6 years.

Gelvian has spent six years in this life. His family is being happy and healthy. Moderately wealthy too. Their mother sells potions and his father works as a soldier in their village. The house they live in is inside the village with walls that enclose it. Other buildings which are not residential are on the outside, most are work buildings, not residential ones. Like a dedicated lumberjack building from what Gelvian heard. Their village is more of a small town his mother told Gelvian, around 3000 souls live and work in Cainyorf.

The Town is built in such a way should the other walls become broken. The buildings of the townspeople form a secondary wall. The soldiers of Cainyorf refer to these walls as the Onion.

Gelvian likewise visited the "village" center when helping out with chores or when he is bored. The town has a lot of people lounge around near the center, at midday that’s when the people of Cainyorf who are 99% elves collectively take their break, with some exceptions like the village guards. Gelvian father, a trained soldier, and works as a mouthpiece for a person who his father only referred to as his lord, that owns this village.

Darius Dainson is a knight if one wants to be precise and when you see the gambeson-clothed guards next to his Lamellar-equipped father you see the difference in their status. Everything reflects this. From the way some carry themselves down to the choice of weapons, his father has a polearm while the rest of the town only owns a spear or two the wealthier ones having large well-crafted swords or battle-axes. The rest who don’t have enough wealth to buy and maintain a weapon all use a longbow which is a direct contribution by their lord with the hunters of the town having their unique ones.

Today is also Gelvian and Levia’s birthday! They have a 12-month system as he found out. The weather up in the mountains is generally moderate and the winter is cold as it is this year. He was watching outside the windows when Gelvian noticed something tiny crawl towards the house. A little lizard struggling to move through the nearly knee-high snow. He continued to watch it but then he heard it speak.

“Help...” was heard in a low weak grumbling voice. He pushed himself off the chair and rushed outside. Only five steps away from the house he snatched up the little lizard. It is big as an adult hand but very slender and thin. He went inside near the fireplace where Levia sat placed the lizard near the fire but with 2 meters distance to his sister and rushed to get some dried fruits. His mother right now is likely in her workroom.

“Here little lizard eat.” The lizard without reacting to him or Levia started eating the fruits.

He expected a vocal recognition but the lizard didn’t react and continued feasting on the fruits. Looking closer it looked like a small version of the large Komodo-like dragon horses or drakes as his father called them. This one is dark green-scaled.

“Lizzle.” He heard Levia say. “Lizard.” Gelvian corrected her. “Fang.” He hears a reply but she didn’t speak a tone.

“Did you say Fang Sis?” she shook her head. “I did.” hears Gelvian coming from the lizard behind him. “Did you hear that sis?” She turned to him a concern clear in her face, shaking her head.

“I said it.” a grumbling voice spoke. “My name is Fang. What is your name, my Saviour?”

“Eh, my name is Gelvian, sorry but is it normal that you can talk and we can hear you?”

“No only you can hear be” He looked towards Levia, who still looked at Gelvian confused and scared and did the only thing left for a young child. Cry for mommy.

Mommy with grace and speed barged out of her workroom into the living room before Gelvian could try to calm Levia down.

“Oh, Levia dear what happened? Did you burn your toes near the fire?” She looked at her not noticing the small Lizard near Gelvian yet.

“Bro, scary! He talks to lizzle!” Well, there goes any hope of covering my ass thanks, sis! Gelvian thought.

“You talked to a lizard? That lizard over there? From where did it come from?” Gelvian thought to try to bullshit his way through but their mother is a smart elf so he decided staying truthful is the best course of action.

“Yes. He was, you... are he right?” Both turned to each other. “Yes, I am a male.” He answered, he was covered in a weblike substance Gelvian noted.

“He was outside in the snow calling for help... and his name is Fang.” Gelvian just noticed it now but his mother has her staff in hand and pointed it towards the lizard. She must have cast a spell while rushing inside the room.

“So, a youngling Venom drake was outside calling for help and you brought him inside?! Did he bite you?” She half franticly shouted concerned for their safety. She gestured to them to come close to her. Levia stood up and half stumbling half walking went over there. Gelvian stood still.

“Mother he didn't do anything-” He wanted to continue but she interrupted him “Gelvian now you come over here I have cast a web bolt-on him so he is restrained for a while. I know you are smart my child but trust your mother.” Seeing that she has only my well-being in mind and her motherly instinct shouting at her to protect us. He gets up and walks over to her side.

“Please, Saviour don’t let her kill us for my life on this world will be short if I die today.” He nods towards my mother and tried to talk to her but she can't hear him.

“Please, Mother don’t kill him he is young!” His mother pondered the idea a bit then she suddenly snatched both of her children went into the adjacent room, her workroom, and dropped them there. She searched through her room finding a small glass bottle going to the living room.

Before returning with a lizard in a glass bottle.

I swear I could see the lizard being amused and relieved by this situation. “Well, Saviour your mother respected your wishes. I owe you my life a second time.”

“He is hissing at you Gelvian! What did he say?” His mother asks him still very much in mother bear mode.

“He said that you respected my wish and that he owes his life to me a second time.”

After a few minutes of calming my mother down and translating what Fang says.

“Gelvian my dear what you picked up is a Venom Drake only found south in the deserts and young Venom Drakes are the most dangerous as they apply all their venom in a single bite. Adults less so as they use it to weaken them over a period of time and finish their prey with, their size and prowess.” Gelvian could picture it, one of the Drakes wrestling down a horse or a bear.

She breathes a sigh of relief. “Thank the gods you were able to talk to this one... I think Gelvian you have a druidic talent inside you, talking to an animal in clear words is no small feat.”

“Are you sure it's me? Can't it just talk to you mother you have an arcane talent after all!”

“No, why don’t you ask it?”

“Fang, why can you only talk to me?” He asked the lizard still in its glass bottle.

“I felt I could only reach out to you. I felt a certain pull towards you. I see you in... certain colors. Light warm Green is yours... It outlines you, encases you. Your mother... she feels blue... deep windy blue. Your sister is a stark contrast to you, a dripping light purple outlines her. What that means I don’t know. It doesn’t seem to mirror your personalities if I assume correctly. Your mother doesn’t seem “windy”, you are warm but that could be because I am a lizard and your sister seems sweet.” Fang replies in his grumbly voice.

“Can you tell your mother to get me a box or similar with airholes the air is getting thick in here.”

After a few hours and their father coming back from work. Their Mother allowed Gelvian to let Fang live with them. As Fang demonstrated a willingness to listen to us and to stay inside the glass box with air holes as they get to know each other. Their Mother being the pragmatic Wizard she is, asked Gelvian to kindly acquire from Fang if she can milk him for his venom. Fang agreed seeing no reason to deny his saviour.

When Gelvian finally had some time alone with Fang he could barely standstill. He seems too old if his voice is any indication but that could be how his brain interprets his voice.

“Hey, Fang.” The lizard raises his head to him with a slight tilt. He wants to know if his suspicion is right. That Fang is from another world. In a world of talents. Him having a druidic talent is possible but that isn't enough to explain the way Fang talks and observes the world.

“Are you from this world?” The lizard stands still without any motion. The air feels heavy as Gelvian waits for an answer.

“Yes.” He replies promptly.

“Wait really!?” Gelvian shouted in disbelief.

“From where the Union? The Commonwealth? Or from the Federation?” He asked him throwing out country after country before Fang interrupted him.

“None of those. I am from the Heavenly Dragon Sect. I am-was a cultivator.”

“Wait. Like in one of those Wuxia stories?” Gelvian read those stories in his free time when he was still a human back on earth.

“I don’t know what you mean with stories to be exact but I am here as punishment.” He says it as if Gelvian were to judge him. Why did he say that? Gelvian asks himself.

“As punishment? For what? Are you some kind of criminal? Did you murder someone?” Gelvian heard a snort from Fang.

“I did murder and I did kill a lot of people but that was not the reason I am here.” Fang paused.

“Well, what are you here for come on don’t leave me in suspense!” Gelvian becoming a little bit impatient. He admitted to murder but who am I to judge him? I did worse things. Gelvian thought.

“I tried ascending into godhood and the gods in their endless jealously have smited me down and threw my soul into this world but because they are spiteful gods, they threw me into another god realm. Similar to throwing a dead body into your enemies' town.”

“So, you are here because of literal gods being jealous? Damn talk about being insecure. So, what is your plan now?” Gelvian asked the Cultivator turned Lizard.

“Raise above the gods and take my revenge.” Fang cold bloodily states underlined with stone-cold fury.

“But for now, I will serve you. My life would have ended here if it were not for you. Twice. Repay you, I will in full when I ascend to Godhood as I will stretch my hand down to those who helped me... but I warn you Gelvian.” He paused taking a deep breath. “Should you betray me I will kill your entire family and until none of your name are left. Out. by. the. root.” Gelvian was a bit stunned by this threat... no it was a promise.

“I... don’t know what to say but you can trust I won't sell you out. As long as you don’t hurt me or my family and friends.” Fang looked him up and down with his slitted eyes. As if being a small kid wasn’t enough Fang the small baby lizard made him feel tiny.

“I will respect that answer.” Fang pauses. “What is your goal here Gelvian?”

“Mine?” Gelvian was a bit flabbergasted he didn’t expect that question.

“Yes yours.”

“Well, I died in my past life. That massive bomb must have started the third world war so I don’t know really. Even if I returned, I think nothing is left there for me. By the size of that thing, it must have wiped half the province with the initial explosion. So, my wife and my son are very likely dead, and to be honest I hope they died that day with me. Living and growing up in an apocalyptic world isn't something I wish them to live through. A fast death with no pain and no grief...” Gelvian pauses tears falling down his cheeks.

“I think I will start my new life here. Hopefully, find the woman that is my wife and get a magical reunion and have my children back again.” Gelvian weakly laughs knowing this dream scenario where he can find his wife and children is impossible.

“I don’t know. I have a new family too and responsibility for my little sister. I think I can answer this question when I am older, Fang. Not know, where I don’t now what is out there. Magic and talking animals that is a bit too much for me right now.”