Zero
There was a faint light at first, but it grew and grew until he was looking into a blinding light. He tried to stand, but ended up with his face on the stone. He rolled over on his side and felt the stone shift beneath him. His eyes adjusted to the darkness in front of him and what he saw was a stone stairwell lit up by a strange light behind him.
Where am I? He thought. Who am I? Suddenly, muffled voices came out of the darkness and ragged form emerged into the light. Their shadows stretched over the waters below. They looked confused and frightened as they ran up the stair way. “YOU THERE!!” One of them yelled.
The silent one reached him first and yanked him up by his arm. “Why is this fella’ naked as his name day?” The silent one said.
“Who cares, question is, what the hell is this thing?” The first man pondered, “Bugger it all, let’s take this one to Dyioku.”
The first one grabbed his other arm and the two of them slowly walked him down the stairs. “Why is he not speakin’ is this fella’ a mute and whore both?” The silent one laughed.
“I don’t know, but the faster we are out of this place, the better. This place doesn’t feel right.” The first one said.
They dragged him through the country side following a winding path with lanterns to fend off the darkness. As they dragged him, he just stayed silent and tried to make sense of the events that had just occurred.
His thoughts were quickly interrupted by the silent one who said, “What is your name?” He asked.
“Name?” His voice was as dry as a desert and cracked often.
“Woah, don’t choke on it.” The silent one japed.
“I. . I don’t know my name.” He said.
The first man butted in. “Woah, woah, woah. You don’t know your name?”
They both turned their heads to look at the man who did not know his name. What is my name? He thought. “What do ya’ know?” The silent one asked.
The nameless man tried to remember anything before he woke up in the blinding light, but nothing ever came to him. Just darkness and light. “No.” He said.
“Nothing?” The first man said. “Fine, we’ll help you with that. Give him a name Bean.”
“A name fer this fella? That one there is an easy one. Zero of course, cause’ he knows nothing.” Bean said.
“Zero.” Zero said to himself.
“Yes.” The first one said. “Zero.”
For the rest of the time, his captors said not a word. They carried him for a while, but then they got tired of that and set them down on his feet and taught him how to walk. Zero was good at walking after that, but he envied the other two who looked like they had been walking for years.
The light helped Zero as he walked, but then suddenly, the chain of lanterns stopped. “Here we are.” His first captor said. “The War Patch.”
Candles were arranged in a certain order and formed some rune that spread across a large field. The candles formed the picture of what seemed to be a human being without a neck, but a line coming down from it’s arse and it’s arms were out horizontally.
The candles lit their way as the two men escorted Zero towards the circle. When they arrived the circle, Zero found a man sitting on his knees, his back facing them. His back was covered with a red cape embroidered in gold and studded with rubies. “You Grace.” Bean said as he kneeled. The other man did the same, but Zero kept standing.
The man stood up slowly and turned to them. He was in crimson red plate armor studded with rubies and embroidered gold. His helmet was sitting beside him and his sword was thrusted in the ground behind him. His molten eyes were fixed on Zero as he brushed the black hairs on his jaw. His voice was calm and soothing. “You may stand.” The big man said. “Bean, Charvin, what have you for me this fine evening?”
“Your Grace, on our watch. . .we have some. . .unusual findings for you.” The man named Charvin told him.
“What would that be?”
“Well, this man to start.” Charvin told him.
The big man turned his gaze to Zero. “Who would he be. . .and why in hell is he naked?” The big man said calmly.
“Well, that’s just in Your Grace. . .he don’t know.” Bean said, “However, I did give em’ the honor of being Zero.”
“Amnesia?” The big man asked.
“That would be the only conclusion we can come to.” Charvin said. “However, be that as it may, there is one more thing that come hand in hand with this. When we found him, he was laying, naked as his name day, in from of a strange structure.”
“Strange structure? What do you mean?” The big man asked.
“We don’t know what it is, but we found this man laying in front of it, naked and unbeknownst to all events that happened before that moment.” Charvin explained.
“Hmmm.” The big man said, thinking. “You are dismissed, Bean, Charvin.”
They both bowed and then grabbed Zero’s arms. “What do we do with this lot?” Bean asked.
“Leave him here. I must speak with him.” The big man said.
Bean nodded and turned to leave with Charvin. When the Zero was finally alone with the big man, the big man looked at him again. “My--”
“Your. Your Grace.” The big man said.
“Your Grace.” Zero said, “What is wrong with me?”
“What is you name, boy?” The big man asked.
“Zer--”
“No.” The big man cut him off. “You are my servent. The servent of King Dyioku Red Lyion.”
