The second hour began, and my 'Tournament Annex' was transformed. The soft, gentle lullaby from Clank was replaced by a stirring, heroic anthem that seemed to vibrate with pure, unyielding optimism. The calm, pleasant atmosphere of the spa was gone, replaced by the focused, efficient energy of a battlefield emergency room.
The five poisoned and tired Challengers, who had stumbled in expecting more monsters, were completely bewildered. They were met not with aggression, but with an overwhelming wave of intense, targeted hospitality.
Kaelen was the first to act. The lead warrior of the poisoned team, his mind still reeling from the spiders and the slime, saw her approach and flinched, his hand flying to his sword. But she was like a shadow, her movements too fast and silent for a normal person. So, he braced for an attack.
Instead, she just held out a warm, steaming towel.
