Disclaimer: I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.
Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh GX
Title: The First Day
Character: Rune (Johan's Dark World Double), Juudai
Word Count: 2,937||Status: One-shot
Genre: Drama||Rated: PG
Challenge: Diversity Challenge: section D, #94: Pick a randomly generated word. That word must be used every 200 words. [Randomly generated word was 'slave'.]
Summary: [one-shot, Diversity Challenge, Rune (Johan's Dark World Double) & Juudai, au: bridges] The first day of a new job is always stressful. This is especially true if your new job involves being the slave of a brutal conqueror.
"Kneel, slave."
More than anything else in his life, Rune didn't want to listen to that voice. But as his other option at the moment was to die in screaming agony that would make that of Brron look pleasant, he dropped to his knees next to the new ruler of Dark World and awaited further instructions.
If he'd had the option, he would be far from here, perhaps farming somewhere. He'd never been able to raise so much as a cactus, but even being a failed farmer would be better than this. In all truth, he couldn't think of anything that wouldn't be better than this.
He kept his eyes cast down, staring at the shimmering white floor beneath him. He could hear those others who served the new master murmuring amongst themselves, but he couldn't tell what it was they talked about. It could've been him. It could've been the rumors about how Brron had been defeated. It could've been the new orders that Haou-sama had given out once he assumed the throne.
None of that meant anything to him, though. He was little more than a toy for Haou-sama, or so he'd heard. All because of whom he looked like.
He'd never heard of this 'Johan Andersen' before. Now that he had…
It's all his fault that I'm a … slave now. Rune closed his eyes for a heartbeat, shifting his knees in an attempt to get more comfortable. He didn't want to attract Haou-sama's attention. He'd had it before, he'd have it again, he didn't doubt. He didn't want to think about what the new monarch might do if he annoyed him. So he would just kneel here, and hope that he didn't have to find out firsthand any time soon.
Unfortunately, kneeling there didn't do much for his back or his knees or any other part of himself. He wanted to get up and do something. He'd never been a warrior; he'd never learned how to duel. He'd never had the chance, not with wandering around the way that he did. He'd spent so much of his life not even having a name, much less a home.
He'd given himself the name of 'Rune' when he was little more than twelve. He'd tired of being called 'you' or 'human' or 'boy' whenever someone wanted his attention.
It wasn't as if most of them ever asked what it was anyway, but he dreamed of a day when they would, and he would be able to answer them.
Haou-sama knew his name; had wrenched it out of him with pain that tore into parts of his body that Rune hadn't even known could hurt. He hadn't even touched his future slave, but given him a look that twisted the boy until he was little more than a screaming heap on the ground, his name stuttering on his lips.
Rune shuddered, trying not to think about those moments. Moments? Had they only been moments? They had to have been, but when the pain gripped him from inside out, he could've sworn that it had lasted for eons. There had only been the pain, and a single command searing itself into his mind.
Speak your name.
He almost wished that he hadn't named himself, just so he wouldn't have had one to give at the time.
No, he thought, shifting again, freezing when he saw the dark gaze of the monarch turning toward him for a heartbeat. No attention, no, that wasn't what he wanted at all.
Haou turned his attention back toward his lackeys, the two who had come with him into this world. One was a human, even paler than Haou-sama, with hair of glistening silver and eyes far bluer than the rarest of sapphires. Rune had heard him referred to as 'Edo'. The other, a spirit, stood closest to Haou, giving everyone who dared to come within a certain distance a look that spoke eloquently of the death that would be dealt out if they did anything that this warrior disapproved of. The name he'd heard in this case was 'Yubel'.
Both of them outranked everyone there save Haou-sama himself. Rune didn't know how their servitude worked, but he still hadn't figured out how his did. He was a slave, he knew that much, but what did Haou-sama expect him to do? Kneel here forever?
"You. Rune." Cold fingers flicked across his brow, and Rune snapped his head up at once, a sudden tension flaring through him.
"Yes, Haou-sama?" He hadn't held his position long, but those who didn't express respect for the master died in agony. No one doubted that.
The other's lips thinned for a moment at that. "Go to the kitchen. Bring us something to eat." His other hand gestured toward his two companions, and Rune nodded, understanding he meant for the three of them.
He scrambled to his feet at once and wound his way through the throngs gathered in the throne room. He could handle being a slave if it just meant bringing food and drink at certain times. At least he didn't have to remain on his knees all the time.
Rune liked to travel. He always had; he couldn't remember a time in his life when he didn't spend more time on the road than he had in the same location. People had asked him before if he were looking for something in particular. He never knew how to answer that, because he didn't know.
I don't know what I want. I never have. A name; he'd known that much. But other than that, he'd always been happy just to travel, to see as much of the world as he possibly could. He'd heard of other worlds, and if he could go there, he would. What wonders would they hold? What could he see there?
Though now he wondered about those worlds and the people in them. Were they all like Haou? Would they want him to kneel for them? Would they treat him like nothing more than trash? It wasn't a thought he liked.
Why was Haou-sama here in the first place? Rumor had it that he and his two companions came from one of those other worlds, which didn't do anything for Rune's wavering about visiting them.
It likely had something to do with that 'Johan Andersen' person. Rune wondered if he would ever turn up here and what would happen if he did. Maybe Haou-sama would prefer him as his slave? While so far this wasn't the kind of nightmare that he'd feared if he'd ever been forced into slavery for Brron, he still wanted to get out and travel again. The wind called to him, teasing him ever onward, and there wasn't any way he could answer now, not with having to kneel by Haou's side.
Rune hurried through the corridors and down stairways; he wasn't very familiar with the castle, but the scent of food in the air called to him anyway, and before very long he stepped into the kitchen.
He'd seen kitchens before, of course, but nothing like this, with dozens of people hurrying this way and that, talking at the top of their lungs about all manner of subjects, and talking over each other to the point Rune couldn't understand most of what they said in the first place.
Rune hesitated; he'd only spent a few hours here, and he scarcely knew anyone beyond Haou-sama and his chief companions. He didn't think that he really knew them anyway. What would he say?
"Who are you?" A blue-skinned creature wearing a chef's hat waved a hook hand at him. "You don't belong down here, do you? Or are you a new kitchen slave?"
Rune had no idea of how to answer that. He scrambled quickly for something to say, though. "Haou-sama sent me. He wants food for three." It was the basic truth, after all.
The hook wielding demon tilted his head closer towards Rune, frowning, then gestured toward a large fox-like creature who stood near a stove, sniffing at some large pot there. "Boss? What do you say?"
This one Rune recognized, having met others of the Inaribi persuasion before. The fox stepped closer, drawing in a deep breath, then turned toward the other.
"He has Haou-sama's scent on him. I'd heard the master has taken a human slave. Give him what he came for, Devil Cook."
Rune didn't know if he should relax or not at those words. He didn't have much time to think about it, as Devil Cook rushed around piling foods of all kind onto a large tray. There was a certain edge of nervousness suddenly in the kitchen, which Rune could only attribute to the fact their deadly master acknowledged them suddenly. He knew about how they felt, his stomach still racked with tension at having to carry out orders and the risks of failing in them.
Inaribi remained by him as the cook put together the ordered meal. "You're new at this, aren't you?" The fox murmured. "Never had to listen to someone else before, someone who could kill you if you don't please them. Or who might if it pleases them to do so."
Rune managed something that could've been a smile. "Does it show?" He didn't think making friends was such a good idea; what would Haou-sama do? He might not care; he might. It wasn't something he thought he could risk now. There was too much that he didn't know.
"To someone who knows what to look for. Or smell for." Inaribi sniffed, a hint of amusement in those wise eyes. "Watch yourself at all times, boy. You are his slave, but life has a way of changing."
Rune opened his mouth for a moment, then closed it again, confining himself to a simple nod. He knew that was true enough; he'd once not been Haou's slave. Perhaps he wouldn't always be.
Until that day rolled around, however, he knew what he needed to do: obey Haou-sama's orders and keep himself alive, no matter the cost. Escaping his lot would depend not on running away, not from someone like Haou-sama, who could have him hunted down in a matter of moments, but on surviving until …until…
He didn't know what he was hoping for, only that he would have to survive to reach it.
Devil Cook brought the tray over and Rune took it at once, wincing at how heavy it was. He'd seldom carried for more than one person before, and he'd even more seldom had meals this varied presented to him. He couldn't even name all of the meats arranged there, only that there were four or five different ones, many bowls of fruits and vegetables, soups and salads, and three different drinks. From what he could catch of the scent from the carafes, he thought they were wines.
"We hope that Haou-sama is pleased with what we send him," Inaribi said, rising to his paws. "If he has any specific requests, we will be honored to serve him."
Rune nodded, taking the hint that he was to repeat those words to the master if possible. At the moment, his main goal was returning to the throne room with all of this intact. Somewhere in the undertones of his mind, he thought Haou-sama should've sent a couple of strong warriors, not one slave.
But this was his task, and now he carefully wended back the way that he'd come. The scents of the various dishes teased at his stomach and he tried not to let it growl. He wasn't sure of what the rules about eating were for his position, but he could guess that sampling before Haou-sama had his share was a very large no.
He had to stop once or twice to rebalance the tray, and wondered if he could ask for something with wheels on it the next time he had to do this. He wasn't sure of how that would work with the stairs he had to navigate, but he would figure something out if he got one. It would make matters so much easier if he didn't fear dropping everything.
When he finally stepped back into the throne room, he caught Haou-sama's eye almost at once, and dropped his head before he could be accused of staring. While he wasn't experienced at this, the torture he'd undergone taught him quickly about respect and how to treat his master.
"Bring it here," Haou-sama commanded, gesturing toward a table off to the side, opposite of where Rune had knelt before. The slave moved over that way, settling the tray down with a stifled gasp of relief. He glanced for a moment toward Haou-sama, then picked up one of the plates and started to pile food on it, choosing the very best portions that he could see.
Once he had a plate prepared, he brought it over to Haou-sama and dropped to his knees, holding the plate up to his master. His shoulders and arms trembled from the weight of the tray still, but he kept himself as steady as he could anyway.
Haou-sama began to eat, far quicker than anything Rune had ever seen anyone eat before. He didn't continue whatever discussions he'd had before, but focused entirely on the food itself. Rune remained as silent as he could, in mind and in body. He didn't want to be a person right now, not a slave or otherwise. He was nothing more than a table that could, when given permission, move.
He noticed the other two, Edo and Yubel, serving themselves from the tray as well, but kept the majority of his attention where it belonged, on Haou-sama. Please the master, that was what he had to do, how he would survive until the day should come when…
Rune chose not to think about that. He wouldn't allow that scrap of hope to exist where anyone could see it, not even himself. Hope that others knew about could be rooted up and destroyed. Hope that lived in silence and darkness could survive, and thrive.
Or so he hoped.
A cold finger brushed against the side of his cheek. Rune jerked for a quick moment, eyes wide with shock, before he realized that Haou-sama touched him. Hovering in front of his lips was a small piece of meat, held between the master's fingers.
"Hungry?" Haou-sama murmured, an amused tilt to his lips. Rune swallowed, his stomach answering him with a mighty growl. "Open up."
Rune obeyed, parting his lips to accept the food as Haou slid it into his mouth. He'd expected at best to be allowed to clear off the scraps, if there were any left, or given permission to beg for some from the kitchen itself. He hadn't expected to be fed from the master's plate, by the master's own hand. What sort of slave expected that type of treatment?
More pieces of food were passed to him, and Rune ate them all, not knowing when he might get another meal. He didn't, he couldn't trust Haou-sama to do this every time that he ate.
He had to admit to himself that he wanted to trust the master, though. It made no sense and would end up with him in pain (again), he knew, sooner or later, if he did. But he wanted to nevertheless.
After the day Rune had ended up having, he wasn't surprised to find his eyes trying to slip closed as the strange meal drew to a close. He fought against it, struggling with all of his might to remain awake and attentive to Haou-sama's needs.
"Rune."
His eyes flashed open quickly and he flinched back without thinking about it. Again Haou-sama's cold fingers touched the side of his cheek. There wasn't sympathy in his eyes, but a certain amount of understanding.
"Master?" He couldn't help how his voice trembled. Haou-sama's lips thinned into a small smile.
"I'm done with you for today," Haou-sama said. He flicked the fingers of his other hand. A Butterfly Fairy fluttered down to land on Rune's shoulder. "Take my slave to the quarters I've assigned him."
Butterfly Fairy bent her head gracefully. "As you wish, Haou-sama." Her voice chimed like the ringing of a dozen silver bells. She didn't seem like the kind of creature that would serve Haou, which in Rune's experience were mostly demons and dark spellcasters. But there she was, perched on his shoulder as if she'd always been there.
There was a scrap of nervousness on exactly where those quarters he'd been 'assigned' were, which didn't get any better as Butterfly Fairy guided him to what could only be Haou-sama's own rooms. He glanced at her worriedly, but she shook her head in a reassuring fashion.
"He's allowed inside," she told the two guards who stood before the vast double doors. "He belongs to Haou-sama."
He didn't like hearing it like that, but one guard opened the door, and Rune entered. He was too tired to do anything but follow Butterfly Fairy's instructions that led him to a small closet, just big enough for him to curl up on the piles of soft cushions, and fall into a deep sleep.
He was far too tired to notice when Haou-sama stood there for a few moments much later, a satisfied smirk on his lips as he watched his slave, the image of Johan Andersen, sleep, and made plans for how to further condition his new possession until Rune would do anything he said, merely because his master ordered it of him.
The End