Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh.
Note: Boy x Boy love in latter chaos, don't like don't read.
This is a new story I just got the idea for from nowhere. It is set in ancient Egypt for a change and will be yaoi, so if you don't like, don't read.
As this is new I will only post the prologue, even though I have a few chapters done and see what people think. Please review and tell me what you think and if you want me to continue. Constructive criticism and ideas are welcome but no bitching. As I said, if you don't like the story or writing style you don't have to read it. Despite that I would love to know what everyone thinks.
Special thanks to my beta, who is also helping me on another story. She had done a wonderful job for me correcting all my many mistakes and has helped me greatly with her sincere opinion of my writing. Special thanks to cara-tanaka.
That's enough rambling, review, tell me what you think and...
Enjoy.
Prologue
A calloused but gentle hand was placed on his shoulder for comfort and gave a reassuring squeeze. Turning, Malik had to smile at the person despite his weariness and dehydration. The heat and long stuffy journey through the dessert in the camel drawn cart to the slave market in Upper Egypt didn't seem to faze Jou as it did the other slaves including him. Malik himself was one of the strongest there and even he was starting to think he wouldn't make it. The slave drivers were only giving them the minimal amount of water, stating that as they weren't walking they didn't need it and the last meal they had was three days ago. If you count one bit of dried meat as a meal.
The cart was stuffy and small for the twenty slaves it now carried. Both Malik and Jou tried not to think about how they set off with twenty five companions and the rotting corpses that would now be strewn across the desert road.
Placing his hand on Jou's to show he understood the sentiment; Malik glanced at his silent friend.
"It can't be long now; not if they still want any of us alive left to sell." Jou simply nodded before staring once again down at his feet; there really wasn't much else to look at in the cart. Malik sighed and wished, once again that they hadn't been taken away from the farming fields. Sure, they got whipped often for no reason and the labour was hard but there was water and food and shade after the long day. Being sold again, there was no telling where they may end up next and what there next masters would be like.
Trying to slip into a doze like his golden haired friend, Malik wished he could be as strong as Jou was to go through this without complaint and sincerely hoped that they would reach Upper Egypt soon, praying to all the gods he knew existed but didn't know the names of to show mercy upon him and the other slaves.
Waking up to the heat of the dawn, Malik looked around and quickly spotted that Jou was already awake and tense.
"We're here." was all he said but it was enough to wake the other youth fully and put him into a similar state of tense anxiety.
It was a couple more hours, according to Jou's internal clock before the slave dealers opened the cart and lead the shackled slaves one by one into the waiting pens. They went through the normal procedure of washing them down a bit, giving them some food and water and threatening them into looking lively so that they would hopefully get a good price. After all, no one likes a sickly slave.
Jou resisted the urge to try and punch them in the face and make a run for it as he knew that wouldn't work and he couldn't leave Malik behind on his own with the leering faces of the disgusting and dirty men. Just imagining the satisfaction of the lead slave driver's large hooked nose crunching under his fist, especially when he decided to get in one last grope of Jou's arse, was almost enough to put him in a good mode.
Once the slave drivers had left the holding pens to secure their position on the podium for the best performance for the buyers, Malik slowly made his way through the rest of the dropping slaves
towards Jou.
"You could try to look as worn out as the rest of us, you know."
"I'm hoping to get to work as a labourer again; I can't do that looking sickly. I don't want to end up as someone prize bed slave or serving boy. I would never survive with my temper." Jou informed him with a crooked smile. Malik returned it, Jou's control over his temper, or lack thereof, was a private joke among the two friends.
"Maybe so but do you really want to give those bastards the satisfaction of getting a good price for you?"
Jou tilted his head, a habit of his when he was mulling something over and then shrugged carelessly; causing the chains around his arms and legs to rattle. "Suppose not." Letting his shoulders drop and his back slouch Jou took on the appearance of someone who had just been starved for a week. He still looked better than most of the others though.
Despite his light hearted words, Malik truly was worried for his friend. He had meet him several years before when Jou arrived on a slave train much like the one they had just arrived on. He learnt that unlike him Jou hadn't been born a slave and his father used to be a wealthy merchant until he turned to beating his son and drinking copious amounts of alcohol. To continue to fuel his addiction, he had sold his son to another wealthy merchant who had not been the kindest master to the young boy. However, they lost money and Jou was once again given to the slave dealers. Jou was lucky to arrive in the town where Malik had lived as there were few wealthy people and almost all slaves were used for hard labour. With his bronze tinted eyes and lightly tanned skin, not to mention his outstanding long, shaggy golden hair and slim but firm muscular body Jou was right to worry that he would end up someone's bed slave.
"You too" said Jou , bringing the other boy out of his flash back. "Look sickly, we don't need you getting sold as someone's pet too, especially if it means we won't meet again." Jou had a point, his darkly tanned, supple skin with a slender build and his own light hair, not as startling as Jou's but still unusual in Egypt meant the fear of being a bed slave was just as great for Malik as it was for Jou.
Both he and his long time friend shared a look, they knew that this could be the last time they ever saw each other as the chances of the same master buying them both were slim to none, but it was the way of slaves, you were sold, obeyed your master till you either died or were sold again, made friends, lost friends and endured your life by praying to the gods you did not know the names of and finding those few moments of peace and understanding with your fellow slaves.
Despite knowing this, the two friends still grasped onto each other's hands as best they could in their shackles and squeezed tightly. It may be the way of slaves to continuously make and lose friends but that didn't make it any less painful when you lost someone as close to you as your own brother would be.
Malik's and Jou's eyes locked, silent understanding and sorrow for their impending loss, plus hope the each other would have a good master and a better future passed between them.
The moment was ruined by a commotion of people shouting and stomping towards the holding pens. The slaves looked up to see why more than just the slave traders would be visiting them. All mouths fell silent and all eyes snapped to attention at the richly dressed people at the front of the procession.
Three people, each adorned with different amounts of gold jewellery and fine cloth were walking swiftly towards the pens. Behind them came six other well built people who despite not having any finery still had clean cloth and appeared well feed despite their obvious slave status. Three of the men's slaves were leading richly dressed horses belonging to the men, and flittering around them like the greedy, dirty horse flies were the slave traders.
As they grew closer Malik and Jou caught on to their conversation. "The pharaoh shall not be disappointed with the slaves we have to sell him this time. How many would the pharaoh be needing for the palace?"
"Around ten citizen, depending on the quality of the stock." Next to him Malik hid a smile as he heard Jou growl lowly in his throat. Despite being a slave for most his life now and knowing how they were treated, Jou still couldn't stand being treated like a horse up for inspection. A trait that had got him into trouble many times. Despite this and his explosive temperament, his friend always managed to emerge from whatever trouble he had caused fresher than before and smelling of daises. If it wasn't for his father and his status as a slave, Malik would have said the nameless gods had a soft spot for the feisty golden haired youth.
"And how much is the palace and his pharaoh willing to pay?" one of the worst slave dealers asked boldly. The leader of the palace people simply glanced his way and sneered condescendingly before arriving at the holding pen.
Jou straightened his shoulders and lifted his head, seeing Malik doing the same out of the corner of his eye. He didn't know what the palace wanted slaves for but all slaves had heard how well they were treated at the palace as long as they did their work and judging by the conditions of the still patiently waiting slaves, the rumours were true.
Malik and Jou had another reason for wanting to go to the palace, if the pharaoh was requesting about ten slaves then that meant their slim chance of being together had just grown astronomically. There were some of the strongest slaves in the group and much more likely to be picked than some of the others.
"Well, of course his pharaoh gets first choice of the slaves for whatever the price" the lead slave trader said, trying to smooth things over. It did explain to the waiting slaves why the people were seeing them now instead of waiting for the normal showing.
The finely dressed men scrutinised them closely before consulting, the anxiety in Jou's chest grew as well as the fear that he and Malik would be separated and he would not find a place at the palace.
After only moments, the men appeared to have decided. The leader spun around to remount his waiting horse while another man instructed the waiting palace slaves who to collect. The last man dropped a clinking bundle of coins into the nearest slave trader's hands.
Malik and Jou shared a smirk as they realised that was much less than the slave traders would get for ten slaves if they were to have sold them at the showing. The slave trader himself looked like he wanted to argue but shut his mouth when the man reminded him he worked for the pharaoh.
Jou almost thought he would punch the air and shout with joy when one of the well dressed slaves collected both him and Malik from amongst the waiting, pitiful slaves. Overall, it was a collecting of six of the strongest and most healthy looking men and four of the healthiest looking adult women.
Malik and Jou were almost grinning like crazy at each other by this point even as they were shackled one behind the other with the other slaves to the lead horse, meaning they would have to walk to the palace in the scorching heat of the day. Of course, Jou still didn't know what kind of work he would be put to and he could still become a bed slave but at least there was a chance of being well feed and watered. Best of all, he could remain with his long time friend.
Glancing over his shoulder to the light haired boy shackled behind him, Jou could see the same sentiment reflected in Malik's startling violet eyes as they began walking slowly towards their new life.