Yukiko: Hello everyone. I know I have not updated in months probably most of my TLR stories are a year overdue and for that I'm truly sorry. Things have made me put my writing on hold for a long time and I constantly try to find time to just sit and write again. I thank you to my loyal readers and reviewers who have stayed by my side, encouraging me to not give up. Once more, inspiration has brought me and given you a new story that I hope will make your heart skip a beat and mourn. This is Learn to Trust Me

Disclaimer: I do not own The Last Remnant, not matter how much I want to. I only own the fanfiction plot.

WARNING: This chapter may not be for the faint-hearted. This chapter includes blood and cannibalism. I'm sorry but that is how the story will start. I assure you, the next chapter will not be so dark.

Full Summary: After almost being assassinated at the yearly meeting in Elysion, David Nassau is forced to buy a slave as a personal bodyguard. He buys a man name Rush after saving him from being eaten alive by other slaves. Who exactly is Rush? Why does he have Remnant powers? Who are these groups of people that are trying to take him away? How far will David go just for a slave?

David Nassau, the Marquis of Athlum, rubbed his eyes as he stared at the papers in front of him. Being at the age of 19, one would expect a young man like himself out and about courting a young lady; however, there he sat in his study working at endless hours attempting to finish the mounds of paperwork left before him. Having a vast city and kingdom under his name, David can only think about Athlum's needs as well as for her people. Being the Marquis means constant meeting with other Lords from other cities or kingdoms and also being in constant danger. Just recently, David was nearly assassinated by a lone assassin in hopes of getting money in his pocket. Sadly for him, the assassin did not realize that David can summon his Remnant, Kellendros, at will and the Marquis quickly defeated the assassin with no more than a point of his Remnant weapon. Fear struck into the minds of David's four Generals and begged him to get a personal bodyguard that will be with him at all times. David remembered the conversation he had with one of his Generals, Torgal.

"Please Lord David. I implore you to hire a bodyguard for your own protection. There may be times when the other Generals as well as I may not be by your side to protect you," pleaded the Sovani.

David shook his head, "I will not hire someone just to protect me. I doubt anyone would risk their lives for money; even the strongest mercenary is smart enough to know that. I will not do it. I can look after myself just fine Torgal."

Torgal looked at the young Lord, "Then I suggest a slave?"

With that David sent a glare at his General, "You know how I feel about slaves. I would be hypocritical to acquire a slave when I reject slavery. How could you suggest such a thing?"

"Forgive me, but try and look at it in a different perspective. You get a slave, but you give him rights to his name and in return he will protect you."

"Is that unfair? I'm practically sending that person to their death by being my bodyguard?" asked David.

Torgal turned to leave the study, "Think it over. I suggest you take the opportunity to ensure your safety. I'm sorry My Lord, but your life is depended on your people. Isn't that more important than one who has no reason to live anymore?"

After that conversation, the young Marquis starts to question about his safety and counted the times that he was attacked. Sighing to himself, David stood up and stretched all the while glancing at the window.

"Morning already… I must have lost track of time."

He quickly strode out of his study and into the throne room where the Four Generals of Athlum awaited him. Giving him a salute as he walked by them then taking a seat in his throne.

"What is the agenda for today?" asked David.

Pagus, the Qsiti General, cleared his throat before speaking, "Well, there is no news from Elysion or from any of the neighboring cities. All is in the calm My Lord."

David nodded in understanding, "I see." After a few moments of silence David looked to his other two Generals, a female and a large blue yama, "Emmy. Blocter. I want you two to accompany. There is something I need to do." At that statement he looked towards Torgal and the General immediately understood.

"Of course Lord David, we will follow you anywhere," replied Emmy.

"Yeah, just tell us when we're ready to go," supported Blocter.

David stood up from his throne, "We leave immediately. Torgal, I trust you and Pagus with Athlum."

"We will protect her with our life," replied Torgal while Pagus only nodded in agreement.

Walking down the few steps from his throne, David walked pass his Generals with two of them following close behind him.

Walking to the outskirts of the Yamarn Plains, David, Emmy and Blocter encountered no dangers in their paths. David frowned at the information that he received from the Union of the Golden Chalice that on the outskirts of Yamarn Plains is a secret business that sells slaves as if they are merely livestock to those who are buying. It made David's blood boil that they have not been discovered and had their business seized by council.

Emmy stopped and pointed at a large building far off to their right, "That must be the place."

Blocter let out a growl deep from his throat, "Slave sellers, they outta be put in the dungeons!"

David could only sigh, "I agree with you Blocter, but now is not the time. We'll get them soon enough, but for now…" He couldn't say it; he could not say that he was going to buy a slave even though that is exactly what he is doing.

After another half hour of walking, they finally reached the giant doors of the slave house. Blocter walked up closer to it and pounded his fists at the wooden doors.

Emmy leaned over to David and whispered to him, "I do not like this one bit. Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Before David could answer the giant doors slowly opened up and the air suddenly reeked of dirt, blood and death. Blocter had to step back a little because of his sensitive nose. Being mitras, David and Emmy were not as effected to the smell as was their friend, but it still got to their senses.

David looked to his yama General, "Blocter, you can wait here while Emmy and I go and do business. We'll try not to stay too long."

Blocter reluctantly agreed because the smell was getting to his head and be begun to feel nauseous. David and Emmy walked side by side into the dimly lit building with no windows at all. They spotted a large brown colored yama standing by a makeshift desk with a whip on his belt and another door made of metal right behind him.

"Well," the yama said with a hoarse voice, "If it isn't the Marquis of Athlum. What brings you here to this humble abode?"

Frowning at the slave seller, David found his voice to speak, "I'm here to buy a slave."

At his words, the slave seller let out a loud cackle, "The Marquis of Athlum wishes to buy a slave? I never thought I'd live to see that day! Why the change of heart?"

Emmy stepped forward and held her head high, "Lord David does not have to answer t you. The reason we are here is our business."

The yama stared at Emmy and then smirked, "Very well, if the Lord wishes for a slave then follow me. Feel free to browse amongst the merchandise."

A shiver crawled down both David's and Emmy's spine as they followed the slave seller through the metal doors and into a large room of tall iron cages filled with slaves. The scent and feeling of death increased by tenfold as soon as those doors opened.

The large yama pulled his whip off his and snaps it at one of the cages, "Move!" David could barely see the movement within the cages and the slaves inside.

This is awful… This is… madness!

"They are organized by sex and age," said the slave seller, "This is the males' block that holds the ages of seventeen to nineteen."

David's eye widen with shock, They are about my age…

He stole a glance to Emmy and saw her face a slight shade of green and her eyes were a little watery, but she tried to collect her emotions and keep her breakfast in her stomach.

David summoned up the courage to peer into the cages, hoping someone would catch his eye so he can leave the god-forsaken place. As he moved down the cages he could have sworn he heard the yama say, "Ah… I forgot today is the day."

Emmy looks to the slave seller, "What do you mean?"

Without a word, the large yama snapped his whip at the cage where David was at, "Move!"

David snapped his head towards the cage again and his heart stopped, his eyes dilated in shock as he saw someone smaller than the rest in the middle being held down by other slaves. Once again the yama cracked his whip at the cage, but it manage to slip through the bars and the tip of the whip hit one of the slave making him cry out in pain. David noticed that one of the slaves had something red in his mouth and began to eat it. But David did not care about that, his eyes were fixated on the male that the other slaves were bearing over as he crawled towards the iron bars.

"Is that… is that a bite?" asked Emmy with as much fear as David.

The yama just sighed at their expression and watch the one male slowly making his way to the iron bars, "Its cut back week. It's been made a routine to starve them so they will kill off the weakest amongst them. As you can see today," he points at the crawling male, "He's the weakest this week."

David could only stare at the male as he finally made it to the iron bars, gripping it tightly as if it was his lifeline. He had a strange face, maybe handsome beneath the bruises and blood, but David couldn't be sure even what color his hair was. He was just so caked with blood and covered in filth and black wounds. Suddenly, one of the other male slaves got brave and gripped the young slave's shoulder, trying to tear him from the bars, but it only made the young slave hold on tighter.

The large yama spoke once again, "Let me show you a different section."

"No."

The slave seller looked back at the young Marquis with a raised eyebrow, "No?"

But the Marquis did not hear him; he was lost in his thoughts as he watched the young slave about to be eaten once again.

"Stop. Don't let them…"

Emmy let out a small cry as she heard the young slave cry out in pain when one of the other males bites into him once again. The young slave reaches out of the cage towards David and spoke in a desperate whisper, "Please… Help me…"

David stared into the deep steel colored eyes of the young slave, "Him. I want him!"

The yama blinked, "Celer? But he's so scrawny. You said you wanted a bodyguard. I'm sure I have other slaves that can…"

David glared at the yama, "No, I want him. He is about to be food. Get him out of there now!"

At the sound of David's voice, all of the other slaves backed away from Celer and sulked back into the back of the cage within the shadows. The yama opened the cage and pulled Celer to his feet.

"I will make sure he looks presentable for you. You can wait outside." With that said the slave seller dragged Celer to one of the back rooms and disappeared. Immediately, David and Emmy made their way back to Blocter who was waiting for them outside the building. The yama still had a disgusted look on his face as his sensitive nose smelled David and Emmy.

"How did it go?"

Emmy let out a growl, "The seller is getting the man ready now… Blocter, you were so lucky to not have come inside… It was horrid. How could anyone do such a thing to these people?"

David stayed silent, still replaying the terrified look on Celer's face.

"Get going."

At the sound of the slave seller, the three turned and saw the slave seller pulled Celer towards his new master. What made David, as well as his other Generals, frown at was the collar and leash tied around Celer's neck. Celer had been washed down that all the dirt and blood were wiped clean off of him. He was wearing a simple linen shirt with black cotton pants and no shoes. David saw that Celer had raven colored hair that was naturally styled in a short messy manner. Celer's body was slightly tan, but due to the lack of sunlight in the building, Celer's skin was at the edge of pale. The slave seller pulled out paper and a pen and handed it to David,

"These are Celer's release forms. This will show that I have nothing to do with whatever happens to him."

David looked at the slave seller with dangerously narrowed eyes, "You do know that selling slaves is illegal by law."

The slave seller grinned, "Yes that's true, but my business is not illegal now is it?" He pulled out another piece of paper and flashed it at David's face.

"As you can see I'm under the protection of Duke Hermeien."

David narrowed his eyes at the paper and it indeed has the Duke of Nagapur's signature at the bottom. In other words, David can't do anything to this business without confronting Hermeien. To be honest, David was really wary of that man; there's something about Hermeien that sends David signals to stay away from him.

After signing the papers and handing it back, the slave seller handed David the leash and the Marquis quickly took the leash and jerked it away. Not really thinking, he accidently yanked at Celer's collar and forced a small cry from his lips. David's eyes widen and he immediately loosens his grip from the leash. He sent an apologetic look to Celer then turned to face the slave seller,

"Do you have a small carriage of sort? I doubt he will not make it to Athlum in his condition."

The slave selling yama let out a loud cackle, "Feeling sorry for the slave now are ya? Well, there is a small wooden carriage at the back. Take it if you want."

He sent a final glare at Celer and then walked back to the building. Once he was gone, David, Emmy and Blocter let out a sigh of relief then turned to Celer.

Emmy cautiously walked to Celer and looked at his face, she noted that his eye were glazed over with sadness and despair,

"Are you ready to go?"

Celer took one step forward before collapsing to the ground. David had to let go of the leash, fearing he might choke Celer. The young slave crashed to the ground, lying there unmoving. Emmy quickly went over and checked Celer's pulse,

"He's still alive, he's probably exhausted after…" she couldn't bring herself to finish.

Nodding, David turned to Blocter, "Go get the carriage. I want to return to Athlum as soon as possible."

Blocter saluted to David, "Yes My Lord." He then rushes off to the back of the building to find the small carriage the slave seller spoke of.

After watching his General disappear behind the building, David turned to see Emmy shifting Celer to a more comfortable position on the ground.

David eyed Celer for a while and noticed the wound on Celer's arm when one of the other slaves bit into him. Kneeling down beside Celer's sleeping body; David applied a spare Restorative Herb on the wound and made it stick to Celer's skin so that the wound will properly heal.

Blocter came back pulling a small supply carriage, big enough to carry Celer. Setting the carriage by Celer, Blocter carefully lifted Celer up and placed him on the carriage. Emmy found a blanket hanging off to the side; she took it and covered Celer to avoid sunburn.

David turned back to look at the building then back to his Generals, "We return to Athlum now."

Emmy and Blocter saluted, "Yes My Lord."

David entrusted Blocter to pull the carriage that had the sleeping slave. As they walked back to Athlum, David kept looking at Celer with a concerned face,

"Who are you Celer?"

Yukiko: I actually finished the first chapter. As I said before this is probably the only chapter that has cannibalism in it. I'm not sure yet if I'm going to add more. I'm pretty sure you guys already know who Celer is. All will be explained in the next chapter. I hope you enjoyed reading this new story of mine, leave a comment/review and I'll see you guys soon!

F.Y.I : Celer is Latin for Quick or Swift.

~~Yukiko Shiroryuu~~