Two Worlds at a Time

"Did you oversimplify a legend?" Komin lifted his face and looked at Aric with anger, as if Aric had just insulted his girlfriend or something.

"Whoa, whoa. I didn't mean it like that," Aric said, raising his hands defensively. "I just meant that at the end of the day, it's a story. It's supposed to be enjoyed, not... you know, worshipped."

"But it's not just a story, Aric. It's already becoming something bigger. People are talking about it, debating it, getting lost in it. You've created a world that feels real to so many of us."

"I guess I didn't realize it would resonate so much, especially this quickly. I just wanted to share something that I thought was cool," Aric replied, and all he could think was, "Damn Tolkien. You are a legend."

"Well, you did more than that. You've given people a place to escape to, a world that they want to believe in. That's not something to take lightly."

"I appreciate that, really. But I'm just a writer. I'm still figuring this whole thing out."

"I get it. But to a lot of people, you're more than just a writer now. You're the creator of a universe that means something to them. And that's... well, that's kind of a big deal."

"I suppose it is. But let's not make it too big of a deal, okay? I'd rather just enjoy a meal with a friend without all the fanfare. If all you want is to be a friend."

"I can do that. The author of LOTR and a friend of mine? You bet I will be more than a friend. But I can't promise I won't bring up the book again," Komin replied.

"Then let's get some coffee. I won't shy away from the fact that I'm new here and need someone to help me around. And I also know your background. So, sorry for that," Aric said.

"What are you afraid of? I'm royalty, but you've seen my ratings. I won't get the throne, and neither do I care. That throne seems cool and all, but it's just a massive headache. I'd rather be a degenerate and spend my life reading books." Komin didn't bother to hide his thoughts.

"Let's discuss further."

After an hour or so, both of them showed up at a coffee shop. He wasn't alone, of course—his butler came too but didn't join them. He sat at a different table, alone. Aric invited him, but he refused.

But Aric did thank him for helping him that time. It might not have been a huge thing for Aric, but for him, he had saved his life. Nobody had done that before, and even the doctors had failed in his previous life. So he valued life more than others, though he had also killed people before.

"Can I get your autograph?" These were the first words Komin asked as he took out a hardcover book with vibrant colors, art that looked like it was drawn in pastels, and characters from LOTR, which he had loved and known. Aric felt a bit shy to autograph it, but he eventually did. He needed to own "his works" and show them to the world.

"Thank you for being such an avid fan," Aric replied.

"No, thank you for writing such an amazing book," Komin replied.

"I do have some other works coming through. I hope you will like them. But it's in drawn form rather than written form," Aric said.

"What? More? Show me." Komin was amazed and asked excitedly. Aric spoke of the manga that was being published, and Komin vowed to read it. They spoke in more depth about LOTR and some of the doubts he had.

Thankfully, while he was in bed in his previous life, he had gone through Reddit posts about LOTR and theories, and he actively took them and answered some of his doubts. The rest, he said, he should imagine for himself, as the story was vast. Komin was mesmerized, to say the least.

"So why are you here? I mean, I'm glad you're here, but are you here for citizenship? If yes, I can help you," Komin replied.

"It took me some time to stand on my feet, but now that I have some money, I need to get citizenship," Aric said.

"Hahahaha. You know, we thought your life would be stuck on that planet, but you surprised me a lot. You've gone far and beyond. And Vallin would be lucky to have a human like you," Komin said.

"Uh... Do humans have a bad reputation here?" Aric asked as he noticed that Komin mentioned humans.

"Humans have a huge advantage in the universe. Their seats in the council allow them to have more power, and also because they have huge territories under them. Many other civilizations tend not to like them, and though Vallin is old, it is not older than humans. So many civilizations don't like humans. Some even outright hate them. Thankfully, Vallin isn't one of those hate-filled places, and the species of the galaxy tend to be more kind than violent. And humans are too far from here. You will not be ostracized here for sure, but you might not get a warm welcome like the other species tend to get." Komin laid it out thick.

"That is well enough for me. I will get the citizenship and maybe go to a human territory in the future."

"That will be one tough journey, and you must have deep pockets to make that travel. And dude, you are the author of LOTR. You will be respected by communities that don't see boundaries of species and civilizations. So don't worry that much. At the end of the day, I have Vallin in my name, and I will make sure you're comfortable here. You made LOTR; you're allowed to commit a murder too and get away with it. Hahaha..." Komin said. Aric could only shake his head, seeing this LOTR fanatic.

Tolkien had helped him beyond his grave.

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