“My guards will tie the eliminated Favored to three posts in the center of the arena,” says the King. “The Healer will defend them from my attacks. If she can do so successfully for a half-turn of the hourglass, she wins a most enviable prize…” The crowd quiets, anticipation hovering thick in the air. “If a single flame of mine touches any of the three women, the Healer loses the challenge,” says the Ash King. “But if she protects them effectively, she may replace one of them as a Favored contestant in the Calling.”
