Fenris thought on how to answer the question, or if he even should.
If he said he was a Faith, would the mage in front of him ask for some proof?
What god do you worship?
Recite a prayer.
If you're of a faith, you must have a tome dedicated to your god.
Obviously, Fenris had none of those.
It'd be worse if he claimed to be a Blessed One.
He knew more than some incantations, but obviously he couldn't perform magic.
Also, the mage may ask what noble lord was his sponsor in order to exploit him.
He wouldn't be under any obligation to answer.
But still…
Fenris sighed.
'Lying would be too much of a hassle, and I'm in no mood.'
"I'm neither," Fenris said aloud.
The old mage frowned.
"Then you and I have no business. Leave."
The mage sat back down in his chair, no longer staring at Fenris.
"Actually, we do," Fenris said. "I'm looking for someone. I may not be a mage, but the person I'm searching for is. She's a Blessed One."
The old mage's gaze turned to Fenris, with a bit of intrigue.
"Describe her to me, then."
"Purple-haired, with a crescent moon pattern on her robes. Have you seen her?"
"No!"
"Are you sure? Those aren't normal traits for any mage. Think harder."
"I'm old, not senile. And you're right. Those aren't normal traits, not just for a mage, but for anyone for that matter. She hasn't been here. Now leave!"
Fenris growled, his claws slowly extending. His fangs would soon follow.
He let out a sigh, ending his shifting.
'There's no point.'
He walked away, heading for the floor above, now in line for the service of one of the faiths of travel.
'Which one was it again?' he wondered.
Hard to tell. The gods came in the hundreds. He couldn't memorize each one.
"Next," a feminine voice said.
Fenris now stood in front of a female mage, an insignia crest of some god embroidered on both sides of her robe.
"How can the Lord Vauge be of service to you, traveller?" the mage asked.
'Vauge? That's a new one,' Fenris thought. It didn't matter, as long as the mage could do what he needed.
He placed his map on the counter.
"I need this updated to the surrounding areas. Dozens of miles in radius, at least."
The mage observed the map. Its folded and rumpled nature put a slight smirk on her face, one Fenris easily caught.
"If you'd like, I can get you a new one. Your current map seems overused."
"No," Fenris answered bluntly.
"Are you certain? All it would take is a drop of your blood to transfer the spell from this map to another. Nothing more."
"I said NO!" Fenris repeated, far louder than before.
He drew the eyes and suspicions of those in the area. A few whispers followed.
Perhaps he's a criminal. A traitor to the kingdom… Or something else.
'Damn it!' Fenris cursed internally.
Blood-tracing magic wasn't common, but it wasn't rare either. Fenris wasn't a criminal in the normal sense, but he had no doubt the mage would be able to tell his blood wasn't human.
'I have to rectify this.'
"I mean… no, thank you. That map has sentimental value, and I'd rather hang on to it."
The mage seemed conflicted. Fenris put on a fake smile, which did seem to put her at ease. She even blushed slightly. But a part of her still resisted.
"How about you take the whole coin? No change needed. Think of it as an apology for my earlier outburst."
That did the trick. Who would say no to an entire gold coin? It wasn't silver, but still.
The faith took a small tome from her robes and looked for a prayer fitting Fenris's request. She found one.
"Vague, I call upon your power. This traveler wishes for sight of this world. Grant it to him."
Fenris's map glowed and pulsed in a golden hue.
"This will take some time," the mage said.
Fenris folded his arms, waiting, his mind drifting elsewhere to someone he hadn't seen in quite some time.
The mage he was looking for.
He wasn't lying to the Faith when he said that the map was of sentimental value. After all, she had made it for him.
"Luna," Fenris whispered softly.
How long had it been since he had been searching for her? Two years at least. He squeezed the fabric of his clothes tightly.
'My journey is almost at an end. If I don't find her…'
"All done!" the Faith said, interrupting Fenris' thoughts.
"Oh," Fenris said, relieved and disappointed at the same time. His thoughts on Luna were conflicting, to say the least.
Picking up the map and leaving the establishment, he checked the updates given. Symbols and landscapes appeared and formed like flowing ink. The names of towns surfaced, all encased by a much greater landmark.
Pyros, the kingdom Fenris was in, shared its name with the Flame God and the major religion practiced within its borders.
There were more kingdoms close to Pyros, presented on the map. Five in total. They seemed faded, most likely because Fenris had never set foot in them. He was aware of their existence and knew a little of their cultures.
But he had planned to visit them someday with her.
Fenris grabbed his curly hair and grunted, a habit he had picked up over the last two years whenever she came to mind.
"I have to get out of this armor," he said, uncomfortable.
He returned to the scene of his crime. The body hadn't been discovered yet. Luckily, the smell of urine and feces mixed with rot from the corpses, and the night sky was slowly dimming.
His former clothes were bloody, as were those of some of the hunters, the rest of the fake hunters he had slain. But the leader's clothes weren't.
"I guess I'm lucky I just crushed his neck," Fenris said, changing his clothes.
When changing, two pieces of paper fell from him, the enchanted map and the other, a folded letter with the words To Fenris, from Luna.
Slowly, he picked up the envelope but didn't flip it open. He already had, and the words were too painful to read.
He was tempted to throw it away. Burn it. But he never could.
"Years together, and you left with some words and nothing else. That's cruel, Luna."
He sniffed it. He had tried his best to keep her scent on the letter as long as he could, but he had failed. Still, if he tried hard enough, he swore he could smell a trace of her on it.
Or maybe he had just imagined the scent.
Reluctantly, he pocketed the letter, and with his new clothes and old hood, Fenris departed from the alley toward his next stop.
As he walked, his eyes shifted between the map and the dimming sky.
Cities were mostly no-go areas. Hunters were more likely to roam the streets, and it wouldn't take long before he was caught.
Towns were safer, but he never stayed too long. After all, new faces meant talking.
Safe areas for him were the slums, caves, abandoned places, and the wilderness.
Always moving. Always looking over his shoulder. Never safe.
Fenris stopped, coming to a horrible realization.
'Is that why she left? Was she tired? Did it become too much for her?'
'Maybe. She's not a wolf. She had no reason to stick around me.'
Fenris suddenly felt heavy. His will to keep going lessened.
'Without her, what's the point?'
He looked back to the map.
It changed as he moved. He was represented by a wolf's head. Xs crossed the places he had already been, all over Pyros.
Only one remained. Her hometown. If she wasn't there…
Fenris gripped the map tighter. But not too tight, not enough to tear it.
Suddenly, his fear and anxiety were slowly being replaced with something else. Excitement.
Fenris looked up and smiled, showing his fangs. The full moon was only a crescent.
He looked forward. He noticed he was in the wilderness.
'I must've left that town long ago. I don't have to pretend anymore.'
He got on all fours and prepared himself.
'Let's run.'