Observe.

Not long after, everyone's attention is immediately taken by the sound of horns blaring not far away. You and the others make your way in that direction until you see a small armoured militia in shining chains with the symbol of the Empire decorating their garb. In the center stands a man you've seen once before--bush black beard, long hair, small golden grown atop his head, ruby wolf head necklace adorning his neck. The king readjusts his regal red attire and peers out across the crowd of citizens, Demon Kings, and all matter of various creatures. Thadius has arrived.

People murmur amongst one another. "Are we safe here?" "Is the Hero King here to slay all the Demon Kings at once?" "Do you know what's going on?"

You'd like to know as well. Such a gathering here seems impossible, yet here you are, standing around many folk who would otherwise never meet, at least not like this. There's a tension in the air you can feel, whether it's from your Kitty Sense, or it's just that uncomfortable.

Past the simple rides and stalls for games is the real show, which is an area of various equipment, tracks, and more--poles, weights, mugs of water, folded outfits, hurdles, and much more, like a miniature Olympics. And beyond that is a stage, nearly in the middle, where figures are starting to amass. There in the center is something that resembles a real microphone, which is strange to see, given the world you now reside in, though perhaps it's some sort of magic item. You expect to see Elok Daven, though that isn't the case. Instead, it's an elven girl with pale green pigtails and a silver poofy outfit. In her hands is a lute, and she stands alone in front of the mic, and when she caresses her fingers along the strings, the music fills the area and gathers the attention of the crowd.

"Welcome everybody!" comes the high and melodic voice of the musician on stage. Her bright blue eyes shine under the rays of the autumn sun. Gently, she wraps one hand around the base of the microphone--green painted nails to match her hair overlapping. And when she speaks, it carries out so far that everybody can hear, though you don't see any speakers, or at least not what you'd expect from Earth. "This is the Empire of Tivera's very first Sports Festival. Is that not exciting? My name is Juaela and I am very happy to be here as well."

To have everyone show up really is a miracle. Only somebody as manipulative as Elok could have done this, along with his troupe. Though I feel like it's more than that. I still don't trust that new king, and if he's in his pocket, it's no wonder this was allowed.

"Our Master of Ceremonies will appear later on," she continues. "But for now, let the games begin! I hope you are all ready to watch some of the most exciting, intense competition you have ever witnessed in your lives, because we have four teams of exceptional individuals, and this will not just be a contest of strength. It will be of body and mind, so who knows which if these Captains will leave victorious? The man behind this all is our first Captain, of Team A, who as I said we shall meet later. but second we have..." After speaking, she strums her strings again, creating a gorgeous sound followed by a series of drums coming from seemingly nowhere. "Captain Vex of Team B!"

"As if I'm a B," Vex suddenly speaks up under her breath, yet she's taken a position only a few people down from where you stand. "Why couldn't we be Team A?"

Resisting making some sort of bra cup joke, you continue to observe.

"Next up is Team C, led by William Cresswell!" the elf announces. "And lastly, the man called Kyle Warren is leading Team D."

You peer around in an attempt to spot William, though there are too many people around. You do, however, see his harpy companion briefly. Of course he's present. While not super happy about being referred to as the D Team, you remain silent and listen.

"All of you must come back stage after this and register." She gestures her hand behind, grasping the lute by the neck. "Each Captain will select seven of their people to compete, none of which can be themselves. See, you're a Captain, not a competitor, though do not worry. You will be performing later." She clears her throat. "No fighting outside of contests, play nice, and let the festivities begin!"

The audience, albeit confused, is enthralled by her performance and the excitement of whatever this festival is meant to be, so the sound of their applause is like thunder rumbling over the area. Meanwhile, you give a knowing glance to your closest companions. As you make your way cautiously around the side of the stage, the rest begin to gather as well. Whatever is about to go down, you might as well follow their instructions so far.