I feel some bumping, and it’s entirely dark and stuffy. My head still feels very fuzzy wait the bumping stopped. “Whoa there what do you got in the cart?” Comes a gruff voice from the side

“It just a zero that tried to run after the testing there is still a reward for them right?” says man's voice from somewhere above me.

“There is. Just go over to the wardens building over next to the gebitt. Have a good day sir.”

“Thank you.”

And the bumping starts again. What in the hell is going on? Last I remember I was in the church and I just found out… I was a zero. Then my parents were acting erratically and talked about killing me or falling out of a carriage? Then there is just my father’s eyes burning into mine. No, it must have been a dream this is all a dream.

“Ow” next thing I feel a sharp poke in the back and a blinding light as a tarp that was lifted off of me. “Oi get up zero you’re to meet the warden.” says a short grubby looking man with a short sword and a Night Cat (a small cat-like monster with dark-based magic) draped across his shoulders.

“Who the hell do you think you are? Do you have any idea who I am or who my...“ I start with a yell and end in a whisper “father is.”

“I couldn’t give a Hellhound shit who you think you are or who your father is. Now get off your backside and out of my cart we are to meet the warden don’t make me give you a prod you’re worth more uninjured NOW MOVE,” says the man with snap in his voice and a brandishing of his sword.

There’s no arguing with this man plus he has a sword the warden may be more receptive to what I have to say and help me out of this misunderstanding. So I get out of the cart and head where the man with the sword directs. It wasn't until now that I realize I’m wearing clothes no better than the rags I see on commoners. Nothing to do about it now.

Once inside the building, I notice a man who must be the warden sitting behind a desk covered in paper and what looks like a smaller version of a testing orb. He looks up at us when we enter and motions towards the one chair in front of him. So I go to sit and am poked again with the sword. “You’re a zero now, and property of the empire you do not sit go stand in that corner over there, and if Tabby here or I see you move, we’ll bind you to the spot. Got it?” says the man with a point to his Night Cat while sheathing his sword at his hip.

After about a minute the warden looked up from his paperwork and was about to speak when I spoke up. “Sir, there has been some sort of mistake I am Prince Rinox Firestorm. I will forget this whole ordeal if you call me a carriage to take me back to my estate at this instant,” I said in what I would consider in a calm and even voice to the quite chuckling of the man who brought me in.

“Zero you are never to speak to anyone without first being spoken to, If you do so again you will not be fed that day do you understand?” says the warden in an even tone.

“But sir-” I start and then am unable to speak or move.

“That’s no food for you today, and thank you for silencing it Mister?” says the warden.

“Soot, James Soot and think nothing of it his whining was annoying and not productive to the business at hand,” said James.

“Ah, yes, of course, let’s see first with the legal bits I will need to test it to confirm it is a zero and secondly I will need to know how you captured him.” Says the warden while glancing through his papers and I am silently struggling in the corner.

“That sounds reasonable enough. Zero I will be unbinding you from that spot you are to go touch the orb, and you should go do it willingly, or I will force you,” commands James.

Seeing no way around it as soon as I’m freed I start to walk towards the orb I then dash towards the door. Only to be tackled by the Night Cat that even though just being about a foot tall feels like it weighs 100 lbs.

“Now zero I was pretty clear that you don’t want me to force you to touch the orb, so one last chance to get up and go touch the orb.” each of his words were punctuated with the digging of claws into my back.

All I can do is a nod, and once the cat hops off my back, I get up and walk up to the orb. Once in front of the orb, I reach up to touch it but can’t. If I touch this orb and nothing happens again, there will be no denying that I’m a zero. I start to lower my arm away from it until I hear a hiss from right behind me. With no other choice, I close my eyes and touch the orb.

“Ok confirmed as a zero now all I need to know is how you acquired this merchandise and back to the corner zero,” says the warden making a few marks on some paperwork.

After hearing “confirmed as a zero,” a roaring starts in my ears and tears start flowing from my eyes, and collapse to the floor. That is until a Night Cat scratches my leg that is when I woke up to reality I am no longer the heir to a royal family I was a slave worse I was a zero. I forced myself up and stand in the corner to think there has to be a way out of here.

“Okay, I caught this one running from the church right after the testing it ran in front of the Emperor’s carriage and caused it to crash the funny thing is the person it just claimed to be Prince Rinox Firestorm flew right out of the carriage and hit his head. I scooped this guy up to turn him over to the Emperor’s guards who told me they have no time to deal with it because they need to get the Prince to a healer. But they remembered him as being tested that day as a zero and told me to go turn him into the nearest zero work zone as a runaway and to take the reward for myself,” explains James.

“So that’s how the Prince got hurt it’s the talk of the city that the heir on his testing day falls into a coma. Rumors were flying around about an assassination attempt it’s nice hearing what happened from an eyewitness. Zero you’re lucky I’m in a good mood impersonating a royal is a capital offense,” exclaims the warden. “Now all this seems to be in order and legal, so the reward for a runaway zero in good health is 100 talons. If that is all Mr. Soot, I need to get this zero to a soul binder. Oh, I will also need you to remove your silencing from it,” the warden said.

“No that is all Thank you, warden, have a good day,” says James as he walks out the door.

“Have a good day Mr. Soot,” said the warden “And zero follow me, and now that I own you I will not be as nice as Mr. Soot if you try to run from me. Now come.”

There is nothing to do now other than follow the man and try not to lose myself into the bleak abyss that is now my life.