He Came From Under the School

“Oooh, I dunno if we have tinned potatoes in stock, though,” Junie rubbed her chin in thought,

“Look! I don’t care about tinned potatoes!” I cried, “I just want to know if you sell bus tickets!”

I was in the school theatre with some of my friends, rehearsing for a play for Matinee- an extra curricular drama activity at school. Our supervisor was able to reserve the theatre for just one rehearsal for our play during lunchtime. This time during the term it was difficult to book the theatre, what with the year 12 production coming soon,

“Oh, bus tickets!” Taryn came on stage, “Yes! We have those!”

I always wondered about this theatre. I don’t know if something…or someone was haunting it but every time I stepped inside, greeted by the warm air-con air, I always felt a presence. And it was always strongest where I was standing on stage right now. It was as if at any time, a hand would suddenly be placed on my shoulder, rapping its skeletal fingers on my skin. The very thought gave me goosebumps.

“Someone actually understands me!” I sighed, needing to be frustrated here; on the verge of wanting to claw my eyes out with a silly straw,

“What flavour would you like?”

Sometimes I imagined myself in one of those archaeologist outfits, exploring the undergrounds of my school. A rock or two would suddenly fall and cause me to jump but I would continue to follow the ancient tunnel one of the men had discovered earlier. Suddenly, my flashlight would illuminate a huge cavern. Its walls were covered in crude paintings of coloured chalk and mud and the crystals above would give the cavern an eerie blue glow. It was an ancient burial ground…

Okay, I might be exaggerating a little but what’s a thought without a bit of fun? It would be a tht. Yep, a tht, not a thought. It doesn’t even deserve an “ough” in it. Anyway, this presence would still creep me out. I’d been attending this school for 3 years and one would think it would be long enough for someone to forget about it.

“Flav…?!” my eye twitched and I began to stomp around angrily on stage, “I NEED A BUS TICKET! I don’t care about some tinned legumes and I certainly don’t want to eat my only ticket home!!! I…JUST…NEED…A-”

I stopped. The ground began to shake, softly at first; probably as I started blasting off at Junie and Taryn and then the tremors grew violent,

“What’s happening?!” Junie cried,

“Let’s get out of here! Quick!” Taryn said quickly as we saw the huge speaker hanging from the ceiling sway worryingly.

We ran out, hearing what seemed to be cracking floorboards behind us- the stage was collapsing but we didn’t look back. The theatre was inside a larger building- the theatre wasn’t that big- and we ran out of there too, seeing the metal stair rails shudder. People were running and panicking out of the building but the rest of the school seemed unaffected. A crowd soon formed and watched curiously at the shaking building in front of them. Junie, Taryn and I stood back from the building but kept just a little bit away from the crowd.

The building’s roof exploded open. Desks, chairs, paper flew everywhere from the classrooms that used to be there. Everyone gasped, some screaming, as something began to emerge from the forced opening of the building. I stood there with Junie and Taryn clinging on to my shoulders from behind, shaking uncontrollably. It was kind of funny because I was the shortest out of our friends and had not seem to have grown since year 8…and that was three years ago.

Something did emerge from the building. It…it was a hand! I huge…gigantastic hand! I don’t even know if that’s even a word, but it was massive! It tore through the rest of the roof and crushed down on the sides of the building, flattening everything from metal to plaster with ease. The great fingers pressed down onto the ground, into the bricks, grabbing hold as another huge hand emerged. The muscular arms tensed and rose as it lifted the rest of its body. I heard the crowd back away now but I stood my ground- Junie and Taryn were to terrified to move.

Up rose golden brown waves of hair; huge waves, thick and shining under the early afternoon sun. The head stayed down as the body rose and revealed itself. Whatever this thing was, it was definitely humanoid…a muscular humanoid. The chest was clean and hard and the abdomen was a nicely toned six-pack. Around the waist was a loincloth that hung down to its knees. It was black and adorned with red edges. The giant lifted one leg up onto the surface, his- I concluded it to be male- massive foot crushing the flimsy bricks struggled to hold his weight. The crowd was panicking, some running away, screaming, including teachers and some of the more ‘robust’ students. Still I stayed there, glued to the spot, both frightened and amazed.

The giant slowly rose as if he were adjusting to standing back up again. The remainder of the crown kept tilting their heads back to meet with the giant’s face. This guy was HUGE! There were big buildings in the city but this guy…this guy was a building of his own! He lifted his chin from his chest so his eyes met with the tiny creatures below him. He scanned the remaining people…okay, now it was only down to me, Junie and Taryn. Junie looked as if she was going to faint, pale and shaking uncontrollably. Taryn was whimpering as the giant’s piercing, pale green eyes locked onto us,

“Nette!” she squeaked to me, “I-I can’t move!”

We wanted to. Dear lord, we wanted to but we couldn’t! The giant knelt down on one knee, one arm on his risen leg,

“Who of you have awakened me from my slumber?”

His voice was soft, low and gentle, something I didn’t expect at all. We looked at each other, having no idea what he meant. He waited patiently for an answer from any of us. Junie and Taryn both looked to me. My eyes widened worriedly and they nodded (sometimes words are not needed to communicate between close friends). I swallowed all my fear- well, some of it- and looked up at the giant,

“Um…wha-what do you mean?”

“I have slept for countless years, buried deep within the earth. Who of you have awakened me?” he asked again.

Now I knew what he meant, and so did Junie and Taryn. It would be cowardly and inconceivable of me to point to my friends, and I didn’t like to lie, so…

“…I-I did,”

Easy.

The giant gave a single, slow nod and focused on me. His eyes stared down at me and stayed there like a wolf’s on a rabbit. Slowly, I backed away along with Junie and Taryn, not taking our own eyes off of him. The giant did not change his blank expression as he asked,

“Why are you frightened?” his voice was so gentle, “I mean you no harm,”

At that, Junie and Taryn ran screaming their heads off. I was alone with this giant, staring up at his towering form. But I wasn’t as frightened as before. I took a few cautious steps forward, biting my lips together. My mouth shaped between a smile and a horizontal line. He watched as my friends ran away then looked down at me, looking baffled although his face still hadn’t changed- I could just tell,

“No one’s used to seeing someone so big,” I told him, “You’re not offended are you?”

My heart was pounding, worried and wondering if he was some kind of ruler in his time; if his patience was paper-thin or if he was quite tolerant. The giant gave that single nod again, fortunately understanding what I meant and how everyone would have felt,

“No, I am not offended,”

I sighed on the inside. He just stayed there silently, looking down at me with those pale green eyes. It was awkward. What was I supposed to say to a giant? One who had suddenly emerged from the earth in a…*ahem*, loincloth. I lifted my sleeves, up until my elbow, and folded my arms,

“I’m Wynette,” I began, “Nette if you want. Er…nice to meet you?”

The giant gave a small, polite bow of his head with a hand by his chest,

“Tyreden,” he replied plainly, “It is a pleasure to meet you,”

Now what? I looked around. There was no one else but me and Tyreden…so what do you say to a giant?

Suddenly, I heard sirens blaring. Flashing lights surrounded the whole place- blue, red and white. The police were here! So was the army with their tanks and heavy artillery, and even the SWAT team! But I don’t think Australia has a SWAT team…

“Stay right where you are!” I heard a voice through a mega-phone, “Stand up slowly and release the hostage!”

Hostage? Tyreden looked about and stood back up to his full height. Right up close was really intimidating and it didn’t help that he looked very annoyed…

“Little one,” I heard presently.

I rubbed my eyes and shook my head- I was imagining again. I opened my eyes and jumped back in shock. I held my winter skirt down as I fell back onto a soft surface. I met directly with a huge face and familiar green eyes looking down at me softly, nowhere near looking annoyed,

“Are you alright?” Tyreden asked, raising a brow.

“Y-Yes! Of course!” I replied immediately, my heart thundering, “Don’t scare me like that!”

At that point, I knew my fears about Tyreden were beginning to fade. I didn’t snap at him or anything; I actually gave a little laugh when I said it, and that was a definite sign that I was feeling more confident around him. It was then I realised then that he had just picked me up…

“My apologies,” he gave a very, very small smile- small but nice,

“No, no. You’re ‘right,” I always responded when I felt something needed no apology.

As he allowed me to recover, I felt him stand up. A feeling of vertigo came over me in my stomach as he rose to his full height- for real this time. My eyes widened and I scuttled over to an edge of his massive hand to peek over the side. I must have been hundreds of feet high off the ground! Thousands! Okay, maybe not thousands. I flipped back around to lean back on one of his fingers. Oh geez, his fingers! They were massive! I was probably only as big as his little finger!

I felt so small at that moment, although if I said that to my friends they’d probably point out how small I already was (frankly, I’d rather the word petite). I was 5’3” in total and being held by this whopping great giant wouldn’t exactly make anyone feel taller. Tyreden offered to help me back up onto my feet, holding out a finger to me. I placed a hand on his fingertip and found my balance on the softness that was his palm,

“Thanks, Tyreden,” I folded my arms again and looked up at him, a little serious now, “Now, I think we need to find you somewhere to stay,”

It sounded a lot easier than what it really was. Adelaide wasn’t exactly the largest city in Australia nor the most spacious. I mentally scanned what I already knew of Adelaide from living here for 8 years of my life here.

The city was right out, no questions asked, but it would have been too late now. Over 1000 people had seen him now and it would be a matter of seconds until everyone in Adelaide knew about Tyreden. I sighed and blew a raspberry,

“Where can you go?!” I growled, “The media and probably the whole army’ll surround you,”

“The media?” Tyreden said curiously, “What is the media?”

It wasn’t the best time to explain things in the present it the moment but who would pass up the opportunity to talk to giant?

“Well, they’re kind of like this…this group who inform people about current events- usually important ones and even around the world. Please, Tyreden, we need to find some place where you can stay,” I reminded him,

“Of course,” he nodded.

But it was too late. My daydream had come true, well most of it. Sirens blared and lights whirled. I was almost 200-feet up in the air so they were kind of hard to miss. I groaned worriedly, watching as armed policemen and women raced through the school’s front gates and took aim at my new friend. The army came marching in, taking aim as well. Tyreden turned to face and look down at them. I peeked over his hand, seeing reporters and camera-people trying to push through the barrier of police at the front gates,

“Stay where you are!” I heard a commander cry through her megaphone, sounding quite nervous, “Do not move or we will fire! Who are you?”

It must have been one powerful megaphone for me to be able to hear what she was saying. I groaned, pulling down my face in disbelief. How was this happening to me? I shook my head and slammed it down on Tryden’s palm flesh,

“Who are you?” the commander asked,

“I am Tyreden Madarough,” Tyreden replied, “I do not wish harm upon anyone here, I assure you,”

“What are you holding?”

“Tyreden! Don’t tell them you’re holding someone! They’ll go nuts!” I whispered sharply, “I’m not here and you won’t get into anymore trouble!”

I really didn’t want to sound bossy, especially to someone new and 20 times bigger than me, but I had no choice. Having been asked about what the media was immediately told me Tyreden’s knowledge of the present day.

“I hold nothing,” he began to move his fingers, throwing me off a little- it was a like a giant self-massaging bed, “I wish to exercise my fingers after staying idle for years on end,”

“What are you talking about? Years on end?”

One of the commander’s subordinates approached her and they began to converse. I couldn’t hear them but I hoped that they wouldn’t suddenly order everyone to fire on Tyreden. I wasn’t so much concerned about him; I was more concerned about the people below him. I’m sure it would take a little more than bullets to stop a giant.

The two broke away and the commander held her megaphone to her mouth again,

“Look, er, Tyreden,” she began, shifting her glances between the destroyed building and Tyreden every so often, “We’ll just leave now and…er…we’ve sent for some other people to come here. Just don’t move and just wait for them, alright?”

I sighed as the people below began to leave. But that was way too easy. Why did they let him off so easily? I looked to the school building. Its roof was completely gone, having been either flattened by Tyreden’s hands or broken away to make room from his emergence. He was one massive guy. I wondered why the commander kept looking to the building. All it held were classrooms, a teachers’ workroom, computer rooms…and the main labs.

It hit me then.

The labs! They thought he was part of a science experiment gone wrong! I don’t know what they thought. Maybe some explosion or leakage of some gas or liquid. Maybe something he drank? And a side effect was massive growth side and memory loss. I laughed and shook my head. They thought that could happen at a school!?

“Might I ask what you find humorous, Nette?” Tyreden asked with an eyebrow raised curiously.

I sat up and sighed. My hands were so sweaty from before that I wiped them on my jumper,

“No, don’t worry. Personal joke,”

“I see. Well, would you happen to know what ‘people’ the dear woman had mentioned?”

“What?” my eyes took up the space my amused smile would have taken up,

“She had said that they had ‘sent for some other people to come here’,” Tyreden said.

Oh no.

I had an idea of who those ‘other people’ were. If they thought it was a science experiment that had made Tyreden huge then they would ‘simply return him to normal’ with another science experiment. With that as their logic, who else would they send? No doubt that some know-it-all scientists who think everything can be solved with formulas and test tubes would turn up in their know-it-all vans and tell Tyreden in a know-it-all voice that he would need to go with them,

“Nette?” Tyreden frowned, looking concerned, “Are you alright?”

I sharply turned my head up to him, standing back up as I told him that he really needed to get him away from those science freaks. But where was he going to go??? It was so frustrating! Maybe he could go back to where he came from…but now that he was awake, nothing would stop him from coming back up if he wanted to have a nice little stroll around Adelaide.

I wished it was easy for everyone to accept him, trusting that he wouldn’t go on a bloodlust rampage around the city, but it wasn’t. There would be no stopping him if he wanted to crush me between his fingers right then and there. Such a thought didn’t leave my mind while I stayed in his hand where his mere fingers managing to tower over me. Still, I was pretty sure he could be trusted.

I finally sighed. Tyreden waited patiently for what I had to say,

“I guess…” I was hesitant, “…um…I guess my house won’t be too bad,”

“Your home will be able to cope with my size?”

“Well, you won’t be able to go inside but I guess it will only be temporary,”

Now that everyone knew about his presence, I guessed it was kind of redundant to try to hide him in the hills or something. But if it bought some time for him to better himself about is surroundings, then it would be great,

“So what do you think? To you, it won’t be very far,”

Tyreden nodded in agreement.

I lived in a quiet and solitary suburb; it was virtually perfect to keep Tyreden from prying the eyes of the public, and especially those scientists. Barely anyone knew where it was and many of the residents were old and senile so if they saw him, they’d think he was a really big gumtree or something (yeah, a walking tree). They were really secretive though so even if they managed to see what he really was, they would keep to themselves, feeling that it was none of their business. Gumtrees and banksias lined and shaded the streets of our maze-like suburb, their leaves dancing in the wind and dropping their seed-like fruits.

Tyreden managed to step over two-storey houses and so we were reached my house in less than 2 minutes. The gumtrees looked like scrubs from up in his hand and I was really impressed that he hadn’t stepped on anything- or anyone for that matter- since we left the school. The roads hadn’t managed to hold his weight though and so there were footprints in the middle of the roads, and maybe a few front yards.

I pointed out where I lived to him. He stopped at a Californian bungalow-style house made of red brick. From the reed fence (a unique style found commonly in Adelaide), next to the drive way, a brick path led to a small flight of stairs. The path went through our lawn and led you up to two thick, white pillars that held up the polished wooden veranda. Tyreden lowered me down right beside the stairs. I hopped off and wondered how I would be able to explain this to Mum. Dad was overseas for a few months so I needed to endure just one storm…for now,

“Just stay here, okay?” I requested of him,

“I am in no rush, Nette,” he gave that little smile that was barely visible.

I was beginning to think he had never learned to smile before, or maybe his face was a bit numb. Still, it was just like the small, small smile he had made- small, but nice.

I fished the keys out of my pocket and was about to stick it into the lock when it suddenly opened into my face,

“GAH! Ow!” I rubbed my nose, “…MUM!” I jumped.

“I was wondering why it got so dark all of a sudden,” she replied, “I just thought we just need some sun in the house- saves power!”

She was always one for conserving energy and economising, and she was good at it too. I was taller than Mum, as with many children with their mothers, but I was scared of her if she got angry. She was a scary woman when she was angry. She was usually patient though so that was okay, and now I needed to see if she would stay patient after what I was going to tell her,

“Um…Mum?”

“Ano?” that meant ‘what?’ in tagalog,

“I brought a guest,”

“Oh, that’s nice. From school?”

“You could say that. Have you seen the news?”

“No, I was cleaning the house,”

Of course she was cleaning the house. She always did,

“Well…well, just come with me,”

I took her hand and led her to Tyreden, keeping quiet with my heart pounding like a jackhammer with nervousness. She mentioned how dark it was getting already and asked me if I could bring in the clothes later, well, she was about to ask. Her mouth hung open in the wind as she met with Tyreden’s crouching, towering form,

“This is Tyreden,” I said, or rather, squeaked out.

Tyreden bowed his head courteously to my Mum as he did with me back at the school. As Mum stood there in silent shock, I explained to her quickly what had happened at school and then when the police came and then how they let him off but they had sent some scientists to collect him…

“But I’m not going to let them do that because they’ll experiment on him in so many different ways and then they’ll probably fry his brain while they try to get his memory back, but Tyreden knows who he is because he’s an actual giant (I found that out as he and I spoke on the way here),” I took in a breath, “So…Mum…he needs someplace where they won’t be able to find him easily,”

“Nette has been very thoughtful, madam,” Tyreden said, lifting my hand with a finger, “I would be grateful if you allowed me to stay here for a while,”

We both looked at Mum. She had managed to close her gaping mouth and just stood there silently. I held Tyreden’s big finger nervously; I was actually massaging the tip since I always rubbed my hands when I was nervous- it was a subconscious thing. Mum gave a deep, deep sigh. I swallowed and she turned to look at me. Her face was very serious,

“Wynette…my only problem…” she said slowly, keeping me in suspense, “…is that he won’t be able to join us at the table if there’s going to be another mouth for me to feed,”

“Does that mean he can stay?” I asked happily,

“Sige na! (okay, fine!) If you promise that you’ll give him some pants or something,”

I blushed with embarrassment, lowering my head down to hide the smile. I had to stifle my laughter until Mum headed back into the house, humming some old song she had to sing when she was younger. Tyreden tapped my shoulder and I looked up,

“Nette, I do not need to eat,”

I ran straight into the house. Mum was a mother and she would cook and cook until she thought the food amount was adequate. If she cooked a lot for just a normal person, imagine how much food she would cook for a giant…

Luckily, we had a VERY big backyard. Our house wasn’t at all big- it didn’t need to be for just me and Mum. Yes, Dad counts but he was overseas most of the time. And I had a brother, but he was married and living in America with his own family. The backyard made up for the space the house didn’t take up. Tyreden stayed there but was there enough room for him? There was nothing worse than to commit to something and then realise that you won’t be able to accomplish it.

I decided to go out and keep him company after dinner. It was dark but who would be scared with a 200-foot giant in the backyard?

“How’re you doing, Tyreden?”

“I am fine, Nette, thank you,” Tyreden lowered his hand down for me,

I just placed my hands on his palm and leaned forward,

“Okay, I just wanted to make sure you’ll be alright for the night,” his hand was still so warm,

“Yes, I will be fine,” he gave that small, small smile of his.

“Alright then,” I nodded and straightened myself up again, “Have a good night, Tyreden,”

He nodded and greeted me a good night back as I headed back inside. As I hopped into bed, I felt a warm blush on my cheeks. I tried to rub the pink hue off my cheeks, not used to the feeling of the blush that wasn’t made from embarrassment. I think it was that smile of his…

I woke and found myself lying on a cold, bumpy surface. My eyes flickered open and I stared up at a metal ceiling decorated with small domes, kind of like the tale I was lying on. What was I doing on a table??? I shot up and looked around desperately. Only a towel covered my body, wrapped around me as if I had just had a shower. Where was I?

I heard a humming, humming and whirring, but the room was completely empty. I shivered with cold and uneasiness as I sat there on the table alone in that metal room. I suddenly saw a window, or maybe it was a one two-way mirror. It was like liquid as it seemed to seep out from the wall and create a large rectangle which I could look through to the other side. I ran over, taking it as a sign, and gasped.

Tyreden’s massive form lay down on the metal floor with machines and mechanical arms probing and sawing at his body. I could see fresh blood on his skin as one of the mecha-arms lifted the cut skin from the flesh. Probes and other weird machines dove right into his insides. I felt like I was going to be sick…and what was worse…Tyreden seemed to allow the machines to do it…

I shot straight up, throwing my blanket off my bed and to the other side of the room. My heart was racing within my chest and I was panting hard. I stared into the creamy-white wall as I recovered. I was shaking so badly, unconsciously returning to the images from my dream. With my arms and legs still shaking, I ran out back, practically kicking down every door I had to open.

Tyreden looked down at me in surprise- a straight face and slightly wider eyes than normal. He tilted his head to the side curiously,

“Is there something wrong, my friend?” he asked with concern.

He was still there! Thank God he was still there! I sighed, my heart beating faster than before with relief. I shook my head at his question,

“It’s alright. I’m okay. I just…had a dream is all,”

I swallowed and leaned back on the wall, yawning all of a sudden. I felt Tyreden’s gently scratch my head comfortingly,

“Did you sleep well at least?” I asked,

“I do not sleep, Nette,” he replied,

“You don't- ”

Suddenly, I heard the sound of familiar sound of sirens. I straightened immediately as I saw Tyreden craning his neck over and then seemed to follow something. He stopped, looking right at our front yard. I whipped around and rant to the drive way, the outdoor path that led from the front and directly to the back.

Hundreds of police cars stopped in front of our house along with a limousine (I guess it was a matter of time until they found Tyreden anyway). The police car doors opened simultaneously and out ran hundreds of armed policemen and women. I backed away, bumping into the knee of Tyreden’s kneeling leg. I heard rifles cock and were raised, aimed at Tyreden. I looked up at him again- his expression was calm and quiet.

The limousine driver jumped out and opened the passenger’s door (whoever it was). My eyes widened as I caught site of familiar eyebrows and thick glasses- it was the Prime Minister. His bodyguards walked beside and behind him as he approached Tyreden and me. They weaved through the rows of police who refused to move, looking like the Terracotta Warriors of China. The Prime Minister stopped and looked up at Tyreden.

“I’d like to welcome you, young man…” he began, ignoring me completely, “…as a guest to our country of Australia (Tyreden kept quiet). I’ll make a national announcement of your welcome so expect some cameras here,”

“Does that mean that the people will not fear me?”

“It’s guaranteed,” the PM nodded, “Now I would like to present you with these (four large trucks rumbled, stopping near the house) so you would look a little more decent, not wanting to sound rude,”

I only raised a brow, frowning as the trucks were unloaded- they looked like clothing! Someone’s generous, I thought. Tyreden took them into his arms and gave a small, single nod,

“I thank you,”

“If you need anything else to suit yourself, feel free to call this number,”

He handed me a calling card for some woman and her clothing company. With that, the PM turned and headed back to his limo along with his bodyguards. The trucks drove off first, followed by the PM’s limo and only after that did the police begin to clear.

It was such a scare and it all happened in the morning. It was such a great start to the day… I had a warm, refreshing shower as I left Tyreden to try his new ‘ensemble’. I slipped into my jeans and a jacket, along with my scarf of course, and made myself a bowl of cereal. Mum was still asleep, snoring soundly in her room. I wasn’t surprised that those sirens hadn’t woken up- her snores could drown out the screams of an angry monkey.

It was only Wednesday but after that incident yesterday, I doubted that the school would be open for a few days, probably weeks. I began to think about my dream. Was it a sign perhaps? There weren’t any scientists out in the driveway, so maybe not. Maybe it was because I was thinking about something similar yesterday, it was a larger possibility. Or maybe it was an alarm so that I’d wake up before those sirens woke me up.

I washed off my bowl and headed out back again. I found Tyreden at his full height, looking at himself in his new clothes. The shirt, jeans and shoes fitted him perfectly and he seemed pretty happy with them. In my opinion, he looked much more casual now- a much better look than that loincloth of his,

“They are pieces I have never tried before, Nette,” he said, “I feel strange,”

“No, you look good!” I laughed, “Blue really suits you and now people won’t feel cold when they see you now, and soon that will be everyone in Australia,”

To cut a long story short, the PM’s announcement brought attention to Tyreden’s presence, of course, and just like he had said, no one really feared him anymore. He could now walk through the streets if he wished without having to hear screams of terror as he passed by. The roads were also strengthened so that they wouldn’t crack under his weight.

After hearing the PM’s speech, though, I had a feeling he and the government were up to something. There was something I felt was wrong. Why did they accept him into society so easily? Sure I was happy that people actually accepted him but I thought something was being hidden from the public, and Tyreden especially.

I stayed with Tyreden all the time, the both of us enjoying each other’s company. We went though interviews, the both of us, and were even invited to exclusive nightclubs and such- we didn’t really care about those though. No one hassled us except for interviews; I think the people were still a little scared of him. Who could blame them? His eyes were a little frightening and it seemed I was the only one who liked them.

One night, after Tyreden had just finished another interview, I went up to him; I wanted to ask him something. He lowered his hand down silently and I hopped on, finding my balance (I felt like I wouldn’t forget the feeling of being in his hand- so soft and squishy and warm- it was, well, nice). I guess he wanted to talk too,

“I thank you again for being with me this whole time,” he began, “I am glad to have you as a friend,”

I shook my head, patting his hand and smiled my own unique smile. It wasn’t sweet nor was it a kind of grin or smirk; it was just my smile (I don’t know how to describe it but I thought that everyone had their own unique smile, a smile that only belonged to them and no one else),

“You’re very welcome…” I hesitated to say what I was going to ask, “Um…Tyreden?” Pause…

“Yes?”

“Um…it’s just been so busy lately that this has always slipped my mind…” Pause…

“Go on…” he urged me,

“Well…” I swallowed, “You mentioned that you were asleep for years…well…who did it?”

He stared at me with those pale green eyes of his. They seemed to glow in the darkness and there was something about them I couldn’t take my own eyes off. I still hadn’t figured it out yet. He gave me that smile of his and nodded.

===Tyreden's Story===

“I do not know how long ago it was but unlike the present day, there lived both giants and humans. They lived together on the lands; quarrel or no quarrel, it was considered normal. From above We were able to observe the actions of anyone, be they giant or human. Depending on the land, there could be only one of Us, or as many as fifty to keep watch and keep order.

I was suddenly assigned to this land, what you call ‘Australia’, and I was shocked to see what was happening. The giants were finding amusement in terrorising their smaller companions. This is what We would never tolerate and it was necessary to stop such actions. I did so and descended…ready to battle…

I knew still and still do not know how the giants came to be so violent; they had refused to live with the humans; they were stubborn and they did not wish to listen to reason. I did not wish for it to reach extremes but I had to…I destroyed every one of the giants. Only humans inhabited the land now. But the battle had beaten and exhausted me. I did not have enough energy to ascend but the humans, grateful, wanted to help me. They brought me their wisest ones and they put me to sleep…”

===Back to Nette===

“And so they buried you?” I asked,

“Yes, I believe so,” Tyreden nodded.

I frowned, thinking back about what he had said. There were a few words that caught my attention…

“Tyreden…what do you mean you descended, and you didn’t have the energy to ascend?”

I knew that he wasn’t just a giant. He was always warm, he didn’t eat, he didn’t sleep, and he was never violent even with dozens of rifles loaded and aimed at him. I always felt good around him, like a warm and fuzzy feeling, and he could always make me happy even if he didn’t do anything. I noticed that it also applied to others, like the interviewers and visitors.

My heart was pounding with suspense. I needed to know if my thought was right,

“Yes…I descended from the Heavens,” he nodded, “If you would like, I can show you…”

I could only nod; I was speechless. He lowered me down and took off his shirt. I couldn’t keep my eyes off his eyes as he stood to his full height. I still wasn’t used to his 200-foot figure and always felt like he would step on me if he forgot where I was. He doubled over to be in agony once he stood,

“Tyreden! Are you alright?” I cried,

“Yes…” he panted, “I am fine…it is just that I have not released them in years,”

I suddenly heard something sickening, like crunching mixed with squelching. My eyes widened as two white things emerged from Tyreden’s back. They came out slowly, painfully, until Tyreden gave a single forceful grunt and stood upright. Two huge, white wings presented themselves from his back, folded as they rested. Tyreden looked as if it had never happened and stood there, rolling his shoulders as a warm up.

He looked down at me, still towering over everything around him. His shadow made it colder than it already was and I couldn’t help but shiver. I hugged myself, trying to keep warm, until Tyreden wrapped his great big fingers around me. They were so warm and so gentle as he picked me up. He kept his fingers slightly curled around me as I stood on his other hand. I looked up at his handsome face and into those eyes…

An angel. My giant friend was a celestial being from Heaven! But…I felt sad…

He suddenly lifted me up to lips and gently kissed me on my cheek. I gave a gasp in surprise and felt my face getting warmer and warmer. It was the same blush I had the first night he came here and so I knew my face had to be as pink as a marshmallow,

“Tyreden…!”

“I wish to thank you one final time, my friend,” he smiled softly, “Before I ascend into the Heavens again,”

I had known and been with him for only a few days…and already he had to leave… I could only hold my hand to my cheek as he lowered me back down to the ground. I stepped off his great hand and looked straight ahead of me. I didn’t know what to do during a time like that; I had never encountered it before. I felt his fingertip gently raise my chin up to look up at him,

“Thank you, Nette…”

He stood up straight and his wings spread out. I heard the trees they hit crack at such force and I was sure some of them actually fell down. Tyreden readied himself, his wings beginning to flap and create an amazing gust. In a single move, he flew straight up…

He went so fast…it was probably only a second before he completely disappeared from sight…

“Nette!”

A loud voice snapped me out of my trance. I looked up and saw Tyreden’s face- he looked concerned. It was only a daydream! I slapped my hand onto my forehead and shook my head in disbelief. I let a dream take over for reality again!

“I’m sorry, Tyreden!” I dragged my face down with my hands, “I blanked out again!”

He merely smiled, giving a tiny chuckle as well. He lowered his hand down a little farther from his face so that I looked up at him at his chest level. It was then I noticed that he had withdrawn his wings and it seemed that he wasn’t going to go anywhere anytime soon- I was relieved about that,

“You worry me at times, my friend,” he said, scratching my head with a finger, “I can never tell with that blank expression on your face what you are feeling,”

“I’m sorry,” I laughed, “It’s a habit I’ve been meaning to break. I was just imagining again,”

“What about?”

I whipped my head around to face a nearby tree. Its leaves had rustled even without any wind. There was nothing on its branches but I swore I had heard something,

“Er…n-nothing. It’s not that important,” I replied as a bad feeling churned in my stomach…

A few more days passed and eventually everyone treated Tyreden like a friend. He would walk by on one of is city strolls and he would be greeted ‘hello’ or ‘good morning’ by people on the streets. Sometimes people would stick their heads out their office building windows or hop out onto their hotel room balcony to try to have a conversation with him. Tyreden would greet them back with a ‘hello’ and apologise that he couldn’t stay long. I know this because I sat there, perched on his shoulder when he walked.

He had to watch where he stepped all the time though. He always had to make sure the path in front of him was clear before he could take a step- fortunately because of this he didn’t step on anyone. And he was so big that he had to make sure that he wouldn’t damage the buildings. He could easily damage an office building just by chipping his shoulder on a corner. Poor guy. He couldn’t really enjoy his strolls with all these things to worry about but he said that he didn’t mind.

No one else seemed to mind either. He didn’t cause any traffic jams- having to merely step over cars to get anywhere- and he was always able to help with rescues from any fires or even stop thefts. He really was a Godsend, and I wasn’t considering the fact that he was an angel. But he didn’t always help…and I wondered why…

He lay down, relaxed, on one of the huge grassy areas of the Botanical Gardens. With his hands behind his head and his long legs spread out in front of him, he stared up at the blue sky. I lay on his chest, reading a book, and loved it as his chest rose and fell, rose and fell as he breathed. Water from a nearby fountain sounded like the trickling of a creek as water hit water. Apart from that and a few birds twittering about, it was quiet in the Gardens.

It was a warmer day than usual too and I had yawned a significant amount of times before my eyes grew heavy. I was so relaxed and with Tyreden with me, I closed my eyes and rested my head on my folded hands. Presently, I felt a familiar warmth on top of me. A gentle finger stoked my hair and I snuggled into the owner’s shirt. Tyreden’s hand suddenly grew heavy on me but didn’t push down any further. I was about to open my eyes to see what was the matter when I felt a sudden sting on my leg.

I blacked out…

I was lying on something cold; something metallic and bumpy. My eyes opened but all I could see was blurry white orbs. This seemed very familiar. My leg was aching as if I had just received an injection the day before. I sat up and felt an immediate chill everywhere. Rubbing my eyes, I definitely felt something that was familiar about my current situation. When I opened them and I sat up, I knew why.

I sat on a cold, metal table; I was alone in a room with a ceiling that had the same metal, bumpy design as the table I was on; and mechanical whirring sounded throughout the walls of the room. Luckily though, I still had my clothes. I was frightened and freaked out that my dream had actually come true; not only was I kidnapped but now my déjà vu had reached an extreme! And then I then remembered what happened next…

“Tyreden!!!”

I hopped off the table, forgetting completely about the pain in my leg and landed heavily on both. I searched for the window- the window in my dream- but one part of me didn’t really want to find it. If this really was my dream coming true, I didn’t want to see my friend being cut open by machines. I didn’t want to see it happening for real. But maybe this wasn’t my dream coming true therefore I needed to know if he was alright!!!

The window appeared out of nowhere. I ran over to it, having to stop myself with my hands on the glass. He wasn’t lying there. He wasn’t being probed and cut by machines. No. He was being held by cables and chains as if he were King Kong! His upper body was completely exposed, revealing scars I had never seen before. His head hung down, his hair hanging loosely over his shoulders. His arms were held up by cables and his wrists were chaffing under their metal cuffs. My eyes watered and my heart sank,

“Tyreden!” I hit the window hard with my fists, “Oh God, what are they doing to you?!”

“I wouldn’t worry about your friend, miss,”

I spun around sharply and met with a woman with her hands in the pockets of her white coat. She didn’t look like a scientist (looking at her in a stereotypical point of view) with her jeans and her hair in loose, plaited pigtails. She looked more like a hippy than a scientist. She approached me and stood next to me, looking through the window, up at Tyreden,

“Who are you???” I demanded, “What are you doing to Tyreden???”

“Like I said, you have nothing to worry about your friend,” she turned to me, smiling warmly, “We merely wish to talk to him when he wakes up,”

“What does he know that would interest you?! And if you just want to talk, why are you holding him like a prisoner?!”

“Your friend…” she began, looking at Tyreden again, “…may have exactly what we need to end famine! If we took just one drop of blood from him, we might be able extract the right gene from this guy that will allow matter to expand,”

“You want to make things grow?”

“Yes! By being able to grow matter, we will be able to end world hunger! No one will ever be hungry again!”

That was true. With bigger fruits and vegetables, there would be enough food in the world to feed everyone for an eternity. But the thing was: Tyreden wasn’t a human. He didn’t grow up to an enormous height suddenly, he didn’t have a gene that had made his grow- he was just big! I was about to tell her when suddenly, Tyreden slowly raised his head. He blinked his eyes slowly and wearily before looking around. The woman hushed me, telling me to listen. I grimaced at her and turned to face poor Tyreden,

“Glad to see that you’re awake,” a voice over an intercom said to him,

“…where…am I?” Tyreden asked slowly.

I wanted to rush in there and join my friend but I couldn’t. There wasn’t even a door in this room! And so I wondered how that woman had gotten in here in the first place,

“We’ll wait until you’re a little oriented before we talk a little more,”

There was a click over the intercom. I turned to the woman again. She looked as if she was going to blast off from her shoes in excitement. Me, I was just about ready to explode,

“I’m still not happy with this. You took us both…you kidnapped us! And then you tie Tyreden up like he’s some kind of animal???”

“Look, to tell you the truth, I don’t work here,” she said to me, “I’m a representative of the Human Equality Activity, or HEA, and all I know is that I was meant to come here to meet with you,”

“…meet with me? Why do you need to meet with me?” I calmed down a bit, feeling a little more patient with her now that I knew that she wasn’t a scientist,

“I dunno but if it means that there’ll be no more famine, I’ll do anything!”

The man on the intercom spoke again. It sounded like the Prime Minister! Tyreden looked around with that calm expression still on his face. I clenched a fist tightly, wanting so much for Tyreden to break loose. I knew he could…but I knew he wouldn’t. It just wasn’t him if he did,

“I think that’s enough time,”

“Where is my friend?” Tyreden asked, “Where have you taken her?”

“She’s fine, but right now, let’s focus on you. We want you to help us,”

“Why must I?”

“Because,” the man chuckled, “You are going to help us stop anymore wars from happening,”

“WHAT?!” the woman and I cried,

“With you on our side, we can keep order. No bombs, no missiles, no terrorists!”

“You wish to create fear in people’s hearts through my size? Why?” Tyreden asked coolly,

“Because fear…” the PM said softly,“…is what keeps people in line. It is what keeps order in this world,”

“I know of keeping order and fear is not the way,” Tyreden said, “You are naïve if you wish for your people to live under fear and therefore I will not help you,”

In one sharp move, he yanked his arms free from the cables and chains and stood up straight. Those favourite eyes of mine grew fierce even as his face kept calm. I was glad he was free from his bonds but I swallowed nervously, wondering about what he was going to do. He was looking up, obviously having found the man talking to him,

“Where is my friend?” he asked again, “Where is she?”

“Tsk! You see, I knew something like this would happen,” the Prime Minister said, “So that’s why I'm going to do this…”

What felt like cold, massive fingers curled around me and the HEA woman. Struggling at first, we stopped as the wall in front of us; the one with the window began to slowly sink into the ground. A quiet chuckle caught out attention and we looked up. I gasped, my eyes widening as I saw a familiar face,

“Tyreden…?!”

No, it wasn’t him. He looked like him, he was the same size, he had the same build…but it wasn’t Tyreden. His hair was raven black; his skin was pale and cold and his eyes…they were a beautiful pale blue but seemed so empty. Dressed completely in black, he looked directly at Tyreden,

“You…!” Tyreden’s eyes widened,

“Hello, my friend,” this giant smirked, “How long has it been? A millennium or two?”

I gasped and flinched as Tyreden’s spread his wings and dashed over to this giant. He grabbed his neck, pushing him back against a wall. The giant was forced down to his knees but this guy just kept that smirk. The HEA woman and I were stuck between the giants’ chests. I had never ever seen this side of Tyreden before. It frightened me,

“Now, now,” the giant said, “You would not like your little friend to be crushed would you?”

Tyreden drew back sharply, staring down at me and the HEA woman in the giant’s hand. We both jerked in pain as the black-clad giant’s grip grew tighter around us. Tyreden stepped back, allowing the giant to stand back up again. At that, he loosened his grip and held our shaking selves in his palm,

“You will help me end all wars, Tyreden; we will work together like we did in the past…”

I heard 2 voices: the giant’s and the PM’s voice through the intercom. They spoke together as if they were one. I kept still in the giant’s gloved hand, shaking uncontrollably. I was too terrified to do anything else,

“I have tried depending on these humans’ abilities…but they simply cannot do it. They are weak! Even their leaders cannot fight possession!” he hissed, pointing up at a high window.

A single figure stood still and then suddenly collapsed. A door opened and the PM’s body was carried away. He was being controlled all along! I knew there was something controlling that politician’s mind,

“And so to achieve peace…” the giant continued, “…we must use that weakness of theirs; use fear to keep them in place,”

“Harlen,” Tyreden frowned, “Fear is not the way and we must not interfere with the humans and their world. We only kept order between them and the giants, who no longer exist! The humans no longer concern us and we may do as we please!” I tried to follow as well as I could, taking what I already knew and intertwining with what they were saying. This ‘Harlen’ was another angel, like Tyreden. The angels’ duty was to keep order between humans and giants, making sure that neither race wreaked havoc on the other. But now that the giants were gone, there was no need to keep order between the races and so there was no need for the angels to concern themselves with the world and could do anything they wanted,

“I am doing as I want,” Harlen smiled, “And what I want is peace in this world,”

“Whether there is peace or not, it does not concern you, Harlen! You still must not interfere with the humans!”

“And you have not already???” Harlen barked, “You have intervened in these humans’ lives! Walking around; talking to them as if you were one of them when you are obviously not! And you are telling me not to interfere?!”

I heard his wings spread open with a WHOOSH and he dashed to Tyreden. He flew so fast that the HEA and woman and I struggled to stay in Harlen’s hand. He punched Tyrden down hard, my friend flying across the enormous, arena-like room and colliding into the wall,

“TYREDEN!!!” I cried as I saw the massive hollow in the wall made from the force, “You monster!” I screamed up at Harlen,

“Now, now, little one,” he grinned, “No need to get upset,”

“How can you want peace when you’re no angel yourself?! Why do you want people to live in fear just so there can be peace?! That’s not peace at all!”

He didn’t say anything, growling at me. His fingers began to curve in sharply when a blow to his face sent him flying across the room. I was thrown off his hand and began to fall from hundreds of feet above the ground. An extreme feeling of vertigo lay in my stomach and I screamed as the cold metal floor drew closer. Down…down…down…

Then I stopped. The feeling was gone and I was warm. I looked up and saw the best face in the world,

“Are you alright, my friend?” Tyreden asked, smiling warmly. I couldn’t say anything. I buried my face in his chest, my tears trickling down from my face to his skin. His fingers stroked my hair comfortingly and he gently patted my back. I savoured that moment just before Harlen exploded in anger. I then realised that the HEA woman wasn’t here! She was still with Harlen!!! He stood up, still holding the woman in his hand now using only two fingers,

“Let her go!” I shouted.

I knew why he took me- to blackmail Tyreden into helping him ‘bring peace’- but why the HEA woman? Harlen merely smirked and dropped the woman into his mouth, swallowing her whole. His glossy black wings seemed to flap with delight. Tyreden and I both stood there in shock, disgusted,

“Harlen…has it really happened to you?” Tyreden whispered,

I swallowed, looking up at him, “Has what happened?”

“…he has become a Fallen Angel, an angel who has lost their angelic grace, having turned to evil to achieve their goals. Harlen had always wished peace upon the world…”

“Nothing like a human from an ‘end-famine’ organisation to help relieve my hunger,” Harlen laughed, “I have always wondered what they tasted like,”

His wings spread again and he prepared himself for a fight. A black aura surrounded him…he was ready for anything Tyreden had planned for him. Tyreden hesitated, the both of them staring each other down. I saw his wings shiver, as if wanting to fight. I bit my lips and made a fist,

“Take him down, Tyr,” I said.

He looked down at me in surprise. I nodded and repeated myself. He shut his eyes and I wiped mine on my sleeve. As I did, I felt a tender kiss on my cheek. My eyes flew open as I had a sense of déjà vu again. Last thing I knew, Tyreden lowered me back down to the ground and told me to run.

I ran as quickly as my aching and non-aching leg could carry me. I found a door and ran through. The last word I heard before the clash of the titans was Harlen’s cold voice,

“Come…”

I followed the long corridor and hastened as red lights flashed and a voice through the intercom asked for everyone to evacuate immediately. Way ahead of you, sister, I thought. Automatic doors shut tight behind me and I raced to the light down the corridor. As the final door slammed behind me, I found myself in an elevator. It shot straight up, shaking as the battle raged on in the room. It shook violently once and I heard a snap. And then another.

The elevator began to slow and I was scared out of my pants. If it fell, there would be no Tyreden to catch me. Suddenly the doors flew open and I jumped out. The elevator fell after one more violent shake caused by the battle below. I didn’t recognise this building nor the street outside but I ran for the door. The floor shook intensely…stronger than anything I had ever felt before.

It burst open! Two massive figures flew up right in front of me, just missing me by, what, an inch? Tyreden and Harlen tore at each other, black and white blurs dominating the sky as they burst through the roof of the unfamiliar building. I had to make my way around the hole, tiptoeing on what was left of the floor, and then ran out into a screaming crowd of people.

The skies were dark and it began to rain. People ran from all over, trying to escape from underneath the black and white blurs in the sky. I followed the people but I kept watch of what was happening up above.

The white blur crashed down heavily onto the street. Harlen dove and punched Tyreden down even further. The earth shook and broke at their combined weight. Buildings were destroyed by their wings alone, their feathers slicing through glass, wood and cement. People still kept running and I followed but still kept watch of the battle. The giants seemed to want to gain on us until they reached the very middle of the city.

Tyreden caught Harlen’s punch and threw him back with an almighty kick. The fallen angel crashed through one of the shopping buildings and Tyreden flew to drive him back more. They tore through several buildings, crushing anything (and unfortunate individuals) in their path of destruction. I didn’t want to see it but I had to see Harlen stopped. I stopped in Victoria Square (an old town square with a big fountain) and watched from there. People still rushed past me, some almost knocking me down, but I stayed where I was.

Tyreden punched Harlen so hard that I was sure I heard the crack of bones. Harlen caught himself and tackled Tyreden down. He took his neck and forced it down to the ground. I gasped as my friend struggled to peel away Harlen’s hands from his neck. Harlen was now on top of him and it looked like he was the victor.

Harlen said something, grinning as he did…but I couldn’t hear him. His blue eyes were wide with insanity- he was going to kill Tyreden!!! Blood trickled from a cut on his head and down the side of is face. His arms were dirty and cut and his clothes were torn beyond repair. He drew his fist back, ready to deliver the final blow. Suddenly, a blinding light surrounded them both…it came from Tyreden! He gave a roar as Harlen tumbled back. The light died down and Tyreden stood back up, his hands curled and his eyes burning with rage. He ignored all his injuries and even the blood and rain that came down into his eyes. He approached Harlen and grabbed his head.

He took the fallen angel by his raven hair, lifting his rival’s limp figure into the air with him. His muscles tensed and strained as he lifted Harlen over his head and threw him back down to the ground. A mere black blur came down, shaking the ground with enormous force. Buildings surrounding him were destroyed completely and distant others collapsed, filling the streets with more rubble.

Tyreden came down and stared his rival down, making sure he wouldn’t come up again. He soon relaxed and fell to his knees. I immediately sprinted over to him, climbing over rocks and rubble if I had to. I tripped several times- my aching leg, puddles and the tears in my eyes to blame- but I reached him eventually. He looked so weak. He shook and panted and then he looked at me as I took his great fingers into my hands.

“Will you be okay?” I asked desperately.

The big guy smiled softly and nodded despite being bruised and battered. The rain washed away a bit of the blood from his body. He lowered his hand down for me. I didn’t care if it was wet; wet or dry, I would have hopped on either way,

“Yes, thank you, Nette,” he looked like he had just realised something, “…did you stay close this whole time?” he asked worriedly,

“I stayed away, don’t worry,” I said, wiping my tears and the rain away from my eyes, “I was just there (I pointed to Victoria Square) and I saw it all from there,”

He shook his head, laughing lightly. I raised my brows, asking what was so funny,

“You worry me at times, my dear,”

I gave a snort and grinned cheekily. I was so relieved that he was alright, and better yet, he had won. I hugged his broad chest, breathing in deeply with relief. I felt his heart pounding within and he stood up. Harlen’s body lay there in a massive crater. He looked as if he was going to wake up with his eyes rolled back and is mouth open as if in disbelief,

“He will awaken,” Tyreden said softly, “If I do not finish him now,”

He held out his other hand, palm faced down and fingers curled, ready to grip something. A ball of light appeared, struggling to stay alight at first, and became a beam. The beam took shape into a beautifully designed sword. Gold and silver vines made the hilt, adorned with jewels and glyphs carved into the metals. But the blade…it was pure light. Long and deadly, it looked like it could cut through anything…even an angel’s flesh…

Tyreden fashioned his hand so that he held me to his chest and I couldn’t see. I didn’t stop him. He raised his sword over his head and down it came, into Harlen’s flesh. There was no bloody THWACK, just a sound of a blade slicing through the wind. I lifted my head and saw shining, snake-like wisps rise and dance about in the sky until they disappeared.

It was the end of Harlen. He turned and looked at the destruction before him. There was no city of Adelaide, just ruins of what used to be a bustling city. My shoulders slumped forward. I felt as if there was no way Adelaide would be the same again. It was dead. Tyreden scanned the ruins and held his sword to the ready. I looked up at him, wondering what he was going to do,

“Hold on, Nette,” he merely said, smiling, and then flew up.

He hovered above the ruins and lifted his sword, the blade’s tip pointing up to the Heavens. I watched with wide eyes as the light created a massive ball of light. Different coloured wisps danced around, encircling the ball, making it glitter and glow brighter. Tyreden’s eyes lost their colour and became white orbs, glowing intensely. He threw his sword with the ball of light down to the ground. I shut my eyes tight, blocking the light from my eyes…

It seemed like the light would stay there forever. What did he do? Did he destroy the ruins? I couldn’t see and if I tried to, I would have gone blind,

“Look now, my dear,”

The light faded and I slowly crawled over to the edge of his hand. My eyes grew so wide that it looked like I wouldn’t ever be able to close them again.

A giant smile appeared on my face as I saw people in the streets looking at themselves, shocked that they were alive again. Buildings towered over them, all intact, and the streets were completely fine. Tyreden lowered back down onto a clear spot on the ground,

“But…I thought…” I looked up at him, “Why did you recover everything? Not that it’s bad; it’s great! But shouldn’t you have left it to the people to repair? You’re interfering aren’t you?”

“In a way but,” he stroked my cheek with a big, gentle finger, “If angels or any divine beings cause mass destruction in the human world, then it is their duty to repair it, not the humans,”

It was a HUGE relief to hear that. He recommended going back home, which I gladly agreed to. After that battle, he definitely needed a good rest. He stepped over houses, people and traffic, making his way from the city and into the suburbs. Everything eventually went back to normal. People had recovered from the scare and the Prime Minister had forgotten everything that had happened after the public announcement to the people about Tyreden and didn’t know that a fallen angel had possessed him. And that science lab place and their workers…well, I think they were just a creation of Harlen because no one had ever heard of them before nor ever seen the building I described to them.

And Tyreden was made a hero and was even globally known! He was given a special place to stay right here in Adelaide and I always visited him or he visited me. We were both good friends after all.

There were still things I couldn’t quite understand about angels and their intervention with the human world but Tyreden explained them to me. What made it easier was my understanding of balance. When he helped with fires and such in the city, he had to ignore the rest or there would be no balance. It was yin and yang! Harlen’s dream of peace by fear even had balance. With fear as a consequence, there would always be peace in the world.

There were so many rules that angels had to follow! It was so complicated! But poor guy…

He later found that he was the only angel left but…he was so happy when he found out. He was so happy that he even hugged me! Sure I was crushed in his arms but that was alright- as long as he was happy and he could heal me if he broke some bones. It was probably the only time I had ever seen him so happy before and I couldn’t help but be happy with him.

As the last remaining angel, he could help people if he wished and didn’t have to worry about balance. He could live just like a human only he was up to 40 times larger, always warm, always awake, never hungry, and had the ability of sprouting out giant white wings. I was glad…BEYOND glad. He seemed more relaxed now and he revealed his true self. This was another side I had never seen…and I loved it. He was different now but he always had those eyes I could stare at for hours. We stared up at the stars one night in the Botanical Gardens. It was summer and I was glad that I didn’t have to wear all those clothes to keep me from turning into a human ice cube. I was happy that I could wear my shorts, a singlet and, of course, thongs (flip-flops in American terms! Flip-flops! Not the other thing!). I lay down on Tyreden’s chest, my hands behind my head and legs bent, my knees pointing up to the glittering sky.

I suddenly thought back to that day. There was just one thing I needed to know; it never left my mind,

“Tyreden…what did Harlen say that made you so angry that time?”

He sighed, his chest rising and falling quickly. I felt his breath blow onto me sharply. I knew he didn’t like to talk about it, but I needed to know what had made him so angry. That look on his face; the fury in his eyes…what had triggered it in such a kind being?

“He…told me what he would do to you when he killed me…”

I could only say, “…oh…” and I went no further. I wanted to begin a new subject, feeling guilty that I had brought up a terrible question for Tyreden and hating awkward silence. My cheeky smile played on my lips again and I turned on the stomach to face him. I held my head in my hands,

“…Tyr…why do you call me ‘my dear’ so often now?”

I saw his eyes flick open from their closed, relaxed state. He lay there in silence, staring up at the stars, trying to find an answer. But he just smiled and closed his eyes again, keeping my question unanswered. He thought I couldn’t see it…but I could. I walked up to his chin and rested there. It was the first time I had ever seen such a thing on his face,

“I can see you blushing…”

END