The winds threatened to pull the trees off their roots as the storm raged on, a little boy stayed hunched up by a large tree using its huge canopy as some shade but it did little for him, he was wet and freezing.
At this time he regretted biking this deep in the woods even if his big brother had warned him, but how would he know that a sudden storm would start and he would be trapped here, now he was wet and because of the heavy rain could not see more than two meters in front of him, the cold begin getting to him as his little body shivered and his dark eyes looked for a better shade.
His eyes soon found that the huge tree he was hiding under had a hollow and his little eyes brightened as he moved towards it, as a kid the thought of any kind of beast calling the hollow home didn't occur to him, all he wanted was to get completely out the rain. Luck was on his side though as there was no animal in the hollow and he soon got in and hugged his knees as he tried to warm himself up.
Soon he became dizzy as the cold started getting to him and at the moment all he wished for was his warm bed, he tried laying down in the dark moist hollow of the tree and as if the darkness could hear his wish it wrapped around him like a mother bringing her child into her embrace, from the corner of his he could see the darkness flow like water as it covered him but his little mind didn't register that and he soon dozed off without knowing that darkness itself had chosen to protect his weak life as the storm raged on outside.
[Ascended Realm, Gors' Residence]
"Why am I dreaming of that day?" a drowsy Chike mumbled to himself as he woke up to the view of the still unfamiliar room.
Looking down at his body he saw he was still wrapped in bandages and moving still hurt even if the pain had reduced a lot.
"I really hoped all this was a bad dream" he groaned as he looked out the window as the sun of this world rose above the weird town below him. "It still looks like our sun" smiling bitterly he shook his head as he still could not fully get used to the reality that he was in another realm which was essentially another world, in his defense though he only found out yesterday.
Watching the sun rise he could not help but miss home, the faint sound of the tv from the living room as his brother ate an early breakfast before going off to work, the smell of coffee, and the sound of cars on the street as people began their days, these were things he took for granted before as they were the norm and he had gotten used to it but now that he was in an unfamiliar place these were the things that flooded his mind with nostalgia.
Before his feelings overwhelmed him he heard a soft knock on the door to his room after which the door opened by a crack and a head peeked in.
The head was that of a kind looking man with short black hair, glasses, and a warm smile on his face, *Seems someone got up quite early* a deep calm voice sounded in Chike's head, "I don't think I can ever get used to that" he mumbled to himself.
*That's why we have to hurry up and teach you how to speak the common languages here* the voice said again as the man walked into the room with a tray; on the tray was a plate of soup with meat in it, a glass of a milky liquid which he assumed was well...milk; if they had that here and a weird purple fruit that looked like an apple with bumps all over it.
Putting the tray down on a stool close to the bed, Gor sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at Chike, observing him for a moment as he looked eagerly at the tray or to be precise the bowl of soup which gave off an amazing aroma; clearly, he was hungry.
*How do you feel today?* Gor asked telepathically.
The hungry look on Chike's face dimmed immediately as he scowled "I can feel that the pain is less and my head and memories are clearer", he said as he moved his body side to side "Aside from that I feel like any kid who was stuck in another world away from his home would feel" he added sarcastically as he stared out the window for a moment.
Before Gor could even think of any comforting words to tell the young man Chike turned away from the window with a brighter face and a strangely resolute look in his eyes "I almost forgot to add..." he said as he looked at the tray again as he practically drooled "...I'm very, very hungry".
Seeing this Gor froze for a moment and then started chuckling *It's yours...* he said as he pushed the stool with the tray closer to the bed *...Go crazy*
Hearing this Chike immediately sat up ignoring his wounded body's protest of the sudden movement and began wolfing down the soup without any care in the world.
"What kind of meat is this?" he asked even with his mouth full.
*That's Red Pheasant meat* Gor's voice replied *If used to make soup it can help replenish energy; I made the soup for that particular reason, taste good right?* Chike could hear a tinge of pride in the voice that sounded in his head but was too hungry to pay attention to that.
"It tastes amazing" Chike managed to reply after swallowing a mouthful of the milky liquid which turned out to taste like the best milk he had ever had in his life, he almost moaned from how good this meal tasted but he couldn't as he immediately returned to drinking the soup and the meat.
Gor quietly watched the hungry boy eat with a smile on his face, his eyes taking note that his wounds seemed to have mostly healed aside from some that lingered and the internal wounds, this greatly surprised him as he never expected this quick a recovery, with how bad a shape the boy was in when he found him he expected to be in bed for at least one more week even with the help of the healing potion he gave him as most of his bones were broken, his organs wounded and his life hanging on a thin thread.
"The books never said that humans had this much vitality" he mumbled to himself as he watched the young man who had just finished the bowl of soup in record time as he lay back down with a very satisfied look on his face which was now covered in grease with a thin line of milk on his chin.
Chike lay down again, enjoying the full and pleasant feeling that he got from eating that amazing meal, he didn't know if it was his imagination or just the feeling of satisfaction but he could feel a kind of energy flowing from his stomach throughout his entire body and anywhere it passed he felt less pain and instead felt stronger but before he got the chance to focus on that feeling the now familiar voiced sounded in his head again *Seems like you enjoyed my meal*.
Sitting up, he saw Gor smiling at him while handing him a napkin *You really went straight for it, you know it's not smart to trust a random stranger who you just met yesterday* the voice said as he cleaned his mouth with the napkin.
Chike paused for a second "If you really wanted to hurt me you had all the chance to do it when I was unconscious" he said as he smiled at the man before him "According to you, I've been unconscious for five days and you even treated me and put bandages on me" Looking down on his bandaged chest "Plus, in my perfect state I doubt I could escape if you wanted to hurt me…" he said looking at the man who even if he had a kind face and wore baggy clothes if one was observant they would see that underneath he had well developed and toned muscles "…Much less now that I'm wounded, so I didn't think you would result to mere food poisoning to hurt me, also even if I don't know you but my gut says I should trust you" he concluded as he stared at the man with a smile on his face
Gor froze with his mouth open in shock at how analytic a young man like the one before him was, he had seen many things in his life but kids who thought like this Chike were rare.
After a while, he chuckled and shook his head in resignation *You are one smart kid* he said telepathically *You're right, I have no intention to harm you in any way but now that you've eaten and regained a bit of your strength I suggest we start teaching you how to fit in here because you eventually have to leave this house and mingle among other Ascended and if any of them find out you are human…well let's say it won't end well and the sooner you fit in the sooner we can find a way to get you home*
Hearing this Chike immediately sat up again as his face carried a slight frown and a seriousness that should not be on the face of someone his age "Where do we start?"
*I already said it when I came in before or have you forgotten?* Gor smiled *We will start with the common languages we speak here*
Turning to the tray he picked up the weird purple apple looking fruit that had bumps all over and tossed it to Chike *Go on, taste it*
Chike hesitated as he looked at the weird fruit in his hand, it had a surprisingly soft skin even with the bumps on it and it gave off a very subtle fresh, and delicious scent, shrugging he took a bite from it and it immediately felt like he bit into a cloud as his teeth cut through the skin with ease and an explosion of an indescribable flavor filled his mouth.
This time he really moaned as the piece he bit off practically melted in his mouth, he felt like he had eaten a piece of heaven and couldn't help but think 'Does everything in this realm taste delicious? First, the soup and milk now this fruit.'
A burst of loud laughter interrupted his thought process *Believe me, young man, we have our share of bitter things here too* Gor's voice sounded in his head *Now tell me, what you call something like that in your place?*
"Uhmm, a fruit?" Chike replied.
*Good, now for every basic object I will bring to you, you will tell me the name in your native language and I will tell you its name in a local Ascended language* Gor said *Do you understand?*
Chike nodded absentmindedly as he dug into the fruit in his hand.
*Good, let's begin…*