Is this destiny?

~ The base of the Lebedev Family ~

June 3rd

4:57 PM

Sarah entered a massive underground room and descended toward the octagon-shaped arena in the center.

This is the place she is supposed to fight for her right to be the next Elder.

'How barbaric…' Sarah thought when her eyes met excited expressions of people who gathered to watch.

It reminded her of the fight clubs they own, and normally she would be fine with this, but without Aiden, nothing was right.

Sarah spotted Owen who gave her an encouraging thumbs-up, but other people were obviously thirsty to see blood. Well, Owen was there to see a good fight also.

Stella told Sarah that this is an old tradition. Sarah does not understand how come at this age and time they are deciding who is in power based on the strength of their fists. Managing an underground organization should require all kinds of skills, and Sarah does not think that punching people is one of the crucial ones. But, she is good at causing bodily harm, so these barbaric rules are in her favor.

Sarah imagined that the fight will happen outside, and she didn't expect that something as massive as this is in the basement. She wondered if her love for basements and everything underground is coming from the Lebedev inside her. Maybe.

As she approached the arena, Sarah observed the floor. It is yellowish-brown, looks like it's made of clay and Sarah noticed that it's decorated with the pattern of kolovrat done in dark color and a white swan in the middle. It all seems to be made with different types of clay, or maybe mixing colors with clay.

When she stepped into the arena, Sarah noticed high concrete walls and the seats above for spectators. It reminded Sarah of Coliseum, but much smaller and with much fewer decorations. The only decorations were banners hanging on the walls that had symbols of the Lebedev family: kolovrat and a swan, similar to the pattern on the floor. Sarah remembered the pendant Stella gave her a few years ago.

Sarah impatiently checked the time. It's almost 5 PM. Why is Nikolai not here? She does not have time for games. Aiden is waiting.

Sarah's mind was a mess due to a lack of sleep and stress. She struggled to remember what Stella told her about Nikolai…

"I will knock him out and done." Sarah said casually.

"Don't be so confident. Every Elder has some skills and tricks otherwise they would not be Elders." Stella warned Sarah.

"Are you saying that he will trick me?"

"I don't know." Stella admitted.

"What do you mean, you don't know?"

"Elders attend meetings and make decisions. We are in charge of many things and we don't have the time for missions even if we want to go. The last time many Elders fought for real was when they acquired their position and Nikolai was an Elder when I joined so... I never saw him fight." Stella responded. 

"Why did you tell me to pick him, then?"

"Nikolai is in power for a long time and everyone knows that he has deals under the table… OK. Everyone has deals under the table, but he is the one who takes the most advantage of all the loopholes. His villa is loaded with all kinds of good stuff and when you take his place as an Elder, you get his villa."

Sarah listened to Stella in disbelief and it took her some time to respond: "I am not here to get the good stuff."

"That might be true, but you need to fight someone, and you might as well get something extra out of it. Also, his villa is the biggest and the most luxurious…"

Sarah was not sure what to think about this. Was her mother always the greedy-scheming one, or is that something as of recent? It seems that Stella removed the over-protective cloak and now Sarah can see other sides of her mother.

Back to the present…

Nikolai entered the arena and silently observed Sarah.

Sarah wondered if a third person will come in, as a referee. She forgot to ask Stella about it.

The murmur of the audience stopped, and Sarah saw that Konstantin (aka the Grand Elder) stood up.

Around Konstantin were other elders which attended the meeting earlier that afternoon, including Stella and Vasily (aka King). Also, in the audience were about fifty other people Sarah didn't recognize.

There were several cameras in place, and she assumed that they are streaming and recording for the people who can't be here in person and who should witness this match.

Konstantin cleared his throat and started talking in an unusually loud voice: "Sarah White challenges Elder Nikolai's position in the Lebedev family. Sarah White is the direct descendent of the Lebedev family and is confirmed that she has the necessary skills. If she succeeds in winning over Elder Nikolai, she will get his current position and resources as well as responsibilities. If Elder Nikolai wins, he will keep his current position, and his taxes to the family will be voided for the next year. The match ends when one gives up or is unable to continue fighting. The victor has the right to determine if the loser will live or die, without any consequences. May the better warrior win! For the glory of Lebedevs!"

"MAY THE BETTER WARRIOR WIN! FOR THE GLORY OF LEBEDEVS!" Everyone from the audience screamed.

Sarah thought how all that is very dramatic. Like in a medieval movie. The only thing missing were princesses who would give them silky handkerchiefs. Sarah always loved role-playing and she would enjoy the show, only if Aiden is here.

Elder Nikolai assumed a fighting stance and started slowly moving left-right, a few steps to each side, while his eyes observed Sarah keenly.

"I heard that you are fast…" Elder Nikolai said. "I want to see how fast."

Sarah was surprised that he praised her. Is this part of his trickery? She observed him in silence while making sure not to miss a single movement. They checked her (and probably him as well) for weapons before she entered the underground arena, but you can never be too careful.

"Vasily said that you are a prodigy and not to be taken lightly. He told me to give up and not embarrass myself… Do you think he is right?"

Sarah blinked. "I am flattered that you heard so much about me. I never heard anything about your skills and until today I was not aware that you exist."

Elder Nikolai frowned. Did she insult him as non-important? How dares she! He snorted and dashed toward Sarah.

Sarah firmed her stance. A moment later she dodged his punch and her left fist landed at the bottom of his chin, delivering a perfect uppercut. Sarah felt the bone cracking from the force of the impact.

Elder Nikolai stopped as if he was frozen for a moment, before he fell on his back in slow motion.

'THUD!'

A small cloud of dust rose around Elder Nikolai's unmoving body.

Sarah leaned above him and could not believe that he is unconscious. She wondered if she used too much force. Probably. He is not very old, probably in his fifties, but… do bodies get more fragile as the person ages? Sarah decided to ask JoAnna this question, later.

Sarah glanced around at everyone who was staring her way in silence.

"Uhm… I think he is out." Sarah said while looking at Konstantin.

At her words, some people moved and started whispering among each other.

A man dashed inside the arena and checked Elder Nikolai before giving a nod to Konstantin.

Konstantin stood up. "The winner of this match is Sarah White. We welcome new Elder to the family."

The large underground room echoed with welcomes and Sarah thought how this is anticlimactic. One punch and done? Why are these people boasting about the importance of martial arts in the family if they are so weak? If this is the strength of the eight Elder, she can wipe off Elders nine to twelve without breaking a sweat.

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