Adventure of Astral Part 47: Progress

"And then there was one. How in the hell did you manage everything? The humans who respected your lead, the connections with all of the other people who stayed behind in your camp. The fact you were able to make deals with the other colonies and species to rebuild in record time. How was it done?" Astral backed up to the throne as he sat down. Sliding a chair for Sora to sit in as well.

"I used what I had, high leverage information that was able to cripple every instance and empire they had built. I used what I had on hand. Including mine, they feared the power I had. Once I told them I was in a similar manner of power you were, that made things quite easy to accomplish." Sora sat down and leaned forward as Astral looked at his eyes.

"So you took what I did and snowballed it to have resources you didn't have before. Offering assumed protection. Telling them once I won the world would be at peace and they wouldn't be threatened by anyone other than you. Very bold moves." He glanced at his display as it appeared in the corner of his eyes. One person and heartbeat. Two souls.

"Yes. I wanted to make it sure that they would be on my side once the rebuild happened. Then make it that much easier to rebuild every kingdom possible. Considering you destroyed an entire one by yourself. I'd suggest staying out of my business." Sora pointed a finger at him as he rolled his eyes.

"No. This is the sickening thing that I feel with you. You let on the face of a snake, the mask of a man trying to hide and the soul of a coward." Astral's glare burned deep into Sora as he didn't move. "You have known too much about me and my family. You also know much more than even you lead on to start with. You can't lie and say you haven't been withholding information and ideas, let alone who you truly are." Astral's armor fired to life as his wings and paws fired to life.

"The amount I know about you is only limited to what I've heard from fabled stories from the elves." Sora lied through his teeth as Astral raised his hand up and closed it. Sora tried to speak as no sound came out.

"No, you know much more, you allowed yourself to get caught by the demons as well way before I showed up and appeared. Which means you knew I started to come back to reality. What was your childhood like here then?" Astral held his tongue as he wanted to spit out petty insults. He waited with baited breath as he dropped the spell that muted Sora.

"I was born to two nobodies down in the lower levels of the docs in the elvish kingdom. My parents worked hard to provide for a basic living. I ran around being a troublemaker and being a low level thief. Taking food from the docs, never being caught and always being careful. I then began to take more and more things. Like this mask and this cape." Sora explained as he worked his way though his childhood.

"Eventually my parents trusted in me to make my own way, so they became drunks. I couldn't or wouldn't dare stop them. I moved on in my life and was happy. Sure I was homeless. Never worked a day in my life. My antics caught up to me one day as I was caught but not cornered. I escaped with my life and fled. I did steal a few more things on my way out then lived on my own in the forest for a year or two, then I was ambushed and captured by the demons before you rescued me." Sora leaned back in his chair. "Those elves talked about you as a rumored god. And not just the seaside ones. All over the planet for the last fifty years, your story has been in the face of the public and has been plastered to everyone here."

"Its what makes seeing the man and the legend in person so much more fearful than what it should be. This all encompassing phenomenon of a fighter is truly still just as human as everyone else. It made me want to become better, at least one part of me." Sora spread out his arms as Astral rolled his eyes.

"Look, you can fan and fill your mind with falsehoods. But I fret to say most of those are lies. I hate your guts and your senses. If you did steal as much as you said you would be less driven to help others than you are. If that is even a thing for you. You seem to be more obsessed with me, and the more that obsession happens. The more your shell shows itself." Astral chuckled lightly to himself.

"You are a man who hides behind several layers of protection, you feel like the universe owes you something." Astral paused as he shook his head. "No, I am wrong, you feel like you owe the universe a gift." Astral waved his hand to have Sora leave. "Go help Lilac and help the people. All of the people." Sora nodded his head as he stood up from his chair and slowly walked away to the doorway.

"Why doubt that story if its true? Do you not have trust in me, or do you feel like something else is disturbing you from feeling truthful about it all?" Sora walked away as Astral left himself in silence. He let the thoughts dwell for a moment as Astral stood up and slowly hovered down to the courtyard and brushed up the fountain. He listened to the flowing water as he looked to the sky. Remembering one of the conversations he had from a much earlier time. He remembered how Sora knew of the relation of the twins and him. But didn't mention how then or now. Astral looked at his heads up display and swiped his hand over as it pulled out a blank paper.

'Do not trust Sora with high level information.' Astral made his note as he kept looking around the courtyard. Despite the harshness of the battle they could only do so much damage. But it is his job and goal to repair it all. With his knowledge and the help of the others. It won't be a long task.