crowd of people milling in the same direction as them, all he

engeance and the air is a wild roar of a thousa

vily perfumed woman bustling forward on the

ome and fascinating show all year, I swear I w

he numbers continue to double with each year." She growls, sweat crawling down her cheek a

that all of the available space has been occupied. Steylla hurries to catch up on her shorter legs and Maria keeps her hold on her. If she loses

he dirtiest mouth in all of Nottegra. She is also the only person tha

k." She says and

l be the last time I see

hy would you stop?" She asks, slowing down a littl

the Panther group, she is absolutely sure that she loves com

et marched and kicked to death struggling to go through this crowd alone." She says. They are side by

many of the hobbies that she loves she will no longer be allowed to do but her mind failed to consider that it does no

ilder than she had ever been, the enormous soft spot that she has for her and her own rigorous routine did not allow her to call her up on it. And so, like a grass field left untended, she has inevitably grown wild, intermingled with weed and

with me." She says but her words ring hollow. Married women have no business in the p

p a family worthy of serving the king. The only women that can be seen in the pit are all unmarried, most going u

loudest and the grubbiest of the men usually at the back in favour of risking bod

of fire at the entrance. The crowd gasps when one blows a avalanche of fire into the sky while the other gently blows small burning rings from her lips which widen un

ver, ungiving, slowing them down as the seats rapidly fill up. Maria lets go of Steylla's hand and uses the broad shoulders of a grinning man to swing herself into the air. S

letting him see in her eyes how unhinged she can choose to be if he chooses to be a problem today of all days. He is also in a hurry to secure a seat and qui

!" Steylla screams with a laugh. The vibe is contagious and Maria

ter visibility and the very top is a platform for as many people as can squeeze themselves standing there without toppling down below. Long ago, this place used to be the avenue for auctioning off slaves and prosti

oppressing wall of noise from all directions but Maria

ng fighters of last year!" She says,

with one hand as they battled with the other." Steylla sa

reathes. "The core power they

girl that lost really died." Stey

ace in the Panther festival. She still believes their mother could hear her too, for her heavy breathing had evened out and she could have sworn she sported a small smile on her lips and though they

ious to waste on puny entertainment casualties and either she or one of the others on the sidelines would have had air control to ensure that her fall would not be fatal. It had

rs are not made to die to pleas

ing respect everywhere in the world. And yet once a year they actually make a point of putting

uzzle things out, to shuffle and straighten situation

without thinking them through. She is the one that plunges the both of them into trouble while Steylla digs them out. She likes to think t

igure out but when it comes to the Panther

om trying out and if people don't then no matter how amazing they are, they will end up dying out. So King Ednus started this festival, to show al

erything. Not my best friend comparing me to

man beside Steylla turns to look at her like she is a three-eyed cow

entrance of the hall and the doors are thrown open. Abrupt, almost reverent silence descen

o leads the procession of Panthers into the hall. The show is always performed by the latest sworn-in Pan

ir abilities last year but they all stand as tall and confident as the veterans now, each as much a weap

hall. Maria stands with the rest but her eyes are immediately drawn, no

of Nottegra, hardly anything is known about the Shadow. The little that people do know are enough to make them piss themselves in the dark. He is the king's deadly sword, doing everything the king asks of him unquestioningly. He point

King Ednus is not someone to be trifled with at any time. Th

festival. Just like last year was awing and inspiring and successful, I pray that the gods and goddesses ble

begin. Silence descends once more and Mar

e enough for a child to crawl through dangles on one side of the high roof, several chains hang on the other end of the roof in a straight line and a stick-thin horizontal beam is

afe zone. The audience gasps and the Panther raises her palms upwards, the fire climbing higher and higher until it stops at half the height of the room. H

fists a hand in her palm in the direction of the king to pay her respects. W

thout falling. Without pause, she races along the wall, defying gravity, headed for the first iron chain. The audi

tival h