“That was a marvelous breakfast as well,” Kaye said rubbing her stomach. She, Kyanosa, and Dirk had finished breakfast at Sydnei’s and were now heading toward the arena for the announcement of the matches.
Kyanosa sighed. “Yeah, I know. It was great. But I thought you guys were supposed to make sure I didn’t eat too much.”
Dirk shrugged. “Just don’t get an early match.”
“You can decide that?”
“No.”
Kyanosa sighed.
“You’ll be fine,” Kaye said, skipping a little as they walked.
She could feel the excitement in the air. The rest of the participants as well as spectators were gravitating slowly toward the arena.
Dirk looked around. “If you guys see Canopus or Josh or anybody especially good-looking, point them out so we can sit with them.”
Kaye nodded, scanning the crowd. At the gates to the arena, they were guided to one side where the participants were to sit. The arcanian spotted Canopus’ easily visible white head in the first row of the stands. She pointed him out to Dirk and Kyanosa.
Kyanosa plopped next to his twin. “Too lazy to walk up the stands?”
Canopus barely regarded him, watching everybody else who was entering. “Easier to watch the fights from down here. Memorize fighting styles and weaknesses.”
Dirk sat on his other side. “Minus us, Sebastian, and Josh, you have to memorize fifty-eight new people.”
“And I have a full day to do it.”
Kaye sat down next Kyanosa and looked around seeing if she could spot Josh anywhere else in the stands.
She was saved the trouble when he stepped over the row of stands behind them and sat next to Dirk. “So who has a watch?”
Dirk did not even look at it. “We have about two minutes left until the first match.”
“Are they going to announce who has to be down there before the match starts?” Kyanosa asked.
“They announce the next match and the two after it every time, so we have time to walk all ten feet to the arena.” Dirk nodded at the large stone wall five feet high and two inches thick surrounding the wooden body of the arena. There was maybe three yards of grass between their seats and the edge of the wall.
“Well I just hope I’m not in the first match,” Kaye said. “I’d rather watch a few matches before I have to be in one.”
Everybody nodded solemnly. Now Dirk looked at his watch. “Well, there’s a good chance at least one of us will be in the first hour. If they move, they can get a quarter of the round done in that time.”
Kyanosa whistled. “So we can finish this whole thing by one in the afternoon?”
“Count a thirty-minute recess for lunch and I’d say we’re likely done around two or three. Don’t know what happens then.”
“I can’t imagine they start the next round of battles. People need time to recover, even with the healers around.” Kaye said. “Maybe we just get the rest of the afternoon off.”
“Likely.”
Kyanosa rested his elbows on his keens and chin in his hands. “So in theory we could be out in three days.”
“You could be,” Canopus said. “I won’t be.”
“Unless you fight me.”
Over the arena were large screens that had been displaying the God Warriors’ Tournament logo. Then, without, warning, it displayed the face of the announcer who was now standing in the center of the ring.
“Ladies and Gentlemen!” David blared over the loudspeakers. “As we’ve counted, we have sixty-four people in the combatant stands, so I congratulate you all on waking up in time. What say we skip the pleasantries and get right to the matches?”
The crowd cheered. The rest of the stands that had been left open to the spectators did not have nearly the number of people there had been the day before for the opening ceremony but there were still enough to cause quite a bit of noise.
“Our first match today is…” The announcer looked over the crowd, enjoying the suspense. “Almar Lenots versus Naslok Leafshift!” As he said the words, a second, smaller screen appeared beneath the ones that were now alternating between showing David, the crowd, and the human and elf who were now making their way to the ring.
“Good, not any of us.” Kaye smiled.
“Our second match?” A pause as a human and elf arrived at the ring and David waved them up. “Brent Lituen versus Malhildur Pharnos!”
“And today’s third match…” He looked over the crowd and pointed into it randomly. “Kyanosa Na…oh my bad, that’s N. A. as in ‘Not Applicable’?” He glanced down at the three Dragons who were sitting beside the ring as judges. “Is that right?”
Kaye looked over at Kyanosa. “Well you’re not first…”
Kyanosa’s pre-announcement grin seemed locked into his face. He cleared his throat and looked at Kaye one on side and everybody else on the other. “Hey…I get it over with.”
“Okay, confirmation! Kyanosa withnolastname versus Sam Remeriz!”
