Doug’s POV – (No. My name’s is not Doug. I know that.)

Blessing “Bless you.” I say as I spot someone who I don’t think I had Blessed yet.

Blessing “Bless you.” No. I Blessed that family already. As I stand here, pointing my finger at and blessing everyone I see.

Blessing “Bless you.” It’s dark now. But that hasn’t stopped people from milling about. Might as well add a few more attractions and make it a country fair or festival.

Mostly I’ve just been standing here thinking. Same question I asked myself earlier. I’m supposed to be a King and a Priest. How would that even work? Do I have spells? Do I level? Do I pray? Meditate? I’m thinking, making some big leaps and assumptions. What if there is no mana wherever I am from, call it a Dark Area. Why would I conclude that? Because of what I see here with mana. Leveling, magic, the fantasy races, magical technology.

Then, if there is no mana, then no magic, like I see here. How then would any of the miracles have happened? Let’s just say that of everything that I have ever heard or read about, that someone was responsible for, none of them were true, except one. Big, small, doesn’t matter. If only just one miracle truly did happen, out of all of them. I could at least believe that one truly did happen. But if there was no mana, then how?

Blessing “Bless you.” Another one I don’t think I got before.

Hmm. There are gods and myths, but I can only think of any of them maybe using some divine power or magic. Faith healing. Cultivation powers. Jennie in a bottle. Witches burned for witchcraft. Voodoo? None of those fit the ‘miracle’ I am thinking of. Except for maybe divine powers or those faith preachers.

Okay, divine powers, faith, those would line up with the Priest class. Even an evil priest, which I don’t think I would be. Side note, an evil priest probably isn’t what you think. Being morally bad, causing unjust harm, unrighteous acts. No, evil is in the I. I will ascend into the heavens. I will exalt my throne. I will…I will… Deciding what you think is right, yourself. All the rest follows because of it.

Blessing “Bless you.” A bit far away, as I point my finger at Lilly. I see her out behind the cafeteria building turn and look at me. Damn, Trailbreaker wasn’t kidding about her perception skills. Could she hear me? How did she know? Did she feel that?

Is it really that simple? Is it… ‘Clink’. I’m distracted as I hear and feel something hit my foot. Looking down I see a coin finish rolling and come to a stop.

“What?” I say to myself out loud.

Looking around where I’m standing, there are coins on the ground.

‘Clink’. Another coin lands at my feet.

“What the hell?” I mumble to myself as I realize people have been throwing coins at me. Like I was some sidewalk performer. I just close my eyes in embarrassment.

I have to leave. Just. need. to. leave. As I start to take a step, I stop. I’m not sure what I’m thinking. My thoughts are jumbled at the moment, but I cannot leave the coins. ‘Why are people throwing coins at me?’ My eyes are still closed. ‘Do I understand the culture here?’ ‘Did I look like I was doing this for money?’ ‘Was it because they thought I was entertaining?’ ‘I was Blessing people; do they think I’m a Cleric and giving because of that?’ ‘Is the money like charity?’ ‘Is the money like a tithe or offering?’ I am embarrassed. I can’t leave it. I can’t keep it.

Kneeling, I open my eyes and collect the coins.

Standing, holding the coins between both my hand. ‘How long did I not notice people doing this?’ I question myself as there is much more than I had realized until I started picking them up.

Still questioning myself on what to do, Lilly is still across the way, standing among a small group of people.

Walking over to her, I interrupt the conversation. Thinking back on it, I guess I was pretty rude and could have used more tact. But I wasn’t thinking. “Lilly!” She turns to look at me. “This is for the children.” Dumping the coins into her hands, I turn and continue on, sidestepping and brushing by an older elf guy and Dr. Lightbringer in conversation. I’m headed to bed. Hopefully, I’ll wake up back in my own home.

….

Morning comes. And I let it pass by. It’s well past whatever time it is here and yes, I’m still here. Lying in bed. Someone is knocking at the door again. I didn’t answer it this morning and I don’t feel like answering it now. Whatever it was, people throwing coins at me has just hit me the wrong way and I’m not over it yet.

And still, they knock.

“Doug?” I hear Lilly’s voice. At least it’s not Jenn. I think I would have snapped if she started the mother hen thing with me right now.

“What.” I say in a normal voice, not getting out of bed.

“Doug? Are you there? Are you okay?” She asks. Like she doesn’t somehow know that I am here.

Lying here, staring at this ceiling. She has prodded me enough to come back to this reality. In a calm voice. “Don’t think for a moment that I don’t know that you can’t hear me. What?”

“There is someone here that would like to talk with you.”

“I didn’t think Jenn would need you to ask for her.”

I hear the hostility in her voice starting to rise. “My Father.”

“Daughter…”

I heard that. It was soft and lightly spoken, but his word carried. After shutting down his daughter like that, I think I like him already.

“Could you give me a few minutes? I’ll be right there.” I roll myself over, then again, to roll myself out of bed. Still wearing what I had on last night, I didn’t change. It takes me about ten or fifteen minutes, but I wash up and change into fresh clothes.

Looking around the apartment, it’s still as clean as when I moved in. I haven’t been here to mess anything up.

Opening the door, I see Lilly and invite her in. An older Elven man follows, I’ll assume that this is her father. If I’m about 6’ tall, he’s just under, maybe around 5’10”. Very thin, like my teenage boy after a big growth spurt. Very sharp features, still normal-looking, not bird-like or anything. As I’m about to shut the door, Jenn follows in. She’s dressed casually, more like when I first met her. I look to see if more are coming, but it’s just the three of them.

Motioning for everyone to sit in the main room, Lilly’s father stays standing. Awkwardly, it keeps the rest of us from taking a seat.

“I am Reyansh Aarush of the Root of Aarush. This is my daughter, Lilly. My granddaughter, Jenn. Thank you for protecting and saving my granddaughter. I am grateful and consider myself indebted to you. What can I do for you? How can I help or be of service to you?”

Still feeling a little awkward and making a joke when I probably shouldn’t have, I comment. “I always heard that having an Elf as a friend is a pretty good thing.”

“Done.” He replies. Still seriously focused on me, I realize my error and that he is serious about what he is asking.

Motioning for everyone to sit again, I pull over one of the chairs so we can all sit, talk, and face each other. It also gives me a moment to collect myself and hopefully break the tension in the room.

“Saving or protecting your granddaughter, or anyone else is not something I would be seeking a reward for. If something was damaged, or maybe if I was hurt in the process, it would be nice to be helped with any repairs or recovery costs. Dr. Lightbringer and Lilly have already taken care of everything I know of and have even given me a place to stay while Officer Trailbreaker has been searching for my home. Everyone has been more than kind and patient with me. Maybe it’s just how everyone is here. While everyone can be just as kind where I am from, it can be just as cruel. I’m glad to have been found by such good people. I could have just as easily been locked up or killed.”

At this I notice Lilly blushing. Jenn also, but not half as much. Reyansh asks. “Tell me about your home. What is it like?”

I laugh a bit to myself. “There’s no place like home.” Looking up to him. “The more I learn about everything here, the more I realize home isn’t anywhere close.”

Thinking for a second, an idea comes to me. “Elves are supposed to know about trees, right?” Getting up I look around the room and see what I want standing in the corner. “Where I’m from, there are no Elves, no mana.” I pick it up, bringing it back, and sitting down as I continue. “What I’ve seen here, we could only dream about.” I hand him the broken bedrail that was taken off and replaced. The part of the bed I had used some screws to anchor the chain to, so I wouldn’t be sleepwalking around and hurt someone.

Holding the bedrail, running his hand over the finished wood and looking at me. I can see him wincing a bit as his hand runs over the machined edges, he says. “All things are connected to the Great Trees.” Looking into the damaged area where I had pulled the screws out, he has pulled some small splinter pieces out. Rubbing and rolling them between his fingers, he continues. “A cycle of life that has continued…” He trails off, looking at the piece of wood he is rolling between his fingers and thumb.

A few moments pass, and we are all watching him as he becomes absorbed in examining what he has in his hands. He looks up at his daughter, the look of questioning in his expression, then back to the bedrail. Running his hands over the edges. Digging his fingers into the wood. Pulling at the splinters where it is damaged.

His hands slightly glow for a moment. Another time he is holding a splinter about the length of a large coin. The tip glows, catches fire, and burns away in his fingers. He waves the stream of smoke towards his face, taking a deeper breath as he does.

“Where are you from?” Looking up to me. Eyes questioning, inquiring. Waiting for an answer I’m not sure I can give him. “So harsh.” He comments, looking back down at the wood. Not sure if he is speaking to me, himself, or the bedrail.

“That’s the question we’re all trying to answer, so I can go home. You can have that if it helps.” I tell him. His eyes lighting up, looking at me, slowly clutching the bedrail in his hand and bringing it to his chest. “I think it's softwood. Probably pine or something.” I tell him.

“Father?” Lilly asks. Jenn also sitting forward, but not saying anything. Maybe it’s a family hierarchy cultural thing.

“The wood does not respond.” He says while twirling some more fibers between his fingers.

As I am watching him investigate the bedrail, I become acutely aware of myself, being acutely aware of what he is doing and everything else in my field of vision. Like a surreal understanding and self-awareness that I am perceiving more than what I normally would. The rolling of the fibers between his fingers. The look of respect in Lilly’s eyes for her father. Jenn’s smile for her family, as her eyes meet mine and snap me out of it.

“How does the wood not respond father.” The slight humor in her voice as she asks her dad. “We are bound with the forest. Do I have to show you the Great Tree?” Jokingly, she has her hands on her hips. Talking to her father like he was a child. Jenn’s smile is cracking a bit more as he is handing his daughter the wood splinters in his hand.

I’m enjoying my time sitting here with Dr. Lightbringer’s family. It feels, light-hearted. There is an ease and love between them. I’m just comfortable and content sitting here between them. I’m not sure how much of it is just their personalities and family, or because of being Elven and their culture. Either way, I can see why Rowan would chose Lilly as a wife. I wonder if I would feel the same about most Elven women.

Catching another glance from Jenn. She seems more Elven-like to me now than when I first saw her. Again, another self-realization as I differentiate in my thinking her emotional growth I have witnessed, and a change in her being. Much more like her mother now, than before.

I smile as I watch some frustration in Lilly’s face, focusing on the wooden pieces in her hands.

“See, I am not wrong. The wood resists!” Reyansh excitedly exclaims to his daughter, as he pulls off a small finger-sized chip and hands it to his granddaughter.

Jenn looks up at me while holding the chip. Gives a little shoulder shrug, then smiles back to her mother and grandfather in some deepening discussion. She doesn’t see whatever they do.

Jenn and I are slowly left out of the conversation as Reyansh is excitedly explaining something to his intently listening daughter. I can tell she follows some concepts. I can also follow that he has repeated himself. I think I understand that he’s talking about The Great Tree, connections, and properties. I might as well have walked into some advanced lecture out of my field. “Ha.” I laugh to myself causing Jenn to look. It’s more like I walked into the backroom of a hobby shop where the DM is arguing rules with one of the players, in a game I never played.

As they continue and Jenn, forcing a smile now, watches on. I start thinking again about the character I’m playing, King and Priest. A King has a kingdom to rule over. A King has dominion and rule. Sounds a lot like upper management. A Priest, why Priest and not Cleric? A Priest preaches in a church. Leads the people. Preaches the gospel. Sounds like more management. Hmm, baptizes. Administers the sacrament. Heals. Raises the dead. Turns undead. Casts out demons. Wait, am I mixing gaming here? No zombies in the bible?

Jenn gives a sudden twitch that breaks me out of my thoughts. She is still seated facing the same direction but looking past the two, still in conversation. I turn to see some mist starting to roll in through the wall, just below the window.

The mist rolls upon itself for a moment, then quickly travels across the floor, under my feet and chair. Continuing across the room and out the opposite wall, as I kicked myself and the chair back out of the way, as if it was some rat, running through.

Whether in the body or out of the body, I do not know. But at that moment…

“THERE IS ANOTHER GREAT TREE!” Reyansh exclaims with a Eureka moment, jumping to his feet. Hands in the air holding the bedrail.