Chapter 337: Entering the Arena
A chill autumn breeze swept through the streets of High Fen City, dancing over the city’s many canals and tugging at the cloaks of people who hurried to warmer places or at least found shelter away from the wind. In the fields outside the city, workers loaded the last of the fall harvest onto heavy barges bound for the city, piling them high with everything from bright orange pumpkins to dull brown potatoes.
Inside the city, however, throngs of people clustered together, flowing like water through the canals on their way to the massive arena that served as the city’s beating heart. The towering marble-covered structure had been expanded several times since the establishment of the High Fen, and each time, the collection of larger-than-life marble statues depicting champions of eras long past grew until it resembled not only a grand fighting arena but a temple dedicated to the worship of bloodsport.
"You really believe it?" a tall, gangly man from the Glass Eyed Clan said, lowering his head to talk to his shorter, serpentine companion. "Yotsun isn’t giving up is he?"
"It’s only day five," the serpentine man beside him said as he glided effortlessly through the crush of people. "There’s no way that greedy old goat will give up this soon, especially when none of the men he’s sent have been killed. I hear that Yotsun brought in outsiders at great expense to put a stop to this as soon as he can. He doesn’t even care about winning anymore, he’s just terrified of losing."
"Serves him right," the first man said. "He’s lucky that he hasn’t provoked a slaughter yet, but if you ask me, I’d rather be dead than have an arm torn from its socket. It’s one thing to look down on the Vale of Mists for losing the wealth it had centuries ago, but anyone betting against their strength is a fool who deserves what they get!"
Elsewhere in the crowd, several eager spectators shouted at the ticket sellers, each vying for opportunities to secure a prized seat.
"I want to be in the east rose rows," one man shouted, holding up a pouch full of silver tails. "It doesn’t matter how high up it is, as long as I’m on the east side. I’ll pay double for the front seats of East Rose!"
"Idiot, why do you want to pay extra for the east rose seats?" A man next to him said. "If you can pay that much, pay for the hyacinth seats, or the orchid seats even!"
"Who’s the idiot," the man sneered as she shouldered his way forward to buy his tickets. "East Rose faces the High Lady’s personal box! I don’t care about the fight, I want to see High Lady Erna and the witch! What’s important about a fight when you could have a chance to gaze down on the most powerful women in all of High Fen?"
"I’m sorry," a stone-faced serpentine mand said as he looked at the eager customer. "The only seats I have left for you on the upper levels are on Western Rose, above the High Lady’s box. The view of the fight will be just as good, but I’m afraid you won’t be able to see into the box."
"What! That’s not fair! Didn’t you tell the fellow three men ahead of me that there were plenty of seats?"