Breakfast with the Family

What is the point of your life? Wake up, get dressed, go to work, come home, repeat. Maybe you might have a wife or a family. Maybe you have a kid or a dog. Maybe you go out with friends. But who cares? What is your life really? What makes you special? There are billions of people and billions of planets. So, what are you? Maybe you are a king or a Queen. Maybe you are rich. Does it matter? Once you are dead, with just enough time, no one will remember you. My conclusion in this life, after everything I have done, is that I am worth nothing.

-Anonymous Scholar of the Yomar Kingdom.

…

"Ugh…"

An ache spread all over my body. I grab my head and moan in pain. It felt as a bomb went off and my brain became mush. What happened? I remember lying down in bed yesterday. It was my 15th birthday. And while I know roughly what happened, I can't remember much of the day. It all seems like a blur.

As I try to recall the events of last night, all the dreams I had resurfaced. I remember dreaming of a man on another world. Some old man who looked like he walked through hell. That man, he was…me? I am Silas Williams, and now I am him as well, Silas Thompson…? It's a feeling I can't describe. All the experiences he went through, all the things he wanted or did in life, it all feels like they are mine. My experiences are his experiences. My wants are his wants.

At the same time, I know he was not me. I was born here, in the Kingdom of Yomar. I was not born on 'Earth' in a place called 'America'. But at the same time, 'I' was born there. In a strange world none the like of mine. It is a weird feeling. As a person, I was integrated with another. It seems impossible but 'we' became one. I think it was the work of that god. Wait…I met a god. A REAL god…holy shit. I can't think about that right now. My brain will turn to mush again. With the confusing turn of events, I decide to get out of bed and walk over to the mirror.

"Thank the gods."

I still have the same appearance. A lean body and brown hair. But my eyes…they are no longer the same. What was once a solid green has turned into green with golden flakes. When I look closer, it seems as if I am looking into a galaxy. They seem…distant. It is a subtle change. Hopefully my family will not notice for now.

I head out of my room and go to the kitchen. My mother, Janet Williams, is there preparing breakfast. I get my brown hair and green eyes from her. She is about 5'10''. Taller than most women around here, but she isn't skinny like them. No, my mom has a decent amount of muscle. She doesn't look bulky, but the muscle is there none the less.

"Good morning, Silas. Dad is still sleeping. Why don't you come help me prepare breakfast?"

"Morning. What do you want me to do?"

"Just come cut the meat and throw it over the fire there."

I do as I was instructed. I cut up the meat into strips and place them on the cast iron sheet that sits above our fireplace. Half an hour later, as if they knew we were done cooking, both my father, Kyle Williams, and my sister, Ann Williams, walk in to the room. My dad is pretty stocky. He is also about 5'10''. He uses a great sword when out hunting, giving him lots of muscle. Ann is about my height, 5'7'', though she is three years older than me. Ann has the same build as my mother. However, unlike me and my mother, my dad and sister have golden blond hair with blue eyes.

My dad bellows out to me. "Morning Silas! Sleep well?"

"…ya. Not bad…"

Ann walks over and socks me in the arm. "You don't seem like it. Wake up lil' bro. Just cause you had a birthday yesterday doesn't mean you get to be lazy. On the contrary, you get to lead the hunt today. How 'bout it?"

My family hunts for a living and is one of the only hunting families in the area. We live in a small town called Wheatfield. It's comprised of about 100 farmers who farm…you guessed it, wheat. Wheatfield resides in the Kingdom of Yomar. It is directly north of the capital by about 400 miles and sits on the edge of the Great Forest. The Great Forest is large. It covers more than 60 percent of the continent. While mostly uninhabitable, there are skilled adventures, those who are either warriors or magicians, who choose to live in the depths of the forest. We are near the south-east of the Great Forest. There are not as many large monsters in our area, mostly just variants of the small animals I saw from Silas's/my memories from back on Earth. This gives our small family a perfect ground to hunt in.

"You want me to lead our hunt today?! Are you sure that's okay?"

My mom gives me a big smile. "Of course, you are 15 now. You are officially an adult are you not? This can be your first act of responsibility. I, as well as your dad and sister, believe you will do just fine." I smile back to her words of encouragement, with a slight blush.

Ann locks her arm around my neck and gives me a smile as well. Then unsurprisingly of her, grins and flicks my forehead, completely ruining the moment of my stardom. I grab my forehead and look at her in frustration. "Ow! What was that for!"

Ann just ignores me and sits down at the table. My dad laughs at our 'sibling love' and says, "Come. Sit down and eat. The faster we get done here, the sooner we get to hunt!"

We sit down and enjoy our meal. The meat we ate was from an elemental rabbit. In contrast to the ones that were found on Earth, these rabbits grow to over three feet tall and have larger legs and ears. One may find that they spark electricity or flames. While they don't offer much meat, they are enough for a small family meal, and their fur and elemental organ can be traded in for about 25 silver coins. In this world, 100 bronze coins equals a silver, 100 silver coins equals a gold, and 100 gold coins equals a platinum. Though only people like high ranking adventures or nobles will ever have platinum on them.

…

After we finish eating, we all get prepared to head into the forest. The whole family is each wearing a set of leather armor and have their weapons on their back or side. I personally am currently holding my spear in my right hand. Looking up I notice the clouds. "Seems like a dark sky today. It's oddly dark for it being this late in the morning."

My sister turns to look back at me. "Oh yes, how scary. Need your big sis to come hold your hand lil' bro?" She says this then sticks her tongue out at me. She laughs manically and heads off in front of the rest of us and into the forest.

I make sure that my face shows her my frustration, and then look back at the sky. I can't help but think of that saying from back on Earth, 'A calm before the storm'.