Two years later.
Well I wasn't dying after all! I got a little dramatic there, didn't I? Well anyway, I am now two years old. I still have the mind of my former life. My memories are still intact along with my sense of self. I am still Otto Sterrett at heart which made for a lot of trouble the first few months of this new life. As you know, my former self had an addiction. And that addiction followed me into this new life. So yes, in other words, I was an alcoholic infant! Can you imagine what it was like to be an infant going through alcohol withdrawals? I sure can because I went through them! It was hell! My stomach hurt, my head ached, I thought I was hallucinating at moments. And there was absolutely nothing I could do about it! I was a newborn, so I couldn't talk. All I could do was cry. And cry I did! For weeks whenever I was awake, I balled my eyes out. I must've put this poor woman whom I have gathered is my mother through hell. But I noticed that she never looked at me with distain. Quite the opposite in fact. She looked over me with love and comfort in her eyes. No one has looked at me like that since my family was killed back in my past life! For the most part, when my body would ache from the withdrawals, all she would have to do would be to pick me up and sing to me like she did when I first arrived in this new life. That somehow alleviated the pain enough for me to fall back to sleep. But one night, something happened that would change my view of this new situation I find myself in for the rest of my life. The night I almost died again...
That night, I awoke dripping with sweat. My breathing had became shallow, my chest felt tight, I was extremely nauseous and I felt like I was going to jump out of my own skin. Since I was an infant, there would be no jumping for me. My "mother" held me in her arms with a look of sheer panic on her face. She was yelling at a man whom I haven't seen up to this point. He seemed tall, but to me everyone is tall. He had long, light brown hair pulled back into a ponytail with dark green eyes that reminded me of emeralds. The eyes seemed familiar to me, but I couldn't place it. He was wearing a white button-up shirt that looked to be made of silk with dark pants that resembled dress pants. He also wore the same panicked expression on his face. I wondered at the time who this man was. Later, I would find out he is my father in this new life. But we will get to that soon. They were both yelling at each other. Since my rebirth, I have started to somewhat understand the meaning of certain words in their language. I am unsure how I have the ability to learn this strange language, but everyday it is almost like the words and their meanings were downloaded into my brain. For instance, the very first word I learned was "milk." When I heard that word, the former Otto that still existed inside me became excited as the woman raised me up to her. But as quickly as the excitement came, it left just as quickly when a bottle was shoved into my mouth, much to my disappointment!
This night in particular I was able to understand the words "sick," "help," and "dying." As those words came out of this woman's mouth, my heart sank. Is this it? I thought as I look up at both of them through the pain. And it was at that moment, the man turned to speak to someone just outside of my field of vision. The only word I could understand was "Cleric." It took me a second to wrap my head around that specific word, but what came into view next shocked me to my core. Another figure came into view. He was a man...at least, that's what I thought he was at first. He had a slender build and seemed to be taller than the man and woman. While the man and woman had fair skin, this new person's complexion could be considered pale. His hair was long and white. White as newly fallen snow and it almost seemed to glow. But that was when I noticed the two distinct features of this man. His irises were the color of gold, which I found peculiar. I've never encountered anyone in my past life with such an eye color. And that was when I noticed his ears. His ears protruded from underneath his white hair into a elongated point.
Pointy ears? White hair? Golden eyes? This isn't real, is it? I-Is he...human? Then it dawned on me. My situation just got way deeper than I though! Either this man is extremely good at cosplay, or he is...an elf!
The elf reached his hand over to me while I laid in the woman's arms and placed his hand on my chest. His touch was surprisingly warm considering how pale his complexion was. I couldn't believe what I was seeing as his golden eyes started to glow. As his eyes shined a brilliant golden hue, I felt something surge inside of my chest where he was touching. As sudden as that surge came upon me, the pain I was feeling all over my body vanished. My breathing returned to normal. The nausea dissipated and the tightness I felt in my chest loosened. But what really jarred my attention was the absence of the intense craving of alcohol that consumed me both in my past life and here as well. Did this...elf just heal my addiction? As he took his hand off my chest, the glow in his eyes dimmed and he gave me a smile and a nod. Then he turned to leave without saying another word and the man whom I would find out later is my father followed him. The woman, who I can gather is my mother, wiped the sweat off my face with a dampened cloth. And that was how I learned that I am no longer on Earth.
I am now two years old. I am able to control the movement of my own body now and I can even walk! I have tried exploring this new world but I've only been able to see two rooms. That is due to the woman who has been taking care of me for the past two years, my mother. Come to find out, her name is Emmelina and my name in this world is Reeve. She has only permitted me entrance into two rooms. The room where my baby bed and toys are located and my parent's room which is connected by a single door. Yes, she's a little overprotective. I have tried sneaking out into the hallway several times, but mother dearest has backup in the form of a maid named Florine who denies my attempts of exploration. But it's not all bad, I am constantly visited by another member of this new family, Evelynn. She's my older sister by seven years. Although I can now fully understand their language, I can't form complete sentences yet. That doesn't stop my sister from talking to me though. She kind of spacey at times, but she seems kind-hearted. And it really seems like she loves her younger brother.
"Reeve! Just one more year and Mother will let you come outside with me! I can't wait to show you the garden!" she excitedly says as she pats me on the top of my head.
I look up at her perplexed, "Gawden?"
She takes me by the hand and leads me to the large window in my room. Opening the curtains, she points outside. "Yes Reeve, Mother and I love our flowers. I can't wait to show you!"
As I peer out of the large window I notice we are on the second floor of a large building. My eyes are greeted by the spectacular view of a large flower garden. All of the colors I could possible think of are represented in this garden. From my vantage point, I can recognize some of the types of flowers. I can see roses, lilies, and violets. But then I see various flower types that I do not recognize. Some of them have red pedals with violet stripes among other peculiar patterns. I was not much of a botanist in my old world, but I know something that doesn't exist on Earth when I see it! In the center of the garden stands a tall fountain with a large basin. Water shoots from the top of the fountain and falls into the basin below. We have a fountain, HOW RICH ARE WE? I think to myself as my eyes follow the pathway that goes from the fountain and leads down the hillside. Far off in the distance, I can see the path leads to what looks like a small village surrounded by a forest. From this distance, I can make out that the types of building in that village are made from wood. It is hard to see any people down there from my position, but I can vaguely see what looks like covered wagons moving about if I squint my eyes. I point to the village as I look up at Evelynn.
"The village? That's Cam! It's the largest village Father is lord over." She explains to me with a proud expression.
"Lord?"
"We are nobles! Father is a Baron of the royal court. And this is our Barony, silly!" She smiles as she ruffles my hair.
Barony? What?! As try to wrap my head around this revelation, I spot two horses coming up the path towards the estate. On one of the horses rides my Father, Arnaut Hervoet. The man that I just found out is a Baron and Lord of this land. Next to him, riding on the other steed along side him is someone who can only be described as a beast person. The person seemed to be covered in grey fur because where there should be skin, such as his arms, I could only see fur. At the end of his fingers I could see black claws instead of what should be fingernails. But the most defining feature of this strange person was his head. The best way I can describe it, he has a wolf's head! As they make their way closer, I can make out his pale, blue eyes and his color pattern. His wolf-like face has white fur, but the back of his head and ears match the fur on his arms. While my Father is wearing blue dress pants with a matching long dress coat and a while shirt underneath, this wolfman must be a soldier. I've come to this conclusion because he is wearing a suit of shining steel plate armor. Complete with cuirass, pauldrons, gauntlets, and steel armor covering all of his bottom half.
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"Who that?" I point at the wolfman as he approaches.
"Oh, that's Ohms Grogdur. He's the Captain of the guard here in the Hervoet Barony. He reports to our family." She explains.
When my Father and the Captain reach the end of the pathway, which is almost directly under us, they both dismount. An attendant comes out of seemingly nowhere and grabs both of the horse's reins, leading them away as the two riders make their way towards the entrance of our estate. They then notice my sister and I watching them from the window sill and stop. My Father waves at both of us while the Captain bellows out to us, "Good evening, Ms. Evelynn! Mister Reeve!"
"Hi Father! Hi Captain Ohms! Did you have fun in town?!" She asks them while I shyly wave back to them silently.
"We didn't go to town for fun, we had a duty to preform! Totally professional!" My Father exclaimed.
"But Mother said you two were spending the day at the tavern and the bathhouse, was she wrong?"
"Um...I-It's a Lord's duty to make sure everything is running smoothly! Including the tavern and bathhouse!"
"I'm telling Mother!" She threatens Father as she sticks out her tongue.
He looks nonplussed at Captain Ohms who can only shrug his shoulders as they hurriedly make their way inside. I look up at my sister, who is now wearing a mischievous smirk on her face. I think she likes to torture our poor Father. Damn, sorry my guy! I wonder if she will be the same way with me once I grow out of my cute and innocent phase of my life. I shudder at the thought! I look at her as she ruffles my hair once more, still sporting that sinister smirk. This...is probably the calm before the storm. I guess I better be prepared to be Evelynn's new play toy once I'm a little older.
The one thing I look forward to is nighttime. This is because before I go to bed, my Father reads to me. I have found out so much information about this world ever since he started reading to me. One of the most interesting books he reads is called, "The Guidebook to the Deadliest Creatures In Aethro" in which I found out first that this world is known as Aethro. The second thing I learned is that monsters exist in this world. This world has wyverns, goblins, ogres, centaurs, minotaur, werewolves, and so much more! You name it, and you can probably find it in Aethro! There are also other races besides humans.
I've already seen Captain Ohms who I found out is part of a race called Beast-folk. Beast-folk have various subspecies. Some look more beast-like while some look more human than beast. I also met that elf cleric who healed my withdrawal symptoms two years ago. There is also a race called the Fae. From what I can surmise, they are what people back in my old world would call fairies. The illustration that accompanies the chapter regarding the Fae is very interesting. They do have the butterfly wings with a human-like appearance that one would associate with a fairy, but there is one glaring difference from my former knowledge. They grow similar in height as humans. Another thing that the Fae are known for is their magical capabilities. As far as all the known races that inhabit this world, the Fae are known as the third most powerful race when it comes to magic. The title of the most powerful and most magically well-endowed race goes the Demon race followed by the Vampire race as a close second. Demons, along with Vampires are known to be immortal. Although that does not mean they are impervious to damage, they are long-lived. Father says that the current Demon King is at least 4,000 years old. It is unclear if their infinite lifespans are the main contributor to their magical prowess, but one thing is for certain, they are not to be messed with. I can tell by how my Father speaks of Vampires and Demons that he really doesn't want to tell me much. I wonder why that is? I decide not to press the issue.
Then you have a race known as Dragonoids. So far, the only thing I know about them is how they were created. Several eons ago, there once lived dragons. These dragons were very powerful in magic and in physical combat. Ancient humans lived alongside said dragons in peace. Some of the dragons even took human form and joined humans in marriage. Over several eons, humans and dragons bred so much that what you would consider a dragon does not exist today. Now you have Dragonoids. They have a humanoid form with large, leathery wings protruding from their backs. Sharp horns adorn their head accompanied by a tail that comes out of their lower back. Other than that, not much is known about them. Orcs apparently live in this world too. From what I can put together from the book, they are large. I guess they are amongst the largest and strongest of the civilized races when it comes to brute strength. They have a humanoid body, but their faces resemble that of a boar. The book also states that they are subservient to the Elves. As to the reason for this, the book does not say.
My Father reads books like this to me every night before bed. And soon, my eyes start to become heavy. He notices this and closes the book and puts in on my nightstand. He put his hand on my shoulder and whispers, "Goodnight son." As he makes his way towards the door to their room, I can see my Mother peeking her head out from around the corner. I smile at them both wearily and say, "Goodnight Father, goodnight Mother...love you." They both look at me with a warm smile that splits my heart in two. As soon as they close their door, I roll over to my side and look out the window into the night sky. From my bed, I can see the unusual sight of two moons hanging in the starry sky. I can't believe I've been alive in this world for two whole years and it's only just now that they allow me to see the outside world! I mean, overprotective much?!
Soon, my thoughts drift back to my old life and I feel a pit in my stomach. Is it really okay for me to call these people my Mother and Father? Even though I still remember my Mom and Dad from my old life? Should I even be considering Evelynn as my sister knowing full well that my twin sister back on Earth lies buried in her grave? Hell, I had a baby brother in the old world, but in this world I don't even have a brother. Technically, I'm Evelynn's baby brother! Is...this okay? Then a sobering question comes to mind. Were my parents, my sister, and my baby brother...were...they reincarnated too when they died?! If so, where are they at? Could they be in this world? How about another world? Maybe even back on Earth! They could even possibly be in a different time! Hell, I don't know. I don't know these weird laws of reincarnation?! A tear starts to roll down my cheek. As my thoughts once again overwhelm me. If they are living a new life somewhere far away...do they still remember me? Have I been forgotten? The pit in my stomach grows more painful. And more tears begin to fall, staining my pillow. Do my siblings have a new brother, and I never existed to them? How about Mom and Dad? They might have a new son! A son who didn't end up like a drunk loser! Maybe that's a good thing! Go ahead Mom and Dad! Forget about your screwed up so-
It was at that moment my train of thought was derailed by the opening of the door that leads to the hallway. A familiar face peers through the crack of the door illuminated by the moonlight. "Reeve, are you okay?" Evelynn asks as she quietly comes into my room, closing the door behind her. I raise my head up and get ready to ask what she is doing when she slips into my bed and wraps her scrawny arms around my small body. "I heard you crying while I passed by your door. What is wrong? Bad dream?" She looks into my eyes full of concern.
"T-They F-F-Forgot..." was the only words my two year old communication skills could muster.
"Who? Us? We would NEVER do that." She tries to reassure me as she hugs me tighter. "We love you, Reeve. We're your family."
I don't have the words to explain what I really meant and even if I did, I wouldn't know how to begin explaining it to her. But her words and her face glowing in the moonlight holds so much sincerity. The pit of my stomach that was hurting so much just minutes before gives way to a warm, soothing feeling. As she closes her eyes, it brings back a memory of my sister back on Earth. When we were kids, sometimes we would sleep in the same bed together just like this. Sometimes she would have a bad dream. Sometimes it was I who had the bad dream. But no matter how bad the dream was, eventually we would wake up and find one another. Just like this.
Maybe...maybe this is okay? I don't know. This feeling inside of me when I am around these people...is it love? It certainly feels familiar to me. It almost feels the same as it did back in the old world. Maybe I'm going about this the wrong way? I close my eyes as I listen to Evelynn breathing as she sleeps. If this is my second chance...shouldn't I live this to the fullest? There is magic in this world, right? Maybe I should look into that? I could become something in this world and make this new family proud instead of being a failure like I was back in my former life. And in that way, perhaps I could atone for my past failures. And maybe, must maybe, wherever my old family is...although they probably do not remember me...they might feel a slight sense that someone, somewhere is living for them. I will take this undeserved second chance that I have been handed and I will not squander it! I will atone. I will live to make you all proud. This, I promise to you, my family in Aethro and my family of Earth.