Starting Afresh in A Strange Land

Uravis found himself standing at the entrance of a forest, no longer in the grand hall. He was alone, banished from the one place he saw as hopeful, and forgotten.

By now, his teammates and family must have given up searching for him—or perhaps they had lost all hope entirely. He looked down at his hands, which still trembled with shock and anger.

He felt betrayed, used—but mostly betrayed. If he had known this would happen, he would have refused from the start and faced whatever his team wanted to say.

But now, he was trapped, permanently, in a world totally different from his own.

He had no idea how he was transported. He only remembered being replaced and then appearing before a dark forest, with who knows what lurking around.

He kept his cool, thinking about his next move. He considered returning to the grand hall to demand his immediate return home, but he had nothing to threaten them with.

Luckily, he saw smoke rising into the air from a distance. All hope was not lost after all. He took a deep breath in and exhaled slowly, clenching his fists as his goals shifted direction.

'I'll make sure she pays for doing this to me. I just have to find a place to stay and figure out how to get back home—with or without the reward,' he thought as he made his way into the forest.

He had no clue what he would do once he got out of the forest. He could only hope to find a source of water and food to keep him going. Even a cave would do for now.

As he walked, the trees grew closer together. The shadows they cast grew larger, like a massive umbrella. The forest was gradually becoming darker as he moved, but he could see perfectly fine—a bonus from staring at dark screens all day.

Uravis stumbled over roots and fallen branches countless times, his eyes scanning the forest for someone to help, but he found no one.

He eventually sat on the bare ground, his back against a tall tree. Gazing up, he noticed the smoke had become thicker, a good sign that whatever was causing it was closer.

He scrambled to his feet, his exhaustion momentarily vanishing as he saw this tiny glimmer of hope.

Finally, after what felt like hours, he saw a break in the trees ahead. Staggering towards it, he begged his legs to keep moving.

As he emerged from the forest, a small village came into view, nestled in the heart of a valley. Smoke drifted lazily from chimneys, and people moved about, tending to their daily business without a care in the world.

His heart raced with joy and hope. He might finally find help—someone who could give him answers and a way back home.

He moved to the edge of the hill he stood on. Looking down, he traced the outline of a path that seemed to wind down into the valley—a route likely meant for cyclists or easier travel.

'Just a little bit more. We'll rest soon,' he told himself, stumbling to the path and mustering his last bit of strength to hurry down the hill.

He could hear children's laughter and women conversing below, which made his heart ache at how happy everyone seemed while he was struggling to find a way home.

He imagined the pain his sister must be in. With no one to stay with except his friends—who he knew couldn't do much, as they had their own families—she would feel utterly alone.

He had to get back home. Fast.

Uravis stumbled through the village, scanning the unfamiliar surroundings like a lost child—because, in a way, he was.

The villagers cast curious glances his way. Some were laced with irritation, others with confusion. They knew he looked different; his clothes and physical features were unlike anything they had ever seen.

As he approached a store, a lady walked up to him. Her forest-green eyes were as dark as the woods he had just left. She had tanned skin and thick brown hair tied back with a ribbon.

"Who are you?" she asked, her voice soft and welcoming. It reminded him of home.

Uravis hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. After all, he was from a world entirely different from theirs.

"I... I'm Uravis," he said finally, after much contemplation.

"I was in the grand hall for the deities ruling this world. Something about a game. And then... I don't know. I found myself at the mouth of the forest," he explained, hoping she would understand.

The villagers exchanged skeptical glances.

"You're a long way from the Hub," said an old woman with a kind face. "What were you doing out there?"

Uravis shook his head as a wave of despair washed over him. "I don't know," he admitted, hating how vulnerable he felt for the first time in his life. "I was just… sent away, I guess."

The villagers began whispering among themselves, their voices low and concerned. Even the lady who had spoken to him joined their conversation. Uravis watched them for what felt like five minutes, unable to hear their words.

Finally, the lady turned back to him after receiving nods of approval from the others.

"Come," she said, her voice still gentle. "You look like you could use a hot meal, a bath, and a place to rest. My name is Claire, by the way."

Uravis nodded and followed her, his heart filled with gratitude. He made a mental note to thank her later, feeling hope for the first time in a while.

Though thoughts of going home lingered, he also felt like he might have found a temporary place to belong.

_____

As they walked through the village, Uravis noticed it was not as big as he initially thought, with a population of no more than a hundred residents. Despite its small size, the village was tidy and well-maintained, with gardens and little farms surrounding the homes.

It was not as ancient as he had imagined, considering the village lay in the heart of a valley and was surrounded by dense forests.

Claire led him to a small cottage on the outskirts of the village. He noticed smoke rising from what resembled the pizza ovens he'd seen in restaurants. She gestured for him to sit, which he did without hesitation, stretching out his exhausted limbs.

Claire soon returned with a tray of food: a large portion of rice and beef stew, accompanied by a cup of water. He accepted it gratefully, thanking her profusely before eating hungrily.

The warmth of the food spread through his stomach, a stark contrast to the hours he'd spent swallowing cold saliva and surviving on nothing but air.

When he had finished, Claire took the plates away and then sat beside him. Her warm gaze made him feel slightly uncomfortable, as her expression radiated genuine kindness—something he wasn't used to.

"You are welcome to stay here for as long as you like," she said. "We don't really get many strangers here, so we are always happy to help those in need, like yourself."

"Thank you," Uravis managed to say, though a flicker of doubt crossed his mind. His hopes of returning home were slowly fading. The villagers didn't seem to possess the answers he sought; he even doubted they had any knowledge of magic. And yet, despite that, he felt a strange sense of contentment.

Maybe, just maybe, I've found a new home without doing or paying for it.

For the first time in a while, he felt at peace. Still, he knew there was a long journey ahead. He needed to uncover what kind of magic had brought him to this strange world, figure out how to earn enough money to compensate his team, and find a way to help his sister.

Claire's smile widened, her eyes gleaming with joy. "You're welcome, Uravis. You're safe here, so you have nothing to worry about," she said softly, before turning her gaze toward the fire.

"You can take a bath now. The water should be warm enough," she added.