Kael
The first performer made a bird out of flame.
It flew above the marked court, folded its wings and vanished before reaching the spectators.
The audience applauded.
I understood them.
For several seconds, nobody had been asking me for a signature.
The opening court had filled while the last arrivals found their places. Cloth shades covered the nearer seats. The higher rows remained in sunlight, and people kept exchanging positions with the determination of soldiers contesting a border.
Liora stood beside the competitors' entrance.
"You're watching the exits again."
"There are more people in front of them."
"There's a whole team keeping them clear."
"I appreciate their work."
She looked at the performance circle.
The next entrant raised a short ridge of ice across a prepared bed. A practice projectile struck it and broke apart against the thickest section.
The ridge held.
Liora nodded once.
"Good angle."
