The bronze herald horns sounded four long notes from the high parapets, sending a heavy vibration through the stone foundations of the grand crater arena.
Over seventy thousand spectators leaned forward along the granite tiers, their collective voices rising into a deafening roar that swallowed the mountain wind. The official bulletin slates hanging above the eastern archway had just been wiped clean, replacing the semifinal tallies with the announcement of the grand championship duel. Caleb Conway had survived the Iron Gauntlet, broken the endurance trial, and demolished Patrick with a single palm strike, yet the final barrier standing between him and the inner sanctum was an opponent of a different pedigree altogether.
Across the arena placards, the name of Bram was painted in thick ve
