{2,688 YEARS AGO}
Two millennia ago, only a few countries that are around in the 21st century existed then. Like Greece, for example.
There are other countries and civilizations that existed before the Common Era came about.
The mainland was a central round country, at that time. It was severed into nine cities controlled by nine Emperors.
The cities were districts and each had a name.
Blaze District, ruled by the Red Emperor, Azuka.
Constellation District, ruled by the Blue Emperor, Astoria.
Integral District, ruled by the Green Emperor, Reinhardt.
Mystic District, ruled by the Purple Emperor, Lilith.
Esoteric District, ruled by the Yellow Emperor, Aether.
Hidden District, ruled by the Grey Emperor, Xander.
Neutral District, ruled by the Pink Emperor, Aden-Lada.
Blank District, ruled by the White Emperor, Regulus.
Shadow District, ruled by the Black Emperor, Altair.
This story occurs within the Shadow District in the year 669 of the Steel Dragon Calendar.
---
"Oi~! Oi~! Gah, she's not waking up, is she?"
In a forest, just outside of the Shadow District, a man was calling out to an unconscious girl, who was laying against a tree.
"Ngh..."
"Oh, you're awake!"
The man exclaimed.
The man had long black hair, though it was tied into a ponytail. His eyes were lilac. The outside of his eyes had faint purple markings. He wore a black robe, which looked more fit for someone who was an assassin.
Meanwhile, the girl was small. Though she was fourteen years of age, she looked like she was a child.
Her hair was ruffled and blonde, though it looked slightly more brunette due to the amount of dirt in it. Her body was full of scratches and bruises.
She wore a shabby rag and had a collar around her neck.
It was clear to the man that she was a slave.
"Uh..."
The girl looked around.
Her eyes lit up as she saw the beautiful verdant plants and trees. It was different from what she was used to.
"Girl, are you okay?"
The man asked her.
When the girl saw him, she got up instantly but then fell over, holding her foot.
Though her whole body was dressed with bruises, there was a cut on her Achilles' Heel. It seemed to even pierce through the bone.
She was wincing in pain.
"Oh, let me see that."
The black-haired man insisted.
When he touched her, the girl scurried back and growled aggressively at the man.
"Grrrr..."
"C-calm down, okay, I can heal you with Shadow Magic."
Suddenly, she began barking.
He realised that she could not speak. More accurately, she was not taught how to speak.
Slaves are people of low status who are sold to those of a higher status. They are then used for whatever purposes the buyer has in mind.
Usually, it is sexual intercourse or physical labour.
(Judging from the calluses on her hand and feet, she was a slave for physical labour. Since she can't speak, she was probably a slave from birth. Though she has bruises all over her body, her muscles seem incredibly toned for someone of her build.)
The man surmised.
(I'm guessing she only knows how to react to things like how wild animals react to them. There are a lot of flees around her.)
"L-look, I'm Erebus, a god. I'm the Personification of Darkness. I can heal you and take you in."
Erebus suggested.
The girl continued to growl at the man. He facepalmed and raised his hand out.
"Got no choice, sorry if you get scared."
Without uttering a single word, a black sphere enclosed itself around the girl.
There was hollow banging as the girl tried to escape from the sphere.
"Stop banging. It'll be over in a second."
Then, the shadow sphere dissolved, and the girl dropped to the ground. She got up and attached herself to Erebus' leg, biting it.
"Ouch! Ouch! Get off!"
He shrieked.
Shaking his leg, the girl was thrown off and she snarled at him, on her arms and legs like a dog.
"Hey, you know, you're all healed now. No injuries."
The god pointed out.
As he said that, the girl looked at herself.
Excluding her shabby outfit and metal collar, she had been cleared of all of her bruises. The old bruises turned into scars.
The slave inspected herself and then turned to Erebus with glowing eyes.
"Wahhh..."
She exclaimed, in her surprise and admiration.
The girl then got on her back and put her arms near her face.
(What is she--)
The moment Erebus questioned what she was doing, he recognised this pose.
It is exactly like how dogs get on their backs and show their belly, as a form of submission.
(I guess she finally gives in.)
Erebus knelt next to her.
He patted her on the head. When he did, the god noticed that she was quite tense.
"Don't worry, I won't hurt you. I'm not associated with slaves. I'll make sure not to treat you unfairly."
The girl blushed when she heard that.
"So, what's your name?"
(She can understand language but not speak. In Albatross, only four Districts allow slave trading. The Blank District, Esoteric District, Neutral District and the Blaze District.)
The slave shook her head, meaning that she did not have a name.
(The Blaze and Neutral Districts are on each side of the Shadow District. I'm guessing she came from the Neutral District due to her toned muscle. Slaves in the Blaze District aren't used for physical labour as much as sexual intercourse.)
"Okay, I've decided."
Erebus stood up, announcing after giving it some thought.
"I'll take you in. Oh, and, not as a slave but as my disciple."
He told her.
"Di..."
She tried forming the word, 'disciple,' but it would not come out.
"It's not anything bad, trust me. It just means that I'll teach you magic and martial arts."
He beamed.
Suddenly, the blonde-haired girl began sniffling, and not long after, she cried.
"O-oi, what's wrong?!"
The girl did not hear him. She continued to cry.
They were tears of happiness.
After being treated poorly for the last fourteen years of her life, she finally had a chance at freedom.
She would not be tortured or forced to do physical labour. She would be treated fairly, get enough food, and be trained in martial arts and magic.
The girl could not be any happier.