Section Three: Gods and Barbarians
Trowa seemed sad as he spoke. "Slaves like you and WuFei there have no idea what it is like for us." His words seemed so full of regret and disappointment. Quatre frowned wishing there was something he could do for his usually quiet friend.
Duo had been so intent on unraveling the mysteries of the arena fighters the final occupant of the cell had slipped his mind completely. This 'WuFei' had a foreign look about him. His hair was dark as a raven's wing and he wore it pulled into a tight topknot. His dark eyes had a slightly feline cant to them that made him appear wistful and mysterious. In the dim light Duo could just barely make out a pattern of fine black lines on his chest. When the young thief squinted he could see it depicted a great writhing beast, with a head and claws something like a lion but much more fierce. It had gazelle-like horns and a long snake like body. He had never seen anything like it.
"I am not a slave." WuFei explained tartly. "I am here because I was taken in battle."
"And before you became a spoil of war?" Duo asked his almost violet eyes shining in the dim light of the cell.
"I was a private retainer." WuFei said.
"He means a slave" Quatre snickered, attempting to use the situation to lighten the mood. He and WuFei had been in the cell together days before the others had been brought in and he had learned how to draw the proud youth into a conversation even when he was determined to remain aloof.
"No, even in this barbaric tongue I choose my words with care." The boy said indignantly. "I am an Anja what you would call a retainer. I was bonded to the Long clan and not an object to be bought or sold. Emperor Jujun is an enlightened ruler. If you people were as civilized you would understand the only proper slaves, the Nu, are criminals owned by the government.
If a man refuses to act in a fitting manor he should be punished so much better if that punishment benefits the community. If they learn their lesson they should be free to go about their lives. If they continue to act against the best interest of soviet they should die. That is justice. Likewise hard work should be rewarded. In my country men achieve positions of prominence on the basis of merit rather than birth. Written examinations were adopted as a means of determining the best-qualified people. But you wouldn't understand such things I am sure."
WuFei did not mention that the reforms he had mentioned were a relatively new development in his country. Infact, many of his own people could not understand the reforms and rejected them. His master had been one such who opposed tax and property reforms the emperor hoped to implement. Ju Shirin voiced his distate for the emperors policies and that was what had gotten him exiled from Chang'an, and WuFei along with him.
It had seemed a great adventure at the time, to trace the path of Zhang Qian to the near legendary Western Empire. WuFei had been something of a scholar among the scribes in the temple of Nataku. He had a natural facility with languages and had often accompanied his master to document trade negotiations. He knew how to defend himself and had had on occasion fought alongside his master.
Thus he was the one Master Shirin had chosen to accompany into exile. What they had found in their journey to the west was nothing like they expected. Now the young slave was quite alone at the mercy of these strange people.
He bitterly forced the uncomfortable thought away. Instead the proud young man chose to dwell on how much better his condition had been before they left home. "I am not a barbarian such as yourselves I was raised in a civilized country; schooled in literature, philosophy, languages, obviously…I had the run of my master's estate and dressed in fine silks…" he self consciously smoothed down the decorated ecchu fundoshi that was all his captors permitted him to keep of his own clothing. In return they gave him a metal collar just like the others.
"He was a house slave, same as me." The blonde interrupted his smile growing wider.
"I was never a house-slave! I belonged to the temple. My master was a warrior-priest…temple slaves are entirely different than house slaves!" the young man scowled angrily.
"But you WERE a slave." Little blond teased.
"Urrg!" the Asian growled in frustration. "I would relish beating you senseless, if you weren't such a pathetic bleeding heart. But I would not wish to disgrace my goddess Nataku by fighting the unworthy."
"What sort of goddess is Nataku?" Duo asked instantly intrigued.
"Did you not hear me say master was a warrior-priest…She is the goddess of war of course." The foreigner rolled his eyes.
Duo nodded in understanding "We know her as Bellona…My patron is Orcus, the god of death."
WuFei tilted his head slightly as if regarding the braided boy from a new light. If he was familiar with Nataku, even under another name, then perhaps the people weren't all as weak and ignorant as he had thought. "Orcus…is Shinigami perhaps?" he asked raising one eyebrow.
"Shinigami" Duo tested the name. He liked the way the foreign word fell coming off his tongue. It sounded powerful yet elusive. "Yes, that seems right." He confirmed then asked, "What is that beast on your chest?"
The foreign boy actually smiled. "That is Shenlong the spirit dragon. He brings the wind and rain cleansing the earth. It is the symbol of my clan. Even here he watches over me. You see how the flames dance? It is the breath of Shenglong that makes them do this. You feel the dampness in the stone. That is his tears. He weeps for the loss of my master."
Duo could not feel the wind but He leaned against the bars in the cell door watching the torches on the opposite wall. It certainly seemed as if they were drawn in my some great beast.
"We have several wind gods," The braided boy said thoughtfully naming them on his fingers, "Africus, Aquilo, Auster, Corus, Favonius, Vulturnus and finally Tempestes is the goddess of storms but I have not of heard of anything like your spirit dragon. Travelers say that in Egypt they worship strange beasts, but they are mostly like men with animal heads. If Shenlong is here it must be for your sake." Duo told him earnestly and the other youth seemed to take comfort in the admission.
"Do you know anything of the northern gods Quatre?" Duo asked. "Do they have tales of dragon beasts?"
The blond looked puzzled. "Why would I know anything about the north…northerners are the true barbarians, incapable of acting or thinking like reasonable people. Everyone knows that."
Duo chuckled, "I am not well versed in northern legends but I know some things. My friend Solo told me the sun in the north is not as bold as it is here. It hides behind the clouds and the land is shrouded in trees; Living in the shadows makes the children of the Vandals, Teutons and other tribes naturally pale…just like you. Have you noticed there aren't many here with your coloring? That is because they all come from the northland."
"I-I didn't know." Quatre frowned; he knew he was considered 'an exotic' but he had considered the classification a matter of preference, nothing more. It was no secret his mistress scoured the markets for his particular 'type' she had 29 female slaves, all blond. The young mistress, her granddaughter, was blond as well. Quatre suspected that was what made Mistress Dermail partial to them. He was the only male she had been able to acquire. She mentioned offhandedly that the reason suitable males were so rare was because the military got first crack at them. He didn't know what she had meant and knew better than ask questions.
Slaves weren't supposed to speak about their past lives, making comparison between previous owners and situations was never productive, but surely if Mistress Dermail's slaves shared a common heritage someone would have said something. Wouldn't they? Quatre had been a slave of Rome almost forever. If he thought back very hard it was not to dark forests and a week sun. He remembered sand. Sand as far as the eye could see, wind tossed into giant waves. Those early recollections were fragmented and dim but surely he had come from the southern desert.
The little blond had a reoccurring dream of riders bearing down on them…someone shouted for him to run and he had. He felt the panic swelling in his chest. He had been a small child whimpering as the hot sand burned his feet. Still he ran, slipping and sliding in the soft powder. Finally the shelf of ground he had been crossing crumbled, sending him tumbling into the slavers grasp. They asked him what his name was, he had been proud to reply, "Mastrquatre'berbawiner." They had beaten him for it. Every day his training began in the same fashion…and that harsh education lasted for many days indeed.
Like water erodes sandstone. The brutal treatment wore away his pride, and his memories of what had come before. Every time they asked his name it seemed to get shorter. By the time he was first brought to auction, that long train of sound no longer held any meaning for him. He was simply Quatre and had been ever since.
The young blond supposed he should be grateful. Many slaves don't have names at all. Perhaps if his had been shorter to begin with he would not have one either. Quatre had been bought and sold multiple times over the years but being primarily a domestic slave meant he rarely left the house. When he did he was usually kept close by his owner's side. Rome was the only world he knew, and he didn't even know the city all that well.
"If it is any consolation I think you are all barbarians." WuFei added, but there was a teasing tone to his voice now that hadn't been there before. 'Amazing' Quatre thought. He had been trying to get the foreign boy to warm up for almost a week now and the braided boy managed it in a matter of minutes.
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Section three Notes:
Emperor Wang Mang, called Jujun ruled during the Han dynasty 45 B.C. to 23 A.D. He was not of noble birth and is traditionally thought of as a usurper. He did pass the laws mentioned. Speaking against them was punishable by exile. The laws were mostly repealed by 12 A.D. because they were so unpopular.
An 'Ecchu fundoshi' though known mostly in Japan is believed to have been derived from an earlier Chinese loincloth.
General Zhang Qian started the journey to the far West. From this journey came the first East to West trade route, a vehicle for cross-culture exchange. Goods were passed from hand to hand. Chinese silks were traded for Roman glass. Trade also included gold, gems, ivory, exotic animals and plants. Romans believed silk came from a tree and referred to people of the east as Seres' or silk people. The Roman historian Florus also describes the visit of numerous envoys, including Seres during the reign of Emperor Augustus 27 B.C. and 14 A.D.
In the ancient Rome, slaves were taken simply based upon need or want. There was no ethnic or territorial preference for the taking of slaves. As the vast majority was captured as the result of Roman wars, wherever there were Roman victories, there would be new slaves. Gauls, Germanics and other 'barbarian' races were preferred for their strength and endurance. In fact, the Romans in many cases preferred to use these tribes in auxiliary army roles rather than as slaves in the strictest sense which explains the lack of blond males to reach the markets. Quatre would have been too young to serve in this capacity. If General Catalonia fought in the north it would explain how Duke Dermal wound up with a blond granddaughter.
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