Chapter 1: Stranded

"This... is... buuuuuullshiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!~" Gregory cried.

The waves of the ocean were unrelentedly breaking against the beach, leaving wet sand as they retracted back into the wide body of water – blue as far as the eye could see.

At first he was excited and curious how he could have teleported, or if this was maybe some ridiculously detailed dream...

.. He was strongly opposed to that idea though.

Definitely not a dream. He could see his hands and various other rich details, and decided that it was too much for a dream.

Either I died, and this is my new life... as an adult again... wearing the same clothes I did dying... or I got teleported.

Yeah, teleported seems about right.

He had checked and his clothes were exactly what he would anticipate them to be, there was no indication that anything significant had happened to him whatsoever. One moment he was at home, nodding off, but instead of waking up in his sofa – he suddenly found himself in a completely different environment.

He was pretty sure that humanity had yet to develop teleportation, even considering possible military secrets that were ahead, technology-wise.

And yet, teleportation seems to have happened.

Walking down the fine white sand of the beach, his earlier enthusiasm had quickly faded, and been exchanged for exasperation and dejection – and that was how he had gotten here. Admonishing in the general direction of the ocean.

Is this what happens to missing people who got spirited away?

What if this becomes some kind of Robinson Crusoe survival story, and I have to forage and build defences and everything...

He paused

...

"Ungraspable, unthinkable and extremely bothersome!"

Bothersome was his primary feeling about the situation.

"Even if I find coconuts, since this seems like a somewhat tropical climate, how would I open them? How much food is there even in a coconut..?"

Would he have to open 15 per day to sustain himself or something like that?

His eyes grew distant as he pondered over his situation.

And then what... you can't even survive eating one type of food. Except maybe potatoes.

His shoes and socks were in his left hand. They had gotten sand in them after only a few steps, and it was better to walk bare-footed.

If this is an island I will have to explore for a clean source of water as well. There could also be rocky hills and cliffs I would have to climb... His thoughts trailed off

"Again, this is such bullshit..."

This time his voice was not as loud, and he looked down and spoke to himself instead of declaring and venting out to mother nature.

He sighed and rubbed his brows to release some stress.

Then he quickly rubbed his eyes and pulled himself together.

"Nothing more to it. Just gotta get it together and get down to it."

As quirky as his own monologue was getting, Gregory didn’t really notice. He wasn't really thinking about what he was saying, or his turn of phrase, not really trying to make clear points to someone else.

He was simply talking to help his feelings and process of thought along, as he suddenly found himself on this lonely beach.

Much of modern humanity would probably have considered the beach a small paradise.

A slight breeze made the leaves of the palm trees lightly rustle, their thin leaves making a soft, treble sound, with the rumbling of the rolling waves providing a bass track in the background that somehow called out to a deep, primal part of humans.

It was quite warm. When he first arrived he was quickly prompted to take his sweater off - also rolling up sleeves and pants' legs - after only walking a few steps.

"If arrived even the proper term. Wouldn't arriving suggest that you first traveled?" He grumbled to himself.

As far as he knew, he hadn't really traveled, he suddenly just... was here.

As he thus found himself in a dramatically altered environment, he quickly went from a modern city look to a beach style of carrying his shoes and brown sweater.

A lone man in the company of palm trees, a few sparsely placed, dark basalt rocks, various bushes, beach shrubbery and billions of grains of sand.

The antagonist of the current story was the sun. Gregory was getting quite thirsty already, even if it hadn't been that long.

One of the better tricks of survival would probably be to avoid getting agitated or stressed out, taking things at a steady pace.

"GOSH! Why is it so hot!? Would it really be that much trouble to get a few clouds. Maybe a cooler breeze from the sea that wasn't hot and dry like this one blowing across the beach..."

"Sure would be nice with a cool glass of soda with ice. Or some freshly pressed tropical fruits..." he grumbled.

"Maybe that should be my goal, eh? Find pineapples and mango... I'm mostly in the mood for guava though"

"HEELLO!? ANYONE OUT THERE!? PREFERABLY WITH REFRIGERATION!"

"No luck, eh? Is this the moment in life where I turn religious? Oh, great Star Master and Universe Holder, may I beseech thee for the slightest turn of fortune. I need but a brief moment of respite, a tiniest of blessings."

...

"MAYBE SOMETHING ELSE THAN THIS UTTER BULLSHIT

He had to huff and puff a bit

"Ok... no more shouting."

It was tiresome enough to walk in the sand. Feet somewhat sliding with each step. The ground displaced by the force exerted.

If Gregory had known more about sand, he would have suspected the presence of coral out in the waters – judging by the type of sand. He didn't though.

Maybe I should walk inland instead of following the beach.

I could easily get lost though, and it would reduce visibility a lot. Unless there's a lot less growth than what it seems like.

Even if he was walking and tackling the situation with some measure of sobriety, the restlessness was still getting to him.

I wonder what fruits are in season. Since I only went abroad for short vacations, I never bothered to learn which months they harvest what.

Please, let there be guava...

Guava grows on trees, right? Or wait, hold a minute, what about this...

Even if I find civilization, refrigerated fruit, the whole shebang... Can I even pay?

People who live in these types of regions tend to be pretty chill, so they might treat me to a few fruits, maybe some rice in the evening. Mooch off them for a little bit, then try to hitch a ride to a city and find english speaking people, an embassy, maybe do a few simple jobs to get there.

Could this be California? Canary Islands? Hawaii? Getting to speak English would make it a lot easier. The more touristy the spot, the better, probably.

I don't carry any cash, and since I don't have my passport I will have to apply for that at the embassy.

... What if they asked what happened?

I'd have to make up some excuse. Not like I can tell them that, well I suddenly found myself here. That kind of story would be something you might tell a dedicated investigation maybe, not some poor sods working at the embassy.

If I get investigated I can try revealing the truth, otherwise it's going to be made up stories and excuses.

Could I have gone insane? Blanked out? Brain tumor? Visiting a hospital for some scans and tests probably also is a priority.

No use worrying about that now though. What I should be worrying about now is water.

- Where would water be? Best case scenario, there's a stream that flows out into the sea right around that rocky corner in front of me.

I'll go stand on one of those rocks to get a bit of height, and hopefully there's a long straight of beach and I'll spot water there.

Haven't really seen anything in the stretch I've gone so far, so statistics could be in my favor here. After a whole lotta nothing, there'll be something, right?

Maybe there's even a wide, flat bay, so that I can see really far. Maybe find a bottle floating around that I could fill with whatever water I find.

Where would water be elsewhere..? Maybe something like a spring by a cliff, or maybe a creek running down some kind of elevation.

If I don't spot anything soon by the beach, I should probably look for a hill. I guess a pond in the forest holds fresh water better than a beach.

I'm starting to get sick of walking in the sand as well. Some firm ground would be nice.

While considering matters of survival while walking, Gregory was now approaching the corner where his current beach straight, and also his visibility, ended.

There were some large brushes under the palm trees where the sandline broke for vegetation. Or were they small trees with brushlike foliage?

Some small crabs and other critters were skittering across the sand, avoiding the larger rocks where larger crab predators and the like might be waiting in ambush.

Unlike the small animals, Gregory did not fear ambush at all, but he froze in place as he rounded the brushes while glancing around for an appropriate rock to stand on.

There was something there.

Better yet, there was someone there.

Turning to his left, he had spotted a deer and a man by the edge of the forest ahead.

The man had been bent down, doing something in the forest, but sensing the deer's reaction of looking over, he turned to look as well.

The deer was idly chewing, and the man raised his eyebrows as he took in the random stranger.

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They weren't far, Gregory could make out the man's facial features well. Sunburnt skin, creases making lines in his face, thoroughly greyed hair...

The deer seemed... exotic. No species that he recognized.

"Hello there!" he waved and showed empty hands – except the shoes and socks he held in one.

For good measure he also lowered his head a bit and nodded in a meek gesture, to further emphasize a non-threatening stance.

Waiting in place for a brief moment, the graying man brushed his hands off and hailed him back - with an appropriately raised voice for the distance and the sound of the waves in the background.

"Greetings, traveler"

The tone seemed decently warm and friendly enough, so Gregory took it as his cue to approach.

"Hey, what's going on? Mind if I sit here for a bit?"

"As you please, there's plenty of beach for the both of us," the man responded and put his hands on his hips while glancing into the various shrubbery to his side.

"I'm looking for tuberous roots. Thought it would be a decent evening snack with a few roasted ones."

"Oh..? I'm not familiar with them. But it beats coconuts, eh?"

Gregory groaned as he sat down, appreciative of a moment's rest.

The loose sand proved to be a decent place to sit, even if it wasn't the best for walking.

He looked at the deer rolling its lower jaw as it was chewing.

What species is that anyway? With weirdly patterned fur and rugged horns? Probably eliminates California as a location.

Unless this is some kind of eccentric that keeps exotic animals.

So Africa then..? Or South America maybe? Both places have some funky animals. But that's true for Southeast Asia as well.

At least I got real lucky and met someone who speaks English.

While he was pondering, the man had been poking through some of the brushes and now came back, brushing his hands.

"Nice shoes," he gestured with a nod

"I'm afraid I will be needing them. I'm traveling, and it wouldn't do to hurt my feet right now," Gregory jested with a slight smirk.

The man scoffed in reply. "I have my own already"

Those leather scraps sown together could probably be considered shoes. Patchy and well worn. Fitting for some kind of an eccentric with a love for cheap leatherworking.

"I'm Greg," he offered his hand where he sat, and offered a smile along with his greeting

Taking his hand in a firm grasp, the reply was simple:

"Pleased"

...

"So where are ye headed?"

"To be honest, I'm lost at the moment. I've been travelling pretty far, and for some reason I thought it would be a good idea to not go by road."

"Ye're looking a bit worse for wear, seems about right."

Gregory hadn't actually walked very far, the truth was that he wasn't actually that travel-hardened, and the stress had affected him to the point of reaching his current, somewhat rugged state.

It was to his benefit that those who travel off roads, along rugged, untrodden paths, tend to look after eachother, and the man he encountered was friendly – albeit curt.

"If you could somehow point me the way to civilization, that would be a great help. Maybe there's something like a city nearby?

If it's far, then I might need to get some water as well."

"We are on our way to a watering hole to the northwest of here, 'can go there and then head to town."

"Ah, much appreciated..." Gregory was feeling multiple sorts of relief by now.

"Are there more travelers in your party..?"

"Nah, 'ts just me and Paddy here" the man replied with a smile and a pat for his companion

What dialect is that? Guess this should be something like South Africa then..?

"I was just thinking that I've just about had it with walking along this beach. What sort of path do you think we will take there?

And how long do you think you'll want to spend gathering, here?"

"I got a few tubes already, we'll leave once ye had yer break," the man said, brandishing a smile

It was only now that Gregory noticed the decently sized sling bag the man was carrying.

This seems like quite the cool and handsome wanderer figure. Maybe I'll be some kind of eccentric like this some day.

Hopefully not too soon.

Mr Cool wanderer turned and pointed down the beach

"A short bit over, there's a section of the forest which has firmer ground and less trees and bushes to walk around.

We'll make our path there to the northwest."

"Alright, let's go" Greg huffed and stood up from his spot

He was already thirsty, there was no use dallying. It could potentially even get him in trouble, depending on how far their destination was.

He grabbed his shoes and wobbled over to a wide walk of the beach, the graying man following the forest line to his left, with the deer following shortly behind – clearly trailing the man and mostly ignoring Greg.

"Do you happen to have a sense of distance to this drinking spot? A watering hole, you said..?"

" 'ts a fairly brief walk. It's a bit further to the town, but we should be there well before sunset. Can take a break at the watering hole as well."

"Here's our turn."

They walked off the beach, and into the shade of some trees. The shade felt quite pleasant compared to being out in the sun, even if it was a bit stuffy from the lack of wind.

The various vegetation and dead reeds were sharp on Gregory's feet, but now he was not lost. He was not alone. The burden was considerably lessened – even while thirsty and probably set to do quite a bit of walking.

Brushing his feet, waving his socks, taking them and the shoes on, and trying to get comfortable in his shoes again, he prepared to wander.

He was not in particularly good shape, but he was familiar with walking. When he had been hiking or traveling abroad, it wouldn't have been odd for him to wear a backpack, maybe get lost for a bit and have to check maps while progressively making his way forward.

Considering the situation he was somewhat comfortable, even if some wild plants got in the way while walking, and a few grains of sand shafed in his shoes.

There wasn't much conversation going between the two men. They trodded on like wanderers did, tackling steps and small obstacles along their route.

Part of it was probably because after a while of marching through the junglelike forest, Gregory's mind was mostly set on quenching his thirst.

God, I'm so thirsty! My lips and tongue feel all dry, and as if they stick together.

He tried smacking his tongue and lips a bit to try to shake the feeling.

" 'ts not far now. Only a bit further."

Gregory glanced at the man walking slightly ahead of him. He hadn't really intended to make sounds like he was complaining or anything.

Sure, he thought [ARE WE THERE YET?] to himself, and he might've sighed crossing that fallen log earlier...

But he wouldn't complain to his guide and temporary companion.

A big leaf managed to slap him in his face and he groaned.

His patience with walking somewhat failing him, he tried his hand at some conversation again.

"So do you travel like this a lot? Are you from any village or city nearby?"

"Nah, I like sleeping under the open skies. Prefer the tree crowd over the people crowd."

"Which big city are we nearby, by the way? I'm not really sure how far north I went." Gregory was trying to fish for information.

Considering the beach line, their direction and that the watering hole was to the northwest – his story was that he had been south of here going somewhat northwards.

He wasn't sure what the time was, so he couldn't get a good grip of where south was compared to the sun, but it would roughly fit the narrative.

"Tersville, to the east, would be the nearest proper city."

... Tersville? No idea where that would be.

Probably Africa. A -ville ending is more English than Spanish. Unless he said Tursvil or something.

This was tricky.

"May I ask what your occupation is, or would that be rude?"

"I'm a wanderer. I mostly just make do with nature. Sometimes I might sell some fruits or mushrooms I foraged in a town or a village."

"Oh yeah? Got any tip how to spot a lethal mushroom native to this region?"

The man's whole face seemed to tilt, as he gave him an askew look.

"You'd probably do best to avoid anything with a skirt in this area. Also anything too weird in appearance.

A leg, a hat, no skirt, and bring them to someone else so they can inspect them."

Gregory chuckled, "Thank you for being considerate with a foreigner like myself."

"... How about berries?"

"For berries you'd best get a book and learn it. Also best found north of the plains."

"In the north, yeah? How about fruits? Any wild ones around where we are at? I didn't really see anything except for coconuts and a fig tree I assume was pretty much inedible."

"Unless you're an animal, yeah. We passed plenty more good stuff than that though.

... Like right here."

He went off into some large leaves that seemed to cling to a host tree, hunched over and started lifting, looking, picking...

A few moments later and he came back with some flat balls with dark skin. They were a bit like an oddly shaped plum.

"Try this." A fruit was swiftly passed. Then he gave one to the deer and started eating one himself, having to slurp a bit because of the juiciness.

Gregory's eyebrows scrunched, but it seemed like an agreeable idea to eat it.

After taking a first bite his eyebrows were kept scrunched as he was holding the fruit up and looking at it while chewing.

In some ways it felt good, but in some ways...

It tasted a bit like sapodilla. The flesh was a somewhat transparent brown inside, and the appearance was in many ways similar to a plum.

The texture was a little bit more mealy though, and although in many ways it could be considered an appetizing fruit - there was one big issue.

His mouth felt really dry! Even if the fruit was juicy, the sensation of his tongue being dry was almost too much to bear at the moment.

"Thanks, it's good. But I really need that water right about now." he complained with a grimace.

"Almost there, ye see the ground sloping." The guide for their excursion seemed to get a burst of energy to be of service when he noticed the clear discomfort on Greg's face, briskly taking off while eating his fruit.

The deer flicked one of its ears in annoyance.

Gregory was grateful for the pace, but luckily it really was close to their destination.

He threw his sweater off his shoulder, to the side and went down on all fours and started scooping and splashing water.

The sweet relief of water! He thanked the heavens for their blessing, internally.

Enjoying himself in his moment of bliss, he was observed by someone curiously looking at him while feeding the deer another fruit.

Having drunk and splashed to his heart's content, he parted from the shores he now considered holy to sit down with a heavy sigh. Only now finishing the last of his fruit.

I'm not going to catch some dangerous amoeba from these waters, right? Nah, probably only food poisoning, but I can deal with extended toilet visits later.

"Ye don't carry a water bottle?"

Gregory started, and for two reasons. One, he was surprised at being reminded someone else was with him, and two, it was a tricky inquiry for him to respond to.

There was an awkward pause.

Then he decided that it was best to talk.

"You caught me, old man. A folly, a mistake, a blunder... Maybe it would be good if I could claim the foolishness of youth, but honestly I probably should've known better.

Maybe I was spoilt with leading a too easy life, and now I was caught by surprise as things played out a bit unexpectedly."

Unexpected is the least you could call it. Why the fuck am I here..?

The middle-aged man nodded.

"I'm going to get my walking stick I left over here. Patty will keep you company for a bit."

He turned to the deer, gestured to the water and then walked off to the side.

The young man's joyous moment had quickly turned dour. Sometimes giving certain thoughts and problems too much light of the day would only cause distress.

That's how he decided that he should just try to go with the flow. Unnecessary worry would only be another burden, and he disliked burdens.

I'm traveling, it's not so bad. People pay plenty of money to get to travel. Once I hit civilization again, I can visit a hospital and get myself checked out. Sneaky brain tumors or the like are no joke.

No use in me worrying, I can't do anything about it anyway. I'll let the doctors think, while I just travel for a bit.

The deer had finished eating and was now drinking by the shore of the watering hole.

Sometimes dipping its head down, sometimes having its head up to look around. Gregory thought that it almost seemed like it was eyeing him suspiciously sometimes.

Then it turned its head to the foliage and brushes to the side while turning its ears like antennas looking to find a signal, and soon Gregory heard it as well.

Rustling leaves, from the man returning.

He turned some branches and leaves aside with a sunburnt hand with rough palms and dirt under his nails, as he popped into their clearing. A normal appearance for an outback traveler.

"Ah, there we go. Good to have, these things" he waved a walking stick made of worn wood and seemed to be in a mirthful mood. His smile seemed to match the lighter tones of gray in his hair.

He deftly handled the stick of apparent importance, as he bent down and filled a traveler's flask he brought forward from behind his back.

His flask looks like something you'd see in a desert expedition in a movie. I wonder if this guy has an Indiana Jones fantasy or something like that. He might look good in a hat and leather jacket.

"Is it better to keep your flask on your back than at your side?"

The man plugged the flask and turned to him while crouching.

"Tightly strapped and secure, 'ts the best. Wouldn't want it swinging around."

I'd prefer a good backpack, Gregory thought as he idly glanced around as he sat.

"How long do you think we should rest?"

The man pointed across the pond, "Over there the water flows out. I was going to head there to water my feet. After that we can head to the village"

Village? Wasn't it a town?

Gregory still had some grit stuck in his socks, so washing their feet before continuing sounded like a great plan.

Heading over there and wading in, the water felt surprisingly cool and refreshing. It was like his feet had gotten swollen before, but that was alleviated now.

He was a bit entranced as he grunted, "Yeah, that's the good stuff... Washing your feet is seriously a great thing."

The man, on the other hand, acted more out of habit – having the movements of established routine in rubbing his feet.

The deer also joined them, walking out into the flowing creek and standing there.

A few unlikely traveling companions that stood out in nature like colorful flowers contrasting monotone green leaves.

One in modern clothing. One in simple linen cloths, that were soft from the wear and grime of travel. One in magnificent patterned fur.

Small sufferings turned into sweet moments of respite, as the cycle of life goes.

Putting his socks back on his wet feet was a bit uncomfortable, but they were soon on their way.

"So it's good for us to reach the village before it gets dark?"

"It's a bit bothersome to walk or do stuff, unless the moonlight is strong."

"What do you do if rain surprises you?"

"Make a simple leaning shelter if it's raining. Wrap my cloak around me."

"Oh, that sling bag seems to fit a lot of stuff then."

He got a scoff in reply. "I stashed it. Too warm now anyway"

Interesting guy, using the world as his storage space. What is he, a squirrel? I wonder if everything is around the watering hole, or if he has all kinds of deposits all over the jungle.

The water had energized Gregory, and he even felt a bit excited now. Which also meant a bit more chatting as they walked.

It didn't take them long to clear the forest and reach some open areas where there was a road.

They approached the road and took to their right.

This direction should be somewhere east:ish... probably...

It was easier to walk the road. It was trampled dirt, and a lot more even than the forest.

It was also a lot calmer. He had been surprised by how lively the forest had been. Lizards, rodents, birds... He had seen quite a few of them.

In Gregory's experience, being outdoors in the woods you'd hear some sounds in the distance, some grass or brush rustling as you passed, but you wouldn't necessarily see or properly encounter many animals.

I guess that's what the real wilds are like. When humans haven't pushed nature away. There were so many butterflies too!

And luckily not many mosquitoes...

As they kept walking, he noticed that these plains where a bit different from where they had come out from.

Some of the trees and bushes seem more like something you'd see in mediterranean or temperate climate.

So this region is probably mediterranean then, and there's this random white dude here with a deer. I guess I'm around some weird part of like the red sea or something. That's mediterranean, right? Or is this sub-tropical? Maybe something like North Africa... Do they have weird types of deer in like areas around Jordan, Turkey and whatever those countries are..?

He decided to try more queries

"Is English your preferred language? Do you speak a bunch of them?"

"English..? Nah, I'm a simple talker, the few times I do speak."

That's unhelpful... It's difficult to shake good information out of this guy. Except when it comes to traveling and foraging.

He's already given me quite a bit of helpful tips for that... Well you never know, I might need it.

They were getting closer to some big brown bushes, when he noticed them moving in the distance. Then he realized that they weren't brushes – they were animals out grazing complacently.

"WHAT IS THAT!?"

"Oh it's the Tizon. There's quite a lot of them in these parts."

"You're saying that they're common!? They seem rare to me... really rare... never even heard of them before rare."

"Well if you're not from around here...", the wanderer shrugs

After walking for about another twenty minutes Gregory was decided.

These odd flowers and trees... seem too different from just being the oddities of sub-tropical climate.

Those tizon were large animals as well. Not like some overlooked rare species of antelope or whatnot.

He decided he needed to try a different type of conversation with his fellow wanderer

Clearing his throat he glanced around innocently and asked "Have you ever thought of becoming a wizard?"

"Nah, never saved up enough coin for a tuition. Don't think I'd be good with studying either. I'm happy with where I am at..."

It was as such Gregory found himself in a bit of shock.