Interlude 1

Four-year-old Alice and seven-year-old Cora Munro returned home with their precious burden. Their Father, Edmund Munro, was surprised that his daughters were covered in ash and was even more surprise of how they found the golden chick.

"My dear girls; you found a Phoenix and I thought they were haunted down," said their Father as the chick gazed up at him from the basket. "Phoenixes are loyal to those they imprint and you now have a responsibility!"

"Why would anyone want to hunt a Phoenix?" Young Cora asked curiously and the Colonel answered matter of fact: "Dark Witches would do anything to consume the heart of a Phoenix and gain Eternal Youth but at a price!"

"Are there any Dark Witches left, Papa?" Young Alice inquired as she picked up and held the Phoenix chick to her heart.

"No, lass, not for hundred years;" replied Edmund fondly, "the Dark Witches killed each other or were hunted down over time!"

Glancing at the golden chick; Colonel Munro added: "This is the last Phoenix and she must be protected no matter what!"

"Alice and I will do our best;" vowed Cora and Alice added: "We will call her Lady!"

As the days passed; the sisters fed the chick raw and cooked meat every hour, and the Phoenix rested in a nest of blankets in a wicker basket. Throughout the days; the chick ate, rested and grew rapidly to the surprise joy of the girls.

She had grown to the size of an adolescent dog and her golden fluff had become dark red feathers and Lady's shimmering sapphire blue eyes seem to hold the Sun for iris. Lady followed Alice and Cora around, letting them know when she was hungry and rested near the sisters as she grew more.

Colonel Munro had hunted wild game that he brought home to feed the Phoenix and was pleased at how much the mystical bird grew. The Colonel brought a wild boar and saw Lady outside; he laid the carcass before her and joined his daughters for tea outside.

For the next few hours or so the Munro Family watched Lady consume half of the boar, rested and grew more. She left behind picked cleaned bones and now stood taller than Colonel Edmund Munro; her head brushed the highest branches of the trees and her body was large.

Lady looked like she was made of garnets, gold and moonlight; aside from her dark red feathers she had long gold tail feathers mixed in. She had a scattering of her feathers faded in gold, her beak and legs were smooth, and her talons looked sharp.

Then Lady turned her large head to the family of three, shifted her legs and ruffled her feathers as if she was uncomfortable. Then she becomes engulfed in bright gold flames, startling the girls and their Father, the flames shrank and faded to reveal a young girl of four (same age as Alice).

The young girl was naked as a newborn with fiery gold markings decorating her body and when she collapsed to her knees; Colonel Munro covered her with his coat, picked her up and ushered his daughters into their home as he carried the girl in. Nurse was called and she dressed the girl in one of Alice's old dresses, and laid her in bed before being dismissed with a thank you.

The girl's eyes snapped open and she sat up; it was startling that the girl's eyes held no white but remained solid sapphire blue with the gold Sun-iris. The girl shifted to her knees on the bed and arranged the dress skirt to pool around before turning her gaze to the Munro Family.

"Thank you for taking care of us;" spoke the girl with a woman's voice and Edmund Munro asked curiously: "What happened to you...What are you?"

"I am the last Phoenix...a Phoenix of Nature and very rare;" answered the Phoenix solemnly. "I was born to Mother Nature, my true form slept within this child who had become my host and would've continued sleeping until my host reaches adolescence, and I would've started merging with her!"

"What had caused your awakening and merging now?" Cora inquired and Alice added excitedly: "What is the name of your host and do you have a name?"

"I have no other name but that of my host and she was named Gwenhwyfar; yet I will take the name Lady as my beast name," explained Lady with a smile. "As for my sudden awakening; our Mother's husband killed killed our Mother and shot my host with an arrow, missing our heart.

I felt Gwen dying and awoke; I got her and the body of our Mother away, your daughters came upon the funeral pyre" this was said to the Colonel. "Cora and Alice came upon my host's death and rebirth; it was the only way to merge with Gwen and gave our Mother peace in the afterlife, my host is now a celestial being of fire and personification of nature!"

"Will she remember...Does she have no other family?" Colonel Munro asked feeling pity for the girl's fate.

"Gwenhwyfar is far too traumatized to handle the truth and she has no family by blood;" answered Lady sadly, "I will explain everything to her when she is ready. As a Phoenix; we are imprinted to you and your family, I know she will be safe with you!"

"I will raise Gwenhwyfar with my daughters, I will provide the same comfort and give her a home;" vowed Edmund Munro as he drew a dagger and held the hilt before him like a cross. "She will want for nothing and she will know a family's love; may this steel turn against me if I break this oath!"

"A new life deserves a new name;" said Lady with a nod, "Gwenhwyfar will bear our Mother's maiden name of Moonshard!"

Then the Phoenix laid back down on the bed, closed her eyes and went to sleep; Alice and Cora stayed by the bedside while their Father went to his study to go over paperwork. Around suppertime the girl awoke; when her eyes opened to reveal whites now visible, her pupils were now sapphire blue with gold Suns for iris.

"Who am I?" She asked for the first time...