Chapter 68
"Wait, what?"
the 'ai' and the 'a' sounds in her words were elongated as Angel stared in shock at her guardian.
"It's true" the giant stated gently, kneeling down to their height as best he could. His accent reminded her heavily of Germany.
'All he needs now is Lederhosen' she told herself.
"And Arygyn! I thought you'd left Atmos" Gundstaff directed to the Guardian.
The Guardian smiled back widely.
"I had. But, Angel called me back, and just in time as well it seems. Something's happening Gundstaff and I need to leave Angel and her friend in your care while I find out more"
Gundstaff gave a single nod and replied with an easy 'Anything you need'
"Whatever is going on, it seems to have you on edge" the giant commented cautiously "May I inquire as to the nature of your quest?"
Arygyn shook his head gravely.
"It would be best not to jump to conclusions. I'll explain everything when I return" the shifter said
"And how long will that be?" Angel asked, a stiff sound to her voice.
"I don't know" Arygyn told her plainly.
In a flash of orange light, Arygyn transformed back into his bird form. He hovered for a moment in front of Angel's gaze with a bird like grin, that actually reassured the tension in her nerves. Then, with a strong beat of his wings, he glided away into the clouds.
The small gust of air that his wings had provided reminded her of something that she'd thought of not long ago.
Gundstaff stood to his full height and allowed the girl and the Blizzarian entrance to his home.
"Do not worry" he told them "I will do my best to provide adequate living spaces for the both of you"
"I don't think that's what were worried about" Digger commented as he walked, his gaze lingering on Angel as she walked ahead of him rigidly.
Gundstaff seemed to understand what the other was meaning. He obviously had fantastic eyesight to be able to recognise the look on her face, since she was about the size of a small mouse to him.
"That look, you mother used to have it too. What are you thinking?"
Angel halted her pace, her gaze becoming hard as she stared down at the giant floor tiles.
"Something's coming…I can feel it" she told them "Something worse than war, I think"
"What do you think?" Gundstaff encouraged.
Angels gaze never shifted.
She breathed in and rattled out a sigh before answering him.
"Obliteration"
It took Arygyn three days of solid flying to reach the mountains that bordered the Atmos.
Before flying over them, he ducked down below the clouds to a secret known to only a select few.
Angel and Digger stayed in hiding with Gundstaff for a week.
Within that time, aside from the occasional drop in borrowing or purchasing crystals, her giant God-Father told her more about her past and Digger began to teach her how to defend herself without using her powers.
He was different than how she remembered. He still had that rebel streak in him, but it was far more sedate now, as if he realised that there was more danger in their situation than either of them had anticipated.
It had been a long time since she'd seen any sign of a Cyclonian, in fact she thought she would've seen more of them being with the Storm Hawks than she did here. So, when three of them turned up at the door and Gundstaff told her to hide, neither she nor Digger objected.
She was still officially on the run from Cyclonia and her sister, and didn't need to be found now, not when things were beginning to get interesting.
It disturbed and intrigued her that her God-Father would be dealing with Cyclonians, but he explained that it was a forced arrangement.
Much else of what he told her was just about her childhood, seeing as Arygyn and Cyclonis had told her most of the important details already.
"It's a shame your brother had to stay with that wretch who called himself your father" her God-Father stated absently one day.
That was the day she found out Aerrow was her brother.