Chronicles of the Red Sovereign

Afasia is divided into three realms; the Human Realm, the Celestial Realm and the Netherworld.

The Human Realm is where most mortals live, humans in particular has the most population. Energy called ‘Mana’ circulates around this realm and it is what most mages process in their body in the forms of spell and become magical power. Monsters also roam this realm and kill human on a daily basis. Although it is quite an independent realm, which doesn’t even know it’s one of the three realms of Afasia, it is a playground for those who call themselves the worlds’ deities; the Celestial.

The Celestial Realm is the land of the beings regarded as gods by the humans. The ruling race is called the Celestial Race which looks a lot like a human, only a lot stronger than them. Other races also live in the Celestial Realm like my Liada fox clan, the dragon clan, the divine bird clan, mermaids, etc. The realm also has purer energy which is the reason why those living in it are a lot stronger than those in the Human Realm.

And lastly, the Netherworld. It’s the land of the dead, as simple as that. Spirits of the dead goes there to be judged; either to be punished in the pits of the fiery abyss of punishment or to be sent into the process of reincarnation. It is ruled by one man, and nobody really likes messing with that guy.

Take note that he fancies Elthesia but my sister is quite the dense one. Well, she probably noticed it but pretended not to.

Now Avalon Isles is something that supposedly exists in the middle of the realms, a space that is voided with the laws of the realms of Afasia. An independent island in the sea of space of Afasia.

Or at least that was what I heard in one of my study sessions from Xiwangmu[1]. I always thought it was I the human realm, protected from the leering eyes of those from the Celestial Realm, isolated from the rest of the world.

Okay maybe the last one was an undeniable fact, but I was never really told of the specifics about Avalon Isles even while I was Nyxtriel.

Now why was I talking or relieving about that?

Nothing in particular really…

Okay maybe I was lying.

Those just flashed in my mind while I was in the middle of my mission in Muspel Island, trying to recover Freya’s precious necklace that has a very complicated name; Brisingamen.

My sweat didn’t even reach the ground. It evaporated from the heat of the surroundings.

I had myself coated with a thin barrier of energy to protect me from the blazing heat. I had been training for the past five years to put up the barrier always so it was sort of just second nature to me, but the heat is seriously killing me.

I never liked warm weathers or heat in general. I don’t even like spicy food, so I had to put up more concentration on my barrier.

I groaned as I avoided another attack from one of the many monsters in Muspel Island. I swung my energy coated swords at the monster’s hide and successfully critically injured it, killing it in the process.

-Ugh! My clothes are torn to shreds and my birthmark is as red as it can be.

I immediately fashioned my clothes to cover at least my dignity, my chest, and proceeded to the area where I can sense Brisingamen. I spent enough time with it so I could already tell the kind of energy it emits, which could help me track it.

It was still the middle of the second day but my progress had been quite slow. Not to mention I hadn’t had any proper rest.

I was beginning to be cranky and exhausted.

Skip to the third day…

I noticed that I was nearing the base of Muspel Island’s biggest and most active volcano, and somehow Brisingamen’s energy signature is getting closer.

“You have got to be kidding me.” I groaned and slayed the monsters starting to crowd around me.

A few actually managed to nick me and I had also been trying to heal those wounds with my power.

-Damn those guys! Since when have I been their errand girl?! Should I wield it to Freya’s chest so she will no longer lose it? How the hell did she even lose it in Muspel Island in the first place?!

I mentally sighed, as such thoughts run in my mind.

Sometime after lunch, I finally managed to find the damn necklace but it took quite a bit of effort to take it back from the fire monster’s horn where it rested.

***

I met Ares at the edge of Muspel Island and Freya tagged along with him. I decided to scold her of how she should cherish her things and to stop losing her things. I could only sigh as I finished with the short lecture.

“Nyxtriel, I’m your teacher you know?”

“Who’s using his student to look for his girlfriend’s lost necklace?” I said with disdain and a straight face.

Well that definitely shut them up so I suppose I didn’t have to worry. I didn’t have to worry about him scolding me since I could fight with him on an even footing now.

Hah!

I spent the night in a rejuvenating hot spring and relaxed. I was also given a week’s worth of rest before I get to challenge the Pagoda Tower.

I sighed at the thought.

Challenging the Pagoda Tower meant I was finished with my training with the foreign gods of Avalon Isles and I was ready to be unleashed to the world.

Or so what Apollo told me.

Upon relaxing in the hot spring, I couldn’t help but think of what happened in the last five years of my stay in Avalon Isles. It was quite a good time to reminisce those past five years, especially the really interesting ones.

**************

Note:

[1] Xiwangmu – or Queen Mother of the West. She’s an ancient Chinese goddess who tends to the Peaches of Immortality, serves as a guardian to all Daoist women, and is married to the Jade Emperor.