"P-please have mercy! This humble servant did not mean any disrespect!" a formally dressed man begged whilst on his knees in front of the knight whose clothes and sword were stained with the blood of the men and women he had just slaughtered.
The knight's eyes were cold as he looked down on the viscount, as if what he had done had not stirred even the slightest emotion in him and what he would do next wouldn't either. The air in the spacious hall of the viscount's mansion was thick and suffocating, and all who were gathered there remained absolutely silent while they waited for the knight to speak. Though it was clear that the knight would not harm the servants of the mansion, none wished to be disrespectful and suffer possible painful repercussions.
"Tell me, Viscount," came the voice of the knight, a deep baritone that had the viscount's hair standing in fright, "did you truly think that your embezzlement of money would go unnoticed by His Majesty?"
"I beg forgiveness to His Majesty, and His Highness the duke," the viscount stuttered. "I-I was in need of money, for my wife was unwell!"
A low hum escaped the knight's lips, one that reflected not just deep thought but deep distaste. Raising his head ever so slightly, he said, "Your wife seemed quite well though, when I dealt with her."
"T-That is, I-I didn't mean, I couldn't-"
"It seems you have no actual reason for your crimes, and it can only be assumed that you were greedy. I'm certain you are aware of the punishment for this, Viscount," the knight interrupted.
The viscount paled and sweat dripped down the sides of his face. He crawled forward on all fours to hold the knight's legs while lifting his gaze, desperation in both expression and tone when he spoke, "P-please give me another chance! I swear upon my life to never do such a thing again! I will repent and serve His Majesty faithfully!"
His words had fallen on deaf ears though. The once golden eyes of the knight were now a menacing scarlet and his flaring mana had thickened the air in the entire hall. The ferocity and malice in his eyes were what would make anyone wish for death rather than the torture of merely being in his presence, and it was a reflection of the darkness in his heart.
"P-please," the viscount pleaded again desperately, his voice trembling and barely above a whisper.
There was not a moment of hesitance or remorse before the knight's mana flared even more and enveloped the viscount as the former swung his sword in the finishing blow. The viscount's screams of pain echoed through the hall until all fell silent with his blood splattering across the floor and the knight's clothes. The knight's mana quelled, his eyes returned to their golden pools, and all around him held their breaths in anticipation of what would be said next.
"Henry Engelbert will take over as the viscount here. All previous maids, butlers and Zeros will remain and serve him – or is there anyone else that I need to clean up?"
All the servants, including the other Zeros who were in the hall tensed at the knight's words, their gazes remaining on the floor. With no response to the knight's question, he wiped the blood off his sword and sheathed it before striding to the main door of the mansion. He did not look back for even a moment before he mounted a black stallion and tugged his reins to settle him. With a sharp kick to the sides of the stallion and a vocal command, he was returning to the duke's mansion in Deotis where he lived and served.
Upon reaching the duchy, he was quick to enter the duke's mansion, the maids and butlers moving out of the way in not just startle of his bloody appearance but repulse of his very existence. It was not anything new for the knight though, and he ignored them as they did him. He stalled a moment outside the duke's study room doors then knocked thrice. Upon receiving permission to enter, he stepped in and closed the door behind him.
Seated at a grand mahogany desk was the duke – a middle aged man with sandy brown hair and hazel eyes, and wrinkles beginning to form here and there. The sight of him had bile rising in the knight's throat but he held it in and gave a respectful bow after stepping closer to the desk.
"Is it done?" asked the duke without taking his eyes off the papers he was reading through.
"Yes, Your Excellency."
"Good, you always do a good job, Rayner," came the duke's response. He finally lifted his head to gaze into the eyes of the knight, a sickening smile on his lips. "I expected nothing less of you, my loyal Zero."
"You flatter me, Your Excellency," said Rayner, bowing slightly with his eyes closed so he did not have to see the rather twisted expression upon the duke's face.
"I'm certain His Majesty will be more than happy to hear that I was able to handle this matter as he wished it, brutally and giving the right message to others who dare have thoughts of disloyalty." The duke stood and Rayner resisted a flinch as he approached. Rayner straightened and clenched his jaw tightly as the duke, a man half a foot shorter than him reached up to touch his blood stained vest with his fingers before he spoke, "Good work today, Rayner. You may retire for the night, seeing as you reek of blood and would definitely be a mood killer for the duchess."
"I apologize, Your Excellency," he replied, forcing himself to remain in eye contact with the duke.
"No need for that. I will see you tomorrow." The duke gave him another twisted smile before he left the study.
Rayner, now with none to witness his expression, glared dangerously at the desk in front of him, immense disgust bubbling in the pit of his stomach. The very thought of the duchess made him want to throw up, the uncountable memories of her using him as a plaything to pass her time flooding through his mind.
"You are a beautiful Zero, and I like to play with beautiful things," she said often. Though she did not violate him as he had been defiled before he began his service as a knight under Duke Landdrich, running her fingers over his exposed skin and having him kiss her hands and feet and neck and pamper her as if he was devoted to her in both heart and body was humiliating all the same. He knew that it was only a matter of time before he was defiled by her though, just like the other Zeros she kept for her pleasure.
Then again, it was not something to be surprised about or even worth getting distressed over. Such was the fate of all Zeros of the Povalian Kingdom, and surely it was the same in all the remaining smaller kingdoms that surrounded Povalia. Despite the mana that Zeros possessed, making them stronger than other humans, they were no more than slaves to the imperial family and nobility and common folk alike. They were bound to serve through ancient spells until death, spells that ensured that they could never harm anyone but only protect, even if it meant losing their lives. As such, it was not surprising to see that they were misused in many ways, the weaker serving for pleasure than anything else.
There were some who were powerful who were used for pleasure too, such as Rayner himself, only because the spell that bound him to subjugation ensured the safety of anyone who wished to abuse him in such humiliating ways.
A deep, shuddering exhale had him calm enough to leave the study and make his way to his room. Alone now, he seated himself with a deep sigh on the simple white-sheeted bed next to the window. He ran his fingers through his hair, ruffling the dark tousles slightly before he gazed out of the window at the moon that shown brightly in the dark sky.
He was expressionless, though there was visible anger and turmoil in his eyes and bitterness in his heart.
He closed his eyes after a moment, a deep breath exhaled through his nose from the tiredness of pulling through another day surrounded by loathsome people and unending prejudice. The only consolation was that he had been spared from serving the duchess tonight.
However, the mere thought of the duchess had Rayner feeling sick to his stomach again. He felt furious too, and frustrated that there was nothing that could be done to change the fate of Zeros. He stood and unbuckled the belt that held his sword at his waist, only to throw it against the wall with a loud clatter. His eyes were red, his mana enveloping his body in a sinister red-black aura. He stepped to the window to open it and calm slightly from the cool breeze that caressed him. It was several moments before he calmed enough for his mana to settle and his racing heart to return to its usual pace.
Memories of his past had him tensing though and shuddering in disgust. The mere thought of having any sort of physical contact with anyone and not just the duchess had him feeling like insects were crawling all over his body. It was disgusting, repulsive and immensely revolting.
Unable to shake off the feeling, he strode to the bathroom and stripped clean of all his bloody clothing before submerging himself in the bathtub of cold water. He held his breath while he remained under the water's surface until he could no more and rose while breathing heavily to fill his burning lungs with the air they desperately desired. He set his hair back and out of his face with his hands and shut his eyes while thinking of anything else that would rid him of the repulsive tingling of his skin.
Having a monstrous mana was of no use, not as long as he was bound by the ancient spells. There were many others with powerful mana but none as strong as his, and he believed that if there was any way to break free of the shackles Zeros had been subjugated by, it was only him who could find a way and execute it. It was his deepest desire to rid the world of the hierarchy and put an end to the abuse of Zeros. And he was already in the process of executing it, having gathered a few other Zeros who wished for the same. It would not be long before all would suffer the consequences of what they had done all these years.
"Foolish people," he muttered and leaned back in the bathtub, resting his arms on the edge and tilting his head back with his eyes closed.
Though he was clear of what he wished for and had already put things in progress, achieving the end result would take time and much more than a mere handful of Zeros. Perhaps it would need much more than just Zeros and there would be horrendous obstacles and bloodshed along the way. But all would have to be welcomed with open arms if Zeros were to be free in the end.
A deep sigh escaped Rayner's lips as he opened his eyes to stare at the ceiling. He was used to dealing with all such situations, even more so because he and his two subordinate Zeros were the ones who always handled the duke's dirty work. And he would pull through it again and again, for it was all necessary, until the day he would bathe his sword in the duke's and duchess' blood, finally giving them what they deserved for all that they had done to him and the other Zeros in the mansion. And then, it would be the others who would pay one by one.
He would never forget everything he had been through his entire life because of his origins and the laws of the world, or the people who had made him live through numerous horrific nightmares that had made him into the monster he was inside. But it was the monster inside him that would be his greatest weapon.
Rayner narrowed his eyes slightly, thoughts of his next steps racing through his mind. He would be meeting two Zeros tomorrow, ones who wished to join their group to overthrow the slave system – the Night Shadows they called themselves. They were still inconspicuous due to their low numbers but would surely become suspicious with their increase in numbers. They would have to move carefully all the time to remain inconspicuous for as long as they could for their plan to work perfectly.
Now feeling better, Rayner got out of the water and dried himself with a towel before slipping into a simple tunic and trousers. He half dried his hair with the towel before throwing it to an unattended corner of the room. He fell back on his bed and covered his eyes with one arm. Though his mind was turbulent with many thoughts, sleep graced him easily. It was much needed after the long, tiring day, and was the only thing that could rejuvenate him enough to pull through the next.
~~~~~~~~~~
Here's the start of a new story with a new plot that I've excited to explore! It took quite a bit of time for me to finalize on the plot, actually, but I have a feeling that it will play out well.
So, how was the prologue? How was the introduction to one of the main protagonists of the story? Rayner sure has a harsh life, doesn't he? >.<
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:D