"Now you have made your decisions, let the competition begin,'' Grace announced, grateful there were still people brave enough to go. Even though she didn't want her children to be among those brave few, she had to let them go.
Dean took control of the competition, and the crowd was asked to write their names on a small animal hide, which was rolled up and placed into a basket.
Eva and the others were the last to write down their names. They watched Dean shuffle the names, careful not to open the hide.
"Come forward and pick a name—whoever you select becomes your opponent. It's not a fight to the death, don't kill your opponents," Dean explained the rules to them, so they frowned, hoping they wouldn't pick a strong opponent or be chosen by the latter.
"Start!''
