The next week was festival week. My family had been preparing for months, as this was the time when we made the most money off our crops. Reiba's annual Red Moon festival was famous throughout the land, even people from Khine went to it. There was music and dancing and food for all. One of the key things to the festival however, was that this was one of the only chances for a child to bond with a spira. Typically children from sixteen to twenty would dress in their best clothes and search for a spira. If a child found a spira, they would offer their souls in agreement for the spira's abilities. I was only fifteen, but my mother was hoping no one would notice and that I could get a plant-related spira, for that would be a big help on the farm.
I only had one good outfit; a plain white dress I think my mother was saving for if I get married. I felt pretty foolish, dressed up. It really was something more for the rich. Myrtle grew some daises and made a flower chain for my head. When the large red moon rose
in the sky, it was time for me to set out.
Many other children were walking around. Some of them were kneeling, some of them were looking under things. Only the ones who had done this previous years knew to head into the forest. Adults who were twenty-one were looking on, some of them with spiras who looked proud, some of them without who looked glum. Cheerful festival music played as I walked around, wondering where I should go.
A sudden gasp brought my attention to the square. A spira, a bit bigger then a large horse, was walking down the square. It was a fox of pure red, whose seven tails swayed with each step it took. Each of it's tails was on fire, and it's arched eyes shown with a cruel gleam. Its mouth was raised in what was quite clearly a smirk, like it was proud of the stir it was making. It strutted down the street way and into the square, where it sat down like a king in his throne.
All at once, children came rushing to try to bond with this spira. Something as big as it was was bound to be powerful. The fox didn't acknowledge any of them, as they ran over, tripping over their dresses and falling over rocks. Someone nudged me; it was Lopan.
"Aren't you going to try?" he asked, "It didn't even glance at me! But it never hurts ya'know." Lopan ran away after the tip, back into the growing crowd.
I walked over to where the fox sat. A line was there of hopeful children, sometimes accompanied by even more hopeful parents. The fox didn't even move when one came up. They would do whatever and the fox would just swish it's tails. At least once the fox moved when a kid came up, much to the kid's delight. The kid would start getting very exited until the fox dismissed them. Just like that, with a sharp twitch. That meant your turn was up.
My turn came quickly. I walked up to the fox and took another look. It's fur wasn't actually pure orange, it was flecked with minuscule flecks of black. It kept flicking one of it's paws, as if it was tapping it's fingers in impatience. The other paw was still, holding something down. I saw a sudden shine and knew what it was. The gem. This fox had the gem.
I bowed in front of the fox, "You owe me," I said, meeting it's eyes.
The fox stood up and let out a noise like a high-pitch screech. It glowed with a dark light and faded away, leaving only the gem behind. In front of the crowd, I walked up to the gem and picked it up. This was getting strange.
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