The creature stopped a few feet away from me, tilting its head as if trying to study me.
I didn't sense any threat. It just... seemed curious.
I pointed at myself. "Keegan."
The creature puffed itself up, pumped its chest like it was proud of something, and let out a sound that could only be described as a blender choking on rocks.
Nope. I wasn't even going to try to pronounce that.
I squinted, sizing it up.
Its outfit looked straight out of one of those old animated movies with Arabian themes.
Yes, that one. The one with the blue screaming genius. You know the one.
Then there were the eyes. Huge, bulging chameleon eyes.
And the skin… looked like someone had taken fish scales and glued them on backward.
I crossed my arms, nodded once.
"Good. I hereby dub thee… the Chama-Fish Wanderer."
Excellent naming sense, huh?
I stepped aside and gestured toward my humble, definitely-not-falling-apart abode.
Chama-Fish tilted his head again, those massive lizard-fish eyes scanning me from head to toe.
He seemed friendly enough.
What could possibly go wrong, inviting an unknown alien into my home?
Right?
To my surprise, he seemed to understand the invitation.
With slow, deliberate steps, he entered the house, eyes darting around like he was trying to memorize every corner.
“Make yourself at home, Chama-Fish. Can I get you anything? Black elixir? A nice bowl of… rocks?”
He said nothing, just kept scanning the room with those unblinking eyes.
Not so fast, buddy. I’d cleaned this place top to bottom.
Just in case I ever had guests, of course. You know… totally normal behavior.
Finally, Chama-Fish waddled over to the makeshift couch, plopped down with an unsettling squelch, and let out another noise.
Sounded like… I don’t know, a blender trying to choke on dry seaweed. Still didn’t understand a damn word.
"Waldo, greet our guest."
There was no response. No smooth British voice. Nothing.
Strange.
I couldn't stand there and offend my guest. I took a small bench, also made of stone, and decided to sit.
Bad idea.
Pain shot through my body like lightning on steroids, climbing from my feet all the way up my spine to the back of my skull.
I gasped, lost my grip on the stool, and watched as it hit the ground and shattered into a dozen rocky shards.
I doubled over, clutching my sides, teeth grinding.
When I finally managed to glance up, Chama-Fish was standing in front of me, eyes wide like dinner plates.
He shuffled closer, murmuring something in that blender-gargling dialect of his. Then… he touched my shoulder.
What I felt next is beyond words.
It felt like… he reached into me. Like his energy somehow meshed with mine.
I hope that doesn't count as my first time.
But the following thing was worse.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
Way worse.
I felt heat. Blazing, suffocating heat.
Like someone had pumped molten lava straight into my veins.
Every energy pathway in my body began to mobilize, to heal, and straighten forcibly.
The pain was… indescribable.
Seconds stretched into hours. Hours into days. Or at least, that’s how it felt.
I couldn’t move. Couldn’t scream.
I couldn’t do anything…
Before the darkness swallowed me whole.
 

 
When I opened my eyes...
Damn.
How many times have I opened a chapter of my life like that? Pretty sure passing out had officially become a hobby at this point.
Back to the point, when I opened my eyes, I was home.
Great!
Chama-Fish sat in front of me, staring like I was some kind of cosmic riddle he couldn’t quite solve.
He spoke to me.
Still sounded like someone trying to puree a tire.
But I think he knew I didn’t understand him.
We were gonna have to charade our way through this.
He pointed at his body and drew lines through it with his finger.
I squinted. Veins? Energy veins?
He jabbed at a few spots, making sharp, jerky motions. Then pointed at me briefly.
Damaged veins? Mine?
He pointed at himself, and then at me. From the tip of his finger… a faint purple glow sparked to life.
Aura.
Holy crap! He was an aura user!
I focused on my body for a second. Still hurt… but the energy flow felt clean. Right.
Chama-Fish had healed me.
Overwhelmed, I collapsed to my knees, tears pouring down my face.
“OH GREAT CHAMA-FISH, SAVIOR OF MY VEINS, MASTER OF THE PURPLE LIGHT, TAKE ME AS YOUR HUMBLE SERVANT AND DISCIPLE!”
I threw myself at his feet, arms wide, ready to devote my soul to the fish-lizard god that had just fixed me.
Chama-Fish tilted his head again, blinking those oversized eyes like he was trying to figure out what kind of primitive ritual I was performing.
But then… I swear I saw the corners of his weird, squishy mouth twitch upward.
Was that… a smile? I really hoped it was.
Then, he touched my shoulder again and pointed at himself.
I took a deep breath, trying to focus. And that’s when I saw it. His energy.
Flowing smooth. Controlled. Efficient.
Not like the clumsy mess I had been doing all this time.
His movements were simple. Perfect. Not a drop of energy wasted.
I couldn’t help but stare, my brain already trying to memorize every little shift and pulse.
He then pointed to the door.
"Shall we go outside?" I asked.
Of course, he didn't understand, so I stood up straight, opened the door, and gestured for him to come in.
“After you, Chama-Fish. Your holiness first, of course. Waldo, we’re heading out. Don’t wait up.”
Silence. Again.
Was he... jealous?
Oh, we were definitely having a long talk later. I don't do toxic friendships. Not my style.
Chama-Fish stepped outside, and I followed, still half-expecting Waldo to make some snide remark.
Nothing. Weird.
Once outside, Chama-Fish waved his hand, asking for my attention.
I straightened my back, raised my chin, and gave the most dramatic bow I could manage.
“You have my full, undivided attention, oh radiant master of cosmic fish-wisdom.”
He ignored my theatrics... which hurt a little, not gonna lie, and began channeling his energy again.
It was beautiful.
Like watching a slow, steady river flow through his body. No breaks. No interruptions. Just pure, controlled power.
He was showing me. Teaching me.
I couldn't screw this up. Not in front of him.
I closed my eyes, took a breath, and focused.
It was time to imitate the fish wizard.
Slowly, I let the energy flow through me, copying every little movement I had seen him make.
And damn, the difference was... abysmal.
I could feel every inch of my body lighting up, every vein humming like it was alive for the first time in years.
No leaks. No strain. No wasted effort.
And for the first time… I didn’t have to fight to keep it stable. My aura spread smoothly across my whole body, controlled and sustained.
I cracked one eye open. Chama-Fish was staring at me, mouth twitching into that weird not-quite-a-smile.
He nodded once, but then raised a finger and shook his head slowly.
I got the message loud and clear.
Lesson one, complete, but class was still in session.
I dropped to my knees again, raising my hands to the sky like I was praising a god on live television.
“OH GREAT CHAMA-FISH! BRINGER OF WISDOM! HEALER OF BROKEN VEINS! SLAYER OF IGNORANCE! THIS HUMBLE MORTAL SHALL FOREVER SING YOUR PRAISES ACROSS THE STARS!”
The lessons stretched on for days, then weeks.
Every day brought something new.
Turns out there wasn't just one way to control energy. Some flows were sharp and aggressive, made for combat. Others were dense and steady, perfect for heavy lifting or brute strength. And some... soft, slow. Designed for meditation, for quieting the chaos in your mind. Those were pretty useful.
Chama-Fish demonstrated them all with terrifying precision. His knowledge felt endless.
Over time, we stopped needing gestures. Our auras did the talking for us. It was weird... but kinda amazing.
And yet... something bothered me.
Waldo.
Sure, learning from Chama-Fish was fulfilling. Maybe even the best thing that had happened to me in years. But I missed... words.
I missed someone speaking my language. Someone who could throw a sarcastic jab. Someone who could speak back when I started rambling like a lunatic.
Waldo didn't say anything.
No applause, no dry remarks.
Just... silence.
And then, one day, the lessons ended.
To my surprise, Chama-Fish gestured for me to follow him.
He wanted me to travel with him.
Far beyond my little patch of dirt and stone, from my humble abode, there was a small village. A village of his people.
The invitation hit me harder than I expected. I felt tempted.
My body was stronger than ever. My energy flowed like never before. Sure, I still had a few broken parts, but I could move. I could fight, I was ready.
But something inside me refused to leave...
Was it the house? The memories?
Was it... Waldo?
I didn't know.
All I knew was that I’d built this place with my own hands. Every stone. Every wall. Every ridiculous bathroom tile.
And as much as I wanted to see what lay beyond… I couldn’t bring myself to leave it behind.
What if I couldn’t find my way back?
If only I had a coordinate system. You know, like in that blocky survival game… the one with the XYZ positions on the debug screen?
Wait.
Wait...
A coordinate system.
My brain lit up like someone had just slapped me awake.
What if... I built one myself?