Shi'ar Thor Part III

Everything around him changed.

One moment he was surrounded by the burning city of Chandilar, the capital city of the Shi'ar Empire. Then he was surrounded by a void of darkness, nothing and no one around him. But the smell of flames still clung to him, in fact, it was only getting stronger.

It started off as a small flicker, a small spark of a flame that rapidly grow to a burning inferno that forced Thor to raise one hand to protect himself. The flames rushed around him, heating washing over him, burning away the moisture all across his body. So strong was the heat, that he nearly choked upon it, simply exposed before it was so strong that he felt like he was going to die.

Yet the flames never once touched him, never once did his body give out in the face of the heat. Instead, he watched as they took shape in the form of a bird-like figure, large and wide, to the point that once black void seemed to be taken up entirely by these flames.

As he looked upon it, into the eyes of the burning creature, Thor could tell it was alive, there was sentience behind those eyes as they gazed upon him. "Who are you?" He asked, voice raspy.

"I possess no name." The creature spoke, its mouth never moving.

The voice instead rang within his head.

"Only lesser beings feel the desire to name themselves." Its wings spread wider this time. "My presence is my name." As impossible as the thought was to him, the flames and the heat they gave off grew even stronger. "My power is my life. A name is a useless thing, only those lesser need to burden something with a name."

He didn't know why the thought came to him, why the name rolled off his tongue. "Phal'Kon?" Thor could not say for certain why that name popped into his mind as he looked upon the creature. But something resonated within him compelled him to invoke the name.

"That is one of many names I have been burdened with, yes," Phal'Kon spoke.

Thor became still, more so than he already was. This was the being that had gifted his father with the power that now corrupted him. This was the power of one of the three deities that the Shi'ar worshipped. A being that no one had ever laid eyes upon besides the Avatars that championed the Shi'ar race with her power.

A being that was now before him.

"Why?" He uttered, unsure of why the Phal'Kon would be before him.

"To lay eyes upon you, Thor Odinson." That made Thor recoil, something about the name making unknown emotions resonate within him. "It has been many years since I last saw you, the child I gifted to Rook'Shir with the duty of guiding and raising."

"W-what?"

"You never knew your mother, did you, Thor Odinson?" Phal'Kon spoke. "Never knew your true father, the King of Asgard, Odin Borson. But you've dreamed of them, of the golden city. Of the storms that bend to your will. Of the great hammer who answers to your summons. You've seen them all, have you not? Every night when your close your eyes to sleep."

"How did you know that?" Thor questioned, recoiling away in shock.

Those dreams had haunted him ever since he was a child, unsure of what they were and what they meant. He had told no one of them, not even his father, Rook'Shir. But now Phal'Kon was saying that Rook'Shir wasn't even his real father. It was in fact a King going by the name of Odin Borson and his real name was Thor Odinson.

It was madness, lunacy.

He was Thor'Shir, son of Rook'Shir.

"You are Thor Odinson, son of Odin Borson, son of Bor Burison, son of Buri Ymirson. Your lineage is great and powerful, prestigious and historical. The Asgardians influence upon the universe has been felt far and wide, a warrior race of lesser Gods that conquered the Nine Realms of the Yggdrasil." Phal'Kon said. "But even greater still, is your influence upon the universe, Thor Odinson, an influence that is constantly being spread, even to this day."

"What madness are you speaking of?!" At this point, Thor had forgotten that the being with which he was speaking to was Phal'Kon.

"I speak of the destruction of the Lifestone Tree Treaty. I speak of the destruction of the Kree flagship that caused the beginning of the first Kree-Shi'ar War. Two events that caused ripples throughout the galaxy. One that resulted in the death of the Skrull royal family and the survival of the Kree Empire. Another that saw years of warfare that has led to the Shi'ar down a path of preparation and security." Phal'Kon told him, Thor still unable to comprehend what he was being told. "Your influence on the Cosmos is great and has only just begun."

"Then why corrupt my father with your power?" Thor demanded. "Why corrupt a good man whose only desire was to protect the Shi'ar Empire? Why?"

"I did not corrupt him," Phal'Kon stated simply. "Rook'shir was never meant to be an Avatar of my power. His mind was too weak, unable to handle the strength of my power. He was simply blessed with my power, to raise the child I conceived."

Thor never spoke a word in response, if he could have dropped to his knees, he would have. He was no fool, after all, Rook'Shir only had one child, himself. Now he was being told that Rook'Shir was not only not his father, but was simply chosen to raise the child of Phal'Kon. It was because of him that a man like Rook'Shir had been corrupted into the monster that he was today.

"You are part of a wider plan, Thor Odinson, one that I wish to see the outcome of. Good or bad, the outcome does not matter to me, I am simply curious to see what is to come. You are but one of many moving pieces, I conceived you to see what influence a child of mine would have on this game that holds the fate of the Cosmos in its hand." As Phal'Kon finished, the flames of her body branched out, creeping towards Thor who remained frozen still, unable to move.

Slowly, they seeped into his body and Thor gasped out, feeling a painful burning sensation grip his body. So much so that his back curled, mouth opening as a screech echoed out from his mouth.

-X- Line Break -X-

Grunting, Gladiator fell back, sweating streaming down his face as he clutched the large burn at his side. This battle had been his most dangerous one, all the foes he had fought in the past, proved to be nothing in comparison to the foe he was fighting against currently.

Nearly twenty people, not including himself entered this battle, now Gladiator feared he was the only one left. Rook'Shir had truly proven himself, proven why the greatest warrior in the Shi'ar Empire. Yet, Gladiator knew that he couldn't allow himself to lose confidence or lose hope that this battle was winnable.

If he did, Gladiator knew that he would lose.

The Shi'ar Empire relied upon him to emerge victorious, the people needed him to emerge victorious, to vanquish his foe or else they would all die. That was exactly what Gladiator would do, no matter the cost, the burns he possessed, the near-death encounters, minuscule in comparison to what he was prepared to give.

He would give everything, including his life to emerge victorious.

Gladiator would not allow himself to imagine any possibility other than victory.

But at that moment, everything went still as he heard a loud screech, an avian-like cry similar to one that rook'Shir gave periodically in moments of rage. The flames all around him were suddenly being drawn towards another figure, taking shape into a brilliant burning bird that extended its wings out wide.

As much as Gladiator was sure that he could emerge victorious against Rook'Shir, against two of them, Gladiator didn't know if he stood a chance. 'Gladiator, pull back.' The voice sounded in his ear, one that he knew belonged to the commander of the Imperial Guard, a voice he had thought belonged to a deadman.

Even so, Gladiator did not hesitate, flying back towards the burning bird and gazing upon the sight of Thor'Shir within the centre, the flames seemingly bursting off his body and the sword he held in his hand.

Both Thor'Shir and Rook'Shir stared upon another, Gladiator standing by the side of the former. But even he was unprepared for what came next, the very ground beneath their feet being ripped up off the ground, flames rushing out in a wave engulfing the city in such a brilliant light that Gladiator was forced to look away.

This power was beyond anything he had ever witnessed before.