Savior of the Domini (Mates of the Domini Book 1) by Talia Rhea

Author:Talia Rhea [Rhea, Talia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-10-09T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 40

Peony

Peony gasped, surprised and amazed at the arena they flew over. She heard similar sounds from behind her from the others and she didn't need to see to know that Atem was grinning where he stood at the controls of the hover.

When she heard 'arena' she had pictured either a football stadium or maybe something like the Colosseum in Rome. Instead, what spread below her eyes looked like the cross between an amphitheater, a rope course, and a sandbox.

The trees of the area had been cleared, one of the few places that such a thing had been done, but her view to the floor of the arena was obscured by thick, vine like netting that laid across the air in a perfect grid pattern, telling her it was either fake vines or they had been forced to grow in that manner. From those vines hung more vines that were used to hold up wooden platforms of various lengths, widths, and angles creating a three-dimensional fighting arena that was built over a thick bed of rich, golden sand that had been carefully leveled for today's fight.

She already knew, from the brief rules that Atem had explained to them over the last tenday, that falling to the ground was considered a loss. The sand was perfectly level so it could easily be determined if someone had landed on it or not. Since their species was evolved to climb, the climbing aspect of the challenges was heavily emphasized.

There was, hanging in the middle of the arena, a flat, circular area bigger than the others that served as the true 'base' of the fighting arena. It had already been prepared for the day with lounging cushions, low tables, cones of beverages, and a shaded area built on one end. Not for Atem. At least, not completely. It was more for Peony and the others – his clan, those meant to be right beside him on this important day.

Surrounding the 3D arena, strung up between the trees, were more platforms. They held individual boxes and arena style seating for the spectators. They were already full of domini, most of them wearing camocloth or regular, non tech camouflage depending on their personal wealth. They were cheering and roaring so loud, Peony could hear them even inside the closed hover as they floated above. Combots were already flying around, getting views of the crowd, the arena, their hover. On a massive holodisplay, she could see what could only be an announcer as he eagerly informed the waiting crowd that the Dominani had arrived.

They had finished the traditional breakfast feast at the palace together, but that was only something for Atem and his family. Everyone else was either already celebrating, filling the arena seating, or challenging the Firsts so that there would be opponents for Atem as soon as he entered the arena. That was what these people came to see, after all.

He wasn't going to be fighting non-stop, of course. There weren’t that many challengers. So, between bouts, there was scheduled entertainment.

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