Ishi's consciousness slowly surfaced.The first thing he noticed was the warmth. He felt it all around him, a comforting, gentle heat. He wasn't used to feeling much of anything really. His eyes slowly open, revealing a ceiling made of fine wooden beams. The smell of freshly cooked food spreading throughout the entire home.
As his vision adjusted, Ishi began to take in more details. The room was medium sized and pretty modest, with simple but high quality furniture and a fireplace. A soft blanket covered him, and he could hear the crackling of firewood from the hearth.
His mind immediately went into overdrive, analyzing every detail. *This is… Earth?* The realization hit him hard. This was the world of humans.
He flexed his fingers and paused. Something was off. His hands were unusually small, soft. He looked down and saw the body of a younger human, his body. His heart raced as he struggled to make sense of this new situation.
*I've been reborn? Or maybe I've taken over the body of a child,* he thought, his mind quickly piecing together the possibilities. *But why a child?* He remembered the Goddess's words: "You'll walk among them, learn their ways, and experience their world." It made sense now. He was meant to grow up among humans.
Voices caught his attention. He listened carefully. There were only two distinct voices a man's and a woman's. They were speaking quietly, likely not to disturb him.
*Two people,* he noted. *Likely the parents of this body.*
He could detect the carefulness of their movements, the way they moved around the house. Their footsteps were light, almost cautious, as if they were trying to keep the house quiet and peaceful. *They're concerned about something,* he surmised. *Most likely me. This child must be important to them.*
He felt the fabric of the blanket again, noticing its quality. It was well-made, but not extravagant. They were likely wealthy but didn't like to show off, perhaps a high class family or a high ranking family in the army. The warmth of the room indicated they had enough resources to keep the fire going, even during the day.
*I must be in a rural area,* he thought. *The air is too fresh for a city, and the wood structure seems more traditional. The smell of earth and the distant sound of animals confirms it. I'm in the countryside.*
He looks out a nearby window, *Yup, definitely in the country side. Not as far away from the city as expected though.*
Slowly, Ishi sat up, testing his body. Everything felt… unfamiliar, but functional. His body felt fragile, much weaker, and untrained, nothing like his previous form. But his mind and power were still the same.
A soft knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. The door creaked open, and a woman peeked inside. Her face lit up with relief when she saw him awake. "Oh, thank the gods! You're awake!" she exclaimed, rushing to his side.
Behind her, a man appeared, his face showing equal concern and relief. "You've been sick for days," the man said, his voice warm. "We were so worried."
Ishi looked at them, his mind racing to process everything. *These must be this child's parents,* he thought, studying their expressions. There was genuine concern in their eyes*
Ishi blinked, adjusting to the situation. He needed to play along, to act the part. "I… I'm fine," he replied, his voice sounding strange to his ears.
The man smiled, placing a hand on the woman's shoulder. "That's good to hear. You gave us quite a scare."