I still stood in the middle of the clearing, and looked around. I was surrounded by trees, and the undergrowth was too thick for me to see very far. I looked up in the sky, and guessed it to be early morning. That gave me most of day to figure out how to survive down here.

The restrictions. A simple set of rules to cut down on the interference of my children with the life of Terrene. It prevents the kids from dicking around with the others’ creations, because it limits influence. Giving out a weapon of divine power, staying too long, or causing trouble, and the restriction flairs up. Who knew my kids would take that so badly?

Now on to the matters at hand. What are the things needed to survive if you are mortal? Food, I think? Is that what my body is craving? Lucky me, I’m standing on grass, and I know animals eat it, why can’t I?

I squated down, and grabbed some of the grass beneath me, ripped it up, and started to chew it. And then I spat it out.

Okay, I can’t eat grass. Good to know. Wish I could though, it would have made my life easier. I guess I’ll have to keep trying things until I find something I can eat.

I stood up and walked around the clearing, to see if there was anything that could be useful. As I walked around, I kept my ears peeled into the distance, to hear if anything was coming this way. And I heard nothing.

Okay, I may not have many experiences on Terrene, but I know I should hear something. This is all too silent. I should hear birds, small animals, even insects, but this is all too silent for me. Even if the wildlife was scared off by my ‘arrival’, I should hear something. What’s going-

I suddenly found myself discovering the taste of dirt, and not particularly enjoying it. I lifted myself up, and turned to look at what I tripped over. What I found was a simple steel spatha, lacking any decoration, in a simple black scabbard. Next to it, hidden in the long grass, was a wooden parmula, also lacking decorations. Next to the parmula, I saw some sturdier looking clothes, a bandolier of knives, a canteen of water, and a sack full of dried meat with hard…..bread I think? I wish I saw that sooner. The taste of grass is still in my . I looked up at the sky, and smiled, knowing my children decided to help me out before they left.

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I changed into my new gear, strapped on my sword and shield, and looked down at myself. Simple brown leather boots, the same pants, and a faded green linen shirt. Over that, I now had a worn looking leather breastplate and hood, with a cuise for my legs. I have to admit, my children had good taste, and the fact that it was worn made it clearly less desirable. It almost makes me want to cry, knowing the youngest of my children had common sense. Apparently, that has been in short supply among my kids. After I finished adm- I mean, checking over my equipment, I turned to the last thing my children left me. A lyre and strap, roughly the size of my shield. I picked it up, and strummed it.

And I laughed, the first laugh I had since I became mortal. And it was for a stupid reason too, but I couldn’t stop. I felt like all of the stress that had been building up since I got here just wash away. As the chuckling subsided, and strummed the lyre again, and laughed. And I thought my gift might have rubbed off on them, but nope. Couldn’t tune an instrument between them if they tried. I sat down and chuckled again, and started tuning it. A few minutes later, I stood up again, a softer smile on my lips as I strummed it again, this time in tune. I loved music, any form of it. Over time, I saw the races on Terrene discover music as well, and I learned their versions too. I liked the lyre, had a good sound.

It’s too bad my powers are sealed though. I could show these mortals a thing or two about music. Well anyway, I think it’s time to start moving. I have no clue where the nearest village is though. Guess I’ll just pick a direction and go that way. Have to find the key sometime, right? And east is giving me a feeling. The key and I are linked, after all.

The Key and I, since we were one, are linked. I get a really vague guess of what direction it is in time to time, but that’s about it. And right now, that’s east. So as I start walking that way, I started to strum my lyre, and began to sing a traveling song I learned from the nomads.

“When I wake up, well, I know I'm gonna be

I'm gonna be the man who wakes up next to you

When I go out, yeah, I know I'm gonna be

I'm gonna be the man who goes along with you.”

And I left the clearing, and continued to sing, as I took my first steps into the new-old world.