“Oh.”
The Allmaker disappeared, leaving the six Guardians all looking rather disorientated. They’d been taken to a small castle on the southern pole of the small universe, been told to keep guard and keep look out, and then quite obviously abandoned. They could have left this tiny outpost if they needed to, but the only way back was via flying a long distance across the universe, or calling Kinisis and asking her to pick them up.
“So this is it? We are just on guard duty from now on?”
Out of the six of them, Phovos by far looked the most upset. She’d been Kinisis’s ‘right-hand woman’ for ages, doing anything and everything Kinisis needed. Phovos even partially looked like Kinisis, acting as a body double in dangerous times. Yet here she was, stranded on this southern outpost. Alongside five beings she had little in common with, aside from being Kinisis’s other guardians.
“Seems like it!” Tahnahos, the little, four-eyed Kronospast, flapped his wings as he headed inside the castle. Aside from being a castle made of opaque crystal, the place wasn’t actually that special. It mostly consisted of one central lookout tower and a living space just about big enough for the six beings. A kitchen, dining area, living room, bathroom and six bedrooms, each one tailored to each Guardian, taking into account their different sizes and former races.
Phovos watched the other Guardians all follow Tahnahos, then snarled. “You all just going to… let this happen?”
“You got any other suggestions, dear?” Tahnahos smiled, immediately going to the kitchen and checking the cupboards. They were filled to the brim, twelve total, two for each Guardian. Tahnahos quickly found his own cupboards, both stuffed with various confectionery treats.
“No but… but…” Phovos stuttered, then nearly jumped as she felt a cold hand on her shoulder. Akah, the Lanex Guardian and probably the strangest-looking of the group, was nudging her to go inside. “Akah, leave me be.”
“It is cold out here, Phovos. You standing there does nothing for anyone.”
“But…” Phovos continued to stutter. “You can’t all be fine with… just being LEFT here?”
Akah shook his head, his strange, metallic mask clicking slightly. He and Phovos were the odd ones out of the group. Relkir, Teekay and Tahvra were all Panvok beings, armoured in plastic-like chitin. Tahnahos was a Kronospast, an unrelated species but still looking similar. Phovos though was a furry reptilian being with mammalian parts, and Akah could have best been described as a thropic, ‘humanoid’ and robotic being with some squishy parts in his joints and underneath his armour.
“I am not fine with it, but we are clearly being catered for. This is clearly just temporary, and Kinisis may have a better use for us later.”
“MAY?” Phovos snapped. “I’m supposed to be by her side at all times! I’m her protector! I shouldn’t be down here with you lot!”
“Gee, thanks…” Teekay grunted as he sat down on one of the sofas. “Act as if we’re worthless, how kind of you. Maybe it’s that thinking that got you stuck here with us in the first place? You know, three out of three beings who piloted her ship? Alright, sure, Relkir’s kinda useless, but we all had our uses. No offence, Relkir.”
Relkir, the heavily armoured (yet somehow winged) Rethavok, simply shrugged. “No offence taken. I was of the opinion that this was some sort of reward anyway. A stress-free job with no major duties and low risk, as a thank you for what we have done for Kinisis, and while she works on her new project.”
Phovos paused. “A… reward?”
“Yes.”
“For… being good at our jobs?”
“Also yes.”
The Raptor fell silent, then sighed. “Sorry. I got carried away. Didn’t mean to imply that you were all useless.”
“It is fine!” Akah laughed, once again trying to lead Phovos inside. “As the squishier beings among us would say, we just need to go with the flow.”
“Except I’m…” Phovos tutted. “I’m the squishiest being here.”
“Then you should be the most go-iest of the flow-iest of us all!”