Tristana walked seemingly alone in the dark forest. Thoroughly regretting the fact that she hadn't thought to bring some sort of lantern. Of course she had a torch and a box of matches but she was in a forest. Lighting it seemed like a fairly stupid idea. No wonder Tristana had come up with it though. She had just returned from Flidais, The Eternal Hunting Grounds with some new information regarding her little quest. Currently Tristana was walking down a small path with a map that she could barely see. She could only hope that she was traveling in the correct direction. Tristana had a grey robe on her and some purple slippers. She also had a brown backpack that she had stuffed all her items in. It was quite unorganized. Her robe was plain and clearly made of common threads but had a hood that completely covered Tristana's head, although strands of her ginger hair escaped. The important thing was that nobody could see her face. However it certainly made it difficult to see the map properly.

As she walked she was paying more attention to the map then to the path itself. As a result her foot tripped over a stump and she fell onto the ground with a splat. It hurt of course but it wasn't anything she couldn't just walk off. Tristana sat up then gathered her map and anything that might have fallen out of her backpack. The only thing that had fallen out was her box of matches. Perhaps it would be safe just to light one small match. Then she remembered something that somebody once told her. The forests need only one match to become a flaming inferno that would burn her alive. So she decided against the matches and stuffed them back into her bag. She stood back up and brushed herself off a bit. Tristana hadn't really noticed much of her surroundings earlier. For she was focusing on the map to get out of it. The forest was dark and had tall looming trees. Not to mention the mysterious noises coming from deep within the wood. Yet it held some sort of strange comfort. It was a forest with beautiful trees and was full of wildlife. Though to some that may seem frightening. And it was yet at the same time it was beautiful. In it's own strange way.

The way the red oaks shoot up into the sky was almost magical. Like they were looming towers that nobody dared to climb. The soft green moss on the floor that helped make the ground softer for a traveler's feet. There was dew dripping from the leaves of flowers that reach out to people passing through. As if to say, admire me. There were flowers and plants of all shapes and sizes. Some plants flourished in the dry parts of the forest yet some seemed to shrink back towards the puddles and wet parts. Some were farthest from others and some kept close in groups. Little mice scurried across the path while birds in the trees focused on creating their nests. Beetles relaxed on tree branches while bees zipped on by constantly at work. The forest seemed to have it's own little world. Where the entire rest of the world didn't matter. Of course with every new world there was new rules. In this forest it was clear. Stay alert. Stay strong. Simply because there were many dangers that lurked behind the beautiful trees. Just because the forest was beautiful did not mean it was void of danger. However that didn't stop Tristana from admiring the world around her. 

Suddenly she came up with an idea for her little problem. Since she had magic, why didn't she use one of her spells to light her way? After all spells were often bright and usually could light up the area. So she cast Heal on herself but the light from the spell lasted only as long as the spell did. Which wasn't long enough. On the good side, she didn't have a bruise anymore from her little trip earlier. Tristana then looked at what she assumed was the sky. She had no idea if it was day or if it was night. The leaves at the top of the forest was too thick to tell. Until she spotted one small speck of light that somehow managed to shine through a small hole in the leaves. So it was day! All she needed to do was to get up there. And there seemed to be plenty of trees to that. Tristana then quickly went over to a tree and wrapped her arms around it. In a sort of hug. Then she attempted to shove herself upwards by pushing off of the ground with her feet. This obviously did not work. Tristana had forgotten momentarily that she had no idea how to climb a tree. So that was clearly not an option. Tristana sat down with a frustrated sigh and took off her backpack. She was tired of this. All she wanted was a little light to read her map properly. 

For the vampire, the darkness brought on by the towering trees wasn't a problem at all. Of the few benefits that his blood brought, the ability to see in low light like others might during the day was a particularly helpful boon. In fact, not only was the overhead forest canopy was not only not a hindrance for the small boy, it was, albeit unbeknownst to him, a protective barrier that separated him between life and death.

Fen never intended to come here to Canelux, though seldom did he end up anywhere with intent. The ship he had stowed away upon dropped him off in the nearby haven. He wanted to sail back, back to where the few people that he did know were, but after the troubles he ran into in the pirate haven he was dropped of in, the was… convinced that stowing away on another ship from Vilpamolan wasn't his best option For a while, it was the same travel routine as ever, move at night, seek shelter during the day, and avoid contact except for when it came time to satisfy that… other side of him. What he didn't know, was in order to leave the coast, there was a particularly treacherous forest he had to traverse.

At first, he didn't think much of it, throwing himself into the sea of trees with little concern. In fact, he felt a comfort from them. Back when he walked with his parents, he could recall a lot of time spent in the woods, thanks to the increased cover from the sun that the towering oaks provided, and the numerous places to hide, although his parents enjoyed the latter much more than he did. They always emphasized that for those like them, the trees were their friends. Although he wasn't sure what they meant by those "like them", he now understood, and this was a lesson that stuck with him to this day, and to that end, this forest was no different than the others.

However, this is where the similarities ended. At first, his steps were confident, at least confident for him. He would walk upright, placing each foot in front of the other with authority, assured that he would be on the other side of the forest before long. But over what was an indeterminable amount of time, strange sounds began to greet his ears, cries of the wildlife whose home he had invaded, though even with his vampire eyes, he never seemed able to spot the source. Every now and then he would hear the sounds of movement, some critters of varying sizes scurrying frantically across the the woodland floor, and Fen could only hope that they were headed away from him. His confident stride eventually eroded into a timid, small step. He now hunched over, throwing his hood over his head, in a desperate attempt to decrease both his visibility.

On top of being lost, the issue of fatigue had begun to become a problem, although he wasn't certain why. It wasn't until he spotted one, stray beam of light that had managed to penetrate the forest's blockade. To many, this sign of daylight would be comforting, a both literal and figurative beacon in the dark, but to the tiny vampire this only added to the growing list of concerns. He had been here long enough for night to become day, and for the darkness, that was usually his sole companion on his lonely adventures, to be replaced by a light that threatened to cut those adventures short. Although there weren't many spots like this, it was clear now that he had to be careful of every step.

Another flash of light soon caught his attention, but unlike the beam of sunlight from before, this flash was temporary, and brief. Silently, he made his way closer to the source, peering around a tree when he dared get close enough. What he spotted was a person, the first living being that he was able to lay eyes on since arriving. She made an attempt to climb, though was seemingly unable, before seating herself on the ground with a huff. Immediately, young Fenriz was presented with a dilemma. New people were always a concern, unpredictable in nature, and many were quick to harm as they were to help. But, even he knew that if he continued to wander aimlessly, this forest was likely to be his grave either way.

"H-hello?" he called out to her. He approached slowly, and did so from directly in front of her. He dropped his hood, revealing the messy white hair underneath, and inched toward her with open palms, mimicking the way others had approached him when they didn't want to be perceived as a threat. He tried to offer a smile, although in his present condition it was a half-hearted one at best.

"Are you okay, miss? Were you the one that caused that flash of light a moment ago?" Even be lost and tired, that childlike curiosity was still there 

"I saw you try and climb that tree. That's not the way out, is it?" he looked upward at the trees, stretching their way to the skies above. "I really hope not…" he mumbled to himself.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" he questioned gently, head tilted slightly to the side.

Suddenly almost out of nowhere, a person approached her. Quickly she stood up ready to face whatever or whoever was approaching. She also made sure that her hood covered her head and her ugly scar. But instead of some sort of monster or a villain, it was a child. He had a round face and snow white hair that went to his shoulders. The boy had crimson red eyes and extremely pale skin. So pale that he almost looked sick. But Tristana just assumed that's what his species normally looked like. Although she couldn't name what his species was since she hadn't ever seen or known of a vampire before. The boy then head out his hand to Tristana. Of course Tristana took his hand and shook it. 

"Hi!" She said with a childlike energy herself. 

Tristana had a friendly smile and seemed very energetic. She also seemed incredibly trusting. Tristana then listened to all of his questions. After listening she decided to answer some of them. 

"I'm fine! I used some magic earlier for a healing spell." Tristana explained, "And climbing trees don't seem like they are a way out. I just did that so that I could try to see the light coming from the trees. Oh and I'm here because I just visited one of the gods. Now I'm trying to find my way out of this forest." 

Trisana then looked at the boy. 

"Now it's my turn to ask questions." She declared, "What's your name? Mine is Tristana. Are you from the forest or did you get lost? Do you like the forest? Where are you from? Why are you here? And will you be my friend?" 

After the many questions Tristana then suddenly realized that the boy's eyes were a different color than most people she had met on her way to the forest. Even in Zanar's temple almost everybody had regular eyes. Perhaps his eyes were better than hers. If that was the case then maybe he would be able to read this map better than she would be able to. So she showed him the map in her hands. 

"Are you able to read this?" She asked. 

It felt strange, foreign to be on the other side. Everyone he had met before now introduced themselves to him, at least in some fashion or another. But when she greeted him, mostly with enthusiasm, Fen felt some tension evaporate away. He returned her bright smile with a youthful one of his own.

There was a brief spark of admiration in his eyes when she mentioned casting a healing spell. No matter how simple or complex the spell might be, he was always impressed anyone with even the slightest of magical inclinations. But there was something else that stuck out about her statement even more. Something much more awe-inspiring than simply casting a spell.

"You met a god?" he asked with wide eyes. He was slightly astounded by how casually she had let that information drop. He recalled stories that Hiro once told him, stories about how his father, despite being the most powerful person he knew, met his end at the hands of the gods. Even Fenriz's own parents seemed to hold the gods in high regard, often telling him fantastic stories about the abilities they wielded, both for the benefit and detriment of mortals.

Naturally, he had several questions about her experience. But in another reversal of fates, Fenriz found himself on the receiving end of a torrent of questions, forcing him to store his away for another time.

So this is what it felt like. One of the many quirks about his personality was his affinity for asking questions, but aversion to answering them. So when she declared that it was her turn to ask, Fen froze up a bit. Fortunately, none of her inquiries were particularly invasive, or too complicated for him to answer.

"Well…" he started, diverting his gaze as he he formed the answers in his head, before looking back at her "I'm not from the forest, no. I uh… accidentally got onto a pirate ship, and they got really mad, so I ran away, and ended up here" he danced around the real reason they were upset with him "I'm not really sure where I'm from. Me and my parents used to wander, before we got… separated"

"Of course I'll be your friend!" he answered the final question, beaming. "I don't have a lot of them, so you'd be one of the first!" Somewhat ironic, in such a place like this, he would find and meet a new friend with relative ease.

He raised an eyebrow at the map he was presented with. Of course for the young vampire, actually seeing the map wasn't a struggle, even with the limited amount of light available. Actually making sense of it, that was another story.

"Kind of…" he replied, studying the map "I think I came from… here" he placed a finger on the paper "And I think we're here" he slid that finger to another spot, tracing what he believed to be the path he took up to this point. "But I'm not really sure where to go from there. Do you know what direction this is?" He asked, pointing what he was hoping was north.

Tristana was utterly oblivious to the child's wonder to her own magic abilities. Mostly because her magic was less impressive when it was used by herself. If somebody else used the same magic she would most likely be in awe as much as the child was. But since it was her own magic she automatically believed it was less special. It was more of a tool that she possessed than a practiced ability. Although she did practice magic she used it more as a tool than as a cool trick. Mostly because she didn't see most things she did as special. Which was why she was also oblivious to Fenriz's reaction when she mentioned the god of the hunt. But from her experiences it seemed that anybody, no matter who they were, seemed able to visit the temple. Of course Tristana had no clue about the rules for vampires but she also didn't know what a vampire was or why they were considered evil. To put it simply, she was oblivious. 

Tristana listened to Fenriz as he spoke about why he was here. When she heard about the pirates and the fact that he was separated from his parents, Tristana quickly felt sympathy for him. The poor boy. He must have been so scared. Although pirates were cool, that didn't mean it wasn't dangerous. If Tristana was in his shoes she would be frightened herself. It took her barely a moment before she decided to help him find his way back to his family. If of course he wanted her help and wanted to go back. But she couldn't just leave a little boy by himself with nobody to defend him. That would be cruel! That would be wrong! That would be irresponsible! So it was decided in Tristana's mind that she would find some way to help him get home. If he accepted her help of course. 

"Perfect!" She said glad that he accepted her friend request, "And don't worry, I don't have many friends either. You and Zanar are the only people I really know." 

She then focused her attention to the map. Tristana couldn't see the map itself and was relieved to know that the boy could read it. Or at least he could see the road. Tristana knew exactly where she was going but she just couldn't see the map properly. 

"That direction is north." Tristana said, "I've been keeping track. Now up ahead the path splits into two. One path curves back into the woods. The other path leads out of the woods. Is the path leading out of the forest the path on the left or the path on the right?"

She then remembered she wanted to ask the boy something. 

"Also would you like to come with me? I'm just headed out of the forest and it seems safer if you didn't go alone." Tristana said, "In fact I'm willing to help you reunite with your parents… if you don't mind my help."

Tristana really wanted the help the poor boy. She just didn't want him to be in any danger because nobody was there to protect him. Although he might have some skills she didn't know about, it still wasn't safe. Besides it would be nice to have company and it would be good to reunite him with his parents. They would be so happy to see their son again! And that's all that really mattered in the end. She also wanted to help him since he was so nice and sweet. Of course it could have been an act but Tristana doubted it was. Even if it was she would have helped him anyway. Tristana didn't forget that she did have her own tasks to carry out, but at the moment this seemed far more important than what Tristana wanted. Then again the boy may not want her help. If that was the case she wouldn't push the matter but still would at least give him some self defense moves, maybe teach him a bit of magic, and send him off with plenty of supplies. Still even with magic and fighting abilities, it was dangerous out there. After all there were people who would just love to kill, destroy or murder Tristana. Then again Tristana's face was ugly, but still it didn't seem wise to let anybody go on their own anywhere for any reason. Or perhaps Tristana worried too much. After all she didn't exactly know everything there was to know about the world. In fact in some ways the child next to her knew more than she did. Probably. She couldn't say for certain but it seemed very likely. After all the boy had managed to get here all on his own without a scratch! Surely he knew some things that Tristana didn't. But that's not what mattered at the moment! Tristana focused her mind back on the boy and his response. 

Immediately, he felt an increased sense of kinship, with his new friend. She was a loner, much like he was, although whether or not her reasons for such were similar to his own, he couldn't say. But, for her own sake, Fen could only hope that they weren't. Either way, despite their shared lack of confidants, they at least for the time being, had one another. Although Tristana had mentioned someone else. Someone named Zanar. The list of questions he had for the woman was growing still.

He did a small, celebratory hop when she confirmed the direction that he had pointed, was in fact the one he wanted. Knowing that, the information the map gave him made a lot more sense. It would appear there was a dynamic between the two. She needed his enhanced eyesight to read the map, and he needed her to actually point them in the right direction. An unlikely team, of which there was little doubt, but hopefully it would prove to be an effective one. But there was still something nagging him about his new found teammate.

"I think… the path on the left" he explained, studying the map. Now that he had his bearings, he felt a bit more confident, although there was still a level of uncertainty in his voice. 

"Of course I'll go with you. That's what friends do, right?" Fenriz exclaimed, with a toothy grin, fangs exposed for the world to see. The child couldn't help but hammer the friendship point home. It wasn't as if he was completely devoid of companionship. But though he had others, they were few and far between, and he hadn't seen them since changing continents. Though he would never admit to his excitement aloud, his tone and body language said it all. This was only amplified when she offered to help find his parents.

"Would you really?" he exclaimed. Tristana wasn't the first to make the offer by any means. The fact that she had even made the offer told of how successful previous attempts had been. Yet Fenriz remained ever hopeful that someone might finally be the one to succeed. He planted himself about as close as he could to Tristana, looking up at as much of her face that her hood would allow him to see, the hope written like a book in his crimson eyes.

"I've been looking everywhere for them. I even hid on that stupid pirate ship, hoping they might take me to where they are" although already poor at hiding secrets, he really lost control of the ability when excited, evident by letting the pirate incident slip "Then they brought me here, and I guess this is a completely different place. But maybe they're around here, somewhere. Are you good at finding people? I know their names, if it helps. Or maybe you can tell me a good hiding place around here. My parent's really like to hide…"

In waiting for a response, something clicked. The more he stared at her face, the more he realized what had been bothering him. Ever curious, he couldn't help but ask.

"Why are you wearing that hood? I have a hood too, see" he his back on his head, once more concealing the mop of pale hair "But I only wear it when I'm hiding from people. Were you trying to hide, too?"

Tristana was relieved that the boy could actually read the map. Now she had an idea of where to go. Suddenly she felt incredibly lucky to have been able to run into the kid. After all if he wasn't there she wouldn't have been able to read the map as well or figure out which path to take. When she thought about it, the two of them were a pretty good team. Fenriz would be able to see in the dark, or so it seemed, and Tristana had knowledge of how to actually get out of the forest. A perfect team. Not to mention it was probably nice for the both of them to not have to travel alone. Traveling alone was fine but it was much better to travel with a friend. Although this was really the first time that Tristana had traveled with anybody. Fenriz then pointed the road that they needed to go down. 

"Thanks!" Tristana said with an enthusiastic smile.

Tristana then began to take the road but was slow enough to make sure that Fenriz could walk with her. She was glad to hear that Fenriz was officially coming with her. Now she would have a new friend and wouldn't worry about him so much. Well she probably would still worry but at least he wouldn't be all alone to fend for himself.
"Yes, that's what friends do." Tristana said with a smile as she walked, "And of course I'll help you find your parents. But there is something you need to know. There is a chance that they might have…well… to put it simply, they might have died. I know it's not a pleasant thing to keep in mind and you need to have hope. But we can't let our hope cloud our judgement either. Still, if they are as tough as you are then I'm sure they are perfectly fine."

Tristana knew that the possibility of parents being dead was not a pleasant one. In fact Tristana herself knew there was a good chance of the same thing happening to her too. She had come to the temple of Zanar in the first place to help track down her own parents. But there wasn't a certainty that they were alive. All Tristana knew was that they existed. This idea of death would no doubt cause a bit of fear and alarm in the young boys heart. However it was something that she needed to discuss with him before going on a long journey to find his parents. Tristana didn't want to end up in a situation where she promised to find his parents only to discover they were dead. Especially if she was building up hope in him to be dashed away. At the same time she didn't want to make the situation out to be hopeless. It wasn't hopeless at all.
There was a good fifty fifty chance that they would be able to find the parents alive. And Tristana was determined to at least figure out where his parents might be alive or dead. That was something she wouldn't give up on. After all if she was in his shoes she would want somebody to do the same for her. To help her and to be with her in her time of need. So that was what she was willing to do for him. She then listened to him as he asked her about her hood. Tristana sighed. This was a child after all. Children were known to have gentler hearts. Perhaps it would be fine just this once. Tristana then pulled her hood down. Nobody else was watching so it seemed fine. From Tristana's forehead to her chin there was a long scar going straight across her face, right over her eye. That eye was pure white but still seemed to function like a regular eye. Despite it's strange color. 

"This… this is what my real face looks like." Tristana admitted, "Many people don't like the way I look. I mean who would want to look at something ugly? I honestly don't blame them. For their sake and partially for my own, I cover up my head with a hood. That way people don't have to look at me and I will feel safer in other's presence." 

This was the first time that she had ever pulled down her own hood for anybody. Even when she was near the god of the hunt, her hood remained up. Even when she had met so many people along the road she didn't dare take down her hood. However it seemed that she would be traveling for a while with the young boy. He was the first to directly ask her about her hood and she knew it was better to not keep secrets from each other. Keeping secrets might lead to mistrust and she didn't want that. Besides he had been kind to her so far. Surely he wouldn't laugh or be cruel to her? Besides he was already so open and trusting. Not to mention the fact that she knew more about him than he knew about her. Or at least that's what she assumed. So it was only fair to reveal a bit more about herself. That way the boy would feel hopefully safer with her. Unless her ugly face scared him off. She sincerely hoped that wouldn't happen. Scaring people was not something she ever wanted to do to anybody. It would be wrong. Tristana decided to refocus their attentions back onto finding his parents and to avoid the topic of her face. For at least a little longer.

"I'm not the best at finding people but I'm more determined than anybody else! You just can't give up and gotta keep working hard at it." Tristana declared, "Just like how hard we are going to work at getting you home to your parents. Their names would be a good place to start. And it's good to know that they like to hide. Where do they normally go? Do they work at a tavern, a bakery, or a servant in a mansion? If I can figure out what they like to do the most then I can figure out which buildings they probably will head to. Also what did the landscape of your hometown look like? Was it mountainous or did it have a lot of trees? Stuff like that would be useful." 

The boy hadn't mentioned much of his homeland. Or at least the physical aspects of it. She knew that it had to be close to water since Fenrick was able to get onto a ship so easily. A pirate ship to that! That probably meant it wasn't a shipping dock or a dock close to the capital of a kingdom. Otherwise it would have heavier guards and no pirates at all. So it had to have been a medium or small town. Somewhere near the sea. There were plenty of options, which was a bit of a problem. But now she could rule out Adeluna City. Since it was too big for pirates. There was a good chance he wasn't even from Canelux so she would have to keep that in mind. Then again there wasn't a guarantee that he wasn't from Canelux. Pirates were able to sail from one part of Canelux to the other. She would certainly need more information. Also the fact that his parents hid a lot made it sound like this wouldn't be easy. But she was determined to carry through her promise. 

Their potential deaths was of course, not a reality he had considered, the shock enough to cause him to momentarily stop dead in his tracks. When said aloud, it made sense. After all they were attacked, and Fen hadn't seen them since. He knew his parents, he knew the power they wielded, and he knew what they were capable of. The easier truth had always been to assume that they had simply evaded, or perhaps vanquished their attackers, and were now on a journey to find them as he was them. What he might do if they weren't somewhere out there… Even not knowing whether or not that was true, he felt for a moment, drained of all purpose. It wasn't until he noticed that she had gotten considerably farther ahead that he snapped out of his own mind, and short legs took hastened steps to catch up.

When the hood slipped from Tristana's head, the young boy had no idea what a monumental moment it was for her. Sure he noticed the scar, but whatever the big deal was, was of course lost on him. He tilted his head, a signature position for the inquisitive young boy, never once flinching or diverting his gaze away.

"You're not ugly, not at all!" he said, beaming ear to ear "I think it looks neat! Your eyes are two different colors, too. I don't think I know anyone like that. My eyes are just this weird red color, see?"

Although she obviously already took note of his unusual eyes, the child drew attention to them out none the less, both index fingers pointing at either iris. Still grinning, he slipped his own hood from his head once again, unkempt hair sprawling out any which direction "And my hair is white, like some old person. But my friend Miss Raziel never made fun of me. I think if someone makes fun of your face, they're not a very good friend. But I think you look nice. You don't have to worry about hiding your face around me".

There was an unmistakable sincerity in his tone, a youthful sincerity from a child that wouldn't know how to lie to her, even if he wanted to.

"Now if you want to know someone who looks really weird, I know a guy who's arm is just a skeleton! It's kind of bony and gross. But he's a nice guy"  He hastily added on the final bit, almost feeling guilty for running down Frey. Especially considering he knew the reason his arm was the way it was. But, even if the method wasn't the motive behind it was pure. All he wanted was to make his new friend feel at least a little better. After all, he knew it all too well, the struggle of being hated for something beyond one's own control.

A few people had offered to help locate his family, although none had seemed as fired up about doing so as Tristana. Despite unknowingly having crushed his hopes only moments earlier, that fiery determination started a wildfire of determination in his heart. Whether it would end up being true or not, neither of them could say, but Fenriz couldn't help but feel like of all the people who have tried, Tristana was the most likely to succeed, if not through sheer willpower alone.

"There names are… Varo'thori; that's my father. And Jenma'tai. That's my mom" he started, running down the list of questions he had been asked. He deliberately left out their family name, however. It was one that carried a considerable amount of weight, among vampires and vampire hunters, and if Tristana turned out to be the latter, this friendship was going to turn south rather quickly. Although, even he knew that, for this friendship to continue, that was a conversation they were going to have to have eventually. But, the longer he could delay that talk, the better. Though, with each question answered, he could feel the seconds fade away on that proverbial clock.

"I… I don't know where they go". This was the first lie, between the two. His parents constantly talked about coming in and out of Kurayo. But Fenriz had experienced first hand that the only people that really went there were vampires and werewolves. Disclosing that information was almost a dead giveaway. Still, he had already gone there, and found nothing, so he figured there couldn't be any harm in withholding that information.

"They didn't really work. I'm actually not sure what they used to do" this, for the most part, was true. All he really knew for certain about their "occupations" was that it was important "And we used to travel, a lot. We didn't really have a hometown, but my parents really liked forests, and caves. Any place where they could hide in darkness, since being out in the sunlight would-"

He slapped his hands over his mouth, only moments away from disclosing more than he meant to. The child continued to take small steps behind her, an uncomfortable silence falling over him. Now it was his turn, to attempt to divert the conversation away from an uncomfortable topic.

"So um… who is Zanar? Shouldn't he be here with you?" it was a pretty blatant attempt at a subject change, one with all the subtlety of an airship crash, but ithese were a few questions among many that had been on his mind for a while, now "Is he your 'mate'? I think that's what it's called…" he added on, having only recently been introduced to the concept of romantic partners.

Tristana momentarily wondered if she should have mentioned the possibility of the boy's parents being dead. Especially from looking at the way he reacted. However there was no way to go back and fix that mistake so it was there to stay. She was relieved at Fenriz's reaction to her face. He didn't flinch or even look away. Of course he was so young and seemed to be so kind. So it was difficult to imagine that he would be rude or flinch if he truly thought she was hideous. But somehow from his reaction Tristana didn't believe that he really felt that. Fenriz seemed to think that her eyes were unique. Which was really sweet of him. Then he mentioned his own ruby eyes, something that Tristana had noticed but didn't mention. But now that she looked at his eyes closer she could see how beautiful they truly were. Perhaps one could see the beauty of others more than they could see their own beauty. Tristana faced the boy fully now and gave him a gentle smile. 

"Well, I think that your eyes are beautiful. They remind me of burning coals you might see after a warm fire has died down." Tristana said thoughtfully. 

Then Tristana continued to listen to Fenriz. He claimed that a true friend wouldn't make fun of her face. Which in a way was true. But at the same time what if a friend was just pointing out the unattractiveness of her face to explain a situation or to just be concerned about? If that happened did Tristana even have a right to get angry? Yet she was glad that she wouldn't have to worry so much about her own looks when she was just around the boy. She suddenly felt as though a heavy burden had been carried off her shoulders. Now she didn't have to be worried about her hood covering up her head and can concentrate on important things. She wasn't in such a confident mood that she felt as though she could just waltz into a village and still be comfortable with her own appearance. In fact Tristana doubted she would ever be able to do something as daring as that. But now she could be comfortable with at least one other person. So it was rather… nice. 

"Thank you." Was all Tristana could say. 

Tristana then continued to walk and listen to Fenriz as he spoke. Apparently the young boy had met somebody who had a bony arm. That sounded strange but then right after Fenriz said that he explained that the person in question was a nice man. Tristana had no reason to doubt Fenriz's judgement on people so she believed him. She paid attention to the boy's parents' names. Varo'thori was the boy's father and Jenma'tai was the boy's mother. Tristana didn't recognize the names, of course she couldn't recognize many people's names. No matter how famous they happened to be. She was just so inexperienced with the world that she was utterly out of touch with who was famous and the newest stories of heros and such. Fenriz continued speaking about his parents and where they might have gone but then suddenly stopped at the mention of sunlight.

Tristana was confused on why he stopped. He stopped at the mention of sunlight. Odd. Why would he stop at mentioning that? Perhaps his parents really disliked sunlight. But then again she had never heard of a person who was weakened by… sunlight. Maybe? No, it was unlikely. If the boy was a vampire then he would have surely informed Tristana. Right? After all vampires needed blood to sustain themselves. Surely the boy would have told Tristana that he was a vampire so that she would be able to feed him a proper meal? Unless he was scared that she might have been some sort of vampire hunter. Still hunting animals for blood was very different from hunting animals for meat. Or at least that's what she guessed. In reality Tristana had no clue if there was a difference. But inside her head it sounded like there should be a difference. So she assumed there was. Tristana was not disturbed by the idea of a little vampire child following her around. She was more concerned about the boy's health since she didn't really know how to properly care for a vampire child. She would figure it out if need be but it was better to know upfront what species he was.

However Tristana felt hesitant about confronting the boy on this matter. Mostly because the boy looked uncomfortable and almost a little frightened. To not frighten Fenriz Tristana decided to not discuss the matter until he was ready. The boy changed the matter to the subject of Zanar. For some reason. Then Tristana realized what Fenriz thought their relationship was. Oh dear. 

"Oh! We aren't in a relationship." Tristana said quickly her face slightly pink, "We are just friends. I think. I've actually only met him once and only talked with him once. Zanar is the god of the hunt. It's his temple that I'm returning from now actually. Wait, I believe I already mentioned that. I'm sorry. Anyway, the gods and goddesses are actually very friendly if you treat them with respect. Zanar is actually married and is waiting for his child to be born. He seemed very happy when he told me about it. In all honesty I hope childbirth goes perfectly for his wife and they have a healthy child. But I'm rambling. So have you met any of the gods?" 

Compliments for the boy were rare, so her's turned his face as red as his eyes. Though on this rosy face laid a smile. On the small list of expectations Fen had upon entering the forest, it was likely that stumbling across such a kind person wasn't even on it.

"No need to thank me. I think it's how friends should be. If we meet anyone who makes fun of you I'll beat them up" he said with pantomimed fists. Even he knew that this was unlikely, given his general inability to fight, but at present he felt like he could accomplish anything. It almost reminded him of his time spent with Raziel, in a way. Both of he and Raziel held a secret, much like both he and Tristana did. Of course the difference there is that he had shared his secret with the former.

Beneath that joy was a justifiable layer of guilt. Tristana had been nothing but nice to him up to this point. She offered to help him find his parents with little hesitation, offered to be his friend almost instantly, and even disclosed her own uncomfortable secret the moment he asked. No matter how his young mind thought about it, everything added up to him being a poor friend, or at least a selfish one. A growing part of him wanted to explain, confess everything to her right then and there.

"Umm… Miss Tristana" he felt he had worked up the courage to inform her, all the way until her name left his lips. Before he could say anymore, the words were interrupted by a mental image of his new friend ditching him in terror, or something even worse, and these vision of a unproven, hypothetical scenario silenced his confession.

"I-I think we need to go that way" he said weakly, pointing in the very direction they were walking as he did his best to pretend that was what he was going to say. Caught between his remorse and caution, the boy made an internal promise. If it didn't come up before then, he would explain to her when they left the forest. At least that way, if she did run away, he would have been already led to safety.

Something about his inquiry seemed to make her uncomfortable, noted by her own reddened cheeks and rambled response. Although what exactly about his question made her feel embarrassed, he wasn't sure. Yet, while she was feeling awkward, he felt amazed. Here he was, walking alongside someone who had met the God of the Hunt. Though what exactly such a title entailed was lost on him, the mere fact that she had met a deity was impressive enough for him. This was a feat that even his parents had never accomplished, and few were as accomplished as they were in the child's mind

"No, I haven't. Though I did meet a guy who's father once fought a god… I think. It's very confusing, to be honest" his statement ending with a youthful, nervous chuckle. "But what was he like? What did you go see him for? Are you gonna see his kid when he's born? Maybe we can go see him together!"

Now that the topic of the gods had been brought up again, Fenriz had finally been given opportunity to open the floodgate of questions that he had been holding back since the moment they met. But unlike his usual, frantic yet innocent interrogation, this one was noticeably subdued. A surprisingly loud yawn left his lips when he finished talking, and his pacing began to slow. Up to this point he was able to match his companions speed, but he was starting to drag a bit further behind her. With each step his legs felt heavier and heavier, as if his feet were stones being dragged across the forest floor, the effects of being awake throughout the night and into most of the day finally starting to prove to much for the typically energetic boy.

"Hey Miss Tristana" he called out "I don't want to be a problem, but do you think we can take a break?"

He didn't even wait for a response. He couldn't, really, seating himself at the base of one of the many trees.