"Guess I can expect this..."
She stood up and dusted herself off. Her eyes moved to her clothing—it was modern, at least by this world's standards. The last time she'd visited humanity, it had been during the Roman Empire. To her, time hadn't changed much. Her current outfit still reminded her of those days. Modest and sharp, she loved the contrast of black and white.
"I must say, the designer has good taste—"
"Human?"
A banshee stood behind her. Kaida turned toward the voice, calm as ever. The creature's height wasn't particularly imposing, and its expression remained unreadable. She waved at it politely.
"You could say that. Could you tell me where I am?"
"How dost thou not know this place? It is secluded—no humans should be able to enter—"
"I apologize for the intrusion, then. I'll be on my way. Not much reason to stay. My life's gotten a bit more interesting."
She took a step forward, but the banshee lunged. It wielded a spear, but before it could strike, Kaida stepped on a nearby tree trunk, launching herself upward. She twisted mid-air and kicked the tree behind her, using it to catapult far from the banshee's path. A branch snapped loose and bonked the creature on the head.
"You know," she called from a distance, "hostility really isn't necessary. Just so you know—I'm not from your world. So how about we just skip this whole confrontation thing?"
"No! You must forget about this place fir—"
"Look," she interrupted, "I don't care what goes on here. I'm not going to tell anyone. I wouldn't gain anything from it."
"That doesn't matter!"
Kaida sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Can reasoning not be done with something that isn't human?"
She turned her back to the banshee and walked away. Moments later, she found herself transported outside of the barrier. She didn't comment on the magic involved—it wasn't worth worrying about.
"I already know this adventure's going to be a wild one. Wonder what this world has to offer."
She crouched near a low-hanging tree branch and plucked a fruit. It was a darkish blue, roughly the size of an orange, with a similar texture—smooth, peelable. She had no idea how it tasted. As she studied it, her attention flicked briefly toward the sound of rustling in the bushes nearby.
Something was there. Definitely not human. She ignored it. If she had to fight, she would, but it didn't seem worth it yet. Her eyes returned to the fruit. Was it even a fruit? She couldn't tell. She stood upright again and began walking through the dense forest.
Lush greens and deep shadows blanketed the area. Dark and light mixed together where the canopy broke, and the heat from the nearby star filtered gently through the cover above. The air was hot, the sun high—this world was closest to its sun right now.
"I GOT YOU!"
A man lunged from behind. He screamed his attack out loud, alerting her in the dumbest way possible. She turned smoothly and slapped him across the face. He flew into a tree with a dull crack.
"AGHHH—FUCK! What the hell are you?!"
"None of your goddamn business."
She walked off without another word. Based on his failed ambush, she figured civilization had to be nearby. He probably came from some village or city. Hopefully, they weren't all like him.
\[Zarathushtra]
She stood before the gates of a walled settlement. Two guards eyed her cautiously as she tossed them the strange fruit.
"Could you tell me what that is? I just want to know before I leave."
"This isn't a common fruit," one of the guards said, inspecting it. "It could sell for thousands of silver! Most call it a Sulam, but around here we just call it a Tangerine—tastes the same. Still, it's a delicacy. Real tangerines are rare now. What brings you here?"
"I really just wanted to know what it was. But if it's worth that much, could I have it back and enter the city? I don't have any form of identification, though."
"At least you're honest! It's a pleasure to meet you, uh..."
"Either Mara or Kaida. Any of those names work."
The guard tossed the fruit back, and she caught it easily. As she walked past them, one of the guards gave a small wave. Neither of them smiled, but they looked visibly excited and tried hard to hide it.
To Kaida, the city was a beautiful surprise. The people wore clothing reminiscent of Taisho-era Japan—elegant, layered, textured. A few passersby dressed in attire closer to a modernized Chinese cheongsam. The streets buzzed with life. Thousands of people moved about, yet the ground remained clean, untainted. Stalls and food vendors lined the avenues, offering hot meals with remarkable hygiene. A soft, floral aroma drifted through the air—something like dandelions in bloom.
"I could get used to this place. It's lovely."
Her frame was slender. She looked almost childlike in size, but her face and features gave away her adulthood. At 5'4", she barely counted as a grown woman by most standards, but for her, it didn't matter. Gender never truly applied to her anyway.
The more she explored the city, the more interested she became. She saw people simply shopping and walking around like anyone else. She saw dogs and cats—But that wasn't all.She spotted people flying above the city in uniforms that resembled old military dress.. She found it lovely. Most places she'd been to weren't fit for living.. As she wandered deeper into the city, Kaida spotted a young boy laughing as he ran through the crowd, chased by a massive dog that looked like a cross between a German Shepherd and a Newfoundland. Its thick, dark brown coat resembled a Newfoundland. it moved playfully, tail wagging. She smiled faintly. It was rare to see such simple joy in a world that still felt so strange to her.
She let out a soft chuckle as she watched. She couldn't help but find it funny, She wasn't laughing at his distress—just the harmless absurdity of it.