The next day arrived and William was feeling more prepared for the actual fighting than for thinking about the other problems that would inevitably arise. He dressed in his House Ascendant combat uniform and headed to the main arena where all twenty competitors were gathering.
The arena had been reorganized for the inter-house competition, with four distinct sections for each house and a central platform where the team battles would take place. The platform was significantly larger than the ones used for individual matches, designed to accommodate five-versus-five combat with room for tactical maneuvering.
William found his team in the Ascendant section. Adrian was already there running through some final strategy points with Patricia and Devon. Mira arrived a few minutes later looking more awake than William felt.
"Good morning," she said while stretching. "Ready to not embarrass our house?"
"That's the plan," William replied.
