Bread. It smells like a fresh loaf of bread. That’s not what my house smells like. How odd. Oh. Right. I’m not at my house anymore. I’m in a new world. I died in my old world. And now I’m here. Waking up for the first time and smelling bread. It makes sense, we are above a bakery after all.

Checking the bed beside me it seems Wren is already up and somewhere else. He’s always been an early riser. A go-getter. Talkative and outgoing. Different from me. I’ve never been able to just endlessly talk like him. I may be able to bring in my input every now and then, but talking with new people is tough.

Ever since arriving in this world, it feels like it’s been nonstop. We did so much despite it having been only one day here. Staying in Alicia’s home is nice. It has given me a chance to relax. Relax and let my stress from when I first entered this world begin once more. It’s funny how you can shove that kind of stuff aside if you need to. But when you calm down it all rushes back in. Your worries and doubts. Your concerns.

Isabella. Are you alright? I’m sorry for leaving you behind. I hope you can manage without me. My little sister has always been my concern. And now that I can’t look after her I don’t know what will happen to her. It’s scary. But I have to come to terms with the fact that I can’t do anything about it.She’s in an entirely separate world now. Who knows if I’ll get to see her ever again? For now I just have to get moving.

Climbing out of bed I take a look around the room. It’s nice, homely. Alicia and Daniel, her husband, are both very nice. The room seems to reflect that. It welcomes and comforts me. Just like them. I wonder if they are what having good parents feels like.

Heading downstairs, the smell of the bread only gets stronger. Daniel is humming while he works, getting more bread started for later in the day. He has a build like he could be an adventurer. A tall frame with broad shoulders and large arms. And yet when you see him you know he could be no such thing. There isn’t a single scar on his face and he always seems to smile. He has a rather round belly and seems altogether friendly. A gentle giant if you will.

“Good morning.”

He turns around with a little bit of a jump. “Ha, ya surprised me there! Good morning Javi. I hope ya slept well. Was the bed comfy enough for ya? Probably better than what ya use in the mountains eh?” He had a loud voice. Boisterous, energetic, and honest. A hint of an accent similar to the one had by the man at the warehouse. I can’t help but like him.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“I slept well, thank you. Your beds are very nice. Do you know where Wren went off to?”

“Oh, that boy said he wanted to explore the town. Wander around a bit. Said he’d be back at some point. I’m sure it wouldn’t be too hard to find him, the town’s not that large.” Better to leave him alone. He takes walks when he wants to be alone.

“I think I’ll just stay here. I like a slow start to my morning. Need any help?”

“Why, I would love some help! Just come over here and grab a rolling pin. Alicia never has time to help me in the morning, she heads off to accept a job first thing. Wish she wasn’t in such a rush. Guess old habits die hard.” I grab a rolling pin and help him get the rest of his dough ready for the day. He chats as we work and I find my mind wandering into empty space. Going past concerns and stress and just letting everything flow over me. It feels good to just use my hands and clear my mind.

A bell rings as the front door gets opened, snapping me out of my trance. “Daniel! I’m back!”

“Get back here boy! Ya friend is up now too!” Wren walks back into the kitchen and sees me working away. “Hey man, how you doing?”

Pausing, I look at him. While we joke around and jostle each other a lot he is my best friend. He knew I was still concerned. I met his eye. “I’m doing better.” An honest answer. “Good, don’t forget we need to visit the Union. You think you’ll be ready soon?”

I look over at Daniel. “Oh, you are free to leave whenever you want. Though I’d like it if ya could wait just a moment.” He headed over to his big oven and opened it up. “Oh good!” Pulling out a tray he showcases a large loaf of bread. “This is for ya. Ya’ll need it if ya want a long and fulfilling day. Should be enough for both of ya and ya mentor.” Wren approached it quickly and reached a hand out. “Not so quick! Let it cool down a touch first. For now go and get ya bags upstairs. Alicia and I threw in a couple extra things to help ya out.”

Checking upstairs, there was a bag for each of us. It contained a canteen, some bandages, a short sword, and a side holster for it.. All inside a tightly fitting sling bag. These two were really too generous. We’re going to need to repay them at some point. Coming back down with our bags the bread was now nicely wrapped up. “Alright boy, have a great day and be careful. Monsters are a dangerous sort and I don’t want ya getting hurt. Ya don’t seem too experienced after all.” He then slid over to me and gave me a handful of coins. “This is for this morning. Good work deserves good pay. I appreciate it.” I clutched the coins tightly. I may have lost my home in my last world but I think I want to build a new one here. And these people are the start of it.