Voices from the growing crowd seemed to press in from all sides as the twelve quarter-finalists gathered near the central field. The other competitors had been dismissed from the duel tournament, leaving only those who had proven themselves worthy of continuing.
The atmosphere held a different weight than yesterday's morning matches. Gone were the simple proving grounds - now each of the three fields had been meticulously prepared for new displays of martial excellence. Fresh sand covered the fighting circles, newly leveled and packed.
The scaffolding for the judges had been decorated with even more festive displays. Most particularly, each held painted replica representations of the sorts of weapons the competitors would be using in the coming fights.
