Chapter 0 - Awaken, Laven De'Orthis

"...ith, toco. Toco yuito carnis. Ramshod! Ramsho- BAM! " a loud explosion jolted me awake. I felt weightless for a moment before landing on a soft, pillowy surface. I sunk deeper into the soft fabric as I struggled. It was hard to breathe.

"Gh... ghah... whaaa..." These noises... why do I sound like-?

"FWOOM! Huritae! Huritae! Frantis huritae!" Voices I didn't understand rang in my ears, I struggled some more but my limbs weren't strong enough to pull myself up... I felt... small?

"Gyreti! Franto hiret..." The light that filled my vision was bright, I instinctively shut my eyes as tears welled up in them. I felt myself being lifted and slowly opened my eyes to see the faces of two people I didn't recognize.

"Franto babao?" The one holding me... a man, probably in his 20s, looked to the person on his right... or well my right, his left.

"H-Hydreia franto babao... B-Babao... femmio..." What I saw was a child, a young boy who looked barely 5, wearing shabby clothes and a metal collar, looked at me with nervous eyes.

The scene around us was horrific, a forest trail was a disaster sight: several dead people, dead horses, shattered carriages, and men and women hauling bags of what I could only assume was loot. Bandits must have raided what looked like a group of travelers.

"Orthis'De chicade? Servade? State est Orthis'De!" The man holding me called out to someone who was searching through the carriages. Another man, slightly older than the one holding me, dragged a woman with striking silver hair our way.

"Gyreti! Orthis'De cof-" the man spoke only to be interrupted by the woman.

"Laven! Donn Malurith! Donn hel heaves! Visca mei coudin lou swinde!" The woman called out towards us. Still not being able to understand anything really sucked... but I had a vague familiarity with this woman... almost on an instinctual level.

"Orthis'De Hyotei," the man holding me handed me to the boy, who held me close to him, "Laven, hm...? Chicade Orthis'De? Chicade Hyotei i nai motto," He proceeded to beat this woman... I felt myself crying at her screams. Where is this stress coming from? Where am I?!

I felt myself be taken away, as the screams became distant.

"Sai... sai... Cealm Laven, tes ovio..." as the young boy comforted me I slowly fell asleep. This body wasn't mine, not what I was used to anyway. I drifted off into the abyss as I was carried off with the rest of the loot.

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I awoke again to the sound of thunder. I was in a makeshift crib that was swaying side to side. The young boy's face was above me, staring down at me. I reached up to him, though I couldn't quite make it.

"Sai... Laven chey aviet," The boy spoke to me, his eyes were a strikingly bright blue color, the collar he wore looked heavy and uncomfortable, not to mention the marks it was making on his neck. He had shabby dark hair... most likely dark due to dirt... but in the light of the lantern it almost looked green.

I heard a creak and the door of the room opened, the man in his 20s walked in. He looked rugged and adept. On top of that, his face looked like it was constantly thinking.

"Veru, babao stato?" He spoke to the boy who quickly turned to face him.

"G-Gyreti! L-Lave- err... Te babao kono helgon,"

"Tch... Shotti entro, ith yor. Orrith uti yorse onte. Raio oprely," the man left and the boy stared down at me.

"Laven... Mai con Veru, prasio~" he reached down to me and held my small hands I still couldn't understand a thing but... from what I can tell... I might have reincarnated.

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Four years later...

"Laven! Wake up! I told you we can't wake up later than the masters!" Veru, now 9, shook me awake.

"Uu... nnn... Veru... four more minutes..." I rolled over while yawning.

Over the past four years, I learned what I could about where I wound up. My name is Laven De'Orthis. I'm the first daughter of the noble house of De'Orthis. Yeah, daughter, it was a shocker to me too. However I didn't seem to mind it much, maybe because of the time spent as a baby? I don't know, but now my 5 year old self was living the life of a slave to a group of bandits.

I don't know much about my past, as a matter of fact, I know only that my mother's name was Hyotei De'Orthis. I asked Veru when I learned how to speak their language and he only told me that he grew up here too.

"Laven! They'll punish us again if we're late to cook!" Veru shook me again and I sighed.

"Ookaaay...." I rolled back over and sat up, rubbing my eyes. Our room was a small closet where we shared an old mattress and tattered covers. Veru leaned against the wall and sighed. I stretched a little while he spoke.

"Laven... it must be in your blood to be so defiant. Nobles are scary..." I looked down at his words. I had slightly long silver hair, the color was much like what I had back in my old life. From what I could tell I was cute... For a child anyway. I always got jeers from my masters that they looked forward to me maturing... ugh, sick freaks.

"Veru... I'm just... I don't know... but I'm sorry for causing you trouble," I trembled a bit, I felt a lot more emotional these past years, I assumed it was because I was a child. However, I still had all the knowledge of my past life. If anything I remembered more than usual... it was strange. An middle aged man living a new life as a girl? It's sounds like a sick joke. However... things like going to the bathroom and all that didn't really bother me. So I'm not sure about how my mind really works.

"Hey... hey its alright Laven," Veru came up to me and hugged me, patting my head.

While I leaned into him I felt comfortable. I suppose that's natural, he has protected me for the past four years. When I mess up he takes the full punishment, I hate it but... I guess I can't do anything in this body.

"Thank you, Veru... for everything," he comforted me some more, getting a few tears out of me. But he then spoke up.

"Alright, let's go help Mama Fioru in the kitchen," Veru helped me up and we wandered out of our closet. The hideout we lived in was deep in the woods, it was built around a castle ruins that was renovated by the group's founders. An infamous group called Shade. They do mercenary work, collect bounties and assassinate people. Not to mention raid towns and travelers, selling women and goods on the black market. The sick bastards...

We entered the kitchen where there were three other slaves working on breakfast. Mama Fioru, the head of the slaves at Shade. Windee, Fioru's sister, and Dominec, Fioru and Windee's cousin. All three of them were taken from a village raid some years ago. Now the ladies were used as sex dolls for the bandits... and Domin, which is a nickname, is used as a pack mule. It's only a matter of time before Veru and I are placed in the same positions. I always shudder at the thought.

"Good Morning, Children. Hehe, sleep well?" Fioru and Windee were cooking what looked like some kind of stew. Domin was working on the meat.

"Yes, Mama Fioru," we both smiled and went to help them. This was my life... to be honest, outside of being a slave, I didn't really mind the times like these. Of course... I was often reminded that I was just that, a slave. But... I tried to look for the best in the current times.

My days started off this way, then after serving breakfast, I would Fioru and Wendee around the base and watch them pleasure the men. They told me that when I grew up that this would be my job too. Though, I heard that the two of them may not be kept around when they grew too old... It only maybe we tremble at how many men I'd have to please when I became of age. Afterwards, just before lunch, all of the slaves met up with the head master- err... head of Shade, Gyreti Hysong. The women would call him Master. And the men were allowed to say his name. I made the mistake of saying his name once... he showed me my place. I'm just glad I was a child. I was told he went easy on me.

During this time Gyreti, or Master, watches over Fioru and Domin as they teach us about literature and other necessary things to live in society. It's not that we are ever let go... I asked Wendee and she stated that they sometimes let us go into town on shopping trips. We'd need to know how to teade and barter. After cooking and eating lunch Veru, and Domin would join the main group of Shade bandits on patrol. Sometimes they would bring loot or women home. We'd even get an extra slave or too but most of them were sold off. I was told that Master wanted to keep the five of us around due to... personal reasons. It was never made clear why he was so attached to us.

While on patrol, the female bandits and us leftover female slaves would generally chat amongst each other. It was surprising how well we got along. Apparently gossip wasn't uncommon among women in this world. I'd learned pretty fast that I could pick up information this way. Apparently the female Shade members were held very highly in Rank here. Misogyny wasn't really a worry for them. In fact they seemed rather comfortable, they each either had relationships with the men or just would have flings. Sometimes we'd have a marriage ceremony and a party to send off a pair of members that decide to live a normal life. Some stay and have their kids grow up as bandits.

Around mid to late afternoon the men would return and that was usually break time for the slaves. We'd typically just loiter around and clean or service where we were needed. However, Veru and I would typically play together in hidden passageways we find in this old castle.

Dinner was much like the other meals, we cook, serve, and clean. Then comes night time. I spend more time with the Fioru and Wendee, I listen to their advice about seducing men and the proper way to service them... and I found it surprisingly exciting. It made me wondering if the natural hormones made me find men attractive? I wasn't sure yet, I was still young after all. I'd listen to gossip and then Veru and I would head to bed early, while the bandits party and the older slaves continue to follow orders.

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This was my life for pretty much the next ten years. The day Veru turned 19 I was only 15, I had grown into a proper young lady. In fact... I actually looked a lot like my mother. I was a stunning beauty, the women of Shade, along with Wendee and Fioru, always loved to doll me up. I found it funny that they tried to keep the men from deflowering me. Not that they didn't try, but Veru would always protect me. I found out pretty quickly that I was a fairly weak person. Fioru and Wendee always kept me safe. Veru pretty much stuck to my side always. I was happy, as happy as a slave could be anyways.

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"Mmnh..." I mumbled as I rolled over in the bed. I slowly and sluggishly scratched under my collar. My skin was slightly red but Mama Fioru always tried to take good care of it. When I opened my eyes I couldn't really see, and I felt like I was against something rough, but soft at the same time. I shifted and felt something tugging my waist closer to it so I looked up only for the covers to fall away and my face to grow hot

"V-Veru...?!" I squeaked, he was in my bed, hugging me close to him. My platinum hair was covering my face so I couldn't she clearly, but that was definitely Veru cuddling me. His green hair, now more prominent due to being able to wash better, shone in the light from the barred window. Since I turned 15 it was decided I'd sleep with the others and not alone in the closet. When Veru turned 15 he also moved to a more permanent room. But why was he here?!

I looked up to him with my eyes, I couldn't looked away, he had some of my silver hair in his mouth... it was... cute? Huh...

"I... really am a girl," I hadn't really thought about it. In the 15 years I'd been alive in this world, I'd only focused on being a good slave to Shade. I guess it never really hit me...

Sniff...

"Nn..." a few moments later Veru woke up, "...Lavi... you're... crying?! Wait why?!" He jolted awake and looked into my eyes, wiping away my tears.

"V-Veru... I-I..."

"I-I'm sorry! The guys were drinking last night and Gyreti told me to watch your room just incase... I swear I didn't..." he was cut short be me hugging him tight. He just hugged me back and rubbed my head, "Are... you alright?"

"Mmhm... Yes... I am..." I muttered into his chest, I couldn't help but cry, I was in a horrible place, forced to be a slave... was this really where I was destined to be? What was I even reincarnated for?!

I gripped the back of Veru's shirt as I tried to calm down, "V-Veru...?"

"W-What's up...?" I could hear his heart beat quickening. It was clear why, but... I decided to leave it be.

"Do... you want to escape with me?" I muttered softly.

"W-What?!" I quickly covered his mouth, causing him to sigh and push my hand away, "You can't be serious, Gyreti will-"

"I know what Master will do to us! I just... I just want to get away from here... I don't want my body to become a play thing..." Veru went silent after I spoke, rubbing my back he just stayed silent. "I'm sorry... it's a stupid ide-"

"We could..." My eyes shot up to him, her seemed to be contemplating.

"W-What? You don't mean...?"

Veru smiled and rubbed my head, "I have thought about it. There might be a way."