Page 16 of Deliverance
Both men created a great balance between offensive and defensive attacks. Mateo remembered every lesson Titus and Cervantes had taught him along with the pearls of wisdom he’d gathered from other gladiators like Feilong and Haraka. He put them all to the test now. Blocking with one blade while slicing at Titus with the other. Titus jumped back, barely dodging the tip of Mateo’s blade.
With a roar, he came at Mateo with an intensity meant for his greatest enemy. Mateo used his agility to his best advantage, dodging, rolling, and leaping out of the way of Titus’ vicious attacks, one after the other. Titus grinned as he closed the distance between them, shield and sword at the ready. Mateo didn’t know if that grin was because he was proud of his ability to survive this long or because he was ready to end his life. He knew he couldn’t let his guard down, not for any reason.
Titus lunged for Mateo, slamming his shield into Mateo’s face, then cutting Mateo’s thigh before the other man could jump back. With Mateo injured, he continued his attack, charging and swinging his sword as Mateo blocked each blow. It was during this barrage of attacks when Titus’ vision begin to blur. He faltered for a second, but that was all Mateo needed to dodge his attack and slice him down his back with a powerful blow of his own.
Titus growled as he arched from the pain that seared his flesh. He turned quickly, blocking Mateo’s next blow and getting another attack in by slicing Mateo’s arm. Blood ran from their new wounds, but neither man paid the pain any mind as they kept their eyes on each other. They circled now, getting closer with each round until they clashed again, steel striking steel, sparks flying, and the crowd cheered even louder as the stakes were raised.
Mateo’s chest heaved as he took in as much air as his lungs could handle. For the first time since the match had started, he felt he actually had a chance of winning. Getting that blow on Titus was unexpected, he only hoped he could have followed up on it before the gladiator had a chance to counter. They came to blows again, grunting and growling as they battled. Again, Titus stumbled and Mateo capitalized, stabbing his blade into Titus’ leg through and through. Titus roared in pain, then slashed at Mateo, striking Mateo’s leather chest plate, cutting it, but not his flesh, before he jumped back.
Titus fell to one knee, grimacing as he tried his best to absorb the pain in his leg. Mateo was on him again, swinging high, and he blocked with his shield. The crowd was in pure rapture, cheering for either man. They applauded Mateo’s prowess even as their cheered on Titus’ death. Titus forced himself to rise to both feet, but he knew he had been greatly affected by the blow. Mateo charged him once more. Titus blocked with his shield, but before he could counter, his vision blurred again and Mateo took the advantage. This time, he felt the blade pierce his stomach, then twist. He cried out as blood poured from the wound, then gushed as Mateo pulled his sword free. The world seemed to tilt, then fade in and out as Titus fell to both knees, falling face forward on the sands. He could feel his blood pooling beneath him as it slipped between his fingers. He applied pressure to his wound, but he knew this match was over.
The crowd rose to its feet, clapping and cheering as Mateo stood over Titus, ready to deliver the final blow. He straddled Titus’ back, placing his sword at the gladiator’s throat. Before he made the slice, he looked up to the gods and prayed they would spare Titus’ life. The crowd began to chant, but the arena was split. Some called for Titus’ death while others demanded the gladiator live. Mateo drowned out the roar of the crowd and stared hard at the four gods who looked down upon them from their perch.
Eloy’s expression was unreadable to Mateo, and he couldn’t help but wonder what the god was thinking. Kijani’s was full of anger and disappointment, and he began to raise his hand to deliver the final judgement. Before he could, Odessa jumped up in an uncharacteristic fashion and raised both hands.
“He lives!” she declared.
The crowd was split by her decision. Those who wanted Titus to live cheered, while those disappointed by his loss booed. The three gods were staring at her now in the same fashion as Mateo. Their mouths hanging open in amazement, shocked by the female god’s defense of Titus. In all the times Mateo had been to the Games, never had he seen her swayed one way or the other to save or damn a gladiator. Was Titus special to her? In any case, his shoulders slumped in relief and he removed his blade from Titus’ throat.
“It is over, my friend,” Mateo whispered to Titus, who was too weak to move. “Come, let me help you.” Mateo reached down to assist Titus to his knees first. He frowned at the amount of blood that had seeped on the sand beneath Titus and hoped the gladiator would survive the wound. Both men grunted as they rose to their feet. The crowd cheered and booed as they made their way back to their gate.
Odessa settled back into her throne and watched carefully as Mateo helped Titus limp back to their station. She hoped the human male, whose cock had given her such pleasure, would live to please her again. Maybe in this new world Eloy and Simeon wanted, she would take Titus for herself.
“You would spare him for his failure?” Kijani growled.
Odessa looked at him. She knew why he was angry, for they had both plotted to have Mateo killed by Titus in the arena. They had been mistaken, apparently, in thinking that Titus was the superior gladiator and would easily take Mateo’s life. Both men fought gallantly and she realized at the moment of Titus’ death that she didn’t want to see his blood spill onto the sands, ending his life. The moment she saw Titus speared by Mateo’s blade, she felt something she didn’t know she was capable of feeling. Fear for a human’s life. More importantly…loss.
“This one would feel that one’s cock once more… if he survives his wounds,” Odessa said with a coy side-eye.
“As if another’s cock could not replace his,” Kijani grunted.
“Perhaps it is more than his cock that Odessa enjoys from the human,” Simeon speculated.
“It is his cock and tongue that pleases this one,” Odessa said in her defense. “Nothing more.”
Simeon smiled and winked as if knowing she was hiding something. “If you say so, goddess.”
Kijani scoffed. “Let us hope he doesn’t survive his wounds then. Last we need is another god… or goddess getting attached to these humans.”
“Meaning?” Eloy asked him.
“You know my meaning,” Kijani stated.
Simeon rolled his eyes. “He fought bravely, Kijani, he deserves a second chance. I am sure that is all Odessa wanted to give him.”
“He fai…” Kijani caught himself before he said the world failed. Instead, he said, “He is nothing.”
“Regardless, I hope you enjoyed this final Game… at least in the way it is now. Are you ready to make the announcement?” Eloy asked.
“You seem pleased,” Kijani noted. “Far more now than you were when the fight first started. “Happy that your human survived?”
“You seemed to be disappointed that he did not die,” Simeon stated.
“He was unworthy of this victory,” Kijani said.
“And yet, it is his victory,” Eloy said.
Kijani remained silent as he ground his teeth together. He stared hard at Eloy and the seconds passed between the two gods before Kijani gave in and looked away.
