Luke now possessed another can of Ent-draught from Treebeard, but he didn't drink it immediately. According to Treebeard, the Ent-draught was potent and had prolonged aftereffects. After consuming it, the tree-men preferred to lie down to prevent the full force of the drink from rushing to their heads too quickly.
Drinking too much, too soon, could also strain the body, so it wasn't recommended to consume it again in a short period. Luke heeded this advice, dividing the can of Ent-draught into three portions and pouring them into three separate bottles. He kept one bottle for himself to drink later, and offered the other two to Gandalf and Arwen respectively.
Gandalf, however, shook his head and declined. "I've drunk this draught many times, Luke. It holds no further benefit for me. Besides, if I desired more, I'd simply ask Treebeard for it. There's no need to waste it on me." Treebeard nodded in agreement, indicating he, too, had had enough. Seeing their refusal, Luke didn't press the matter further. "In that case," he announced, "I'll save your share, Gandalf, for Bilbo." Gandalf chuckled even more heartily at this. "Then I eagerly await Bilbo becoming the tallest Hobbit!"
Arwen initially intended to refuse her bottle of Ent-draught, suggesting Luke keep it himself. However, Luke gave her no opportunity to decline, simply pressing it into her hand. He didn't lack Ent-draught; once he returned to Weathertop and brewed more Growth Potion, he could easily trade for more from Treebeard.
After the discussion about the Ent-draught concluded, Gandalf asked Luke the reason for his visit. Luke didn't answer immediately. Instead, he reached into his space bag and produced the unconscious firebird. Looking at the large, red creature radiating intense heat, Gandalf was surprised and puzzled. "What kind of bird is this? I've never seen its like before." As the oldest of the tree-men, Treebeard also stated it was his first encounter with such a creature.
"Its body is like a furnace, constantly capable of spewing flames," Treebeard rumbled, his voice laced with caution. "It resembles a fire dragon somewhat. Could it be a hybrid of a fire dragon and a bird?" Treebeard was very wary of this fire-breathing creature; while he himself was not afraid of fire, the trees in his forest certainly were.
It was also Arwen's first time seeing such a creature. She asked curiously, "Luke, what kind of bird is this? Where did you find it?" Facing their questioning and curious gazes, Luke directly explained his magical experiment.
"So, you created this firebird?" Gandalf asked, greatly surprised.
Luke shook his head. "It's not truly creation. I simply tried to combine the magical circulation systems of a Giant Eagle and a Dragon, then magically transformed an ordinary orc. This unexpectedly gave birth to this fire-breathing firebird."
"That's a truly remarkable experiment!" Gandalf marveled, observing the firebird. "Who would have thought it could have been transformed from an orc?" Arwen, however, looked suddenly enlightened. "No wonder my father received news of the destruction of the orc stronghold in the Misty Mountains to the north not long ago, when I was in Rivendell. Did you go there to capture orcs for experiments?"
Luke smiled and nodded. "Magical deformation is very dangerous. If I need experimental subjects, I can only seek out these orcs for trouble." No one present thought it wrong for Luke to use orcs for magical experiments. After all, orcs were a dark race, inherently cruel and evil, and neither Gandalf, Treebeard, nor Arwen would extend any mercy to them.
"So, Luke, how exactly do you need my help?" Gandalf inquired curiously.
"I want to use this firebird as a template to create a more powerful and sacred bird. One that will be reborn from its ashes. When its body begins to fail, it will immolate itself in flames and then rise anew from the ashes..." Luke explained everything he knew about the phoenix, waving his wand to conjure a vivid image of the mythical bird in the air.
As Gandalf watched the lifelike image of the phoenix hovering in the air and listened to Luke's continuous description of its power, countless insights flashed in his eyes, and wisdom and inspiration burst forth in his mind. When Luke finished describing his conception of the phoenix, Gandalf exclaimed, "I wonder how you could have imagined such a perfect creature? If I hadn't known that no such magical creature existed in the world, I would have certainly believed it!" Treebeard and Arwen nodded in agreement. Arwen, in particular, gazed at the ethereal portrait of the phoenix in amazement, her eyes full of adoration. When she looked at Luke again, her eyes sparkled with even more stars. "Luke, what is the name of this beautiful creature?"
"Phoenix, or Phoenix!"
"Phoenix," Arwen repeated, "What a beautiful name!"
Luke cast his hopeful gaze upon Gandalf. "Gandalf, the phoenix I envision is a spirit born from flames. It can rely on flames to remain immortal. Your understanding of fire is unparalleled, so I would like to seek your help."
"Ah, Luke, I don't deserve your compliment. My knowledge of fire is modest," Gandalf said with characteristic humility. "But since you wish to create a creature like the phoenix, I will certainly do my utmost to assist you."
Luke was overjoyed to hear Gandalf agree to help. So, the two of them began to study the firebird at Treebeard's home in Fangorn Forest. Arwen became fast friends with Treebeard, often sitting on his shoulders and accompanying him on patrols through the forest. She even visited other tree-folk and received many gifts, such as fruits, flowers, and beautiful stones.
Gandalf's wisdom and knowledge were profound, and his understanding of fire had indeed reached an exceptionally high level. Under Gandalf's guidance, Luke gradually refined the firebird's magical circulation system. Under the power of the Ring of Fire, the firebird evolved once more and truly became a 'Firebird' burning with flames, rather than merely a giant bird that breathed fire. However, the two of them became stuck at the stage of Nirvana. They both felt a pang of regret as they watched the firebird turn into a pile of ashes before them.
Yet, in that failure, they discovered the key to the phoenix's rebirth. It required two essential conditions: one was the fire of Nirvana, and the other was immense magical power. The fire of Nirvana, as the Phoenix's inherent life-flame, allowed it to be reborn from ashes. The enormous magical power ensured that the Phoenix could successfully achieve Nirvana. Both were indispensable.
The fire that condenses the phoenix's life force naturally couldn't be an ordinary flame but a flame with immortal properties. And in this world, there were a few flames with such properties.
One was the Fire of Anor, which was the Fire of the Sun. But the sun was high in the sky and incredibly hot. Ordinary beings couldn't approach it, let alone obtain its flame. The Fire of Anor that Gandalf could summon was essentially just sunlight, not the true fire of the sun.
Another was the Dark Fire of the Balrog. The Balrog was essentially a corrupted Maia. Its flame was the antithesis of the Fire of Anor. It symbolized immense power and destruction, was eternally bound to the Balrog, and was an unending fire.
The third was the flame of Narya, the Ring of Fire. The Ring of Fire contained magical powers related to fire, a magical fire invisible to the naked eye, and the source of the Ring's power.
Additionally, there was an even more mysterious flame: the Secret Fire. The Secret Fire existed in the void. It was a force that gave things life and substance. Ilúvatar used it to bestow free will and true life upon creations, injecting them with souls.
The Secret Fire was unique to Ilúvatar and could only be controlled by Him. Morgoth, jealous of the Secret Fire, tried to find it in the Void but never succeeded. Even Morgoth couldn't find this kind of fire, let alone Luke, so it was not a viable option at all.
Finally, there was a kind of immortal Goblin-fire, which Luke possessed. But this flame was essentially condensed by Deu's magic. Although it could be kept burning, it wasn't truly immortal.
Gandalf shared everything he knew about the eternal flames in the world of Arda, holding nothing back. Even the secret of Narya, the Ring of Fire on his hand, was revealed.
Luke felt a headache coming on after hearing all this. First, he eliminated the unreachable Secret Fire and the Fire of Anor, leaving only the Fire of the Balrog and the fire of Narya. Among these, the Ring of Fire, Narya, was worn on Gandalf's hand, right in front of him. But it was impossible for Luke to seize Narya's flame to condense the fire of Nirvana. That left only one choice: the Fire of the Balrog! And he happened to know the location of a Balrog.
But Luke wasn't happy at all. After all, that was a Balrog! It was the very being that had forced Gandalf into a seemingly mutual demise. Luke was almost ready to give up. Perhaps he could put the Phoenix idea aside for the time being. When he grew stronger in the future, he could then consider confronting a Balrog.
Gandalf saw Luke's hesitation. He smiled and said, "Perhaps I can tell you some good news that might solve your troubles."
"What news?" Luke asked, confused.
"I recently received word that the Dwarves of the Lonely Mountain are planning to retake Moria. Perhaps you could cooperate with them again."
"What? They want to retake Moria?" Luke was utterly surprised. "Have they forgotten that there are Balrogs in Moria?" After all, the Dwarves' mining of mithril had awakened the Balrog sleeping deep within Moria, leading to the fall of the dwarven kingdom. It was an open secret in Middle-earth that Moria was subsequently occupied by orcs and that the Balrog lurked deep in the mines. Were the Dwarves of the Lonely Mountain so confident they could defeat a Balrog and reclaim Moria?
Gandalf sighed, saying helplessly, "Shouldn't you be familiar with the character of the Dwarves? Moria is the birthplace of the Durinfolk, and it is rich in treasures and mithril mines. They will never give it up." He continued, "Thorin and his company once braved the danger of the dragon Smaug and embarked on an expedition to the Lonely Mountain. It's not surprising that they now wish to retake Moria."
"Then when are they planning to go to Moria?" Luke asked.
"They are also aware of the Balrog's presence, so they are still discussing it and haven't made a final decision yet," Gandalf explained. "But if you join them, I believe they will make a decision quickly. After all, your title of 'Dragon Lord' is enough to boost their confidence!"
Luke chuckled self-deprecatingly. "Gandalf, you think too highly of me. To be honest, I have no confidence against a Balrog. Even if I cooperate with the Dwarves, I'm afraid I don't have much chance of winning!" A Balrog was a Maia-level being with an immortal soul and formidable magical powers. It had been entrenched in Moria for thousands of years, its mere existence making the entire area a forbidden zone. Even if Luke and the dragon Smaug joined forces, they were no match for it.
Gandalf laughed when he heard this. "Don't be so pessimistic, Luke. I'll come and help you when the time comes. We'll definitely be able to deal with the Balrog!"
Luke's eyes instantly lit up. "Gandalf, are you going too?"
Gandalf smiled and nodded. "Of course, how could I be absent from such a lively event?"