Though she had been captured when she was only six, there were only seven tally marks on the wall. She hadn't started keeping count of how much time had passed until she was ten.
This would be her twelfth year as a slave, though it felt much longer. Her parents were long dead along with the small farm village she used to call home. Days blurred together until all she had was the pain and fear that let her know she was still alive and breathing.
Stop it, Erza scolded herself. She hadn't even noticed the tears that built up in her eyes until they rolled down her cheek.
She'd been able to go years without crying so she wasn't going to start feeling sorry for herself now. All she had to do was find the right opportunity and then she could escape.
"Erza?" A timid voice asked. A tuft of blond hair peaked its way around the corner. "Are you feeling better?" Sho asked, letting himself down the stairs.
Sho wasn't much younger than Erza was, but he looked younger than thirteen. His blonde hair was soft and messy, giving his youthful face an endearing innocence that only enhanced the fear that had taken root in his eyes. Like Erza, he had thick gold bracelets on either wrist-the mark of bought slave.
Erza gritted her teeth, using a knife to cut off the remaining fabric that she had used to wrap her latest punishment. Apparently she had made eye contact where it wasn't desired and her masters had decided that her right eye was going to pay for her mishap. It burned and ached tremendously, but Erza forced herself to smile through it.
"It'll be okay," she assured him, but Sho regarded her with tears in his eyes. "Don't cry for me, Sho. There'll be enough of that later."
He tried to stop his sniffles with his palm but, his tears began to soak into the collar of his rag-like toga. Without a second thought, Erza pulled him into her chest, caressing his head gently the same way she had for the last four years.
"We were all so worried," he wept into her dress. "Milliana spoke up and was going to be punished but Simon stepped in for her! I couldn't watch him take another lashing so I came to find you!" Sho balled up Erza's shirt into his fists. "D-does that make me weak?"
"No, of course not," Erza murmured into his hair. "It isn't a weakness to not want to watch a friend suffer."
She didn't mention how she was the weakest of them all. Eleven years she'd been trying to get away from her captors with not so much as a whisper of a way to get out. Ugh. Erza really hated these rich Spartans.
It wasn't much later when Simon appeared in the slaves' quarters while Sho was called back to tend to the house. At twenty, Simon was built like an ox in spite of his tendency to stick with house work. If it wasn't for his status as a slave, Erza was pretty sure the mistress of the house would have chosen him to wed over her current husband.
Despite the friendly, calm exterior he had on the outside most of the time, his back told another story; there had to be over a hundred scars from past whippings-the Spartans were not a people to tolerate insubordination. But to Erza, Simon's scars were proof that he hadn't been broken, that he was still in charge of his life and what he did with it.
Just like Erza, Simon was going to be free one day.
Except today was not that day. "Oh my gods." Erza limped over to the water bowl in the farthest corner of the drab room. "Sit down right now," she demanded.
Simon chuckled, pain clearly shooting up through his face even though he tried to hide it. "I'm fine. How's your eye?"
"Nevermind you that." She wrung water out of the excess bandage that she had used to treat her eye. It was rare to have a fresh, clean bandage. "Now sit."
This time, Simon complied and eased himself onto Miliana's cot. "I'm fine, Erza."
Erza sat beside him, immediately setting to work in cleaning his wounds. His body tensed and twitched from the pain, but he never voiced any complaint. "I swear, Erza, I'm fine. Let me help you with your-"
"I already told you I took care of it, alright? Stop fighting me on this." She soaked the bandage again before moving onto a new portion of tender skin. "I wonder what has milord and milady in such a poor mood. They've been cracking down harder than they used to."
"War," Simon murmured barely audible.
"What?"
"Our little kitten and Wally overheard countrymen speaking of the Athenians wanting to go to war with Sparta. I guess some soldiers have been discussing it as well."
Erza's nose wrinkled. "And that's a problem? I thought the Spartans loved war. Isn't Ares their patron god?"
"Well, yeah." Simon started shaking intensely, making Erza worry until she realized he was laughing. "But the Athenians are tough in their own right. Athena, goddess of battle strategy, is their patron. And let's be real, their battle tactics will out maneauver the Spartan's aimless energy spikes no problem."
Erza shrugged, setting her rag down. "I don't care. Let the Athenians come. It's not like I have some sort of debt to the Spartans."
Simon turned toward her, his face grave. "Though I wholeheartedly agree, don't let those words get back to milord. He'll do worse things than ashes thrown in your face."
"I'm aware," Erza scowled.
But it wasn't like it was her fault. Brutal beatings and ill nourishment was a sure way to earn the hatred of your slaves, something her masters had down to perfection. And even if she was physically complacent didn't mean she was going to internally take it. Unbeknownst to the lord, Erza had taken up the practice of sword play and had gotten pretty efficient with a blade.
When circumstances allowed it, she planned on making a break for it and taking her friends with her.
...
A week later the rumors of war had died and new ones sprung up.
Apparently, a deal had been struck between the kings of Sparta and Athens; the top Athenian general was to be invited into the home of the king and shown the kingdom.
Originally, Erza hadn't expected this news to affect her. After all, she didn't work for the king, but instead just a rich landlord. Unfortunately, every noble in Sparta was looking to meet with the young general to exchange battle and war tactics.
Erza only scoffed at this since, as originally from near Athens herself, she knew the Athenians were far to smart than to betray their war secrets. The Spartans were only setting themselves up for humiliation.
Erza didn't care. All she knew was that she had to double her efforts for this stupid general's arrival and she wasn't very pleased about it. The lady of the house decided she wanted all of her clothes and bed sheets washed before he came the following day and Erza had gotten pinned with the laundry, her least favorite chore.
She was on her knees in the shallows of the river, scrubbing mercilessly at a dress, when a shadow loomed over her. Grunting, Erza dropped her arms into the water in annoyance. It was probably one of the higher up slaves like Brain coming to tell her that she wasn't doing her job fast enough, but when she turned around she was faced with the most gorgeous man she had ever seen in her life.
Erza had always considered Simon as attractive, but he was nothing compared to the blue haired man before him. His dark eyes were gentle and intricate tattoo marks were imprinted above and below his right eye. He was dressed in a blue cloak that complimented his hair and...was that Athenian battle armor?
There was no way this was the Athenian general was it? He was a day early! The mistress would be wroth that Erza hadn't finished the laundry despite that it wasn't her fault that he was early. Oh yeah, a higher up was looking at her.
Erza lowered her face to the ground in a bow. "My lord," she whispered as politely as possible, "forgive my gawking."
Most of the Spartan generals were jackasses that never missed a chance to cop a feel or kick her down, so she was kind of in shock when the blue-haired Athenian crouched down beside her. "There's no need for that," he said, kneeling. "I'm not your master nor a countrymen so there is no need to treat me as such. I am your equal."
Hesitantly, Erza picked her head up. He reached for her hand, beckoning her to stand up. "There's no way you're a general," she blurted before she could stop herself. "You're too nice."
He smiled from the corner of his mouth but his eyes lit up like fireflies. "I'm Jellal Fernandes, first General of the Athenian army. What's your name?"
Erza stopped, taken back again by how friendly an officer of the military was being to a slave. Most people could barely hold this long of a conversation with her with the exception of other slaves. "I'm Erza."
He cocked his head to the side. "No last name?"
She shook her head. "Nope."
"Everybody has a last name." Jellal pouted slightly, as if he were a child that didn't get his way.
Erza fought off a small smile. Instead she crossed her arms and assumed a playful look of defiance. "Well, I don't. Erza is all I've got."
Jellal pursed his lips in consideration. "What about Scarlet?"
"What?"
"Erza Scarlet has a nice ring to it. And if I ever forget, I'll just look at your pretty hair."
For the first time in a while, Erza blushed. It had happened before, but mostly due to humiliation inflicted by her masters. Never had she blushed because she felt...happy. She certainly had never had butterflies in her stomach until now. Who was this man and why did he make her feel funny inside?
He watched her expectantly, and only then did Erza realize he was waiting for her opinion-again, another thing she wasn't used to. "I love it," she ran her fingers through the tangled red mass, "it fits me perfectly."
Jellal's smile dropped when he noticed the laundry basket on the river bank. "I'm sorry for cutting in on your work. I'll leave you to your duties for now, but I hope to see you again Miss Scarlet." He kissed the top of her hand, bowed, and then walked up the hill from the river to the main road.
Erza stared at her hand, heart still pounding rapidly. She wasn't sure what this feeling was, but it was addicting. And she was afraid she'd never get a dose of it again.
...
"You seem to be in a good mood, Erzy," Milliana sang.
Erza hesitated for a moment before she returned to her floor scrubbing. She hated to admit it, but she had been looking forward to the general's visit ever since their conversation down by the river. Some naiads had overheard their words and gossiped with Erza along the river bank, only intensifying the funny feeling in her chest, especially since naiads tended to be hopeless romantics when not trying to drown people.
The funny feeling was even enough to distract from the unpleasantness of laundry, a true blessing of the gods.
But now if Milliana was catching on to her behavior, then the others certainly would as well. "I'm not in a good mood," Erza muttered as dejected as she could.
"You have to be," Milliana sat back on her heels, her baby face utterly adorable. "You've been humming ever since yesterday. And you didn't even get mad when the lord hit you."
Erza touched the skin around her eye. The flesh was already swelling and she expected that it was purple. "I'm used to it."
Leaning back, the redhead admired the marble floor. It was probably the most effort she had ever put into cleaning the floor and the shine certainly showed it. "Okay, Milliana, we might as well go change now."
Milliana dropped her rag into the pail of water and then arched her back in a stretch. "Me-owy. Sitting like that for so long does a number on your back, doesn't it, Erzy?"
Erza stood, taking Milliana's bucket from her in one hand and carried her own in the other. "It sure does. Now run along, Milliana. You don't want to give up the catering chore because you weren't ready."
Milliana nodded quickly, pushing her pigtails behind her ears. "Good call, Erzy! I'll see you in a bit!"
Milliana hurried out of the room towards the slaves' chamber, making sure to keep her head down. Erza walked in the opposite direction to dump the cleaning water in the garden.
When she got back to the room that she shared with the others, no one was inside. Quickly Erza changed from her ugly gray tunic into a slightly less beat up red tunic that Simon had somehow managed to swipe for her.
"My, don't you look ravishing, Erza." The man's voice made her blood boil.
"I'm on my way, Brain." She shot the slave overseer the dirtiest look she could muster.
Brain grinned sadistically, his tattooed face rippling. "If you're not out there by the time the general shows up, you know the drill—Sho gets ten lashings."
Erza turned on her heel and marched right past him out the door, resisting the intense urge to stomp on his toes. Even though he was a slave himself, Erza hated him because he had the job of overseeing everyone else and tended to misuse that power. Even his own son, who had begun taking on the alias Midnight, resented his father's abusive actions...
Sometimes when she got angry like this, weird things would happen; fires would intensify, metal would rattle uncontrollably, and animals would run in fear of her. She assumed she was nearing this magnitude of rage when she bumped into him and the anger switched out for awe.
"I hoped to see you again, Erza." Jellal smiled down at her, his hands perched on her waist from when she walked straight into him.
Erza's eyes widened, a blush powdering her cheeks. His armor was cool against her skin in comparison to his warm cloak that fell against her hands. "I-I-I'm so sorry. I wasn't lookin—"
He tilted his head, the soft grin still present. He looked even better than yesterday if that was possible. "Don't worry about it." Suddenly, his smile dropped and Erza was frightened by the change in atmosphere. He reached toward her face, but she flinched away on impulse.
Jellal pulled away, his face still grim, then leaned forward again. This time Erza forced herself not to move, and Jellal gently ran his thumb along her swollen eye. "Who did this to you?" He demanded.
"Its nothing—"
"Its wrong."
"I'm used to it."
"You shouldn't be."
"I'm fine." Erza whipped around, suddenly remembering that Sho was relying on her punctuality if he wasn't to get an unwarranted beating. "It was nice seeing you."
"Wait, Erza—"
Erza ignored his attempts at protest. When she slipped into the kitchen, Brain wasn't even present himself which allowed her some relief. Sho and Milliana, however, ran up to her as soon as they spotted her.
"Erza!" Sho jumped into her arms for a hug.
"What's wrong?" She patted his head.
"He's just happy that you're here," Milliana replied, "and that Brain isn't."
Erza chuckled darkly. "Well, we might as well not stand around and give him another excuse to be cruel. Milliana, take out the refreshments. Sho, grab the lamb. I've got the salad. I assume Simon and Wally are tending to outdoor chores today?"
Sho nodded.
Erza pursed her lips. "Okay. Let us go."
When she stepped into the dining courtyard, Erza was pretty sure she was going to fall over. Up until this point she had been overly excited to see the general again, but their brief run-in in the hall left her feeling frazzled. Unfortunately, that didn't mean she could skip out on her chores, so in the courtyard she went.
Jellal was the first person her eyes fell on and she had to quickly avert them when he offered another smile. Instead she tried focusing on her mistress Ikaruga whose pink hair was the contrast of her spotless white gown. The lord of the house, Vidaldus was the opposite, wearing the blackest tunic he owned along with a sword strapped to his waist.
Erza set the salad on the table and then retreated to the outskirts of the room with the others to await further instructions.
"Ah, here comes the food," Ikaruga clapped her hands together in delight. She looked to Milliana who was standing silently off to the side. "You there, girl. Bring the young General here some wine."
Milliana obeyed silently. Despite the inviting smile Jellal directed towards her, Milliana continued to shake like a leaf while she poured the wine.
The dinner passed by mostly uneventful; Erza remained off to the side with the others in case any problems arose. She learned that the general was nineteen, only two years older than herself.
Ikaruga smiled and nodded at his stories, never missing a chance to touch his shoulder or run her fingers along his hand. Erza silently tremored in place and almost as if responding to her mood, the fire burning in the customary pillars seemed to burn hotter and more angry. The blade at the lord's side seemed to call out to her.
But every time Ikaruga advanced, Jellal shunned her efforts. Vidaldus looked exasperated by his wife's promiscuous behavior, but said nothing.
The sun was barely beginning to set when Jellal suddenly stood from the table, surprising everyone in the room. "Lady Ikaruga," he began, "the meal was superb."
Ikaruga blushed. Vidaldus scoffed into his wine. "Thank you," she purred.
"However, I'd like to discuss the matter of one of your slaves: Miss Scarlet."
Erza's pupils dilated in shock and the fire in the pillars went out completely. Her hand burned from the lack of a weapon. Something was about to happen. Judging by the reactions of her masters, she knew she was right.
"Who?" Ikaruga demanded vehemently. "We have no slaves by that name."
"Miss Erza Scarlet, of course," he said calmly.
Ikaruga seemed to calm down. Erza could feel her grave being dug right in that moment. "You mean that wretched girl?" Ikaruga pointed at her. "I apologize for whatever intolerable act she's done, General."
"We'll make sure she gets punished," Vidaldus promised.
"You misunderstand." Jellal's expression morphed into the one that Erza had witnessed hours earlier in the hall. "Punishment is what I'm worried about. I assume it was one of you who inflicted the wound on her eye?"
"Your assumption is correct," Vidaldus said.
"What is the meaning of this, General?" Ikaruga cried.
"It pains me to see a maiden treated this way; regardless of whatever mishap she could have possibly done, this foul treatment is immoral and said, I would like to relieve her from your care."
Erza's jaw dropped and suddenly she was filled with a warmth that felt foreign to her. Sho and Milliana appeared on either side of her, hugging onto her arms in fear.
Vidaldus stood up so fast his chair fell back. His fist coming down on the table resonated off of the stone floors and pillars. "Are you saying you want to buy her from us?"
"Of course not. I do not view this woman as a piece of property and refuse to treat her as such." Jellal unsheathed his sword, a sleek blade with a gold handle that was a hundred times more grand than that of Vidaldus. "I intend to dual you. If I win, she goes free along with the rest of your slaves. I can tell this has been a cesspool of grief for an unbearable amount of time and I intend to liberate it."
"He's so cool," Sho murmured.
"How dare you propose such a thing after I invite you into my home!" Ikaruga rose from her seat, quickly hiding behind her husband.
Jellal stood his ground. Vidaldus set his hand on his sword's hilt, but didn't draw it. "And if you lose?"
Jellal smirked, narrowing his eyes. "I will not lose."
Vidaldus returned the smug look. "I accept the dual."
"Vidaldus!" Ikaruga cried.
"Slience woman!" Vidaldus shoved her to the ground.
"That's not how you should treat your wife," Jellal growled.
"You picked this fight," Vidaldus snarled back, "don't blame me when you realize you bit off more than you can handle, boy general."
In a flash, Vidaldus's sword was drawn and the two were engaged in a brutal sword fight. Several times Jellal nearly was able to get the advantage but it was clear that Vidaldus exceeded him at sword play.
"What was he thinking?" Erza supposed she should have been trying to root for him, but she was more angry that he had acted so recklessly. Quickly, she spun Milliana and Sho around and pushed them toward the door. "Go! Find Simon and Wally and run! As far away as possible!"
Sho tried to resist but he wasn't strong enough against Erza's increasing strength. "But Erza-"
"Erzy?" Milliana mewed with tears.
Erza shoved them again. "I'd never forgive myself if something happened to any of you! Now run! I'll find you!"
Both teenagers shared tearful nods before running together, hand in hand, toward the stables where Wally and Simon should've been. Erza turned toward the fray. Ikaruga was gone. Jellal had taken on a heavenly shimmer while Vidaldus had a bloody red aura.
It was then that what should have been obvious was made clear; they were both demigods.
Erza got that funky feeling in her gut again, like a sword belonged in her hand.
Jellal blasted what looked like a piece of the sky at Vidaldus who flung backwards but was able to right himself at the last second before impact. Vidaldus snickered, "Impressive. Son of a wind god?"
Jellal scoffed. "Lord of the Skies, Zeus himself."
Vidaldus' laugh sounded more like a roar. "Son of Ares, kid."
The two continued to fight viciously; Jellal would use some sort of heaven power and Vidaldus would counter it with some sort of twirl of his weapon. Even though they were nearly matched in power, Vidaldus was the better swordsman. One slip up and it would be game over.
As she watched Erza felt some sort of passion build up inside of her. At first she thought it was just from nerves, but when Vidaldus had bested Jellal and set his blade at his throat, something snapped and Erza knew the sword would bend to her will.
She ran forward, pouring on the speed. Unless she made it in time, Jellal was going to die. She thought of Jellal's sword lying on the ground just a few feet from him and suddenly it sprang into her hand.
Any other day, Erza would have marveled at how she could have possibly made a sword jump into her hand, but there was no time. Right before Vidaldus issued the killing blow, Erza jumped in front of him and kept her sword steady.
The sound of metal on metal revitalized her and her senses became more aware. This was what she was born to do.
Vidaldus offered a toothy smile that reeked of evil. "Ooo! The little slave girl has joined the party?" He laughed menacingly. "What makes you think you can take me, slave?"
She wasn't sure where the words came from, but she heard herself shouting, "Because I too, am a child of the war god Ares!"
She attacked with a new force, hacking and slashing. A tick on the face for Sho. A slash on the back for Simon. A pierce at the stomach for Wally. A jab at the knee for Milliana. And for Jellal, she knocked her previous master on his face. "We are no long your slaves," she declared.
Breathing heavily, Erza collapsed at Jellal's side. She hadn't felt fatigued at all while fighting, but it felt like the life bad been suddenly sucked out of her. "Are you...all right?" She asked.
"I am now." Jellal regarded her tenderly when all of a sudden his eyes went wide. "Erza—!"
"Wha?" Ezra turned in time to see her ex master flex his sword.
"DIE." Vidaldus lunged with his sword aimed for her heart, but it never reached it.
Simon's body flopped to the ground at the same time Vidaldus did. It took her a second to realize her friend had sacrificed himself as Jellal simultaneously threw a sword that embedded itself in Vidaldus' chest.
"SIMON!" Erza threw herself on his body and cupped his face in her hands. "Hey, hey, hey! Stay with me, Simon!" Tears dribbled down her face onto his chest.
"They're...safe," Simon said softly, blood trickling out of his mouth. She tried to ignore the sword gaping out of his chest. "Ran...north. Ezra?"
"I'm here, Simon," Erza whispered, gripping his hand. Snot mixed with tears continued to drip down her face. His body stiffened, making her panic. "Simon? Simon, wake up!" She shook him violently. "Simon, please wake up?"
A comforting hand rested on her shoulder, making her cease in the shaking. "Erza," Jellal said quietly. "He's gone."
The reality sunk in, and Erza buried her face in Jellal's cloak.
Simon never did wake up.
...
"I wish you would come with me."
Erza smiled, her hand finding its way to the hilt of her new sword. It was the first one she had as a free citizen of Greece. "I know one day our paths will overlap again in the future, but so much of my life has been stolen from me. I need to learn who I am, both as a person and as a warrior."
"And I do understand this, Erza." Stepping up in the stirrup, Jellal mounted his horse. "I recommend traveling to Crete—the king there will receive you well. There's good work and many demigods who will sharpen your skill. " He grinned. "A daughter of Ares will do just fine among Fairy Tail demigods."
"Fairy Tail?" Erza repeated skeptically.
"You'll see, should you ever make it that way. Farewell Erza." Jellal offered one last smile, and then his horse trotted forward.
She watched him grow small in the distance until he was no longer visible. He was the last piece of familiarity now that Milliana, Sho, and Wally were gone who knows where and Simon was dead. She didn't even have a house to return to now that she was no longer a slave.
Despite the loneliness, Erza wouldn't trade her freedom for anything. She had endured too much for it to be taken away now.
Turning from the horizon, Erza looked to the east where Jellal had told her Fairy Tail was. Perhaps, that would be where she would start her new life.
...
Sooo, this started out as a nalu one shot but I've decided to do two more installments: one for jerza and one for gruvia. The next chapter will be the last installment :) hope you guys liked this one ans stick around for the next!
12/18/16