"Make it swift, Riegion. I cannot bear any more humiliation." Rowine's face is covered in blood and bruises, but even so he manages to give a hint of a smile up at Riegion.
"Maybe the Emperor will acknowledge your abilities and allow you to fight another day."
"You are young, but not naive, Riegion, you know that he has never given second life to one as pitiful and dead as I. I have served my purpose, now do a you must."
Riegion stands up and looks up to where he knows the Emperor is seated in a special box with his wife and the Commander a either side.
"Riegion Vaselle. His Excellency, Emperor Taurence Valisky has declared you victor. Finish your opponent and claim your prize."
He looks down at Rowine who has since closed his eyes. Either that or the swollen lids had finally given up the struggle to stay open. Riegion takes his remaining sword in both hands and angles the blade down over the others heart. The sharp tip will easily pierce through the tight muscled flesh of Rowine's torso with even the lightest of pressure, but Riegion can't bring himself to do it. This is always the hardest part for him. The killing.
"They're watching. Do not lose yourself at my expense." Riegion looks down to see Rowine's hand encircling the blade of his sword. Blood drips down the tip of it where it's cutting into his palm.
Riegion takes in a deep breath, squeezes his eyes shut, and drives the blade home, embedding it deep into Rowine's chest before twisting it and pushing down a bit harder. Rowine didn't cry out, just gurgled nonsense around the blood pooling in his mouth before falling back against the dust and laying still.
The crowd erupts into cheers around him as Riegion's hand slides off the hilt and he looks up around him, everything blurring into silver and white.
He isn't a killer. But he has to be. Killing is what it means to live now, because without doing it he'll end up dead himself. Killing is what it means to be a Gladiator.
A/N: And that is what i like to call milking a story for all the blogs it's worth. Thank you. Thank you.
No comments:
Post a Comment