Comac the Barbarian

by ThatBronyWithTheClipOns

Chapter 2: Slavery

Days after the siege of his village, Comac was taken from his home in Currmeria, to the land of Zebmora to be sold into slavery to a plantation owner. His new owner was a blue unicorn, with a black mane and green eyes. He was wearing extravagant robes, clearly having a high position.

“You can’t be serious,” said the plantation owner. “You expect me to pay 1000 bits for this scrawny thing?”

“He may look small, but he comes from great stock,” said the slave trader. “His family were all forgers of steel. He will grow into a fine stallion.”

“Till then, he isn’t good for much,” retorted the plantation owner. “I’ll give you 500 bits for him.”

“Are you trying to insult me,” exclaimed the trader.

“I doubt you’ll find anyone else willing to pay higher for him,” added the plantation owner.

“Make it 600 bits,” said the trader.

The plantation owner took another look at the red colt. He saw a fire in his eyes. Eyes that said, I will not be easily tamed.

“Very well,” he said. “600 for him.”

The trader rode off, as Comac was left with the plantation owner. Comac continued to look angrily at his new “master.”

“It is not wise to give such a look to your new master,” he exclaimed.

“I am Comac of Currmeria,” he finally spoke. “I have no master.”

“Well, aren’t you feisty one,” chuckled the master, who then hit Comac with a bit of magic.

“But that won’t keep you alive around here,” he shouted to him. “You will do everything I say, when I say it. I am Stratos, but you will call me Master! I’m a powerful unicorn, and you are nothing but a mere equine of the mud. Do as I say, and you will do just fine. Challenge me, and you’ll wish you’d died with your village. Do you understand me?”

Stratos awaited Comac to respond with a “Yes, Master Stratos.” But nothing came from his mouth. Angered at first, he decided to put the boy to work right away.

“Eventually, you’ll learn to call me Master,” he said. “For now, follow me to the fields.”

Stratos led Comac to his farming fields, of various types of vegetation.

“What business does a unicorn have in owning a farm?” Comac asked his new master. “Everyone knows that only earth equine can grow food.”

Stratos turned around and physically smacked Comack.

“You never speak without permission, boy,” he exclaimed. “I do not need to be an earth equine to own land! That’s why I have slaves!”

“I am not boy,” Comac spoke out of turn again. “I am Comac of Currmeria.”

“I will not harm you again this time,” said Stratos. “I need my new property in decent shape for his first day of work. But, know this, I will strike you again and again till you learn your place…boy.”

Stratos then took Comac to one of his assistants, a male pegasus, who attached a yoke around the young colt’s neck.

“It barely fits him, boss,” said the assistant.

“He will grow into it,” said Stratos. “In time. Take him to the main field.”

“You sure he’s in shape enough for that?” asked the assistant.

“It doesn’t matter to me,” said Stratos. “I want to show him who is in charge.”

The pegasus took Comac by the rope attached to his yoke, and lead him to the main field. It was the biggest in all the plantation, and there were no areas for shading.

“You must have rubbed Stratos the wrong way to have him already working you in the main field,” said the pegasus. “You better learn to cooperate here, if you’re going to survive.”

Comac said nothing.

“You can call me Aero,” he continued. “You can probably guess that I’m not a slave. I work for Stratos, I receive payment. What do they call you?”

“I am Comac of Currmeria,” he finally said. “I am slave to nobody.”

“You can say that all you like, young one,” said Aero. “But that doesn’t make it any more true. Stratos won’t put up with your insubordination long. He will make an example of you to the others. He’ll break your spirit, sooner or later.”

Comac had no response to Aero’s warning. His yoke was attached by the ropes to a large metal plow. Another worker on the plantation ordered him to start moving…but he wouldn’t move an inch. He was ordered a second time, but still no movement. Finally, he was struck with a whip. While it caused him to flinch some, Comac still refused to move from his spot. When the worker struck again, Comac attempted to grab the whip from the stallion’s hand and pull him to the ground. Despite his efforts, Comac was pushed to the ground and held down by two farmhands. Stratos heard the camotion and walked to the main field.

“What in Faust’s name is going on here!?” yelled Stratos.

“This little wretch tried to take the whip from my hand,” yelled the worker.

“It’s time to show you what we do to earth equine like you,” grinned Stratos.

Comac was carried into farmhouse, where a blacksmith heated up some sort of branding device. He was then chained to a wooden table that was secured to the floor; he was completely stuck.

“This is normally applied somewhere on the upper torso or leg,” said Stratos. “But I want you to remember you station in life. Every time you see yourself in a reflective device, you will always see this mark.”

Stratos gave the signal to his blacksmith, and he moved over to Comack with a heated rod with some sort of symbol on it. Comac struggled with all his might, but it was to no avail. All he could remember was feeling hot metal applied to his face. He’d never screamed so loudly in his life. When it was over, he was released from the table and he fell to the floor, clutching his right eye.

“Have a look at what’s been done to you, boy,” said Stratos.

Comac stumbled to a nearby mirror and saw what had been done. Over his right eye was a burn in the shape of a lower case e.

“This is to symbolize your place in the world,” said Stratos. “You are an earth equine. You are the lowest of the low; you‘re barely higher than the dirt itself. You are only deserving of a lowercased letter. Everyone in the land who sees this on your face, will know what you are. You aren’t in any real shape to work today. So consider yourself lucky, boy. I will permit you to rest for one night. After that, you will work for as many hours as I say, till your very last breath.”

That evening, Comac was lying on some straw in a tiny room; unable to sleep from lack of food. Not helping was that he was unable to remove his yoke, making it nearly impossible to find a comfortable position. While he wasn’t in as much pain as before, his eye was still stinging. He heard a knock on his door, and put through a small slot, was a red apple.

“Don’t tell anyone where you got this,” said Aero. “No point in starving you when you’re that scrawny.”

Comac grabbed the apple and began devouring it frantically.

“I know you’re in a bad situation,” said Aero. “Personally, I think equine owning other equine is cruel. But that's the world we live in, and I need to do what I can to survive. If that means working for a slave owner, so be it. I can tell you have plans for your future; I see it in your eyes. Those plans won’t happen if you keep causing trouble like you did. And this was only your first day. Clearly Stratos can tell you’re more spirited than most, probably why he decided to burn you so early. If you play your cards right, maybe one day you can get out of this place and do whatever you need to do. Anyway, you better rest up, Faust only knows what he’s got planned for you.”

Aero closed the slot on Comac’s cell door and flew off. After finishing his apple, Comac thought once more about the day his village was attacked. He remembered what Lord Sombra had said to him.

“Remember that the world is cruel, and your dear Faustia will not be there to help you up when you fall. If you are going to survive, you must also be cruel."

Comac wasn’t going to let his spirits be broken. He would do what this Stratos told him to do, but he would never call him master. He would gain his freedom and get his revenge. And no branding mark was going to tell him what he could and could not do.

Author's Note:

I had to add the two chapters in order to submit this story. I don't mind really. I had this idea for a while and had to get it written. Zebmora is a play on Zebra and the land of Zamora. Gotta love the internet, as I can check out a map of the Hyborian age to look up the various lands. Since this is a blending of two different stories, I figured I'd tweak names from the actual source material. Though some names are simply made up by me.

Comments

[Cirrus_Brony]

Brilliant.

You don't know how happy this story made me. I look forward to more updates as well as when Comac says 'Faust' all the time instead of Crom.

[ThatBronyWithTheClipOns]

3261451 Glad you like it.

[Liger43]

Can't Wait to see Comac's Vengeance. keep up the good work .

[ThatBronyWithTheClipOns]

3569229 Glad you like it. I'll do my best to update ASAP.