Male Hatchling
Name: unnamed
Species: Riluo Fenghuang
Birthday: Tuesday, January 30, 2018
Owner: Kestrad
Element: Light 
Riluo fenghuangs are so named due to their noble disposition, and this is apparent even after just hatching. These diminutive chicks very quickly gain their brilliant, iridescent plumage. They love to bask in the sun's rays, and will often stand with their wings spread, angling to catch the sun. They look like they are preening in order to show off their beauty, but in truth these hatchling are practicing to catch the angle of the sun correctly to set their feathers, and whatever prey they may find, aflame. The flames on their tails are always alight, the light making them look even more regal. These hatchlings stand out either at night or during the day, but few predators are willing to hunt something that has such mastery of fire.
Riluo fenghuangs are beautiful, but in the wild their beauty is a clear warning sign of one of the deadliest hunters in their habitat. They hail from the deserts of Voltar, but these birds do well wherever they are introduced as long as they have access to the sun. Their feathers are gorgeous, but do more than give them the power of flight and their lustrous color. Each feather can act like a piece of glass, refracting light perfectly and focusing it on a single point in order to concentrate the sun's rays and set it aflame. That power is deadly enough, but the riluo fenghuang also has two long prehensile whisker-like feathers on its head that it can use to more accurately direct light or to entangle their prey. Their favored prey is actually other birds, which they catch in flight with their whiskery feathers, burn out of the sky by using focused light, or by simply striking with their long, fiery tails. Though they are efficient hunters, they are not violent, and when not hunting are content to bask in the sun. They are very careful not to accidentally burn anything in their environment, and it is noted that they will fly long distances to avoid nesting and potentially setting alight a dry forest. For this reason, they are not often found in wooded areas, preferring to nest on rocky mountain peaks. True to their name, these birds live an incredibly long time. It is only when they have no access to the sun that they will burn themselves up using the light from their own waning fires and wait to be reborn during a sunnier time.
Sprite art: Mysfytt (hatchling) | Description: Raneth