Cresting over a low grassy hill, Fenrir paused as he looked down at the stone walls surrounding the small town in the valley below. It had been two weeks since Fenrir's parents had sprung the news of their several-year-long quest, and after a few days of preparation, they sent him off.
They had only given him a bit of money to pay for a room at an inn, a bit of food, and the entrance fee to get into the town. Looking back on it Fenrir realized his parents who were normally laid back seemed tense and high-strung the days prior to their leave.
Fenrir's destination was the nearby town of Demit, the furthest town from the capital of the Olsan Empire. Despite being on the fringes of the empire, Demit was frequently trafficked by adventuring parties looking to make it rich in the Fae Forest.
As its name implied, the Fae Forest was home to all sorts of spirits, beasts, and natural treasures due to the rich ambient magic. A single fortunate expedition into the forest could result in enough riches for a lifetime several times over.
'If I hurry, I can make it before night falls and go to sleep in a bed,' Pulling up the thick hood of his leather cloak, Fenrir began walking, his pace neither hurried nor slow.
Arriving at the gate of the wooden palisade, Fenrir tilted back his head, trying to find the guard on duty. While he didn't know if the town had a curfew, the sun was just beginning to dip below the horizon bathing the sky in an orange glow.
Raising his hand to knock on the gate, Fenrir stopped as a head popped over the rampart's edge, "Did Griff fall asleep at the East gate again?"
"Why would I know that?" Fenrir asked genuinely as he stared up at the guard in confusion.
"Wait, you didn't come from the East gate?" The guard asked, "Did you come from the Fae Forest?!"
Wondering why the guard seemed so shocked, Fenrir slowly nodded, "Yeah."
Frowning, the guard's head disappeared from sight, leaving Fenrir staring up at an empty wall. As he was about to call out again, the wooden gates suddenly lurched into motion as they cracked open.
Stepping out from the crack, the guard clad in freshly polished heavy plate stepped out to stare down at Fenrir, "You do know lying to the city guard is a punishable offense."
"Alright…but why do I need to know that?" Fenrir asked once again, confused. For his first conversation with another person besides his mother and father, Fenrir was left sorely disappointed.
Gritting his teeth, the guard crossed his arms, still firmly believing that Fenrir was trying to mess with him, "You expect me to believe that some kid walked through the Fae forest without so much as a scratch on him? The weakest monster in there has a level three challenge rating."
Narrowing his eyes Fenrir was growing restless with the constant questioning, "Have you ever tried avoiding the monsters, it's not that hard."
"Listen you little shit," The guard growled as a vein started to throb in his forehead, "It is far too late for me to be dealing with your antics. So piss off or I'll throw you in jail to teach you some manners."
Scratching his head, Fenrir didn't know what to say to such a hostile response, "Can I just pay the gate fee and enter the city?"
"NO!" The guard roared, spittle flying from his lips as Fenrir managed to raise his blood pressure through the roof.
"What in the holy hell is going on!" An even louder voice shouted from behind the gate and for the first time Fenrir saw that guard's face morph into a look of fear. Stepping to the side the guard moved just in time as the gate swung open and hit the stone wall with an audible thud.
Sniffing the air Fenrir felt the magic around them shift as a heavily armored man with a golden sigil of a dragon inscribed on his chest plate and bright red hair stepped through the gate.
Ignoring Fenrir the man turned to face the guard, "Anderson there better be a damn good reason why you're screaming your head off this late in the day!"
Gulping the guard hastily saluted his superior, "A-apologies Captain Lee, I was simply trying to ascertain this kid's origins, but he won't give me a straight answer."
"I gave you a straight answer, I came from the forest," Fenrir growled, his finite patience finally wearing out as the guard blatantly lied.
Turning to face Fenrir, the captain looked him up and down, "A twig like you? Even a tree fairy could kill you."
"I'm not skinny, I just haven't had a growth spurt yet!" Fenrir shouted back defensively.
"Do you see what I'm talking about, Captain," Anderson exclaimed emphatically, glaring at Fenrir like he was the bane of his existence.
Rubbing the back of his head in annoyance, the Captain stared down at Fenrir unamused, "Look kid it's far too late to be dealing with your antics, just pay the entrance fee and piss off, alright."
Grumbling under his breath Fenrir reached inside his cloak before pulling out a few copper coins, "Here."
Snatching up the coins Anderson the guard smirked down at Fenrir, "Welcome to the Town of Demit."
Without another word, Fenrir walked past the two guards and into the town, his bare feet slapping against the cobblestone street as he muttered to himself, "How could anyone be that clueless?"
---
"I should have asked those guards for directions," Fenrir bemoaned as he trudged along the cold cobblestone road devoid of light and life besides the occasional roach or rat.
Turning down a side street, Fenrir paused as he sniffed the air, his nose catching the sweet scent of yeast rising in an oven. Breaking out in a light jog, Fenrir unerringly followed the invisible trail until he stopped in front of a small brick building.
The front of the building was decorated with depictions of bread, flour, and countless other baked goods.
Despite the bakery being closed, Fenrir could see the glow of a fire spilling out underneath a door behind the counter. Trying the front door, Fenrir didn't expect it to open without a sound.
Stepping into the store, Fenrir looked at the empty display baskets and shelves, 'Maybe they'll have a few loaves in the back they couldn't sell.'
As he stepped further into the bakery, Fenrir let go of the door, which closed, setting off the bell attached to the wooden frame. The sharp chime of the brass bell made Fenrir freeze on the spot.
After a second of silence, a soft voice spoke up from the back of the shop, muffled as it traveled through the door behind the counter, "Hello, is someone there?"
Before he could think about turning around and fleeing, the door to the back swung open, and a woman stepped out, her brown hair speckled with a touch of gray and crow's feet tugging at the corners of her eyes.
"Oh, hello. Is there something I can help you with?" The woman smiled at Fenrir with genuine kindness.
Returning her smile in kind, Fenrir nodded, "I just got into town, and I'm a bit turned around. No one is out right now, and I was looking for a place to stay the night when I smelled you baking."
The woman looked Fenrir up and down, taking in his dirty bare feet, wild uncombed hair, and skinny frame, "Sorry, but we're all out of bread; everything has been pre-ordered for the festival tomorrow."
"What festival?" Fenrir asked.
"For the Tempering Ritual tomorrow, all the kids in the town and nearby villages will have their mana pathways tempered, allowing them to use magic. That's why you're here, right?" the baker asked Fenrir.
"Yeah, but I didn't know there was a festival," Fenrir admitted while wondering why his parents hadn't mentioned it, "When is the tempering ritual happening?"
"Oh, around noon tomorrow, followed by a big town-wide celebration. After going through the ritual, kids are considered adults in the eyes of the law and society." The baker explained, not noticing or ignoring Fenrir's irritation, "If you need any help tomorrow, find me or ask anyone that you need to find Martha, that's my name, by the way."
Smiling Fenrir dipped his head in thanks, "I'll probably stop by just to buy some bread but thanks for the offer.."
With that, Fenrir left the bakery with directions to the nearest inn from Martha, who closed the door behind him and went back to baking.