I follow the warden out of his office and look towards the entrance of the Zero work camp and before I could even start to formulate a plan to try and escape I hear a chittering from right behind my ear. I look back just in time to see a Lightning Beetle land onto my back and give me a tiny shock. Which causes me to trip and fall right on my face to the enjoyment of the Warden behind me.

“What the hell!” I yell.

“Ah yes, meet my friend, Amp, he will make sure you don’t cause any trouble before you reach a binder now follow me or the zap you just received will feel like a kiss. Now get up and follow me. I don’t have time for you to be taking a nap on the ground,” says the Warden as if this was an everyday occurrence. Which in his line of work I suppose it is.

Without any other choice, I get up and follow him knowing my only way to escape has been foiled before I even got a chance a try. I can’t believe my parents would do this to me. They sold me into slavery just for being a… Zero. I still can’t even believe I am one of those powerless things. So wrapped up in my dark thoughts I don’t even realize when we enter a new building until I feel another small jolt from that damn bug. That is when I notice that in front of me is a man in all black taking what looks like a nap on his desk.

That is until the Warden walks up and kicks the desk causing the man to jump and fall out of his seat and onto the floor. To which I start to laugh without thinking about it. That is when the man stood up and shot me a glare.

“Zero, I would think twice before laughing at your new master. In fact, no food for today,” says the man in black.

“It’s already lost its food privileges for today Nars, but he can easily lose them for tomorrow too,” puts in the Warden. “But I don’t want to catch you sleeping again on the job.”

“Yeah, yeah Nigel won’t happen again, and as for the Zero that sounds like a fine idea I’ll make sure to note down not to have him fed for the next two days,” says Nars.

“But that’s bull shit!” I shout out.

“And a whipping now do you want to keep this up on your first day?” askes Nars.

“But-but I’m a Royal you can’t do this to me,” I cry out.

“You’re a nothing, and as a Zero, you will continue to be a nothing for the rest of your short, miserable life. The faster you get that through your minuscule brain, the happier I’ll be because I’ll have to whip you less.” Says Nars while giving me a very dark look as if my existence was an insult to his very being.

“And as for you being a “Royal” I’d sooner believe that you’re related to that beetle on your back so keep up that talk, and you’ll end up in the gibbet,” continues Nars.

“Okay Nars I don’t have all day can we get this binding ceremony done and over with so I can get back to work,” asks Nigel.

With one last glare in my direction, Nars says “Okay just give me a minute to get Illithid and get him into the pentagram,” with a nod towards the door to his right.

“You heard him Zero get going,” Nigel says to me.

With a longing look at the door and a small reminder jolt from Amp. I start to move towards the door indicated by Nars. Once we get inside the room, I see a pentagram on the floor. Nigel points to the center, so I take that to mean that is where I am to stand. I don’t understand what they need this pentagram for and what kind of binding are they going to perform on me?

“You should feel honored Nars there may not look it, but he’s the most powerful Demonic-based tamer and Binder in all of Ignus. That means that the binding sickness that is normal with the ceremony will be greatly reduced for you due to him using the more powerful Mind Flayer instead of an Imp or Blue Devil that is usually used,” Nigel informs me.

Why would they use those monsters in this ceremony? They are only useful for their illusion and soul magic… Wait they couldn’t mean to...

“Ha, I see you’ve finally realized what a binder does. Yes, he will lay a soul binding on you, a contract of sorts, one of which that will be impossible to break but will be enforced by your soul,” says Nigel with a laugh at my expression of horror.

“But, you can’t use a soul binding on a human God Niwrad blocks soul magic from affecting humans,” I say to him in an unbelieving but scared voice.

Continuing to laugh Nigel explains, “HA, That is true on a “Human” you can’t use soul magic but you are a Zero and deaf and blind to God, and so the system and have no immunity to it. This is why I love coming to these things it’s always fun watching the dawning realization of what is going to happen.”

I try to run. While at the same time try to knock Amp off my back. It doesn’t matter if it kills me I can’t let this happen. That is when Nars appears in the doorway with a monster that is about 4 feet tall humanoid with what can only be described as an octopus head. I stand there in shock just to see the Mind Flayer raise his hand and then my head feels like it is going to explode and I collapse.

Only to wake up in what I can only assume is a short time later with the Mind Flayer standing above me in the center of the pentagram with Nars and Nigel standing on the edge of it. I try and move only to realize I am bound to the spot and am unable to speak for the second time today.

“Good, now that you’re awake we can continue with the ceremony. I would say don’t move, or it’ll be more painful for you but well you can’t. So let’s continue with the soul binding,” says Nars in oddly good cheer.

That is when I remember what is about to happen. I try to struggle and scream to no avail. This can’t be happening to me I am Rinox Firestorm heir to the Firestorm family. This is all that I can think.

The Mind Flayer puts his hands upon my head and my mind goes blank, and a weird purple mist feels my vision.

“Now Zero I am going to bind a few orders on to your soul now. They are as follows: you will never try to escape, you will follow the commands of your masters first and then of any that are not a Zero to the best of your abilities, you are to do your ordered work to the best of your abilities, and finally you are not to speak to your betters unless first spoken to with the exception of announcing your presence or saving them from pain or death. See easy; now you are going to be very… uncomfortable for the next few hours once your done screaming come see me in my office for your orders,” says Nars in a very business-like tone.

After hearing the commands, there is nothing but pain throughout my body. This constant pain becomes my existence for what could have been a minute or a few years. And then nothing. As soon as the pain dissipates, I feel a need to get up and see Nars. So I get up and head towards the door and my new life as a slave with nothing to do about it but cry in silence.