Lucy Caldwell suffered a disaster in her childhood - her house was burnt, which turned fatal for her parents. She grew up in a children's house together with other orphans. She could never forget the fire incident and was sure her parents were murde...
The grand red palace of the Huli foxes was situated high up in the heavenly realm. Huli Yuehong had grabbed Lucy and jumped high in the sky, stepping in the air, while Lily had taken her black demoness form and followed the fox and her cousin.
"There we are," Yuehong smiled once noticed the giant red palace in the Huli land, in the evergreen garden.
The friends landed near the palace. Masked fox spirits were guarding the gates, but once they caught a glimpse of Lord Huli, they immediately bowed and let them all in. Lucy clung to Yuehong's arm and fearfully followed him, feeling awe in such a magnificent spirit palace.
The main hall was immense and golden. There was a throne situated at the end, raised from the floor by some golden stairs. Lucy and Lily gazed up at it and noticed the queen sitting there. It was a stern and strict young woman with beautiful long blond hair and deep purple eyes. Her fox ears were unusually long, unlike any other Huli foxes, and she had no less than nine tails.
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A nine-tailed fox?! Lucy gasped - nine-tailed foxes were deemed extremely rare, and were the mightiest of all tailed foxes.
The queen fox wore a red kimono-robe and was barefoot like all other spirits. Once she saw the entered guests, she shot them a stern gaze. Once Yuehong noticed she was looking at them, he whispered to Lucy:
"You are a simple human. Please bow. It is a custom here".
Lucy started and immediately bowed - if she disrespected the Huli foxes' customs, High Forces knew what they would do to her! After all, these foxes were man-eaters. Lily, on the other hand, didn't need to bow, as she was none other but the Queen of the Underworld, so she had equal status to the Huli Queen. Yuehong politely smiled to his daughter, no matter he was of a superior rank, and humbly spoke:
"Hello, my dearest Mei_"
"You are not welcome here".
Lucy widened eyes - she dared speak so rudely to her father who was none other but Lord Huli Yuehong?!
What is she doing?
Lily was no less stupefied - being accustomed to Incubus' fearful reactions towards his father and his complete obedience, this kind of an attitude of this fox girl towards her father was foreign to her.
"Mei, dear, I didn't come to pester you. I simply need your help..."
"You have brought a human. You know my attitude towards humans".
"She is different. We have the same attitude towards humans, but this one's special," Yuehong caressed Lucy.
"And how 'special' is she?" Mei coldly crossed her feet.
Yuehong sighed:
"Listen, Mei_"
"I have no desire to listen to your senseless chatter! You are a selfish man, and I have no desire to help you!"
Yuehong, surprisingly for Lucy and Lily who both knew him as the ruthless Blood Moon Fox, didn't get angry now either, but dropped his fox ears in sadness:
"So that is how you think of me..."
Lucy grew sorrowful. She had pity on the poor fox. She frowned, clenched her fist, and glanced at the Huli Queen:
"How shameful of you! You disrespect your father who raised you for all these millennia, and gave you his whole clan to rule! You think fathers are to be taken for granted?! I would give anything if only I could meet mine again for just a few minutes, even once!"
"What would you know, human?! My father is immortal, who'd care about him? That man was not able to protect the one who was far more important and far feebler - my mother!" tears filled her eyes, "He failed to protect her!"
Lucy gasped - her mother? She meant, Yuehong's wife? Yuehong failed to protect his wife? From whom? How?
Yuehong sighed, sprang up, and appeared before his crying daughter. He softly hugged her and pressed her to his chest:
"I am sorry, Mei. I know I've caused you much pain, but I need your help to make it all right again... The Kaninchen have already attacked - they kidnapped this young girl's friends," he pointed on Lucy who was curiously watching them. "I became her guardian spirit, so I want to protect her. Please, help me, and we together shall take revenge on the Kaninchen Clan".
"But why would you help a human?" Mei frowned, tears pouring down her cheeks, "It was humans who killed mother!"
Lucy gasped - humans killed Yuehong's wife?! Then it was clear why the Huli Clan hated humans so much!
"Yes, but this human is special - Lady Lilith, the Queen of the Underworld, is her very cousin".
Mei gasped and looked down, spotting Lady Lilith who stood next to Lucy. She gulped and whispered to her father in fear:
"So you... really formed a deal with... him?"
"Precisely, my dear, and if you cooperate, we might just be able to achieve our common dream," Yuehong caressed her on hair with a grin. Mei looked down at Lucy again and observed her carefully.
She indeed has light blue hair and brown eyes...
"Was there any fire element presence on the kidnapping scene?"
"Yes," Lilith answered her instead of Yuehong. "I felt it myself".
"Then I guess... only the Phoenix King can track them down".
At this, Yuehong grimaced with annoyance. Lucy noticed his face-pulling and blinked with confusion:
"Who is the Phoenix King? Why are you so annoyed?"
"It is the king of the Kujaku - the clan of peacocks, and, his elder brother really plays on my nerves".
"Oh..." Lucy recalled about the Kujaku Clan from her lesson, "So, why is he so annoying?"
"He's a very nice guy," Mei frowned, "It is just that father can't stand him being so well-mannered and straightforward".
"Yeah, yeah..." Yuehong rolled eyes. "Anyway, he won't help me at any cost, so better if you come along".
"I've got no objections," Mei chuckled and the two foxes jumped down the stairs, appearing beside the cousin girls.
