Chapter Eleven: Before Death

After days spent fighting villas and spreading confusion to Pompey about position Nasir found himself alone once more, in knowledge that Agron no longer existed somewhere on this plane. He found himself not wishing to seek out others who would stand his companion and friend. Others sought him out but he found no reason to live without Agron, though his beloved would have him do so.

"Nasir," voice called out from opening of tent and he turned to find Naevia standing there, hands tightly gripped at her waist. She looked now like she had in first days after her rescue from the mines, before she rose to warrior status and shed name of delicate and battered body slave. He wondered many times at the similar stories between them, if it was what brought them close in a world such as the one they lived in. Both stood as body slaves, destroyed in their position only to find love within the arms of a Gladiator turned soldier in this Rebel Army, both who stood as Generals to Spartacus only to lose them both in same battle.

"Naevia," he responded after a moment, sitting down on bucket serving as stool. The warrior woman moved to sit next to him on twin stool. "Does Spartacus call for us?" he questioned.

"No, I would break words with you as beloved friend and one who shares grief so great that it would seem you cannot take in proper breath."

Nasir nodded but refused to look at the woman, without Crixus she mirrored Nasir in another way as well. They only lived in the world now to destroy as many Romans as possible before they reclaim embrace of fallen lover. He could glimpse his own turmoil in her eyes and would not see it reflected so clearly for him.

Naevia then reached out and gripped wrist, forcing Nasir to meet her dark eyes. "We will soon stand before legions of Rome, giving us much opportunity to avenge the lives of Crixus and Agron."

Nasir nodded, "It is a fate I long to see arrive in short order."

"Castus wishes for your will to live," Naevia spoke quietly.

"I know of his heart's desire for me to turn to loving arms and I will," his gaze spoke of rare passion. "When I am returned to Agron, for his is the only heart to which mine is held."

Naevia took Nasir's hand tightly into one of hers in a rare physical connection before releasing him quickly, "And so we shall take every last Roman with us until we find ourselves on the shores of the afterlife."

Nasir nodded, gripping Naevia's hands tightly. She leaned forward and Nasir found himself unwilling to turn away from her need for connection. Their heads touched in gesture Nasir and Naevia had only ever shared with their gladiators. They breathed together, slowing heart beneath the fervor at the thought of Roman blood spilled for the sake of their loss.

"I imagined I would find you two of similar company," Spartacus said as he entered the tent as well. Naevia and Nasir both pulled back to stand in Commander's presence. He merely waved them off, "I would speak with you both of maneuvers against Crassus on the coming days."

Both warriors nodded and found themselves following close behind Spartacus as he walked back to his tent. Gannicus joined them as well. They began the talks of strategy and how cleverness could find a hold against superior numbers. They talked well into the night and finally had ranks decided and plan in motion. He found himself once more returning to bed alone only to be interrupted by Lugo.

"I come little man, to offer my weapon at your back in the coming battle."

Nasir frowned, "Reason?"

"Agron brother but so is little man. I would seek honor bond."

Nasir shared a quick smile and spoke honestly to intent of the brutish German who Nasir called brother since he joined the rebels, "I would have no better than you at back."

Lugo nodded and walked away, leaving Nasir to silence of wavering thoughts once more. In the silence of night before battle he found thoughts of Agron's lips and hands all too much to bear without him present. Nasir found phantom fingers slipping along back of neck and lips gracing throat even as he pressed himself upon bed. He stared at the roof of tent and took deep breaths, fighting the overwhelming desire to take his life now before battle could bring him to his end.

Agron would not forgive him such weakness and so he shored himself against tidal wave of pain, swiped at errant tears wishing to escape his eyes before he brought down his shutter against the world. It was skill he learned as body slave, one as young as he would have never survived to such position without tools of such. His gaze grew cold and distant and anyone who saw him now would wonder where passion and fire had escaped. Nasir knew it was there, simmering beneath surface so desperate for a chance to break free and tumble guard around heart but Nasir fought the coming tide. He would need the mind of body slave once more if we were to bring his desperate fire and death upon many Romans in the coming days.

For now he would find rest and slipped into dream of Agron. He searched the beach he found himself standing upon, noticing the blurring lines between self and reality. He knew this was dream but did not find cause to disagree when he found Agron behind him, in simple subligaria and nothing more. Nasir stepped close to beloved gladiator, "Are you here with me?"

"I find myself as such," Agron returned gently, slipping fingers against Nasir's throat and under raven hair in much missed contact.

"Then we must not waste a moment before I awake and find myself without you once more," Nasir responded and slipped himself close to meet with Agron's willing and parted lips. They sunk into each other's mouth, tongue caressing teeth and mouth. Then he slipped farther down to suckle at Nasir's throat gently and causing younger man to twitch into wet lips and nibbling teeth. Nasir allowed fingers to slip down expanse of skin from throat to chest, to feel heart beating hard and fast. He allowed himself to slip into this dream that seemed more real than figment as Agron gently laid Nasir in warm sand below them and slipped clothes from bodies. Nasir whimpered at Agron's mouth upon chest and below then when he would have found final pleasure with Agron inside body Nasir cried out, not in pleasure but in understanding that this dream would only bring him one step closer to devastation. He would awaken to find Agron not with him and that would destroy what might be left of the wild little dog Agron so desperately wished to protect. The dream of love making shifted easily to one of comfort and Nasir found himself sleeping within dream, curled into loving embrace of Agron until he awoke to the sounds of people moving through camp. He took deep breath and realized comfort given in dreamscape allowed him chance to be refreshed and surer of path than before. Dream-Agron would not convince him to flee to mountains and live nor had he tried.

He rose from bed and took care to dress and eat before he slipped from tent and sought out Spartacus and the others. It would be soon be time to march to final conflict, others had been sent in advance to preparation of strategy put forth from their Rebel Leader. He found Castus moving to walk beside him to which Nasir heaved great sigh in frustration of never ending pursuit.

"I would seek to stay close to you during battle," Castus requested.

"Lugo would seek the same; shall I take you both into doom with me?" Nasir asked.

"We all seek our doom, let us seek it together. I would see you survive till the end if possible."

"You yet seek desire?" Nasir demanded, stopping to share burning gaze with Cilician.

"I seek only to be in your presence a little longer," Castus returned.

"Then see it given only upon field," Nasir returned shortly.

Castus nodded in understanding, "Gratitude."

All the men and women of camp found themselves once more seeking separation. Spartacus spoke in the evening after learning that Crassus would seek them out in chosen field of battle. Nasir watched as people all around them said their farewells to Spartacus and their beloved warriors, leaving only fighters minus some to see the weak and frail to the mountains.

After the march to face Crassus legions, Spartacus used spear to halt oncoming Roman soldier inviting Spartacus to speak with Crassus upon hill before the battle would begin.

Spartacus agreed to meeting, "Gannicus, Naevia, Nasir, Castus and Lugo. I would see you stand at my back."

With that they found themselves facing Crassus and Caesar upon hill, many of them seeing Crassus who took so many from them already for the first time. Nasir knew that this was the man who would have cause to crucify Agron to which one of the survivors from battle with Crixus informed Nasir. He allowed wall to crumble just enough to allow bitter rage to fester in the face of such a man. Soon enough though Crassus and Spartacus wished to speak privately but Nasir quailed at prospect but watched as Spartacus turned to hand his sword to Gannicus and they walked away to give Commanders the privacy they wished for.

Stepping back down side of hill, Nasir turned back to see the two men stand side by side. He wondered to what they would speak of, wishing to demand retribution against man who took all their friends in vicious deaths. Donar crucified and marked to be found on Melia Ridge, taking Crixus' head and sending it home with Naevia for them all to see and denying Nasir the chance to even see the body of his beloved Agron after his death upon cross plus countless others.

Then the meeting was over and they returned to camp, absent need for the taking of blood, despite Nasir's desperate wish for Roman blood to bathe himself in. One more night spent in lonely bed without Agron then with rising of the sun, Spartacus called them to battle.

Nasir, standing with spear in hand and standing close to Lugo and Castus, was ready to fall before these Romans only after all blood he could take was spilled upon sand.