The meat is tough and frankly disgusting. My teeth, I found out, are pretty sharp, so I don’t struggle too much eating it, but I find no pleasure in the taste. I barely finished eating and my fire is already dying out, the plants here don’t burn too well, no idea why.

“I wish I just had some salt, some herbs, you know nice fresh thyme and rosemary…”

“I already miss earth’s food. I ate better than this in my junkyard of a spaceship.”

I’m never hunting six armed baboons ever again.

Before making a plant loincloth I try to see if I can use the monkey’s hide instead. As it turns out, I barely have any idea about how to process it, I have no real knife, and it’s butchered in several places, as much from our battle as from my ‘cooking’. So plant pants it is. But in the process of examining the skin, I find a small purple rock, much like the ones in my bag. So that’s where they’re from, counting this one, I now have 28. I wonder if every living being here has one. Is it related to its ability to use magic? Then do I have one as well? I have a lot of catching up to do when it comes to common knowledge in this world…

The wide leaves and plant fibers aren’t very comfortable but it’s enough that I don’t have to worry too much about my dignity if I meet strangers. Well, I still look like a weirdo, but not a completely naked weirdo. Look at me, Adam style in the wild on another planet.

It is a good thing that I managed to get some clothes on me because a few hours later, I find my first intelligent extraterrestrial being on this planet. An exciting discovery.

It’s still a few hundred meters away, I have no idea what it is, not an Eisure for sure, too short and also green skinned. Granted I don’t know what color range the skin of the Eisure can have but looking at my normal ass white tan skin I expect green to not be an option.

As for how I know it’s intelligent, well, for one, it wears better clothing than me, luxury clothing even, from how it looks. And it’s clearly reading a book. I’d say it’s a goblin mage maybe? The glowing staff laid down next to him is a bit worrisome, but I haven’t talked to a living breathing person in 6 years, I’d even take a troll for a conversation partner at this point. This world is starting to give me old Dungeon and Dragons vibes, and I can’t say I don’t like it.

I just hope to god our races aren’t hostile. Pleeeeeease I just want a normal conversation. Who blessed me again? Was it Adroxas? Please Adroxas, I pray this meeting be fruitful.

As I get closer my earlier hypothesis of a goblin seems on the nose. Green skin, long nose, long ears, small stature. But if anything, he looks like a scholar. I’m pretty sure it’s a guy at this point, unless their females can grow beards. He has small glasses resting on his big pointy nose, the book is almost comically large for his size. He’s sitting on a rock near the water stream, draped in a luxurious dark blue robe woven with a single red thread forming letters I’ve never seen before. It clearly looks like a high quality fabric. Next to him on the stone is his staff, it’s almost as tall as him, a golf ball sized, round purple rock is inserted at the top, caged in forged blue metal. Behind him is a big traveling backpack, the bedroll is sticking out on both sides. It all looks meticulously handcrafted.

I get closer, he looks up from his book and turns his head towards me. He's a good 50 meters away still, but when he talks I hear him clear as day.

“Hmm, what is a lone Eisure doing in these parts? Did you find a way under the mountain? And what happened to your clothes ?” His voice is a bit raspy but he sounds very dignified, clearly a noble.

Shit, of course it would go like this, that’s better than hostility still, he’s just asking questions.

His face isn’t what you’d expect out of a goblin at all, it’s chiseled and manly, despite the small eyes and long nose, the wrinkles and gray beard showing his old age. Should I bluff and make up some random story? Or go for good old amnesia? Born and raised alone in the wild?

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I take a few more steps so I can answer, but stop at a respectable distance.

“Uhm, excuse me, do you know where we are? I’m very lost, and my memory is… uh… lacking, to say the least. As for how I got here and what happened to my clothes, I have no idea. I don’t even know if I ever had any. My first memory dates back to about 20 hours ago…” I’m gradually speaking softer and softer, barely mumbling towards the end. Great acting, me, good job.

The goblin frowns deeply. Bad sign, I tense my muscles, get ready to run if need be.

“Then you’re very lucky to have run into a time mage. Or unlucky, depending on the truth of your words.”He says, while grabbing his staff.

This smells bad, I try to run but find out that as soon as I start moving, I end up back in the same place and position I was in before, I can barely move a centimeter before I’m taken back. Like some laggy video game character, rubberbanding back to the same place.

Magic is definitely cheating, I decided. I can’t even talk anymore.

He stands up and walks up to me, try as I may, I can do nothing as he presses his staff on my forehead and his blue eyes glow up.

He stays like this for a few seconds before taking a step back, a flabbergasted expression on his face.

“You fell from the sky? That’s your first memory?”

As he asks that, I can move again.

“Yes. Don’t ask me how. I don’t know more. Actually it would probably help if you knew why.”

“You survived that fall?” His eyes are big and round like a fish at this point.

“As you can see.”

“And your legs?”

“Healed, is it not normal?”

“NORMAL? If this is normal then wouldn’t the Thruls, so proud of their ‘regeneration’ magic just go kill themselves in a corner out of shame ?!!” He’s screaming like a lunatic now, so much for his previous dignified air. I’ll just try keeping a blank face.

“Oh you’re giving an old Valtar like me a headache…” He then starts rummaging through his bag while sighing loudly before taking out a long white cape and throwing it to me

“Just put this on, and stand there, I’ll get you to the closest city, the guildmaster is an old friend, I’ll have them take care of your situation.” He says in between packing his bag and putting it on his back.

I quickly put on the cape and clasp it around my neck, it’s quite comfortable but also very short.

“And about your memories, even I cannot do anything. I don’t know what wiped your mind but it really made sure you wouldn’t even get anything back, not even my time magic could get a single bit of information. I doubt anyone could help you get them back. Not even Dean Blank Clouds.”

Man this guy really like throwing around names, I have no fucking idea who these people are, does he know that?

“It’s fine, It may be weird but I really don’t remember anything so I don’t really feel the loss. I honestly just want some decent clothes and a comfortable bed right now. I thank you for the cape by the way, and the help.”

“Don’t mention it, I just went through your whole memory, that’s not something acceptable to do to anyone. Most people would have protested very vehemently. I’m just doing a bit of charity now that I know how truly clueless you are. These hills are very dangerous, you can only be considered lucky to not have stumbled upon anything too dangerous yet, and you can thank your instincts for keeping you away from that Hectavane, they do not only feed on grass, far from it.” His face contorts in a weird disgusted expression.

So these eight legged buffalos are Hectavanes? He doesn’t seem to like them very much at all. How close did I thread from death yet again, without even knowing? A chill is going through my spine.

Now donning a wooly white cape that only goes down to half my thighs, I stand still while the Valtar, I guess that’s his race, could be his nationality, starts waving his staff in the air.

His eyes shine very strongly. The blue light they produce becomes so strong it could hide the very heavens. Which may have to do with my own weak eyes. Suddenly, everything stops moving, colors slowly fade, like earlier, I cannot move at all, and can only watch as the scenery starts flowing around us. Really flowing, I wouldn’t know how to describe it if not like that. In between us is a misty image of the old mage, it’s walking in reserve at incredible speeds, everything around is a blur speeding by, at some point we go up then down the mountain in a few seconds. This whole experience reminds me of those antique videotapes where you had to go through the whole film in reverse to watch it again. My mom used to love hoarding these old things.

Everything suddenly stops again, and we’re now standing in front of a tall iron gate.