Today was the day. The day I've been waiting for my whole life, my first match at the arena. I barely slept last night and after waking at 6AM I absolutely couldn't get back to sleep so I went for a walk around the waterfront in my usual clothes before returning to the abandoned shack we'd stayed in. By the time I got back Joe was already awake and we shared half a loaf of bread. Once we'd finished it was already 7AM so i changed into my arena gear ready for 3 hours of training before my match at 10. As it was Sundas, we briefly visited the Temple of the One and prayed to the nine for a good match, and eventually made it to the arena by 7:30, later than I would've like but that just meant that I'd have to work harder. Joe left to explore the city as I descended into the bloodworks and made my way to the punching bag to practice my hand to hand skills. There were only a couple other people there too, all men, all intimidating. Thankfully, they all pretty much ignored me, but I was still nervous. I could already see it in my mind, winning, my name ringing around the arena 'Dragonheart!' Dragonheart, my combatant name; it has a ring to it, doesn't it? Ever since I was a little girl I've fantasized about being one of the ancient warriors who fought against the dragons, fighting alongside the greats, applauded by the crowds who'd gathered to see our epic battle; or of fighting against monsters as they flooded from the oblivion gates like the last grand champion, oh how I long to meet her, I wonder where she is now? Probably preparing for her next battle against some fearsome beast from the wilderness. Maybe I should ask when her next battle is?
It wasn't long before it was time for battle, I made sure my battle raiment was fastened tightly and made my way up to the center of the arena. My head was reeling, a thousand thoughts running through my head at one hundred miles per hour, I didn't even hear the announcer, only the screech of the gate as it lowered, and suddenly I was running out to meet my opponent . Immediately his fist was raised, I was up against a dark elf with piercing red eyes and shoulder length straggly hair. He certainly looked like the champion type, unlike me, though I was always told that was a good quality to have, it makes my opponent unsuspecting so it's easier for me to strike. I dodged the punch and managed to get in my first hit and it went on like this. He'd run at me and I'd dodge the hit and get in one of my own, until eventually I beat him. I'd done it, I'd won my first arena match. This is what I'd been waiting for. I stood for a moment, basking in the glory, looking around at the cheering crowds smiling bigger than I ever have before I left back into the bloodworks to get cleaned up.
After getting cleaned up I went to the blade master to get my pay and while I was there I asked about the grand champion's next match but he only laughed at me. As it turns out, no one's seen the last grand champion in years, apparently the last time she was seen she was entering a strange gate just outside Bravil, where other people who've gone in have come out mad. It's now heavily guarded and no one's allowed inside. Now anyone who beats everyone else acts the same way a grand champion would, but they don't get the name, and they don't get the special arena raiment. Although this had certainly put a damper on my mood, I was still extremely excited and after leaving with the instructions to rest up and start practicing with a sword, I ran straight out to Joe where he welcomed me with open arms. 'You did it! You were amazing! The way you kept on dodging that guys punches and then hitting him back, he never saw it coming!' 'I mean, she was okay for a girl, she's just lucky that the stinking dark elf was so weak and pathetic.' We both looked around for the source of the comment, and Joe turned to them slowly 'Excuse me?' I placed a hand on his shoulder to tell him that it was okay. We were facing a rich looking imperial wearing a black and burgundy outfit, he was surrounded by a group of similarly dressed imperials, probably a group of rich kids spending their parents money. 'Well, well. If it isn't the victor herself. I was simply expressing to my friends that we're lucky you were up against a dark elf, because if you were up against a male imperial, you definitely would've lost, which doesn't cause all too much bother to me, except I would be out 100 septims.' Vilena had warned me about people like this, the only way to shut them up is to beat them, 'Oh yeah? How about we put that theory to the test?' I got myself into the fighting stance, 'Whoa there, I'm not gonna hit a girl, wouldn't want to make you cry.' he laughed to his friends and herded them away. 'That guy was pathetic, the only reason he left is because he knew he'd never be able to beat you' Joe remarked, 'Whatever, I just hope we'll never have to see him again.'
* * * *
Once we were home I stuffed my money at the back of a drawer and changed into my regular clothes, and the two of us went and sat with our feet in the water as I recounted the tale of the grand champion. 'So... You can't become the grand champion unless you get this current one and beat her? That's quite the challenge, but I think you can do it.' 'Well I hate to disappoint, but I don't think I can. I mean, to even think about beating her -which considering she single handedly closed every oblivion gate and saved all of Nirn from the oblivion crisis I doubt is gonna happen-, I would have somehow break through the defenses to get to the gate, then get in and get her out without completely losing my mind. Plus no one actually knows what's through the gate, it would be impossible!' 'No, not impossible. Difficult, but not impossible, nothing's impossible. We just have to find some people who know more about it, maybe it just takes some preparing to keep sane in there. And if we can manage to do that, then getting past the defenses will be easy.' 'I don't know, maybe... But I've only just won my first match, there's no point even thinking about anything like that for a long while.' I scooched myself forward and put my hands in the water, temporarily easing the pain. I planned to go and see a healer soon but for now I just wanted to relax. Suddenly. the man who approached us when we first arrived, an Aragonian came and sat by us and passed over a bottle of Surilie Brothers wine, 'I heard you won your first tournament today, congratulations. I got you this to celebrate, best you drink up quickly and give the empty bottle back to me. We wouldn't want people asking where it's from now, hm?' I assumed this meant he'd stolen it from someone, but I wasn't about to go asking too many questions around here, and even though we haven't been living here for very long, I'd grown quite fond of the waterfront and its inhabitants. Besides, I found myself quite flattered that he'd stolen something for me as I know it's the only way some people can afford to live, if I hadn't worked at the castle I'd probably have been driven to it myself a few times. I'll admit that at first I was skeptical about moving here because of the thieves, but they're really nice people, they've just been fucked over by our rulers. I accepted the bottle, thanked him, and took a drink before passing it around. 'You know,' He resumed. 'An old mage lives at the end shack down there, I bet he'd be able to fix your hands up quite nicely. I've always said they should get someone in to update that spooky little table you have. Oh,' He said, as I cast him a confused glance, 'I used to have a friend in the arena, slayed by the grand champion in a glorious battle, I couldn't think of a better way for him to go. Anyway, he told me about the table and how it only heals wounds caused by your opponent, absolute bullshit if you asked me.'
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Grand Champion
FanfictionMeredith Stephien takes a trip out of her small town to the imperial city in hopes of becoming the Grand Champion of the Arena with her best friend Joe Moses (based on members of Team Starkid and the Elder Scrolls Game: Oblivion)
