PROLOGUE   The phoenix is a mythical bird that is a fire spirit with a colorful plumage and a tail of gold and scarlet. It has a 500 to 1000 year life-cycle. The griffin is a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. As the lion was traditionally considered the king of the beasts and the eagle was the king of the birds, the griffin was thought to be an especially powerful and majestic creature. In the