The patrons holding me yelled frantically. Korin smashed the bowl against the door and stood up, raising his sword high. "No, please! She’s my daughter! Have mercy, Sir Korin!" the barkeep pleaded, his eyes wide with terror. Korin's gaze pierced into the little girl’s eyes. He began chanting, "Auric Blades." His blade crackled with yellow lightning. But before he could do anything, he noticed the patrons were no longer holding me.

He heard munching behind him and turned around. There I was, eating the truffles that had fallen to the floor. "These are really good," I said with a full mouth. I had used my avian weaving to get out of the patrons grasp and appear on the table.

Korin shot me a glare so intense, it felt like he could have attacked me with his energy sword. But our attention was drawn away by a sudden cackling beside us. We turned to see a surprising sight: perched on the bar was not an avian person, but a regular striped owl. It was delicately pecking at the bowl of nuts and berries I had abandoned earlier.

“Sigh, you weaklings, don’t you know better than to fight in the presence of the divine owl’s archangel?” The voice that emerged from the owl was surprisingly feminine and filled with cockiness. Her mention of the "divine owl’s archangel" caught my attention. “Divine Owl’s archangel?” I murmured under my breath, intrigued.

Korin grumbled and sheathed his sword, making his way towards the door. The patrons hurriedly moved aside to let him pass, and before he left, he shot me a final glare that sent shivers down my spine.

As Korin departed, the tension in the tavern dissipated, and the patrons settled back into their seats with a collective sigh of relief. I found myself drawn to the barstool in front of the owl. Curiously, I gently poked her back, causing her to jolt in surprise. “I’m sorry, Sir Korin!” she cried out in fear, but when she noticed it was me she turned to me with narrowed eyes. “What do you want? Don’t you know not to interrupt the divine owl’s archangel when she’s eating?!”

“Actually, that’s exactly why I wanted to talk to you,” I replied, about to explain further when the barkeep sighed and shook his head. “Don’t pay her any mind, lad. Ember here was the runt of her nest. She’s convinced herself she’s an archangel, but that ‘divine owl’ stuff is just a myth.”

“Shut up, stupid barkeep!” Ember shot back, her embarrassment now clear on her face.

As I observed the situation, I thought to myself, "If they believe it's a myth, then perhaps it's best I keep the truth to myself." Just then, the little girl approached me, holding out another plate of truffles. "Thank you for enjoying my father’s food! I hope you like the recipe!" she beamed, and I gratefully accepted the plate. "Thank you!" I exclaimed, immediately digging in.

The barkeep let out a weary sigh and bowed before me. "I must thank you. If not for your intervention, my daughter might not be here today." His words gave me pause, and I looked up from my meal. "So, what's the deal with that knight anyway?"

"He's one of the Winged Knights, our kingdom’s protectors. They’re highly skilled, but Sir Korin... he came in one day and decided we weren't worthy of better food. He prefers us common folk to eat... this," the barkeep explained, his voice tinged with bitterness as he gestured to the remnants of my earlier meal. He wiped his eyes, clearly affected by the memory.

“So why don’t any of you stand up to him?” I asked, my mouth full. The barkeep raised his eyebrow, like my question was stupid. “None of us in Feathercrest have magical power, at least not enough to handle a knight.”

“Except me of course.” Ember add cockily. “Hey! What’s the big idea?!” Ember protested as I lifted her up by the back of her neck. She struggled in my grasp, clearly uncomfortable.

“Since you’re the strongest one here, I’m sure you know other strong people, right?” I asked calmly, maintaining my grip despite her squirming. Her eyes widened in disbelief that a random boy from out of nowhere could render her immobile.

“Of course I know strong people,” Ember replied defiantly, “but there’s only one of them in the weak town of Feathercrest. But be warned, he’ll kill you on the spot.”

Curiosity piqued, I pressed further, “Who is this person? Why is he so feared?”

“He goes by the name of Alden Nightshade,” Ember muttered, her voice tinged with a mix of fear and respect. “He’s a recluse, an outsider who’s lived in the deepest parts of the Aurora Forest.”

Why would he kill me?” I asked, lowering Ember back onto the bar.

“Since he’s always been like that.” Ember explained, rubbing her neck where I had gripped her. “He doesn’t have a reason for doing things, he just does it, and those cold eyes of his might kill you before you even have a chance to talk.”

As Ember regained her composure, I gently released her and thanked her for the information. “I could ask him if he has any information about the celestial five.” I thought, As I turned around I was taken aback to see all the patrons of the tavern kneeling before me. Their expressions were filled with gratitude and relief.

"Thank you so much!" they said in unison, their voices echoing through the tavern. Some wiped tears from their eyes, overwhelmed by the unexpected turn of events.

I glanced at the barkeep, who bowed his head respectfully. "We owe you a debt of gratitude," he said earnestly.

Feeling a mix of humility and responsibility, I nodded solemnly. "I was just hungry," I replied sincerely with a smile. I then looked at the striped owl who perched up on my shoulder. “I shall come with you, anyone who’s brave enough to grab an archangel must be ready to die. And if you meet Alden, you will die.”

Meanwhile, the atmosphere outside the tavern had shifted. News of the confrontation between Korin and myself had spread like wildfire through Feathercrest. Whispers of a stranger who stood up to the Winged Knight began circulating among the townsfolk, stirring a mixture of awe and apprehension.

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Sir Korin strode through the outskirts of town, a murmur of whispers and muffled laughter trailing in his wake. He scanned the faces around him, sensing the weight of their scrutiny like a physical presence. With a low growl and a sharp click of his beak, he unfurled his majestic red wings, their span casting a gust that sent bystanders flying into nearby buildings.

Taking to the sky, Korin soared gracefully above the town, the wind from his wings stirring up dust and leaves in his wake. Looking down, he spotted the rest of the Winged Knights in pursuit, a formidable squadron nearly a hundred strong. With a decisive tilt, he descended towards a towering mountain peak ahead, the others following suit.

In Feathercrest, I soared through the forest with Ember’s talons gripping my shoulders tightly, her voice carrying over the rush of wind. “Why are you going so fast!?” she yelled as I accelerated.

“It’s my usual speed. Plus can’t you fly?” I retorted, flapping my arms to gain even more speed.

Ember's grip tightened slightly as I pushed us through the forest canopy, weaving between the towering trees. Her feathers ruffled in the wind, and she squawked in protest, "But not as fast as you!"

I chuckled, feeling the exhilaration of flight coursing through me. "Hold on tight!” I shouted back, aiming for a clearing ahead where the shadows of the trees were dappled with sunlight. The rush of the wind against my face and the freedom of flight filled me with a sense of purpose as we neared our destination.

After losing my momentum, I crashed through a tangle of branches and leaves. "Gotta work on that landing," I groaned, pushing myself upright and stretching out my sore muscles with a crack of my back. Looking down, I saw Ember's face buried in the dirt.

I gently lifted her by the back of her neck, brushing off the mud as I inspected her. "You good?" I asked with concern.

Ember groaned, spitting out mud. "No, I'm definitely not," she muttered, shaking herself clean as best she could. I settled her on my shoulder, her talons gripping firmly.

"You can't fly, can you?" I remarked, as we resumed our walk through the forest. Ember shifted uncomfortably on my shoulder, her feathers ruffled from the crash landing.

"No, I can't," she admitted reluctantly, her voice tinged with frustration. "I wish I could, but I was born with useless wings. That’s why my parliament threw me away."

I nodded sympathetically, understanding her plight. "It's okay. You're still pretty cocky for someone who can't fly."

Ember scoffed lightly, though a hint of gratitude softened her expression. "Thanks, I guess."

As we walked, I couldn't help but think of who Alden could be. Just then, I heard a loud boom in the distance, followed by the rustling of leaves and branches. I quickly shielded Ember and myself as debris rained down around us. “I recognize that explosion!”

I walked with Ember and saw the boy from earlier who had punched me into the Aurora kingdom. “Hey! You wanna burn the forest down?!” I yelled at him. The boy turned to me with an intense gaze. “You again? I could’ve sworn I put all my might into that punch, nobody could’ve survived it.” He looked at his fist.

I growled and placed Ember on a nearby branch. “Look, this is the second time that I lost my flight pattern because of you, so whatever you’re doing you’d better quit it.”

He scoffed and to my surprise he conjured a Shadow Guardian: A monstrous entity. The guardian grumbled and threw a ball of darkness energy at me. “What the?!”

I barely had time to react as the dark energy sphere hurtled towards me. Instinctively, I raised my hand, channeling my own power to deflect the attack. A surge of energy erupted from my palm, colliding with the shadow sphere and causing it to dissipate in a shower of sparks.

The boy’s eyes widened and just like last time he was surprised. “How do you keep stopping my darkness?” He said frustratingly. His fist then was covered into darkness. “You should tell me your name before you die, so I can tell them that Alden Nightshade killed you.”

As he said this, a wave of realization hit me. “You’re Alden Nightshade? My name is Gaian, and I was looking to see if you could help me find some people!” I said out loud and he launched the dark punch at me but I dodged it using Avian weaving.

Now perched on a tree, I looked down at him, raising my arms defensively. “Listen! We’re not enemies. You’re strong so I was wondering if you could maybe help me find the-” Before I could finish, he said some words in that language from earlier. “Nokturnia.” As he said this, I felt a shift in energy and the trees and grass around him began decaying and I saw him physically getting stronger and his body was engulfed in darkness.

{Congratulations Gaian, you have found the Nocturne Raven’s vessel}

{You must get him on your side}

My eyes widened as I heard Sagea’s voice in my mind. “What?! This guy is one of the celestial birds!?” I barely had time to react as Alden hurled an incredibly strong and fast darkness punch at me. The impact was brutal—I was launched into the air, feeling my stomach cave in from the force. I vomited golden blood, the shimmering liquid splattering around me as I flew backward.

I flew down towards him, executing a front flip before delivering a powerful kick to his head. Alden staggered back, clutching his nose as he fell. When he stood up, black blood glowing faintly trickled from his nose. “Listen, we are not supposed to be fighting,” I said, panting heavily as I tried to catch my breath.

Alden snorted the blood from his nose and, to my surprise, pulled out a feather from his head. It transformed into a sword shrouded in darkness. “I know exactly who we are, but,” he swung the sword at me, slashing across my chest, “I can’t control the darkness.”

I screamed in agony, clutching my chest. “W-Why isn’t my healing taking effect yet?!” I cried out as I saw darkness filling the scar, engulfing it in black flames. “AHH!” I fell to the ground, writhing in pain. “Gaian?!” Ember whispered, covering her mouth in horror as she heard my screams. She leapt onto my chest, jumping repeatedly in a desperate attempt to help.

“Don’t bother,” Alden said, his voice cold and detached. “That there is my magical power called Darkness of Nokturnia. It can't be healed, it'll continue burning until the target is dead. It was Nocturne Raven’s magical power. I would’ve loved working with you, but my life’s always been filled with darkness.” His eyes were soulless as he turned and walked into the forest.

{Your archangel has healed your wounds. Divine Feather activated. The divine mode activated. Continue with your battle.}

Alden continued walking when a sharp pain suddenly cut across his cheek. He touched the wound, seeing black blood on his fingers. “What was that?!” he winced, then noticed a glowing golden feather in front of him. The feather began spinning dangerously fast and slashed across his eye. “Dammit!” he cried, using darkness to heal the wound.

As he opened his eyes, he saw me standing where he had left me to bleed out. A golden aura surrounded me, and a scar marked my chest where he had cut me. Ember was in my hand, also glowing. Alden could sense something had changed. With a swift motion of my fingers, the feather began to cut him everywhere. He screamed in pain, trying to dodge the relentless feather. His body shrouded in a dark aura, he started walking towards me. I approached him, my footsteps bringing the decayed flowers and trees he had destroyed earlier back to life.

“Why are you trying to get me to join? I can’t control Nocturne Raven’s darkness. So why? Why not let me stay in the darkness?” he asked, walking closer.

I looked him in the eyes and said, “Because I’ll be the light in your world of darkness.”