Wings of Vengeance
written by: Monika Ajay Kaul
The Carpathian night was alive with sound: the rustle of the wind through skeletal branches, the distant howl of wolves, and the mournful creak of ancient pines bowing to unseen forces. Fog swirled like restless spirits, weaving through the trees toward the prince’s golden aviary, where the Firebird stretched her talons against the bars of her cage.
A low, guttural growl escaped her beak as she stirred. Her embered feathers hissed softly, each movement resonating with the faint crackle of fire. This was no ordinary night. Tonight, vengeance would rise louder than her song.
Beyond the towering palace walls, Katya crouched beneath the veil of darkness. Her breath came in shallow gasps, the cold air biting at her exposed face. She pulled a dagger from her belt, its blade swishing against the sheath, and crept toward the gilded prison.
The Firebird’s molten eyes locked onto Katya’s form as she approached. “Ssshhcrk…chrrr…” The creature’s hiss raked the silence, making Katya freeze mid-step.
“Do you know what you’re doing, little one?” The Firebird’s voice crackled like a blaze licking at dry timber.
Katya’s breath hitched, her fingers tightening around the dagger. The heat from the cage seared the frost from the ground beneath her boots.
“Yes,” she gasped, her voice barely audible above the distant howl of the wind. She stepped closer. “I’m freeing you.”
A laugh erupted from the Firebird; low and sinister, reverberating through the bars like the rumble of a storm. “F-f-f-reeing me? Hah! What a delicious notion.” The words came in bursts, sharp and jagged. “No one frees the Firebird without consequences. Ssshh…” Her voice softened to a venomous whisper. “Tell me, little hunter, what is it you truly want?”
Katya’s lips trembled, but her resolve hardened. “Justice.”
The Firebird’s feathers flared, sending sparks into the frosty air. “J-j-justice…” She drew out the word, tasting it. “Ah, yes… the thief prince. The coward who locked me in this golden tomb. Do you understand the cost of what you seek?”
Katya hesitated, her pulse a wild drumbeat in her ears. “If it means he pays for his crimes, I’ll pay the price.”
The Firebird tilted her head, a series of unsettling clicks escaping her beak. “Bold words, mortal. But you play with fire, and fire does not forgive.”
Her feathers flared again, brighter this time, illuminating the icy bars of her cage. “Pshhhk…bzzzzt… open it,” the Firebird commanded.
***
The golden door creaked open, the sound splitting the cold night like a scream. The Firebird stepped out, her talons clinking against the stone floor. Flames licked at her wings, casting flickering shadows that danced across the palace walls.
“Finally,” she rasped, the word dripping with centuries of pent-up rage. “Let the hunt begin.”
Alarms rang out, their metallic clangs shattering the stillness. Guards rushed through the halls, their boots pounding against the marble.
“FIRE! FIRE! SOUND THE ALARM!”
Katya pressed herself into the shadows as chaos erupted. The Firebird soared through the palace, her wings slicing through the air with a deafening whoosh. Flames ignited wherever her talons touched… tapestries, carpets, even stone, crumbling under the heat.
***
In his chamber, Prince Ivan awoke to the acrid stench of smoke. He stumbled from his bed, coughing violently. “Wha—what’s happening?” he coughed and gasped, his voice cracking with fear.
The door burst open, a guard shouting, “Your Highness! The Firebird… it’s free!”
Ivan’s eyes widened, his face draining of color. “Impossible!” He grabbed his sword, the metal trembling in his hands.
Through the thick smoke, he saw her.
The Firebird’s silhouette emerged at the end of the corridor, her wings ablaze, her eyes twin suns. She advanced slowly, the clack of her talons warbling like the toll of a funeral bell.
“Ivan,” she crooned, her voice low and menacing. “Did you believe you could keep me caged forever?”
The prince stumbled back, his sword clattering to the floor. “No! I… I gave you everything! A golden cage! Fine food! You were the crown jewel of my empire!”
The Firebird’s laughter exploded, a cacophony of anger and scorn. “You gave me chains, thief. Tonight, I give you fire.”
“No! Please!” Ivan shrieked, tripping over his robes as he tried to retreat. “We can negotiate! Anything you want!”
The Firebird’s wings flared, flames roaring to life around her. “There are no deals left to make,” she whished.
The last sound Ivan heard was the deafening roar of fire as it consumed him, his screams swallowed by the inferno.
***
From the palace gardens, Katya watched the blaze consume the prince’s empire. The heat washed over her, stinging her eyes, but she didn’t turn away. The Firebird landed beside her, her flames dimmed but her presence no less imposing.
“You have your justice,” the Firebird said, her voice softer now, though laced with an edge. “But remember, justice is no act of mercy.”
Katya’s throat tightened, the weight of what she’d unleashed pressing down on her. “You knew this would happen,” she murmured. “You knew it would destroy everything.”
The Firebird tilted her head, her embered eyes unyielding. “You struck the match, little hunter. I merely carried the flame.”
As the first rays of dawn crept over the horizon, the Firebird spread her wings. “Freedom is no gift,” she said, her voice carrying the finality of an unspoken curse. “It is a burden you will bear for the rest of your days.”
With a cry that shook the heavens, she ascended into the sky, her flames tracing a blazing path to the stars.
Katya watched until the Firebird disappeared, the night swallowing her fiery trail. Behind her, the prince’s empire smoldered, silent and desolate as the grave.
NOTE:
Based on the Prompt – Reverse Fairytale
- The Prism of Parting - May 19, 2025
- Wings of Vengeance - April 26, 2025
- The Weight of a Shadow - March 25, 2025
