Lost in The Witcher

After a rough night, Caspar let out a yawn. "I couldn't sleep even for a minute," he mumbled while scratching his head.

He looked down the tree and saw only a skeleton with chunks of meat around the bones. He looked around for the wolves or any other predators, and when the coast was clear, he slowly climbed down the tree.

"Ughh... my body is all sore from laying on that branch," Caspar complained, stretching stiff muscles. He walked over to the deer's remains, frowning slightly.

"Hmm, the wolves didn't leave anything besides bones," he said under his breath as he examined the carcass.

'I wonder if any of these parts are valuable. I think the antlers could be worth something... but do I want to carry them for who knows how long?' he thought, bending to lift them.

"Oh, they're lighter than I thought," he mused, turning them in his hands and examining the curves.

'Let's take them for now. I can always throw them away if they become too much,' he decided with a shrug and took one last glance at the small valley.

"Let's get out of here. I don't want to meet any scavengers," he murmured and made his way back to the road from yesterday. Pulling an apple from his pocket, he bit into it, chewing thoughtfully.

'I could have died,' he thought grimly and bit the apple a little harder. 'I could die on the first day in this world, and from normal wolves... not even some magical beasts,' He gave a short, bitter laugh, but his smile faded quickly.

'I need to practice more, but I also need to look for a town or a village,' he mused and tried to move the magicka while walking. It was a little more difficult than doing it standing still or sitting, but it was possible.

Caspar smiled slightly, channeling magicka while picturing himself growing stronger. It didn't work at first, but after a few tries, the antlers in his hands felt lighter. Curious, he stopped and jumped. His grin widened as he soared a surprising meter.

"That's higher than my normal jumps." Encouraged, he turned to a nearby tree and threw a punch. A sting shot up his hand.

"Fuck, I didn't think this through," Caspar hissed, shaking his hand to ease the pain. The bark of the tree remained untouched.

'Okay, so it's not that effective yet,' he admitted, but he wasn't discouraged. Caspar kept practicing throughout his walk.

After a couple of hours, he heard something. Caspar froze, straining his ears.

'Are there more wolves?' he thought grimly. But it wasn't growling or footsteps, it was rhythmic, steady. Like someone hitting something over and over.

'It could be humans.'

He crept toward the sound, cautious not to make any noise in case it wasn't what he hoped. Once he got close enough, he spotted a group of people chopping down trees.

'So it's humans after all.' 

Still, he didn't step out immediately. He watched for a moment. They seemed focused on their work, not doing anything suspicious. Once confident, he called out, "Hey!"

The workers paused and turned, talking among themselves. Eventually, one of them approached, eyes narrowed, looking at him suspiciously.

"Why are you covered in blood?" the man asked, holding a heavy, sharp axe with no small amount of caution.

'Fuck, I forgot about that,' Caspar thought quickly, glancing down at the antlers in his grip.

"I found a dead deer deeper in the forest and tripped into it while trying to take the antlers," he explained, trying to sound relaxed and sincere.

The man didn't look entirely convinced, but gave him the benefit of the doubt.

"And why are you here with nothing but your clothes?"

"I got lost in the forest and tried to find the nearest town. When I heard the banging, I came closer and found you," Caspar said, then extended a hand. "I'm Caspar."

The man hesitated for a second, then took his hand. "Darik."

They shook firmly. Caspar then asked, "Do you know the direction to the nearest town?"

Darik nodded, but after eyeing him again, added, "You should wash up first. There's a lake ten minutes that way. After you're done, the town is north of the lake."

"Thanks," Caspar said with a nod. They exchanged a few more words before parting ways.

'It went better than I thought,' he reflected with a small smile as he walked. 'If Darik didn't buy that deer story... things might've gone really badly.'

He glanced back briefly before turning forward again. 'No way I could fight five guys with axes.'

Lost in thought, Caspar didn't realize he'd arrived at the lake until he was right beside it. The water gleamed under the sun, still and clear. He stepped forward and peered at his reflection.

"What..." he mumbled.

His own face stared back, but younger. "I look like when I was 18, freshly after finishing school," he said quietly.

Dark brown hair hung slightly over his blue eyes. He was lean and of average height, wearing a simple linen tunic, wool trousers, and worn leather boots.

He studied himself for another moment, then sighed and shrugged. 'I'm in another world. Why am I even surprised anymore?'

Looking around, he took in the peaceful scene. The lake sparkled, the air was fresh, and though the shore was a little muddy, it didn't bother him. He took off his shoes, set the antlers down carefully, and stepped into the cool water, scrubbing off the dried blood and grime.

A breeze greeted him as he emerged, making him shiver briefly. He dried off as best he could, pulled his shoes back on, and took a deep breath.

'Now let's see what a town looks like in this world,' he thought, eyes brightening. 'Good thing I asked Darik where north is. Worth getting a weird look for.'