. She had a swagger that nobody else had.

With a blade in his hand, Chaol points it between them, "Who wants to go first?"

A wisp of hair fallen from her braid kisses his face as Celaena steps forward, grabbing a sword from the rack of weapons on the stone wall.

"Let's see how good you are Sardothien," Chaol says, taunting, but her face is emotionless, the face she wears when she's about to kill a house full of people.

As they take their fighting stances, Sam moves to the wall where no weapons live and leans on it, waiting to watch the match. He hasn't seen Celaena fight in a long time. She would always beat him and anyone who versed her, except for Abroynn. No one could beat Abroynn.

With their swords still in their positions, Celaena began muttering words at Chaol and he caught fragments of the conversation.

"… The basics? You do realise I could have forgotten after being in the Salt Mines for over a year?" She whispered, frustration gleaming in her eyes.

Chaol replies quieter with his face empty of any sign of emotion. Celaena makes a remark in return that makes him growl and attack first, lunging his word at Celaena but she was prepared for it. She parries it easily with her own blade, sending a loud screech in the air that is drowned out by the other competitors training.

They did a series of similar parries, her body moving in time with the beat of the their fight, almost like they were dancing. She was swift and fast like a leopard but he was also. It was mesmerising to watch -she was mesmerising to watch.

Just when Celaena was about to do the finishing strike, Chaol hooks her foot and points the point of his sword at her heart. The match is done.

Breathless, Celaena throws a scowl at Chaol, "That was hardly fair! You had to resort to tripping me over?"

He shrugs but it looked awkward with his formality, "I don't see a blade over my heart."

A short, stumpy man walks to the centre of the room and bangs on the ground with a spear.

"Everyone here, now," he demanded. Celaena glances at Chaol and he nods, grabbing her sword out her hand before putting it away. Sam walks to the circle around the stocky man and he senses Celaena following beside him.

"I am the judge of this competitions and the Master of Weapons, Theodus Brullo. I will be the one who determines whether you are fit to be a Champion but of course the King gets the final judge of all of you."

He moved his eyes along the the competitors slowly, taking them in, and when his eyes fell on Sam they paused for a moment before moving on. What caught his attention?

"Fifty-five years I have lived in this castle and I've been Master of Weapons for thirty of those years. It will be very difficult to impress me. I've trained lords and knights and as many would-be champions as the lot of you."

Chaol has slid in between them, his posture straighter than usual as if he was regarding a superior. Perhaps this Theodus guy has trained him.

"The king has told you most of what is going to happen but I can tell by the way you sad lot look at each other that you can't wait to find out who they are," he points a finger at the massive broad shouldered man who gave a trouble-seeking smile to him last time, "Your name, where you are from and your occupation and don't lie people, it's just a waste of time."

He smiles mischievously making his stomach flip, "My name is Cain, the White Fang Mountains and a soldier in the King's army."

The White Fang Mountains where majority of their population rebelled against Adarlan. The people from the White Fang Mountains had a brutality and fierceness to them that frightened other people from invading their region.

Without any sign of interest, Brullo pointed to the next Champion, "What about you?"

"Xavier Forul, Melisande Master of Thieves," he sneered. He was lanky with thin blonde hair, his slimness would of aided him when stealing but to call himself the master was cocky. Immediately other competitors gave him annoyed looks, they were probably thieves themselves.

Each of the other twenty champions took turns introducing themselves. There were three more thieves and six other soldiers –all under the King's rule. Three mercenaries and two murderers in shackles.

One of the murderers had the name The Eye Eater and as his name suggests, he ate the eyes of his victims. He didn't wear fine clothing but he didn't wear rags. He looked normal, like someone you'd see on the street but his mouth was scarred. Sam fought the urge to feel his own lips.

The other murderer, Ned Clement used the Scythe for the weapon he used to kill and torture temple priestess. He kept clenching and unclenching his fists like he was trying not to strangle someone. All the guards had their eyes on him.

There were so many guards around them, almost forty in total. It felt almost suffocating to stand in a room with ruthless trained guards and criminals.

Two men, who looked older than Brullo, came after. They kept to themselves and were quiet. Five other assassins introduced themselves but he could tell by the way they talked and walked that they didn't have the grace and swiftness of a assassin that would be a competition against him. If they did, they would be in the Red Desert or the Assassin's Guild and Abroynn wouldn't invite any of them to join

Celaena came next. He couldn't wait to see the shocked faces of the other competitors that she was Celaena Sardothien, the most notorious Assassin in Adarlan and Abroynn Hamel's prodigy.

"Lillian Gordania, a Bellhaven jewel thief," she said, her chin raised, dismissing the snigger the other Champions gave her.

A jewel thief? He had to bite the inside of his mouth to stifle his laugh. Who came up with that brilliant idea? By the way Celaena dug her fingers into her arm, he could tell she want so thrilled about her alias.

Brullo turns to him, lifting his chin in his direction, "And you?"

Sam held his hand behind his back and straightened his posture like he was talking to Abroynn, "Nathaniel Wellington, came from Meah, Assassin."

The Weapons Master stared at him with his grey eyes, narrowing them, "Nathaniel, from Meah yeah?"

"Yes, sir."

His dark eyes lingered on him for a moment longer like he was trying to figure out a puzzle before he turned back to the group.

"The first test will be in five days. We will now do mandatory run to test how fit you are but you have five minutes to rest. Those who are unable to run the distance will be sent straight home."

Sensing the dismissal, the other Champions turned to their sponsors, discussing about who they thought was the biggest threat. To him, he found Cain was out of all the other competitors. There was something dark about him that he couldn't quite understand but he could tell that it was something bad.

He turned to Celaena and whispered, "A jewel thief?"

She slapped him immediately and scowled at Chaol who watched them with amusement twinkling in his eyes.