The town was a place the Gods would reside, you could swear it! Carved sandstone formed buildings along the road you traveled on, and colorful fabrics draped from the rooftops. Small palms appeared now and again, along with bright green shrubbery. There were even stringed flowers of pink, blue, and violet falling from wooden arches above your head. People adorned in white ran about holding wicker baskets full of even more colorful items, their destinations unknown to you. You could even hear a small band of musicians with their lutes in the distance. Not even your homeland was as colorful as this place, and you had plenty of gardens to behold...

Upon reaching the town square, your jaw dropped. Here, the magnificence of Egypt shown through. wooden stalls of many sizes littered the circular area, holding a wide variety of food and odd objects you've never seen. Homemade discs of bread, dates, and cabbages were everywhere, and even one stall offered fish and meats which were difficult to come by in your small village. Off to the side, there was a tall, slender man atop wooden slats, preaching to the people who would pass by. He waved a blue and red clay jar around, offering a closer look to a younger woman. She was curious, as were you.

On the other side of the street, people sold fabrics of white, yellow, and red. Even blue was seen in rare spots. Another merchant had a table full of glass. Tall, and spindly with a whole rainbow of colors on just one piece. Jewelry was at another stall, and at another, pottery. An animalistic grunt brought your attention to a nearby camel. Its owner wearing a striking red tunic with small accents of gold. His camel hauled rolls of papyrus and blankets, either for sale or just purchased, you didn't know. Either way, you knew it wasn't cheap.

Passing by even more stalls whose contents were fragrant spices, you could spot children playing games with little figurines. Their skin was still pale from not being in the sun too long, and the parents stood by, making sure no one got into trouble. Truly, no one was suffering in this place. The average person could walk through the market to buy a few things with coin left over for another day. Everyone looked healthy, even happy. Even the elderly walked about with help from a walking stick instead of staying at home, waiting for death to take them.

A tug at your chains reminded you to pay attention. Looking ahead once more, you saw the king's palace: a large, sandstone building with elaborate paintings of the Gods and Goddesses on its exterior. A wide, tiled staircase lead up to the main entrance. Palm columns held a wooden overhang, making the area much cooler. Delicate lotus patterns decorated the wooden door at the top of the stairs, red and blue paint showcasing the detail and craftsmanship. The men guiding you dismounted their horses and pushed you toward the stairs, their hands sending pain through your back once more.

Why were the raiders leading you inside? Why were the guards letting you inside? Your mind raced with possibilities as the doorway opened for you. The straw sandals that once covered your feet were shredded, allowing your bare soles to touch the cool tiles of the palace. Red and beige checked tiles led up to a risen platform where three very well dressed people were, surrounded by fine drapery. The leftmost one wore a stunning blue robe, golden jewelry further accenting his status. His hat, too, might symbolize something, you mused. A snake on a tall hat… Such strange fashion these people had, the rich at least. The man's face was stern, sending glares wherever his sharp eyes looked, which happened to be at you.

The woman on the right was fully covered in a tan dress, with a far less gaudy gilded belt around her slim waist. Her face was shrouded by a hood of the same color, flowing well past her shoulders. Upon her forehead was a golden bird, widespread wings framing her face. She was much more calm than her companion. Shoulders were relaxed, her gaze slowly turning from the raiders, to you.

The centermost man was seated, leaning forward. His hand cradled a tanned face, framed by strangely styled blonde hair. The rest went back, deep colored brown turning to… purple? It even came to soft, fluffy points. Foreign fashion is quite strange indeed, you thought.

He bore a curious expression: a slight tilt of the head and an arched brow. A smirk quickly danced across his mouth before resorting back to a displeased frown. Sitting straight, he allowed you to get a better look at him. Gold was everywhere. This man put the other to shame. His head, arms, legs… Even from his ears hung thin plates of carved gold. Was he even sitting on a big chair made of it?! Gods, you never imagined riches like this let alone seeing it in person! On, a person!

A swift kick to the back of your knees sent you to the ground, chains hitting tile with an echoing clunk. The raiders fell to their knees as well, minus the pain. Their heads faced the floor, showing respect. You copied, not wanting to get into more trouble.

Silence hung in the room for a moment. Tension was building inside of you. From the front of the room, a voice bellowed out. Deep, and smooth… Elegant, even. The man to your left jumped, giving a small 'um'. He cleared his throat and replied, voice ever so slightly shaky. He rose and continued to talk, pulling you along with him. Deciding it was now okay, you looked back to the trio on the platform. The center man looked pleased with what the raider was saying, whatever that was. He reclined back into his chair, gave a nod of the head, and sent them on their way after a small cloth bag was handed to him. Wherever they went, you went, so you tried to follow. The clinking of the chains sent one of the raiders back, leading you back to where you once were. Frustrated, he sent you to your knees again. He jabbed a finger at you, then to the floor. 'Stay', he meant.

The raider ran off, trying to catch up to the others who had already exited. The door shut behind him, leaving you with these foreign-to-you people. Your attention was brought to the front once more by a cough. The blue robed man stood tall, arms crossed. He eyed your meek form, then looked to the seated one. He whispered something, earning a smile from the gold clad man. They exchanged more words while you kneeled there, hoping for a bit of clarification.

With a huff, the blue robed man left the room while the seated man then stood, stretching. The woman bowed. She offered a few soft spoken words, then departed as well. Paling, you looked back up to the lone man who stood atop the platform. The booming voice from earlier came back, directed towards you. You jumped, not understanding.

The man then stepped down, and walked towards you. Expecting a hit, you shut your eyes. Instead, the rustling of fabric made you look back up. Royal purple eyes met your scared [e/c] ones. You gasped, scooching back on your knees. He quickly grabbed your chain bound wrists, pulling you back. Softly, he asked something. You stared blankly at him in response. Furrowing his brows, he repeated the same sounds, but slower.

He was getting frustrated, you could tell. If the raiders were violent, and this man being in charge of them, you could only imagine what type of punishment you could receive if you didn't respond, and now.

"I… I don't understand you, sir", was all you could get out.

Although soft spoken and laced with worry, he heard you. Violet eyes widened, finally realizing the issue at hand. He stood, offering you a hand. You looked at it, then back to his face. It was a soft look, unlike that of his.. Friend, perhaps? Assistant, maybe?

You took it, standing back up. You could feel the blood rush back to your feet, and bruises started to form on your knees. Quickly, he spun you around and held your shoulders firmly, as to not get a protest. You felt heat rise to your face as he ran a hand down your exposed back. His hand was cold, just ghosting over the wounds those men inflicted. How they managed to ruin the gown your mother made you with simple lashes escaped you, but thank the Gods it was still covering the rest. You shivered, wanting to cry from both pain, and shame.

The man let you go, turning to face his throne again. He called something... 'Mana', you heard. He repeated the call, until a young girl came running out from a hidden hallway. Her brown hair bounced with every skipping step she took until she reached the two of you. She smiled genuinely, and gave a quick bow. Looking toward you, she asked something. The man put a hand to her shoulder, then motioned with the other toward you. His face was almost sad, you noted. He said a few words, one you could actually recognize: "saeid", or "help". The girl, who's name you assume was 'Mana', gasped, a hand covering her mouth. She spouted phrase after phrase, the man smiled softly at this. He nodded once more, spoke a short phrase, then looked back at you. Showing his hands, he brought the small bag to your face to show you. The same one the raiders gave, you noted. You blinked at him, tilting your head as response.

From within, he pulled out a silver key. Again, he showed the contents and knelt down, unlocking your ankle cuffs. They fell to the ground, the freeing 'clink' sending butterflies through you. Next were the wrist cuffs. He held you firmly, but as to not harm you. He was close, to where you could smell myrrh, cardamom, and other spices about him. Not overwhelming, but enough to stand out. He fiddled with the lock and key, struggling for a moment. You could see his brows furrow, and lips pout slightly. A cute action for someone of importance, you mused. How intimidating. With a satisfied smirk, the man dropped the cuffs to the floor. He released you, rising back to his feet. A quick phrase was said to Mana before he abruptly turned to leave.

You stared at the man's back as he walked, your heart pounding. A deep blue cape flowed behind him, just barely out of reach from the tiled floor's grasp. He really must be of substantial power… Not the average leader, maybe not even a king, but 'God' status to these people. No one has access to so much gold, or dye. Even his hair was able to take on a light shade of violet at the ends, the most difficult color to obtain…

Mana started to chat, startling you from your thoughts. After you glanced her way with a look of confusion, she laughed lightly. She looked at you, an apology in her honey colored eyes. She must have been told of the language problem, and forgotten just that quickly.

She gave a 'follow me' motion with her right hand. Just now, you noticed a wooden staff in her left. A magician, you wondered. But wasn't that just a fairy tale for children..? Perhaps a question for another day. Today, you were focusing on living in this foreign land, with foreign people, and foreign customs. A small voice peeped into your head, speaking softly.

'Survive'.


Word Count: 1,970, just shy of 2K!

Happy Friday, everyone! I would just like to say thank you so much to those who gave me feedback on the previous chapters! I'm very glad you're interested in the story! I'll be updating on Fridays from now on, just so you have something else to look forward to on the weekends.

If anyone has comments, questions, or concerns, please let me know! I'd be more than happy to address them in the notes in future chapters.