The Soldier and the Werewolf (A Mikannie Fanfic)

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Annie Leonhardt was afraid.

How could she not, being in the situation she was now? Before her stood the woman who took everything from her; she murdered her parents, practically tortured her through her whole childhood by making her fight battles she couldn't win, and called her things that no person should ever be called. Her scar-covered body was proof of that, along with the nightmares that would haunt her some nights.

But now, at this very moment, she has the chance to change all that. The chance to free her people, to free herself, and give everyone what she hoped was eventual peace. But a voice kept whispering in the back of her head, the same words echoing through her mind.

You are going to lose.

The last of the wooden torches were finally lit, each of them stuck in the ground to form a circle which enclosed the two contenders. The soldiers of the Werewolf clan stood outside those torches, waiting for the fight to begin. Annie and Elvira stood across from each other, with Zeke in between them, getting ready to explain the rules to the crowd.

Annie could physically feel the sweat forming on her palms. She looked calm and collected on the outside, but she could feel her fear threatening to leak out. Elvira's evil, toothy smirk only made it worse. The Werewolf Queen looked confident, cocky even, as she flashed her razor sharp nails in Annie's direction. The blonde swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Brothers and sisters" Zeke announced, holding his hands up in the air to get the crowd's attention. "To all of those who are unaware of the rules of a challenge, I will address them now;"

"In a challenge, two contenders must fight until there is a winner. There will be no breaks, and no ties. The only way for the challenge to end is for one of the contenders to win. In order to come out victorious, one of you must kill the other, or one of you must yield, and the other will win automatically. To show that you are victorious, you must kill the other contender, or they must yield and give up their weapon"the blonde then nodded to two Werewolves soldiers, who then approached Annie and Elvira. They handed them each a wooden spear, the sharp point made of dull steel. Just below the steel point was a bright red strip of ribbon tied tightly around it. Annie gripped the weapon; it was light, and the top looked very used. 

"If you kill your opponent, or they have given up their spear in surrender, you have won the challenge. If your opponent is still alive at the end, you have two choices; kill them where they stand-"

Elvira smiled evilly at that.

"-or banished them from the clan forever."

Annie balled her fists.

"These rules have been unbroken since the birth of our people" Zeke continued. "If one or both contenders break any of these rules, they will be shamed by the clan forever. Now, before the challenge begins, both of you are now getting the chance to back out. No harm or shame will be thrown upon you in these next few seconds. So if you wish to back out of the challenge......now's your chance."

Years ago, Annie would've been terrified, and would've walked away the second she heard those words. But she was not the same person she was years ago. She firmly stood her ground.

"You're shaking where you stand, darling. I can tell just by looking at you" Elvira raised her voice, which was filled with confidence in herself. "This is your last chance; back away now and kneel at my feet, and maybe I'll consider sparing your worthless life" she sneered.

A spark of anger suddenly flared up inside Annie, and some of her fear went away. She stood firm. "If you want me to kneel, then you'll have to push my dead corpse onto its knees," she raised her spear, "because I will never kneel before you again. Ever."