Mythical Monster You Never Knew You Wanted

Phoenix

***For @EmotionalProblemz15. See that! I remember to put it in the chapter!***
     "Kota! Kota! Where are you! I've done it! I've done it!" A cackle of slightly manic laughter followed this shout that shocked the sleepy morning into alert. A young man with short dark hair and sleepy gummed eyes snapped out of his doze.

     With a sigh he rubbed his eyes and sleepily shuffled out if the kitchen and through the mansion to see what the lunatic wanted this time. They collided on the stairs and Kota clung to a fistful of the other man's shirt to keep himself from tumbling over the banister.

     "There you are! I've been looking everywhere! I've done it Kota!" He said, the usual manic glint in his eyes. His brown hair stuck up, wild and all over the place and his clothes were disheveled and singed in a few places.

     "That is great, really good. I'm so proud, always knew you had it you." Kota said. He waited for the sarcasm to register and when it didn't he added, "mind telling me what it is you did?"

     "I got him!" The other cried, as if it should be obvious.

     Ah, yes....that cleared things up.

     "Well done, spanking good work old chap. Marvelous." Kota said, Turning to walk away. His hand was grabbed and suddenly he was being dragged along down the stairs and whipped around corners. "Averill! Relax! Will you tell me whom 'him' is?"

     Averill came to a screeching halt and whipped around to grasp Kota's shoulders. "I caught the Phoenix." He breathed in excitement.

     Kota at him. He was shocked, impressed, and at the same time a little sad.

     Averill was only fifteen when his grandfather died. He left him the mansion, a notebook and a raven called Poe. The notebook contained his life's work, conducting research on magical shifting birds, to attempt to apply their abilities to humans. The raven was nothing more than a headache, in Kota's opinion. A sly scheming creature with a bad attitude and access to dangerous substances.

     Kota assumed he was only so badly behaved because he was a pet and test subject. Averill cherished Poe, but he cherished the others in his collection just the same.
It was incredably rare to fine a phoenix, catching one was unheard of, and Kota had a bad feeling he would just become part of Averill's collection too.

     "How did you do it?" Kota asked as he followed, more willingly, to the aviarie.

     "That doesn't matter." Which means it was something illegal. "But he is here! Right now!" Averill said excitedly.

     Kota was pulled along into the great round room with the glass domed chilling. The air was humid and large colorful tropical plants filled it. Birds pipped their songs and a chatter of voices added to the din. A large black Raven flew from a fig tree and landed heavily on Averill's shoulder.

     He transformed, the wings stretching into arms, feathers retracting into the skin that lightened as soon a young man was hanging, arms around Averill's neck, looking sulky.

     "I don't like him." Poe stated bluntly. "He is.....strange."

     "Shut up Poe, he is fine." Averill said impatiently, pushing Poe's face away.

     He gave an indignant croak and let go. "Well." He huffed. "Fine then. Hope you freeze tonight." He snapped and stalked off to a far corner of the aviary, climbing into the lap of a lean graceful looking man with snow white hair sitting half in a pond.

     Averill paid him no mind and continued to pull Kota along to a birdcage at the end. The structure stood some ten feet high, arching up. The space inside was circular with a messy, nest like, bed hung three or so feet off the ground. It swayed slightly, a lump under the snowy, down comforter.