Fading

Gladiator

Cover photo belongs to me. Do not copy my photos/stories or I'll cut you. Enjoy.

Absolutely gassing.

The sun shone too bright for my dark eyes to see the eighty thousand romans raising from their seats, cheering, excited for the bloodbath that would come to be. We marched straight to the center of the arena, just like we were told only ten minutes earlier. I was Still. Too. Blinded.

Right on the tiny X marked in the bloodstained sand we stopped, lifting our heads towards a throne showcasing the selfish minx who brought us here in the first place. The man, no, the pesky wimp who used our hunger to manipulate our families. The fault isn't theirs though. It isn't in the stars. No, it's mainly his. Like one less game would have made a difference. Like one loaf of bread missing would have hurted him. Nothing would have changed. He was right about one thing though. The game isn't the same when it's between two friends.

"Ave Caesar, morituri te salutant!"

Our voices are monotone as we greet our 'saviour'. The saviour that will take our lives. With just one look on the powerful dictator the crowd shut silent. Some in admiration, some in fear. A cold breeze washed over my half bare body, making specks of golden sand stick to my oiled-in olive skin. Barbados shivered next to me, surely feeling the nakedness too. Because that's what we are. Stripped down, showcasing our bodies like dissected frogs for curious scientists. The human race is fascinated by things that are a danger to them, so they observe it when it happens to someone else. They watch us fight as humans against beasts, in some sick way of learning how long we would last.

So in this case, I'd rather be an animal.

Barbados and I never went to gladiator practises or gymnasium. We never entered to save our families, no, they ratted us out. This is our punishment for what we did. At least the ones we love can live on. Or can they? The blinding sun finally subsided and I could now see the crowds. I noted that I had been looking a bit too far to the left, much to my annoyance. My steel grey eyes quickly scanned through Colosseum, just to hitch on two warm, brown orbs enhazed {dude I create my own words}with my own.

She's still alive!

Beaten black and blue she was, cleverly covered up with the shadows of the porch but I had studied her soft face enough times to see the difference. Then again, maybe I was the only one searching.

Areayana too had to pay the price for our sins, though I thoroughly wish I could have taken the hits instead of her. I'm dying anyway.

Surely my family was fooled, never would our great caesar help them in their need, when he could have all the food and wine for himself. But maybe they got what they deserved, betraying bloodbound like that, though I don't blame them since their in their last cry for help too.

The only one who definitely shouldn't be here is Barbados. Should he be punished for simply being a good friend and cousin? Really, it was my fault he was there with me at all. Perhaps it's a bigger punishment for me than for him, to have his spilled blood on my hands. Though no conscious will follow me to death. And death I'll make sure to come.

The tissue was dropped and with one last glance into each other's eyes, I bid my farewell to my beloved Areayana. Daughter and wife of our Ceasar.

"Brother, look me in the eyes." Barbados spoke, his voice deep enough to send shivers through my body, but fear I felt not. Surely he will not betray me, surely he won't hate me, even though I dragged him to death. I turned to face him, hand on my spear, calm, collected, focused. I felt the desperate need to itch the dark stubble on my chin, the one Areayana's sweet lips caressed only nights before, her mahogany hair glistening in the moonlight as we made the love her father never gave her.