Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Under The Sun; Book 1: A Slaves Tale ❯ Part 1 ( Chapter 1 )

Author Note: Please Read it is Important!

 

A big thank you to sonata hirano for her fantastic work on this and previous works I've writen such as Shades Of Grey, which without her help wouldn't have come to you at all. And quick note to all my readers that I thank you for taking the time out of your day to read my works.

This is an AU, alternate universe story, and I have no connection to the writers or creators of Yu-Gi-Oh! Nor do I profit from the creation of this Fan Fiction. Abuse both mental and physical are mentioned and will later be detailed. Sexual contact of both consensual and non-consensual, hetro and homosexual will be apart of this story so if these things offend you I surgiest you don't proceed in reading the actual story. And lastly reviews are very welcome along with any constructive criticisms you may have of what has been written.

Thank you for Reading

Aghony

A Slaves Tale

Part One

My name is Seto, and this is my story. But first I'll tell you a little about me and my life here, in the dry, hot city of Kemet. My time as a free citizen of the city was short and I was a slave before I was seven, just after my beloved older brother went away to become a priest, after proving himself to those in charge that he was worthy of the gods graces. And my time as a slave changed me to the point that should I ever breathe a word of my birth or my kin, I would be punished for mendaciousness (the punishment being a choice, the masters choice, of either forty lashes of a nine tiles {something I'm not fond of} or time in the dungeons) and more than likely killed for treason and the blackening of two high standing priests names.

You see; my big brother was Seth, High Priest Seth of the Pharaohs court; a place where even our esteemed sire, Priest Ahknadin was second to him. And he didn't even know of me.

A place were If i ever set foot I would be placed in the dungeons to rote until I was no more.

And my time as a slave I feared would be until my death, my master and his brides hording me away from everyone they know, which was easy as they lived a little ways out of the main city and I hadn't been to market, as most of the other slaves went since I hit manhood. I have been told countless times I'm a pretty thing, yet I haven't looked upon my reflection in that long that I wouldn't be able to tell you a thing about my face.

I'm tall, stretched long and thin, my muscles well defined from years of labour though my stomach is a near hollow dint, my hip bones jutting out the way under feed children's do.

My slaves brand on my upper right shoulder, I remember the burning pain as they seared it into my flesh twelve Ra cycles ago. My hands rough and callused, my hair a shade of brown that was `beautiful' or so my masters' daughter had told me when she was a child. I'd been with the family for close to six Ra cycles, when my life changed and I will never be able to tell you weather it was a good thing or an ill one.

--

“Seto, get the girls,” Master said and I immediately turned even as my back bowed in respect or in my case fear and left the large room, heading for the river that ran behind my masters lands. The girls easy to find as they giggled and the sounds of their play in the water hit my ears, drawing me to the waters edge.

“My ladies,” I call bowing as was expected of me to the two women, though to me they still appeared to be children. Aloli, masters eldest had just turned thirteen, and was as flat as any boy and her face still held the roundness of a child. Already of marriageable age she was awaiting her suitor, her long black locks shinny as they fell around her face.

Ebio, masters second child, and the last to survive was twelve and though still a little too young to be married she was in most peoples views a woman. And just like her sister she was round faced and appeared little more than a child, though she was more developed than her elder sibling.

“Seto?” Ebio asked her eyes wide as she looked up the bank at me, her eyes as black as ink, her skin a rustic brown, making her white linins look even paler.

“Master requests your presence, my ladies,” I answer her query and both girls sighed, their jolly mood broken as they moved swiftly ahead of me and went to their sire a large surly man who had a fondness of violent acts.

“Seto!” the man bellowed after a moment and I bit back the sigh that filled my throat moving towards him with hurried strides and was yelled at as soon as I entered the chamber where he and his women, both daughters and wives were.

I bowed low as he yelled, “You're coming with us into the city, while there you'll keep your face covered and your mouth shut, do you understand me!” the demand in his voice along with the slightly drunken causing me to flinch involuntarily.

“Yes master, as you will,” my voice came without my given real thought to it and thankfully lacking the fear that flooded my system.

“Good, now get packed and help my girls,” he said obviously happy with my obedience, something I was good at, something I gave no thought to because to think to be and to be are completely different things.

Like thinking you're a flower and being a flower.

--

The city of Kemet was a busy place full of people and to be truthful, I wished I had been able to stay back at Masters home. Having never been much for crowds as a child and this problem having gotten worse with years of abuse and little interaction made me very uncomfortable and scared silly. My blue wrap covering most of my long body, the heavy blue wrap was a thing a slave such as I rarely had and the only reason I did was because Master had been very pleased with me in my first few years of service.

When he was angry he hurt people, mostly me though.

When he was happy he was a generous man and over the years had given me things none of his other slaves and no other slave I knew of possessed.

He also gave me things he could no longer use, like clothing or jewellery that no longer fit his expanding form. This though gave me a different set of clothing to wear every day, and a nice, special set I wore on special occasions.

Right now he was in a mellow mood, neither happy nor mad so his perse and my body were both fairly safe at the moment and I still had no idea why we were in this city full of bodies that more often than not smelt rather bad.

Bathing was something Master demanded of all his slaves, no matter their station in the house hold, everyone had to bath, and most did twice a day.

Some looked at us as we paced, small frowns on their faces as they looked at me and I once again wished I was of normal stature, which would have cut my head and the tops of my biceps off to give you a hint as to how tall I was.

“People think your pretty Seto,” Ebio said giggling as we made our way over to a large building that I guessed was a motel, illiterate as I was I could only guess what the signs around the city meant.

And that was when it happened, screams of shock and fear rising up with the gallop of hooves and I stared wide eyed as a cloaked man rode towards us. Ebio stood frozen in place as the rest of Masters' family moved swiftly to the side and I did the only thing I could think of.

I threw myself at her nocking us both out of the way, and rolled so that I landed on my back, hardly felling the impact on my already mutilated back. This action caused several things to happen simultaneously. The first rider streaked past and guards shouting at him following as my wrap fell away from my face and the last two rider jerked their steeds to a halt.

“My lady, are you alright?” I asked softly and she moaned softly as she sat up and shook her head slightly as if disorientated. Which was highly likely.

“Ma'am, sir are you both of good health?” the shorter rider asked and we both looked up, the man a stunning blond male, an obvious foreigner though he spoke our tongue as if born to it.

“I'm fine sir,” Ebio murmured flushing as she stood, and I followed suit standing to with my wrap in my hands having had to unwrap myself to get up and I knew Master would have a fit when we were alone.

“Sir?” he asked looking to me and I froze my eyes on the ground not looking up, I was a slave, he was a city official, mayhap a guard of the royal court thus if I were to lock gazes with him I could and probably would be punished.

“He's a slave, guard, there is no need to inquire to his health,” Master said his voice cutting and the golden man moved slightly, I knew by the slight shift of his leg.

“He looks much like our High Priest,” the man said and I tensed even more sweat trickling down my back is Ra beat down on us.

“Though younger and paler,” he said before Master could dispute his claim of similarity with a man of power, “Slave look at me,” he ordered and I did unable to not do so.

His eyes were so brown, his skin a stunning shade of gold as the light of Ra made his wind blown hair glisten and he smirked saying, “Yes, much like our High Priest…you have his eyes,” and I swallowed as he stared down at me.

“How much for him?” the quiet guard asked as Master and his women moved up around Ebio and by my side, though I didn't look away from the strange, golden guard. I didn't wish to be punished and if I did I would be being disobedient and thus defiant.

“He's not for sale,” Master nearly snapped and my jaw locked, I was going to hurt later, I was going to bleed later.

“How. Much?” the quiet one asked again his voice deepening in dislike and I wished I were able to look at him but I couldn't.

“…Do I have to spell it out for you?” Master snarled, “He. Is. Not. For. Sale!”

“I do believe he is…unless you wish to spend much time contemplating the price in the dungeon,” the quiet one said and I blinked at the threat, why did he want me so bad?

My confusion must have been reflected in my eyes for the golden guard smirked, “My friend, no need to be hasty with threats,” he said before looking away from me though I continued to stare at him and I would until told other wise.

“Come to the place on the morrow, I shall meet you at the gates,” the golden one continued, speaking to Master, who stood very still and quiet beside me, “We shall see if we can persuade you into selling your slave. Bring your women, and your slave, though I must stress that should he not be present you shall not enter.”

Then they were gone, turning their horses around to race off, probably towards the palace.

--

Once again I was covered in the heavy blue wrap, this time very grateful for its protection, for, though my face was unblemished the rest of my body hadn't faired quite to well. My back covered in ugly red welts from Masters flogger, his travelling tool of punishment. My feet blistered from a mix of flogging and the hot sand. My chest a mass of ugly black and blue bruises he'd inflicted before my punishment had begun. My legs trembled and my feet unsteady as I followed from a mixture of my feet wounds and the ons he'd inflicted last night on my legs.

I ached and wished I could voice my pain yet knew that should I make a single sound I would be punished further, just as how I hadn't made a single sound, part for what little pride I had, though I didn't have an ego as such. Ego's got in the way and made life harder when it came to unpleasant things that you don't wish to do. No, I hadn't screamed when his flogger had neither bit into my flesh nor when he had beat me into the floor of our chamber at the Motel.

And I didn't utter the whimper brewing deep in my throat, a sound that was weak and helpless and that I would never be, I wasn't weak just not able to disobey, I hadn't been helpless since I had been a child. No, I was what I was and I never expected help to come for I knew I wouldn't.

Master was dressed in his finest, as where his women as we made our way to the palace gates, which were huge and ornate, the buildings beyond an awe inspiring, terrifying and beautiful vision that made my heart speed up. Thudding painfully in my chest and my breathing became shallow though not overly noticeable.

The golden guard stood off to one side with four others and smirked as he pushed off of the lime stone pillar his eyes locked on my wrapped form causing me to swallow uneasily.

“So good of you too come,” he said and Master snorted, and if you asked me I would have bet he was think that he hadn't had much choice, no choice as he would have no choice about giving me up, only the price he was payed. A cruel thing to have your choices taken from you when all your life you'd had them as he had.

“Come, the High Priest and our esteemed Pharaoh await your presence,” the golden one said and Ebio and Aloli exchanged a glace before me and Master scowled, his large eyebrows swallowing his eyes.

Fear flooded me as we entered the palace our walls and when we entered the main building I would have sworn that everyone in the palace could hear the thick thudding of it. As a group we were surrounded by six large guards, two others had joined the golden one and the others as we had entered the large palace. The golden one lead the way and we soon found ourselves before a huge set of doors.

Carved with detailed images and decorated with bronze, gold leaf and silver it was beautiful and yet terrifying and the fear made my hands tremble behind my cloak and this only got worse as they swung open with a slight push of the golden ones hands.

“My lords!” he called as we followed, though the guards pressed closer, the two behind me so close that I could feel their heat as I moved and in desperation to say coherent I shoved my fear away. This action causing my hands still, my breathing to fall into a more natural rhythm, and though pain flooded my body, I locked my jaw and kept my gaze on my feet.

Not looking at those in the room who murmured quietly or held still, not looking at the walls and pillars that must have been as beautifully terrifying as the doors. And when the girls fell into low bows my body moved without consent and I knelt low, my forehead touching the cold stone, my hands stretched out before me, palms flat on the cool surface.

Luckily they held no mark of Masters cruelty on the twilight before so no one would see my wounds and thus I could not offend.

“Jono, what have you summoned us here for?” a deep baritone calmly demanded and the golden one's voice hit my ears, “I have something you must witness my lord High Priest, something that may please you greatly.”

The way he said that implied some knowledge of a secret want of the High Priest, some knowledge that little others knew my brother wished for and my heart speed as my brothers voice, that deep thunderous sound hit my ears.

“Oh? And what do you, guard believe could please this one so?” he asked and I closed my eyes, savouring the sound, so long had I been away from him and now, half a chamber away he sat, by the Pharaoh, though I dared not look. I just knew, as was my gift to know certain thing, though I couldn't control my gifts as my brother could.

My magic was wild when released from the prison I kept it in. “On the Ra before, my lords, several guards and I chased the thief, Ryou, out of the city though they were unable to apprehend the Thief Kings kin- the golden one, Jono said. He was cut off by a gruff, annoyed voice that was filled with demand before he could continue.

“And you say `they' thus implying you were absent from said chase,” it said and I felt a chill as magic filled the large room.

“Yes, my lord, Priest Ahknadin, the thief had charged threw a very crowded area of Kemet and nearly rode over the younger child of this man here and his slave, the reason I requested this meeting of counsel,” Jono said, the sound of our fathers name making me flinch. “You see, after getting his young mistress out of harms way he was uncloaked and what I saw was more than something I in truth had never expected to see.”

“Slave,” another voice called this one almost as deep as my beloved brothers was though it had a husky, smoky edge to it, “Stand.” And doing as bid I stood, getting gasps from those who hadn't really looked at me as I had entered, my eyes directed down, my shoulders rounded instinctively.

“Slave,” it said again and I blinked turning my head a little in acknowledgment of his call, “Remove your wrap,” the man demanded and I swallowed before doing so, never raising my gaze as I moved in methodic, calculated steps that kept me from hurt over much. And once the wrap hung over my arm he once again made a demand, “Look at me,” his voice hard and denied any thoughts of disobedience.

My head moved as I processed the scene before me, my beautiful Seth sat in gold and blue robs his body nearly completely covered beside a short man on the Pharaoh's throne, slouching as he stared at me his eyes slightly widened though not as much as the smaller boys. The other one sat by his feet on a large purple cushion, wearing the crown of a prince as he gazed at me with stunningly wide amethyst eyes.

I knew the bruises were bad, as I stood tall before the Pharaoh's court when one of the younger guards at my side made a small gagging sound. My back must be worse than I thought, for there was no way he could see my front and the Pharaoh and my brothers eyes narrowed as the little prince paled taking in each mark.

“Slave- the Pharaoh began but Seth cut him off with a sharp, “Seto?” his query making my Master tense and I didn't remove my gaze from the Pharaohs nose, never meting his gaze.

“Seto look at me!” he all but shouted and my jaw locked as furious whispers filled the chamber. My gaze didn't move, not only would my body not move with a higher standing order in place but also fear held me frozen.

I didn't wish to see the horror in his blue gaze, nor the handsome plans of his face that would be tight with realisation. “Slave Seto look at the High Priest,” the Pharaoh said and I did my gaze meeting my brothers as my breath stilled in my throat.

I wanted to run to him, I wanted to run away, I wanted to stand there forever his gaze locked with mine but knew this moment would soon pass and he would look away in disgust at what had happened to me. At what I had become after the destruction of our village and the death of our lovely mother, the only parent I had ever known.

His hard blue eyes met mine and I held frozen as he searched my face for that little boy he had helped raise. Five years older than me he was already a man in more ways than the law, he was a man in body while I was still a gangly child in comparison.

“Little brother speak to me,” he demanded and silence fell over the crowd, my eyes widening at the plea in his voice, my lips trembled and my voice came out wispy when I finally spoke.

“My lord High Priest,” I said, it was the first thing that entered my mind and if I agreed to the familiarity I could be punished for it later. I did not wish to be. I doubted my body would be able to handle it. I knew my mind would, as it always did.

Sadness filled his eyes and the Pharaoh spoke, “Everyone but Jono, Seth, Mahado, our guests and Yuugi leave,” his voice calm, though something brewed in him as magic burned alone my flesh and my hands gave the smallest twitch.

--

“Seth explain,” the Pharaoh demanded, Master holding himself tensely before me, his women surrounding him, my eyes still locked on my brother as I waited. His gaze never leaving mine, as he studied me from head to toe, calculating all the marks that covered my body and the old scars.

Jono was now standing by my brother, the ease in which he had taken the position telling me all I need to know. “My Pharaoh, he is my younger brother, birthed not seven moon cycles after our fathers leaving,” Seth replied and it also told me how close he was to his commander, of cause my brother would never follow one he didn't believe worthy.

No, he would kill one he didn't believe worth leading our people if I knew my brother as well as I used to. “I thought him dead, after our home was destroyed by…slavers,” he said the last word hissed out and I knew he'd just made the connection. Though he had saved one slave he had given me over to those he had tried to protect her from as far as he was concerned.

I didn't blame him. I never had. He hadn't handed me to them in irons. He hadn't lead them to our home to toss me out to the pain of this world. He hadn't lit our home like a candle and laughed as it burned to ash. No he had run as far as he could believe that his love ones where no more and made a better life for himself.

My mouth twitched and he watched the movement with hawk like eyes, his body tensing, waiting for my words, words that never came and when he met my gaze he knew I wanted to speak but wouldn't, couldn't until told I could. These lessons had been beaten and burned into me to the point were I often had a hard time doing most things without instruction to do so.

“Seto, speak,” he breathed his gaze intense and I said only three words, “Not your fault,” confirming his story for the Pharaoh and the other Priest.

“You, Your name,” the Pharaoh demanded and Master spoke his voice carrying his irritation “Dajado, your grace, my wives are Kebi and Miu, my daughters Aloli and Ebio,” he said. Master was not happy.

“Dajado, how much would you except for your Slave, Seto?” the Pharaoh inquired and Master said, “As I told your fair guard, my slave is not for sale,” and Seth growled low in his throat only Jono's cautioning hand keeping him in his seat.

“I do not like to use my title to gain what I want but I will in this cause, now again Dajado, what price for I, your Pharaoh, to purchase your slave?” the god-king demanded and it was plain that he was not going to take no for an answer.

“Fine your grace,” Dajado said stiffly his mind thinking over my worth as a slave.