Adam only needed a few days to test his hypothesis, and he did so by asking Baran the easiest and most straightforward question he could think of.

"No, I don't know of a kingdom called that. Sounds very far away for it to be so foreign to me." Baran had said when Adam asked if the bald man knew about his home country.

Adam then asked the name of the world, and Baran immediately gave him an answer. This world was not Earth. It was called The Tapestry.

It was a descriptive yet vague name, leaving the young man wanting, but Adam took the answers for what they were. Confirmation. Thus, he asked no more for now.

The days passed without much incident. Adam recovered from his fatigue, recuperating much of his physical strength from before he was swept away from his old life. However, his mind was scarred and his powers remained weak. Memories often haunted his sleep, pulling him into nightmares where he relived the deaths of his parents in detail.

Adam spent the days locked in his room as he tried to come to terms with his mental state. Thankfully, his two saviors didn't seem to mind the fact that he had proven himself otherwise useless. Fred would often bring him breakfast and dinner, while Baran would sometimes spend lunch with the young man inside the room.

Their hospitality was welcomed, and expected. Adam knew their minds and felt their thoughts. The men were aware of his grief, and were more than happy and willing to help him overcome it.

Adam needed to grieve, and so he did, but the human mind also wanted another kind of reprieve. Fresh air.

When Baran and Fred made their latest visit, Adam was quick to ask for a chance to go outside. This came as a surprise to the two men, but it was nonetheless granted. Fred volunteered to take Adam on a tour, only to be reminded by Baran that he had a busy schedule for the day.

And thus it was Baran who toured Adam around Port Silvershore.

Stepping out onto the cobblestone streets felt surreal to Adam. He knew that such streets still existed on another continent back home, but he merely read about them in textbooks or saw them online through pictures and videos. To walk over them was another experience altogether.

His previous clothes could no longer do, hence he now wore a tunic and trouser made from linen. They were gifts from Baran, another token of their hospitality. He hadn't had a chance to look at himself in a mirror, but he was certain he looked like any other who called Port Silvershore home.

As the two made their way from the salty winds and fishy smells of the docks towards the city proper, Adam marveled at the architecture. The buildings were built in rows, like decorated walls carved and shaped as either houses or shops. They were built from wood, stone, brick, and clay, with many having clothes swaying against open windows or underneath ropes that crossed above the street.

The people here were busy with errands, either business or chores. Men and women went about their day, pulling wagons, bringing boxes, buying from the many stalls that lined the edges of the street, or cleaning.

Children played in the middle of the streets, occasionally bumping into an irate passerby or a quiet elder. Many didn't seem to mind their rowdy escapades.

That said, many eyes glanced at their direction, specifically looking at Baran who occasionally waved a hand or bellowed a greeting. Baran knew a lot of people, it seemed, or maybe it was the other way around.

Adam, on the other hand, was ignored, and he was thankful.

As the two made their way through the crowded streets, Adam found himself swimming over a sea of emotions, of minds both young and old. They had their own wants and needs, their own thinking and beliefs, and yet they formed this greater whole. A tide of humanity, of complex and unique lives.

"So," Baran said as they walked down a particularly crowded street. It led to a packed plaza filled with stalls and their merchants advertising their wares and calling out to any and all potential customers, "How's the city so far?"

Adam turned to look at Baran, "It's... busy. A bit different from what I'm used to." Adam was referring to the fact that traffic consisted of people, wagons, and the occasional horse, mule, or donkey. The fact that there were no cars speeding about or trams rolling in the middle of the streets gave Adam an odd feeling.

"That's why it's called the new frontier by those back in the mainland. It has a lot of opportunities for everyone. Especially for newcomers like you."

Adam took another look around before nodding.

"Keep a keen eye on your surroundings though. You already don't have much, but you might still lose something." Baran warned.

"Thieves?" Adam asked.

"Pickpockets, but yeah. They're a good many here. Unfortunately the Street Guard don't care for them much as long as nobody dies, or unless you're one of the wealthy asshats."

Focusing the mind to help with enhancing his telepathy was one of Adam's favorite things to do with his power. Not only did it greatly enhance his telepathic ability allowing him to know much more about the people he's reading, but it also helped him calm down.

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

Adam felt the minds of the crowd around him, sensing the surface of their thoughts, the waves of their emotions, and the undercurrent of their desires. From these simple things, he deduced the mood of many, and the needs and wants of a few. There were some who yearned for better days, while their were others who wished for the day to be nothing special, content with what they had.

As expected, however, Adam sensed a small few with anxious thoughts over an undercurrent of potential violence. These were the pickpockets. They were desperate and frightened, their minds addled by anxiety. Their wills were firm, for they were sure that they had no other choice.

Adam's eyes befell one of the pickpockets making his way through the middle of the crowded street. He weaved between the waves of people with eyes that scanned for opportunity and threats. Adam pitied him.

The pickpocket was no man, but a mere boy of at least eleven years. He wore a patchwork mess of a ragged and brown tunic and a pair of shorts. The boy's body fared no better with his skinny physique and bruised and dried skin. His sunken and swollen eyes met Adam's gaze, as if feeling that he was being watched.

The boy felt a spike of fear pierce his heart. He quickly tried to disappear into the crowd, fearing that he had been caught before he could have done anything.

Adam, on the other hand, followed the boy's presence with his telepathy.

"Adam?" Baran called, confused as to why the young man had stopped and stood in the middle of the street.

"There's a boy in need of help." Adam said with eyes that stared into the distance.

"A boy?" Baran asked, confused.

Shouts filled the air as the crowd turned to look at the source. The boy had bumped into someone in the crowd, spilling them both onto the ground.

"Thief!" A voice exclaimed a few seconds later.

Adam felt the boy burst into a frantic run. Adam quickly made his way towards the now gathered group of spectators who were huddled around a middle-aged looking man in a red and decorative suit. He had just regained his footing.

"Thief! He stole one of my pouches. Where are the guards!? Guards!"

As if on cue, two members of the so-called Street Guard made their way towards the man. They were clad in a green tabard over a length of chainmail. Each had a sword sheathed around their waist. Adam saw no non-lethal weaponry on their person, and it made him frown.

After listening to the victim describe his predicament and the appearance of the boy responsible, one of the guards quickly ran in pursuit while the other remained behind.

"See?" Baran said as he watched the scene unfold, "Thief. Poor kid."

"What will happen to him?" Adam asked, fearing the answer.

"If he's caught? Will lose an arm. Then his parents will be forced to pay twice the sum their kid stole."

Adam's frown deepened. "That's unreasonable!"

Baran shrugged, "It's the law."

Adam felt that the boy had already achieved quite the distance, leaving the pursuing guard with little time to catch up. That said, Adam wasn't keen on doing nothing and allowing the chance for a child to lose an arm.

Laws were meant to be followed, not unless they went against humanity.

An audible thud sounded in the distance, the sound of chainmail crashing against stone. The guard in pursuit found himself kissing the ground and holding a broken nose. The boy had escaped, melting away into the crowded streets and towards wherever it was he called home.

Content, Adam removed his telepathic focus on the boy and returned his attention to his immediate surroundings. He found Baran looking at him with a curious and concerned gaze.

"You tripped the guard, didn't you?" Baran asked calmly.

Adam looked back at his rescuer and guide in silence, allowing his eyes to speak what he meant. Baran sighed, looking away in quiet acceptance.

Adam felt good about what he did. As a psychic, he had learned to love the emotions and thoughts that made up humanity. Be they positive or negative, good or evil. From his unique vantage point, every human was a unique creature swimming in a sea of familiar strangeness. It left him content, satisfied, and hopeful.

Because from what he had seen, good dominated the human spirit. It encompassed the human mind. It made up the human soul. Humans leaned towards compassion and kindness, thus making the evil that corrupted some all the more tragic to see.

But Adam knew that the world was not so simple. It was not black and white nor was it neatly divided between right and wrong or good and evil. It was in-between, caught in a balancing act that swayed on either side. A never-ending arrangement that favored neither.

His parents, however, taught him otherwise.

Adam learned a lot along the way as he and Baran made their short trips.

The day had gone cloudy and gray when they reached the town plaza. Baran thought that the place would help Adam with its trees, flower gardens, fountains, and relative quiet. It was more like a nature park in the center of an urban landscape. That said, it was still a welcome respite.

Adam and Baran sat down on one of the many benches that stood along the edges of narrow stone paths. These paths cut through the plaza, sprawling like the roots of a tree. It was indeed a quiet place, somehow escaping the rustle and bustle of the city that surrounded it.

Birds sang unseen within the leaves and branches of thick tree canopies. The shadows they cast brought about a cool air and a gentle breeze. Adam let go of a sigh as he welcomed the tranquility of it all.

"Better?" Baran asked.

"Yeah, much better." Adam agreed as he closed his eyes.

"So you're a peaceful man, or a man of the fields and trees." Baran said, leaning back on the bench with both hands behind his head.

"It's been a rough couple of days." Adam said. His eyes did not betray the fatigue he still wore and the pain that continued to linger. Physically, he was well. Mentally and emotionally? There was still much to recover and accept.

But he was okay.

"Son, resting and getting yourself together is all fine and dandy, but sooner or later you're gonna need to pull yourself up and get on with life," Baran started, "Get a job, get paid, then find yourself a place to stay. Whatever else you want to do can wait. Things ain't over yet."

Baran spoke as if he understood what troubled the young man. Adam, meanwhile, felt pressured. That said, he understood where Baran was coming from. After all, he couldn't remain under their care forever. He needed to repay them in some way eventually.

Adam briefly considered asking to work under Baran and Fred over at the docks. The bald man seemed to sense this line of thought and was quick to dismiss it.

"And no, you can't work for me son. You're young and with talent, I ain't gonna let you waste yourself away. There's better places for you."

Adam raised a brow, "Like?"

"There's an Adventurer Guild you could try to join. The Phoenix Blades. They're a small guild back on the mainland, but they're the biggest here. A man of your talent should find it easy to join their ranks. I heard they're always looking for new recruits."

The terminology did not bode well with Adam, but he was interested nonetheless.

"What's an Adventurer Guild?" Adam asked.

Baran took a quick glance at Adam before shaking his head, as if reminding himself that the young man he was speaking to was more foreign than expected, or ignorant. Either of the two. He had never seen someone know so little of the world and he pitied him, not knowing that Adam was from another.