Chronicles of the Red Sovereign

I was staring with a dumbstruck look on the Spirit Ball Senior Andrei said to be my supposedly ‘grandmother’s’ last gift. A lot of questions ran in my mind at that moment. Like who really was Hilda Hysi, or how did she come across the Spirit Ball which contained a part of myself, etc.

Perhaps the most intriguing question that plagued my mind was how was I able to identify the power inside the Spirit Ball to be my third tail?

-Did I come across my first two tails? Do I actually have them?

The more I kept thinking about it, the painful my headache came to be. I decided to just investigate it later on and settle on the fact that it was possible to actually gain my third tail.

-Then does that mean all my nine tails are scattered all over the world? Is that actually possible?

It was a wild guess at the sudden bizarre situation but apart from the questions in my head, I was very happy and excited. With that were warmth and the weary feeling washing over me.

“Senior Andrei, thank you for returning it to me.”

I didn’t even notice I was crying until Senior Andrei pointed it out.

To be honest, my mind was pretty blank at that particular moment, overwhelmed by shock. But now that I realized it, it might’ve been the involuntary feeling of regaining something that belonged to my past, which I seemingly lost.

He then explained how he met my grandmother.

Hilda Hysi was a woman with ties to the Retoulis Kingdom and had served as the royal tutor to the royal family for a long long time. Apparently members of the Lyxi Clan had a long lifespan and my grandmother would travel back and forth between the Retoulis Kingdom and Lyxi Clan Village.

Almost eight years ago, my grandmother caught the news of the Lyxi Clan’s annihilation. She immediately headed to her village only to find it burnt to the ground. She tried to find the remains of her family and found nothing but graves not that far from the village.

I think Elthesia was the one responsible for the graves.

With dampened emotions, she went to her way back to Retoulis Kingdom. But on the way she encountered demons and got heavily wounded.

“She took a long time to recover but she never really fully recovered. She believed some of her clan members survived and continued her life with such thoughts. Then one day she said her granddaughter is still alive but she was already weak and knew she wouldn’t live long. That’s when she entrusted me with the Spirit Ball. She said I’ll know Luna Hysi when I see her.”

I was looking at him skeptically but then it morphed to a questioning look.

“You had the same shade of hair. And the fact that I found out what your name was while preparing for the Grand Academy Games.”

I nodded my head in understanding, grateful that he shared his story.

Senior Andrei and I parted that day with him promising to come to my aid whenever I need. I had no idea what opted him to say such words but I just agreed him and actually told him I’d hold him to his words.

The rest of the day was spent with hanging out with my friends. As if I knew I won’t be seeing them for a long long time.

***

I was seated on the roof of the Celestine Mansion, admiring the stars that blotted the night sky as well as the moon. I was holding the black Spirit Ball against the moonlight and was surprised to see it transparent. I could see a familiar symbol in the middle of it, a symbol I never thought I’d ever get a glimpse again; an upside down half of a heart shape, connected to another half of a heart shape, only the latter was upright.

It was my symbol as a deity. Which meant, the Spirit Ball really did contain a part of myself.

I asked Senior Andrei what the Spirit Ball did but he said he never really knew. My grandmother’s instructions regarding the Spirit Ball was that it was to be given to me and I would know what to do with it.

I had no idea what to do with it.

I mean, it had my power in representation of my tail (which I was confused still of how I knew that), but I had no idea how to draw it out and absorb it. It was baffling.

A sudden rise of energy in the surroundings and the appearance of a familiar aura made me look up and stare right at the moon. No, not at the moon exactly but the figure in the middle of it.

A winged figure was in the sky, their silhouette making a magical-like scene. The winged individual flew closer to me and I sighed in relief.

It really was Afasia.

-Hmm… I still have no idea why she has wings.

“Why look so sullen?” she asked after landing. She sat next to me and draped her wings over me, which provided some warmth over the cold night wind. “Did you not like going about the capital with your friends?”

I couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at her question. I always knew she was someone who knew stuff but knowing that was actually a little unsettling to be honest.

“Did you escape the horrendous paperwork in the palace?”

I saw her jaw stiffen, but then both of us sighed and let out chuckles.

After knowing she was actually my sister, Elthesia, the once intimidating archduchess that I grew up with suddenly became rather casual and more comfortable to be with.

It was nice.

“So, how did your day go?”

I told her what my friends and I did in the day, as well as my meeting with Senior Andrei. I told Elthesia what he told me; about my grandmother, Hilda Hysi, and the Spirit Ball.

She held the Spirit Ball curiously but she only gave me questioning looks regarding it. “I don’t feel anything particularly special from it. Although it seems to be a high-grade magic ore, there’s nothing that actually stands out.”

I snatched the Spirit Ball back and hissed jokingly at her.

“It contains a part of my power okay? It contains one of my tails.” I said and tucked the item in my inventory.

“Your tails?” she questioned, in which I responded with a nod.

“I believe my powers as a deity is scattered all over the world in representation of my tails.” I said. “Don’t ask me why I know and why I believe it, I just do. Call it an instinct if you will. That’s my third tail, which means I currently have two tails.”

Elthesia suddenly began sizing me up with her golden eyes which appeared to be blazing amidst the dark.

“Hmm… Apart from the power boost from reversing the Transport Gate a couple of days ago, yes, it seems like you do possess the power of your two-tailed self.”

“See? So, if my third tail is in the Spirit Ball that means the rest of my tails are somewhere out there waiting to be discovered by me.”

“Gaining your tails will only let the Celestials pinpoint your whereabouts.” Elthesia commented.

I thought about that. I ran away from those Celestials who tried to cage me and killed my entire family, and being a mortal somehow helped hide me from their sights. I knew that becoming more powerful would only catch their attention but…

“I need strength and power to face my foes.” I said. “If I want to get my revenge against them, I need the power. And before that, I also have a score to settle among the demons for the sake of the real Luna Hysi.”