Alora’s POV

The arena looked more like a sports ground than anything sacred. From the way it looked, one could see that it had seen some good days. 

There was a wide circle cut into the earth, flat dirt in the middle, ringed with rows of concrete seating that climbed in rough tiers. The steps were cracked in places, patched with cement that didn’t match. Grass pushed through in the corners where nobody bothered to clean.

Four steel poles stood at equal points around the ring, each one ...