The land of Sanitatum is said to be filled with magic, but it is also plagued by a contagious curse that threatens humanity's survival. It is the purpose of the heir to the throne, Simba Adofo, to inherit his father's crown and find a way to vanquis...
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A man in a top hat and a coat shone in the multicolored lantern light. Men in similar hats and coats flashed about the crowds, so Hari assumed they were part of the staff of whatever the Hell Rounds were. He took Hari's chains and guided him towards a set of stairs that led down onto a circle shaped stage walled with wooden planks. Fellow men on chains were ushered down the stairs in a single file line and as they stepped onto the floor. A set of unlit lanterns above their heads twitched in the breeze.
Hari was told by the crew of top hat men to form a line with the other "pets" on chains in numerical order. From what Hari could tell there were 17 of them in total. Hari dwarfed in size to all the other numbers. Their physical statures included bulging muscles, towering heights, and aggressive body language; all of which Hari lacked.
He shivered in the cold breeze wearing nothing but see-through cloth and dangling jewelry while the men around him wore armor and chain mail- the armor was very partial and exposed a large part of their skin; but they didn't shiver. Lost in the sea of giants, Hari felt so out of place. The thought of standing in a dirt pit almost naked with no knowledge of why was humiliating and scary. Hari knew he could have agency and purpose if Simba just let him.
Suddenly, the lanterns from above flashed to life one after another to reveal a series of spectator seats that looked down into the pit the pets stood in. The seats were filled from top to bottom with onlooking crowds, including Simba who sat first row with his hood drawn close to his face. On his lap was the small pouch with the last amount of money they had.
"Welcome one and all!"
A voice boomed out from behind Hari up toward the crowd who cheered at his arrival. The man burst through the line of pets, his golden suit flashing in the flicker of the bright lanterns above. The men in red top hats exited the stage at his arrival, leaving in a clean line that sparkled in the lantern light.
"Welcome to the Hell Rounds!"
The man that entered the pit was thin and tall, dressed from head to toe in a golden version of the red top hat and blazer getup, studded lavishly with huge diamonds that flashed boisterously as he walked. He waved his golden hat in the air to greet everyone above him, letting the crowd's claps and howls die down before he continued.
"Today we have an..."
He glanced in a gold twinkle towards Hari before he continued.
"...Interesting set of entrants to the Hell Rounds tonight."
The crowd let out a series of laughs. Flustered, Hari's cheeks flushed red in embarrassment.
"But without further ado, let the betting begin for Round One!"
Number 17 and 16 in the line next to Hari suddenly stepped forward. Some of the crowd began to shuffle towards a stage within the stands commandeered by a man in a red hat and blazer. The man on the stage hooked the numbers 17 and 16 written on wood planks above a set of numbers on smaller planks- "x2" under each.
