AN: Hey folks! I am Krazy Kor, and this is my first fan fic. Break out the party music! Before you read my story "The Slave and The Swordsman" I would just like to explain a few small but important things about it. Please don't worry this shouldn't take too long.

First: There is no Cruxis. They do not exist. The great evil force is the Desians. There is no Mithos, no age of lifeless beings, none of that crap. Also, no Yuan.

Second: I slightly juggled around the rankings for the Five Grand Cardinals. In order of rank from 5th to 1st they are: Magnius, Rodyle, Kvar, Pronyma, and Forcystus.

Third: As there is no Cruxis, there are almost no angels. There are only two known angels in the world. This is because all exspheres normal or otherwise are mined, and cruxis crystals are so rare they could be a prize in a war. The Desians are however currently conducting two experiments to turn normal exspheres into cruxis crystals.

And finally: I have no respect for geography. I have no idea how to set it up seeing as there is only one world in this story (Symphonia). So instead I just decided I'd would send them on a basic route that still has them go through some towns and locations in the game.

Well that took a bit longer than I had hoped, but I think it was necessary. Please, read and review.

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia or anything to do with it. I only own this story.

The Slave and The Swordsman Ch.1: The Slave

Snap! Crack! "Get up you worthless maggot!"

Lloyd Aurion obeyed the order without question. He slowly forced his tired, aching body to rise. Once he had regained his footing he picked up the large rock that had caused him to fall. "No," Lloyd thought. "I fell because I was too weak to hold it up."

Lloyd was a slave. He was one of many who served here, at this place called The Human Ranch. This was all he knew of the place. It's steel walls, it's mindless work, and it's terrible food and living conditions. All this to the slaves of course. To the Desians, the ruling force in the ranch it was probably a paradise, or a work of genius.

Lloyd's train of thought suddenly slipped away from him. There standing with his personal guards stood the one man Lloyd hated more than any other. He had forgotten much of his past due to some heavy blows to the head but he remember this man far too clearly to forget.

His name was Forcystus. He was a half-elf. He had bright green hair and wore red clothes. On his left arm he had a strange golden weapon that Lloyd thought might be a hammer. Over his left eye he wore a patch. But this was not what Lloyd was staring at.

He was staring at the two swords sitting on his belt. One had a silver hilt studded with sapphires. The blade was a cold, piercing, blue. It was so cold that when the flat of the blade struck, it froze a man dead, but the edge was so sharp that it cut cleanly through anything.

The other sword had a golden hilt with rubies. The blade was a deep, fiery, red. This blade was so hot that when the flat of the blade struck, the unlucky victim was instantly incinerated.

These were the Material Blades, Lloyd's swords. The swords Forcystus had taken from him the day he was brought into slavery.

"And just what the hell are you staring at?" demanded Forcystus.

When Lloyd realized he was talking to him he said, "My swords."

Forcystus laughed at the insolent slave. "Ha ha ha ha, if these are your swords, then come and claim them!"

Without hesitation Lloyd charged. If he could get just one of the swords then he could kill Forcystus. But at the last instant Forcystus struck Lloyd in the side with the hammer. Lloyd went crashing into a nearby pile of rubble. He quickly got up and charged again. Time and time again Lloyd charged, and each time Forcystus swatted him aside like some bug.

When at last Lloyd gave in and fell a small girl, seeming no older than 12 with pink pigtails tried to help him up to his feet. "Thank you… Presea," Lloyd said, gasping for air.

"Take them to the detention pit," Forcystus ordered a nearby guard. "We shall see how long that attitude remains after a few days without food or water!"

The detention pit was little more than a big hole in the ground. It was about five meters deep and two meters in diameter. Lloyd and Presea were unceremoniously tossed into the pit, landing with a hard thud.

"Whose there?" asked a proud commanding voice.

Lloyd looked over at the source of the voice. Sitting there, cross-legged was a man. He had long blue hair and wore simple brown pants and a shirt that only covered his chest leaving the rest of his well-defined torso and arms clearly visible.

"Who are you to ask for my name?" Lloyd demanded of the stranger.

"My aren't you rude?" the stranger chuckled. "I'll humor you though, my name is Regal."

"My name's Lloyd, and this is Presea. She doesn't talk much."

"I see," said Regal, almost musingly.

And so the day went on, with the slaves above working tirelessly, and the slaves below enjoying there break. Little did any of them know it but things were about to change forever.

AN: Finally done! Now then, please review. I don't care if you flame me or praise me, just review. See you at Chapter 2: The Travelers.