Xaloc pulled the knob and opened the door to reveal a middle-aged man. He was stocky with fire burns on his hands and the part of the neck that was exposed. He looked at Xaloc and an indistinguishable light flashed by his eyes.
Xaloc looked at the way that was clearly hesitant and prodded him, "Good day! How may I help?"
The man's eyes firmed. "You are Xaloc. I am Obi from the Distribution Department. Our Chief would like to meet you."
Meet me? Xaloc wondered to himself.
The Atlantis Control Council was in charge of orientation and indoctrinating the new ones of the realm. There were several Departments with the Distribution Department being the most important.
In Atlantis, the fastest way to get stronger was through hunting monsters for their core. Each hunting zone was manned and controlled by a group or an institution. It was like those mafia territory movies that Chike enjoyed watching.
For newcomers like him with little or nothing to offer were distributed to these groups. They would be taught, given resources and guided in exchange for their loyalties.
As in every society, there are hierarchies. They were stronger groups and weaker groups. From Selene's ramblings, he understood, there were groups connected with warriors from Valhalla or even some that had a patron god or gods.
So one can imagine how popular a Department with such power to send you high or low has in this place.
That was why Xaloc could not imagine what the chief of the Department would want with him.
"Okay."
The middle-aged man, Obi nodded, "Come with me."
They both followed the staircase rather than the elevator. The man also took the more public roundabout in the centre of the compound.
Xaloc could feel the stairs on his body. If Selene's closeness with him does not cut it, then hanging out with the Distribution Department would just further put a damn target on his back. From what he had learnt from the three weeks he had been in this place, being popular was not a good thing.
They soon arrived at a more beautiful, secluded part of the compound. It was a two-story building with flowers around it. They entered the building.
The building smelt of fresh paint and perfume. He was not sure why but Xaloc suddenly became uncomfortable. He stopped and the man looked at him.
"What is wrong?" The man asked.
Xaloc shook his head and followed behind him. They reached a large wooden door. The door looked very expensive and did not match the décor of the building, Obi knocked and it opened.
He then gestured to Xaloc to enter before closing the door behind him.
Xaloc wondered what all the prop was for. A young man was walking towards him, he was slim with green leafy eyes. He glared at Xaloc before humping and leaving.
A chuckle rang across the room and Xaloc came face to face with a man. He looked to be in his thirties with a small goatee on his chin.
He sat sprawled on a large chair and looked at Xaloc from the crown of his head to the sole of his feet.
Xaloc's eyes narrowed. What blatant disrespect! Truly when someone has such power as the Distribution Department had, it would be truly difficult for it not to get to their head.
"You asked for me." Xaloc said, causing the man to stop staring at his body and look up.
"Your eyes. Did you do something to them?" The man asked with a laissez-faire attitude.
Xaloc knew he was talking about how his eyes were now dull instead of starry as they were before. Xaloc had a theory about that. It had to do with the double divinity within him but he was not quite sure either.
"No." He asked. Both the dulling and the glowing were neither in his power.
"Too bad!" The man said, "They were your prettiest features." Those deep-set almond shaped eyes that seemed to glow the first time he saw them had been on his mind for a very long time.
He glanced at Xaloc's body again and said with a leer. "You are not bad."
Xaloc suddenly understood what was going on and his stomach turned.
"I could not help but notice that you missed all five lectures we had on the different groups in Atlantis. That is not good at all." The man shook his head and then handed some pamphlets to Xaloc. His hand lingered as it touched Xaloc. "Some groups can make or mar you."
Xaloc could feel goosebumps run through his spine. Ozias had said something like this when he met but it still was not as terrible as this. He felt like this realm was a cesspool of things he would never have imagined before.
He tried to calm himself. He could think about it later. Right now, he needed all his wits with him.
"I would go back and look through the pamphlets. Thank you."
The man did not seem to hear what he was saying. He got up suddenly and walked to Xaloc making Xaloc's heart pound faster. Chad had stayed in Atlantis for less than a month and was stronger than him, he really did not want to test the strength of someone who had stayed in this realm for who knows how long.
Xaloc's body tensed as he got ready to give his all in a fight, he would not be humiliated. The man seemed to notice his tense body and smiled, "Hey! I don't know what you have heard but I would never force myself on you. I like my boy's complaint."
His boys. Xaloc glanced up at him and took his image by heart. "I understand sir. I would like to go back and look through the pamphlets."
"Sure! And if you find any group that you like. Please come over and let us have a chat." The man said, waving to dismiss him.
Xaloc held the pamphlets as he stepped outside the office and closed the door behind him. He could feel his back dampened with sweat.
"So fast!" The previous boy said mockingly as he leaned against the wall opposite the door. "What a pity."
Xaloc did not ask him what he meant by that as he walked hastily out of the building. That was it.
He was leaving this place right now