The finals of The grand tournament happened At that day. People's cheer cleared that it was the greatest battle in these years. Champion Maximus Rutilius verses Lord Vladimir. three heralds were appointed to process it.
Even the start of fight was great enough to make The colloseum shake. Fighters showed thier peak. It was otherworldly to watch them speeding faster than the eye could catch.
The Atman force coming out them was enough to replace the referee 5 times. None was present there whom's eyes were not fixed on them. All the defeated fighters watching were just shocked to see these fighters strength.
After the day long fight, The Champion again emerged victorious, standing tall like a building, Even The 7 great rules were forced to bow this Legend, Maximus Rutilius- The strongest of All.
"This old man can shake the entire world if he so desires," said Emperor Augustus with a proud smile. "I agree, Your Majesty," said Gaius Marcelus, the General of Valexus Army standing beside the emperor.
"I wonder if he will offer his aid to Valexus in its time of need?" said Avita to the emperor. "What is your advice, High Priestess?" asked Augustus.
"Your Majesty, I suggest that you invite Maximus and offer him a position of honor in Valexus. With his strength, he can easily turn the tides into our favor!"
The emperor was impressed with Avita's advice. Avita tapped her fingers against the arm of the chair, a sinister smirk forming on her lips. She leaned towards Augustus and began to speak in a low voice, her words filled with venomous intent.
"Maximus needs to learn who is in charge here," she said calmly. "You must make him understand that by whatever means necessary." Her dark eyes glinted with an unspoken suggestion as she continued speaking softly but firmly, laying out an insidious plan for Augustus to follow; one that would ensure Maximus was well and truly under his thumb from now on.
Augustus sat in silence, considering Avita's words for a few moments before slowly nodding his head. "We will invite Maximus and make him understand who is the true power here," he said with determination.
"Now all that remains is to see if Maximus would accept your offer, Majesty," Avita said as she rose from her seat, her smirk turning into a satisfied smile. Augustus nodded again and called for his advisors to prepare for Maximus' arrival.
Whether Maximus accepted the offer or not, one thing was certain - Avita had won again. She had managed to manipulate yet another powerful man in her trap and Augustus would soon find himself under her control once more. But what fate awaited Maximus? Whatever it may be, only time could tell...for now at least.
The anticipation of seeing Maximus under Augustus' rule filled Avita with a strange excitement. With her plan set in motion, she waited eagerly for the day it would come to pass.
***
There was nothing left for Keros to do in the capital. As he walked towards the colosseum, he sighed sadly, "I guess this is it for me." Suddenly, something called out from behind him, "Hey there, Big Bro!" He turned around to find Lena's face - only to be surprised by Nina standing there instead! She had been following him since he entered the colosseum.
"What do you want, kid?" said Keros with an irritated expression. "Who the hell are you calling 'kid'?" said Nina indignantly. "Where are you going anyways," she continued.
"That is none of your business," replied Keros as he walked away, not giving her a second glance.
"That's so mean to say to a sweet little girl," pouted Nina, trying to manipulate the situation by making a cute face.
Keros stopped in his tracks, and slowly turned to face her, "Go Home little girl," he said with a stern face.
"I don't belong anywhere," replied Nina, her voice heavy with sadness and despair.
Keros's eyes widened for a moment as he heard her and said, "Then just go somewhere else." She stuck out her tounge to tease him and stormed away with an expression of hurt on her face.
Keros felt a pang of guilt, but soon brushed it off as his brain rationalized the situation. Though his heart knew better, he continued to walk away without looking back.
Soon he arrived at the City's End gate leading to Riverbend. As he approached, the air seemed to lighten, a subtle scent of peace and harmony rising up from the city before him. Without any concern for what may follow, he continued on his way.
His suspicions were confirmed when he realized that someone had been trailing behind him but instead of being worried, he simply acted as if nothing was amiss and kept moving forward. He found comfort in the calmness.
When Keros turned on the path and spotted someone following him, he was so surprised he leapt into the bushes! He jumped out from his hiding spot and tackled her to the ground. "What are you doing here? Are you crazy?" He asked, with indignation.
Nina looked up at him, bewildered. "I followed you all this way just to make sure you were okay," she said submissively.
Keros stared at her, his expression a mix of surprise and disbelief. "You followed me miles just for that?" he said in amazement. Nina nodded earnestly, her eyes not wavering from his gaze.
Keros shook his head in disbelief. He couldn't deny that he was taken aback by her dedication, however foolish it may be. "Well then," said Keros, extending a hand to help her up, "thank you for looking after me."
Nina smiled and took his hand gratefully as she stood up. Keros shook his head and said, "Hey, you have to stop following me. I can take care of myself from this point forward: I don't need any help from you." His voice was low but intense, and he shot her a look that let her know that he meant business. He walked away without waiting for an answer or looking back – not trusting himself to say anything else if they lingered too long in conversation together.
Nina looked sad, dejected. Her shoulders slumped and her head hung low. After a moment she took a deep breath and determination crossed her face like clouds given way to the sun, transforming it from broken sadness into blinding rage.
Nina watched in anger as Keros turned away from her, and without a thought she snatched up a nearby stone and hurled it at him. The rock flew true, hitting him hard on the back of the head with an audible thud. He stopped in his tracks and put his hand to where he had been hit; when he slowly drew it away there was blood smeared upon it. Nina's breath caught as shock swept over her – what had she done? Instantly regret filled her heart.
Keros looked at Nina with an unexpected smile, his eyes still full of sadness. She was surprised by this strange reaction; here he was, a man so sunken in depression that it seemed to radiate from him like heat off the pavement on a summer day - yet he could still look up and offer her a gesture of tenderness despite all she'd done to him in his momentary lapse. It filled her with surprise as well as admiration for his strength against adversity.
Stunned, Nina rushed over to Keros. "I'm so sorry!" she cried, horrorstruck by her actions. "Please, let me help bandage the wound." She grasped the end of her sleeve and tore off a piece of fabric from her old, tattered tunic, which was a simple white linen, stained and mended many times. Her skirt was a brown woolen kirtle that barely reached her knees. She moved quickly towards Keros, pressing the ragged cloth against his head wound to staunch the bleeding.
The cloth was already turning red as she used it to tightly wrap around his head several times before tying off in a knot at the back. Her hands were shaking from fear and adrenaline, but her determination kept them steady enough for what needed to be done; she had seen this done many times by others and knew exactly how best to do it with minimal fuss or delay.
Keros' eyes were wide with disbelief, for he had never encountered such kindness - especially coming from one of stranger. With a soft expression and his voice barely above a whisper, he uttered the words that would forever change him; "Maybe you can tag along if you are so desperate."
"Really?" Nina said with wide eyes, her voice barely a whisper. "But I just hurt you." Keros's smile grew wider as he reached out and tenderly patted her head. "You also treating me," he replied softly, his gaze gentle and kind as he looked at her. Her heart fluttered at the warmth of his touch, the care she could feel emanating from him. She felt an overwhelming sense of relief wash.
After Nina had treated the wound, Keros stood and surveyed the area without expression. Then, motioning for her to accompany him, he started walking down a path that meandered through tall grass and wildflowers. The sun was setting behind them and shadows were stretching across their path as they walked in companionable silence. Keros kept his gaze forward but occasionally glanced up at the gathering night sky above them; Nina followed close by his side watching how each step slowed slightly due to fatigue or pain from his injury, yet he appeared completely unaffected by it.
Nina softly asked, "Does it hurt?" Keros glanced down at his arm and then raised his eyes to meet hers. He saw the look of tenderness there and knew that she was truly sorry for what had happened earlier. He shook his head with a slight smile, reassuring her that he was all right before leaning in closer so she could see the wound more closely. She gingerly ran her fingers over it, tracing its edges as if trying to make amends for causing him such pain.
Keros smiled at her and said, "Don't worry about it. I'm tough." He lightly punched his own chest as he said the words, then met her gaze with a grin as if to prove that everything was alright. Nina couldn't help but smile back at him and suddenly felt an immense relief wash over her. She knew that she had found something in Keros that she hadn't found anywhere else - a protective older brother figure who was trying to be strong and caring at the same time.