Welcome, Damaris of House Nubis!" the announcer's voice rang out, sharp and proud, carried by the wind across the colosseum. "The famed Dark Knight! Slayer of three hundred dire wolves at fifteen! Hunter of the giant shark of Myr's Deep at seventeen! The butcher of Grape Valley, now known to all as Grave Valley, after he felled four thousand barbarians in a single campaign!"
A hush swept through the crowd. And then, the roar.
From the left portcullis, chains clanked as iron groaned. The gate lifted, and out marched a knight like a siege tower given life.
Clad in gleaming silver armor that glinted under the high sun, a blue cape trailing behind like a river of dusk, Damaris rode atop a black-plated destrier bred for war. The sheer weight of the duo made the earth tremble, and dust rose with each hoofstep.
Damaris lifted a massive spear and aimed its point skyward.
