"Kyrian-ya, gladiatrix" by Tommie Leijs

Excitement and tension filled the air. People screaming and cheering. A new fight was to begin in the arena. While the king sat silent, the crowd almost made the arena crumble in their enthousiasm. As the king stood up the people paused at stayed silence for just a second or two, as if they had seen a ghost, before wildly applauding. The king signaled the first round to begin and the people roared. As the first fighter entered the arena, the spectaters succeeded in an even louder roar. The ground trembled and the fighter thanked the spectaters with a simple wave of the hand. The tension rose as the second gladiator, a debutant, was about to enter the place of bloodshed. A first-timer. Everyone was curious and almost sick with excitement. As she did her first steps into the arena, it was asif apowerful spell of silence had been cast over the place. Never had the public been silent in all of the years of gladiatorbattles. Never had they fell silent in amazement, or was it disgust? Never had the battle-roares of the spectaters been silenced by any fighter. Never had they seen a woman enter their sacred battlegrounds. Never... Walking forward without even a giving a glimpse of attention to the people, she was confident, never realizing the silence.

As for the fight... guess that's a story for another time.