By: Yiling Sun

The thunderbird glided over the forest in the moonlight. He was being chased down hungrily by running earthlings who wanted his feathers. For a stupid reason, he mused, slowing down ever so slightly. To stitch together a coat, perhaps? Or a fiery dress for a pretty daughter of the king? And they took so long to find him, just to get a few feathers?

Earthlings are so unreasonable, he thought, exasperated. They are so greedy and selfish.

The thunderbird slowed down and settled at the top of a redwood tree. He could see the torches of the scampering earthlings. Seriously, they were way too stubborn. He was the only thunderbird in the universe, and according to the blabbering phoenix next to him, earthlings did not know that he existed until a few weeks ago.

“So they want to capture you for your feathers,” the phoenix chattered.

Yeah, I know, the thunderbird thought irritably.

“They want to craft a hide or something. I mean, it’s not like they can catch you. You’re like, what, a gazillion times faster than them? But if they catch you, which would be a super duper small chance, be careful cause they might steal your electricity—”

They can’t do that, Mr. Talkative!

“—or they could take you as a whole bird like capture you, take all your feathers, and shave you clean. They won’t do that, though, ‘cause they can’t even get close to your tail—on second thought, they really can’t get close to you at all, so you have nothing to worry.”

The thunderbird rolled his eyes sarcastically. No, I don’t. Thank you very much for reminding me.

The phoenix didn’t notice and rambled on. “Oh, look, they have those glass cages with light inside them. Oh god, is that your electricity? Oh no, if it is, then you better go get—”

“Vulcan,” the thunderbird said.

“But Thunder—”

“No.”

“Please? Pwetty pwease?”

“You’re giving me a headache.”

“I’ll give you a concussion for the rest of your life!”

The earthlings stopped, panting, waving their torches around them, trying to find the giant white bird.

There it was, unconscious, plummeting towards the ground from a tall redwood tree.