The birds chirped in the air and the wind billowed my cloak as I trudged slowly in the forest. I looked back at my hand-drawn map to check if I’m still going on the right path. It says here that I am about to reach a coven where I can stay in for the night and buy more food and water for my journey that is running out.

I sighed. My feet hurt from walking endlessly. If it wasn’t for the bandits I met on the road, I wouldn’t have to walk. Still, I’m thankful that they only took my horse and did nothing to harm me. I’m not too worried about the horse because I casted a spell on it so I could track it and take it back from them once I’m ready for combat. I promised that I will have him back.

Phantom, that’s the name of my horse that they took from me. That horse is very special to me. He’s my buddy and my listener when I need someone to talk to about my troubles. I’m worried about him and at the same time comforted by his situation. I could sense that he’s alive, healthy, and well taken care of because of the charm I gave her before I went on my journey.

I guess they held Phantom special because of his admirable traits. I trained him back in my hometown and we did almost everything together. He’s more of a human than a horse and he got a special color too. He has the same color as the moon.

The leaves rustled beneath my feet as I stepped on them. I don’t know how many days I’ve been walking around the forest trying to look for any civilization where I can rest and maybe buy a sword.

I didn’t bring anything with me when I went out for a journey except for a bag of food, herbs, my special charms and potions, and my horse Phantom. I know that our world is in the middle of a war and bad people lurk in forests, but there’s no weapon that I could bring from where I was. If I had a sword, I could have stopped the bandits from taking Phantom from me.

I stopped when I arrived at the destination. I looked around the forest to check if someone suspicious had followed me before raising my hand and touching the empty field before me until I felt a hard dome and something that looked like a bubble rippled from my touch.

As expected, it wasn’t empty as it appears to be. There were trees and just dead leaves before me and yet there was something hiding behind this illusion.

Ever since the war escalated and werewolves started hunting mages to make them their slaves, every coven started hiding in the forest and covering their villages with a seal so no one can find them. The seal is an illusion, with naked eyes, you can never see pass through it.

My eyes turned silver as I used my power to see through the illusion. As a mage, I have the capability to see seals and curses that are made by my fellow mages too. The key to entering the illusion is seeing it and finding the way inside it.

When I was finished, a small village appeared in front of me with people looking at me.

I avoided their gazes and sheltered myself deep within my cloak and raised my mask to cover my face. No one came to interrogate me and ask me who I am or where I came from. Mages are used to unknown mages entering and exiting their covens because of the war.

Some leave their covens to rescue their families from the werewolves, others to pick rare herbs and some for personal unknown reasons. The things about mages, they always mind their own business and if you mind theirs, they will mind yours too.

I walked to the nearest inn I saw and dropped a bag of coins at the innkeeper. “I need a room to stay for two nights,” I told her without showing my identity.

“Let me see your hair,” she commanded me.

I brought down my hoodie and showed her the wig I was wearing. She nodded her head not noticing that I was wearing a wig.

Mages are identified through their hair. Mortals can either have pure blonde, black or brown hair while we can also have blonde, black or brown hair, but always with a strip of silver.

“We have plenty of vacant rooms, but we don’t accept coins here,” she said in an old voice.

“Then I’ll go on with my journey until I see a place that accepts coins,” I muttered and grabbed the bag of coins.

“No ones accepting coins for payment now, dear,” she told me, stopping me from leaving. “Is this your first time to go out on a journey?”

“Yes,” I answered her. “What do you mean there’s no one accepting money?” I asked her in curiosity. I brought lots of silver and gold coins with me thinking that I can use them to buy anything I will need.

“Coins are no use to us anymore. You can’t use coins to buy herbs anymore. No one is willing to leave their covens and face the world outside just to fetch these herbs and a mage is nothing without them,” she explained.

It’s true, most of the mage's abilities lie on herbs, without them we are weaker than mortals.

“So, you only accept herbs as payment?” I asked.

“A piece of rafflesia will be enough to let you stay here for two nights and free food for two days.”

I rummaged through my bag to see if I had what she asked and there I saw that I brought two rafflesia flowers with me.

I broke a piece of it and the smell of rancid meat wafted in the air and I placed it on the table in front of her.

“I can’t believe you actually have it!” she said happily and kept the piece of rafflesia in her pockets.

“I will show you to your room.” She scurried up the stairs and I followed behind her.

We have farms of rare herbs in my hometown, and we have plenty stocks of rafflesia. I only stole two for my journey because I can only bring a few. If I knew that coins had no value anymore, I would have brought more herbs instead.

Using a key that she brought with her, she turned the knob of a room and showed a small room with a single bed, cabinet, and a small table on the corner.

“If you need something, I’ll be downstairs.”

“Wait!” I called out to her. “I actually need something. Do you know a place where I can buy any silver weapons?”

“You went out on a journey without bringing any weapon with you?” She asked in surprise and I didn’t answer her question.

“People rarely sell silver weapons. The werewolves and the mortals hoard them for defense. I apologize, but you will have to steal if you want one.”

“Then, can I pay someone to steal it for me?” I asked.

“I’ll see what I can do,” she answered before she left.