I bolted down the hallways, spreading my wings when I could or using them to shield Layla. When the ship lurched I spun with it, going from floor to wall to floor and in some cases all the way to the ceiling in tight spaces when Miles spun the ship. At some points I had to use my wings to stay balanced, the ship careening down and then directly up into a spin, sending things sailing through the air towards us.
I slammed through the giant vault door to find Hansel and Miles at the desk, Miles keeping an eye on her screens while Hansel screamed through the speakers.
“They’re not listening,” he snapped, slamming his hand to cut off the connection. “Why aren’t they listening!?”
“They’ve found something your bullshit won’t cover,” Miles answered, voice even and calm as she twisted into another spin. “It had to happen some time.”
“But everything was cleared! You said so!”
“Rod told me he cleared the Keeper records and I believed him. He’s usually on the up and up of those things.” Miles glanced at us out of the corner of her eye. “Here they are. Ask them.”
“We were cleared!” I roared over the screeching of the speakers and the straining of the wood around us, claws digging in to steady us. “I was there, and the Keepers haven’t come after us since!”
“Well it’s not one of–”
“Weapons!” Miles snapped, cutting him off. “Doesn’t matter how it happened, we need to get them off our tail! So move to weapons!!”
Hansel shot me a look and took off down the single hallway leading away from the main control. “You too!” she snapped.
“Where’s Rod?”
“Said he could help in other ways. Doesn’t do weapons. But I need two on the cannons, so move your ass!”
I hesitated. Wings twitched. I glanced down at Layla.
She struggled, met my eyes. We stared for a moment, silver eyes flicking up to my wings. Mouth turned into a thin line and she nodded. Before I could second-guess the decision, she slid off my back and raced down the hallway. A second later a speaker clicked on and Layla’s voice came through. “I’m here. Walk me through this.”
Miles shot me a glance, single eyebrow raised.
“Get me access to outside,” I said, wings spread out for balance.
“Don’t be stupid, you’ll be a bug on a windshield!”
I grinned. “You don’t know my kind very well. Now get me outside!!”
She gave me a longer look before flipping a few switches and giving me directions, then slapped a button under the speaker and began instructing Layla. I spun out the door and followed her directions, finding a ladder that led to a porthole above. Taking a deep breath, I shifted to a two-legged form and climbed, the porthole snapping open at my approach. I leapt out, the wind snatching me instantly.
I relaxed, let it take me and fell away from the ship, and watched the world spin. A much bigger ship was chasing us, streamlined and with some kind of steel along the outer hull. I smiled a wicked smile.
Larger ships like this never accounted for the impossibilities. Never took the time to even consider attacks from smaller bodies, magical fliers, individuals. Never considered the potential of creatures like me.
With a surge I flapped my wings out, stopping my fall and catching the breeze behind the ships. Both were decently far by this point, but I had my own magic. I was going to defend her. I was going to protect her.
I was going to kill them.
Fire raged through my arms, under my fur and across my body. My wings flapped once, twice, then spread out as the fire gathered behind me. With loud crowing I couldn’t help, I tucked my wings and let the fire roar. Propelled my body forward with the speed of a small missile and spun through the air as I aimed directly for the rear of the Keeper’s sky ship. I only pulled up right at the end, flinging all my arms out as the fire died and latching all my claws onto the metal.
Wing-claws gouging the metal allowed me a handhold, and the elongated claw dug in, starting to rip a small hole I worked and worked at. It grew with a few good smacks, exposing the layer underneath and a layer underneath that. I tore at it until the layers finally buckled, grabbed the edge of the tear with my claws and swung my body around to pull at it. Let the wind help me yank the tear into a hole.
Someone began shouting as the high winds and pressure flooded whatever chamber that was, and I watched as a body was flung out into the air. Populated. Before they could react I made my way up the side and around the back, tearing a few more holes around the sides for good measure as I crawled my way up to the top.
The top was covered in a thin metal layer as well, but I could see hinges. They pulled this over when they took flight, apparently, so I took to the hinges here and ripped them out with my claws, tearing the metal bits up until I could see underneath to a fancy wood deck. I relaxed my wings and slipped inside, slinging my tail through right as lightening shot through the sky. I spun and looked as Miles’ ship raised itself through the sky, tilting itself as a long rod-like bit of metal charged up with rings of white light.
Cannons. Miles had lightening cannons.
The shit!?
Another burst shot at the Keepers’ ship, missing by a mile but causing the whole place to wobble. Well, good to know. Don’t touch the metal anymore.
I turned my attention back to the wood and brought my claws to bear, tearing through the top easily and dropping down into the chamber below. I could hear shouting, screaming orders, the patter of feet and the whirring of engines. That was what I needed, what I was going to follow, and I slammed my claws into the wood underneath me. Sparks flew as I did, tearing through the floor taking out wiring and cutting systems off through the hallway. The lights flickered and dimmed, the symbols under my fur the only real light in seconds.
Someone came around the corner as I made my way through, ducked into the layer below. The engines sounded like they were one more floor down and back a bit, so I took to the wood and forced it open.
Magic flashed around me, kinetic energy blasting the panels directly behind me like a warning shot. I looked up and bared my teeth.
I would protect her. Bloodstained hands would do some good. Fury turned to fire.
