Hello everyone!

As the above quote states no story is every fully told because there is always a story that causes the written story to be. It is an integral part of the fiction because without it, the fiction may never have been written. Confused yet?

The "Phoenix Key" is based heavily upon the Russian folk tale "Ivan Tsaravich, the Grey Wolf, and the Firebird". In order to understand the "Phoenix Key" you must also understand the folk tale since it occurs as a result of the events. I have tried to give the reader all the information they would need to follow the events in the "Phoenix Key" while not bogging them down in detail. For those who are still a bit confused here's the tale.

Ivan Tsaravich was the third son of a tsar. The tsar owned a magical orchid that grows a fruit that allowed the person who eats it to gain the ability of youth and to heal wounds inflicted upon them. One day the tsar discovers that something has eaten all the fruit in his orchid so he orders his eldest son, Dmitriy to go to the orchid and discover whom the thief is. That night Dmitriy sits guard but he falls asleep. The next morning all the fruit is again missing. It is now the tsar's second son, Vasiliy's turn. Vasiliy, like his brother, falls asleep and the next day the fruit is found missing. Finally it is Ivan's turn. Ivan sits out and when night falls a strange music plays and starts to put him to sleep. Ivan forces himself to stay awake and sees a bird that glows like fire flying between the trees and eating the tsar's fruit. Ivan chases the firebird and captures it but the bird gets away, leaving him with only a feather.

Ivan shows the feather to his father and the tsar declares that whichever son should bring him the firebird he will grant half his kingdom to now, and half when he died. The sons leave in order of age and Ivan travels until he comes to a crossroads. At the first road is a sign saying that any who travel it will die. The second road bears a sign that states that if a man should travel down it his horse would be eaten but he would be spared. The third road is marked with the warning that if someone were to travel down it their horse would be spared but they would be eaten. Ivan chooses to go down the second road. As he travels down it a grey wolf jumps out and eats Ivan's horse but spares him. It thanks him for the dinner and offers to help him find the firebird.

The wolf leads Ivan to the kingdom of Dolmat where he discovers the firebird in a golden cage. The wolf warns him not to touch the cage when he removes the firebird but Ivan, realizing that the bird will escape if not in a cage, touches it. The tsar of Dolmat captures him and informs him that if he had but asked for the firebird he would have given it up gladly but because he tried to steal it Ivan would have to do a favor for him. He sends Ivan out to get a horse with a golden bridle from Tsar Afron. Ivan leaves with the wolf.

At Tsar Afron's palace the wolf warns Ivan not to touch the bridle when he steals the horse but Ivan, yet again, fails to heed the wolf's warning and touches the bridle. He is captured by Afron who agrees to give him the horse if he goes to the Thrice Tenth Kingdom and bring him the princess Elena. Ivan leaves.

When they finally locate princess Elena the wolf (probably tired of Ivan not listening to his warnings) tries a different plan. He grabs the princess while she's out walking. On the way back Ivan decides that he doesn't want to give Elena up to Afron. He wants her for himself so he and the wolf come up with a plan. The wolf changes himself into Elena and Ivan turns him over to Afron. Afron gives him the horse and when Ivan and Elena were safely away Ivan called the wolf back. Together the three went to Dolmat.

Back in Dolmat Ivan decided that, like Elena, he couldn't give up the horse so the wolf turned into the horse and Ivan took him to the tsar of Dolmat, trading the wolf in disguise for the firebird. Once safely away Ivan called back the wolf and they all headed back to his father's kingdom. The wolf parted company with Ivan back at the crossroads and Ivan continued on.

On the way Ivan was ambushed by his brothers who kill him (Dmitriy giving the killing stroke) and took away firebird, horse, and princess. The wolf happened by and found Ivan's body. He convinced a crow to go get some magical water by holding one of her babies hostage and he used the water to revive Ivan.

This is where "The Phoenix Key" starts. In the folk tale Ivan proves that his brother's are "unhonorable" men (though Ivan's actions themselves in the folk tale aren't too honorable) and he gets everything and a happy ending. However, I am not writing this story to be a folk tale (though there is a use of magic in it). I tried to write the story as what really happened and then eventually got distorted into a fairy tale.

Now onto some questions.

Why didn't I make Ivan a more likable hero?

Because he isn't a real likable hero! Look at his actions throughout the actual tale. He's lying, cheating, and shows an ego streak a mile wide (I mean come on, why else wouldn't you listen to the warning of someone who seems to know what they're talking about, ESPECIALLY after they were proved right the first time?). If Ivan wants something he's going to take it, whether it belongs to him or not. He is not a perfect hero.

What is a Firebird?

A firebird is a large bird often portrayed as a crane or heron (just like the phoenix) that has red feathers that look like flames. A feather from the firebird is said to glow like a light in dark places. There are tales of people (usually women) turning into firebirds but in other tales the firebird is simply a magical creature.

What is a Phoenix?

A phoenix is a bird (often portrayed as a crane, heron, peacock, or bird of paradise) that resides in paradise. Every five hundred years (or more depending on the tale) it leaves paradise and travels west. In the Far East it collects spices and carries them to the middle east where it builds a nest in a palm tree with them. The phoenix then sets the nest on fire and dies in the flames. When the flames go out a new phoenix rises from the ashes of the old one. The new phoenix collects the ashes and carries them to Egypt where it places the ashes on the alter in the temple of the Egyptian sun god. When it is done the Phoenix then goes back to paradise where it will live for another five hundred years.

Why did you make the firebird a human person?

Two reasons really. The first was that the Phoenix Key was a human male and the story had to be about a human male. The second reason was because I wanted to play around with the theory on how fairy tales come into being. Some people believe that fairy tales come from actual events that have been blow out of proportion during oral retellings. In "The Phoenix Key" the tale of the thief who "flew like a bird" into the tsar's orchid caused people to "forget" that the thief was actually a human and not a real bird.

Why use the folk tale of the Firebird when Trey is the Phoenix Key?

Because I wasn't sure how to work the actual phoenix tale into a key-fic. There just isn't really enough there to do it. A Key is locked in a room and can't get out so I couldn't really have Trey traipsing around the continent once the story started. I've also always wondered how the poor firebird felt about everything that went on in its folk tale. I mean, it was just there to eat and next thing you know its in a cage and being carried around. The folk tale also never tells you what becomes of the firebird after its carried back to the tsar. For all we know Dmitriy and Vasiliy fried it up and had it for dinner.

Why is the story so sketchy in some places and detailed in others?

To make "The Phoenix Key" flow like a folk tale. In folk tales they tend to generalize certain things (especially action scenes) and go into detail for other things (such as social interaction scenes). This is why I glossed over the part where Ivan used the grey wolf to attack the tsar yet went on and on during the parts where Ivan and Trey were together.

What's up with the graphic sex?

Because I can.

I'm tossing around the idea of making a non-sex version but then again Trey is a sex slave and Ivan's problems stem from the physical so it might lessen the story too much to change it (and don't worry, I would leave up the sex version since it will be the original and best version). Anyway, don't hold your breath waiting for a new version cause it probably won't happen.

Does this story have a moral?

Yes it does. Read the last chapter.

Will there be a sequel?

More than likely. I would really really like to do a prequel describing how Ivan and Trey met and what things I changed in the original folk tale. There's also a sequel playing around in my head but it’s going to have to wait for the prequel to get done.