Despite the Immortal Gladiator School's flawless performance, Lord Gerardy Dawn leaned back in his gilded seat, fingers greasy from roasted meat, his small eyes betraying a hint of disappointment.
The silver-haired man beside him noticed at once.
"Do not worry, my lord," he said smoothly. "The next event will be far more to your taste."
The prefect's eyes brightened. "Is it what I think it is?"
The silver-haired man smiled. "Yes, my lord."
"Excellent." Gerardy clapped his hands together.
At his signal, the dwarf master of ceremonies stepped forward, raising the amplification artifact to his mouth. His voice thundered across the colosseum, drowning out even the restless murmur of tens of thousands.
"People of Dawnstar!" he bellowed. "Behold our challengers!"
One of the massive iron gates groaned open.
From the darkness within emerged more than three dozen figures.
