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Chapter 4 - Chapter 4: The Early Months

After waking up from his food coma, Alexander noticed he was back in his crib. Only being able to look up, didn't allow him to gain a good understanding of the room that he was in. But, based on the well maintained wooden ceiling and light coming from what most likely was a glass window, Alexander could tell at the very least that the building is safe enough for now. Listening closely with his enhanced elven hearing he noticed nobody around, save for a rat or mouse scurrying about on the far side of the room.

Alexander: (inner monolog) "fweew, thank goodness the germ infested cretins aren't here right now. I really need to focus on learning the language so I can learn more about where I am. Hopefully the increased informational retention of a baby's brain will do a good job in aiding the absorption of knowledge. It's not like I can speak any of the languages I learned on Earth. The ignorant and moronic may think I'm possessed by a devil, I'd end up going the way of the Maid of Orléans."

Trying to shuffle around in place, in vain, Alexander continues his train of thoughts.

"God, I wish I could move around, the best I can do is move my arms and shimmy my legs. Ahh, this reminds me of when my little ones were just born, they have brought me the happiest moments I have ever known. Getting to hold them in my arms were some of the greatest times in my life. Alright, enough reminiscing, time to push this body to the limits to build up my muscles as quickly as possible."

Looking like somebody in rehab for their entire body, he squeezed his hands, moved his arms up and down, and wiggled his feet as hard as he possibly could. Alexander continued to push his body to the limit, one may have never seen a newborn sweat from exertion, but he did. He huffed, he puffed, he "hoof, huuuh," his fingers, "fss, ugh," his toes, "uhhhgg"… maybe too much. As a poignant smell engulfs Alexander, and his bum bum having the feeling of warm pudding, he closed his eyes in shame.

"Shit. Now I have to cry again. Man, this is too embarrassing, I'll have to call for a cleaning..."

Just then Alexander's stomach grumbles.

"and for milk."

Alexander: "Waahh! Wwaahh!"

As Alexander's insistent crying echoes throughout the room, the sound of a door can be heard opening. The same aasimar woman walks up and begins cooing at him.

Aasimar: (Common) "Awww, are you ok cutey? What's wrong? I brought milky, is that what you want?"

As she begins to pick up Alexander her face slightly sours.

"Oh my. Don't you worry I'll be right back with a new diaper and get you changed."

Almost as soon as the aasimar picked up Alexander, she put him back down, and left the room quickly.

Alexander: (inner monolog) "I can't believe I'll have to deal with this kind of situation for half a year. I'm starting to understand why people evolve without the ability to remember their infancy. Everyone would have mental scarring that would take years of therapy to fix."

Not long after Alexander finished his thought process the woman returns.

Aasimar: (common) "Alrighty, let's get you all cleaned up and fed."

Over the next give or take 4 months this was Alexander's routine. Waking, eating, exercising, shitting himself, waking eating exercising shiting himself, wakingeatingexercisingshittinghimself. This constant monotony almost drove him mad.

Alexander: (inner monolog) "It is quite lucky that I am the only baby at the orphanage at this time. I've been able to, at the very least, get full meals whenever I desire and proper cleaning. And, if I had to deal with a true feeble minded infant I would have bitten off my own tongue and bled to death... if I had the teeth for it. Just thinking about that possibility shakes me to my core. I have already dealt with that when I raised my own children, and I'd be damned if I was stuck with one in my current state."

"Huh, thankfully for my state of mind, every other day the orphans that are interested, get gathered for an hour of stories told from picture books. I don't have a choice in the matter unless I pretend to be in a deep sleep. But, I have found the books and stories to be quite helpful. Along with the casual conversations had around me over the months, I have managed to understand the majority of the language known as Common. To practice I create an inner monolog in that tongue. Writing on the other hand will take a bit more time as I still need to focus on learning the written form of tenses, conjugations, and a plethora of synonyms. Although there is a distinct advantage over learning to write here rather than on Earth, so far from what I have seen there is no standard spelling for words as I've noticed one word spelled in multiple phonetic ways. I can also proudly say that I'm two whole months ahead of schedule when it comes to my physicality. I can already crawl, sit up, and roll over all by myself. Of course I hide these grand feats just like how I hide my ability to speak and read. In the next two months I expect I'll be walking. Oh man, I can't wait!"

"I have also picked up a few snippets of knowledge from here and there. Firstly, where I am now is the Temple of Cognitios, God of knowledge, learning, and invention. And, although this place is dedicated to Cognitios the library is a bit lackluster with no more than a couple hundred books. The main source for knowledge retention being in another city, at a far grander temple. There are other gods, but I haven't heard enough to piece together their domains or purpose. Secondly, the beautiful aasimar that has been the one mostly taking care of me is named Anera. Whether it's due to the influence of her celestial bloodline or just an all natural kind personality, she takes good care of the children. Thirdly, unless a child plans to work for the temple, they must leave at the age of 14. Finally, that little shit who is always jamming his finger into my face and pinching my ears for these past 4 months is named... Alfonso."