ARENA OF HONOR - SQUASHED

The afternoon dawned cold and gloomy, as if the heavens foretold that nothing would be left untouched that day. I decided to sign up for the Arena of Honor at the last slot, with no fixed team, no reliable allies. The new matchmaking system had closed the doors to the weak; only the battle-hardened remained, men and women who had tasted blood and steel as many times as I had. I couldn't show up alone, so I sent a raven to SkyRocket, the leader of a group I knew by name and reputation. He responded promptly, and in his voice I sensed the firmness of someone who knows that no man is greater than another, and that each warrior must carry his weight on the field.

I agreed to join his team. We were equal in valor and score; none shone above the others, because in the Arena all titles and glories fade, leaving only the truth of combat. That night, by the warmth of the torches, we plotted our strategies: which troops would march under which banner, who would charge the enemy, and who would hold the walls in defense. I looked at their faces, hardened by experience, and I understood that we were not a group of strangers, but pieces of the same destiny. In that instant, I knew: if we fell, we would fall together; and if we triumphed, it would be because none of us gave up our place in the battle.

When the group was registered, it was SkyRocket who took command and arranged our squadron's positioning. His gaze immediately fell on the list of opponents, and there, like shadows lurking in the gloom, appeared names that weighed like war banners: Baby, Tholking… and the best BDR premade, positioned adjacent. Anyone else would have hesitated, but SkyRocket remained unfazed by their overwhelming presence. Still, he silently knew we wouldn't be aiming for first place.

It was then that he made the decision that would seal part of our fate: sending Nyl Payne with a secondary march, without his Lord Commander. A risky move, which would leave a weak clan castle, easy for enemy fangs to breach. Ignoring that consequence, he gambled on the risk, convinced that our strength lay in constant attack. His idea was clear: an enemy, under the relentless rain of blows, would sooner or later succumb.

We immediately erected buildings as if time were burning in our hands; the camps were our first construction, but seeing that the others were imitating our strategy, SkyRocket ordered the erection of trading posts, aiming for a greater goal: to secure the Maiden Altars in our hands. The plan, at first, proceeded with ruthless precision. He and Wartime threw themselves at the first altars of the Stranger, and seeing them fall beneath our banner, confidence began to rise like fire in the darkness.

In the second round of Altars the result was different, we tried to defend ourselves from a rally, but the difference between Sinara and Jaqen is abysmal, added to the fact that SkyRocket still needs to improve some weapons, however it was a decent fight, he defended himself, he did not give up, he went for another altar but ... the NPCs of the BDR faction attacked us, defeating Nyl Payne's march, to which baby quickly reacted and fully reinforced the building ... SkyRocket worried, decided to focus on hunting, asking for an army of ancient infantry to be gathered; where despite the fact that we won baby still kept spearmen in the castle, which after 2 minutes of occupation, our house becomes part of House Stark, BDR wanted to leave us without any buildings, each one took one of our constructions, SkyRocket decided to wait ... until it can be retaken to attack together, regardless of the result.

In the second round of Altars the result was different, we tried to defend ourselves from a rally, but the difference between Sinara and Jaqen is abysmal, added to the fact that SkyRocket still needs to improve some weapons, however it was a decent fight, he defended himself, he did not give up, he went for another altar but ... the NPCs of the BDR faction attacked us, defeating Nyl Payne's march, to which baby quickly reacted and fully reinforced the building ... SkyRocket worried, decided to focus on hunting, asking for an army of ancient infantry to be gathered; where despite the fact that we won baby still kept spearmen in the castle, which after 2 minutes of occupation, our house becomes part of House Stark, BDR wanted to leave us without any buildings, each one took one of our constructions, SkyRocket decided to wait ... until it can be retaken to attack together, regardless of the result.

The time to recover our house began SkyRocket decided to go, this time the house was in the hands of God Emperor, we gathered all the infantry to attack and take him out, and quickly went to support him since we need to defend for 2 minutes to declare our house again in possession, BDR alerted, decided to fight us, they sent Love Angel to counter us with cavalry, and baby was the one who wore us down so that the rally takes us with few troops and so they can recover.

As they saw that they couldn't defeat us and there were only a few seconds left to retake, they decided to call Tholking, so that he would annihilate us completely.

SkyRocket frustrated accepted the defeat and his mistake, since mainly all these last confrontations were for sending a march without a lord, to which before leaving the team he decides to apologize to everyone, for not being able to face the strength of Tholking, added to that, he recognizes that this is not the best time to fight, since he always runs into him as an opponent, we decided to do the same and understand his decision, it was impossible to take out Tholking, his level of superiority was abysmal, and we ended up crushed, literally.

EPILOGUE

We fell under Tholking's shadow, and we knew that defeat would be eternal, for there was never a place for us in that Arena.