ARISTOS ACHAION // Awesamdude X Reader

27

In the very beginning - the very first training session you had had with him - Sam had told you that the most important thing was to stay on your feet. If you stumbled or fell, it would be all too easy for your opponent to take advantage of it, and it would be near impossible for you to regain your footing again.

For the most part, you had followed this advice. It had become a mantra in your head while you had fought Diana and Prosperine, a reminder to stay moving, and if you did fall to get up as fast as you could. It had kept you alive.

It was all you could think of now, as you raised Sam's trident above you to block some of Ceres blows as they rained down. There was no escape from your position in the sand - every time you would try to roll away or climb up to your knees, Ceres would drag you back, not done with you yet. You had been doing alright before they had used their invisibility, but now you were trapped under their hands.

Another strike landed on your ribs, and you groaned, pushing forward with the trident as much as you could. Ceres simply laughed and kicked you though, faltering your attempt at a blow. Your whole body ached - the culmination of every hit and fall you had taken since the fight had begun. The pain was overwhelming, and part of your mind was screaming at you to just be done, to put the trident down and tell Ceres to get on with it already.

You could feel green eyes on your though. He was watching, you were sure of it. Thinking back, you should have told him to leave for the fight - you didn't want Sam to see you like this. After all of the training you had done, and how you had been confident you could kill Ceres... you didn't want him to see this.

Ceres landed another hit to your ribs, and you felt something crack.

The pain jolted your forward, giving you the sudden strength to flip over onto your stomach and scramble in the sand, trying to get away from them, but it was no use. You hadn't gotten more than a foot away from Ceres before they were grabbing your ankles and dragging you back through the sand to them.

"Did you really think that would work?" They asked, leaning down to take one of your wrists in hand and pull you upwards, your back to their chest. Ceres other hand ripped the trident - your only hope of defense - away, sending it skittering into the sand. Your other wrist was captured easily.

Ceres voice in your ear now, you could hear the grin in their tone. "I am going to kill you."

The crowd cheered as Ceres gave a turn for the audience, showing off their prey, you too worn out to do anything about it. You had been a fool to think that you even had a chance - sure, you'd wanted it and you'd worked for it, but you hadn't considered that Ceres wanted to kill you too - to avenge Diana and Prosperine. You had been a fool.

But it had been nice to be a fool while it had lasted.

When you had first arrived at the prison, you had been sure that your last days alive would be miserable. Things had taken a turn since then though, and though you had never been fully comfortable in the prison, it hadn't been... terrible, as you had assumed it would be. You had a cot to sleep on, and your stomach had been full for the first time since you were a child. It was nice not to have to scout out the streets for a place to sleep or something to eat for once.

And then there was Sam. Stoic, sweet Sam.

You had been slow to catch on as to why he had been so willing to help you, but once you had, it had been wonderful. Every time he had stolen you away for a moment just to curl up and bury his face in the crook of your neck had made your heart burst. If only you had met him in another time, or somewhere else - some far off greener pasture where he wasn't the warden of the prison beneath the sand and you weren't one of his charges.

It would have been nice to know him without the fear of death looming over you.

Your attention was drawn back into the present when the hands around your wrists went invisible, changing their grip to hold your waist instead, lifting you into the air. The crowd roared as Ceres lifted you up into the sky - you were sure, from their perspective, it looked like you were flying, hovering above the ground like an offering to the gods above.

You knew what came next in the show.

You closed your eyes, letting the tears slip out of the sides as you waited for the end to come. You weren't crying for yourself - no, you had been ready to die for a long time - you were crying for the things you'd had to live for. There would be no triumph over Vesapasian for letting the city begin to fall into disorder and poverty. There would be no more gentle hand squeezes from Sam, no stolen moments when no one was looking.

A breeze scraped across your face, tousling your hair gently. Below you, the sand stirred.

For a moment the world was still.

But then people were shouting, and Ceres let go of you, sending you tumbling to the ground. You hit the sand with a groan, your eyes shooting open in confusion. Surely Ceres had toyed with you enough-

But Ceres was not looking at you. They were looking towards the archway to the vestibule, their muscles taught and ready to spring again. "You are a fool, Sam."

Sam simply twirled the trident in his hand, and leapt forward to meet Ceres.