7 A Crazy World

Then I understand why my friend said to be careful not to fall. This is insane! Truly is!

****

I open my eyes to a clear sky, an ocean of blue everywhere with a few clouds. I can see! Truly something so banal yet amazing!

I can see the sun high up. A big blazing ball of fire. Not only is it bright and pretty but it is so very warm! I can feel that warmth, I can feel something!

There is wind on my skin. It is blowing my hair gently. Slightly cold, but the sensation is welcome. After all this time without any physical contact, the cold caress reminds me of a mother embracing me. It is comforting.

I can feel the roughness of the ground. It seems solid and slightly uneven. Dark brown and rugged. It has the odor …of nature!

It is a smell I am familiar with. It used to be part of my existence back in the old world. I missed the calming effect of that odor. Also smelling itself.

I can hear the sound of leaves rustling too. It is heavenly music to my ears. At this point, anything and everything is. This all feels great!

It felt like an eternity locked in there! But I am finally out! Hello, world! I am here! I am alive! My heart is beating and …or not? Right, this body is a magical vessel. Yet it feels so real.

I look at my hands. I am holding that wooden thing my friend gave me. It seems to be a medallion. I will keep it preciously no matter what.

Overall, my senses seem sharper than they used to be. Time to use these improved senses to ascertain my surroundings! Where exactly is this?

The sky and the cold wind make me believe I am somewhere at a high altitude. I can see some ground, am I on some mountain? I look at the horizon and I see something incredible. So many branches, all gigantic.

That's when I realize it. I am on a branch right now. Behind me …there is a trunk. Except it is bigger than anything I have ever seen or imagined. This is insane. Straight-up insanity. Now I understand why I need to be careful not to fall. It would be deadly.

This friend of mine. He called himself Yggdrasil, didn't he? The world tree was it? He truly is. He said he chose this name for himself, right? Does this mean I somehow stumbled here and got saved by the spirit of a mythical being?

I spent all this time trying to save it from oblivion. Trying to save the last bit of his crumbling humanity. Or so I thought. Turns out he was never human in the first place! A tree is my only friend haha.

Is this a repeat of my previous life? No! This friend of mine is not some mere product I am selling! He is that…my friend. As simple as that. No matter what exactly he is, that is enough for me. He is my dear friend. My only one.

Still, how I've been acting all along must have looked a bit silly. A crazy man that kept talking to a tree. Except that the tree answered! Who's the crazy one! HA! Well, perhaps I am. I feel I am truly lucky. Without him, I would have lost my mind long ago. Enough dwelling on the past.

By the way, how high am I even? At least as high as Mount Everest! And for once I don't have the munchies. You know, high.

Still, this doesn't make much sense. The air should be thinner around here and …. Right, the vessel thingy. It will take a while for me to adapt for sure.

I wonder. There is a Yggdrasil here. Is this place related to my homeworld somehow? I know there are many authors that draw inspiration from dreams. What if there is some sort of spiritual connection between both?

What if sometimes when sleeping your soul manages to see a glimpse of other parallel universes or something? How amazing would that be?!

I should probably get back to the issue of my current situation. I should probably try to head to the ground. I want to explore my new environment. My best bet is to walk toward the trunk and slowly descend it. What are the chances of me falling to my death while attempting that? I'll have to see if it is smooth or if there are many holds.

Thus I start happily walking toward my new goal. Or I try to. It seems…I forgot how to walk. How embarrassing. Me remembering how to stand is already a miracle, to be honest.

Alright, let's go about this slowly. Left leg, then right …

*thud*

This is hard. I guess the first time was challenging too, but I don't remember my life as a young infant.

It takes me a while. Way longer than I would admit to anyone.

Good thing no one is watching.

But I succeed!

One step, two steps, before I know it, I am walking! Just walking is euphoric. Yes, just walking. Try living in a small dark room for years then go out for just a walk. It is the best thing ever. Sex doesn't even compare to that! Nothing does actually! I'll happily …

*SCREECH!!!*

What is that?! I turn my head until I can discern something growing larger by the second. Is that…a hawk? No way! It is way too big to be one! Just the wingspan is enough to obscure the sky.

It flies extremely fast. Riding the wind. I think I know what this is.: an enormous roc is heading my way!

What should I do?!

Stay still?

Wait, that's aginst bears, I think?

If I get caught by that thing, I'm a goner. No amount of magic can save me from that. The claws on that thing look so sharp and big! I'm sure it can tear apart an elephant easily!

Can I hide? I'm in plain sight right now…on a huge branch. What if I flatten myself on it he might just overlook me and….

It is now close enough for me to see its face. The pointy beak. The plain brown yet imposing feathers. The piercing eyes. Piercing eyes that are fixed directly on my position. This is the end!

Can I outrun it? I would be running, and it would be flying. Stay calm, don't move. Maybe it won't pay me any attention. I barely have any meat, I am small.

We make eye contact. It is about to dive toward me I bet. Can I dodge it? The creature's eyes start bulging. It looks at me with an astonished expression.

*QUACK! *

What the hell was that sound?! And then it ….

*WOOSH*

It starts flying downward. No, it's not flying, it's plummeting?! What the hell!?

Some legendary creature appeared out of the blue. Some legendary creature saw me and we made eye contact. Some legendary creature got surprised by my presence and …what?! What the hell is happening?!

What kind of legendary roc has such a weak heart?! What the hell is this world?! This …doesn't make sense does it? I look at it fall slowly.

It is about to make a crater on the ground or so I think. However, at the very last second, it starts to flap its wings again and leaves. A few flutterings of its giant wings later it is out of sight.

What kind of world is this? Wait…. was this perhaps just a normal bird?! Is everything gigantic here?! The trees, the birds…how will I survive here?!