The portal carried on young Malcolm for what felt like a long time. Malcolm had even gotten a little comfortable. For him it felt as though he was a bird flying across the sky. Truly a new and refreshing feeling it was to him.
It's a quiet night in the grassy savanna. The constellations hung like pretty white dots in the blue azure sky. On the flat land sat a young woman who's ebony skin nearly appeared blue in the moonlight. She wore an all white dress which covered her whole figure except her face and natural hair which flowed like the wind, free and unbridled.
Everything good and bad can't last forever though, so as any passing scene does it changed very quickly with the sudden appearance of a gap in space being open and out fell a young space traveler.
"Oh shi-!" Before hardly any words could exit the young man's lips he crashed face first onto a something surprisingly soft. He layed their for a moment until he felt what he soon figured out to be a heartbeat. Then finally lifted his face and opened his eyes to see a beautiful pair of confused and curious scarlet red eyes looking right back at him.
It was then at this moment he realized the severity of the situation. In all of Malcolm's 16 years of breathing he almost always knew what to do in moments of crisis yet now in what could be debatably the most impending and damning crisis in his relatively short black life, he only stared on with a dumbstruck look plastered across his face.
Meanwhile in what could be considered even more shocking to any third party observing the awkward scene. The woman appeared calm, very calm and more curious then annoyed at the young man laying on top of her chest.
"I-I can explain m-myself." Malcolm finally coming to enough sense to at least try speaking. However his words are muffled by the woman's chest that he's still laying on.
"Explain how exactly?" The woman spoke in a naturally sultry tone that immediately caught the attention of Malcolm.
"Goddamn nigga snap out of it!" He shouts to himself inwardly.
He finally gets up off the woman and then immediately feels the night's breeze blows past his own body. He doesn't even need to look down to know that as of right now he is for now lack of a better term butt ass naked. Not only is he butt ass naked but he's butt ass naked in front of a woman who's first impression of young Malcolm is him using her breasts as a substitute for pillows and mufflers.
"I'm gonna kill that old motherfucka when I see him again! On everything, on my soul I'll kill yo black ass!" The internal screams of Malcolm could almost be heard by women at how loud it was.
He covered his genitalia the best he could given the circumstances. The curse of being a young hot blooded man was rearing it's most ugly head.
Out of the deepest embarrassment of the situation along with the woman before him being a stranger to Malcolm, he turned around and started running anywhere where she wasn't present.
"I wouldn't run out like that if I were you!" She shouts with a hint of glee not so hidden in her tone.
Malcolm ignores the shout and runs even faster then before. If Malcolm right now we're to be pitted against Usain Bolt in his prime it would honestly be coin toss as to who would be faster.
"Hmm he's interesting I guess I won't kill him when he's like this." The woman thinks quietly to herself.
"Still how will he fare out here with not even being in the first realm, only at a half step? Then what was that portal he fell from all about?" She decides to investigate the matter secretly to satiate her growing curiosity.
Malcolm now stranded and alone, left naked to run on soil no man from earth has ever set foot on, starts to process that last thing the woman said.
"Now wait a damn minute did she mean that as in she wouldn't run out butt as naked in the cold night? Naw that's a no fucking duh! So probably what she really meant was-."
Before Malcolm could finish the thought something fast came at him from the left. He instinctually dodged a step back to avoid what would've been a fatal strike. He lifted his face slightly to see a leopard, a large leopard the size of a small car.
Now Malcolm wasn't a expert on anything animal related but last time he checked leopards usually don't pounce on random humans spontaneously. But then he figured he was no longer on earth so earthly logic would only hold him back from surviving.
Man and beasts stared each other down and sized up the opposition.
"Damn yall usually ain't so damn big neither, it's wonder how you nearly got the drop on me." Malcolm mutters to himself yet what happened next shocked him to the core.
"Go back where you came from child if you know what's good for you" *growls*.
"What the fuck,d-did you just talk?! Malcolm's voice cracks at the end of that sentence. While the leopard now looks slightly confused itself lowering its guard slightly.
"How strange you understand what im saying even before you've become a full mystic. On top of that you understand my tongue. How is this possible?"
"Wait I don't get it what the hells a mystic exactly?"
"You truly don't know?"
Malcolm nods in the negative.
"I see.. were you perhaps only born just yesterday child I've observed you humans long enough to see the strangest things are yet possible with you lot."
"Wait hold up are you j-joking me? You know what wait hold on please I need to figure out just what is going on! See im not.. im not from this world and I need an explanation as to what the fuck is going on."
Malcolm spoke pleadingly. The will to survive and learn resonated slightly with the leopard. It could sense through smell that the young man before it was not lying. It made the decision to spare the young man and talk to him,while maintaining vigilance.
Malcolm could feel the killing intent ware off the leopard however it didn't mean he let down his guard all the way, he was ready to dash at any sudden movement. Both were on guard yet willing to speak.
"Alright first thing is a good as any what's the name of this world?"
"This is Ala and to answer a likely follow-up question the planet Ala is comprised of five regions and nine seas as for the heavens they're innumerable in size and scale im afra-."
"Wait slow down did you say heavens?" Malcolm interrupted abruptly. Realizing his mistake he quickly apologizes, then the leopard further elaborates on the world of Ala.
Malcolm after a while grows comfortable enough to sit down cross-legged while the leopard lays down across from him just a few meters away.
"So from what this leopard told me just now this world named Ala is made up of five regions and nine seas as for the names the regions are called, Dagga, Rahama, Walabi, Capri and Tunza. As for what region im in seems I'm located in Capri within the large savanna that covers most of the region. As for the seas and heavens, I'll worry about all that later right now i need specifics on where im at now." Malcolm concludes inwardly
The leopard's large body layed down appearing comfortable but all the time it had been alert for anything strange coming from and around Malcolm. So far everything was clear until it sensed a presence hovering around the area the two were in. While asking Malcolm about his place of origin the leopard aimed it's eyes further back behind Malcolm to an inconspicuous looking spot on the savanna.
The woman from earlier who was using an ability to blend into the wind, quickly realized she had been sensed by the leopard and made the decision to retreat for the meanwhile. The leopard then turned its gaze back to Malcolm.
"So young human if I understand you correctly you come from a place that's outside of the five regions, nine seas and innumerable heavens?"
"Yeah I guess it does sound like quite the fairytale to you huh?"
"Oh don't be mistaken I believe you, your scent speaks the truth for you."
"My scent oh damn I must smell like shit by now don't I?" Malcolm sniffs himself quickly.
"No in fact you smell just fine however I believe I must inform you that you had a follower just a few moments ago who carried some of your scent." The leopard sigh deeply while Malcolm tried to look around the area frantically.
"There's no point to you looking around even if I hadn't scared them off you would've been none the wiser to a potential ambush. Honestly you're lucky to have run into me child almost any other creature would've been picking your bones for the fun of it by now." The leopard spoke with a hint of devious glee in its tone.
"Well you ain't have say it like that I had the feeling I would be easy pray coming to a world like this." Malcolm fell into a momentary silence before speaking once more.
"So now I need to know something.. how do I get stronger?" Malcolm spoke the last part with a serious resolution that almost took the leopard aback slightly.
"Well from all my time living and observing many of you humans as you all come and go from life. The way to increase one's strength is through what you humans refer to as mysticism. It is effectively using the spiritual energy within your body to conjure abilities you all refer to as arts. These arts can do a variety of things such as allowing you to gain enhanced strength,the ability to fly, manipulate to nature elements even the ability to read into the future and discern the mysteries of life and death. However this is only my relatively shallow understanding of you human's way of using said abilities. To be honest in my view it's far inferior to how we natural beasts go about using mysticism."
The leopard explained while Malcolm sat cross-legged listening deeper then any class he'd ever been in.
"How's our way of going about using this energy inferior exactly?" Malcolm questioned calmly.
"It's simple all living beings are naturally born with some amount of spiritual energy however humans with some exceptions are generally not born with the ability to use this spiritual energy naturally. So overtime you humans have created allegiances with the various deities in order to gain quick access to mysticism while some opted to develop their own unique ways for example creating a blood pact with various animals in nature to gain our innate use of spiritual energy. Sometimes as I stated some are simply born with the innate talent for mysticism. However it is very rare therefore for the most part you humans in order to use mystic arts either must submit before the divine or resort to wicked measures in order to progress further along your given paths. Meanwhile with us leopards for example if we're born in an area with a high density of spiritual energy we gain innate abilities that come from within our bodies and also we virtually have unlimited access to spiritual energy that never runs dry." The leopard finished speaking meanwhile Malcolm fell into deep thought.
After a while Malcolm came to a conclusion he looked at the leopard and spoke.
"I just realized I never asked for your name. You mind telling me?" There was a lengthy moment of silence that followed.
"Why do you want my name unless you're thinking of making a blood pact with us leopards?"
"Well shit I might as well I don't see the harm unless their is some kind of problem of course."
"No their isn't a problem exactly it's just.. well your not even in the first realm as of now. You can't even use any mystic arts for your only at the half step." The leopard fell silent for a moment before continuing.
"Unless you meetup with a mystic tribe nearby and one of them is willing to teach you an art you'll have to create one yourself. Only when you obtain and comprehend a mystic art can you fully step into the realm of mysticism."
"So that's it.So all I have to do is create my own art then or have someone give me an art?" Malcolm concludes
"That's the simplest way of explaining but that is correct. However, while I don't want to limit your options but creating your own art especially in the beginning of your path is extremely difficult bordering on impossible." The leopard lectured.
"Gotta so what I need to do is find a mystic tribe that's nearby then but." Malcolm paused briefly.
"I assume it's gonna be hard explaining where the hell im from so I just have to come up with a story when the time is ripe." Also that's probably assuming I don't get turned into a midnight dinner on the savanna before then..so you mind if I ask you if you know where the nearest tribe is and also if you could guide me at least most of the way there if possible." Malcolm ask politely.
The leopard remained silent for a few moments clearly pondering the request of this human until it replied.
"Sure I'll help you out if you can help me in return young human." As the leopard acquiesced to Malcolm's request, Malcolm stood up and jumped up in joy, forgetting about his nudity in the windy night breeze.