Broken Birds

Chapter Twenty One - The Duel

Sara's POV:

Nyssa stormed into the bedroom with a serious look on her face. She snatched up the weapons along her table and tightened her heavy armour. "Nyssa, what happened?" I asked as I frantically stood up from the bed. She turned to me with dark eyes.

"Your friend has challenged my father for the title of Ra's Al Ghul" she said with a serious tone. "What does that even mean?" I cried out in annoyance. Nyssa held my forearms and led me back to the edge of the bed. She knelt before me and sighed.

"It means that in the very likely scenario, he loses, he will be put to death. However, if he wins, my father will perish and Oliver will become the head of the demon. And I, I will have lost everything. I will no longer be his heir and he could easily force me out of Nanda Parbat, my home" she said as she took a deep breath to calm herself down.

"All I know for certain is that I will always be yours" she said as she looked up at me with love. I slowly leant down and placed a gentle kiss to her lips. She pulled me closer by the back of my neck and kissed me deeply. Eventually, we broke apart for air. "I love you, Sara" she whispered as she rested her forehead against mine. "I love you, Nyssa" I replied with a smile.

She then stood up and wrapped her quiver to her back, placing her bow into the slot of her armour. "We must leave now, to the league courtyard. The duel will be there" she said as she held out her hand.

I intertwined my fingers with hers as she pulled me into her warm embrace. She left a gentle kiss on my forehead. "Whatever happens, I will ensure our safety, my beloved", she whispered as she passed me a dagger to hide within my armour. I nodded and we walked down to the courtyard, where loud chanting was erupting into the darkening sky.

Oliver stood in the centre of the courtyard shivering without a shirt. His skin had turned a pale blue due to the frigid temperature. His skin was covered in deep scars and recent bruises due to the treatment from the League of Assassins.

Ra's Al Ghul entered the arena wearing expensive armour and his lavish cape of red and gold. Scenes of dragons and fire were embroidered into the silk. His intricate silver sword hung at the side of his waist.

Once he stood in front of Oliver, two assassins stepped forward and removed the cape, his sword and top half of Ra's Al Ghul's armour. His torso was covered in tattoos of league symbols depicting him as the ruler of Nanda Parbat.

His loud voice boomed with a thick cloud from the cold. "Choose your weapon wisely, Oliver" he stated as he waited patiently with his arms behind his back. Oliver walked over to the wall covered in weapons and retrieved two short swords.

He then walked back to the centre of the courtyard and stood in a fighting stance. "At the sound of the gong, the duel will commence, I will remind you this fight is to the death" he said as he positioned himself.

"What about your weapons" Oliver asked with concern. "I do not need a weapon to win in a fight against you, dear boy. I shall simply take the swords from you" he said with a wicked grin. Concern filled my heart as I looked at the two men preparing for combat.

Nyssa gently grabbed my hand, looking down at me with sympathy. The sound of a bell rung through the cold air, indicating that the fight had began.

Oliver swiftly charged towards his opponent, swinging the swords frantically. "Does he not know how to use a sword?" Nyssa asked in confusion. I shook my head as she wrapped an arm around me for my comfort as her eyes remained on the fight.

Ra's Al Ghul side stepped all of Oliver's attacks with his arms crossed behind his back. With a laugh he lunged and quickly took a sword from Oli's grasp. He held the sword out and defended every attack, knocking the blade away from him.

They continued to spar at a rapid pace until Oliver's sword clattered out of his hand. He turned to the head of the demon in fear, keeping his fists raised. He attempted to fight but Ra's Al Ghul was too powerful.

He knelt in the soft snow with a blade at his pale throat. Ra's Al Ghul ran the tip of his sword down to Oliver's abdomen. "You have lasted longer in combat with me than most" he said in appreciation. Oliver looked up with a clenched jaw, refusing to beg for his life.

Ra's Al Ghul looked down with an impressed expression on his features. After a few minutes, he threw the sword into the snow and held his hand out to Oliver. He pulled him up until they stood before each other. "Oliver Queen, I name you the heir of the demon" he said with a smile.

Nyssa took a sharp inhale as Oliver turned to look at us. "I cannot accept that" he said as he looked down at the snow. "If you do not, my dear son, I shall kill you and everyone you have ever cared for" the head of the demon responded.

Nyssa stepped forward "you would have to exile me in order to name a new heir" she said in anger. Her father looked down at her "which is why you shall marry Oliver Queen and he will become the heir and you will bear him an heir".

Nyssa shuddered as fury overtook her features, "I will never marry him, nor will I give up my title" she said. "You will do as I ask or I will kill your beloved" he said with a brief glance to me. Nyssa's hold on me tightened as a quiet gasp erupted from her.

Ra's Al Ghul turned towards Oliver, "you will be my son, you are betrothed to Nyssa Al Ghul, daughter of the demon". Oliver nodded with a grim expression on his face. I watched in horror as Nyssa nodded back, accepting her fate in order to keep me safe.