Flight of the Phoenix

The magnificent fiery red phoenix rose majestically from the burning embers of her predecessor's ashes. Her golden-green flecked head, its august tendrils rising, still burning, billowed from the splendid crest of her head. The strikingly spectacular widespread wings of the mighty bird mirrored the golden colors of her upper body, held high in pride and triumph. Xinnia's immortality had been once more renewed with the warmth of the life-giving sun blazing overhead.

As she flew high into the blindingly bright skyline, fragments of her past life flashed like broken pieces of a shattered mirror across her newly awakened consciousness. She heard the long ago echoed voice of the wise centaur Chiron, telling the young hero Achilles stories describing the phoenix's lifetime. The dignified phoenix, he mused, will live 972 times the length of a long-lived human's lifetime. He had spoken sagely of chattering crows.

A chattering crow lives now nine generations of aged men,

but a stag's life is four times a crow's,

and a raven's life makes three stags old,

while the phoenix outlives nine ravens,

but we, the rich-haired Nymphs

daughters of Zeus the aegis-holder,

shall outlive ten phoenixes.

Xinnia had five hundred years of stored lifetimes encoded deep within her reborn psyche, which would return to her in many faceted bursts of long past memories. Some recollections and thoughts would be painful in their sudden and spatially violent assertiveness, making flight awkward and ungainly. Xinnia soared high into the clouds, anticipating and accepting the inevitable.

As the beautiful bird flew, her wings almost mimicking the span of a great dragon of old, she noticed that the world had greatly changed. She had fallen asleep in one world, it would seem, and had somehow awakened in another. Xinnia decided that she would fly for long distances, far and wide, to try to understand how this was at all possible.

On the first day she saw numerous great big many-colored birds in the sky, they made strange new sounds, sounds not of any bird she had ever known. She drew closer to a large silver thing flying by. This was no ordinary bird. Then she saw human faces, seeming tiny in form, peeking out of windows at her in great curiosity. This then, she realized was no bird, but a human thing. Lights flashed at various windows. In great fear and lack of understanding, Xinnia banked right and flew far away from the thing which she did not yet comprehend.

As the day progressed, the hours came and went, and she flew high and low, still searching, the memories took her back to a time when there were many of her kind, of her mate Drogonym, her children, Myn and Ngzm. There had been other lives, other mates, but the life before this present awakening had been the best five hundred years of her existence. Where were they? She wondered, tears falling from her eyes.

On into the second day she flew, to many distant places, trying to somehow find remnants of the world which she once knew, granted she had known many, but now she would settle for any of the past ones, just to regain the familiar feelings of belonging somewhere. She searched and searched until she was weary, she had flown without rest, yet nowhere could she find any trace of her old lives. Far below was a human civilization that both amazed and terrified her.

Xinnia suddenly heard the distinct screech of an eagle. From the distant clouds the large form of a great bird appeared, wings moving in a sort of slow motion, unhurried, as if time did not matter.

Tentatively, as if unsure of what it was that he saw, closer the eagle came, awe and wonder filling its curious eyes. It flew closer, close to within a breath, where it could reach out and touch the phoenix's wings, it's perplexity rendering boldness in its advances.

"What manner of bird are you, if I may be so bold. Never have I seen such blazoning brightly lit and flauntingly beautiful colors on a bird, and your size, it is beyond belief"! The insolent thing said.

An elegant caw escaped the beak of the phoenix, it sounded almost like a song to the ears of the large greyish-black eagle. Then the phoenix bellowed and roared so mightily that the frightened eagle retreated to a safe distance.

"You are forward in your advances sir. I propose you learn some modicum of manners before you dare to address me again". Xinnia was peeved, how dare this rude thing be so bold and smug. Did he know who she was?

The eagle, Phlynx, was very amused by the showy birds contempt. He regrouped his emotions and tried again.

Approaching again, this time at a respectful distance, he observed the elegant bird flying slowly by his side. What was she, and where did she suddenly appear from. He had been watching her a while before approaching her.

"Hello, strange lovely creature, I am Phlynx, who are you, and from whence do you come"? Phlynx asked politely, if a little facetiously.

Xinnia made a clucking sound and sheered away into the blue beyond. Phlynx followed undaunted. Looking sideways at the forward impudent eagle she smiled inwardly. Finally, she decided to answer his queries.

"I am Xinnia. I am a phoenix, and I do not belong in this place".

"Hello. lovely Xinnia, pleased to make your acquaintance. If not here, then where do you belong, if I may ask"?

"I come from lands long past which are but distant memories now, it may seem. I feel like I have awakened from a very long sleep in which I did dream, only it was somewhere between sleep and wakefulness".

"Well, that clears everything right up, doesn't it, lovely lady bird. Now I am more confused than ever". Chuckled Phlynx.

"You are an insolent beast sir, but I must admit that I am at fault for sounding nostalgic and indirect".

Another airplane and another zoomed by above and below, making Xinnia flinch and seek cover behind the clouds. One had passed dangerously close to her. This time though, the eagle flew with her.

"What is that thing which resembles a bird but is not a bird. I have emerged into a time where things are new, shiny and fly like eagles in the sky"?

"They are man-made machines which they use to fly to many places, almost like we do, just without wings on their bodies. They make the machines with wings to transport them everywhere. They are a nuisance to us in the air, yet I have seen one fall from the sky when some of our kind got killed and eaten in a spinning part of their machine, causing the machine to fall from the sky".

"Yet, they continue to fly in the body of a shiny bird"? Xinnia wondered in awe.

"We too continue to fly, despite unfortunate or unforeseen accidents. Life does not stop because of our misfortunes". Phlynx replied.

A flight of small birds flew by. Many different types of birds drew near in speculative curiosity of the unusual size and colors of the beautiful phoenix. She no longer felt completely alone, her heart was still alone on a deeper level, but now she felt that maybe there was hope for finding her kind waiting for her somewhere.

The two birds, different but same, spoke for a long time, they flew together for great distances totally absorbed in each other's stories. They spoke about his life, her life and the nature of different lives of people down the centuries. When they became hungry, Phlynx pointed out a forested area where they could find the trees which Xinnia had requested, for food. Phoenixes are known to have a different diet than the birds of this world, she explained. Instead of eating fruits and nuts, the phoenix will consume small amounts of frankincense and aromatic gums.

They did not notice how far, or how long they had flown, until the sun hid itself from their sight.

"I wish to try to find more of my kind. In your journeys have you met anyone that may be of some help to me Phlynx"? Xinnia finally asked as they sought to find a place to sleep for the night.

"I can take you to see the wise old owl of the Dream Forest, if anyone should be able to help you, it would be her. We should rest tonight and fly there on the morrow".

They decided to return and rest within the trees of the forest where food could be found. Swooping lower, with the clouds beginning to darken, the two large birds, one brightly colored and flamboyant in its beauty, the other proud, bold, yet understated in the coloring of its plumes, flew side by side in camaraderie.

Tomorrow, after a restful night's sleep, they had a most interesting new world to discover, each from a different perspective. One wondered about love and its many possibilities, the other, with a great deal of trepidation, doubt and fear, wondered if she could ever fit into a world where she may be the last of her species.

Tomorrow though, will be a new day. Who knows what possibilities await!

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