Uncaged Fury

The damp chill of dawn clung to the tall grass on the ridge overlooking the southern gate. The foul, chemical taste of the shift-suppressing gas still coated the back of my throat from the night before, but fresh air and a few hours of rest had burned the poison out of my blood. Down in the valley, the arena sat like an iron crown pressed into the dirt, surrounded by watchtowers, razor wire, and r