Chapter Four: Watcher
Earlier
Arion watched from the air as the little girl boarded her bus, watched the buss drive away down the road towards the girl's home. Saffron, that was her name. Arion was too young yet to remember the times before the other angels had sealed up the openings between the worlds, only around seventeen years old, perhaps. He hadn't kept track.
The bus was out of sight now and there wasn't any need for Arion to stay longer. With a few powerful beats of his wings, he soared over the city.
As an angel Arion wasn't high-ranking by any means. And perhaps that was what puzzled him; why had the greater intentions of this world focused on him so? Or, to be exact, him and that child down there, Saffron.
Not that Arion expected for a moment that the intentions of the universes would be told to only one person --- not that he understood them himself. Yes, Arion was puzzled.
He hadn't told anyone the great things he had been let in on. He suspected that they wouldn't believe him… even if angels could only speak the truth.
As he flew, he noticed another angel flying near-by. He knew her. Arlya. She was far older than he was, a thousand years perhaps. Never the less, they were friends and they treated each other as equals. Among angels, rank often matter more than age any how.
Arlya caught sight of him, flew over. Like so many beings purely made out of Dark Matter, as it was called in this world, she could sense the thoughts and intentions of those around her.
"What's troubling you, Ari?" she asked calmly. That was one thing about Arlya; she was nearly always calm. Nearly. Arion had seen her angry and emotional just once. It wasn't an experience that he liked to remember.
Arion told her. There were greater intentions abroad in the universe than his. Much greater ones… the things, the secrets, he had been let in on proved that at least.
And so he explained, telling Arlya everything. She listened his silence.
"I need a way to get out of this universe," he finished.
Arlya considered for a moment. "Fine," she said. "I believe you. Come with me and I will show you something extraordinary."
She flew off towards the west and Arion followed.
