Gladiator: Love Before Death

by Rosa Steel

Tomorrow, Aris will kill his best friend. Caomh the young and beautiful Gaul is the best thing in his harsh life, but his masters aren't exactly worrying about his feelings. It's not a gladiator's place to question. But when Caohm asks one last, secret favour before he dies how can Aris turn him down? What does it mean to lust for the body of a man you're about to murder?Caomh is ready to die for the man he loves, even in this strange country. But a hunger gnaws at him, and he refuses to leave this life without ever having tasted the pleasures of Aris' flesh. What he doesn't realise is that the arena crowd are perfectly willing to share in his pleasure, and they might even spare his life if he can give them a show to This 8,600 word story contains scenes of explicit, rough male passion, slavery, brutal combat and an extremely public sex act.He stood, trying not to shake, as the roar of the crowd rung dimly in his ears. Slaves came with a hand-cart to remove the body. Others raked the sand - ploughing the red down into the earth. The arena master's voice cut hard through the cheering."Your champion, Aeronus Illo!" There was a hard edge to the voice that maybe the crowd couldn't hear - an implied threat. This was the part where Aris was meant to act the hero that he was, and instead he was standing like a goat in a slaughterhouse, staring into space.Think. Aris bit his tongue until the fuzz in his head cleared. Do something. He held his gladius aloft, until the sun caught the blade and it flashed. The crowd's cheers were uncertain. This quiet was out of character - the Aris they knew would be speaking, grinning at the pretty women. Still, this was only the first of three bouts. They would all end in death, guaranteed - a rare spectacle. Soon Aris would relax and become the champion they loved.The dictator was in the high box, deep in shadow and flanked by guards. Aris thrust his sword in the dirt so he could make the salute. Sweat prickled as it crawled between his brows. He stood, arm extended, for what felt like a long time. Far above him, Caesar's face showed only bored disdain. He made a small gesture - next.Was next Caomh? ADULT His skin burned like a torch where Aristouched him, and was agonisingly cold everywhere else. He clenchedunconsciously against the assault, but in a sudden, sure stab Aris was insidehim. Agony. Caomh screamed into the fist and bit at it, tears starting in hiseyes as Aris forced himself another inch past the violently clenching entrance.Even slicked with the spit and cum that hadn't ended in Caomh's mouth, Aris'cock was still too huge to bear. Caomh's back arched into hard muscle of hislover's body. He writhed desperately, clawing away from the cock impaling him.Arisseemed annoyed by the disobedience, the hard bite at the meat of his hand, theattempt to scramble away. He growled as reached up to snatch a handhold inCaomh's hair, drag him back underneath him and then further down the steelshaft of his cock. Caomh shuddered as the full length surged inside him. Thepain he expected - a splintery rush mixed with a solid thump like being hitwith a training weapon. What he didn't expect was the more powerful burst ofpleasure that tore through him - a knife-edged ecstasy that radiated from hiscore. His scream was almost a moan. Where his cock was crushed underneath himit convulsed, releasing a sticky drop of seed into the sack-cloth.

24 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 25, 2012

Reviews

[Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like gladiator stories from time to time.

This short focuses on Roman gladiator star Aris and the young Gaul prisoner/gladiator Caomh.

After taking a beating from fellow gladiator trainees, Aris saves the boy and both guys become friends.

Sometime later, when it becomes obvious that Aris will face Caomh in the arena on the next day, Caomh wants to make love to his friend before the experienced gladiator will surely kill him during their fight.

On the next day in the arena, Aris needs to decide how to save his young lover while the Roman audience (including Julius Ceasar) expect a fight to the death. 

But sometimes the decadent Romans can be entertained in other ways too.

It's really hard to rate short stories like this. It's basically one long sex scene, but I found it very entertaining and the characters are likable despite the short time they're with us. 

4.5 stars!

[G. R. M. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know from where to start so I will try to cut the long story short.... although "long story" is just too big a mouthful with this pocket-size read. 8k words more or less, not enough to introduce the characters, not enough to develop the intrigue, not enough to satisfy the reader, not enough to be a historical fiction. Below 50k words a historical fiction can only be a joke, yet the best historicals that I have ever read exceed 150k words in most of cases... so, 8k words are merely a cry... a cry of joy or sadness, depends. A cry of disatisfaction for me... especially with the beautiful intrigue, it's too bad that it's not developed. With all the big-ass reads with awful intrigues, I can only sigh with a miniature good idea like this............ sigh.