ARISTOS ACHAION // Awesamdude X Reader

21

You could tell the medics were surprised to see you alive by the way that they stared when you stumbled in the door. Their confused stares as they patched up your burns didn't bother you though - you just let them apply the healing salves and tried not to wince when the pads of their fingers scraped over your blistering skin. Your mind was elsewhere - fluttering between the look on Vesapasian's face when Prosperine died, and the look on Sam's face when you had stumbled back into the vestibule.

Some friend.

It plagued you back to your cell, and into your cot. You tossed and turned through the night, never able to truly fall asleep because of the throbbing burns on your skin. The pain was more potent now that the adrenaline had faded, and the rub of your tunic over the melted skin kept you up. Your discomfort didn't stop the slow progress of time though, and soon enough, you could hear voices in the halls. Morning.

Normally (or as normal as things could be in the prison beneath the sand), you would be rising now, heading to the dining hall to grab something to eat before continuing on to the training room, where Sam would be waiting, ready to work on your spear-work before he had to get to work.

You weren't sure if he would be waiting there for you today. You weren't sure if you wanted to go - if you wanted to put your body through the trouble of working while it was so fragile, and just beginning to heal. Though on the other hand, tossing and turning in your bed wasn't going to do much for the sores either. At least getting up would get the fabric of your tunic off your back.

You swung your legs over the edge of the bed, hauling yourself to your feet. You could feel the burns on your skin crack as you changed positions, and your muscles protested the movement. You powered through though - more interested in filling your stomach and possibly working yourself into such a state of tired that the pain wouldn't matter and you would just pass out as soon as you sat down.

The trek to the dining hall was hard - every step you made, your body protested - but soon enough, you had made it to the dining hall, taking some of the stale bread that they had laid out for the morning and eating it as you leaned against the wall - not bothering to sit down for not wanting to have to get up again.

You didn't notice the eyes of the other champions on you until you were almost done with your hunk of bread. Your gaze found Prosperine's empty seat at the table - it seemed almost like a vaccum of space, a void where his bright orange eyes should have been. The champions table was much quieter without him - or it might have just been hyper aware of it now that you had realized they kept throwing glances your way.

You ducked out of dining hall as soon as you could, heading to the training hall.

The doors were shut when you approached, but a hand on the wood revealed that they weren't locked - simply closed. You stepped into the room, taking a deep breath as the silence washed over you. Empty. You were alone, the only other presence in the room being Sam's trident, hung on the wall.

He wasn't here then.

You loitered in the middle of the room, unsure of what to do. It would take preparation to beat Ceres - if it was even possible at all - but you had no idea where to start. Your spear was an unsalvageable mess, and you weren't sure where to get another. You had no training in any other weapon (those shitty swords they had given you when you first arrived here weren't really even weapons in your opinion), and no idea how to even being preparing to defeat Ceres.

You lowered yourself onto the ground, sitting in the middle of the practice ring. You had really been counting on Sam to help you through this, or at least guide you in the direction you needed to go...

"Why are you sitting down?"

You turned to see Sam, making an imposing figure, just standing in the doorway. You turned back around once you knew it wasn't one of the other champions out for revenge, simply saying, "I thought you wouldn't be here."

"So sorry I'm late." Sam said, entering the room proper. "We got another influx of prisoners this morning, so I've been out and about giving them the run-down speech and diluting the cell blocks as much as I can. We're still getting overcrowded though."

You hummed, paying him no mind.

Sam sighed, taking a few steps forward and lowering himself to the ground beside you. A moment of silence stretched out between you before he spoke. "Please don't be upset with me. I only meant to express my concern, not that I'm suddenly withdrawing my support."

You looked at him out of the corner of your eye. "It just stings, that now, when I'm about to head up against the champion of champions, suddenly-"

"I know." Sam said. "I'm just worried, knowing how Ceres fights-"

"I know." You said. You had seen it for yourself - the terrifying strength combined with the trickery of invisibility that made them so impossible to beat. Sam was right to be concerned, of course you were as well, but now more than before, you needed the unwavering support that had been offered before, when you had been preparing to fight Prosperine.

Another stretch of silence laid like a blanket over the room. You turned to look at Sam properly now, only to find him looking up at his trident hung on the wall in front of you. Your own gaze turned to the weapon as well, waiting for the tension to break.

Sam ducked his head, sighing again. "We should probably get to work if you want to beat Ceres."