At a large intersection, Avine stopped and saw a huge creature with a body covered in glistening bistre fur and a paunchy head covered by a mane of multicolored feathers, pass slowly by as if it owned the place.

At one point, he turned to the girl and, with a glowing bronze gaze, gave her a hoarse cry.

Stepping back for a moment in surprise, Avine hesitantly reached out to the big beast and it sniffed her hand before giving her a gentle pat.

- Mom would have loved you. she said with emotion.

It was a touching moment of connection, but angry horns sounded all around them and brought them back to reality.

Avine looked around and saw faces that showed a variety of expressions, kindness, impatience, frustration, indifference, but the one of anger prevailed over all others.

- Excuse me," she said in a magical, almighty voice, so that everyone could hear over the din.

Then she gave a slight wave of tenderness to the creature who was already walking away and left in her turn.

On her way, she met her best friend, always so joyful and stubborn.

- Hello my beauty, she greeted Avine in her way always direct and without artifice.

- Hello Mellira, how are you?

- Good. But I asked you the first question.

- Really? Avine noted, already guessing what it meant.

- Yes, because I heard you had lunch with the handsome Keijun heir.

Of course, her Melly wouldn't even bother to start with a small talk.

Avine rolled her eyes again, wearily.

- Yes. And it's the event of the year, I suppose.

- Of course it is. Because it's about you and the rich heir after all. I just told you. It's all anyone ever talks about.

Avine shrugged, trying to answer as casually as possible, relegating to a forgotten corner of her memory the crazy look on her former friend's face.

- There's nothing to say.

- Let me laugh. Melly retorted immediately, who knew the young magician by heart. There must be a reason for this invitation.

Avine made an eloquent gesture that immediately betrayed her.

- Spit it out. insisted her friend, taking her by the shoulders.

Avine pouted before speaking, resigned.

- He asked me if I wanted to go to the festival with him.

- Wow! was immediately the reaction of the vintage lover.

- That's not all. He told me that if I agreed, and by saying so he was acting like he really didn't need my consent, he would throw a big party especially for me. Something surprising, original and unforgettable.

- So, it seems that he uses the big means to conquer you.

- That's really the word that comes to my mind when I saw his anticipatory revulsing expression. Besides," she continued, deciding to empty her bag, "he was counting on the thank-you gift that I had to "offer" him in exchange for his treats.

- I see.

- Oh, please, normally an aristocrat would never do anything to please our "kind." But because mom is who she is. Of course, he'll make an exception for his daughter. Grace's daughter.

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- So what?" exclaimed Mellira volubly. You're lucky.

- Oh, you think so? Just the opposite.

- Speaking of your mother. How is she doing?

- She's fine. Maybe even a little too well. She has a conference in a few days, and she is quite happy, with a capital H, I can assure you. Because after much deliberation, the law that allowed a company to enter the Kolod forest to get ordinary, unprotected plants has finally been abolished.

- This will not please some important people like the family of your aristocrat Pross. The young friend wisely professed with a grimace, guessing without difficulty the face twisted with hatred and frustration of Keijun father.

- He is not my aristocrat Pross Mellira," Avine protested disdainfully, having shared with her friend this brief and aberrant vision of the twisted face. And I don't care about their business and how they feel, as long as they don't affect my mother.

- Oh, you're hot, hot hot my beautiful. I can even see veils of flame emanating from your delicate body and burning you whole before spreading their heat all around.

- And for your part Mellira, you are well aware that your wonderful mother never liked such things as your beast here and ... your clothes.

- Oh, who are you telling? The latter agreed with a huge burst of laughter.

They looked at Mellira's beast, a huge artificial creation, a sulky silver-gray metal body, and a flaming white mane, which depended on an anti-gravitational core and delta thrusters to function.

- But at least it goes well with my dress of the day.

- All your outfits are like that Mellira.

Her friend, who was naturally as redheaded as Avine was blond, had dyed her mane that day with an ashy white color. Her silver-gray dress with black metallic button, took volume at the hip thanks to luminescent scales. Her wrists and ankles had heavy carmine gold rings engraved with various modern symbols. So she was very attractive and invigorating. But Mellira was always like that. Not to mention her loyalty, integrity, and laughter. And she was an irreplaceable friend to Avine.

Mellira then accompanied her purple-haired friend back to the house.

- Tell me right now, my beauty, what you would decide for your big day.

Avine was silent for a moment before she shook off her long, shiny hair.

- I'll see. But if I don't come up with an idea by then, I'll end up asking Pross's mother for advice," she concluded, deadpan.

- And she will curse you for the rest of her life.

- She already does that, Melly. Corrected Avine, her pretty face tightened of a bad grimace. Otherwise, I wouldn't be so lost in my decision about my birthday party.

- I feel for you.

- Oh, I sympathize even more.

Avine's friend dropped her off on the terrace of a huge blue glass villa. They kissed, and then Mellira flew away quickly as Avine entered through a precious wooden door, darkly carved with the names of famous creatures from Kolod, their beloved planet.

- Mom, I'm home! she shouted happily.

It was a large building made of bluish glass, dark precious wood and discreet metal, skilfully interwoven so as not to reflect a vision of heaviness or showy lavishness.

The hall was a huge space of sand-colored marbled covered with a thick colored carpet, the chairs were cotton, the woodwork on the walls and the heavy silk curtains softened the impersonal effects of the glass.

- Mom, are you there?" she called as she entered the great hall of her home.

But instead of seeing her mother Grace, another woman appeared in the corner of the hall. She was tall and rather round, her long raven black hair still held in a perfect bun above her head, clearing the roundness of her dull face lit by brown eyes, where a mischievous but benevolent light danced perpetually. She was wearing her work costume, a dark long-sleeved dress, with a small bouquet of flowers tied to her chest, and a pink apron, her so-called favorite color.

- Ah, it's you Miss Avine, you come back early. Added she maliciously by making clear that she was also aware of the famous appointment.

Avine sketched a false smile.

- Thank you Douniel, I see that I can always count on you for the grotesque allusions.

- I'm only the housekeeper, I won't allow myself. Declared the brave woman, falsely humble. But knowing the reputation of the young Pross heir, I thought accordingly that you and he...

Avine shook her head, annoyed.

- Again. Don't you understand that some thoughts are dangerous and better left in the putrid depths of Tarime (a planet famous for these bottomless marecage), Douniel? And now, where is mom?

- Your beautiful mother just went out a few minutes ago. But if you're still... hungry, I've prepared a salad and couscous. I even made a special dessert, a merlot ice cream, your favorite flavor, just in case your lunch didn't work out. She could not help but add sketching a mimic of the most naughty, and that enraged the young mistress of the house.

Clenching her fists, Avine refused the meal and continued.

- Tell me already why we keep you at our service Douniel?

- Because you, and she meant Avine, are not very "good" at cleaning, no doubt. And I just finished your room.

- It's very good. Well, if you don't mind, I'll go out again.

- Right now?

- 'Yes,' she said mockingly, already walking to the door. I'm going to Uncle Dobert's house. He's probably there.

- Of course, since he never goes out, always immersed in his books and his imaginary world. said the housekeeper, raising her arms to the sky, almost scornfully. I'll probably never understand that kind of person.

- For my part, that's why I'm so fond of him.

And with that last dig, Avine ran off.

The whole house loved Douniel. Her professionalism was almost as great as that of Avine's mother - Grace. But her sharp tongue and crude ways, though generally appreciated, were sometimes disturbing. As was the case that day.