He woke up rather uncomfortably warm, and realized that he probably didn’t actually even need the fire. The environment felt… fine. Perfect, actually, despite his nudity. That certainly made things easier. He wished he’d thought of this prior to putting all that effort in, but he supposed he only learned of his stone abilities because of it. He would need to explore what other capabilities he had. He remembered fae stories, but this was no story, and it was suddenly quite pressing to know. He really needed to pay more attention to what he actually knew rather than what he thought he knew...

What he did need, though, was water. To cool off, if nothing else. Though he was getting an inkling that his needs may be less than normal, because he wasn’t thirsty despite it surely having been some hours. Then again, maybe he still had some kind of… fatty layer or something that supplied him resources, like a lot of young animals did. Or maybe he just didn’t need it. He could mold solid rock like clay, who knew what rules applied here?

He got directions from plants and animals, which he found didn’t run from him, to the nearest source of moving water; a small stream pouring out of the roots of a tree which was massive, even for those he’d already seen. That was perfect.

It was nighttime after all that he had done today; that nap, his efforts to flint knap, followed by his magical learning session, so it became harshly apparent how tiny he was and how much he looked like a tasty dragonfly snack with his glittering iridescent wings. This came to light once a bat, which is massive when you’re only six inches tall, attempted to make a meal of him. The black and brown mass missed, of course. He was far too fast for it, but fuck if it wasn’t a wake-up call. He was not at the top of the food chain anymore. He couldn’t act like it.

The bat for the most part looked like your average bat, nothing to write home about... but that was only if you ignored the back half of the thing. It had a long and thin, black feathery tail that draped behind it as it flew, and once it was too close for comfort, he could also see that the bat had spines along its back and wings.

It seemed confused about missing its target, but once it realized what Tedrick was, it decided he wasn’t worth the effort and flew off. At least that confirmed his guess that fae were a pain in the ass sort of race, he supposed? He held his ax a little more tightly after that encounter, his head on a swivel... Just in case.

Of course, the bat wasn’t the only strange thing. As time passed, he noticed that the lighting grew… Strange. During the day the light came from both the sun and the light reflecting off of the planet that it appeared to be orbiting, which gave it an orange hue, but it had a clear direction: above. Which implied, of course, that they were actually on a moon… Which was an interesting notion, but he supposed it wouldn’t make a big difference in day-to-day life.

As time advanced, though, he realized that the light never actually dimmed beyond dusky light. Night never came despite the moons visible in the sky. There was no clear source of this light, though occasionally he saw it coalesce into glowing orbs that floated and bobbed around. The floating balls would contact solid objects and seem to burst into spores of light that would stick to nearby objects until they dissipated entirely.

This directionless light didn’t even generate shadows, except for a few faint shadows resulting from the moon overhead. Or, should he say, moons. There were many. He could count seven in plainly visible sight, but when he flew up above the trees he could see at least parts of five more on the horizon. The tides must be truly insane here… Especially since there was no telling if these were the only moons present. And even this many celestial bodies didn’t explain the shadowless light.

Nor did it explain the sort of fog that seemed to float out of the ground gradually. Not thick enough to truly obscure vision, and it never went higher than a foot or so, but it only made the strangely diffused light even more directionless.

All these curious developments quickly left his mind though, as he discovered another problem.

Fae.

Other fae, to be exact. He learned about this particular thorn when he burst out through the foliage into what could only be described as a village, made of sticks, mud, and leaves but overall very nice looking, very smooth and some were even painted and decorated. People were going about their business, interestingly enough also naked aside from belts, aprons, and pouches. He guessed that made sense for people who lived in tune with nature and didn’t have any problems with their natural environmental temperatures.

He was, unfortunately, distracted by pondering how he hadn’t heard the din of the village now plain to his ears when another sprite appeared out of the woods not far from where he did. “I haven’t seen you here before. Who are you?” They asked, making him jump in air and turn to face them, eyes wide. He was vaguely aware of hearing their words, but the actual sounds they made were almost waved away and replaced with a version he’d understand clearly.

They hesitated, cautious of this strange man that stumbled into their village, before clearing their throat. “Are you… well?”

He just darted away at breakneck speed into the canopy, making it a fair way into the woods before stopping, panting from the exertion for the first time. Shit. Shit fuck shit.

He realized that he was fae, and that he was born here. He didn’t even consider that other fae could be. That was so damn foolish. What had he learned about what happened to those that wandered into fae territory unprepared? Dancing to death? Eternal servitude? Etc.? He didn’t know if this would apply to him since he was technically one of them, but… Still. That wasn’t something to play games with. Especially since he wasn’t actually one of them.

No. He had to be careful about this.

He needed to have a different name, something to go by so they can’t use it against them… If that’s actually how it works.

Fuck.

This would be a problem. He had some vague ideas from children’s stories but no idea how it worked in reality! This wasn’t just dangerous, this could be a long-term problem. He’d have to get that information somehow, and it’s not like people just randomly chat about that kind of shit. No. He’d need to make an opportunity.

He pondered this as he roamed, idly flying in the canopy, finding it as natural and easy as walking. How would he do this? And what would it even mean to be part of a fae society? Would this have lasting effects when he returned? He had to consider the changes to his personality that a long time in a new world may cause in him… Would the him he knew even be possible to preserve enough to go home with?

This thought made Tedrick’s blood run cold for a second. If he stayed here too long… Would he even want to go back? Here he… had almost everything he longed for in his most indulgent fantasies. He couldn’t just walk again, but so much more. Not only that, but the power of his mind could get him so much further here. It wasn’t just what he knew, who he knew, and how well he could speak, but the power to change reality itself. Why would he want to go back? What would he be losing in leaving that life behind?

A wave of sadness hit him as he had a realization. It wasn’t what he had to lose, but who. Tedrick had few friends, but there were some, and while his parents weren’t the best since he lost the use of his legs, he couldn’t just abandon them because of it. There were many times he nearly ran his chair into the road. Most early attempts were halted because of his lack of finesse in working around his ailment. Most later attempts were halted by a stubborn, bitter determination to trample the expectations of those who thought lesser of him, and show them the error of their ways when he did attain power. How would that suffering reflect in someone else?

Could they have felt just as lost when they saw him as he did when he realized what happened to his future as an athlete, like his mother? Would he have ever gotten over it if he weren’t forced to confront this reality every day? Even now, he sought to escape. Part of him hoped he’d just forget about his old life and carry on in this one to its natural conclusion. To not even try to return?

That sadness became anger.

No.

He would not give up just because this was easier. Just because this was better for him. He may have more options here, but that didn’t mean he could just leave his parents wondering what happened to their son. If he’d finally decided to up and leave. If they’d failed so much as parents that he was done with them. If he’d finally killed himself. He was such a fucking asshole too. It wouldn’t be unfeasible. Was that not exactly his plan whenever his company succeeded enough? Wasn’t the only reason he stayed that long because he refused to lean on their resources more than absolutely necessary to accomplish his goals?

No. He wanted to be here, part of him already could feel that he’d never completely want to leave.

But he refused to let them believe that they’d failed so much, not when it was possible they were just acting out of grief.

He could not stay here… not while he had amends to make, while he could still save his family. What he wanted didn’t matter. He was brought here, and that meant there was a way back.

But it would be so, so easy to forget. Stopping on the nearest branch that looked thick enough to stand on, he looked around. He needed something, a reminder. Something tough but flexible…