A Little Girl Named Volen (part I)

The sunlight hits the eyes of the little girl, she woke up from an unfamiliar room. She sat up and was puzzled by where she was but what caught her attention was the porridge on the desk.

Volen has a long wavy dark violet hair that was softly reflecting the light from the sun like lavender, and her eyes were matching to her dark violet eyes like an amethyst that spoke of a beautiful soul.

She hid in the blanket when Raum entered the room.

"You're already awake. My name is Raum Azakana, a sage who is travelling to hire a hero. You should eat the porridge before it gets cold. I tried to search for your parents but when I asked they said they never heard about you. Are you a runaway?"

The little girl lowered the blanket a bit, with a soft calming voice she answered, "My name is Volen, and I'm an orphan who was raised by an old lady on the street".

"Where is your old lady? Is she still alive?".

"No, she died from a sickness when I was five. I grew up alone on the streets".

Hearing this Raum didn't bother to ask how she manage have a healthy body not like the most of the kids who lived on the streets. Rather than dying, others would do anything to live.

"Volen, do you want to be a hero? Even being a hero is dangerous, you would live comfortable". It was already his plan to make her a hero from the start, seeing what she can do but to comfort her, he asked her.

"Yes", she smiled sweetly.

"Five more days from now on there would be entrance exam on the academy, but for now we'll go shopping first to buy you a dress after you eat. I brought you a cloak too for your size, it's in the drawer. I'll see you down". Raum exited the room.

After Volen finished the meal, she looked outside the window wondering what happened last night. She only remembered a fight broke out between heroes and after that she forgot, maybe she would ask him. Checking her own clothes she saw parts of her clothes burnt and was confused more.

"What happened to my clothes? How did my clothes get burnt?"

She hopped out of the bed and checked the drawer to find a cloak.

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

Raum thought how strange it was, she just absorbed the fireball and releasing it back it back like it was her own magic, thinking from all the possibilities made him stress out. He should observe her more.

"Sir, why won't you take a drink first?" the female gave him a glass of tea.

"Thank you", he sipped while he waited for Volen patiently at the counter.

"H-hello, shall we go now? We still have a lot to do".

They left the inn and went to a clothing shop, displaying different kinds of clothes for occasions.

"Just pick anything you want to wear, I already paid so don't worry about it. Also, take a bath after returning to the inn. I'll go meet with someone for the mean time".

Volen just nodded as Raum left the shop, checking the clothes that would fit her.

*********

"Old man three more meatballs for me", Raum gave his plate to the owner of the meat stall.

"That would be your fifteenth, have you found someone yet to join you eat here?" The owner poured the sauce on the meatballs, "Here you go young sage". The owner served his plate back with three more meatballs.

"Yes, she is a kid I just stumbled on the street". Raum took a bite and felt very satisfied from how delicious it is. "Her name is Volen, she is an orphan that was raised by an old lady".

"Never heard about her, it is also normal here on the port city for kids here to be an orphan losing the parents from the black mist, killed by the pirates, or abandoning them".

"You're right. The Moneta port is a lawless port, home to kraken hunters, dock gang, and smugglers so it is normal kids being an orphan here. After the fall of Abyssenia Harmony, the black mist showed up, when was the black mist last attack here?"

"I think two months from now. After the Mizu academy establish here the attack of the black mist lessen. Thanks to them the port city don't need to worry anymore".

"You're right old man, thank you for the delicious meatballs old man I need to go now. I'll come back with the little girl next time".

Raum ate the last meatballs on the plate before leaving the meat stall. He went to the inn to check if

Volen already returned. He saw a little girl that was like a doll from the dark blue dress with a white mantle caplet that has a design of a paw on the middle. Volen was standing outside the inn waiting for Raum to return.

"Volen, why are you waiting here? Did you also pick that dress? It looks cute on you".

"I'm waiting for you, the lady who works there picked this dress for me and she didn't allow me to change the dress".

"I see. I get her why she didn't allow. The rest of the dresses are already in the room?" Raum just paid seven silvers in advance which are equivalent to ten dresses.

"This dress is the only one I bought. All were beautiful but then when I saw the price they were all expensive", she smiled happily.

Raum patted her head, "Good job", with a smile but deep inside his heart is regretting to pay in advance. He felt like he scammed himself, he thought she would buy many dresses but he was wrong.