ã€ŠChampions of the Divineã€‹


 Prologue

    The sounds of sharp steel broke the silence as the twelve knights in gray drew their swords. They had not planned to use them other than to scare the local farmers, but the sudden appearance of this stranger in red gave them few options, and drawing their weapons seemed the least cowardly. Though the villagers would classify these twelve as knights, they were still nothing compared to the stranger in red.

    In fact, he fit the title of knight leagues more, and the twelve in gray were little more than lowlife thugs in comparison. His elaborate plate armor was covering his whole body, and if it weren''t for the scratches and a few small dents, one would be forgiven for thinking it was only a showpiece. In the center of the breastplate was a golden crest depicting the head of a dragon, and the helmet had a dragon''s two horns protruding outwards and back in a menacing display. The stranger''s magnificent armor was not even comparable to the thugs'' shabby gray gambesons and muddy cloth trousers.

    This was without a doubt the gifted champion of the dragon god, one of the few gifted champions living in the kingdom. His sword sheathed, he was slowly walking up to the twelve. Their expression of uncertainty and deliberation spoke for them: They knew who he was, and they knew they would likely not leave this village alive. Yet still, one of them mustered the courage to speak out to him. Perhaps to confirm that his worst fears were about to come true, or perhaps with the microscopically slim chance they could talk their way out, the thug assumed a leadership position and shouted:

    "You there! Warrior! What brings you to our village so fully armed?"

    The red champion stopped, looking at them through his helmet. Though the man could not see them, he could feel the champion''s eyes on him like daggers, prodding his morale with heavy thrusts. The fact that the armored dragon reacted to his words caused his legs to start shaking. Nevertheless, he tried to hide a gulp and continued.

    "A s-stranger walks up to us unannounced wearing all armor. S-sounds like we should b-be prepared to defend ourselves."

    The champion stood still, not giving the leader the satisfaction of an answer. Behind the thugs, village farmers had been cowering together in fear. However, when they had noticed the champion, their morale had flipped, and now they seemed hopeful. That is, until one of the twelve, bald and with an ugly tattoo on his head, turned back and looked at them. The self-assumed leader continued as the champion still refused to answer.

    "W-well you seem like a respectable fellow. I guess you were just pa-passing through looking for some food or s-shelter?"

    He knew by this point his performance was anything but convincing to the champion, but he had dug himself too deep to stop. At this point, the champion seemed to be waiting for him to continue speaking, though the leader didn¡¯t know why. Could it be he was weary of all his friends? Afraid they would start using the farmers as shields, giving him little chance to save them?

    No. The leader had heard stories about the red dragon, and none of them painted him as a ¡®savior of the innocent¡¯. He was likely just toying with them, having his fun, and seeing what they would say to try to save their skins. That fact annoyed the leader slightly, and he looked back up at the one in red. Trying to claim some authority over the village he and his friends had captured, he spoke up.

    "I''m s-s-sorry but there ain''t any room for s-strangers in this town. I-i-if you want a w-warm welcome, there¡¯s a b-bigger one to the e-east that has a t-t-tavern you can st-stay at."

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    His fears betrayed him, his words stumbling out of his mouth forming sentences that wouldn¡¯t even convince a child. Again the champion didn''t answer. He just stood perfectly still, staring at the thugs. If it weren''t for those daggers the leader felt stabbing at his psyche, he could almost believe that the champion had turned to stone. With one final push, he tried to end the conversation.

    "W-well I h-hope you find it. It''s not t-t-too far away. B-be seeing you."

    Hastily, the leader turned his back in a signal that their conversation was over, and the other eleven followed suit. However, when he started walking the other way, he finally heard the champion''s voice answering.

    "Pathetic¡­"

    That was the one word that came from behind him. Compared to the shaky voice of the thug, it was menacing enough to send cold shivers down his back. Looking at his men, they had all turned back, so the leader followed. The suit of armor had unsheathed his silver blade. It was placed with the tip into the ground, his hands resting on it. Compared to the steel blades the twelve carried, the sword of this red dragon was immaculate.

    "I thought you would at least threaten me with killing these people your men have been harassing, but not even that?"

    The sheer disappointment in the champion¡¯s voice caused the thugs¡¯ faces to turn from unease to terror. They now understood the value this legendary figure had placed on these villagers, which meant they could not use them as a bargaining chip now. The champion folded his hands together as if he was speaking to children who had just misbehaved and needed a stern talking to.

    "Judging by your expressions, you all probably know who I am, but allow me to introduce myself."

    He lifted his sword and struck a pose, pointing the sword towards them.

    "I am Archon, gifted champion of the Dragon God, and your final opponent before death!"

    At the mention of his name, the golden crest in his armor seemed to glow, and with it, his sword turned from silver to a glowing red shade. It was as if the metal was heating itself up. However, the shape never changed, nor did it seem like the blade was softening or liquifying.

    At the champion''s declaration, the eleven thugs behind the leader started running away, dropping or throwing their swords to the ground in the process. Some of them stumbled and struggled, and one of them even lost his footing and fell to the muddy ground. The leader, however, was completely frozen in shock, and the grip on his sword only tightened. This reaction seemed to slightly please the red dragon.

    "You are just going to stand there and wait? Good, then I''ll start with your friends."

    His red sword glowed even brighter as he readied himself like a cat ready to chase the mice fleeing from him. The blade caught fire, and then he vanished.

    No, not vanished. He had charged after the fleeing thugs and was moving too quickly for the leader to see. Still frozen he could do nothing, but he heard a few clean slices that silenced the screaming men running, followed by a short pause, and then a few thuds, like bags of potatoes hitting the ground.

    Some seconds passed and there was no sound, and the leader was still frozen, looking at where the suit of armor had stood before its charge. Even the scared noises of the villagers were no longer heard, not even the wind. The only thing the leader heard, was the steady beat of his own heart. Was it over? Would the red champion spare his life? He said he would start with the others, but was there a chance he had changed his mind about the one remaining? As soon as those thoughts entered the leader''s mind, he suddenly felt something hot rapidly approaching his neck. He didn''t have time to react before a flaming blade touched his skin, and without stopping, sliced all the way through. His head, along with his body, fell to the ground.

 Chapter 1: A Steel Cage

    In the evening twilight, a boy was staring out a window. Gazing out at the beautiful landscape before him, he looked neither astonished nor ecstatic. Not even amused. His expression was empty, as if his thoughts were elsewhere, and he didn''t even seem to be consciously aware of the sight his eyes were presenting to him. This boy was Isaac, a 17-year-old student, a senior student to be exact. He was sitting on a bus that was taking him and his class on a class trip. A class trip that their teacher, Mrs. Anderson, had arranged in celebration of the students'' final exams being finished and their time at North Dale High School almost being over. All of them were looking forward to it. All, it seemed, except for Isaac.

    "Hey, Isaac!"

    The sudden mention of his name snapped him back into reality. He turned around and looked at the person next to him, the one whose voice had called his name. With an unchanged expression, he answered.

    "Whaaaat?"

    The one receiving Isaac''s uninterested gaze and ''undivided'' attention was a person the same height as him. They were wearing an oversized, graphite gray hoodie, and had messy, short, brown hair with bangs that almost went down over their eyes. Of course, Isaac knew perfectly well who this person was, so he didn''t feel bad for not taking an interest in their sudden attempt at interacting with him.

    This was Jaden, an enthusiastic kid, and the only one Isaac felt comfortable calling ''friend''. Not that there was anything wrong with the other classmates, but the title of friend meant a lot to him, and it was a word he reserved for people he knew he could depend on. Isaac and Jaden had known each other for as long as both of them could remember, and they also lived in the same house, so they saw each other almost every day. Naturally, this meant they had ended up in all sorts of situations in that time, and Isaac had learned that Jaden would always have his back.

    Just like Isaac''s expression didn''t change, neither did Jaden''s. They were beaming with an expression of excitement, curiosity, and a hint of adrenaline.

    "Do you think we''ll see the northern lights?" Jaden asked, their eyes glowing ever brighter with excitement.

    "I dunno? Why does that matter though? Just look ''em up on Gooble if you''re so curious about what they look like," Isaac retorted, hinting at Jaden''s phone with his eyes.

    This time Jaden''s expression did change.

    "Eeeeeh?" With a face that almost looked like they were disappointed. "It''s not the same as seeing one for real, you know that. If you''re gonna suggest something as stupid as that, at least try to make it SOUND convincing."

    Isaac shrugged and turned back away from Jaden, pretending once again to be looking out the window. Jaden, however, wasn''t done with their conversation.

    "Hey! It''s my first time being so far north, and you know we don''t get anything except snow back home. Can''t you at least try to be excited on my behalf?"

    After a pause, Isaac sighed and turned back around.

    "Look, Jaden. It''s not like I don''t want to be here," Isaac said.

    "Really? The way you''re acting says otherwise."

    "I know," he sighed, "I just wish that we didn''t go on a class trip JUST to see the northern lights. Sure, they''re pretty, but it''s not that exciting once you''ve already seen ''em."

    For as long as Isaac could remember he had only known the cold and snow. Living far north during his childhood, he had never gotten a chance to visit warm or tropical places. When he had heard that his class was going on a final school trip together, and the entry was free, Isaac hoped that for once he would be able to visit somewhere that was warmer than the town he was from. However, when he learned they would go to a northern lights sighting, which Isaac had seen multiple times with his family back when his parents were alive, all his excitement deteriorated, and he once again felt the hope of a warm vacation disappear.

    "So where would you''ve gone then? If you could pick out our destination?"

    "Honestly? Somewhere warm. A beach would be nice."

    When Jaden heard Isaac''s answer, their expression changed into a mischievous grin that all but said ''Oh, I see how it is''.

    "Sure you''re not just saying that because you wanna see Sarah in a swimsuit?"

    Isaac''s eyes widened and his face turned pink. Hastily he raised his hands and waved them while shaking his head.

    "Nonono, it''s not like that at all."

    Isaac didn¡¯t have feelings for anyone in class, but he knew that if he showed the slightest hint of attraction, Jaden would latch onto it, and wouldn¡¯t let it go for months.

    "Seriously, Jaden, you gotta stop joking about that. What if people will think I actually have a crush on her?"

    Jaden''s eyes were not convinced. They turned their head and looked outwards to the front of the aisle. A girl was standing there, talking to her friends who were sitting. She was wearing an elegant outfit that was most certainly tailored specifically for her. Her long, blond hair was braided and tied in a cinnamon roll. Her asymmetrical bangs were hanging to the left side, leaving an elaborate gold earring visible on her right. She was laughing at something one of her friends had said and seemed oblivious to the fact that Jaden was looking her way. Not that Jaden was the only one looking her way.

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    This was Sarah. 17 and older than Isaac by a month, She was the most popular girl in class, and the richest. Her father was the CEO of a large pharmaceutical company, and he had funded the entire school trip. Because of her father''s money, Sarah had gotten used to unknown eyes gazing at her from all directions, so she had grown resistant to it.

    After a little while, Jaden turned back to Isaac, who now seemed visibly annoyed at them. With a puzzled expression, Jaden spoke.

    "What?"

    "You''re projecting," Isaac''s annoyed face softened into a cheeky grin. "You''re the one who wants to see Sarah in a swimsuit, not me."

    However, Jaden wouldn''t bite on Isaac''s attempt at flustering them.

    "Nah, man. She''s not my type."

    "Really? How so?"

    "I''m not into the type of people who think I only care about their money or status."

    Isaac held his grin for as long as he could, but after a few seconds, he exhaled and dropped it.

    "Good point I guess..."

    Jaden was now the one with the grin. Seeing as their best friend was no longer seemingly sulking, they tried to lighten the mood. Opening their backpack and taking out a bag of chips, Jaden squeezed it open with a satisfying ''pop!'' sound. Isaac''s smile returned once again as Jaden offered him some. They started eating, as the bus continued through the early night.

    <hr>

    Hours later, the sun had set, and the bus was now driving along in a heavy fog. It had gotten quiet on the bus, and everyone had either sat down and played with their phones, or gone to sleep. Isaac and Jaden were of the latter group.

    However, suddenly Isaac and most of the students were awoken by a sudden jolt in the bus. The bus driver looked in the rear-view mirror and realized he had woken most of the students.

    "Sorry ''bout that, everyone," he said, unapologetically. "There was a large rock in the road. Didn''t see it ''cus of the friggin fog."

    Isaac sat up and looked around on the bus. Most people tried going back to sleep, and some people who lost grip on their phones when the bus jumped were on the floor trying to retrieve them. Jaden seemed to be one of the few who didn''t wake up, and Isaac could see their gray hoodie hunched forward, their chest compressing in steady intervals. Isaac turned his head and looked out the window. However, he saw nothing. There was no land in sight, because it was all covered by a thick layer of fog. Isaac started feeling uncomfortable, so he decided to exit his seat and walk towards the front of the bus.

    The vision forward was not much better. The headlights shone brightly, but they just lit up the fog. The bus driver could probably only see a few meters in front of the bus, and with the speed he was going, Isaac felt unsafe. He decided to speak up.

    "Sir? Can''t we stop the bus for the night? The fog is making it dangerous to drive."

    The bus driver looked back at him with a glance and then back at the road. His expression was serious, and maybe a little grumpy.

    "Can''t. We''re driving along a narrow road. On one side is a taller cliff, and on the other is the end of our cliff. If we stop right here and someone drives up behind us, they might not see the taillights before it''s too late."

    Isaac could argue little with that logic, but the bus was still going dangerously fast.

    "Can''t you slow down at least? what if you don''t see the edge of the cliff before it''s too late?"

    The bus driver gave a slight chuckle, but it was clear from his voice that he was tired.

    "Lad, I''m trying to get to a clearing as fast as I can so I too can rest. Besides, I''ve driven this road so many times I have it all in my head. Heh, could probably drive it blind, too, but the fog is doing that part for me."

    His answer did, of course, not convince Isaac. In fact, Isaac was infuriated that this man would put the lives of his entire class in danger like this, and brag about it.

    "Sir, with all due respect, I thi-"

    Before Isaac could finish his sentence, the bus driver turned his head and snapped back at him.

    "I said I am handling this! Now get back to your seat and let me do what I am paid to d-"

    Taking his eyes off the road, the bus driver could not see what Isaac suddenly saw in front of him. It was as if time slowed down, and Isaac could see, in the near distance, headlights as bright as the sun approaching rapidly. The truck they were attached to was bigger than the bus, and growing even bigger. Isaac felt like his heart stopped in horror, and that the only thing he could do was freeze and accept his fate. However, somehow he managed to shout out, at the top of his lungs.

    "TRUCK!"

    The shout echoed through the bus and everyone who previously were asleep jumped up in terror. The bus driver turned to see the headlights approaching. The truck let out a deep and terrifying honk, and it felt to Isaac as the whole floor of the bus shook with the vibrations of the oncoming doom''s horn. He felt like he lost his footing and fell, as the bus driver swerved out of the way of the incoming disaster. Motionless, and halfway in the air, Isaac looked back at his classmates as his body was stumbling on its steady trajectory towards the floor of the bus. It was as if time stood still, and Isaac could see every detail in his vision. Their faces were all looking behind him, staring horrified at two bright orbs that reflected in their eyes. Some opened their mouths, probably to scream. Others tried to look away, trying to shield their faces with their hands. It was all happening so fast, but also so incredibly slowly. Isaac finally landed on the floor, and the pain in his back crept up through his body. Reflexively, he closed his eyes, waiting for the end.

    The bus turned sharply and the oncoming truck whooshed past narrowly. Isaac opened his eyes and looked toward where Jaden sat, but all he could see was a terrified face, unlike anything he had ever seen. He didn''t have time to turn his head back before

    CRASH!

    and then,

    nothing.

    Everything fell silent, but Isaac felt like he was pulled up. No, that was not it, the bus was pushed down. He already knew what had happened. The bus had hit the guardrail and gone straight through, off the road, and disappeared into the dark of night.

    And so 22 souls plummeted off the cliff, trapped in a steel cage that would take them to their final destination.

 Chapter 2: The Gifts

    "Ughhh..."

    With a pained groan that echoed out, breaking the silence, the boy felt his consciousness restored. Was he not dead? He was certain that only a few moments ago, he and his class had met a swift and violent end at the bottom of a cliff. The last thing he could remember was a pair of yellow, menacing eyes approaching at high speed along with a terrifying growl that somehow sounded like a truck''s horn. He remembered he had shouted out in warning to his peers, but even so, the eyes had kept approaching. After that, he had felt himself dragged to the side as his cage had made a violent turn, before a crash that sent it flying. No more than that, could he remember.

    Isaac opened his eyes. Or at least, he thought he did. He saw nothing, just as when his eyes were closed. Was he still alive? Then how come he didn''t feel any pain? Why was he seemingly all alone in all this darkness? Why could he not smell the blood and smoke of the accident, nor the stinking smell of perfume that had filled his nostrils, along with the rest of the bus? Was it all a dream?

    All these questions raced through Isaac''s head, but it didn''t take long for something else to seize his attention. A blinding light, as if a hundred spotlights had been lit at the same time, all pointing towards him. As a reflex, he tried to shield his eyes while they were adjusting to the intense white that filled his vision.

    After a few seconds, and he was no longer blinded, he put his hand down and looked around. He was in a room too big to see the ends of. The plain floor had a texture, unlike anything he had ever felt. It looked as sturdy and plain as a sheet of metal, but somehow also as warm and soft as a blanket. Looking up, he seemed to be surrounded by a big, wooden, circular wall of sorts, except the wall didn''t seem to go all the way up to the ceiling. Actually, he saw no ceiling. The walls stopped at one point, and above it, a beautiful and starry night sky in the far distance.

    The blinding lights from before seemed to come directly from the stars above, though now that his eyes had adjusted and could see clearly, Isaac saw the most beautiful night sky he had ever laid his eyes upon. The colors were more vibrant than ever, and it was as if hundreds of different northern lights were dancing together in an aetherial melody only they could hear. They danced around in the blackness, each in a different color, creating a mesmerizing effect that almost bordered on psychedelic.

    Isaac stood up, and for a second he could only marvel at this stunning scene his eyes were showing him. But like the blinding lights before, he was once again interrupted. This time by a sound, no, a voice. It was shriveled yet clear, and it was booming so loudly that Isaac thought he would lose his footing.

    "Isaac!"

    At the mention of his name, Isaac frantically looked around to see where it came from. His eyes fixated on a point above the wall. There, a giant silhouette of what looked to be a person faded in. Not long after, more silhouettes faded in next to it. Then, even more next to them, and on and on until the entire circular wall was topped with dark shapes.

    The silhouettes were all roughly the same size, though none of them looked alike. Only a few of them even looked ''human''. As this strange and confusing sight began to sink in, Isaac rubbed his eyes to see if what he saw was actually real. It most definitely was.

    "Isaac," the voice from before continued, calmer than it was before. "I am sure you are confused and have many questions. So, allow me to fill you in."

    The shade didn''t move, nor indicate any form of movement, but Isaac was certain the voice came from it. Thus, he tried his best to gaze where he thought its eyes would be. The voice continued once Isaac seemed attentive enough.

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    "Four hours and twenty-one minutes ago, you died. Your body was crushed, and thus, your soul was freed. through specific circumstances, it traveled here, and we have evaluated it. Thus, we have decided on the gifts we will bestow upon you before you enter your next phase in life."

    Next phase in life? Did that mean that Isaac wasn''t really dead? That he would live on? Isaac pondered these questions. He also asked himself why he was so calm. Any sane individual would surely lose their mind at this sight, not to mention being told that they are, in fact, dead. One theory was that his mind didn¡¯t accept what he saw and heard as reality, like he was in a dream. Another was that these gods, if they were really real, had put some spell on him to keep him calm in this situation. Isaac didn¡¯t conclude before the shade continued.

    "First of all, allow me to introduce myself. I am Spectre, the deity of death. In your case, I am also the one responsible for your reincarnation. These other creatures you see are the other deities of this world, though there are too many to name them all."

    Reincarnation. Isaac was never a religious person, so he had always assumed that death would be the end, and his mind, as well as his body, would cease to exist. To be honest, the thought of death had frightened Isaac for a long time, so the sudden confirmation that he would be reincarnated had lifted a weight he never realized he had.

    "Now, as I said, you will be reincarnated. The world we control is quite different from the one you came from. Its inhabitants'' strives in technology are honestly primitive to the technology in your world. However, unlike the world you come from, this new world contains many intelligent species, not just humans. And, with the existence of our divine powers, it is close to what you would call a fantasy world."

    A fantasy world? This seemed to get even better and better. Isaac, unlike a few in his class, wasn''t really into anime or manga, but he was a huge fan of movies. His favorite movie of all time took place in a high-fantasy universe. He could only wonder if this would be anything like that movie, and if there was a being of pure evil that had to be defeated. He was so excited he almost forgot that the literal Grim Reaper was speaking to him. He cracked a grin, which seemed to get a reaction out of Spectre.

    "I see the idea of that amuses you. Good, then I believe you will enjoy what we have in store for you next. I said before that your soul has been evaluated. Allow me to elaborate."

    Spectre''s motionless portrait was as frozen as ever, but Isaac could swear it was wearing a smug grin.

    "We call them The Gifts. They will be bestowed upon you, and will assist you in adjusting to this new world more easily."

    As the figure vaguely explained these ¡®gifts¡¯ Isaac would receive, they sounded more and more like magic. Essentially, he was given a power he could use to defend himself, or for whatever other purpose he saw fit. He would also be given the ability to understand the spoken and written languages of the world, as dropping him into a world where no one understands him and vice versa would be ¡®too cruel¡¯ for the ¡®god of death¡¯. Isaac found that thought slightly amusing.

    "The gift we bestow upon you is named Gravity. It lets you create and control the gravitational pull of a small area. However, know that with time and training, your gift gets stronger."

    After Spectre had finished speaking, suddenly Isaac lost his balance. He was sure he would stumble, but instead, Isaac felt himself lifted from the ground. Looking up, he saw a black cloud appearing far above. The stars around had started to blur, the dancing auroras changing their hue, and it now looked almost like an enormous, purple eye, staring directly at him. Then, lightning-like shapes surrounded the pupil of the eye, before a beam of purple, blue, and magenta light shot down and surrounded Isaac with a deep, almost growling explosion sound.

    "This is where you leave us, Isaac. We wish you luck on your new journey." Spectre called out in farewell.

    The beam was humming a dark and unsettling buzzing noise, and Isaac felt something inside him change. his whole body started to glow brightly before all the light filled his vision. Then, everything went dark, and he felt his consciousness fading once again.

 Interlude: The girl in the forest

    *whoosh*

    A calm breeze passed, and for a short moment, it drowned out the other sounds that filled her ear. Then, they all came rushing back again. Far off, birds were singing in harmonic tunes, making the nature''s music that she was so used to. Nearby, an insect was beating its small wings so that it created a soft humming sound. To an ordinary human, the sound would be too quiet and too far away for them to notice, but she was different. Her hearing was leagues better than anyone she knew, which made sense. For one, although she regularly spoke to them, she was not human, at least not entirely. Even for her race, she was not ordinary.

    The flapping of wings above made her pointed ears twitch in reaction. For a short moment, the silhouette of a large bird blocked the sun from casting its light upon her, before it came into view again. The bright sun rays that now beamed down on her through the leaves warmed her skin and gave it a slight glow. Though she was very fond of the sun and its warmth, she couldn''t let it distract her from her target. Her eyes were fixated on a golden brown, furred creature in the far, far distance. Another sound joined in, though this one didn''t make her react at all, for she was expecting it.

    Breathing. Her breathing. It was slow, and consistent, around ten breaths per minute. After a little while, one more sound was created. This one was also created by her, or at least, it was created because of her. It was slow and smooth. The sound was of something small and wooden sliding out of a container of sorts. Then, the sound stopped, and not too long after, the same wooden object softly hit another, larger one. Then the sound of a string being drawn, slowly and carefully. The breathing slowed, and the sound of string stopped.

    The noises came so slowly and so quietly, that you could hardly tell they were connected. Yet if you had eyes to see, instead of ears to hear, you would see that it all came in one, fluid motion so elegant that the one performing it had undoubtedly done this motion countless times.

    Using the divine powers The Huntress had bestowed upon her, her vision closed in on the object that was so far away no normal person would be able to spot it with the naked eye. When she had locked onto her prey with her vision, her breath stopped, before she broke all possible silence by letting go of the small wooden object, sending it flying with a quick motion. It entered her vision, and became smaller and smaller, closing in on its mark.

    The arrow flew so quickly, that the deer didn''t even have time to notice what was going on before it fell to the ground, dead. Its life fading away, soon to join others who had fallen before it, and although it didn''t know it, its soul would soon be reborn into another deer, in an endless cycle for the sole purpose of bringing food to beings that mattered more to the gods than it did.

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    With a satisfied exhale, the girl stood up and scanned the surrounding area. With the motion, her long, ivory hair gleamed in the sunlight, her pointy ears poking out to the sides. She made a mental note on where the deer had fallen, before looking down on the ground beneath her. Looking for a clear path towards her fallen prey, she jumped down from the branch she had been standing on, landing elegantly on the grass below, her bow still in hand.

    Once she had stood up again, she started making her way along her planned route, when suddenly, she stopped. Her left ear twitched, and she could hear an unusual, sharp noise in the far distance. It was not a noise that belonged to where it came from, and it was not a noise that came from nature. Though she was already deep in the forest, this noise came from even further in. The sound was that of a little girl, screaming.

    Without hesitation, the ivory-haired one sprinted towards the sound at a speed that would suggest she had never been there in the first place. Charging between trees and bushes, she eventually jumped up into the trees and began leaping between branches, gaining height, yet not slowing down in the slightest. The screaming getting closer, and other sounds started fading in as well. Barking, the kind that belonged to Feral beasts. Readying one arrow while still sprinting, the ivory-haired girl eventually landed on one branch that looked over the area the noises were coming from.

    True enough, there was a human child, cowering in fear towards the wall of a large rock. She looked to be around the human age of seven or eight, and she was surrounded by five hooded figures. Two of them were holding steel daggers that didn''t look especially sharp. The three others were holding leashes, and attached to those leashes were direwolves, all of them twice the size of the girl. The beasts were snarling and growling, and seemed unnaturally thin, as if they had been starved. Their eyes screamed hostility and hunger, and they were all locked onto the child.

    Though the wolves were on leashes and seemed to be under the control of the hooded ones, they didn''t look like they had a shred of loyalty towards their masters. Therefore, if one of them were to fall, they might just forget about the child, and instead go for the meal ready to eat instead, which meant, the ivory-haired one had already decided who she would shoot first.

    Aiming her bow at one of the hooded figures with a leash, her breathing slowed like before. She would take down one of the keepers, distracting the rest of the hooded figures, and giving the direwolves an incentive to turn on their masters. Then, she would swoop in, grab the child, and get out of the forest. Her breathing stopped, and all she had to do, was release her grip on the arrow in her hand.

    However, just before she did so, she was caught off guard as her ear twitched again. Another sound could be heard, this one loud enough for even the hooded figures to hear. It was another scream, no, a yell! It did not come from either the figures or the child. Turning her head, she saw a boy running towards the scene before her. He was not wielding any weapons, yet he stretched out one arm, pointing it forward. Seconds later, all the hooded figures, as well as their wolves, lost their footing and stumbled to the ground.

 Chapter 3: Emerged

    *poke poke*

    "Is he dead, papa?"

    "Dead? Nah. He has probably just inhaled some paruga spores. They make you see things, and make you sleepy."

    "Oh! So he''s just sleeping?"

    "Probably, sweetheart. If you look at the grass near his mouth and nose you see he''s breathing calmly. He probably just needs some rest."

    As if waking from a deep slumber, the faint voices became clearer and clearer. Another sound too: a calm breeze. His other senses had also started to kick in. The sensation of warmth beaming down upon him and warming his body, and the smell of fresh grass that was tickling his side that lay against the ground. Finally, after taking in the new atmosphere, Isaac opened his eyes.

    True enough, he was lying on a patch of grass. Looking forward, he saw trees, seeming to get denser and denser the further he gazed. So he was at the edge of a forest. Sunlight was beaming down from behind him, and he could feel another presence coming from that same direction. Turning around, he again felt grass tickle his body. Wait, body? Isaac stopped and looked down. He realized his clothes, which he had previously been wearing, were no longer there. Instead, he had been covered with a large piece of cloth. Its texture was slightly rough, and it looked handmade. Before his mind could ask any questions, a voice interrupted his thoughts.

    "Hey there, kiddo! I see you''ve woken up!"

    The manly voice Isaac had heard when waking from his dream spoke. Looking to where it came from, he shielded his eyes which were hit with the bright image of the sun, which was now beaming down on his face. Below it, a silhouette. Actually, two silhouettes, though they were clustered together. The second one was much smaller and seemed to be behind the first. Rubbing his eyes in hopes of seeing better, Isaac saw that the two figures were a man and a child.

    The man was large and muscular. He had a full, brown beard, but short hair. His face was square, but his hazel eyes had the gentle look of a loving father, that didn''t quite fit the rest of his stern-looking physique. His outfit was what Isaac would describe as a medieval farmer outfit: A maroon short coat with a cold beige tunic underneath, as well as a belt and brown pants. His tunic, however, seemed a size too small, so his muscular body was pressed against the cloth. The man smiled warmly at Isaac and didn''t seem to mind at all the fact that Isaac was wearing only a piece of cloth around himself. When he thought it through, Isaac realized it was probably the man who covered him in the first place.

    Behind the man, the little figure seemed to be hiding behind his right leg. From what Isaac could see, she was wearing what could be described as a medieval equivalent of a summer dress. It was light blue with white ribbons, and like the cloth around Isaac, it looked handmade. Her unkempt hair was the shade of caramel and reached down to just below her shoulders. One deep blue eye was peeking out from behind the man''s leg, and she was gazing shyly yet intently at Isaac.

    Comparing the girl''s summer dress and his piece of cloth, it made more and more sense that the man had supplied Isaac with the current garments that covered his body. Looking around, he could not see his old clothes anywhere. There was no sign of them, and judging by the body language of the man and child, it did not seem like they had stolen his clothes. Which meant...

    "When we found you, you had no clothes on. You were shivering, so I figured you were cold. Therefore I had to cover you with something while my wife ran back home to get you some proper clothes. She''ll be back any minute now, so don''t worry!"

    As if to confirm Isaac''s question, the man must''ve seen the confusion and sudden realization in his eyes and thus tried to explain. They had found him like he was, naked. Isaac got red-faced and awkward, and didn''t know what he could do. Looking up at the man, he felt the need to apologize, but the words wouldn''t come out. The man''s expression became puzzled, as if, by some logic, Isaac''s reaction was unnatural. Then, he jumped, as if he had just remembered something. He slapped his hand to his forehead before continuing.

    "Oh, right, we haven''t even introduced ourselves. I''m Kit."

    He then gestured to the little girl behind him and continued, jokingly:

    "And this little creature is Emryn, my daughter. Say hi, sweetie."

    The man, who had addressed himself as Kit, looked behind and down at the girl he had introduced as Emryn, encouraging her to stop hiding by moving a hand down to lead her in front. However, the girl''s grip on her father''s clothes tightened, and she stood still, refusing to reveal herself fully. Isaac could hear a quiet noise coming from her though.

    "H-hello..."

    Isaac tried to hide his embarrassment as best he could by putting on as genuine a smile as he could muster, before awkwardly answering the two.

    "I-... uh, Isaac."

    Though he could not see her full face, the eye poking out from behind Kit seemed to indicate she started smiling.

    "We don''t see that many strangers around these parts, Isaac, so please forgive her for being a tad bit shy. Anyways, we live on that farm down there, that''s where my wife went to get you some clothes."

    Kit pointed his thumb behind him. Looking behind the man and child, Isaac saw a field of green and yellow, as well as a cluster of stone buildings with straw roofs. Like Kit had said, it was clear that it was a farm. Of what exactly, Isaac''s untrained eye could not see. Corn, barley or wheat, whatever it was, the field was big, and the houses of different sizes all seemed to each be made with a purpose in mind.

    Then something else caught his eye. In the distance, another figure, coming from the direction of the farm. Kit and Emryn must''ve seen his eyes shift their focus, because they started following his gaze. Once Emryn noticed the person approaching, she bolted off in that direction.

    As the figure drew nearer, Isaac saw it was a woman. He didn''t have to put two and two together to realize who it was. Her caramel brown hair was long and straight, and she was also wearing a handmade summer dress that was of similar quality to Emryn''s, though hers was forest green, with a white underdress underneath. Of course, her clothes were made adult size, while her daughter''s was made kid size. She was carrying a straw basket with a few articles of clothing visibly hanging out over the top.

    "Ah, there she is."

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    As Emryn reached her mother, they both stopped and seemed to talk a little. Isaac couldn''t hear what they said, but he thought he could hear a childish giggle coming from the smaller one. Finally, Emryn grabbed her mother''s hand and led her to where Kit and Isaac were. When they arrived, the mother stood beside her husband, who introduced her.

    "Isaac, This is my lovely wife, Elyse."

    The mother, Elyse, did a small bow as if to affirm Kit''s introduction. Now that Isaac could see her face clearly, he could see where Emryn got her looks from. Elyse seemed to be in her early to mid-thirties, though her face did have an unusually youthful look. Isaac thought Kit was spot on with his wording: ''Lovely'' was the perfect word to describe her gentle smile and graceful posture. It had been years, but Isaac still remembered his mother''s smile and the comfort it had given him. When she had died, no one had been able to reach him with that kind of feeling again. Yet somehow, he felt hints of those emotions radiating from the woman now standing in front of him. Somehow, he saw glimpses of familiarity in this person he was seeing for the first time, and it all made him speechless.

    While Isaac just sat there, trying to make sense of these unusual feelings, Kit turned back to his wife and continued.

    "Elyse, this boy''s name is Isaac."

    At the mention of his name once again, Isaac snapped back into the present and nodded affirmatively at what Kit had just said.

    "Lovely to meet you, Isaac. I brought you something to wear, I hope they fit you nicely."

    Elyse bowed once again, this time lowering herself towards Isaac. She reached out her arms, holding the picnic basket containing the clothing she had found for him. With another smile, she sat it down on the grass.

    <hr>

    Though the clothes Elyse had brought for Isaac were certainly not tailored with him in mind, they fit him surprisingly well. Kit had told Isaac that the cloth that previously had covered him was supposed to be used as a picnic blanket, and he and his family had planned to go on a picnic when they stumbled upon him. Isaac couldn''t help but wonder how it must''ve looked to them, a happy family done with their day''s work and heading to the forest to celebrate. Then, those plans were immediately interrupted by the unusual sight of a naked boy lying passed out in their way. He tried his best not thinking about what a sight that must''ve been for them, but strangely enough they hadn''t brought it up, or even seemed to react all that much from it. They were probably just avoiding the subject in order not to embarrass him.

    On the way to the farmhouse, it had finally started to sink in for Isaac that he was no longer in his own, or should he say old world. Sure, that meeting with the self-proclaimed god of death, Spectre, could''ve just been a very vivid dream, but this? He felt more awake than one could ever feel in a dream, maybe even more awake than he ever had in his old world.

    That realization alone had started filling his mind with questions, and he was currently trying to find the answer to as many of them as possible, as quickly as possible.

    If this world is my new home, does that mean my old life is over forever? Should I embrace this new life that has been given to me, or should I strive to find a way back to my old world? I mean, according to this ''Spectre'' guy, I died, so is that even possible? Also, if I died and was brought here, what happened to the rest of my class? did they all get sent to their fantasy universes too? Or was I the only one, and they¡¯re all dead for good?

    More and more questions started piling on top of the ones Isaac was already thinking, and all those thoughts became so overwhelming it made him dizzy. He was suddenly snapped out of it when he heard his name being called.

    "Isaac?"

    Walking beside him was Elyse, she looked at him with a curious expression.

    "Are you feeling okay? You were kind of waddling, are you dizzy?"

    "N-no, thank you. I am just a bit overwhelmed by all of this. It sort of feels like... I don''t know how to describe it... Like my whole life up until now has been a dream and I''ve finally woken up."

    Kit, who was walking in front, carrying Emryn on his back, turned his head.

    "Yep, Paruga spores can do that to you when you inhale too much. You need to be careful not to walk too close to them when you''re in a forest."

    Isaac had never heard of these spores Kit was talking about, but he could guess they came from some sort of plant, and inhaling them would cause you to hallucinate. There was nothing like that back in his old world, at least not in the area he had lived in. It would only be natural that Kit thought Isaac was of this world, but he didn''t want to sound like a madman by trying to explain how he ended up there, so he quietly nodded and continued walking.

    "Well, in any case, you''re here now, and we''ll take care of you until you''re ready to head home. We have a spare room and everything, so don''t you worry!"

    Home? That word stuck in Isaac''s head.

    "Oh, uh... I don''t... Actually... Have a home."

    Isaac''s answer was quiet as if he thought it was strange, and he was afraid it would only bring more questions he didn''t have a good answer to, but Kit''s reaction to his answer caught him off guard.

    "You don''t have a home? Well, in that case, stay with us for as long as you''d like! If you''re willing to help out with the farm, you can consider this your home if you want."

    Isaac wasn''t sure how to react. Wasn''t Kit''s suggestion a little... Forward? He has just invited this stranger he found in the woods, naked and with no place to go, into his house and live with him? Sure, it was in exchange for work, but this level of trust was completely unfamiliar to him. In his old world, if the situation had been the same, the people who had found the stranger would either call the cops or leave him alone.

    Of course, Isaac didn''t mind the hospitality, but he knew what one said about something being too good to be true. Nevertheless, he accepted.

    "That would be of much help, thank you... But... Are you sure it''s okay to let someone you just met live in your home for an undefined amount of time?"

    This time it was Elyse who answered Isaac.

    "Of course! Othrys teaches us to be hospitable towards those who are lost."

    Othrys? Is that another deity in this world, like Spectre?

    Isaac didn''t want to sound stupid, so he refrained from asking. He simply nodded, pretending to understand again, thinking that was the best choice. After all, the way Elyse had talked made it seem like common knowledge.

    So, if Othrys is another deity, that means the deities of this world are not only real, but are also worshipped. I wonder if they have any proof that they exist, or if the whole system is based on belief, like the religions of my old world.

    As they continued walking through the field of green and yellow, which Isaac realized was filled with a type of crop that didn''t exist back on earth, he could hear Emryn whispering to her dad, in what he thought was a failed attempt for him not to hear her.

    "Papa? Does that mean I have a new big brother?"

    "Hahaha, maybe it does, sweetheart!"

    Kit, however, did not whisper back. Isaac noticed that Emryn was shyly tilting her head around to look at him. Her eyes were adorable, and he could see that she was in a good mood. He smiled at her, but when she noticed he was looking, she quickly turned back in embarrassment. Isaac couldn''t help but chuckle a little at her cute reaction. Elyse probably saw as well, because she chuckled with him. This must''ve made Emryn even more embarrassed, because she clutched her father. Kit probably realized what had happened, because he chuckled as well, before rustling his daughter''s hair.

    "Well, it looks like you''ll get along just fine. Then it''s settled. Isaac, Our home is now your home."

 Chapter 4: A New Home

    "Well... This is the place. Welcome to your new home, Isaac."

    This was it. This was the house that Isaac would live in for the foreseeable future. It was a lot bigger up close, probably big enough to comfortably house six or even seven people. It stuck out from the rest of the houses on the lot, since it was the only building not made of cobblestones and straw. In fact, the other houses looked like they were made by laborers, while this house looked like it was made by craftsmen. It didn''t exactly look luxurious, but it did look more visually pleasing than it had any right to be, given the social status of those who owned it.

    It had a stone brick base, and two floors with a half-timbered architecture. The roof was tiled and even had dormers poking out, providing light to an attic. Perhaps the word "mansion" was a bit of a stretch, but it wouldn''t surprise Isaac if he found out it was once owned by a wealthy merchant or someone with a similar social standing. On the other hand, there was a chance that this was just the standard of living for farmers in this world. Isaac didn''t know.

    He looked around. On his left side stood Kit, and on his right was Emryn, now holding Elyse''s hand. So, these were the people who would house him for the time being. He couldn''t say he knew them yet, but they did strike him as good people. On their way to the house they had made some small talk, and Isaac had begun to feel comfortable talking to them. So that begged the question: What was with the awkward aura that now hung in the air?

    Kit and Elyse still wore their smiles, but they didn''t feel as genuine as they did back in the forest entrance. Even Emryn had gone from shy and happy, to just plain shy. As they had come closer and closer to the housing area, the cheerful mood had started to dim, and silence had soon filled the air. In fact, Kit''s announcement just now had been the first words spoken in the last five minutes or so.

    Isaac looked around at their faces, concerned if he was expected to do something. Instinctively, he opened his mouth, trying to progress the situation.

    "W-well... It''s a nice house! Surprised that only the three of you live here."

    As soon as that last sentence had left his lips, he regretted having said it, because when he looked, Elyse''s smile was gone. Something must have happened, and Isaac''s words must''ve reminded her of it, whatever it might''ve been. But before Isaac could apologize, Kit forced another smile and spoke up, determined.

    "Yeah, it''s great! Come on, let me show you where you''ll be sleeping."

    Without waiting for an answer, the large man walked towards the front door and produced an old, but visibly ornate iron key from his pocket. It showed the age of the house much clearer than the house itself. Nevertheless, the worn key slid smoothly into its lock.

    *Click*

    The door unlocked and opened with a muffled creaking sound. Through the doorway, Isaac could see an entrance hall of sorts. A staircase was going up at the end of the hall, and a few doors were placed on each side: Two on the left, and three on the right. There were what looked like empty oil lamps on the walls, and they didn''t look like they had been in use for a very long time. Instead, the hall seemed to be lit mostly by the sunlight coming through the doorway and windows.

    Kit beckoned Isaac and walked into the house. Isaac followed, but noticed that Emryn and Elyse didn''t follow right away.

    Are they still thinking about what I said? I''m not sure if I should ask them about it or not, it might be a sensitive subject.

    <hr>

    Kit had given a tour of the house, that started with the kitchen and ended with Isaac''s new bedroom. Some rooms were not shown to him, probably the other bedrooms, and rooms that were not in use. Considering the family''s size and occupation, they probably didn''t need much space. After all, cleaning rooms that weren''t ever in use was time that could be spent better. Weirdly, though, Isaac''s bedroom was just as clean as the other rooms Kit had toured. Maybe surprise visitors were something Kit''s family was used to.

    Isaac had also gotten an answer as to why this house was different from the other houses on the farm. Kit had told him that up until the last era, there had been a small town here. However, during a civil war, a lot of towns were put to the torch. This war happened in the last era, and it shaped what was now the Rikarian Empire, the nation they lived in. The only house remaining when the war was over was the house of the burgomaster, though it had been abandoned. Many years later, Kit''s ancestor had escaped the city life to start a farm. He had traveled for a few days when he stumbled upon this house, and decided to claim it for himself. His family had lived there ever since.

    Isaac now sat in the dining room, waiting for dinner to be served. On the opposite side was Emryn. She was happily playing with two wooden toy figures Kit had made her: A horse and a princess. Occasionally she would stop, look shyly over at Isaac, and then quickly change her mind before she could ask if he wanted to join in. At least, that''s what he suspected she would ask if she ever made up her mind. Isaac found it cute, and couldn''t bring himself to intrude on all of her fun by asking to join himself.

    As for the adults, they were in the kitchen. Kit was stirring a pot, and Elyse was cutting some vegetables. Her voice could be heard through the open doorway. Kit seemed to make a witty retort, followed by his own, almost obnoxious laughter. In response, Elyse complained, though her voice didn''t sound angry. Isaac didn''t hear exactly what they were talking about, as he was too busy focusing between his thoughts, and the occasional glances he got from Emryn.

    It seems the mood has improved at least. That''s good, I was starting to worry.

    With a mental sigh, Isaac''s nerves relaxed, and went back into thinking mode.

    So, this is my first day in this new world. I should probably try to get some information on the basic stuff that Spectre didn''t bother to tell me. The term it used: ''Fantasy world''. It doesn''t say much, but it gives me at least some ideas on what I can expect. ''Many intelligent species'' was also a distinction it made. Kit''s family all seem human, but does that mean there could be something akin to elves or dwarves in this world? I need to be careful not to ask stupid questions, though. Who knows what they might think of me if I suddenly blurted out a question that''s considered common knowledge in this world? Hmmm, what to do...

    As if a lightbulb had lit up above his head, Isaac snapped into reality once again and looked at Emryn, who was still playing with her toys.

    "Hey, Emryn?"

    The girl looked up at Isaac, slightly startled. Nervously, she answered his call.

    "Y-yes?"

    Oh, I must''ve startled her. Gotta play it cool.

    "Have you ever seen an elf before?"

    Emryn went deep in thought and pondered Isaac''s question, focused. It was as if it was the most important thing in the world for her to answer correctly.

    "Um... No, I don''t think I have seen a elf..."

    Hmm, at least the term ''elf'' is familiar to her. That''s something at least.

    Emryn must''ve thought Isaac wasn''t satisfied with her answer, because she quickly added:

    "B-But I think Papa has seen them! He leaves the farm sometimes to visit a village."

    "Oh. Then I''ll ask him. Thank you Emryn."

    The girl got a huge grin on her face and giggled, seemingly overjoyed that she could help. Now that he had broken through to her, Isaac didn''t want to miss the chance to get to know her a little better.

    "You said there''s a village nearby. Have you ever visited it?"

    This time, her answer came almost instantly. Apparently, she was very eager about the nearby village.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    "No, but I really want to go one day!"

    She stretched her arms out high, and then wide, gesturing with her arms while explaining.

    "I want to see huuuuge houses and walls! I want to see shops full of pretty things, and I want to see a real princess in pretty clothes!"

    Emryn paused. Then she shrunk back as if remembering herself.

    "But I think I''m too shy to go, hehe."

    Isaac could understand her wanderlust. He also had a great desire to go and see new things, and although he had different reasons, he had also accomplished very little in that regard.

    Suddenly, a loud, cheerful voice coming from the kitchen spoke up.

    "Give it a few years, Emryn! I''ll go with you just in case!"

    She seemed to grow sheepish from Kit''s remark, but Isaac could see a small smile forming on her face.

    <hr>

    After dinner was finished, Emryn excitedly volunteered to clean the table, while Elyse took care of the cookware. Thus, the only ones left at the table were Kit and Isaac.

    Kit was the one who started the conversation. His expression was still cheery, but his tone had become serious.

    "I noticed your look while we were eating. I''m guessing you must have some questions. But before that, I have some of my own. Is that alright with you?"

    Isaac nodded. He had some notions about what sort of questions Kit would ask, so he prepared some of the answers beforehand. Kit continued.

    "First, the most obvious one. You woke up close to our farm, but your look of bewilderment makes me think this was not a planned trip you had. Do you remember what happened before you woke up?"

    "Oh, sure! I was talking to the deity of death, and it sent me over from another world into this world." I can''t answer that, he''ll think I''m crazy! I don''t want to lie to him, but I doubt telling the truth would be any more suitable in this case. Better play it safe for now.

    "I''m sorry, I don''t remember anything. I just woke up, and there you two were."

    Kit''s expression darkened, and he pondered Isaac''s answer. It reminded him of the way Emryn had also gotten deep into thought before dinner.

    They really are related, huh.

    After a few seconds, Kit made up his mind and pressed on with another question.

    "Alright, then I''ll ask you this. I extended my hospitality in exchange for work, but do you have somewhere else you''d want to go? A family somewhere, someone waiting for you?"

    This time Isaac''s expression was the one who darkened. It gave all the answers Kit needed.

    "I see... Well, my offer is still here, you can consider this place your home for as long as you want."

    "Thank you, Kit. I''ll take you up on that."

    "No problem."

    A pause lingered, and silence fell around the table. The hearth was crackling, warming the house and filling the room with a flickering light. Outside, Elyse and Emryn were gathering water from a small stream. The faint giggles from Emryn could be heard.

    "Well, those were my questions for now, do you have any you want to ask me?"

    "Actually, Emryn told me there was a village nearby, and you''ve visited it on occasion. Do you know if there are any elves or dwarves there?"

    Isaac''s question seemed to catch Kit off guard, but it didn''t take long for him to answer.

    "Indeed there is a town nearby where I sell our crops and buy supplies from... I''ve seen an elf or two, but those aren''t a common sight in the Rikarian Empire, at least not in the smaller towns."

    The front door opened, and Emryn stumbled in with a bucket of water, the handle clutched with both her hands. Behind came Elyse, carrying some firewood. They went past the two and disappeared into the kitchen. Kit continued.

    "As for dwarves... Hmm... Never seen one! They tend to isolate themselves from other races, so the only way you''d see one in the empire would be if they were a wealthy merchant. And as I guess you can figure, wealthy merchants don''t do trade with the lower class, so to speak."

    That settles it, then. Elves and dwarves really do exist in this world. It doesn''t feel real, but Kit does seem genuine about his response. Hopefully, I''ll get to meet some one day.

    "Why, do you know of any?"

    "Oh, uh, no. I don''t. But I''d love to meet some one day. I''ve only met humans before in my life, so meeting another race sounds truly exciting."

    "Really? Hah, you sound like my daughter! She has her dreams of venturing out and seeing the world, but I think I''ll be the greedy parent and keep her here for a few more years!"

    With a hearty chuckle coming from the large man, Isaac couldn''t help himself and joined in. Soon, A woman entered from the kitchen, her daughter close behind.

    "Look at you two, laughing and having a good time while we do all the work!"

    Elyse''s expression looked more pouty than angry, though Kit didn''t let it phase him.

    "Don''t worry, my love. Tomorrow, it will be you spending your time laughing with Emryn while the boy and I are the ones doing the work. Right, Isaac?"

    "Oh, uh... Yes, of course!"

    Elyse''s pout disappeared and turned into a smile. Her words, however, didn''t match her appearance.

    "You know that''s not fair, dear. I would also like to get to know Isaac. How about you do the cleaning up tomorrow, and then the three of us will be here, having a good time?"

    Scary, that sounded more like a threat than a suggestion. Looking at Kit, he certainly seems to agree.

    "Yes, of course, my love! Anything for you."

    With a nervous laugh from Kit, Elyse turned to Isaac, her smile beaming again as if nothing had happened and it was all Isaac''s imagination.

    "Well then, I''ll be looking forward to getting to know you, Isaac."

    "Likewise..."

    Man, her outward appearance looks so innocent, but I guess she has a hidden strength to her.

    "It''s getting late. We''re waking up early tomorrow, so you better get some good sleep."

    <hr>

    So, the day is over, but tomorrow is when my new life in this world will truly begin.

    Staring up at the ceiling, Isaac waited for sleep to claim him. As Elyse had said, he was waking up early, so he needed all the sleep he could get in preparation for tomorrow''s work. He had never been a morning person, so the challenge was already set to be a difficult one. On top of that, he had another problem...

    Gah! How am I supposed to sleep with all these unanswered questions in my head? I got some answers from Kit after dinner, but those only led to even more questions!

    Almost like a kid having a tantrum, Isaac felt an urge to wriggle about, frustrated. He slammed his face into the pillow, and his body went limp.

    "I wish Spectre had put a spell on me to make this whole transition easier for my brain to process," he groaned to himself, muffled into the pillow. "I''m blaming him if this causes long-term psychological damage."

    Shifting his position to lay on his side, Isaac looked forward. Above his head, cold blue moonlight shone through a diamond-paned window, lighting up the room. There was a nightstand with an empty candle holder on it, as well as a flagon of water and an empty tankard. on the other side of the bedroom was a dresser. Isaac had looked inside it before, and it had a few pieces of clothing in it, all of them around his size. On top of the dresser was a wooden short sword. It looked handmade, and seemed like it had been whacked around on hard surfaces a good number of times. Isaac had two theories on this room''s previous occupation.

    Theory number one: This used to be Kit''s room, many many years ago when he was a child. There are no other items of interest other than that sword, so Kit either outgrew it or made a new one at a later date. Theory number two...

    He paused his thoughts for a moment and looked around. More and more moments throughout the day had started to click together, making his second theory more and more likely. He felt his thoughts trail off, and his eyes lost their focus and stared out into nothing in particular. Then, with a blink:

    No, I''m probably overthinking this. If they want to tell me, they''ll tell me. For now, I should get back to counting sheep.

    It took a while, but Isaac eventually felt his body weaken. He let his thoughts go, and succumbed to the sleep that was taking him away.

 Chapter 5: Gravity

    "Alright, here we are."

    It was the day after Isaac''s awakening in his new world. Yesterday had ended with a lot of questions filling his head, but Isaac had decided to just take things one step at a time. Strangely, when he had made up his mind, the questions stopped bothering him at all, and he was surprised to learn how easy it was for him to focus on what he had to do.

    Isaac had woken up in a panic, afraid he had overslept. He quickly discovered that he had not, because when he had looked out the window, the sun had just started to rise. After heading downstairs and having a quick breakfast with the three, Kit had taken him outside. Today''s work was about to begin.

    The two of them were standing in the field. The man of the house was standing in front of Isaac, wearing the same clothes as the day before. His expression was also one Isaac had seen yesterday: It was his cheerful big smile, which Isaac had already grown familiar with.

    This guy sure is jolly. I don''t think I''ve seen anyone in such a consistently good mood.

    Isaac himself was wearing a different outfit from yesterday''s. Elyse had insisted he should rummage through the dresser and find something he liked. There weren''t that many clothes to choose between, but Isaac was pleased with the ones he had landed on. A white shirt with a vest the shade of coffee, and licorice brown pants tied together with a royal blue belt. Both he and Kit wore similar dark work shoes.

    "Now, I have to ask you, Isaac. Have you ever worked on a farm before?"

    At the man''s question and curious look, Isaac shook his head. He had never visited a farm, though he had tried to take care of a flower before. It was many years ago during a school project. Shortly after the project had started, Isaac had forgotten all about it, and the flower eventually wilted.

    "Well, today is going to be straightforward. These are lumitra plants. Have you ever seen them before?"

    Again he shook his head. The plants looked strange, and didn''t match any form of vegetation he knew from Earth. A thick stem sprouted from the ground with big leaves budding from it. At the top was a crown of leaves, and sprouting on top of those was a large yellow spherical vegetable. Its texture reminded Isaac of an onion, though this vegetable was much larger, roughly the size of a cantaloupe.

    "The lumitra plants are part of the itra plant family. They''re native to our continent but only grow in some places. Itra plants are special because they grow quickly and don''t ever decay once they''ve ripened. This means we can grow one large field at a time and harvest them gradually throughout the year."

    Kit gestured to the plants, the vegetables on top were all the same shade of yellow. He continued:

    "The downside with Itra plants is that, as you can see, they take up a lot of space, and only ever produce one vegetable."

    He gestured with his arms at the plants. Sure enough, they were spread evenly apart from each other, and all of them only had one golden ball each.

    "They also suck up a lot of the nutrition from the soil, which is why they are planted so spaciously. Thankfully we have a lot of farmland, so that''s enough space to keep us busy all year. Now, do you have any questions?"

    Isaac nodded.

    "Yeah, since you said these plants only grow in certain places, does that mean they are valuable?"

    Kit chuckled and then shook his head.

    "No, not really. Sure, they never degrade, so you can keep them stored for a long time. But they also taste kind of bland. They''re popular amongst the military and the lower class, but you won''t be able to sell them to people who can afford better."

    I get it, so it''s mostly grown for those who don''t have the luxury of choice.

    "Still, we make a decent enough living from them, so we don''t have to survive on what we grow. Because of our farm''s size and product, we''re probably better off than most farmers in the empire."

    "Cool. So, how do we even harvest these things? Are there any tools we need to use?"

    "No no, It''s nothing as complicated as that. Just take the lumitra in both hands and twist it, it''ll come right off!"

    Isaac stared at the plant, its leaf crown presenting the golden prize on a platter. He walked up to it and grabbed it with both hands. After looking back at Kit and getting the OK, he used some force to twist the golden ball. The ball refused to budge.

    "You gotta twist harder than that, kid. Come on, use those muscles!"

    With a bit more force, Isaac managed to screw the vegetable off. It was surprisingly light once it had been torn from its roots, and he was confident he could juggle it between his hands if he tried. He was right about the texture too.

    It feels like I''m holding a massive onion.

    "So, what do you think? Pretty easy, right?"

    "Oh, sure. I''m surprised by how light this thing is."

    Isaac gave in to his impulsive thoughts and tried spinning the lumitra on his finger. It only took a few seconds before he lost control of it and it splatted into the ground. With his newly found confidence destroyed, Isaac looked up at Kit, who found the sight highly amusing.

    "Hah hah hah! You certainly are an interesting kid, Isaac. Ready to harvest some more?"

    Kit clearly unbothered by the blunder, Isaac''s newly destroyed confidence returned. He gave the farmer an assertive look.

    "Bring it on!"

    <hr>

    It had been a few hours, and the two had made some good progress. Three carts full of lumitra had been harvested and pulled back to the farmstead, and now Isaac and Kit were filling up the fourth. By that time, Isaac felt like he had started to get to know his paternal figure a bit better, and their chemistry together had started smoothing itself out.

    "How are you holding up there, Isaac? Need a break?"

    "I can do this all day, old man. But feel free to take a break if you really need one!"

    "Hah, already so cocky on your first day of work? Reminds me of myself when I was your age."

    "Reminiscing of the past already? You''re not at that age yet, are you?"

    Kit laughed. It seemed like nothing Isaac could say would break his good mood. Not that he was trying to, of course.

    "You know kid, you sure are working slowly for someone that has that many quips ready!"

    Kit did have a point. He was harvesting more lumitra than Isaac. Though if anything, he just seemed to be happy he didn''t have to harvest them alone for once.

    The two of them continued back and forth like this until the fourth cart was almost full, and both of them were spent.

    "*pant*, I guess we can *pant* take a small *pant* break."

    The one coming with the suggestion was Kit. Isaac was sitting on the edge of the cart, just as exhausted.

    "If you insist, heh."

    This guy is alright. I don''t think I''ll have any problems staying here. Emryn and Elyse also seem nice, so I should be fine staying here until I know what I want to do.

    That being said, Isaac wasn''t sure what he even could do in this world. In his old life, he had wanted to graduate high school and get a degree in history. If he became a historian, that would have given him an excuse to travel the world. He had been so desperate to get out of his hometown that he wanted to dedicate his life to traveling to interesting places with rich history and culture. But before he could receive the decorated piece of paper from his headmaster that proved his High School days were done, his life had taken an unexpected turn into eternal darkness. Or at least, that''s what would''ve happened were it not for this fantasy world he found himself in. Which meant...

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    Actually, this might be my golden opportunity to explore. What better place to experience new things than in a fantasy world?

    A new wave of excitement rushed over him, and he jumped to his feet.

    "Break over already, huh? You ready to bring this haul back to the farmstead?"

    Kit must''ve misinterpreted his enthusiasm, but it was true Isaac couldn''t sit still any longer.

    "I''m ready to haul this back, as soon as I grab this one last lumitra."

    He walked up to the closest plant, and placed both his hands on it, ready to harvest. He wasn''t sure if his sudden eagerness was playing tricks or not, but he swore this lumitra was bigger than all the others they had harvested.

    Isaac took a breath and then put his energy to use. His hands'' grip on the vegetable tightened, and he began to twist the golden lumitra. However...

    "It''s stuck, huh? Come on Isaac, you can do it!"

    "NNNGGGGGHHHHHHH!"

    With all his strength, Isaac tried to wrench the prize off its platter. Still, the roots wouldn''t let its precious orb go. Suddenly, Isaac felt his grip slipping, and he lost his footing. His head spun around, and the muddy ground rushed towards his face. Instinctually, he closed his eyes and tried to soften the blow with his hands...

    And then...

    A few seconds passed, and he didn''t feel the ground and his face colliding. Isaac opened his eyes, and saw the soil right in front of him, only centimeters apart. It didn''t come closer, even though logic would suggest otherwise.

    "Woah..."

    The reaction didn''t come from him but from someone else. Isaac turned his head towards the voice, and saw Kit''s legs a few meters away, sideways. In his head, gears started spinning, and one word emerged from his mouth.

    "Gravity..."

    As he uttered the phrase, memories flooded back to him, memories from his meeting with the self-proclaimed deity of death. This meeting had only happened the day before, so how had he forgotten?

    Before his thoughts were allowed to develop further, he was distracted by a sudden sharp pain in his right wrist. He gasped and fell to the ground. It was as if a small knife was carving something into his wrist. Without getting up, he looked at where the pain came from. Now on his hand, a symbol had started to form. It was glowing a faint purple as it was taking its shape, but once the formation was complete, the glow faded, and the symbol looked like a scar or a burn mark.

    The symbol vaguely looked like a crowned heart with something sprouting from it. Flames? Wings? Isaac didn''t know, he just lay there, staring at his mark, both in confusion and fascination. He heard Kit''s voice and looked at him. The expression that met him was one of shock and confusion, like the man couldn''t believe what he was seeing. It was so out of character, it made Isaac worry. However, the words Kit uttered next were even more unexpected...

    "You''re... blessed..."

    <hr>

    In this world, certain people sometimes receive gifts from the gods. It was said that during their birth, a divine being would watch over and make sure the babe was born healthy. They would be born with a mark on their body, and that mark was proof of their blessing. As the child grew up, their protective deity would begin conversing with it in their sleep, explaining the gifts it had received. In return for this growing power, the blessed would be tasked with upholding order in the world by following the morals of their protector and defending its name. A gifted champion.

    By Kit''s explanation, it sounds like this is common knowledge. And although the meeting with Spectre and the powers they gave me sounds familiar, it isn''t completely like what I experienced. For one, I used to be from another world. I wasn''t born in this one. And I was never asked to uphold order or follow any sort of morals. If anything, all Spectre told me was "Enjoy your new powers, peace!" and beamed me down. Does that mean I just... do whatever I want? Because I''m ok with that.

    "Why is it that every time I see you, you''re deep in thought?"

    Awoken from his mind palace once again, Isaac looked up from the table.

    "Oh, I''m sorry, Elyse. I just have a lot of questions on my mind."

    If the lady of the house was displeased, her expression said otherwise. Standing next to the dinner table, she was smiling innocently.

    "No need to apologize. To be honest, having no questions at all would have been stranger. I don''t think I''ve ever heard of a Gifted that was blessed after their birth before."

    "None of us have, that''s not something the divines typically do."

    Kit had chimed in. He was sitting across from Isaac, his hands together in front of his face.

    As for Emryn, Isaac looked out the window, where she was hanging up his newly washed clothes after they had been covered in soil. She had insisted that she wanted to do it, even though Elyse had said she could play instead.

    She really is a hard worker.

    "Anyways, uh, Isaac?"

    Kit seized his attention again.

    "Is there anything you could tell us? Anything you know about any of this?"

    Isaac hesitated. He didn''t want to lie to the two, but he also didn''t feel comfortable spilling all the beans on the table. He didn''t want to burden the family even more than he already was. For now, he would plead cluelessness. Worst case scenario, he could just pretend to be getting his memories back gradually as time went on. Shaking his head, Isaac gave his answer:

    "No, sorry. All I know is that I woke up at the entrance to the forest, and most of my memories were gone. Then, I unlocked this power and it just felt... natural."

    To demonstrate his power, Isaac held out his hand. On the table was a jug of water. By focusing on it, purple energy emitted around it, seemingly from nothingness. Isaac guided his hands upwards, and the jug followed. It floated towards a tankard in front of Kit, and with a tilt of his hand, the jug began pouring the water into the tankard. Then, the purple energy disappeared, and the jug dropped back down to the table, spilling some of the water.

    "I can only do it for so long before my head starts hurting."

    Kit, who had seen Isaac''s powers once already, didn''t seem as shocked. Elyse, on the other hand, was ecstatic. She had been staring at the jug in disbelief, and when it had dropped, she had started applauding.

    I mean, it was just a little party trick, though I guess this isn''t something one usually witnesses. I wonder if I can train this power to become more powerful. Gotta start experimenting tomorrow.

    Just then, the daughter of the house entered through the front door. With a proud fist thrust into the air, she cutely announced:

    "I''m dooone!"

    She then looked over at the other three and noticed the table.

    "Oh, did you spill some water papa?"

    "Actually, Emryn, it was me who-"

    "Yes, sweetheart. Papa was clumsy and spilled some water. Could you be so kind and fetch a towel?"

    "Okay!"

    Before Isaac could explain what had happened, Kit had cut him off and taken the blame.

    Guess he doesn''t want his daughter to find out about my powers. Oh well, if that''s the case, I''ll respect his wishes.

    "So, uh... Elyse?"

    She was still staring at the jug, completely dumbfounded. At the mention of her name, she snapped back into reality.

    "Y-yes?"

    Heh, glad I''m not the only one who loses myself in the moment sometimes.

    "I was wondering, how do you know so much about the gods? Have you been studying them?"

    At first, she seemed confused by Isaac''s question, but then nodded her head and answered:

    "Well, yes! As a matter of fact, I have! I wouldn''t say that anything I''ve told you is something one learns, though."

    She must''ve noticed Isaac''s puzzled expression, because she continued:

    "I don''t know if I can explain it too well, but I''ll give it my best."

    Isaac nodded, signaling for her to go on.

    "You know how you never really learned that you need to eat to survive? It''s just something you know, like a form of instinct. Well, it''s like that. With some divines, we are born with basic knowledge of them. For example, we know that Othrys, the creator of the human race, values humbleness and hospitality between humans. Meanwhile, for gods that don''t really concern us, we only recognize their names."

    Kit nodded in agreement.

    "Don''t you have anything like that?"

    "I don''t. As strange as it sounds, apart from my powers, I feel like I''m further from the gods than either of you."

    The man of the house put a hand to his chin, thinking.

    "Hmm... That doesn''t seem natural..."

    He looked back up at the boy, giving the only advice he could think of:

    "In the nearest city there is a holy temple. It''s a few days away, but if you ever go there, maybe they could help by answering your questions."

    Isaac nodded and made a mental note. Just then, Emryn came back with a piece of cloth. She used it to clean the water that had spilled on the table, looking very proud as she did it.

    I''m glad she isn''t as shy around me anymore.

    The parents must''ve thought something similar, because they kept looking at her expectantly.

    When Emryn had finished cleaning the wooden table, she looked up to see everyone''s stares gathering on her. Startled, her cheeks began turning red.

    "Wh-what? Is there something on my face?"

    The room fell silent for a few seconds, and then all three of them started laughing. This just made Emryn more red and confused.

    "Come on, what is it? Tell me!"

    Eventually, the laughter died down, and Elyse changed the subject.

    "Well, I think we have all worked hard enough for today. How about some food?"

 Interlude: The Religious Fanatic

    "Well, well, well... what do we have here?"

    The voice that echoed through the cave was the one of a holy man, but not the kind one would find in the holy temples.

    "I wonder, I wonder, I wonder... How did we manage to capture such a fine prize?"

    Along with the voice, wet footsteps could be heard, closing in on the one who was listening. Eyes slowly opened, warm light from flames dancing along the cave walls provided vision, and the smoke the flames produced provided smell, but one sense was numbed:

    Touch. The one who was listening could feel a faint cold from the back, as well as around the wrists and ankles. Looking, they appeared to be shackled. They still had their clothing on, but all weapons, tools, and other small objects were not where they were supposed to be.

    "A gifted champion is supposed to be difficult to acquire, yet here you are."

    The shrill voice from before had grown closer, and the man it belonged to was, in a word, unidentifiable. His entire body was covered in bright red cloth, his head was hooded, and his face was hidden behind a simple, metal mask. The only thing that stood out was an amulet hung from the man''s neck. It portrayed a symbol in gilded metal. It was a symbol that the restrained champion was familiar with, because that same symbol was forever marked on their body.

    "I see you noticed this. Yes, we worship the divine which protects you, gifted champion of Athalion."

    Athalion, the blessed pegasus god, had bestowed its powers to this man, Arlo, at birth. Four years ago, when he had turned fifteen, he had been called away from his family to become a tool of the nation he lived in. The duke of the governing lands had sent retainers to recruit him and begin his training. After all, if someone had a gifted champion in their service, their political power would grow significantly. Of course, this was only true if the champion could hold his own in a conflict.

    Arlo shook his head, trying to think what had happened for him to get captured. The last thing he remembered was that he had been on a mission for his duke, looking for a group of monsters that had been spotted deep in the forest of Kaiya. He had seen the monsters, but before he could engage them, he had fallen off his steed. He must''ve passed out because that was all he could remember.

    He looked back up at his captor, the cultist who claimed to worship the blessed pegasus.

    If he really worships my divine protector, why would he insult him by holding me hostage?

    The cultist looked like he was studying Arlo''s face, reading his reaction. He began laughing like only a madman could.

    "I know, I know, I know what you''re thinking! gifted champion, Allow me to answer your question!"

    His arm rose. One bony hand revealed itself, clutching at the amulet he proudly wore like a medal. The cultist lifted it, and looked at it through his mask, transfixed. He spoke again, but his voice was calm.

    "The gods are beings of unlimited power and wisdom. They deserve all the love we mortal beings can give..."

    The fanatic paused, then dropped his amulet and violently thrust a pointed finger at Arlo. His calmness had disappeared, and his voice was shouting in anger:

    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    "Instead, all the champions, all you do, is gallivant around and ruin their name for the sake of some other mortal being! You do not deserve their power! You do not deserve their wisdom! You do not deserve their love!"

    There were some traces of logic behind the unstable man''s fanaticism. Through the decades, most champions had lost their religious purpose and had become more and more like tools for the noble classes of the world. Some still had their independence, but the nations of the world had begun making life as a champion increasingly more difficult in order to lure them over to their side.

    The cultist retracted his hand and pointed it at himself, his outrage replaced with a proud proclamation:

    "But I! I love Athalion with all my heart! I would gladly sacrifice a hundred people to become his loyal servant. After all, nothing is more important than serving the gods!"

    "And what gives you the right to choose who is worthy?"

    Arlo managed to squeeze out a sentence through his pained gasps for air.

    *Smack*

    "Be silent, holy usurper! You are the one who has no right! You do not love your master as I do!"

    The masked man created distance after his slap, and his mood seemed to change again. He sat down, hugging his knees and shaking.

    "Oh why, oh why, oh why couldn''t Athalion choose me? Does he not know how much love I give him?"

    A pause, and the cultist''s body stopped shaking, and his voice grew irritated.

    "Is he too blinded to notice my love because of this... filthy boy?"

    He jumped up, new determination filling his body.

    "No matter, no matter, no matter! As soon as the ritual is complete I will have his power!"

    He turned his head. Arlo could faintly see an eye behind one of the slits in the man''s mask.

    Another few seconds of silence, and the cultist turned the rest of his body. Now in his hand was an object: a dagger.

    Arlo couldn''t see the man''s expression, but he imagined he had an evil grin on his face. The madman approached slowly, toying with the dagger in his hand. As he was approaching, he spoke to Arlo in a voice so joyous it almost sounded like he was singing:

    "Your captivity will only get worse and worse. We will torture you until you beg our god to relieve you of your powers and give them to me."

    Behind the cultist, four other hooded men emerged from the shadows. They were also carrying various instruments in their hands. They wore the same red robe, but they wore no amulet, and their masks were wooden.

    Arlo''s unmoved expression must''ve triggered a reaction in the giddy fanatic, because he leaned in close and talked calmly once again, whispering as if he was telling a secret:

    "Let''s be honest, if you had given your powers freely this would have gone much smoother, yes yes yes..."

    He paused and looked at his captive. Arlo beckoned him back as if it was his turn to tell the secret. The cultist leaned in, in anticipation. Calmly, Arlo proclaimed:

    "I am Arlo, gifted champion of the blessed pegasus. Know that I will endure all pain, and no harm done to my body will convince me to give up my power to a crazed lunatic like you."

    The cultist backed away from Arlo, and the cave fell silent for a while. Then, he started laughing hysterically.

    "Well, well, well! In that case, we''ll have to find someone to take the pain for you."

    The cultist grew calm again and uttered another few words. Arlo grew pale, his eyes wide in surprise and distress. The question the cultist had asked had already been answered. The words he had spoken were:

    "Tell me, usurper... Do you have a family?"

 Chapter 6: Daily Life, Part One

    Isaac woke up, feeling just as energetic as he had been the past couple of days. It had been three weeks since he appeared in this fantasy world, and during that time, he had gotten into a routine.

    He yawned, stretched, and rubbed his eyes. Looking around his bedroom, which was lit up by the morning sun shining through his window, his eyes landed on a chair containing the clothing he had laid out the evening before. It was today''s outfit.

    Reaching his right hand towards it, the rags were too far for him to reach from his position in his bed. Although logic he knew from his old world told him to stand up and approach his clothes, in this world, Isaac could bring the clothing to him. The mark etched on his wrist started faintly glowing, and the garments on the chair began floating. Concentrating his will, Isaac made them move toward him, one by one. Smiling, satisfied, he grabbed the closest piece of clothing with his left hand and began dressing himself.

    After getting dressed, he headed downstairs, where he was met by the gaze of the three he had been acquainted with in this world. He smiled at them, and they smiled back. Especially the small one seemed to be radiating joy from seeing him.

    "Good morning!"

    They exchanged greetings, and Isaac sat down next to them at the breakfast table. This was how the days usually started. As the sun rose the family would break their fast together. They would chat a little, and then they would all go their ways to do their work. Elyse and Emryn would go together and do various things that needed to be done around the farm, such as washing clothes, gathering water, and feeding Daelan, the family horse. Kit would go into the field with an empty cart, and start gathering lumitra. Isaac would join him later, but he was given two hours to train his power of gravity before getting to work. This time slot was allocated for him to minimize the chance of Emryn catching him training. Isaac still didn''t understand why the parents didn''t want her to find out, but he respected their wishes without a fuss.

    Stepping out behind the house, Isaac made a line towards the stream where Emryn would gather water from. She and her mother were working elsewhere today, so Isaac took the opportunity to use the area. Today''s workout would be a tricky one. Different days brought different exercises. Isaac would experiment with his power in various ways: Some days he would try moving one large object, and other days he would try lifting a lot of smaller objects simultaneously. He would practice his gravity manipulation on solids, liquids, and gasses alike. Solids were easier to control, and gasses were the hardest. Isaac had also noticed that as time went on and he was practicing his powers, they would become stronger and could be used for longer.

    Before beginning his training, he gave one last look, making sure Emryn was nowhere around. Listening, he could hear her excited giggles somewhere in the far distance, growing fainter. The chance she would head to the stream and discover him, at least in the next hour, was very slim.

    Isaac also decided before he began, to just take a moment to absorb the surroundings he was in. Though this countryside had been his only scenery for three weeks, he still hadn''t gotten used to the feeling of being in this kind of climate. Taking a deep breath, he let his senses take in every part of the surrounding nature, from the sunlight warming his skin, to the calm wind rustling the grass at his feet. The rush of water from the nearby stream, the pleasant smells of nearby flowers, the birds singing in melodies he had never heard before. It was all, simply, amazing.

    Once he had taken in enough, he opened his eyes once more, determined to start his training.

    Reaching his hand out towards the stream, he mentally prepared himself for the goal he had set. While his eyes were pinned to the stream, he moved his hand back and lowered his stance. Looking almost like he was about to deliver a savage punch, he maintained his pose for a few seconds, breathing calmly. Then, with a long blink, his eyes sprung to an expression of determination. He shifted his weight, and forced his hand forward, using his entire body to create momentum. With an open palm, and feet planted to the ground, Isaac delivered the blow to the stream several meters away from him. The water had stopped moving and was building up as if Isaac had created an invisible dam. Essentially, he had created a gravitational field that moved against the upstream of the water, causing it to freeze in place.

    He didn''t let his excitement get the better of him, and stayed determined while his powers were exuding; his goal was not yet reached.

    Isaac held the water at bay for several seconds, before taking his other hand and pointing a finger at the frozen water. Lifting the finger up, a bubble of water followed. It was sloshing around in the gravity bubble Isaac had created, fighting to get out of his control. To compensate, Isaac released his gravity on the stream and put all his concentration on the orb of water hovering above it. Using both hands, Isaac pushed the water together from all sides, compressing the liquid together into a smaller orb. He could feel his concentration slipping, but he just needed a little more before his exercise was complete. He could feel his hands growing numb, and his head woozy. He got to one knee and could feel the water waiting to burst out of his grasp.

    Almost there... Just... a little... closer...

    "NNNNGGGGGHHHHH!"

    Finally, he put all his remaining determination into one movement and thrust his hands upwards as fast as he could. The compressed ball of water shot up into the sky like a bullet. It started dispersing in all directions, eventually raining back down to the ground in droplets so tiny they almost looked like mist. The sun shone through the water, reflecting its light in vibrant colors.

    Only then did Isaac let out a breath of satisfaction, before collapsing backward, his back softly landing in the grass.

    "That... pant... felt... pant... awesome..."

    He had tried that exercise several times before, but this was the first time he managed to shoot the bubble of water into the sky properly.

    It''s slow progress, but progress nonetheless. If this is how far I am at three weeks, I wonder how good I can get within a year.

    After a minute of resting, Isaac energetically jumped back up and continued his training, albeit scaling down the difficulty of his tasks.

    After his two-hour workout, Isaac would join Kit in the fields and help him with gathering the lumitra. It had taken a few days, but he eventually managed to use his gravity to help with the harvest, by popping off the vegetables and floating them directly into the cart. If he used his powers too much, though, it would begin taking a temporary toll on him. Symptoms would include nausea, dizziness, and headaches. He didn''t want to know what would happen if he pushed his powers to the limit, so as soon as he began feeling faint, he would stop for the day. Nevertheless, it sped up the harvesting significantly.

    After roughly four hours of work, they would take a break, and Elyse and Emryn would show up with lunch. The family would sit together, talking and eating. Unlike breakfast, where they tried to eat as fast as they could in order to start work as soon as possible, lunchtime was much more relaxed. Elyse would lecture Emryn and Isaac about the gods, and Kit would tell tales about legendary battles and mythical beasts. As Kit was the only one to leave the farm regularly to visit the nearby town, he heard a lot of stories from places far away. Isaac knew better than to believe the stories to be fact, but Emryn seemed to be deeply captivated by her father''s fables.

    After an hour of lunchtime, the family would once again split to continue their work. For another four hours, Kit and Isaac harvested lumitra, before heading back home. Emryn and Isaac would usually be allowed some free time while the parents made dinner. The meals were very similar every day, albeit with some minor changes to not be too repetitive. Every seven days, the family would all come together and make a special meal for dinner. It was something everyone looked forward to because the meal would be different every time. This world, like his old one, also worked on a seven-day week, so Isaac figured the special meals were saved for the last day.

    After dinner, the family spent a little more time together before bed. There wasn''t a particular "bedtime", so the members of the family just took their leave when they became sleepy. Emryn was usually the first one to go. She would try her best to stay as long as she could, but often it would end with her dozing off and having to be carried to bed by Kit or Elyse. Most recently, though, she had worked up the courage and grabbed Isaac''s hand, asking him to tuck her in. Their sibling-like bond had grown a lot in the short few weeks, mostly thanks to Emryn''s efforts.

    Most days repeated the same rough schedule, although some days were different.

    On the first day of every other week, Kit would head to the nearest town with a wagon of lumitra to give to the burgomaster as a form of tax. For the rest of the lumitra, he had gotten a good deal with a merchant that would visit the farm once a month and take all the harvested vegetables and sell them to the guard of the nearby cities. This meant he didn''t have to look for buyers, and he could leave the sweet-talking to those more capable. In exchange, he would get a cut of the profits, which he would use to buy food, drink, and other necessities the family would need. Kit would always spend the night in the town and come back the next day, making sure he always had a few new stories to tell.

    <hr>

    Today was the third day of the week, Wind''s day. The family was sitting around the table, having just finished their dinner. Kit had just finished telling one of his stories, and now the table was quiet. Elyse was looking out the window. The sun had set, and the moon was starting to peek out over the horizon. Elyse turned to Kit and tapped him on the shoulder. Wordlessly, he nodded, and they both stood up and headed for the door. Kit opened it and stepped outside. Elyse started following her husband but stopped midway through the door. She turned to the kids with a half-genuine smile and spoke:

    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    "We''ll be back in a few hours. Feel free to go to bed if you get tired."

    Emryn and Isaac nodded, and the mother exited, closing the door behind her.

    This was also something of a regular occurrence. Isaac noticed that every Wind''s day, the parents would leave after dinner, as the moon was rising. Certain thoughts on what they could''ve been up to had sprung up in his mind, but the glum look the both of them carried had washed those thoughts away. Of course, Isaac was curious about why they left in such a ritualistic fashion, but didn''t want to be disrespectful by prying. Instead, he used that time to bond with Emryn. The parents were always leading the conversations, so this time alone with her was also nice.

    Isaac turned his head from the door and looked at the little girl. She was currently staring at the table, deep in thought herself.

    "So, Emryn."

    Slightly startled, she looked up innocently at him.

    "Yes? What is it big br-... I mean Isaac?"

    Isaac smiled a little at Emryn''s embarrassed face, who was mortified that she had almost referred to him as her brother. It wasn''t the first time it had happened, but it had started happening more often. Isaac didn''t mind, of course. He just felt bad that he couldn''t find it in him to return the favor by calling her ''sister''.

    "Tell me about what you did today. Did anything interesting happen?"

    At Isaac''s question, Emryn instantly forgot about her earlier embarrassment and got into thinking mode. Like the last few times Isaac had asked her questions, it seemed like she had to make sure her answer was correct.

    "Hmm... Well, today me and mom took care of Daelan. He''s very nice and likes it when I brush him. At least, I hope he does. I don''t speak horse, hehe!"

    Isaac smiled at Emryn''s blushing face.

    It seems she likes the days when she tends to the horse the best, which is probably why she was giggling so much when we left the house this morning.

    "I''m sure he does, Emryn. You''re taking good care of him and he appreciates it."

    I read somewhere that horses from my own world are pretty smart, so it''s probably the same in this world too. Come to think of it, maybe they''re even smarter in this one.

    "Oh! And after I brushed Daelan I saw a rainbow! It was so pretty!"

    "A rainbow? Really? I didn''t see one, so you must be lucky."

    "I know! I wish you could have seen it. I saw it going up from behind the house. It was glittering and in many pretty colors! I wanted to go and see it, but mom wouldn''t let me..."

    Emryn looked disappointed that she wasn''t allowed to discover the mystery behind the colorful mist, she didn''t even seem to notice Isaac''s startled expression of having realized he had almost revealed his powers to her.

    Crap... No wonder Emryn didn''t get to check out the rainbow, her mother probably knew it was because of me. Sorry, Elyse, I promise to be more careful in the future.

    With his silent vow to the mother, the conversation on the table had taken an awkward turn. Hastily, Isaac tried to change the subject, but unexpectedly, Emryn jumped in before him:

    "Dad always tells me about all these adventures people get to go on. It''s very exciting to listen to, but..."

    Her sentence came out quiet. It was mostly calm, but Isaac could feel a hint of sadness in her voice. He expected her to go on, but she just fell silent and looked down at the table. A few seconds passed, and Isaac tried to signal for her to continue:

    "But what?"

    The little girl looked back up at him. She wore a sad smile. There were no tears, but her eyes were glistening. It was the first time Isaac had seen her with such an expression, and it was a real punch to his gut.

    "But I wish I could go on adventures too... See something amazing."

    Isaac understood how she felt. She had never left the farm, so everything she experienced, she had been experiencing again and again ever since she was born. Similarly, in his old life, Isaac had never really had the opportunity to leave his hometown and was stuck experiencing the outside world through a computer screen.

    It''s been repetition almost every single day. If it weren''t for my discovery of Gravity, I would''ve probably already started to get frustrated from all this monotony. If this has already started to get to me, who has only been here for a few weeks, how must it feel for Emryn, who has been through this routine her entire life? Of course, there have probably been some interesting days for her, like today, but only so much can happen on a quiet farm like this.

    Wanting to cheer her up, Isaac put on the most genuine smile he could muster. He reached his hand forward and placed it gently on her head.

    "You will. One day, you''ll go on a big adventure, and when you come home, you''ll be able to tell your mom and dad all about it. I promise."

    With that, Isaac stroked her head. It was a little awkward, as he had never comforted anyone in this way before, but he gave it his all. Her eyebrows moved, and her eyes softened. Her smile widened, and every drop of sadness vanished from her face.

    "Really? You really think I''ll go on a adventure?"

    Now, her eyes were sparkling. Isaac nodded to her, still stroking her head.

    "Certainly. I''ll even go with you if you want!"

    Emryn gasped happily, then lifted her hands and put them on top of the hand currently messing with her hair. She closed her eyes and giggled. Isaac couldn''t help himself and chuckled at the adorable sight before him.

    After a few seconds, both of them quieted down, and Emryn released her grip from his hand. Her joyful expression was still present, but now she also looked curious.

    "Hmm? What is it, Emryn?"

    "Uhm... Have you ever been on a adventure before, Isaac?"

    Isaac remembered back to his old life and decided to tell Emryn the truth.

    "As a matter of fact, I have!"

    At his answer, her eyes lit up once again. Her mouth was agape in astonishment, and she leaned forward in anticipation. It was a bit overly dramatic, but Isaac only found it cute.

    "Really?! Will you tell me about it?"

    Isaac obliged and began telling her about the first time he had gone to see the northern lights. Naturally, he withheld the fact that it was in another world, and he also didn''t mention that he was there with his late mother and father.

    "Around here, it''s very warm, but where I come from it''s cold. Winter lasts almost half of a year, and snow can stack so high it can completely cover your window."

    "No way, the whole window?!"

    Isaac nodded. He was exaggerating a little about the length of winter, but he had woken up one day and not been able to see out his window due to the snow. This had only happened once, but it was a memory that cemented in his mind how tired he was of the cold, and how much he longed for something warmer. Of course, to Emryn, he played it off like it was a positive memory.

    "Then, one day, I went on an adventure as far north as I could go! It took me a long time, and by the time I was there, it had already gotten dark. And that''s when I saw it!"

    Emryn gasped.

    "Saw what?!"

    "Lights. Colorful lights in the sky, flowing like waves. And then..."

    The memory had always brought sadness to Isaac before, but when he told it to Emryn, it reminded him of the feeling he had felt in the moment; his first moment of bliss, and what woke the adventurer''s spirit inside him.

    Emryn had the same look of amazement she always had when Kit told his stories, though this time her astonishment seemed to radiate tenfold. Isaac tried to tell the story as dramatically as he could, and every time he spoke of a particularly interesting thing, Emryn would quietly react with a "woah", or a "so cool". Her genuine enjoyment of Isaac''s story made his growing enthusiasm harder and harder to mask.

    I''m guessing this is how it feels for Kit to tell his stories to the little girl. No wonder he enjoys it so much.

    Isaac continued telling his story, and Emryn continued listening to it intently. It was a strange feeling to him. Memories of his old life, memories which he had loathed, being used to bring joy to someone else. At that moment, Isaac found himself regretting that he hadn''t appreciated his life as much back then as he was now.

    <hr>

    After his story, Isaac continued to talk with Emryn for over an hour. Emryn had mostly talked about how amazing Isaac''s story was, and came up with all sorts of ideas on what she wanted to see when she went on her adventure. She just couldn''t seem to choose between them, so Isaac suggested she go on multiple adventures. That had blown Emryn''s mind, as for some reason she thought she would only be able to go on one.

    After having made an unorganized list of all the adventures she wanted to go on, Emryn had slowly become sleepy and dozed off. Isaac had carried her to bed and tucked her in, and was currently sitting alone at the dinner table, looking out the window. The farmland in the distance was lit up by the pale moonlight, and Isaac was thinking about all the adventures he wanted to go on once he had the opportunity.

    Something caught his attention, and all the adventures in his head disappeared. Two silhouettes were approaching the farmhouse; A man and a woman. They were walking slowly, supporting each other as they walked on the dirt road. As they came closer, Isaac noticed that they were walking quietly, not saying a single word. It was the first time he had stayed up long enough to see them return and found the situation a little unnerving.

    The entrance door creaked open, and Elyse was the first one to enter. Isaac turned his head to the open kitchen door and saw movement in the hallway. Not long after, Elyse poked her head through. Her eyes landed on him.

    "Oh, Isaac. You''re still awake."

    The tone of her voice was flat as if she was only making an observation. It was strange hearing her this way, as she was usually so expressive in every word she said. To be honest, it made Isaac uncomfortable. He could hear Kit wordlessly moving past her, opening a door.

    Looking up at Elyse, Isaac felt the second punch to the gut he had gotten that evening. Her posture looked weak, as if she was struggling to stand up. One hand was clutching to the door frame for support. She looked exhausted. On her face, there was no smile, only an empty expression. Her eyes were puffy, and marks from dried tears were streaming down her face.

 Chapter 7: Daily Life, Part Two

    "Ughhh..."

    The pale light of the moon shone through the window of his bedroom. He knew he had to sleep, but the thoughts in his head stood strong, guarding the dreams from grabbing his consciousness. Each time Isaac closed his eyes, he saw Elyse, and the face she carried when she and her husband had returned home. He didn''t know what face Kit had worn, but the way he had slowly walked past his wife and opened the door wordlessly made Isaac sure he was in a similar state of mind. Something had clearly happened, and Isaac wanted to know what. He had started to get friendly with this family who had taken him in so warmly, and seeing them the way they had been this evening had wanted him to repay their kindness by doing what he could to make them smile again. Thus, he was awake, thinking of what might''ve happened, and what he could do.

    After another thirty minutes of not coming up with anything, Isaac lifted himself from his bed and put on some nightwear. He reached for the door to his bedroom, and stepped outside, heading for the house''s entrance.

    The second floor was unlit, but Isaac could see surprisingly well in the dark, enough to see where things were if he focused hard enough. He reached for the stairs down to the ground floor, and once he reached it, he saw the moon once again, brightening up the lower steps. He stepped down to the first floor and saw the door to the outside in front of him. The house was eerily empty, so Isaac figured everyone had fallen asleep. He opened the front door and stepped barefoot outside.

    It really was a beautiful night. The wind was calm, and the big full moon made the whole farm glow in its blue radience. Isaac looked at the sky, and not a single cloud was visible. The heavens were filled with stars, glittering across the dark blue velvet of night.

    Night skies were never this beautiful back in North Dale. I guess it''s the lack of light pollution. Was it Jaden who told me about that? They were always interested in science and physics and all that.

    Isaac still remembered his old life, but the memories felt strangely far away, like it had all been one long dream. Some details had been lost, and he wasn''t sure if his mind had started discarding them as he had spent time in this new world. Isaac wondered if the divines of this world had something to do with that fact.

    I remember watching a movie once about someone waking up with memories of a different world. In that movie, it turned out that the protagonist had been created and implanted with false memories that never actually happened. Yeesh, I don''t even want to think about that possibility in my case. No. I know my old life was real, I just know it.

    Finally taking his eyes off the night sky, Isaac looked forward. In the distance, fields of lumitra stretched far, and beyond, he could see hills of grass. Apparently, there was a town in that direction, but it was too far away to be seen. The farm really seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. Looking further down, something else caught his attention: a figure. Isaac recognized who it was. Her mournful face was still fresh in his mind, and the feeling it had given him was still causing him discomfort.

    Elyse was leaning on the fence separating the farmstead from the farmland, looking outwards towards the fields and night sky. Her face was not visible, and Isaac could see her long hair flowing down, ending at her waist. She was wearing a white nightgown, and was standing barefoot on the short grass.

    How long has she been standing there? Since she came home?

    Isaac slowly walked up next to Elyse and leaned on the fence like she was. He looked at her, but she didn''t even seem to have realized he was there, or if she had, she did not seem to acknowledge his presence. Her expression was empty, looking out in the distance at nothing in particular. The streaks of dried tears were no longer visible, but the look of pain still lingered on her. Her breathing was shaky, as if she was holding back new tears from escaping.

    Man, what should I say? Is she cold? Maybe I''ll find her a blanket or something to warm her...

    "The night sky is beautiful, huh?"

    "Yes... It''s very... pretty..."

    So she did know I was here. That flatness in her voice, though...

    "I wanted to err... Apologize for earlier today."

    "Hm?"

    Elyse didn''t turn her head, only her eyes moved to meet Isaac''s gaze expectantly.

    "The rainbow... Emryn told me she saw it, and I know you had to cover for me. I''m sorry."

    With Isaac''s elaboration, Elyse moved her eyes back and looked outwards again.

    "Oh, that. No harm done, I suppose."

    "It won''t happen again, I promise I''ll be more careful about using my powers in the future."

    "I see."

    Her dismissive tone only continued, and Isaac felt his will weakening. Still, he wanted to try and aid with whatever was troubling her. He decided to be direct and get to the reason why he approached her.

    "Look, Elyse, I don''t know what happened today, but if there''s anything I can do to help, I want to do my best."

    Isaac''s words came out as sincerely as he could make them, and finally, Elyse''s body reacted. Her shoulders sank, and her head drooped. She sighed, and then turned to him with sad glistening eyes.

    "Isaac, I would just like to be alone right now. Could you please leave?"

    Isaac could see dark circles under her eyes. Her gaze was weak and unfocused and her hair was unkempt. He wasn''t particularly close with her, but seeing her like this still pained him. He felt like insisting on staying with her would only make her frustrated, so he nodded and turned.

    "Oh... yeah, of course..."

    Wordlessly, she turned back to the fence once more and gazed outward. Isaac started walking back to the house. As the distance between him and Elyse grew, he could hear sobs coming from behind him.

    Stepping back out of the house a few minutes later, Isaac noticed the sobs were replaced with sniffles. He approached Elyse and covered her in the closest thing to a blanket he could find.

    "You looked cold, so I wanted to at least give you something to warm yourself with. I can check in with you again tomorrow."

    With that, Isaac turned once again to leave. He walked a few steps before he was stopped by Elyse''s voice.

    "Isaac, wait."

    He turned around and saw her looking at him. She sniffled and wiped a tear off her right eye.

    "I appreciate that you are trying to help, but..."

    Isaac walked up to her, patiently awaiting her next words. However, those words never came. Instead, she just stood quiet, looking at the grass by her feet. Eventually, she looked up at him, still sniffling.

    "There are things about our family I don''t want to expose you to... You don''t deserve that burden..."

    Isaac nodded in understanding. He knew they had been keeping things from him, but that didn''t matter. The fact was that they had taken him in and given him a place without hesitation. They had shared their bread, given him work, and educated him about the world. Isaac did not want that hospitality to go unpaid.

    "Even so, I want to help if I can."

    Elyse''s lips moved, curling upwards. It wasn''t exactly a smile, but maybe a look of relief.

    "If you''re sincere, I might take you up on that offer."

    Then, she looked down at the grass once again. Her moment of ease had already disappeared.

    Crap, what do I do now?

    Isaac walked up to her and put his hand on her shoulder to try and comfort her. It was a bit awkward, but Elyse didn''t seem to mind it. Her breathing was heavy, and she quietly uttered:

    "I just felt so isolated... Kit has never been good with emotions, and usually just ends up quiet when something challenges his mood... That''s why I went outside, to think by myself and not feel ignored."

    So my assessment earlier was wrong. Kit wasn''t in a similar state as Elyse, he just didn''t know what to do and left her be. What the hell, man? More importantly, how do I respond to that? Hmm... What would Jaden say?

    "Well, whatever you''re going through, I won''t disregard you. Even if it''s just staying up with you while you stand out here. I''m here for you."

    Elyse looked up at him but didn''t say anything. Her eyes indicated she was surprised. Was she processing what he said?

    That came out weird. What if she misunderstood what I meant? I should probably rephrase.

    "Uhm... What I mean to say is that I-"

    Before he could continue, Elyse cut him off. Her tone was surprisingly calm, and the look of relief came back again.

    "Thank you, Isaac. That means a lot to me."

    She put her hand around him and embraced him. Isaac didn''t really know what to do, so he just stood there, frozen.

    After a few seconds, she let go of him. Her relieved face lingered, and she took a big breath and exhaled. It seemed she had made up her mind about something, and before Isaac could ask, she spoke up again.

    "I need to stay strong, for Emryn. If you don''t mind keeping me company in times like these, I think I can do that."

    "Well, everything is easier if you have someone to lean on. I don''t mind."

    She nodded to him, and once again turned around, looking outwards into the distance.

    "You are right, by the way."

    "Huh? About what?"

    "The night sky is beautiful in this part of the country. I grew up in a kingdom to the north, so when Kit brought me here, it was the first thing I noticed. I guess I''ve been taking it for granted all these years though..."

    Really? I didn''t know she was from another country.

    It seemed like Elyse wanted to change the subject, so Isaac obliged. He asked her about the kingdom she grew up in, and she started telling him her story:

    "I used to be a priestess in a temple to Othrys in the city I was born in. I never knew my parents. Apparently, they left me outside the temple after I had been born. The priests took me in and raised me to be a priestess. It''s not an uncommon thing in the kingdom, so I grew up with a lot of siblings at the temple."

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    "Really? When did you decide to leave the temple?"

    "At the age of fifteen, I went on a pilgrimage to the holy kingdom of Otressia in the south. It has the largest temple to Othrys in the world, and I wanted to see it. However, on my way there, I encountered a certain young farmer who was trying to sell lumitra plants. I had never seen that vegetable before, so I bought one. Naturally, it didn''t taste all that good, so the farm boy laughed at my expression. Long story short, I fell in love with him and canceled my pilgrimage to elope with him. That was over twenty years ago, and I''ve been staying here on our farm ever since."

    As she was telling her story, her sadness seemed to fade more and more, as her mind was filled with happy memories she seemed to have neglected over the years.

    "Do you ever miss the city life?" Isaac asked her.

    She chuckled at his question, and answered almost immediately:

    "Gods no! The quiet farm life is all I ever wanted. Here I can live exactly how I want, and I''m lucky enough to have a husband and daughter to keep me company..."

    Elyse went quiet after she had said that last sentence and her smile disappeared. her head drooped, and she looked down in silence.

    "Um... Elyse?"

    She turned her head and looked at him. Her eyes were serious, and her voice was calm.

    "Isaac? Can I ask something of you?"

    "Sure, anything!"

    She looked down for a moment, as if she was second-guessing whether or not to ask him. However, she made up her mind and looked back up at him.

    "Please protect my daughter. Protect Emryn."

    <hr>

    A few days passed. Today was Sun''s day, the last day of the week. Isaac was standing outside, looking into the distance. His focus: the road leading to the town. According to Kit, there would be someone traveling along that road today, and the family would be receiving visitors. These would be the first people Isaac met other than these three.

    Looking to his right, he saw Elyse''s face. She too was staring out into the distance.

    She seems to be doing a little better. That''s good.

    After their talk the other night, Elyse had tried to put on her brave face for her daughter''s sake. Some nights, however, Isaac still found her standing outside, staring out in the distance for seemingly no reason in particular.

    Looking past her stood her husband. The stark differences in their expression and behavior were apparent.

    As cheerful as ever, huh? Whatever Elyse is going through, it''s like it''s not bothering him at all. He is aware his wife is in some sort of constant distress, right?

    Isaac made a mental sigh.

    No, I know he''s aware. For all I know, he could just be processing the same situation too. He just has a different way of going about it.

    Suddenly, Isaac felt something barely grazing him. The sensation caught his attention, but disappeared again before he had a chance to react to it. Looking, he saw Emryn''s gaze pinned to where he had just felt something touching the back of his hand. Then, she slowly reached out to it, but before she could reach it, she looked up and realized she had been spotted. Instantly, she retracted her hand once again and looked away.

    Though she tried to hide her face, Isaac could see it was turning as red as a tomato. He couldn''t help himself, and reached out to her, his lips curling upwards.

    "You want to hold my hand, Emryn?"

    She looked up, her eyes turning wide. She didn''t say anything, but nodded eagerly and grabbed it. As she did, Isaac smiled at her, and she beamed back. She looked past him. The redness in her face returned, and she looked away, back at the horizon. Isaac rotated his head and saw the parents looking at the two of them with an ''aww'' expression on their faces. Especially Elyse seemed pleased by the sight she saw. Now it was Isaac''s face that was turning red, and he too averted his gaze while scratching the back of his head with his free hand.

    Suddenly, he heard Emryn calling out.

    "Look! There it is!"

    Isaac and the parents reflexively looked at her and saw that she was pointing at the road in the distance. Turning their gaze to follow hers, they saw two horses appearing on the horizon, drawing a large and magnificent carriage. Isaac couldn''t see it all too well yet, but it seemed to be painted purple, with trimmings sparkling as if they were made of pure gold. Behind, multiple horse-drawn wagons appeared. These wagons looked more ordinary, which only made the one in front stand out even more. From his right, Isaac could hear Kit muttering to himself:

    "I swear, every time he comes here his wagon gets more and more over the top. When I met the man, his carriage was just as shabby as the carts behind it."

    "I guess one needs to look the part when doing business. That''s probably why he spends so much on the carriage''s appearance."

    The big man turned and looked at the one who had answered him.

    "Hm? You think so, Isaac?"

    He pondered the boy''s hypothesis, before looking back at him.

    "Hmmm... Yes, now that you mention it, that does make sense."

    "What an interesting way to look at it. I guess that''s why the temples are so highly decorated as well. Were your parents merchants by chance, Isaac?"

    "No, Elyse, nothing like that. I just thought logically. If you want to trade with someone wealthy, isn''t it best if they see you as an equal? That way it''s easier to get a fair trade. If you show people you''re a wealthy merchant, other merchants will want to do trade with you."

    "I see. Well, you do make a good point. It''s like when I was working in the temple, and had to wear certain clothing so people would recognize me as a priestess."

    I guess that''s sort of similar. It''s like they say, dress the part.

    "In any case, that was just my hypothesis. It could also be that this merchant just likes to show off his wealth by spending his money on expensive d¨¦cor."

    As their conversation was going on, Isaac felt his left arm being jolted up and down in an almost rhythmic motion. When he looked, he saw that Emryn was jumping up and down, completely ecstatic from seeing the excessively ornate carriage.

    Oh, right. I guess she did want to go to the town in hopes of seeing something shiny. Instead, the ''something shiny'' came to her.

    "Are you having fun, Emryn?"

    At the mention of her name, her bouncing stopped, and her eyes looked back at Isaac. Once more, her overly dramatic embarrassment caused her to freeze and let go of his hand so she could cover her face. Isaac, Kit, and Elyse all chuckled.

    <hr>

    "Greetings! My name is Mykal. A pleasure to make your acquaintance young sir."

    A short man now stood in front of Isaac. His hands were folded together, and he had given a small nod in greeting. Isaac nodded back and turn.

    "I''m Isaac. Likewise."

    He studied the short merchant. Compared to the carriage he rode, his clothes were surprisingly tame. The only thing of note other than the overall good quality of the fabric was an ornate small brooch fastened to the navy blue capelet the man wore. He was so short that at first, Isaac thought he might''ve been a dwarf. But then, he remembered that Kit had said he had never seen one, and scratched that idea from his head.

    Oh well, I guess what he lacks in height he makes up for with his charisma. How else would he be able to amass such wealth? You go, short king.

    "I must say, I didn''t know Kit and Elyse had another child."

    "Oh, I''m not actually their child. I woke up by the edge of the forest without most of my memories and they took me in."

    At this, Mykal lifted a hand to his lip and started stroking his mustache with a dubious expression.

    "A lost child you say. Very interesting..."

    The way he answered made Isaac react. It felt almost as if he saw an opportunity.

    He isn''t going to try and kidnap me, right?

    "Um... Do you know anything about these sorts of things? About lost children, I mean."

    Mykal looked at him with a searching look, almost as if he was studying Isaac''s face. After a while, he answered Isaac''s question:

    "I don''t, sorry. The only wares I sell are inanimate, hah hah!"

    What does that mean? Are there traders that sell people in this world?

    "However! If you''d like, I could set you up with a contact of mine who deals in..."

    Mykal trailed off and looked past Isaac, where Kit was standing. Hastily, he waved his hand and abandoned his previous sentence.

    "Actually, no. That''s probably a bad idea. Forget I said anything!"

    "...Okay, if you say so."

    Was he seriously about to propose what I think he was?

    "In any case, if you ever want to do business with me or my associates in the future, just bring up the name Mykal Merrion to the Rikarian Trader''s Guild. Their headquarters is in the port city of Azurath."

    Well, that was... forward.

    "Just like that? you''re not gonna get to know me or see if I could make you a profit?"

    Mykal shrugged.

    "What can I say? I have a feeling about you."

    Then, he put his hands on his hips and started laughing obnoxiously.

    "Besides, even if you try to rip me off, that''s what the guild is for."

    "So the guild provides a form of insurance?"

    "Precisely! That, and you''ll be put on a list that ensures you won''t be able to do trade with another merchant in Rikaria again. Simple, right?"

    Isaac nodded. In turn, Mykal put his hand under his capelet and produced a small piece of paper which he handed over.

    "Anyway, here. If the people at the headquarters ask for any form of proof, give them this."

    Isaac took it and looked at it. On the outside, he could see the same symbol as the one on the short man''s brooch.

    This must be the guild logo. Or maybe it''s Mykal''s personal emblem?

    Opening the piece of paper, Isaac could see writing that made this seem like an open invitation to become a trade partner for the Trader''s Guild. Mykal''s signature was inked in at the bottom along with a name Isaac didn''t recognize. He closed the piece of paper again and put it in his pocket.

    "I will. Thank you for this."

    Behind him, he heard a manly voice which reminded him he and Mykal weren''t the only two around.

    "Don''t thank him. He probably hands out dozens of those every single day."

    Mykal lifted his hand behind his head and scratched the back of his hair, a bit embarrassed.

    "Oh, Kit, don''t say that! Just because I was desperate to find a trade partner when I met you, that doesn''t mean I just hand these out to anyone anymore."

    Then, the small man put his hands on his hips, acting very proud of himself.

    "And I do say, that turned out to be one of the more profitable decisions I have made, wouldn''t you agree?"

    The man behind Isaac answered, seemingly uninterested.

    "Yeah, that''s obvious considering that over-the-top carriage you have brought with you."

    "Now, now. Let''s not start bickering over how I spend my wealth. You still get your fair share, just as our deal says."

    I wonder how much a fair share would be in this world. Maybe I should ask?

    "If you don''t mind me asking, how much does Kit make off of your sale?"

    "He gets twenty percent, or one-fifth of the profits."

    "Only one-fifth? How is that fair?"

    "Well, let me break it down for you. I have the highest costs, the highest risks, and the most difficult job. My share has to account for travel, food, and a safety net should deals fail to be established. I also need to pay my caravan staff and guards, and keep my horses well and fed. Therefore, I take fifty-five percent."

    "Okay, I''m with you so far, but what about the other twenty-five?"

    "Well, the guild takes ten percent, and the other fifteen go by the way of taxes and permits that allow me to do trade in other provinces."

    I see... I guess that would make sense. Either way, Kit has never complained about the amount, so I''m not about to start arguing on his behalf. If he''s happy with the amount, that''s all good with me.

    "I would also like to add that normally, farmers only make between ten and fifteen percent of profits. It is only because of the product and my inexperience as a merchant at the time that Kit has as good of a deal as he has."

    "I understand. I hope I haven''t offended you by asking. I was just curious."

    Mykal laughed at Isaac''s attempt at apologizing, holding up his hands to assure him.

    "No harm done, my boy. It is only good to ask questions like these. Always important to make sure you''re not getting swindled."

    It seems like Mykal may have learned to ask the right questions the hard way.

    The small man stopped laughing after a while and looked past Isaac over to Kit once again.

    "Now, should we get to the reason why I''m here?"

 Chapter 8: Daily Life, Part Three

    "Well, here we are. Thank you once more for doing your business with me, Kit."

    After Kit had taken Mykal to the building where he stored the lumitra, the merchant had been shocked by how much the man and Isaac had been harvesting since he was there last. It was so much, in fact, that the merchant hadn''t brought enough carts in his caravan to transport it all. Thus, they had loaded up as much as possible, and the short man had made a mental note to bring more wagons next time. They were currently standing by where Mykal had parked his personal carriage. Emryn and Elyse had gone into the house to make lunch, but not before Emryn had gotten several long looks at the gilded wagon currently on display, along with the four white steeds pulling it. She had been completely gobsmacked, and hadn''t uttered a single noise the entire time.

    "Likewise. Looking forward to seeing how much more you will decorate that carriage of yours next time."

    The two shook hands, and out of the carriage came a large man in light armor, presumably a guard, with a sizable bag of coins. He came up behind the merchant and handed it to him. Mykal, in turn, took it and passed it over to Kit, a smirk forming on his face.

    "Ah, yes. Here''s your cut from last month. I do hope you''ll put it to good use."

    Kit nodded and took the sack. He opened it, quickly scanned its contents, and put his hand in. Once his hand emerged once more, it was clutching a handful of coins, which almost shimmered in the sunlight.

    "Here, Isaac. These are yours."

    A bit taken aback, Isaac hesitantly took the coins and studied them. Flipping them in his hand, they felt a bit heavier than he had expected from coins of such size.

    Is this silver? I wonder how much it is worth. They look sort of... valuable.

    True enough, the coins seemed to be made of some silvery material. Although the coins weren''t exactly polished, they all looked relatively new. One side depicted the head of a woman, and on the other was a marking Isaac didn''t recognize.

    Perhaps the ruler of the empire and the coat of arms?

    "Thank you, Kit..."

    As he was still studying the coins, Isaac could feel eyes on him. He looked up and saw that Mykal was looking at him, his eyes displaying confusion.

    "Say, boy. This isn''t the first time you''ve seen money, right?"

    "No, It''s not that. I''ve just never seen this form of currency before."

    "Really? You must be from another country, then. Still, I wonder how you ended up this deep in Rikarian territory without seeing a single coin..."

    Oh no. Is he gonna start asking questions about where I''m from or something? Why did I blurt out something that stupid?

    Contrary to Isaac''s concern, however, the short merchant instead went in a different direction.

    "Those are just called Rikarian silvers, or just silvers in these parts. The head is that of Empress Oriana, and the tail is, as you can probably tell, her house symbol. The silvers in this nation are always decorated with the current ruler and their house. However, the more valuable coins, the golds, are only ever decorated in the face of Thallos Rikaria, who created the empire at the end of the last era. There are also the coppers, which are below silvers. However, they''re decorated depending on where they were minted, usually depicting the head and house of the ruler of said region."

    "So... How much is one silver worth?"

    "Well, it''s quite simple. One gold is worth twenty silvers, and one silver is worth twenty coppers. As for how much each coin can get you... I reckon you can get a decent meal and room at an inn for around five coppers a day, so you can live comfortably with around ten silvers per month."

    Oh wow. Kit and his family are probably sort of rich then, at least compared to other farms. Still though, if they make this much, why don''t they own any luxuries? Is it just that they don''t have much interest in that sort of thing? Or maybe they''re saving up for something.

    "I see... Thank you for explaining."

    "Of course, no problem at all. Different countries have different currencies, and as a merchant, one needs to know these things about every place one wants to do trade in, and then some."

    Mykal put his hand in his pocket and fished out two objects. He put one in his other hand and held both of them up as if he wanted Isaac to compare the two.

    "These are two different coins from two different nations. Can you tell me which you think is worth the most?"

    Mykal did use the term coin, but the two objects didn''t fit the traditional description of one. The first object was flat and rectangular with rounded edges, and had a dark blue-green tint. The material was crude as if it was made of stone, and was roughly the size of a playing card. It was carved with what looked to be that of some reptile. The second object looked almost like a small gemstone. It was shaped like a flat cylinder, and had a pale blue translucent core, with a thin metal ring surrounding it. A symbol of sorts was etched into the opaque mineral.

    Visually, the gemstone looked much more valuable than the stone coin, so Isaac pointed at it.

    "I think it''s that one. It looks as if it was made with much more care and precision than the other one."

    At Isaac''s answer, Mykal smirked and shook his head. He lowered the stone coin and focused on the gemstone-looking one.

    "This coin may look ornate at a glance, but that is by design. Contrary to that, however, It is possibly the least valuable coin I possess."

    He then handed it to Isaac to study. It was incredibly light, and when Isaac looked closer, he could see that what he first thought looked like crystal, more resembled slightly colored plastic.

    "That right there is a Vitra from the sea elf kingdom. It is made to look more valuable than it actually is, since sea elves do much trade with other races. That coin is worth one-fifth of a Rikarian copper."

    Then, Mykal took the Vitra from Isaac and handed him the stone coin. Whatever material it was made out of, it was much denser than Isaac had first anticipated.

    "And this here is a Drexi from the Isle of Dragons. Dragonfolk usually deal in favors, and only use coins when their purchases are too big to be repaid in such a way."

    Wait... did he say what I think he said? So there are even creatures like that in this world?

    "An island full of dragons? there''s a place like that?"

    At this, Mykal was quick to correct Isaac.

    "Dragon-folk, not actual dragons. Although it is believed dragons originated from that island, only one remains there. The island is volcanic and mostly barren, so no other animals live there. The only reason why the remaining dragon is still around is that the dragonfolk see her as a guardian, and give her food as payment for her protection. And as I guess you can figure, a dragon is not something ordinary people can ever hope to defeat."

    "So she can just laze around all year and get all the food she likes for free?"

    Mykal nodded:

    "Correct. No one knows how long she has lived. But the Isle of Dragons has never once been invaded in the last three eras of recorded history, and it is believed that her power is the main reason for why that is."

    Truly an ancient creature, then... I can''t even begin to fathom how old this dragon must be.

    "So, anyway, back to the coin. How much is this worth?"

    Mykal looked back at the Drexi. He smirked and answered proudly:

    "That coin is worth the same as three Rikarian golds. You can live comfortably through an entire winter with that coin alone, and still have money to spare."

    Woah...

    After a few seconds, the trader snatched the coin back from Isaac''s hand and put it in his pocket.

    "Of course, finding someone this far from the isle of dragons who would be willing to buy it for that amount would be nearly impossible. But these are the things you need to know if you want to be a merchant. Knowing that what you sell may be worth more in a different location is the basics of commerce, after all. No use having a valuable gemstone if no one in the area is willing to pay you for it."

    "That makes sense to me. I guess you''ve been all across the world, then. Seeing as you have so many types of currencies in your possession."

    Mykal shrugged.

    "To be honest, I haven''t ventured much outside the human continent. Thanks to all the profits I have gotten through Kit''s trade deal, I''ve made a good enough living by just staying within Rikaria and its neighbors. Most of these coins were given to me by my mentor. Even with my charisma, I don''t think a halfling such as myself would survive long on the isle of dragons."

    "Wait, you''re a halfling?"

    "Huh?"

    A pause lingered. It seemed like Isaac caught Mykal completely off guard with his question. He had been talking so confidently this entire time, this abrupt shift in his voice and body language was completely contrary to Isaac''s impression of him. It only lasted a moment before Mykal regained his composure and answered.

    "I mean, of course I''m a halfling. What did you think I was?"

    Although the tone of his voice didn''t indicate it, Isaac was afraid he might have offended the merchant, so he hurriedly tried to explain.

    "No, I just meant... uh... I guess I always assumed halflings would look... different."

    Though he has the stature of one, the halflings I know have curly hair, elf-like ears, and big, hairy feet. Don''t understand why I thought the literature from my world would translate to the reality of this one.

    "In any case, thank you for teaching me this, it''s good to be aware that a country''s currency might be completely different from what I''m used to."

    "Right you are! Say, what sort of medium do you trade with where you come from?"

    Well... I doubt they have credit cards in this world, so I better stick to cash, even though almost no one uses that anymore.

    "In my country, we use notes made from paper. I think we used to have coins, but I haven''t seen any being used for many years."

    At his reply, Mykal''s eyes lit up. Whatever emotion he was feeling, it was clear he had not expected that answer. He clapped his hands together, and leaned towards Isaac, almost as if in anticipation. As soon as he began speaking, though, it was clear he was excited.

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    "Paper money, you say? As far as I know, there is nothing like that anywhere close to the Empire. However, I do believe I''ve heard rumors of such things existing on the far eastern part of the continent."

    "Really? You''re that far away from home, Isaac? I had no idea."

    The deep manly voice coming from his right reminded Isaac that Kit was still around. Before Isaac could say another word, however, he could hear the big man mumble to himself:

    "Although now that I think about it, that does explain some things..."

    Huh? It does? Well, the less I have to improvise the better.

    The merchant seized Isaac''s attention once more. He hadn''t even seemed to acknowledge Kit''s bewilderment just then.

    "Tell me, boy. Do you happen to have any of that paper money on you? I will of course compensate you for it, and even add another ten, no, twenty percent of its value!"

    "Huh? Oh, no, I don''t. Sorry."

    When he heard Isaac''s answer, his shoulders drooped, and he looked down to the ground, clearly disappointed.

    "Why are you so interested in my money anyway?"

    "Ah, let''s just say I have a thing for acquiring different currencies. It''s sort of like a hobby of mine."

    I see how it is. So what he''s saying is that this paper money would make a fine addition to his collection, huh?

    Mykal then kicked a small pebble on the ground, clicked his tongue, and looked back up with newfound confidence.

    "No matter! I''m sure I''ll find an excuse to head there someday. In fact, maybe I''ll make an expedition to the east next month!"

    The merchant turned his head and looked at the man standing next to Isaac.

    "I''m assuming that won''t be a problem, considering the festival and everything?"

    Isaac looked at Kit, who nodded affirmatively.

    "As usual, we''ll be taking the week off during the Summer Sun. Thinkin'' Emryn''s finally old enough to come along as well."

    Mykal nodded and smiled.

    "Great! Then, in that case, we''ll go with the same arrangement as last year. My next visit will be in two months."

    Kit nodded in turn. It seemed the two had an understanding.

    "Wait, Summer Sun? What''s that?"

    The farmer turned and answered the boy.

    "Well, it''s a holiday."

    Isaac was expecting Kit to go on, but when he didn''t, Mykal took over.

    "The festival of the Summer Sun, also known as the Farmer''s Festival, is one of the big celebrations that farmers around the world partake in."

    "Elyse and I usually take a trip to the nearby village to join the festivities there and take a week''s break from work. We usually send Emryn to a nearby farm where some kids gather, but this year we were thinking of surprising her by bringing her with us. Of course, we''ll bring you as well, if you''re interested."

    Isaac took a moment to think about it.

    On one hand, them leaving the farm for a couple of days would leave me alone at the farm. I could spend that time power-leveling my Gravity without any interruptions or risks of Emryn catching me. It seems like only Kit leaves the farmstead regularly, so I won''t get that many opportunities to train so freely.

    Isaac then turned his head and looked at the kitchen window, where the mother and daughter were preparing food. He couldn''t see them, but muffled, he could hear Elyse''s gentle voice along with a childlike commotion coming from the other one.

    On the other hand, I''d get to see a new place. And on top of that, I''d get to see Emryn experience one of her big wishes. With Kit inviting me like this, how could I even refuse? Besides...

    "Of course! That sounds like a lot of fun!"

    He had made his choice. This would be his first holiday in the world he now found himself in, and he was now waiting for the day in great anticipation.

    Kit nodded happily.

    "Alright, that settles it! Although, before then, there is one other thing we need to celebrate."

    <hr>

    Today was Earth''s day, and the twenty-fourth day in the month of Ember''s Embrace. Although the day marked no holiday, the family still decided to do a little celebration. On this day one month ago, a new member had joined their household.

    The sun was shining bright, and there were few clouds to be seen. Isaac looked out at the farmstead from the forest entrance. The place looked a little different from the one he had seen a month ago. The field of gold was ever as vibrant but had shrunk a little in size in the places he and his paternal figure had been harvesting them.

    Time seems to have flown by so quickly. Each day back on earth felt like a chore and proceeded at a snail''s pace. Meanwhile, here, it feels like I can blink and an entire week has passed.

    "We''re ready now, Isaac."

    He turned around at the womanly voice''s call. The three he had grown accustomed to were sitting on a picnic blanket, the same one Isaac had found himself covered with when he had awoken. They were looking up at him, smiling cheerfully. Even the woman''s expression seemed genuine. It was one he hadn''t seen in over a week.

    Isaac approached the three and sat down at the spot they had made for him. On his right sat Elyse, and on his left was Emryn. Kit, who sat across from him, prostrated himself, and began speaking:

    "To think, it''s already been a month since you came to stay with us. I think it''s only right to say that you''re officially a part of our family now, Isaac."

    Family.

    Isaac looked at Kit. The man smiled and grinned, and for once it wasn''t his obnoxious smile, but a gentle one. He then looked at Elyse, who nodded affirmatively. She thought the same. Finally, Isaac''s eyes landed on Emryn''s. She seemed a bit shy as she copied her mother by nodding as well.

    These three see me as a part of their family after only so long. Is that... appropriate? Sure, we''ve spent almost all day together for the past thirty days, so I''ve grown accustomed to seeing their faces. But is this what a family feels like? Am I not supposed to feel... closer?

    The conflicting emotions within Isaac didn''t seem to accept the word. He didn''t know what he was supposed to feel towards these people. He cared for them and didn''t want to see them upset. But was that feeling enough to consider them family? Isaac didn''t know. Nevertheless, he put on a smile for the three.

    "Thank you."

    The three nodded again.

    "Before we start eating, there is one thing we should get over with first."

    Kit stood up and walked towards a tree. Resting on it was a bag he had carried with him. He rustled through it, and produced three objects, trying his best to hide them from Isaac. The mother and daughter stood up and approached him, taking one object each, which they hid behind their back. Then, they returned to their seats and sat down.

    Kit was the first to hand his gift to Isaac.

    "Here, Isaac. This is for you."

    Isaac recognized the shape of the object instantly and grabbed its handle. It wasn''t the same one currently decorating his bedroom, and in fact, it looked like it had been made recently. Its varnishing helped give it a slight glossy look and overall made the object look like a decent piece of woodworking. Isaac wondered if the man had made it himself as Kit continued:

    "It''s more of a symbolic gesture if anything, but I''m counting on you to help me take care of these two," he said as he gestured to his wife and daughter.

    "I''ll, uh, do my best. Thank you."

    Isaac held the wooden sword in his hand, feeling its weight. Its handle was so smooth, he guessed it was so fine he wouldn''t get a splinter even if he tried to. It was surprisingly heavy, but had a good weight to it. Kit nodded and continued in a cheerful half-joking tone.

    "Also, if you ever want to join the imperial knights in the future, A wooden blade is as good of a place to start as any I reckon."

    Imperial knights? As in the military? I''ll have to give that some thought. Never really felt the drive to ''fight'' before, but it''s not like I''m opposed to the idea.

    Isaac noticed movement in his peripheral vision and looked to see Emryn. Her expression seemed glum all of a sudden. The manly voice spoke once more, this time more hastily.

    "No need to worry, Emryn. I was just making a little joke. Here, why don''t you give Isaac your present next?"

    Emryn''s pouty face only lasted so long. The moment she heard it was her turn to present her gift, she almost jumped in nervous excitement. Sheepishly, she revealed the object in her small hands, which grew closer and closer to Isaac. Graciously, he took it with his free hand with great care.

    "I... h-hope..."

    That''s all she managed to say, though Isaac knew what she was trying to ask of him. He gave her a genuine smile and replied:

    "I will. Looking forward to it."

    Emryn averted her gaze even more, and her cheeks flushed red in an adorable smile. The toy figure she had given Isaac matched the horse and princess she usually played with. It seemed to resemble an armored warrior, holding a sword in one hand and a shield in the other, while striking a heroic pose.

    Guess she finally found the courage to ask me.

    "Why don''t we play later this evening?"

    Emryn didn''t answer, she only nodded eagerly.

    "Then I guess it''s my turn. Could you turn around, Isaac?"

    Isaac rotated his head to look at the womanly voice who had spoken up.

    "Of course," he said as he did as she asked.

    He heard her approaching him, and before long, something small entered his vision from the top and traveled down to his neck. It then drew closer to him, as he felt Elyse''s fingers graze the back of his neck. Looking down, she had given him a pendant of sorts. As with the other gifts, this one was also carved out of wood with a glossy varnish.

    Wait, don''t I recognize this marking from somewhere? It sort of reminds me of my own symbol in a very vague way. However, I''m pretty sure I''ve seen this specific symbol somewhere...

    "There. Now we match!"

    He turned around to Elyse, who had just spoken. She gestured to herself, who also wore a pendant bearing the same symbol, though hers was in metal.

    Right. It''s the symbol of Othrys, the Human god. He seems to mean a lot to Elyse, which makes sense since she used to be a priest in his temple.

    "With all the help you''ve given me, I want to return the favor somehow. If you ever need anything, let me know, okay?"

    Isaac nodded and gave her too a smile. She continued:

    "And who knows? Maybe that symbol will come in handy one day. Holy symbols carry weight, remember."

    That''s right, Elyse told us in one of her lectures that to draw a divine symbol in vain is considered taboo, so only people with a connection to the gods tend to utilize them. If I ever take Kit''s advice and visit a temple in the nearest city, maybe this necklace could help me with getting an audience with the priests or something.

    At this, Kit piped up:

    "Well, that''s enough gifts for now. How about we eat?"

    <hr>

    The children had both gone to bed, and the mother sat alone at the dinner table, staring out the window. This day had been one of the better days for her this year, despite everything the past week had thrown at her. She had already decided that she had to stay strong for her daughter, and with the help of the boy who now lived with them, she had managed to do so. Even still, now that things had quieted down, her unsettling speculations had started creeping back. Isaac had helped her rationalize her thoughts, and the hope that remained in Kit had found its way to her as well. Still, that hope was not immovable, and at times, such as now, she still struggled to think positively.

    "You''re still thinking about it?"

    The manly voice behind her caught her attention, and part of her fears subsided slightly. Kit had just returned after tucking Emryn to bed, and he had found her where she sat.

    "I am."

    She didn''t blame her husband for not fearing as she did. However, she couldn''t bring it upon herself to call her fears irrational. The helplessness that lingered in her soul kept popping back up, and she knew all she could do was pray and wait.

    "Don''t you think we could ask him to help? He is blessed, after all."

    At Kit''s question, Elyse snapped back, more forcefully than she intended to.

    "Don''t be silly. Do you really want to ask more of him than what he''s already doing for us?"

    "No, of course not! I know he already does plenty, including keeping you company when your fears get the better of you."

    The man went quiet after that last sentence, clearly ashamed of his inability to comfort his wife. Nevertheless, he continued.

    "Still, couldn''t we at least explain the situation to him? He came from that same place, so maybe he knows something we don''t?"

    "No. I''ve told you before, Kit. He doesn''t deserve that burden. I want him to be happy here, and not feel pressured into helping any more than he already is."

    This was not the first time they had had this conversation, and they always repeated the same arguments and responses. Kit sat down next to his wife and put his hand around her.

    "I understand. If that''s your decision, I won''t bring it up anymore"

    Elyse rolled her eyes. This was also a promise he had made the last couple of times they had talked about this topic, and he would likely break it again. Even so, she couldn''t be mad at him. She knew he only suggested it out of concern for her.

    She reached her hand behind his back and hugged him. They sat like that in silence for the rest of the evening, until they both got tired and headed to their bed.

 Chapter 9: Festival of the Summer Sun, Part One

    "Ready to head out?"

    "Yup!"

    With an answer from Isaac and Elyse, Kit grabbed the reins attached to Daelan and got him to start moving. They had loaded rucksacks and supplies into a carriage, and taken their seats.

    Isaac looked down to his left, where he saw a bundle of blankets rising and lowering rhythmically. Despite the jolt the carriage had received when Daelan had started his trot, the bundle had not been disturbed enough to notice.

    Poor Emryn. Yesterday, she got so excited when Kit told her she would be coming to the festival that she couldn''t sleep at all.

    He brushed aside a piece of the fabric to see her messy caramel hair covering the top of her head. Moving some hair to reveal her face, her eyelids were closed and relaxed.

    At least she''ll get some rest now. According to Kit, this trip will take a few hours, so she''s sure to regain some energy by then.

    Feeling eyes on him from the front, he looked up to see Elyse, looking at him as he was watching over her daughter. Her smile, just like the one he had seen two weeks ago, seemed warm and genuine. It had already been two weeks since the one-month celebration, and Isaac had spent several nights keeping Elyse company since then. They hadn''t talked all that much, but just him being there for her seemed to have helped her. For one, she always thanked him, even though he never felt like he did anything in particular. Also, although she didn''t smile as much as she used to, It was much rarer to see her in a particularly negative mood, at least when Emryn was around.

    "I see you''re wearing it."

    It took Isaac a moment to realize what Elyse was referring to but then looked down at the pendant she had given him, the one with the holy symbol to Othrys.

    "Oh, yes. I''ve never been much into accessories, but I like it."

    "You weren''t wearing it a lot, so I was afraid you weren''t satisfied."

    "Oh, no it''s not that at all. I didn''t want to risk it getting dirty while working in the field, which is why I haven''t worn it that much."

    A deep exhale escaped Elyse at his answer.

    "That''s a relief. I was worried that, maybe you would have preferred a different symbol than what I gave you, but the one to Othrys is the only one I''m skilled at."

    "Well, I don''t have a particular preference. Besides what you''ve told me, I feel like I know nothing of the gods."

    "Yes, I remember you saying something similar before. Would you like me to tell you some more about Othrys?"

    "As long as I don''t have to accept him as my lord and savior, sure!"

    Elyse froze, and looked at Isaac, confused. She tilted her head before asking:

    "Lord and savior?"

    Crap, why did I blurt out something so stupid?

    "Uhm, never mind. It was just a dumb joke. Please, give me the basics."

    Elyse nodded and began:

    "Othrys, the divine being who created the human race, is a divine that values hospitality, respect, and openness between humans. They are known by the other races as The Great Lantern, as they are usually depicted as a shining light. Likewise, you can see by their holy symbol it almost resembles a lantern of sorts."

    Really? I thought it looked more like a freaky-looking eye or something.

    "Also, to my knowledge, Othrys doesn''t have a divine champion under them, so in all honesty they are one of the more mysterious gods I''m familiar with."

    "I see. Thank you, Elyse."

    She shook her head as if thanks were unnecessary.

    "If you wish to know more details, there are several temples to Othrys all over the continent, but the best place is in the Holy Kingdom of Otressia."

    That name does ring a bell.

    "That''s where you went on a pilgrimage to, correct?"

    Elyse nodded and then looked at the back of her husband, who was steering Daelan along the winding road. He must''ve felt her eyes on him, because he turned his head to look at his wife, sheepishly.

    "Hey, don''t blame me, you''re the one who fell in love with the Lumitra I sold you."

    Then he turned back. Elyse rolled her eyes and continued, still smiling:

    "Anyway, as the name suggests, Otressia is a country that dedicates itself to the worship of Othrys, so anything there is to be found about them can be found there."

    "I see. Are there any other deities I should know of?"

    "Well, as a human, Othrys is the most relevant. Other than that, there are a few off the top of my head I can think of. There are Hypnos, the god of dreams. He''s also known as The Eternal Dreamer. There''s also his sister Nocturna, also known as the goddess of nightmares."

    "Dreams and nightmares, huh? There are gods of those?"

    "Of course! Each aspect of our lives has a divine being attached to it. Well, almost."

    "And all these gods have divine symbols too, I''m guessing?"

    "Yes, though I only recognize a few. Othrys has one of the more abstract ones, but there are divines with clearer depictions."

    "What about mine?"

    The flaming heart-looking symbol. I wonder whose god that is of...

    Elyse looked down, apparently in shame.

    "I''m sorry, Isaac, but I don''t recognize your symbol."

    "Could it be Spectre''s?"

    At his suggestion, she looked back up, a bit startled.

    "Spectre? The Ruler of Death?"

    After a while, Elyse smiled once more. However, it was not her who answered him.

    "I doubt it. They say that Spectre''s champion is as old as recorded history, and you haven''t even reached adulthood, kid!"

    "Hey!"

    Isaac looked up at Kit, the obnoxious smile was plastered on his face as usual. Then his attention was seized again, as he heard a noise he hadn''t expected. It was Elyse. She was giggling. Although Isaac had asked her seriously, she must''ve thought he was joking.

    "Well, I can guarantee you that it''s not the symbol of death," she said, still giggling. Then, she cleared her throat and answered him more seriously. "Spectre''s symbol is... How do I explain it... It''s a little uncomfortable to look at. Whether by design or not, looking upon a symbol of death can fill a person with unease, or maybe even fear. I''ve even heard that simply being in the presence of Spectre''s champion is enough to make small children cry, or for animals to flee in terror."

    Isaac paused a little and looked down at the cart floor. Quietly, he said:

    "That sounds... kinda lonely."

    Living for so long, and then having everyone who looks upon you instinctively fear you...

    Neither of the parents answered him. They seemed to contemplate his reaction as if they hadn''t thought of that before. The sound of Daelan trotting along the dirt road along with the wooden wheels of the cart filled the aura with noise. After a while, Isaac looked back up.Stolen story; please report.

    "So if not Spectre, who else could it be? It kinda looks like a heart, right? Could that be a clue?"

    Elyse pondered Isaac''s comment, then answered him:

    "Well, the only deity I can think of that could have a symbol resembling a heart is Ardentia..."

    "Oh? Who''s that?"

    "Ardentia is the deity of love, marriage, and... um... intimate relationships. They are the ones you pray to when you fall in love or get married. As such, there are sites dedicated to them almost everywhere. That means their symbol is very common and easily recognizable."

    Oh, I see. So if this was the symbol of Ardentia, Elyse would have recognized it.

    "Also, it''s well known that Ardentia doesn''t have a champion, since love, marriage and that sort of thing is something everyone has an equal right to," Kit added.

    "If you want to know who your symbol resembles, you should ask someone more learned than the two of us. Kit is just a farmer, and I haven''t studied faith in many years."

    Isaac nodded to both of them. Then, after a few seconds, Kit turned his head again.

    "In fact, there''s a priest in the village we''re going to. Maybe you can ask him."

    "Good idea, dear. Isaac and I can go see him while you go buy Emryn that thing we spoke of."

    Kit nodded at his wife. They smiled at each other.

    "Sound good, Isaac?"

    Isaac looked at the both of them and nodded back.

    <hr>

    Four hours passed. Daelan''s trot still filled Isaac''s eardrums with sound, and the sun was beaming down, warming his skin. The talking had quieted down, and Isaac had mostly watched the landscape gone by. The terrain was relatively uninteresting, with a hilly grassland stretching on, and few trees visible. It was by no means a spectacular sight, yet Isaac found himself enjoying the view a lot more than he probably should have.

    Suddenly, his attention was seized by a noise coming from behind him. Turning, he saw Elyse reaching into a rucksack by her side. She pulled out a few small pieces of cloth and handed one of them to her husband. Then, she looked at Isaac, smiling before passing him one too. Isaac thanked her and took it. He unwrapped the cloth to find his lunch, which Elyse had prepared the day before. Not hesitating, he took a bite, savoring the taste that coated his taste buds.

    Mmm, this is good.

    Meanwhile, Elyse was fishing up a glass container filled with water, followed by a few wooden cups. She poured water into one and sat it next to Isaac, still smiling. Then to Kit, and finally to herself.

    After a few bites, Isaac noticed movements in his peripheral. Looking down at where it came from, he saw that the cloths that lay by his side had started rustling. Soon enough, a small hand poked out. Isaac pulled some cloth away to see a bundle of caramel hair, with some groggy eyes hiding underneath. A cute groan, followed by a voice spoke.

    "Good morning..."

    The small hand that had poked out of the cloth before moved to one eye to rub it, at the same time as another appeared to rub the other. Isaac smiled down at the bundle, and Elyse answered the voice.

    "Good morning, sweetheart. We have some lunch prepared if you want it."

    The bundle of hair moved once more, apparently in a nod, and reached one arm to Elyse, who gave it the lunch she was holding. The lunch soon disappeared under the bundle of caramel, and the cute voice could be heard once more.

    "Mmm..."

    After a little while, the hair parted to reveal Emryn''s face. Her eyes were still groggy, but they had attained a small glimmer of joy, most likely from the food. She looked up at Isaac, smiling. Then, she rotated her head to the back of her father, before asking the inevitable question:

    "Are we there yet?"

    Kit looked back at his daughter before answering, his smile even more obnoxious than usual.

    "Why don''t you see for yourself?"

    A pause which only lasted for a few seconds, before Emryn energetically jumped out of her blankets to look ahead. Isaac could hear an audible gasp shortly after and decided to follow the girl''s example by standing up to scan the horizon himself.

    There it was. The town of Imrys, where he would be celebrating the farmer''s festival with Kit, Elyse, and Emryn. It was smaller than he had expected. The town started on flat terrain, climbing up two slopes so gentle they could barely be called hills. On one top was a watchtower-looking building, and on the other seemed to be a big mansion, likely the abode of the burgomaster. Placed around the edge of the town was a short stone wall, only a meter tall, with incremental arches and gateways. Overall, it couldn''t be described as a defensive barrier, which spoke to how peaceful life was in this part of Rikaria.

    The buildings themselves were varied in size, but almost all of them were smaller than Kit''s house. That made sense, considering his house too used to be the home of a governing town figure. Still, some houses were clustered so tightly together you could not see where one ended and another began. Isaac guessed that despite the small footprint, the number of people living here was comparatively large. As they closed in on the entrance, though, the town began feeling bigger and bigger.

    "I see they''re already well underway in setting up the decorations. Hopefully, we''re still early enough to get a room."

    True enough, as Elyse had pointed out, there were colorful ornaments placed around in various areas. You could see sculptures made from hay, and intricate bouquets. Lines of small banners had been fastened between buildings, running chaotically around overhead. Larger banners hung from windows, and in Isaac''s mind, it all felt very grounded and familiar. He hadn''t been to a Renaissance fair before, but the decorations his mind envisioned matched what he saw adorning the town. However, that opinion only lasted so long.

    Once they had finally entered the town, Isaac could see the decorations up close. He noticed some odd details about them. For example, some of the larger banners had thread sewn into them that seemed to emanate light. The bouquets too, most flowers were completely unfamiliar to him. Some larger plants that had been placed down seemed alive, breathing and even interacting with the happenings going on around them. One plant seemed to be... staring intently at one of the hay sculptures, which appeared to represent some bovine creature. It had no eyes, of course, but the three big flowers that sprouted from it were pointing directly at the hay figure, no matter how much the wind swayed them.

    Looking behind the bizarre staredown between plant and statue, Isaac saw a beautiful, big tree. Ropes were hanging from its branches, streaming down in pairs before touching wooden beams that connected them. A swing. One group of three children was helping a fourth climb onto one of the seats, and another kid sat alone, slowly swinging while looking at the ground in thought. Isaac looked at Emryn, who gazed enviously at them. Her eyes were pinned as Daelan trotted past, and the swings soon disappeared behind the corner of a house. The moment she lost sight of the tree, she turned her head, scanning for another fascinating view for her to observe. She found it instantly. Her mouth gaped, so Isaac turned to see what she had spotted.

    What... is that?

    Filling his vision was a large structure, maybe ten meters in height. It had layers upon layers of fruits, vegetables, and flowers, gradually tapering up to a point, where a metallic disc shimmered like bronze in the sunlight. The disc itself seemed to be engraved with some intricate symbolism, but Isaac couldn''t see it from the distance he was at. Surrounding this altar of harvest were unlit braziers, and the area surrounding was cleared off and empty. Sufficed to say, this was what would be the central plaza for the harvest festival.

    "You like it?"

    Isaac and Emryn both took their gazes off the altar to look at Kit, who had just asked them the question. They both nodded.

    "That''s the main contribution of the burgomaster," Elyse explained. "Every year, he imports a ton of food to decorate the main plaza. All of it is donated to the poor when the festival is over."

    "Too bad most of it will spoil by then," Kit grumbled.

    At this, his wife giggled.

    "Now now. Don''t be jealous just because he won''t buy some of your Lumitra, dear."

    He''s got a point, though. Kit''s plants don''t degrade, so it would be just as fine laying on the altar for a week.

    "But mama, our plants would look pretty next to all of those, won''t they?"

    "Yes, Emryn, they would."

    Isaac joined in on the conversation, as curious as Emryn.

    "Then what''s the issue? They look appealing, and they would be a safe source of nourishment to the poor."

    "Well, looks are all the Itra plants have got going for ''em," Kit answered while scratching the back of his head.

    "They are also associated with necessity," Elyse continued. "Putting Lumitra next to other vegetables would give off the impression that the burgomaster is cheaping out on the celebrations. All the foods on the altar are of high quality and on the more expensive side, after all."

    True enough, when Isaac looked, he didn''t recognize a single fruit or vegetable from the structure, at least not ones that he had eaten in this world. There were definitely something that looked like apples, oranges and grapes laying there, though.

    "They look tasty. I want to try them," Emryn admitted, sheepishly.

    "I''ll be sure to buy you one, Emryn. There are bound to be some merchants selling the foods that are on display on the altar."

    "R-really? Thank you, papa!"

    Right, there''s bound to be stalls being set up for the festival, else Kit wouldn''t have asked me to bring some of my money with me. In fact, that over there might be it.

    Isaac looked past the altar of delicacies, where he saw that large sheets of cloth were being hoisted up onto wooden beams, just a short distance away. It seemed to be the beginnings of a festival market.

    "So... there''ll be a market to buy things from. What else is there to do during the festival?"

    "Well, lots of things, depending on what catches your interest," Elyse answered Isaac. "The market is the busiest place overall, but there are attractions for children and contests for adults. Also, as it is the farmer''s festival, the emphasis is on food. That means it is customary to spend a little more money than usual, and eat lots of delicious food. I imagine the inns will have an extended menu during the festival as well, and it''s one of the few times a year the lower class can dine like royalty."

    "Just remember, the festival lasts until Fire''s day, so don''t worry about rushing through everything. There''s plenty of time to enjoy all the town has to offer."

    Kit looked at Emryn when he said that last part. I''m guessing she''s been worrying about not having time to experience it all. She seems relieved, at least.

    "Now, our inn isn''t far off, so let''s get there before they run out of rooms!"

    With that, Kit signaled for Daelan to continue his trot once more.