After they washed up, Ayla and Esme returned to sit with me at the poolside.
“Here are the rules of my harem,” I said. “If anyone doesn’t like something, tell me. If anyone is frustrated or holding something in, tell me. I won’t allow any jealousy or negative feelings in my harem. We all must love each other and love our roles.”
They both nodded.
“And remember – your soulbonds are with me. While I do enjoy watching you pleasure each other, it is only by my permission and ultimately for my pleasure. When it comes to each other, you’re still just good friends. Is that understood?”
They both said, “Yes.”
“Good. It was fun watching the two of you. Did you find it cathartic, Ayla?”
She nodded. “There was so much inside of me that came out. So much that had gotten stuck.” She caressed Esme’s hair. “Thank you for playing the part.”
Esme chuckled. “It’s so fun for me. But I suppose the part about me just being a follower is true. I wouldn’t know how to lead.”
I kissed Esme’s forehead. “Even so, you’re both equal to me. It’s all just for fun, all right? But if it helps get feelings out and if it’s therapeutic, we can extend the roleplay as deep as it needs to go. That said, it goes against every fiber of my being to treat you both as anything but equal.”
Esme rested her head on my shoulder. “I love you, Remy”
“I love you, too.”
Tears glistened on Esme’s eyes. “Do you really love me?”
I nodded. “Of course. You and Ayla are the most amazing women I’ve ever met. And it’s not because you’re both perfect. I love your flaws as much as I love your virtues.”
I turned to Ayla and gave her a kiss.
“You don’t have to hold out on me,” I said. “If you’re feeling something, even something negative, you can tell me. I don’t expect either of you to be anything but human.”
She nuzzled her nose on mine. “You’re amazing, Remy. I want to give myself to you, completely.”
Esme came close to my ear and said, “You both should make love. Take her to the bed. Like you did for me, show her exactly how you feel.”
“What about you?”
“You know I like to watch. Besides, your soulbond with her doesn’t run through me. Sometimes it does have to be just you and her. And on that note, I booked you two a dinner in the cave.”
“You’re not coming?”
Esme shook her head. “I’m going to enjoy the warm and cold pools.” She focused her eyes on mine. “Level up your soulbond with her, Remy. Our progress depends on it.”
At the restaurant in the quartz cave, we sat beneath some stalactites at a wooden table with a silky tablecloth. Ayla had totally let her hair out, and now it rested just beyond her shoulders. In all this time, I hadn’t really looked at her. She had the slightest freckles around her nose, and her wavy eyebrows matched her thick lips perfectly.
We’d put the cart before the horse with our relationship. That was why our soulbond hadn’t leveled up. Just who was she? I had to treat this like a first date. I had to get to know her. But more than that, I had to make her trust me with those powerful emotions she’d just put on full display.
“Tell me about growing up,” I said. “The good, the bad, the painful.”
“Us curseborn weren’t allowed to live in the settlements. We all grew up together at this lodge in the mountains. And as we became more attuned to our powers, we’d go on missions. Hunting monsters and such.”
“So you all know each other.”
“Well… yeah… but honestly, that didn’t mean that we all got along. Sherry, Esme, and I were friends, though.”
“So Sherry was the leader of your little friend group.”
“Yeah. She’s a natural leader. I think you’d like her. Although…”
“Although?”
“She’s not as easy-going as Esme and me.”
“You mean to say she’s strong-willed?”
“Sherry always gets what she wants.”
I looked forward to seeing her again. There was something thrilling about the thought, in fact.
“What about you?” I put my hand on Ayla’s. “Did you get what you wanted?”
“I wanted you from the moment we met. So in the end, I suppose I did.”
I was glad she felt that way. “What was it like growing up with Sherry?”
“I was sort of like her second in command. I was good at advising. Esme, meanwhile, was good at following orders.”
“I see.”
Our conversation was mostly surface level. I had to take it deeper. And to do so, I’d have to be vulnerable.
“Back in my world, I was not a leader,” I said. “I blindly followed what society dictated. In the end, my life was so hollow that I was honestly happy when it ended.”
Ayla squeezed my hand. “So coming here was a second chance for you, then.”
I nodded. “Whenever I hear someone say the word ‘curseborn’ I know it’s a load of bullshit. Back in my world, people were given all sorts of labels to shame them. People were ridiculed for the way they looked, for what they believed. Ayla, I want you to know that you’re not cursed.”
“If I’m not cursed, then what am I? Why are we elementals so different?”
“Isn’t it obvious? It’s not a curse. It’s a blessing.”
“A blessing? Then why were we all born on the day the Shadowsoul came?”
“Isn’t that obvious, too? You were born on that day because it’s when you were needed. You were needed to save this monster-infested world.”
“If we’re so needed, why does everyone treat us like shit?”
“Because they’re guided by their fears, just like so many back in my world. They fear your powers. And yet in their hearts, they know it’s only you that can save them, and so they resent you for being better than them.”
Ayla took a sip of her white wine. “Even if you’re right, that doesn’t change how they treat us. We’ll always be made to feel cursed.”
“Sure, but you don’t have to internalize it. You don’t have to believe it. What I’m trying to say is – you’re an incredible person, Ayla. You’ve got a kind heart. That’s what makes you lovable. It’s not your power that makes you good or bad, it’s what’s inside.”
Ayla gave me a sad smile. “Thank you, Remy. I feel like I can be myself around you. Like I don’t have to bottle things. Truth is… I’m sad or angry all the time. I put on a smile so others won’t notice, but it’s how I am.”
The way others had treated her had made her that way. Perhaps by treating her well, and by changing this world, I could make her happy.
“You don’t have to hide it from me,” I said. “Tell me whatever you want. No need to feel shame for anything.”
“Thank you. I’ve tried to be so many things. Strong. Happy. Free. But I’m not these things. All I really want… all I really want is to fall into the arms of someone like you.”
“My arms are always open for you, Ayla. You’re not alone anymore. You don’t have to be free or strong or happy. You just have to be you. We’re soulbonded, now, so I’ll care for you no matter what.”
She nodded, tears glistening on her eyes. “Are all people from your world as amazing as you?”
“I’m not trying to be amazing. I’m trying to be fair and truthful. There was so much evil in my world. I was powerless there, but I’m not here.”
“You’re amazing to me, Remy. No one has ever talked to me the way you just did. No one has ever given me the benefit of the doubt like that.”
I clasped our hands together. “We have a unique opportunity, Ayla. I’ve been thinking a lot about this, in fact. I want to become the most powerful man in this world. I want to banish the Shadowsoul back to the hell from which it spawned. And then I want to sit upon the throne of this world. I want to make it a just and good place. Obviously, I’m not nearly strong enough, yet. But that’s my vision. That’s my goal. And I want you and Esme by my side.”
“Of course. I’ll never abandon you. I’ll be here for you, always. You don’t know how happy you’ve just made me. To be able to stand with someone who really has a chance of saving this world and making it a good place – it’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
“I’m not just going to save this world from the Shadowsoul. I’m going to save it from itself.”
“I’m with you all the way, Remy.”
Our food came. I was bold enough to try something other than chicken nuggets, this time: peppercorn soup with moon-cactus sauce. I held the bowl up to my mouth and slurped up the thick, greenish liquid.
“This is actually not bad,” I said, wiping soup off my stubble. “It’s kind of like lentil soup but zestier, and with a strong hit of sweet.”
Ayla chuckled. “What was the food like on your world?”
“Definitely blander than this. At least in the part of the world I came from.”
Ayla had ordered bread with some kind of blue seafood curry. I wasn’t bold enough to get a taste, but from the way she mmm’d and scarfed it down, I was almost tempted.
“I’ve never had delicacies like these,” she said. “No way would I ever spend my hard-earned soulcores on such a thing. It’s nice to be rich, isn’t it?”
“No matter what people try to claim to the contrary, having the means to buy whatever you need really does make life better. We deserve to be at the top, Ayla.”
“At the top… but the emperor and his princes are at the top.”
“Emperor… where does he live?”
“On the mainland, in the capital city.”
“Then who governs this island?”
“One of his nephews. He lives in Port City. It’s the largest, and only, city on this island.”
“Ah. I haven’t been there yet. We’ve really not traveled too far from where I first appeared. I’ve no sense of how big this world is. Like… how many countries are there?”
She swallowed. “I’m not sure. There are five major continents, though.”
“So are there curseborn scattered throughout the world?”
Ayla nodded. “I believe so. A large number of people were born that day.”
“What about the men who were born on the day the Shadowsoul came?”
“No men were born that day, oddly enough.”
How bizarre.
This world was full of injustices, just like my own. I had to right these wrongs as much as I had to defeat the Shadowsoul.
“This world is so much like my own,” I said. “And yet it’s also so different. But what matters is, I really do care about it. I don’t want anyone to suffer from injustices born of such stupidity and malice.”
“I’m with you.”
“Mark my words. We’re going to change things. First we have to focus on gaining power. Advancing our soulbonds, defeating great monsters, finding the best loot. I’m sure there are even more avenues to power that I’m not aware of.”
“And don’t forget – finding more curseborn for you to soulbond with.” Ayla giggled. “The thought of it does make me a little jealous. As much as I love her, sometimes I don’t want to share you with Esme.”
Our server walked over to our table and glared at me.
“Oh, I don’t need anything,” I said to him. That’s when I noticed he wasn’t our server.
The man wore a long, regal robe with paintings of peacocks on them. His blond hair reached his neck, and he sported a thick mustache.
“I heard everything you said.” He clutched the dagger sheathed to his belt. “Do you realize your tongue has spouted treachery?”
After they washed up, Ayla and Esme returned to sit with me at the poolside.
“Here are the rules of my harem,” I said. “If anyone doesn’t like something, tell me. If anyone is frustrated or holding something in, tell me. I won’t allow any jealousy or negative feelings in my harem. We all must love each other and love our roles.”
They both nodded.
“And remember – your soulbonds are with me. While I do enjoy watching you pleasure each other, it is only by my permission and ultimately for my pleasure. When it comes to each other, you’re still just good friends. Is that understood?”
They both said, “Yes.”
“Good. It was fun watching the two of you. Did you find it cathartic, Ayla?”
She nodded. “There was so much inside of me that came out. So much that had gotten stuck.” She caressed Esme’s hair. “Thank you for playing the part.”
Esme chuckled. “It’s so fun for me. But I suppose the part about me just being a follower is true. I wouldn’t know how to lead.”
I kissed Esme’s forehead. “Even so, you’re both equal to me. It’s all just for fun, all right? But if it helps get feelings out and if it’s therapeutic, we can extend the roleplay as deep as it needs to go. That said, it goes against every fiber of my being to treat you both as anything but equal.”
Esme rested her head on my shoulder. “I love you, Remy”
“I love you, too.”
Tears glistened on Esme’s eyes. “Do you really love me?”
I nodded. “Of course. You and Ayla are the most amazing women I’ve ever met. And it’s not because you’re both perfect. I love your flaws as much as I love your virtues.”
I turned to Ayla and gave her a kiss.
“You don’t have to hold out on me,” I said. “If you’re feeling something, even something negative, you can tell me. I don’t expect either of you to be anything but human.”
She nuzzled her nose on mine. “You’re amazing, Remy. I want to give myself to you, completely.”
Esme came close to my ear and said, “You both should make love. Take her to the bed. Like you did for me, show her exactly how you feel.”
“What about you?”
“You know I like to watch. Besides, your soulbond with her doesn’t run through me. Sometimes it does have to be just you and her. And on that note, I booked you two a dinner in the cave.”
“You’re not coming?”
Esme shook her head. “I’m going to enjoy the warm and cold pools.” She focused her eyes on mine. “Level up your soulbond with her, Remy. Our progress depends on it.”
At the restaurant in the quartz cave, we sat beneath some stalactites at a wooden table with a silky tablecloth. Ayla had totally let her hair out, and now it rested just beyond her shoulders. In all this time, I hadn’t really looked at her. She had the slightest freckles around her nose, and her wavy eyebrows matched her thick lips perfectly.
We’d put the cart before the horse with our relationship. That was why our soulbond hadn’t leveled up. Just who was she? I had to treat this like a first date. I had to get to know her. But more than that, I had to make her trust me with those powerful emotions she’d just put on full display.
“Tell me about growing up,” I said. “The good, the bad, the painful.”
“Us curseborn weren’t allowed to live in the settlements. We all grew up together at this lodge in the mountains. And as we became more attuned to our powers, we’d go on missions. Hunting monsters and such.”
“So you all know each other.”
“Well… yeah… but honestly, that didn’t mean that we all got along. Sherry, Esme, and I were friends, though.”
“So Sherry was the leader of your little friend group.”
“Yeah. She’s a natural leader. I think you’d like her. Although…”
“Although?”
“She’s not as easy-going as Esme and me.”
“You mean to say she’s strong-willed?”
“Sherry always gets what she wants.”
I looked forward to seeing her again. There was something thrilling about the thought, in fact.
“What about you?” I put my hand on Ayla’s. “Did you get what you wanted?”
“I wanted you from the moment we met. So in the end, I suppose I did.”
I was glad she felt that way. “What was it like growing up with Sherry?”
“I was sort of like her second in command. I was good at advising. Esme, meanwhile, was good at following orders.”
“I see.”
Our conversation was mostly surface level. I had to take it deeper. And to do so, I’d have to be vulnerable.
“Back in my world, I was not a leader,” I said. “I blindly followed what society dictated. In the end, my life was so hollow that I was honestly happy when it ended.”
Ayla squeezed my hand. “So coming here was a second chance for you, then.”
I nodded. “Whenever I hear someone say the word ‘curseborn’ I know it’s a load of bullshit. Back in my world, people were given all sorts of labels to shame them. People were ridiculed for the way they looked, for what they believed. Ayla, I want you to know that you’re not cursed.”
“If I’m not cursed, then what am I? Why are we elementals so different?”
“Isn’t it obvious? It’s not a curse. It’s a blessing.”
“A blessing? Then why were we all born on the day the Shadowsoul came?”
“Isn’t that obvious, too? You were born on that day because it’s when you were needed. You were needed to save this monster-infested world.”
“If we’re so needed, why does everyone treat us like shit?”
“Because they’re guided by their fears, just like so many back in my world. They fear your powers. And yet in their hearts, they know it’s only you that can save them, and so they resent you for being better than them.”
Ayla took a sip of her white wine. “Even if you’re right, that doesn’t change how they treat us. We’ll always be made to feel cursed.”
“Sure, but you don’t have to internalize it. You don’t have to believe it. What I’m trying to say is – you’re an incredible person, Ayla. You’ve got a kind heart. That’s what makes you lovable. It’s not your power that makes you good or bad, it’s what’s inside.”
Ayla gave me a sad smile. “Thank you, Remy. I feel like I can be myself around you. Like I don’t have to bottle things. Truth is… I’m sad or angry all the time. I put on a smile so others won’t notice, but it’s how I am.”
The way others had treated her had made her that way. Perhaps by treating her well, and by changing this world, I could make her happy.
“You don’t have to hide it from me,” I said. “Tell me whatever you want. No need to feel shame for anything.”
“Thank you. I’ve tried to be so many things. Strong. Happy. Free. But I’m not these things. All I really want… all I really want is to fall into the arms of someone like you.”
“My arms are always open for you, Ayla. You’re not alone anymore. You don’t have to be free or strong or happy. You just have to be you. We’re soulbonded, now, so I’ll care for you no matter what.”
She nodded, tears glistening on her eyes. “Are all people from your world as amazing as you?”
“I’m not trying to be amazing. I’m trying to be fair and truthful. There was so much evil in my world. I was powerless there, but I’m not here.”
“You’re amazing to me, Remy. No one has ever talked to me the way you just did. No one has ever given me the benefit of the doubt like that.”
I clasped our hands together. “We have a unique opportunity, Ayla. I’ve been thinking a lot about this, in fact. I want to become the most powerful man in this world. I want to banish the Shadowsoul back to the hell from which it spawned. And then I want to sit upon the throne of this world. I want to make it a just and good place. Obviously, I’m not nearly strong enough, yet. But that’s my vision. That’s my goal. And I want you and Esme by my side.”
“Of course. I’ll never abandon you. I’ll be here for you, always. You don’t know how happy you’ve just made me. To be able to stand with someone who really has a chance of saving this world and making it a good place – it’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
“I’m not just going to save this world from the Shadowsoul. I’m going to save it from itself.”
“I’m with you all the way, Remy.”
Our food came. I was bold enough to try something other than chicken nuggets, this time: peppercorn soup with moon-cactus sauce. I held the bowl up to my mouth and slurped up the thick, greenish liquid.
“This is actually not bad,” I said, wiping soup off my stubble. “It’s kind of like lentil soup but zestier, and with a strong hit of sweet.”
Ayla chuckled. “What was the food like on your world?”
“Definitely blander than this. At least in the part of the world I came from.”
Ayla had ordered bread with some kind of blue seafood curry. I wasn’t bold enough to get a taste, but from the way she mmm’d and scarfed it down, I was almost tempted.
“I’ve never had delicacies like these,” she said. “No way would I ever spend my hard-earned soulcores on such a thing. It’s nice to be rich, isn’t it?”
“No matter what people try to claim to the contrary, having the means to buy whatever you need really does make life better. We deserve to be at the top, Ayla.”
“At the top… but the emperor and his princes are at the top.”
“Emperor… where does he live?”
“On the mainland, in the capital city.”
“Then who governs this island?”
“One of his nephews. He lives in Port City. It’s the largest, and only, city on this island.”
“Ah. I haven’t been there yet. We’ve really not traveled too far from where I first appeared. I’ve no sense of how big this world is. Like… how many countries are there?”
She swallowed. “I’m not sure. There are five major continents, though.”
“So are there curseborn scattered throughout the world?”
Ayla nodded. “I believe so. A large number of people were born that day.”
“What about the men who were born on the day the Shadowsoul came?”
“No men were born that day, oddly enough.”
How bizarre.
This world was full of injustices, just like my own. I had to right these wrongs as much as I had to defeat the Shadowsoul.
“This world is so much like my own,” I said. “And yet it’s also so different. But what matters is, I really do care about it. I don’t want anyone to suffer from injustices born of such stupidity and malice.”
“I’m with you.”
“Mark my words. We’re going to change things. First we have to focus on gaining power. Advancing our soulbonds, defeating great monsters, finding the best loot. I’m sure there are even more avenues to power that I’m not aware of.”
“And don’t forget – finding more curseborn for you to soulbond with.” Ayla giggled. “The thought of it does make me a little jealous. As much as I love her, sometimes I don’t want to share you with Esme.”
Our server walked over to our table and glared at me.
“Oh, I don’t need anything,” I said to him. That’s when I noticed he wasn’t our server.
The man wore a long, regal robe with paintings of peacocks on them. His blond hair reached his neck, and he sported a thick mustache.
“I heard everything you said.” He clutched the dagger sheathed to his belt. “Do you realize your tongue has spouted treachery?”
