Corruption of Ambition | Sejanus Plinth

Five

"It's getting late." Riyana trailed off, looking around at the much smaller group of civilians surrounding the enclosure.

Sejanus sniffed and nodded his head, "Let's go tell Coriolanus and Lysistrata we're heading out."

Riyana stood up and held out a hand to Sejanus, which He gratefully accepted. Coriolanus seemed to have grown a much stronger bond with his tribute then Riyana thought herself capable with Sabyn. The 'song bird' as many around the city had started calling her, smiled and talked animatedly to Coriolanus.

"Hey thanks for coming out and helping." Sejanus said quietly as they approached Coriolanus.

Coriolanus cleared his throat and nodded stiffly, "It was nothing."

Sejanus looked over the enclosure with a glazed look and said, "It's not nothing to them."

Lysistrata placed a hand on Sejanus' arm in a comforting manner and said, "We did what we could."

Sejanus nodded and let his gaze drop down to his feet.
"Ever since the reaping, I keep imagining I'm one of them. They'd read my name, I'd get on stage, get cuffed up, get on a dark train and be sentenced to starve before having to be put on display while I kill a bunch of children. Or get killed I guess."

The silence was heavy as the three others tried to think of something to say in response. Riyana felt lucky, she was too far removed from these kids to even for a split second imagine it being her in there. Even during the failed rebellion and bombing she felt safer than the district kids felt now.

"That's not gonna happen Sejanus." It was Coriolanus who responded.

Sejanus breathed out through parted lips and nodded. "No, I know, I know. Could've been though, if we weren't so rich."

"Marcus, my tribute. We went to school together, he was my classmate." He continued.

"You were friends?" Lysistrata asked, so quite Riyana hardly heard her.

"Not really, definitely not enemies though. One time I got my finger stuck in a door, crushed it real bad. He scooped up some snow and just covered my finger for me." Sejanus replied.

The lights in the enclosure dimmed and Riyana was reminded that they needed to leave soon. All four students stood there in silence looking towards the tributes and Lysistrata cleared her throat.

"I'm sorry. I have to go. I have to get back to my place for dinner." Lysistrata said.

"Tigris will be expecting me as well." Coriolanus said.

Sejanus stayed silent. Riyana waved goodbye to Lysistrata and Coriolanus. She watched as Sejanus fiddled mindlessly with the straps of his bag. She couldn't think of the right thing to say to comfort him, nothing seemed like enough.

"He would've rather starved than take it from me." Sejanus said.

"It's not your fault." Riyana replied lamely.

"I know." He said bitterly, "I'm so blameless I'm choking on it."

Riyana tried searching her brain for a response, but something distracted the both of them. Inside the enclosure two tributes had begun to fight over a hay bale. Punches were thrown from both sides and it only stopped when Marcus stepped in between and grabbed each by the collar and shoved them onto the floor.

"He'd win without the food by the looks of it." Riyana said quietly, looking at her own tribute.

Sejanus nodded and said quietly, "I don't even find that comforting. Him surviving just means everyone else dying."