"Good catch, son!"


Of course, Adam's father wasn't really there, but the man imagined that's what he'd say after the Druid caught his fourth bass of the day. Tears rolled down his eyes; not because of the fish, of course, but because Adam felt he'd never get to see his father again. He'd never get to thank him for always being there when something was wrong or teaching him the skills that were now helping to potentially save this new world he was now in. He'd never get to see his mother again either or thank her for showing kindness towards everyone, even the people that some would look down upon. Or his brother, who was always quick with a joke, even if it was about some video game the Druid had never heard of. Adam smiled a little at the thought; Eric would probably have quoted that "Animal Crossing" game right about now. It was funny how the younger brother would get all the fish for the museum, but lacked the patience for-


Adam felt the line start to tug once again and he worked on pulling in fish number five. It was remarkable how many he had been able to catch. Was it because of his magic, this particular river, the fishing pole, or maybe something he was overlooking entirely? Whatever it was, the bass was successfully caught. Despite everything that he had lost, the man was grateful that he would be able to help feed the group he was in, the group that might be helping save the world. There was something comforting in knowing that they were all in this together. No, they weren't family, but they all had fallen from the sky and they had all chosen to help get the cube to Valheim. Maybe they'd still be a team even after their mission was complete. However long their team would last, Adam would do his best to contribute to their cause.


The Druid stood, wiped the tears from his eyes, and spoke to himself. "Father, mother, brother…whatever you're doing now, I hope you're okay. I promise I'll do my best to make you proud, and hopefully someday we can see each other again." The grief he felt was not gone, and Adam knew it would never subside completely, but he knew he had a way forward. A way that meant doing the right thing, both for his team and for this new world he was in. And right now, the way forward involved ensuring his group didn't starve.


It was time to cook some fish.