<hr/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Times new roman;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 22pt;"><strong>Kraven's Arena</strong></span></span><hr/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Times new roman;">Watch for url links to music throughout the post.</span><br/><hr/><br/><div align="center">(https://txt.1001fonts.net/img/txt/dHRmLjEwNi5mMTEyMTIuUjAwLjA/d-day-stencil.regular.png)</div><br/><div class="floatright">(https://i.pinimg.com/564x/ff/43/87/ff4387421306f1a4c0dbf6ab6a83488b.jpg)</div><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: georgia;">The arena was packed-full for the opening ceremony. Voices filled the circular colosseum like a bowl threatening to spill over. The stands were covered with various spectators from merchants, crooks, and nobles. Overhead, dragons and bird-like creatures circled in the skies as though accustomed to Caerduja’s games. Whenever opponents died, if the medics couldn’t reach them first, the dragons would swoop like eagles to snatch the corpses up and carry them off to feast. It was macabre, and it was the very entertainment many Caerdujan’s paid thousands to see. The non-Caerdujan visitors to the arena were spared the entrance fees.<br/><br/>Prior to the bloodbath, the white walls and swooping architecture beneath a blue open sky was quite magical. The arena always started out so breath-taking, but by the end of the tournament, the floors and walls would be stained in blood and blackened with fire. Grand, double-door archways led to the arena grounds, which were busy with performers and stage crews setting up for the opening performance.<br/><br/>The interior was one grand ring and filled with vendors selling food, weapons, armors, items, and fan merchandise. One could purchase dolls of the royal family or violin’s crafted in the image of Nisime’s. Supposedly, she would be around after her performance to give out autographs. The air about the ringed interior was also filled with the warm smell of baked goods, meaty broths, and other delectable aromas that permeated the air regularly in Ramduna. The banquet the king promised was free to all competitors as long as they presented the access badge they were given to hang around their necks. While the arena seemed like one enormous amusement park, Caerdujan guards roamed the interior, exterior, and were posted at the entrances to the arena interior and the arena grounds.<br/><br/>Speakers interrupted the din of the arena as a violin whine announced the start of Nisime’s performance. The stands erupted louder than before, so loud their thundering cheers filled the interior. On stage, a dark-haired bard with her unique magitech violin, cat-walked the stage with dancers slowly moving about behind her. In front of the raised staged, performers carrying white flags rushed to the front and started waving their banners, the wind causing them to ripple to create a white fire affect before the bard as she stopped near the front of the circular stage. Her song (https://youtu.be/4MCjU-Du3eI) was mysterious and suspenseful. It sounded almost like a funeral, and yet it was exciting and filled with energy.<br/><br/>Behind the stage, in the high rise was a prince and a princess. He rested a large, white paw upon the rail and his black lips stretched in a smile that near touched his ear lobes. “Hmmm…there are so many competing this time. Have they lost their minds?” Tharn wondered aloud.<br/><br/>A young, shapely woman motioned toward the rail. Her slender arms were crossed beneath her breasts that sat upon her forearms, draped in a deep V-cut silken top. Her lavender-white hair spilled about her shoulders with curled ends and her purple eyes inspected the stands. A dark purple almost black, arachnid-leg rose and rested on the top of the rail, coming from below her waist. “There are so many delicious roaches to choose from,” Ciri said to herself. Her pink tongue slowly ran across her lower lip.</span><br/><br/><div class="floatleft">(https://i.imgur.com/re61PEb.jpg)</div><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: georgia;">“They’re hardly worth it. Foreign trash…they have the gall to come here. Do they really think they can defeat any of our people?”<br/><br/>Ciri glanced over at her brother, her lips pursing in a mischievous pout. “If any of them do, then that just means they’ll taste even sweeter.”<br/><br/>Tharn laughed behind closed lips and his vibrant-yellow eyes darted over to his sister. “Careful now. You’re sounding like Darril.”<br/><br/>Ciri’s fine brows knitted at her brother’s insult, and he giggled at her reaction to his tease.<br/><br/>Darril was inside and seated at one of the food stands. His massive ass had flattened a stool. The only signs that there had been one there were the legs protruding out beneath him. His round, green-hued belly sat upon his cross legs. His pudgy hands were greedily snatching up plates of food and shoving the entire plate, including the utensils into his mouth. Gravy spilled down the rolls of his neck and other foods littered his breasts that quivered to his every movement. The Ramdunan chefs were trying to keep up with the prince’s appetite, rushing to whip up meals before he devoured the entire stand.<br/><br/>“Your Highness, we’re supposed to be serving the guests!” one of the chef’s exclaimed.<br/><br/>Darril scowled passed his large cheeks, fattened with the food and materials he was chewing. He grunted from between his bites, “I am a guest.”<br/><br/>His chest and throat then expanded before a forceful belch exploded from his mouth. The hot gas was strong enough to blow off the chef’s hat and cause his eyes to water from the stench and heat. Speckles of stainless steel, ceramic, and pork bone covered the chef’s face along with a glaze of drool. The prince through back his head with deep, belly laughter at the chef’s disgusted expression.<br/><br/>At the conclusion of the first performance, Nisime held out her violin and a stage crew member quickly ran up to take it before disappearing off the stage as the crowd bathed the bard in praise. The flag bearers quickly left as the music changed to a pop sound (https://youtu.be/g1FkhBGH1io). Nisime started swinging her hips and arms to the beat as the backup dancers twirled behind her.</span>