Man Behind The Chair

"Say I did let you roam free and do whatever you please. What will the citizens think? People hate you without any thought to beat you in the middle of the streets. Can you survive that discrimination?" Ruby asked me.

I giggled at her question.

"Will you listen to my story? Discrimination is nothing to me, knowing what my friends and several others go through." I told her.

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"I'll trust you. But, I really can't believe that Zeal did all of those bad things, and I won't without solid proof. You came from a while away... and you've done a lot on the Isle. What about after the Isle? Where did you pick up The Deity from?" Ruby asked after I explained my story on The Isle to her.

"That's for another time. I didn't include that because I knew what you wanted to hear was the parts of my life that Zeal mixed in. At first glance, he did seem okay, but after his actions and what he did, I decided I would kill him... yet I didn't even get the chance because of Illya. Let me prove to you how useful I can be, and I'll tell you what happened to me over time if you still care." I told Ruby.

I walked over to her with my hand up, ready to shake hers to seal the deal, but instead, she put a handcuff around my right wrist, and around her left wrist.

"Sure thing, right after I take you by my adviser to see if it's okay." She told me.

Damn... she manipulated me.

"So be it," I said, joining her on the walk toward a weird building in the middle of her city.

We passed through the streets with disgusting looks from everybody we walked past. Even the children seemed to know who I was and purposefully avoided me as best as they could.

The dirt streets, lined with cemented sidewalks, light posts like Orion had, and tons of strings and floating lights around the city gave it life. There were colorful buildings, windows, billboards, signs, and even trees as we walked everywhere, and it made me think of the time I spent on the Isle again and again. I couldn't escape it, no matter how hard I tried.

"So, your adviser guy is in this building? It looks bland compared to the others... and kind of empty, doesn't it? I mean, where are the windows?" I asked her.

Ruby stayed silent, opening the door for me and letting me in before she shut it and turned on the lights.

From the inside, it looked barren. It was under construction, and not all of the walls were built up. Some had holes in them, some for windows within the building, and others were just solid half-walls.

"Why did you bring me here?" I asked Ruby.

"So we could meet." I heard from the darkness.

I wasn't sure why, but I recognized that from the backside of this mysterious person's chair that there were computers in front of him, with monitors surrounding him. He never turned back to look at me, he only looked at the monitors and chuckled from behind the tall back of the chair he sat in.

"He's The Asterio? What, does he want to be pardoned for his crimes?" The man asked.

"That's right, he claims that he could be a powerful ally. Since our structure has fallen in Zealous ever since Zeal passed away, I think asking you of such impertinent decisions is the closest we can come to perfection." Ruby told the man.

Zeal had a city named Zealous...? What a narcissistic prick.

"I'm honored Ruby, but, I'm not as smart as you give me credit for." The man said. He stood up, slamming his hands on the desk in front of him, and pushing the chair back.

Orange hair fell from the top of his head, and he had a bright, white smile that came from the lights of the monitors.

He walked from the darkness into my view, putting his hands into pockets in his jacket, with a grin.

"The name is Ra Madio." He told me.

He stood in silence for a second while I stared at him. Was that name supposed to be important...?

No... why does it sound so familiar?

Madio...?

"That last name... where is that from? It feels like I know it..." I muttered.

"It doesn't matter where it comes from. I guess this is the perfect time to admit who I am. I'm the Shadow of Zealous, I control all behind-the-scenes affairs that might involve Asterios coming to ruin everything we've built." He clarified for me.

"I see," I said, rubbing my wrist.

"I've determined your presence to be a cancer to society, and I will give you two options. You will stay locked up in jail until I can send you to another city that might want you, or, I can kill you here." He said, pointing his bright, orange eyes up at me.

I sense strands in him. He has them, and he's using them right now. With such advanced use of strands like that, should I really mess with him?

Don't be ridiculous Sky. You're a Deity, there isn't anything this kid could do to you...

"You really want me to be in jail? Do you know what I'm capable of?" I asked him, and he shook his head.

"If you wanted to see a truly capable person, you should've seen my dad. He looked like he wasn't capable of much, but I heard stories from Zeal that he was noble, brave, and had good ideas that I can't even surpass." Ra told me.

"That doesn't affect me much, does it? Your father being dependable doesn't even scrape the surface with me. I fought The Deity and won." I told Ra, but he was unfazed.

"All lies that Zeal told us to watch out for." He admitted to me.

I clicked my tongue in irritation. I finally passed the threshold for my anger down on this stupid planet, and I was losing rational thought while sucking in the anger as best I could.