A guttural roar rippled through the remains of the planet’s atmosphere as ships scattered like insects, desperately trying to escape the explosions of carnage and destruction. Deities battled above them, using stars as fuel and meteors as ammo, clashing like the titans they were.
“YOU MONSTER!” the Panelix howled as she clawed and tore at the back of the Thantophor. She had managed to drag the Death Lord away from her favourite collection of solar systems, but in the process they had destroyed more stars than Epani wished to admit. This planet was just another casualty in Epani’s desires to save her most beloved creations.
The Panelix’s cries though were met with nothing but hollow roars. The Thantophor was far beyond any hint of intelligence. It had been madly tearing through anything that got in its way, devoid of any care or emotion.
The two deities were met by a might flap of wings as Kairos appeared. In one clawed wing, he ferried the remaining mortal ships to safety. In the other, he summoned chains of light and time, whipping at the Death Lord and drawing its attention away from Epani’s neck.
“Epani, he won’t listen!” Kairos bellowed over the sound of cosmic collisions. “Get away from him!”
“HE IS DESTROYING US ALL!” Epani screeched, wriggling away from the Thantophor’s grip. In a gasp of desperation, she took a moon and hurled it at the Thantophor, crushing it against the planet’s surface. The moon was swiftly thrown back in Epani’s direction, but she altered gravity around it, sending the moon hurtling into the nearest star.
Losing interest in the battle, the Thantophor turned its attention to the star and flew towards it, jaws open wide. Hunger coursed through the Thantophor’s mind, and only would a solar feast satisfy the creature. Both Epani and Kairos tried to slow the Thantophor down, only for them both to be pushed away.
“Epani, listen to me!” Kairos suddenly changed his tactic, readjusting and reorientating himself. “Let him eat that star. Yisini and I have a plan! It’ll…”
“No! No more!” The Panelix ignored Kairos’s warnings and chased after the Thantophor. “I would rather cause a super nova than have him devour that star and create a black hole!”
Kairos grunted and flapped his wings some more, creating powerful solar winds that forced any mortals or meteors away from the star. He then raced after Epani, trying to grab onto her tail.
“EPANI, LISTE-”
Everything flashed white. With her godly powers, the star exploded, filling the vacuum of space with burning plasmas of hydrogen and helium.
In that burning cauldron of pain, something screamed.
The blinding light faded. With it, so did Yisini’s eyesight. The Allbirther had been hiding underneath the Whenvern’s scales and feathers, waiting to strike. But in her fear and blindness, she had struck the wrong target.
Epani’s comatose body collapsed on the remains of the rocky planet, her blood filling the barren riverbeds and empty lakes. A blade had been stabbed through the side of her head, robbing the Panelix of the ability to think.
The three other deities stared blankly at the Panelix’s body. Kairos glanced at Yisini, unable to speak.
After a moment of silence, the Thantophor approached the body, nudging it in confusion, not quite understanding why the Panelix wasn’t getting up. When the Thantophor got tired of inspecting Epani’s body, they carefully licked across Epani’s head then whimpered quietly, before disappearing into the darkness.
Finally, Kairos found the ability to speak. He turned to the Allbirther, eyes burning with fury. “W-what… did you do…”
“I… I didn’t know…” Yisini whispered. “I… I didn’t know…”