Luna hit the ground hard, she grunted on impact. She lay there for a moment her breath having been knocked out of her. She fought her breath and sat up to look around, she heard someone come up behind her and she turned to look at it. Behind her was a stallion, staring at her. He walked up to her and offered his hoof to help her up.
“Hey there,” he said kindly, “Are you okay?”
“I-I think so,” she replied shyly.
“Where are you from, what’s your name?” He asked her.
“I... my name is Luna, but as for where I came from, I don’t know.” She racked her brain trying to figure it out, but nothing came up, “Now that I’m really trying, I cant seem to remember anything but my name.”
The stallion frowned, “Can’t remember anything?”
“No.”
The stallion circled her looking everywhere on her body, yes even there. He then stood in front of her and smiled, he leaned in and whispered, “Follow me.”
With nothing else to do Luna obliged, her chest head and hooves were bare. Then he came to a clearing and stopped her there, “Wait here.”
He then went into the trees, Luna took the opportunity to survey the area. It was a forested mountain that steepened at the top, the trees only went up halfway. She was all of a sudden grabbed from behind and before she could react there were chains around her hooves, a black leather belt holding her wings down, a ring on her horn to prevent magic, and a leather collar on her throat. She soon lost consciousness and everything went black.
*****
Luna woke up in what looked like a cart from where she was, her hooves were bound to her sides to prevent struggle. She had a rope in her mouth to act as a gag, the only thing she could do was see. Luna looked around to find herself in a wooden cart with a few other mares along with her. She was automatically frightened into paralysis.
who are these ponies? Where are they taking me? Where are they taking these other mares? Why are they doing it? she thought frantically.
“Lycomedes,” somepony called, “We have nearly arrived.”
“Good,” replied another, “I hope to make a good profit here.”
“The king Leonidas would likely pay well for that new addition.”
“That is what I thought as well,” Lycomedes said, “It almost seems a shame to sell her.”
The two laughed heartily. Luna began to struggle as best she could, only to be struck hard on the cheek.
“Keep still slave.”
Luna obeyed, she stopped struggling and tried to look around. She saw some wheat fields with mountains a bit farther away. There were several stallions working the fields of wheat, with some mares hauling harvested wheat. Luna felt something uncomfortably tight around her neck, she very quickly understood what was happening.
they plan to sell me and these other mares! she thought panicked. im their slave now. How did this happen? What did I do to deserve this?
Then they came into a town of stone buildings. There was not much going on except for mares going about doing chores. But these mares were not ponies, no they were much larger.
War horses Luna realized.
The cart stopped and Luna was lifted by magic along with the other mares. Luna was still facing the ground when she was floated along with the other mares, but looking up she saw a few other carts that were unloading stallions. Luna was taken into a cellar of sorts, there she was laid down next to another mare who looked just as frightened as she was. Their gags were removed and the mare next to her began to cry. Luna tried to comfort the mare, it seemed to work a little. Luna was glad that she could help the mare even though she could not help herself, it was a good thing to her. Then the stallion Lycomedes entered the room and many mares shrunk back in fear.
“Hello there slaves,” Lycomedes said to them, “Here you will be sold to respective masters, you will address them as such once sold. If you don’t the punishment will be severe. Is that clear?”
All of them nodded, even Luna.
“Good,” Lycomedes said tauntingly, “Here comes the first round of buyers.”
Lycomedes opened the door of the cellar to admit a large crowd of Warhorse stallions. They began to walk around the large chamber looking at mares and stallions alike, they seized one of the enslaved ponies if they wished to buy and payed Lycomedes on their way out. Many of them came and looked at Luna and asked Lycomedes about how much she cost as they said she looked expensive.
“She is,” Lycomedes would say, “She is the best catch I have ever seen, I would say about... nine thousand drachma.”
“Normally I would complain,” One stallion said, “But for a mare like that it seems a fair price.”
Luna kept getting worried when some horse came up and asked about how much she cost. While she knew she was now nothing more than property she didn’t want to know how slaves were treated. There was nearly no more “buyers” and not too many more ponies to be bought when another Warhorse stallion came up to her.He was a unicorn, he had a red cloak over a bronze chest plate, his back hooves were protected by bronze greaves though oddly enough he did not have shoulder protectors or bracers to protect his front hooves, on his head was a helm with a red plume. The helm covered every part of his face and head save for his mouth, the cheek plates went out to the end of his muzzle and a nose guard came down almost as far (Spartan helm). At his hip was a sword.
“Do you wish to buy her?” Lycomedes inquired.
“How much?”
“Nine thousand drachma.”
“Done,” The armored stallion said dropping a large bag of coins on the ground.
Lunas ears folded back against her head, she had just been sold to some soldier. Her new master undid her binds with his magic but left the collar on, then beckoned her up with a wing.
wait, he has wings and a horn. Like me. Luna thought.
Luna got up on weak legs and followed her master out. Luna kept her head down as she followed her master to a large building, it was of marble and pillars lined the outside, while rather simple it was grand in every sense of the word. She followed him inside, where some other Warhorse struck her. Her master spun to see a drunk stallion that just looked angry.
“You,” He said to the stallion, “What reason did you have to strike that mare?”
“I wasn’t aiming for her majesty,” The drunk responded, he nodded in another stallions direction, right on the other side of the door. “I was trying to hit him. Me and him have a score to settle.”
“Well take your fight away from here,” Her master ordered.
“Yes your majesty.” The drunk said bowing.
The two stallions left to fight elsewhere. Her master approached her and she shrunk back in fear thinking he would strike her as the drunk did, however he simply offered his hoof to help her up. Luna was taken by surprise, didn’t expect him to care if she was struck, she certainly didn’t expect him to help her up. She reluctantly took his hoof and he helped her up, he then beckoned her along with a wing. Luna followed him.
what just happened? Luna asked herself. I thought that he would be a cruel master. This, I don’t understand this. Why would he show me such kindness? He quite literally just bought me, perhaps its just concern for ones property.
But Luna wasn’t absolutely sure, he had just taken ownership of her yet seemed to worry about her wellbeing. Luna followed her master to another side of the building to begin her new life as a slave.