Something New

"About what?" Athena asked in return.

"Word from King Orion. To keep things interesting, the third round was going to be different! Ten participants will fight it out. The winner would move on to the next round."

Athena looked on in awe. But her amazement soon turned to worry for Sir Nikolai. She was confident in his skills but it was no easy feat to fight more than one opponent at a time. 

Let alone nine others. 

She gripped the hilt of her sword as she watched on intently. She soon realized that this meant she too would have to go through the same thing. 

She wondered internally. 

A loud trumpet was sounded, signaling the start of the fight. The knights on the sparring grounds charged at one another. Cheers erupted amongst the crowd. 

The roaring cheers were deafening and the spectator stands were filled with excitement. Athena's eyes were glued to Nikolai.