So this is the reason my inner demon has been restless
In few steps, passing beside Tilda, Skylar arrived next to Shimi.
He put his hand on her shoulder, and his focus on the confident and mysterious teenager.
"Why should we hand him over to you, and why do you think she is in a position to do that?" Skylar asked him with a faint smile.
The teenager like he did with Shimi, first scrutinized Skylar's face and then his whole being.
His bright golden eyes on Skylar's green eyes was compelling, confident and hopeful, obviously superior to Skylar's ordinary ones, it seems.
Then he answered:
"He is a criminal that escaped from the government, and it is the duty of the government to deal with criminals like him..."
"So we must hand him over to you?" Skylar concluded.
"Yes, the government will take over from here." The teenager smiled at Skylar after a nod.
"I see." Skylar chuckled. "But you have not answered me why you think she has the power to hand him over to you? — Don't you think someone else could have captured you guy's escapee and not her?"
The teenager sustained his confident smile that is now bordering pride.
"It doesn't matter who captured him." He replied.
"Oh!!!" Skylar's widened in surprise. His expression boders subtle amusement and concealed mockery. Anyway the the teenager did not pause his reply.
"Since it happened here in lavender territory, its courtesy I ask for their leader's permission before taking him."
"Hmm I see. You have a point."
Skylar nodded his head, somewhat amused. His unfocused eyes looking above the teenager, shifted down, and narrowed as they met his.
He resumed, "Is it also courtesy to forcefully take him? — Is doing like you did earlier how you government people go about your business? Was that your standard protocol?"
At Skylar's inquisitory response, a frown appeared on the teenager's face, replacing his confident smile.
"Excuse me sir, who are you?" He responded with a question.
"Guess?" Skylar smiled cheekily. "Who do you think I am?"
Feeling overwhelmed, the teenager slightly shook his head, regaining his composure, then he looked from Skylar to Shimi with a curious expression on his face—an expression Shimi understand is inquiring about Skylar's origin from her.
"?"
However, tongue tied, Shimi felt intimidated by his gaze, and coupled with the tense vibe in the air, she shook with nervousness. She didn't even know what to say, she has no verbal idea of who Skylar is or who he is to them at this moment till Ila returns.
"Hihihi... He is one of us."
Yami bailed her out.
Her words surprised the teenager and made the others look at her with surprised expression, except Mariana who is leaning against the glass wall;
Instead, Mariana subtly glance at Skylar and she saw amusement and fascination plaster on his face like a child getting his hand on a costly premium toy after waiting for a long time. And for some reason a subtle smile that multiplied her charm by many folds also appeared on her quiet and carefree-looking face, perhaps she likes what she saw.
"Now you hear."
Skylar resumed, his intensity and ferocity not a bit diminished. He smiled brighter at the teenager:
"I also captured him..." He added.
The teenager for the next few seconds with thoughts racing in his mind scrutinized Skylar.
"If I may request a second time sir... please hand over the criminal to the government." He requested. This time, his tone of voice was a tiny bit respectful.
"Why should I?" Skylar chuckled.
A frown returned to the teenager's face: "Sir, its the government that is requesting..."
"Mm what about it." Skylar's lip curled in derision. "Why should I care who is requesting?"
"Sir, do you intend to harbor a criminal?"
His frown intensifying, the teenager fired back.
"What if I do?"
Skylar appeared confrontational, it felt he was provoking a violent reaction from the teenager,
But the teenager with clenched fist, closed his eyes, calmed his beating heart, took a deep breath, and reopened his eyes a moment later, while all this happend in a couple seconds.
Seeing this, Skylar smiled, he appeared impressed.
Then the teenager readdressed:
"Sir, for the sake of the people, please hand over the criminal. It will be in everyone's best interest if the government keeps him. The government has a better way of dealing with people like him."
"I don't want to."
Skylar's reply was curt. It shocked Shimi, Tilda and the three women. Even Bilkis who is watching from behind was shocked, she fell into contemplation. However, Yami as usual has a playful smile on her face and Mariana still with her back to the wall had a mesmirizing faint smile of satisfaction on her charming face.
Then returning to the teenager who felt shocked the most, he turned to look from Skylar to Shimi, saying:
"Leader Lakshimi, can I assume this is Lavender guild intention."
"Ehm ehm"
Shimi as usual panicked from the teenager question and presence. She turned to look at Skylar who happens to have also turned to look at her.
"Vishnu maybe..."
"Hihihi... It is."
Yami interrupted, making Shimi short frame shook like she was electrocuted. Yami answer also drew everyone's attention, then she focused her eyes on the teenager and continued:
"He makes the call and we follow."
At this reply, the teenager paused a bit.
He turned to look at Skylar again:
"Sir, do you really want to oppose the government alliance and the common people."
"Yami, what's the government alliance?"
Skylar turned to Yami.
But before she could reply.
"Just another faction like every other faction."
A raspy and boyish voice came from behind Bilkis. Skylar and Yami excluded, everyone including the teenager froze and turned stiff—unable to move a muscle. The presence of the source of the voice, a suffocating grip like the hand of the reaper that makes them hallucinates a sea of blood, naturally bore it weight on them. Most of them felt like stretching but they couldn't, at the cellular level they remain fozen as their pale faces paused.
While the source of the voice keeps approaching the center stage, not bothering about the effect of thier presence, the voice resumed:
"Established on the tenth day of the simulation by forty nation countries called the forty pioneer nations. They claim there objective is to bring order to the simulation world just like in the real world."
"And their biggest achievement so far, was starting a new stage—the nascent stage. They ended the previous turbulent and chaotic stage—the early stage, where rape, murder, kidnapping and pillage was the theme among players."
"And now that they have accepted another eighty nation governments in two batches of forty into their mix... they have become one of the simulation's few giant factions. They are probably sixth or fifth if they are ranked."
Aya, the source of the voice, and still in the red baby doll that did little to conceal her otherworldly assets, reached behind Skylar and hugged him from behind.
Standing a few centimeters shorter, she moved her lips closer to his right ear.
"Do you intend to go against them?" She whispered.
"What's a giant faction?" Confused, Skylar asked.
"Tsk..."
Aya loosened her hold, she drew back a step and starts tracing his long silver hair done in a french braid between her thumb and the other fingers of her right hand in a slow gentle manner.
"Do you know the four halfs, Brave is divided into?" She inquired.
"You mean West, East, North and South?" Skylar replied.
"Yes... a faction that has influence in all four, is called a giant faction." She enlightened.
"I see..." Skylar rubbed his chin, a smile on his face. "They have progressed."
"Hihihi..."
He gave Yami who giggled the side eye.
Then his eyes now looking up became unfocused as he engaged his mind.
"Hmm..."
Shortly after he smiled: "Okay, I have decided."
His eyes returned to the teenager that has restored his calm, albeit after great struggle.
"I will forgive your foolishness and insolence, but this will happen.."
To his words, as he paused; an unnoticeable gleam flashed in Aya's eyes; the teenager clenched his fists and held back an explosive rage—it seems he expected Skylar to capitulate to his request;
Meanwhile, Shimi, Bilkis and the three women who still appeared frightened in Aya's presence turned to look at Skylar simultaneously, confusion in there eyes; and Mariana like usual, carefree and quiet, smiled faintly as she watch Skylar, she seems to have completely overcome Aya's presence.
Disregarding everyone's reaction, Skylar continued:
"You will leave your floating whatever behind..."
He said with a smile while pointing at the white floating board that look like a shortboard floating above the teenager.
"And you will make a report to whoever is in charge of your faction. Tell them to show up together with you tomorrow. Maybe I will give you back your stuff at that time."
He paused and smile at the almost enraged teenager.
"See you."
Ending his pronouncement, he turned around and started walking away.
Aya and Yami simultaneously did the same, they flanked him and followed him.
And as the three leave the scene; Mariana move close to the floating board, shot an arrow tied to a string at it, and watching Skylar back intently, she pulled the string and the board together with it.
...
"Hihihi... I told you, she is very interesting."
Yami glanced across Skylar at Aya. Though she was the one she is talking about, Aya remained expressionless as ever.
However, Skylar with his eyes on the outlined door on the chamelein glass wall in the distance ignored her comment. Instead Eres voice from his mind grabbed his attention.
—Are you sure you want that boy as an enemy...
What about it...
—His potential reminds me of the second ancients.
Oh... who are those.
—They are the most annoying thing that ever walked the cosmos.
Hmm I see. But is potential something to worry about...
—If you are inquiring about his will, I can tell you that's the reason I am worried for you. You also saw it...
Hmmmm.. Strange..
—What's strange..
You said you are worried for me..
—Foolish old man, I am not worried for you. I am worried my cave will get destroyed If something happen to you. How will I survive without it?
I understand
—What do you understand
That you are a parasite.
—...
Eres say something...
Tch... She ran away...
"You are doing it again."
What's this one talking about..
Skylar gave Aya the confused and curious look.
"Hihihi..."
"Don't you have other things to focus on."
Speaking to Aya, he ignored Yami's 'annoying as ever giggle'. His eyes remain on Aya, but she was unresponsive, instead she has her emotionless eyes looking ahead and not at him. He continued:
"Are you that interested in me? Do you like what I did there?"
Like he is speaking to air, Aya continued to ignore him.
She is the first ever person to ignore me like this. How many times in a row today.
"Hihihi... Blood queen might be shy."
"Tsk... Do I look like that to you."
Aya glanced across at Yami. She continued.
"I have nothing to say about what he asked. He already knows what I think."
She turned to look at Skylar.
"Don't you?" She quetioned.
"Hihihi..."
After Yami giggled, she continued:
"He mentioned he has has a knack for knowing people's intention—that he can read what people think about him. He even demonstrated a few minutes ago..."
Amused, Skylar chuckled.
When did I say that?
Ending the conversation on this note, they reached the chameleon glass wall a few moments later, and entered into the elevator space behind it after they opened the door outlined by glowing lines it displayed.