Thor walked up the few steps leading to a massive door made of glowing lava glass. With a loud knock, he pushed it open, revealing four figures in various states of activity. One was sitting casually in a chair, deeply engrossed in a book, another perched on a windowsill, gazing out at the distant clouds. A third was vigorously doing push-ups, each movement sharp and controlled, while the last one practiced precise sword techniques, his blade moving in swift, fluid arcs.
"Here they are," Thor said with a grin, gesturing toward them. "These are the children of the mighty one. I'm the mighty one, and they're my children."
We all exchanged glances, a chorus of "Oh's" escaping in unison.
Thor stepped forward, pointing at each figure. "First, we have Vira Stormsong, the scholar. She's the one with the book—don't let that fool you, she's a deadly strategist, able to outthink any opponent before they even know they're in a fight."
Vira glanced up, her sharp, silver eyes flashing with quiet intelligence as she marked her page and smiled lightly.
"Next up is Jax Emberwing, always in motion, always ready to act. He may look like he's daydreaming up there on that windowsill, but his mind is always working, thinking about ways to strike fast and strike hard. Don't underestimate his laid-back nature—his strength is in his speed and reflexes."
Jax barely noticed us, his gaze fixed on the horizon, but he gave a nod of acknowledgment.
"Eryx Thunderfist," Thor said, pointing to the one doing push-ups. "Strong as a mountain and twice as stubborn. He'll keep pushing himself until his muscles break, but they never do. He's a relentless force on the battlefield—if you need someone to hold the line, he's your man."
Eryx paused mid-push-up to offer us a brief grin, his biceps bulging with the effort.
"And last but not least, we have Kaelan Ironstrike, the one with the sword. His form is perfect, and his precision with that blade is unmatched. Kaelan's not one for words—he lets his sword do the talking."
Kaelan finished his practice swing, his eyes meeting ours for a moment before he silently returned to his routine, fluid and focused.
Thor clapped his hands together, the sound echoing through the chamber like thunder. Instantly, his children stopped what they were doing and approached him in unison.
"Yes, Father?" they asked, standing in a neat line.
Thor gestured to us with a proud grin. "These are the Celestial Vessels. I expect you to treat them with the same respect you'd give anyone worthy of standing beside you in battle."
Vira clasped her hands gracefully, offering a polite smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you all. I've heard you're searching for your Ark… and that you've got quite a few bounties on your heads." Her tone shifted slightly, more focused. "We're all working to stop Vex and his Crimson Talons from spreading more chaos. So, here's what I propose—"
Before she could continue, Ember let out a loud yawn and stretched her arms over her head.
Vira paused, slowly turning her head. "I'm sorry, are you yawning right now?"
Ember blinked sleepily and rubbed her eyes. "Sorry, I heard the word 'Okay' and just kinda zoned out."
Vira looked over at Thor, baffled. "That was literally the first thing I said…"
I raised both hands with a sheepish grin. "Yeah, uh… sorry. My team isn't really big on plans."
Alden stepped up beside me and shrugged. "We kind of just wing it. Pun intended."
I held up a dead rat by the tail and offered it to Zira. "When's the last time you ate?"
She wrinkled her nose and turned her head away with a low growl. "I don't want the rat. You eat it—aren't owls supposed to like these things?"
I looked at the limp creature, then back at her. "I was just checking on you."
Without another word, I tossed it into my mouth and swallowed.
Zira glanced at me, a rare softness in her voice. "…Thank you."
Before I could respond, Jax suddenly slammed his fist against the table, his voice sharp and loud. "Can we please focus?! If the crimson talons finds us—we're finished!"
The room fell silent, his words hanging in the air like the stillness before a storm.
"We just need you to tell us where my Ark is," Ember said, cracking her neck with a sharp twist. "Then we'll be out of your feathers. Sounds good?"
There are way too many bird jokes. I need to change the subject, I thought, then turned to Thor. "So… what's your deal with the Crimson Talons?"
Thor let out a heavy sigh. "Vex has been hunting me for years. I'm not a vessel, but my power is strong enough that he sees me as a potential weapon for his army. He sent one of his assassins—Nyx. Nearly killed me."
He paused, eyes narrowing as old memories stirred. "That was the moment I found this volcanic haven. I stayed. Became a protector. A hero to these people."
"You ran away," Alden said flatly, casually picking his ear.
Thor snapped his head toward him. "I didn't run. I strategically retreated."
Ember snapped her fingers. "Wait—Nyx! He's the one who took Sable, remember? Right before we almost beat him to a pulp," she said, pointing at me.
I nodded while lazily spinning in a chair, letting the momentum swing me back and forth. Thor stepped in and stopped the spin with one hand, his expression serious.
"There's something I need to know from you," he said. "Why was Jack the Ripper after you?"
I looked up at him, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. "No clue. He said he's working with King Malachar and has a team of serial killers planning to wipe us out." I let out a long yawn.
"Aren't you even worried?!" Eryx shouted, voice cracking with tension.
I shrugged. "Not really. Stuff like this happens to us all the time."
Meanwhile, in a shadowy, velvet-lit restaurant known as the Black Forest Nest, five figures sat in silence around a round obsidian table. The air was heavy with incense, thick with tension and bloodlust.
At the center sat Jack the Ripper, lazily twirling a silver blade between his fingers. His red-feathered hair flicked over his hollow eyes as he smirked. "So…Thor still lives," he muttered, amused.
To his left, a woman slowly stirred her tea with a claw dipped in poison—Belladonna, the Songbird of Death. Her lullabies were known to lull entire villages into an eternal sleep. She wore a mourning veil and smiled without warmth.
Across from her sat Morrow, the Buzzard of Dread, hunched and wrapped in stitched-up feathers. His beak was covered in carvings—one for each victim he'd buried alive. He spoke in whispers, but his silence was louder.
Next to Morrow sat Slick Talon, the Peacock of Pain, preening with a dagger held at just the right angle to admire his reflection. Glamorous, sadistic, and unhinged, his victims never died clean—they were transformed into grotesque works of "art." His wings shimmered with oil-slick iridescence that caught the dim, reddish glow of the restaurant lights.
"If Thor's aligning himself with the celestial vessels," Morrow muttered, carving at the etchings on his beak until his lip bled, "we may have a real storm brewing."
Slick Talon lazily plucked a fry from his plate and dipped it into the blood now trickling from Morrow's face. "I'm not worried," he said, popping the fry into his mouth. "Thor's overrated. He lost to Nyx, remember?"
Belladonna cleared her throat, her voice like velvet stretched over glass. "You say that like Nyx is some pushover. He owned the Black Dungeons before Vex recruited him."
Jack, lounging with a steak knife spinning in his fingers, shrugged. "King Malachar's locked up, but he got word out. Told me to handle the vessels. So I will. I'll kill them first… then Thor."
Suddenly, Belladonna stood from her chair, dabbing the corners of her mouth with a silk cloth. "How strong do you think I am, compared to them?" she asked, eyes narrowing at Jack.
He smirked and took a bite of steak. "Right now? You could kill every one of them."
"Good," she whispered, her lips curling into a deadly smile. "I want the leader."
Jack's eyes narrowed. "Stay away from the girls. They're mine."
Belladonna didn't argue—she simply began to hum a haunting lullaby. Within seconds, nearby diners began convulsing, blood bubbling from their ears as they screamed in agony. One by one, their cries fell silent.
The restaurant fell still. All except for the assassins at the table.
Belladonna sat down again, gently humming as she sipped her tea. "This war is going to be beautiful."
Later that night, I walked alongside Thor beneath the dim glow of the volcanic embers. The air was thick with heat and silence until he finally exhaled.
"Gaian," he said, voice heavy, "I know your team's… unorthodox. But it's going to be damn near impossible getting them and my kids to work together if you don't start making actual plans."
I slowed my steps, then stopped completely. The lava cracked softly beneath our feet.
"I have to go," I said flatly, turning away.
"What?" Thor blinked, stepping forward. "Now?!"
"Actually," I called back over my shoulder, "come with me."
Before he could argue, I leapt from the rim of the volcano and shot upward—breaking through the molten steam, out of the volcano, and into the ocean above.
I shot out of the ocean and landed onto the forest ground and rolled and Thor descended next to me. "Hey, I'm talking to you!" He tapped my head but I shushed him with my finger.
The trees held their breath.
Thor blinked. "Gaian—"
But then we both felt it. A shift in the air. The scent of blood and perfume twisted on the breeze.
A figure stepped from the shadows, heels clicking on bark like stone. A woman with dark feathers woven into her cloak, her eyes glowing violet beneath a wide-brimmed hat. She moved like a ghost—too graceful to be human, too sharp to be safe.
"Sorry to interrupt," she purred, voice like a blade dipped in honey. "I was hoping to speak with the Divine Owl."
I turned slowly, feathers bristling. "Who are you?"
She tilted her head. "You don't know me?" She smiled, lips parting just enough to show the tips of her fangs. "That's cute. Call me Belladonna. And you're just as handsome as they said."
"Belladonna, huh?" I muttered, then perked up. "Wait—did someone just call me handsome?! Who was it?!" I lit up, finger pointed to the sky and a big grin spreading across my face.
In a blink, Belladonna vanished. Thor's eyes widened.
"Gaian—!" he shouted, reaching out.
A thunderous impact cracked the air as Belladonna struck where I stood, sending up a cloud of dust and broken earth.
Silence.
As the dust cleared, a different scene emerged: I stood behind her, one hand gripping a fistful of her hair, the other holding a razor-sharp feather against her throat.
"Was it you?" I asked calmly, a crooked smile on my lips.
Her eyes widened—less in fear, more in shock.
She spun with grace and unleashed a lightning-fast backhand, but I leaned back, just out of reach. Without missing a beat, she followed up with a flurry of rapid strikes, each one sharper than the last—but I weaved between them effortlessly.
"It's called Avian Weaving," I said with a smirk, gliding around her like wind through feathers. "Oh, and I brought my buddy Thor to watch the show—so do me a favor and don't make me look bad."
Belladonna began to hum—a haunting, melodic tune that sent a chill down my spine. I tilted my head, intrigued but cautious. Still singing, she pulled a single feather from her side. It shimmered, twisted, and morphed into a massive battle axe, glowing with dark energy.
"Mind if I sing to you?" she asked sweetly—then suddenly swung the axe straight at my chest.
I slipped to the side just in time. "Sorry," I muttered, stepping on the flat of the blade. "I'm into tigresses… and the occasional bird."
With a sharp grunt, she yanked the axe upward, launching me into the air like a ragdoll. Wind rushed past my ears.
"I miss my wings…" I muttered, catching myself midair and riding a gust like a surfboard.
Then her song changed.
My ears started to ring violently. Pain surged through my head as her voice cut through the air like blades. I screamed, clutching my ears as blood dripped between my fingers. I crashed into the trees below, the impact sending up a thick cloud of dust and splintered wood.
Thor's eyes widened. He stepped forward, hand outstretched. "She's unpredictable! Gaian might be—"
He stopped as Mjölnir soared back to his hand.
Belladonna emerged from the haze, dragging her axe behind her like it weighed nothing. "Nyx's little souvenir," she snarled, then lunged—leaping high and swinging her axe down at Thor's head.
CLANG!
A radiant golden feather blocked the strike.
I stood in front of Thor, holding the feather like a blade, my eyes glowing gold. "Still breathing," I muttered.
Then, with a quick motion, I formed a ball of concentrated wind in my palm and slammed it into Belladonna's gut. The blast hurled her backward across the battlefield, tearing up the earth beneath her.
Belladonna slammed into a tree, bark splintering on impact as she spat blood onto the ground. "His demeanor has changed…" she muttered, dazed.
I appeared behind her, silent as the wind, a swirling orb of air and golden feathers forming in my palm. Without a word, I slammed it into her chest.
She was blasted backward, the force ripping through the tree and sending her tumbling through the forest like a broken doll, feathers scattering in the air behind her.
Belladonna staggered to her feet, her face bloodied, her dress torn to shreds, and most of her teeth missing. "Thu bathards!" she slurred, limping toward us, rage burning in her swollen eyes. "The thessel of Thagea, I'll have your head!"
She cleared her throat, trying to sing again, but with so many teeth gone, the sound came out warped and broken.
Her eyes widened in horror as I calmly approached, sharp golden feathers swirling around me like a storm.
"Ready for a beatdown?" I said, my voice cold.
Belladonna stumbled back, coughing up more blood. "W-wait!" she croaked, desperation creeping into her tone.
Suddenly, Morrow materialized beside her, his twisted smile growing. "Now, did you get what you wanted?" he asked, staring at her with psychotic glee. Belladonna froze, saying nothing.
Without warning, Morrow grabbed her by the waist. "We'll be seeing you around, Gaian," he whispered.
He reached into his hair, pulled out a feather, and flicked it toward us. The feather exploded in a blinding flash, launching me and Thor back into the ocean — but just in time, Thor's wings wrapped around us, shielding us from the worst of the blast.
Meanwhile, deep within the Crimson Talons' hideout, Vex sat at a long, cracked table beside Ravyn, casually leaning back in his chair. He swirled a glass of wine in his hand, his eyes half-lidded with irritation.
"The boys still haven't come back from Esath's grave," he said, his voice low. "And I can feel it — my feathers were destroyed." He took a slow sip of the wine, his expression unreadable.
Ravyn, serious as ever, tapped her claw against the table. "Maybe Esath is alive," she said. "Maybe she killed them… and shattered your feathers. Looks like the vessel of Abyssal, the Black Phoenix has finally chosen her path. The real question is: what will she do?"
Vex stood, rolling his shoulder with a grunt. "The Celestial Vessels have three active members right now: Gaian, vessel of Sagea, the Divine Owl. Alden Nightshade, vessel of Nocturne, the Raven of Secrets. And the tigress, Zira — vessel of Zephyra, the Falcon of Speed." His voice sharpened. "Meanwhile, there's only two of us left — me, vessel of Umbra, the Shadow Owl, and you, vessel of Zephyr, the Dark Albatross."
He paced slowly. "At first, I thought we'd crush them easily… but after my last fight with Gaian in Glimmerfen…" Vex's hand clenched at his side. "He's gotten stronger. That bastard is a mystery — no one knows where he came from, or how he even became a vessel."
He turned to face Ravyn fully, his golden eyes burning. "Still, if we want to tip the balance, we need the rest of the Shadow Flock. There are four vessels left to find… excluding Esath."
Suddenly, Nyx strolled in, dragging the broken bodies of the Crimson Talons who had been sent to retrieve Esath. One was already dead — the others lay crumpled on the floor, alive but empty-eyed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Nyx sighed and dropped into a chair, lazily spinning a dagger between his fingers.
"If you implant a feather into someone and it gets ripped out," he said, "it's like losing an organ. They're all suffering from PTSD now." He chuckled dryly.
Vex clicked his tongue and leaned back against the table. "Damn. Those were some of our best. Whatever — we've got more."
Nyx turned his sharp gaze toward Ravyn, a twisted grin curling on his lips.
"You really threw your own father into a cage?" he cackled.
Ravyn stayed silent, coolly sipping her wine, not even glancing at him.
Nyx shrugged and leaned back. "Anyway," he went on, casually lifting Ravyn's wineglass and taking a long drink, "because of that, your dear old dad's teamed up with Jack the Ripper. And Jack's been busy…" He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "He's gathered a bunch of serial killers. They're coming — for us and the Celestial Vessels."
Vex clicked his tongue, setting down his glass harder than necessary. "Let them come," he said, voice low and cold. "We'll clip their wings before they even get off the ground."
Nyx leaned back with a smirk. "Word is, my old buddy Thor's back. Looks like he's teaming up with the Celestial Vessels now."
Vex paused, his expression hardening before twisting into a grin. "They have Thor also? Hah… Maybe it's time I start hunting down the rest of the vessels myself."
He pushed his chair back and stood, cracking his knuckles. "Not that it'll matter. They'll never succeed in uniting everyone... not while we have him."
At the mention, both Ravyn and Nyx exchanged dark, knowing smiles.