contender

Always one contender driven to the wall, his cities turned to ashes, his lands laid waste.

He would never develop into such a contender; nor does one real-life fighter in fifty.

As a servant of the State, as well as a contender for the people, he was close to the tangled heart of the intricate struggle.

Henceforth, he could be only a looker on where he had so fondly figured himself as a contender.

In fact, within a few days the situation was simplified by the practical elimination of Pryme as a contender.

Now he realized that his tiny human force formed a third contender in this vast battle.