Chapter 5: The Crimson Warrior

I felt like I was being pulled sideways this time, or was it up? It was very hard to tell, but finally, after what seemed like forever, light came through the void. The blinding brilliance slowly dimmed, revealing the harshness of darkness.

I stumbled onto solid ground, disoriented and gasping for breath. The air here was cooler; it was easier to breathe. I no longer felt the overwhelming dizziness I had felt before. I took a moment to collect myself and then looked around. My goggles illuminated the place. I understood where I was right away: I was in a cave of some kind. At the very least, I felt it was similar enough to caves on Earth. I stepped forward but almost fell flat on my face. The gravity was strong—it wasn't crushing, but I felt the weight hit me. I cursed myself for never working out more, as it was hurting my chances now.

I guessed I didn't make it back to Earth because, as far as I knew, no gravity on Earth was this strong. I trudged ahead, my movements a bit labored. I smelled a sulfuric odor as I made my way through the dark cave. I stopped when I saw some green glowing on the cave wall. I approached it cautiously; it was some kind of plant, glowing faintly, almost pulsing a little. I went to touch it, and the moment I put a finger on it, the plant burst, covering my hand in green liquid. I pulled my hand back, but it didn't burn or anything. What was it? Some kind of defense feature? I decided to avoid touching anything out of the ordinary for now.

The sulfur smell seemed to grow stronger the more I explored. The cave was a maze of passages. I feared I could never find my way out, but my fears were overcome by something else. The deeper I went, the more I began to worry. I felt something was off. The cave walls now smelled more like iron than sulfur. I began following my nose instead of blindly going through each path. I had a bad feeling, but my curiosity got the better of me as I pursued my only lead.

The deeper I followed the smell, the more I began to realize what it was. The walls of the cave showed signs of a fight—blood oozed onto the walls, along with body parts, helmets, and swords. My stomach began to churn, but I had already thrown up earlier, so thankfully I had nothing left in me. That didn't stop me from dry heaving a couple of times, though. I was a scientist used to tinkering with lab equipment, not someone used to seeing such brutality. The hairs on my neck stood up; every cell in my body screamed to turn around, but logic won over. I had to keep moving forward. If I turned around, I could get lost down here forever.

I slowly walked forward. One thing was clear: my logic told me this was a humanoid entity that caused such carnage. The cuts were all clean. To use weapons would also imply that the beings of this planet were intelligent. I was their resident alien. Assuming they spoke a language, I would be able to communicate with them. Vice, the AI I had created, had voice software installed. It could auto-translate languages to me and back to whoever I needed it to through my goggles. I made it so advanced that even tribes living in remote villages with their own languages could be auto-translated.

The reason for that was simple: every language had a few simple parts that the AI could break down using body language and common language habits. No matter what the language, the AI was programmed to decode it. It was one of the inventions I had made in recent times that I took great pride in. Given my situation, it could also prove to be life-saving. I made my way along the cave wall slowly, wanting to keep my distance. Whatever had caused all this was still ahead, more than likely. The blood on the walls seemed fresh; it hadn't quite dried yet.

The gravity helped keep my pace slow as I walked along the maze of caves, turning when needed. That's when I heard it: the sound of footsteps. The footsteps were coming from ahead and approaching fast. A woman's voice shouted, "Yztez Amakui Rezla!" The auto-translator started itself up. Vice translated the sentence: "Show yourself, assassin!" I backed away from the voice. I debated running, but by the time I thought to do that, a woman appeared in front of me. Standing amidst the bodies, she was like a vision out of a fevered dream. Her long crimson hair flowed like a river of blood, cascading down her back and framing her face. Her eyes, a fierce red, glowed with an intensity that made my breath catch. She wore a traditional warrior's outfit, her white and red kimono stained with blood. In her hand, she held a katana, the blade slick with fresh gore.

She looked at me with a mixture of suspicion and curiosity, her gaze sharp and unyielding. I could tell she was dangerous—no, deadly. The kind of person who wouldn't hesitate to kill if she thought I was a threat. But there was something more in her eyes, something that suggested she wasn't just a mindless killer. There was intelligence there, a fierce will, and perhaps... a hint of sadness?

I raised both of my hands in the air. "I mean no harm. I am just a researcher, not a warrior." The woman studied me, seeming taken aback. "Sorcerer? By what means do you transmit your voice?" I would have laughed if my life wasn't at stake. "I am a scientist. I am not from around here. I got lost. I was trying to find my way out of this cave." The woman held out her katana towards my neck. I swallowed hard. "Please believe me. I mean you no harm. You can check me if you don't believe me."

The woman's intense gaze didn't waver, her katana's edge mere inches from my throat. Her eyes narrowed as she assessed me, the crimson glow flickering slightly. After what felt like an eternity, she slowly lowered her weapon, though she didn't sheathe it.

"Scientist?" she repeated, her voice filled with skepticism. "You speak strange words. How do I know you do not lie?"

I carefully reached into my pack, making sure to move slowly to avoid startling her. "Here, let me show you something." I pulled out a small dial, a heartbeat sensor I had used on Mojo before to get his vitals. I held it out. "I am not from this world. I am an inventor, I guess you could say. This is something I invented. It's a heartbeat sensor. Place it on your arm, and it will measure oxygen levels and heart rate." The woman looked at me dangerously. "You spit such stupid lines, sorcerer. You made that word up. What did you call it? Oxygen? You can't expect me to believe that is a word."

I frowned. "You don't use that term? Oh, um, let's see. The air you breathe in—it measures that." The woman looked at the device. "I don't trust it." I slowly moved the object away. "I will show you on myself, then." I placed the sensor on my body. It quickly and accurately displayed my information. My heart rate was alarmingly high; it was at 110 right now. I held up the sensor for her to see. "See, it's harmless."

The woman eyed the device suspiciously, then glanced at the readings it displayed. Her skepticism remained, but there was a hint of curiosity in her fierce eyes. She slowly lowered her katana, though she kept it within reach.

"You say you are an inventor," she said, her voice softer but still wary. "And you claim to come from another world. If this is true, then you must have knowledge that can aid us in our struggles."

I nodded. "Yes, of course I would love to help. But I need to understand more about this world and the challenges you face. Perhaps we can help each other."

She studied me for a moment longer before nodding. "Very well. I am Aldith, a warrior of Sanguine Village. Follow me, and I will take you to our encampment. There, we can discuss further." With that, Aldith turned and began walking deeper into the cave. I followed, the weight of the gravity still pressing down on me, but the adrenaline from the encounter keeping me moving. The path was winding and treacherous, but Aldith navigated it with ease, her movements fluid and confident. I noticed her body moved freely; it appeared as though she was used to the gravity.

I asked, "Those men I saw on my way here, who were they?"

Aldith replied, "You will discuss that with the village leaders. I am not fit to say." The woman was cold, almost emotionless. I wasn't amazingly sociable, but she was on another level. I imagine she has been fighting her entire life. With that in mind, I let Aldith lead me further into the ever-expanding darkness.