As they kept traversing the world, the team had already figured out that the place was quite familiar. The people, the places, the customs, the creatures, were just so similar that it anyone would be hard pressed to not acknowledge this wasn’t the same world where they lived. Though, at the same time, culturally speaking, the village also was distant, very old fashioned, a place that seemed lost in time. For the team, it didn’t take long to figure out this place was a dimension of the world, which happened about 2000 years before their time.
But the main question was why? Why did the spacecraft lead them to this place? Why was the thug so adamant in getting to that specific plane? Its coordinates were predefined to this location in the dimensional space, and for the more tech savvy of Johnny’s teammates, they had managed to arrive here, but the main enigma remained. Was there something of value hidden somewhere in the dimension? They had managed to foil his biggest plan to date, but they were sure he would return, as this could be a secret hideout, or he could had used some way to track their movement and finally catch them.
For several hours, all the teammates helped row the boat to their new goal. Their minds were still trying to process everything that had happened lately to them. Johnny and Lori were, on the other hand, not really thinking about goals and missions and all that nonsense. They just wanted to spend their time together, talking, or just cuddling if possible. Of course, they helped happily whenever they were needed, but it wasn’t their top priority. They also weren’t fond of their dynamic as a couple. They did like Lori, but for them it was particularly horrifying to find her stripping in the middle of the forest. Some did tease Johnny that she could be her great (with an innumerable number of greats) grandmother, and that he could be shagging a relative. He dismissed it quickly, as she wouldn’t be gene-related to him, due to the sheer amount of time that separated them. He was a lot more interested in wooing her. He felt his confidence had risen through the roof and was committed to impressing her. Something inside him compelled. He wasn’t sure what it was, but he was happy to explore this new side of himself, one that he wasn’t aware of.
The night fell over them in the middle of the sea. It was daunting, but quiet. It seemed like a majestic beast, eerie but quiet. Dangerously beautiful. There was a sense of threat. Everyone was on their toes, as they felt this was the calm that preceded the storm.
“The night… is scary” A female with a rattled voice said.
“It’s such a pretty night today. The stars look beautiful tonight, just like you.” He whispered on Lori’s ear, as he tried to dismiss her other teammate’s statement. She blushed and giggled.
“They are indeed.” They kept rowing while chatting. “You know, I’ve learned a lot of things with you, so nights aren’t scary for me.” She took his hand and pressed her body slightly.
“Mmmm?” He kissed her in the cheek. “Like what?”
She giggled again. “I could show you, but I don’t think your friends would approve.” He blushed visibly as he understood the implications.
Time passed slowly, but thankfully, most of the trip was uneventful. They had a few encounters, but none of them were problematic for them. When they finally reached the shore, it was the brink of dawn, and as they were mostly exhausted, the team quickly set up their tent to rest for a while.
After a few hours, some of Johnny and Lori’s friends woke up and looked for the clues of the mysterious figure the villagers had mentioned. They thought he was another god, however, for them it was obvious he was just a traveler that reached this dimension from the main world. He might have the answers they were looking for.
They looked around the continent for a few hours until they found a man that had no resemblance to the people of this era. He looked like a mad scientist, and he behaved in a rude manner to them. He was powerful, as he controlled teleportation masterfully.
“Hello, you’re…” The leader tried to ask but was interrupted before finishing it.
“Huh, I see you are also travelers of the dimensions. It’s been a while since I met with regular people. The worshipping is nice but tricking them can be such a bore. It’s so easy.”
Everyone there felt uncomfortable by the comment. “And what are you doing here then?”
“The same as you of course.”
“We don’t really know why we are here, that’s why we were looking for you.”
The mysterious man looked incredulously. As they finally explained how they arrived he give them a lengthy though condescending explanation of the place.
“This is our world, 2000 years ago. The Hero’s Era. At this time, dozens of incredibly powerful people, or heroes, capable to destroy mountains, roamed this soil. They did their will, good or evil. Although, we’re exactly at the end of this era, just before our god makes the Big Announcement. You know which one, don’t you?”
The adventurers looked at them, puzzled. “No.”
The man was visibly upset. “I thought you weren’t that dumb, but oh, well. Our god was bored, just as me, so he had an awesome idea. He created a creature that spitted beams of energy which could annihilate even the mightiest. Though he miscalculated, and these creatures, these angels of death became a plague. Three quarters of the population were destroyed. He did notice his creation was in peril, so he created a counterpart of this monsters to defeat them, but the damage was done. Such a great amount of blood “soaked” the dimensional plane, creating this place as a sort of remembrance. This dimension lasts a year, and once it passes, it’s bound to repeat itself.”
“Why would a bad guy want to come here then?” They asked in naiveté.
“Oh, boy. You’re morons or what? This would be the perfect place to loot! Empty villages, almost no heroes or people to guard all those valuable artifacts, and it repeats itself, so once you’re done, you come back next year as if nothing had happened. I’ve noticed you’re not very bright, so I’ll give you some free advice. If you want to obtain lots of stuff, you should wait two months. Once the creatures start wreaking havoc, everything we’ll be up for grabs. Don’t be cowards, and you can get the most valuable relics with no effort whatsoever. Maybe I’ll come back then. See you!” and with a quick twist of his hand, he disappeared into thin air, leaving the crew alone.

Art by BlackRabbit-13

This is part the story of how Johnny and Lori met! If you're interested in the whole story please start from the beginning (+18)