Theanore showed the adoption form to Crassus, and he began to massage his temples.

“Thea, you do know that the empire won’t feed these animals like they did the children? And, most of them have special needs,” Theanore’s mood dampened at that. Then, an idea came to her.

“Tomorrow is my first birthday! Don’t I get to have presents?” Her big eyes made Crassus pause. He had already gotten her a present. But, if Esmer was on board with this, he supposed he couldn’t complain.

“Ask your mother,” then he pointed to the door. Theanore took the form and rushed outside, calling her mother all the while. Esmer was in the garden, attempting to pick the perfect salad for dinner, when Theanore ran to the fence around the garden and began waving a sheet of paper.

The little girl began to speak, but because she was speaking too quickly, Esmer couldn’t understand a word.

“Slow down, Thea. What happened?” Theanore stopped, sucked in a breath, and then spoke slowly.

“Mommy, tomorrow is my birthday and I want to save all the animals of the shelter as a present. I won’t ask for any more presents ever. Not even for Yule!” Esmer chuckled at the attempt at bargaining from her daughter.

“Let me see that,” she extended her hand towards the form and Theanore handed it over. It was handwritten with the rough number of all the animals in the shelter and the requirements for the adoption.

“Thea, we don’t have free land,” Theanore’s head dipped down at that. “And we can’t let these pets loose in the forest. Pick one, just one, and we will get it for you. You can help the rest by donating food and helping them find families.”

Theanore gave the proposition a though. She could save the pony. No one but her would want a pony with a sick leg that couldn’t work. And she was certain that the ogres were going to sell her pet feed for the rest of the animals.

“Ok, mommy. I’ll get the pony,” Theanore watched as Esmer wrote something on the form and handed it back. Then, the little nymph was back to the teleport and off to Mirstone.

With the form clutched in her hand, she passed by the charity booth of before. The picture of the dead doggie stared at her and made her feel guilty. It was a very sweet pooch. Golden with big, happy, brown eyes.

The clerk saw her staring at the picture and sighed.

“I’ll be taking that down. The dog got put down. The money is going to go towards feeding the rest of the animals at the shelter,” Theanore was happy that the money wouldn’t disappear in someone’s pocket.

“Miss, can I ask you a favor? Can you place a sign for vote on whatever or not the shelter could become a no kill shelter?” Theanore was ready to buy and donate land to the shelter, as long as the animals, there, didn’t have to die.

“It is 1000 gold coins to make new charities, little girl,” Theanore nodded and turned around to go to the bank. At the entrance, her very own bank manager greeted her when he found out who it was.

“I need 1000 gold coins,” Theanore extended her hand for a dimensional bag with the money, but the bank manager chuckled.

“Minors can’t take out money, little Thea. Come back with your father or mother, and then I’ll be more than happy to…”

“The animals of the shelter can’t wait! A doggie died today!” Snapped Theanore. For the first time in her life, she felt anger.

“Rules are rules,” said the bank manager. “Now, if you’d excuse me.”

“Fine, I need to use the bank’s enchantment fountain. As a customer, I am within my right,” if Theanore couldn’t get any of her money out, she could just make new ones. She was certain that she could make something with two enchantments on her own. Even if she had only done so once.

“Right this way,” they passed through winding corridors with the portraits of famous employees of the bank hanged on them. Then, Theanore saw the biggest mana fountain she had ever seen. It took up half the room, and it was made from silver.

“Well, get on with it,” the friendliness of the manager was gone, and Theanore felt a little ashamed that she had interrupted him earlier. She thought about apologizing, but then remembered the happy eyes of the three-legged doggie. No one told it that they were sorry before it died.

Theanore searched her pockets for something she could enchant. She found a ribbon with flowers on it and nodded. Good enough. Then, the little nymph produced a hundred mana crystals, to the gasp of the manager.

She played with the ribbon, thinking what she could enchant it with. It was a cotton ribbon, so, she could enchant it with lightning. But, maybe quickness and quick draw was better.

Placing the ribbon in the mana fountain, Theanore uttered a quick enchantment and was satisfied when she got a level 1566 on the scale on both enchantments.

Deciding to leave the left-over mana crystals as an apology for her rudeness to the account manager, Theanore turned to him.

“I’d like to leave, now,” the man nodded, and they went back through the labyrinth that was the bank and then Theanore was greeted by the warm, fresh, air from the outside.

Turning back, she bowed to the account manager who gave her a reluctant smile, and she skipped towards the market. There was a pawn shop just at the end of the market district that would surely buy her enchantment.

As she walked, she saw apples in a fruit stand. She bought two dozen and stashed them away in her dimensional bag. Then, on a different stand, there were strawberries, so she got two bags of the expensive fruit. Finally, at the cheese stand, there was her favorite saltless cheese. She went to see how much money she had left and, after seeing a single gold coin, bought two kilograms.

With her shopping done, and now an empty purse, she placed her hopes on her enchanted item and the good soul of the merchant that waited within.