Formal Dress

— Sir, How much is that necklace over there? — Nodo points to a necklace made of snow—white crystals, which were in a jewelry tent, which had just been set up near his house.

— This one? Eighty Foroms.

— Huh? Eighty? Hmm… — Nodo puts his hand on his chin.

I only have 93, is it worth it?

— Hmm… Okay, okay, I'll take it!

— All right, do you want me to put it in a box?

— Will it cost more?

— Only five more Foroms! — He replied, making a sign of 5 with the fingers of his hand.

— Okay, okay, go ahead.

— Right away! — The man takes the necklace and puts it in a box with a very dark gray tone, almost black, with a white glass in the upper center, which allows the necklace to be seen from the outside.

— Here it is, boy, come back often! — He hands the box to Nodo, who leaves.

— Not dead I'm coming back — Nodo whispers as he walks to his house.

— Huff huff — A girl came running after Nodo, while looking at him, who was in front of her

— Why is this guy walking so slowly? — The girl bumps into him, knocking him to the ground, she keeps running, but quickly turns her gaze to him, who also stares at her, she was wearing a dress that was certainly quite expensive, and she had light lavender hair, she looked a little older than him, her eyes were also light lavender.

…

Nodo watched her run until she was out of sight.

— I never saw that girl around here, what did she want running that much? And by the way, she’s very rude, someone fell on the street and she didn't even cared asking if everything was ok! — He gets on his knees and picks up the box with the necklace, which had fallen next to him, then gets up, cleans his clothes and walks home.

— Mom! I’m home!

— Mom's at the restaurant now, Nodo. — Hese appears from his room cleaning his armor, talking to Nodo.

— Oh, sure, of course, but hey, have you returned from the gate?

— I was dismissed earlier today.

— Why?

— I also wanted to know, but I didn't really understand why.

— Hmm… okay, I'm going to sleep a bit. I went to the Forest of the First Marquis Foro today with my friends. I'm pretty tired. — Nodo says as he enters his room.

— Hey, Nodo, what's the name of that girl you went to meet today?

— Eva! — Nodo yells from his room. — Why?

— Just out of curiosity, no biggie, sleep well, I'll go to a fair to buy some things and I'll be right back home.

— Right!

Hese walks out the door, locks it with the key, and heads east of town, where there was a fair of magical artifacts, when, halfway there, a man in a fancy outfit grabs his shoulder, panting and desperate.

— gasp gasp, you're from the garrison, right? — The man asks nervously.

— Oh yes, I am, why?

— My daughter ran around and I couldn't find her.

— I can help you look for her, if that's what you want.

— Yes, please, she's that tall. — the man gestures with his left hand in the air, the girl according to him was about 1.40 tall. — She has very long lavender hair, and she is wearing a formal, long and light blue dress.

— Got it, where did you lose sight of her?

— In a restaurant in the street where a jewelry stall has just opened, that one who gives access to Amieo’s Temple, you know? We were eating, it's her mother's birthday. I took them to eat, when I went to pay, she just ran away south. The street was very crowded, I couldn't follow her, when the crowd opened, she was already gone.

— I know the restaurant you’re talking about, and I know the jewelry tent, she went south so, right, do you have any acquaintances in that part of the city?

— Well, a few years ago the mother of a friend of hers lived with her daughter and her husband, but she died, and the father moved with his daughter to the east of the city.

— So she must have gone to the old house of this family, can you take me there?

— I sure can, let's go.

Hese then goes back to the street of his house with the man who was looking for his daughter, before going down the street, they stopped at the jeweler to clear a doubt:

— Good afternoon sir, I'm from the city garrison, you saw a girl with a formal dress running around here?

— Formal dress? Yes, yes, yes, a girl so flashy like that, it would be hard not to see, she came running in that direction, — he pointed down the street. — and bumped into a boy who had just bought a necklace with me.

— All right, thanks for the info. — Hese turns to the girl's father. — That's where the house is, right?

— Yes, it is there.

— So that's where we're going.

After walking for a few minutes, the gentleman who accompanied Hese stops, and points to a well—damaged house, windows covered with wooden boards, so many termites huddled together that it was possible to see them at a considerable distance, and a smell so horrible that it was impossible distinguish what it was.

— It is this one.

— Are you sure your daughter would go there? — Hese asks.

— It's the only place she could be interested in here, if she’s not there, then I don't know.

The two then entered the house, and, not exactly surprised, spotted the girl, sitting on a moldy and torn sofa.

— Safi! What are you doing here? — The father yells.

— I came to see Eva, but I just found her house all ruined as it is now, father. — She says calmly.

— Oh my daughter, you know very well that Eva doesn't live here anymore.

— But she said that when I wanted, I just came here and I would find her.

The father then sighs, and begins to explain what happened to his daughter:

— My daughter, she said that a long time ago, she still lived here, her father had to move to the other side of town, which is closer to his butcher shop.

— Is this serious? — She asks

— Of course—

— Then why did you never tell me before? — The girl cuts off her father's speech.

…

— Look, Safi, let's agree that that girl was not the best influence for your education, you even refused going to the Capital School to not stay away from her!

— You gave me the freedom to choose between going or not.

— Don’t make things complicated, Safi. — Suddenly, the father changes his mood, scolding the girl. — Come on, let's go back home, your mother is waiting for you.

Hese, who saw everything, before Safi and her father leave, whispers to ear:

— In front of that jeweler's tent tomorrow, there will be someone who knows where Eva is.

After the two leave the house, Safi's father asks:

— What did that guard tell you?

— Oh, no big deal, he just told me not to run away from father and mother again. — She smiles at her father, but then looks at the ground with a neutral expression.

Certainly Hese was confused by what happened, for him, it didn't make sense for a girl to run from her father and mother to a destroyed house like that, even if it was to find a friend, for him, someone naive like that could not exist.

— Huh… I ended up not even being able to go to the fair.

He leaves, back home.