I willed my ice shard to fly off my left hand. It smashed into the creature’s golden wing. Icicles erupted from the spot where it made contact. Within seconds, more icicles grew, spreading across and freezing its entire wing.
Its head crashed onto the ground as Esme dodged out of the way. Without a second’s hesitation, I launched into the air, my katana forward, and sliced down upon its neck.
Black blood and wisps of shadow blew out of the cut I made. The manticore released a shrill cry. I stabbed it again and again, more blood and shadow pouring out of each hole.
“Don’t stop!” Esme said.
I didn’t. Its body began to wither, and finally, after one more cut, all the shadow and blood within it drained out, and nothing was left but a pile of feathers.
Upon the feathers sat a palm-sized black crystal, which shimmered like obsidian in the moon’s glow.
I stuck my katana into the ground, leaned against it, and panted. “What’s that thing?”
“That’s its soulcore.” Esme got on her knees and rested her hands on her bare thighs, which were now slicked in sweat. “We can either sell it for a sizable reward, or use it to power up.”
“Perfect. A fitting reward for hard work. I like this new world already.”
Esme and I walked out of the ruins. She kept the beast’s soulcore with her, since I had no pockets. I was still wearing a loincloth, after all. In the world where I’d come from, I might’ve felt ashamed wearing such a scant thing in front of such a cute girl. But here, I seemed oddly comfortable with myself. At peace. Though according to Esme this world had already ended, the ruins surrounding us were far more beautiful than the suburban town where I’d lived and died.
“You’re a natural,” she said. “No wonder you were chosen.”
“Chosen? By that red-haired witch?”
“You mean Shireen – Sherry for short. She went to your world to find us a hero.”
“Hero?” I chuckled. “That’s a bit much.”
“Maybe it’s a bit much in your world. But so far, you seem exactly like what we need if we’re to keep surviving amid this desolation. A desolation that is hunting us.”
“I still don’t get it. Why me?”
“If you can’t answer that, how can I? Maybe you never realized how special you were. Maybe where you came from, your nature was not understood nor valued.”
I wasn’t used to being praised, to be honest. Back home, most people were nice to me, sure, but that’s because they were nice to everyone. I never felt I was special or deserved any treatment beyond that.
Esme and I stopped by a stream. Its crystal-clear water ran through a valley between two verdant hills. Amid the valley were lush trees, and the sounds of the forest drifted from it. The wispy wind brought its woody aroma to us.
Esme bent at the stream to wash her face and arms. I did the same to wipe some of the grime from the battle off.
“Don’t be upset, but I kind of like this world,” I said. “I like that it’s so natural. Where I come from, humans have ruined everything.”
“My caretaker used to tell me the same about this world. That we’d corrupted it and so deserved the Cataclysm. But while parts of our world might be beautiful now, there are also areas thoroughly sickened by the Shadowsoul.”
“Shadowsoul?” This place and all the names really seemed straight out of a videogame.
“The Shadowsoul brought the Cataclysm. It continues to hunt those who survived, hoping to corrupt the whole land. If we could shatter it, perhaps one day we could live in peace again. Be given a second chance to flourish.”
“A second chance… well, I sure got a second chance by coming here. The last thing I want is for my life to be as meaningless as it was back on Earth, or to be as powerless to help others and get the things I want.”
Esme smiled at me, red on her cheeks. Her eyes were soft and innocent, like those of my high school girlfriend.
“I was certain that whoever we summoned wouldn’t like it here. That we’d be doing an awful thing by bringing him here. But it seems you don’t mind it so much. I’m glad.”
Droplets glistened on her azure locks as she wet her hair with the river water. She brought some into her mouth and swallowed.
Suddenly, I felt thirsty, too. I did the same, enjoying how minerally the river water tasted.
Another gust left me shivering. “As much as I enjoy the free feeling of the wind against my crevices, I think I’d prefer clothes.”
“Of course.” Esme giggled. “I don’t have anything in your size, but we may come upon a merchant.”
“Why are there still merchants? Is there an economy, even after the world has ended?”
“Even at the end of the world, people want to make money. Us survivors must rely on each other, more than ever, and so those who can move goods from settlement to settlement are very valuable. And very well rewarded.”
So some things weren’t so different from back home. Still, the economy of the world I’d left was so massive and complex, it defied understanding, like an eldritch abomination that controlled us all but was beyond our ability to encompass. From what Esme had described, we were back in ancient or medieval times. The simplicity of it relaxed me.
“We also need to have rings made.” Her face pinkened when she said it. She gazed at the ground with shyness.
“Rings?”
“To celebrate our soulbond.”
“Interesting. In my world, we only exchange rings for marriage.”
Esme’s cheeks reddened even more. She hemmed and hawed.
“What are you not telling me, Esme?”
“Well, you see, a soulbond is sort of like marriage. Uhh, at least, in the sense that it’s very difficult to reverse. And also, we, uhh, well, we’re sort of tethered to each other.”
“Tethered? You mean that blue rope of light that connected us while we were fighting?”
“We can’t see it right now because I’m not flowing any ice mana into you, but that tether is still connecting us, even now. And that means we can’t go too far away from each other for too long. If we do, it’ll become incredibly painful and erode our life force. So…”
“So we’re stuck with each other. Like a husband and wife.”
Esme chuckled nervously. “Sorry. I wish I’d explained the consequences better.” Her voice hushed. “Someone like you probably wouldn’t want to be soulbonded to someone like me.”
“Why do you say that?”
“I’m not much more than a scrapper. A vagabond.”
“So? You’ve got the sickest sword I’ve ever seen. I’d say that’s something.” She was also adorable, with one of the fittest bodies I’d ever laid eyes on. But women back on Earth tended to respond to physical compliments in unpredictable ways, so I was hesitant to express that.
“Sick? Why is my sword sick?”
“No-no, not sick as in ill. It’s just an expression from my world. Your sword is amazing, is what I’m saying.”
“Oh, thank you. Ice is my soul affinity, so it was only natural to create a sword from ice.”
I cupped some river water and doused my face, enjoying the cold. Well, it could be a lot worse. Coming to this world, getting the chance to use amazing powers, and being soulbonded to a cute girl – could be a whole lot worse. There wasn’t a single thing worth complaining about, aside from my lack of clothes.
“Let’s go find a merchant.” I stood up and stretched.
“Right!” Esme did the same, and on we went.
We walked along the riverside until we came upon a shack. Outside the shack was a flickering fire. A plump man sat at the fire, chomping down on what resembled a barbequed chicken leg, though the meat was darker.
A barrier of light formed from yellow and orange lines surrounded him and the shack. Strange glyphs shone among the lines.
“This one might have something to trade,” Esme whispered to me as we approached. “We could sell him the soulcore if he gives us something worthwhile in return.”
I waved at the merchant, then said, “Greetings! We are two travelers looking to get fair recompense for a rather lovely soul core.” In college I worked for one of the major carriers, selling cell phone plans. I knew how to make something sound shinier than it was.
The plump man stood up, then bowed. I bowed back, just to be polite, as did Esme.
“Let’s see the soulcore,” the man said before taking another bite of the grilled meat. My mouth watered.
Esme held up the obsidian crystal. It had so many edges and prickly points. Come to think of it, she didn’t have any pockets on her skimpy dress. Where had she been storing it all this time?
The man rubbed his beard. “That’s a manticore’s soulcore. I hate those foul creatures. One reason why I had to erect this barrier around my house.”
“You have a decent set of clothes you could sell?” I asked. “One that’ll fit my frame?”
“Sure do.” The man drew a circle in the air, tracing an outline of light. Then he pushed his hand into the circle. It disappeared. When he pulled it out, he was clutching a silky pair of pants and an even silkier shirt.
So that must’ve been where Esme was storing the soulcore, too. Incredible. The magic of this world was more impressive than the technology of mine.
The man held out the shirt and pants. With the ornate lining around the collar and the airiness of the silk, it resembled something from Aladdin.
“Nice digs,” I said, “but taking down that manticore was a lot of work. I think you should toss in something else, to make the transaction fairer.”
“Sure, let me rummage through my soul storage.” He stuck his hand in the floating circle of light and pulled out a pair of pointy, sequin-embroidered shoes.
“Seems a bit fancy,” I blurted out.
“It’s all I got,” the man said. “They were tailored for my son. Almost twenty years ago. But worry not, the soul storage kept ‘em fresh.” The man’s face twisted into a pained frown.
I didn’t want to pry. “Thank you, kind sir. I’ll treasure them.”
The man drew a circle on his barrier, creating an opening. I passed the soul core to him, and he passed the clothes to me.
I put the clothes on and looked at myself in the river. I really did resemble a character from Aladdin or Prince of Persia. A brilliant style, though the pointy shoes seemed inconvenient for fighting.
Esme watched me, a slight frown on her lips. “That man’s son died in the Cataclysm.”
“So this Cataclysm happened twenty years ago, then.”
“Yes. I was born the day it began. The day the Shadowsoul descended. Most people refuse to go near me, insisting that I’m cursed.”
How ominous. It also explained why Esme had described herself as a vagabond. But despite others rejecting her, she was still fighting for everyone’s future.
“I want to help you, Esme,” I said. “Where I came from, injustice and evil thrived. I was powerless to help others. Here, I can be a force for good. Maybe this is where I belong.”
Her pale cheeks turned the color of a fresh rose. “Hearing you say that warms my heart. But I fear I haven’t quite made plain just how difficult our task is.”
“Tell me. I’m ready to begin. I know I’m far from strong enough to face the Shadowsoul, yet, so I’ll do whatever I must to get stronger.”
“To destroy the Shadowsoul, we must first find its tethers that bind it to this world. These tethers are spread throughout the land.”
Esme reached into her soul storage and pulled out a vellum scroll. She unrolled it, revealing a beautiful watercolor map.
Upon the map was a blinking dot. I pointed to it. “Is that some kind of magic?”
“Fast learner.” She chuckled. “This is an enchanted map. It shows our location, as well as the surrounding area. I’ve marked several points of interest.”
Most of the map was painted in sepia tones. Only the area around us was colored, and there were several spots marked.
“I assume the sepia is places you’ve never been to.”
“Indeed. I don’t know much about your world, but this one is likely as massive. I’ve only traveled through this region, so I’m afraid I don’t know anything about what lies outside of it.”
I pointed to something that she’d marked with the drawing of a treasure chest. “What’s this?”
“It’s a treasure protected by a fierce demon named Angara. Unfortunately for us, this demon is immune to ice attacks.”
“Usually monsters that are immune to ice are weak to fire. Why doesn’t Shireen – Sherry – help you?”
Esme raised an eyebrow. “Wait, how’d you know that Sherry’s attunement is fire?”
“Just a guess. You have blue hair and you’re an ice wielder. Sherry’s got red hair, so…”
“As right as you are, Sherry isn’t strong enough to defeat Angara. That’s why we summoned you. If you could form a soulbond with her, her power would be multiplied through you. That’s our only hope.”
“Wait…” I scratched my head. “But I’m already soulbonded to you!”
“So? There’s no limit to how many soulbonds you can form. The more the better. And the stronger the bond, the more powerful you’ll get.”
“How does one strengthen a soulbond?”
Esme put a hand to her heart. Our tether appeared. A wispy blue line connected us.
“Our bond will strengthen as we get to know each other better,” she said. “And as this happens, I’ll unlock new abilities, which you’ll be able to use at many multiples of my power. Also, that multiplier will increase, too, and old abilities could even transform into stronger ones.”
I liked the idea of getting to know her better. She seemed like the shy type, who hid layers behind a veneer of politeness. I wanted to peel off those layers. I’d never really gotten this opportunity back in my world. Most of the girls I’d dated were the more assertive types.
“I’d love to get to know you, Esme.”
I could infer that our soulbond was not merely about knowing each other, but connecting on a deeper level. On multiple deeper levels: emotionally, mentally, physically, spiritually. It was called a bond, after all. So the closer we became in mind, body, and soul, the more powerful I’d be with ice weapons and magic.
“I have an idea.” Esme tapped another point on the map. This one had an icon that resembled a cave. “There’s a dungeon here. The monsters within aren’t too powerful, and most are weak to ice. We could amass many soulcores by slaying them, which we could then sell for better armor and perhaps even enchanted items. And that’s not all.” She paused to catch her breath from how fast she was talking. “There’s usually a significant treasure at the end.”
Well, I knew that from all the videogames I’d played. “What are we waiting for? Lead the way!”
I willed my ice shard to fly off my left hand. It smashed into the creature’s golden wing. Icicles erupted from the spot where it made contact. Within seconds, more icicles grew, spreading across and freezing its entire wing.
Its head crashed onto the ground as Esme dodged out of the way. Without a second’s hesitation, I launched into the air, my katana forward, and sliced down upon its neck.
Black blood and wisps of shadow blew out of the cut I made. The manticore released a shrill cry. I stabbed it again and again, more blood and shadow pouring out of each hole.
“Don’t stop!” Esme said.
I didn’t. Its body began to wither, and finally, after one more cut, all the shadow and blood within it drained out, and nothing was left but a pile of feathers.
Upon the feathers sat a palm-sized black crystal, which shimmered like obsidian in the moon’s glow.
I stuck my katana into the ground, leaned against it, and panted. “What’s that thing?”
“That’s its soulcore.” Esme got on her knees and rested her hands on her bare thighs, which were now slicked in sweat. “We can either sell it for a sizable reward, or use it to power up.”
“Perfect. A fitting reward for hard work. I like this new world already.”
Esme and I walked out of the ruins. She kept the beast’s soulcore with her, since I had no pockets. I was still wearing a loincloth, after all. In the world where I’d come from, I might’ve felt ashamed wearing such a scant thing in front of such a cute girl. But here, I seemed oddly comfortable with myself. At peace. Though according to Esme this world had already ended, the ruins surrounding us were far more beautiful than the suburban town where I’d lived and died.
“You’re a natural,” she said. “No wonder you were chosen.”
“Chosen? By that red-haired witch?”
“You mean Shireen – Sherry for short. She went to your world to find us a hero.”
“Hero?” I chuckled. “That’s a bit much.”
“Maybe it’s a bit much in your world. But so far, you seem exactly like what we need if we’re to keep surviving amid this desolation. A desolation that is hunting us.”
“I still don’t get it. Why me?”
“If you can’t answer that, how can I? Maybe you never realized how special you were. Maybe where you came from, your nature was not understood nor valued.”
I wasn’t used to being praised, to be honest. Back home, most people were nice to me, sure, but that’s because they were nice to everyone. I never felt I was special or deserved any treatment beyond that.
Esme and I stopped by a stream. Its crystal-clear water ran through a valley between two verdant hills. Amid the valley were lush trees, and the sounds of the forest drifted from it. The wispy wind brought its woody aroma to us.
Esme bent at the stream to wash her face and arms. I did the same to wipe some of the grime from the battle off.
“Don’t be upset, but I kind of like this world,” I said. “I like that it’s so natural. Where I come from, humans have ruined everything.”
“My caretaker used to tell me the same about this world. That we’d corrupted it and so deserved the Cataclysm. But while parts of our world might be beautiful now, there are also areas thoroughly sickened by the Shadowsoul.”
“Shadowsoul?” This place and all the names really seemed straight out of a videogame.
“The Shadowsoul brought the Cataclysm. It continues to hunt those who survived, hoping to corrupt the whole land. If we could shatter it, perhaps one day we could live in peace again. Be given a second chance to flourish.”
“A second chance… well, I sure got a second chance by coming here. The last thing I want is for my life to be as meaningless as it was back on Earth, or to be as powerless to help others and get the things I want.”
Esme smiled at me, red on her cheeks. Her eyes were soft and innocent, like those of my high school girlfriend.
“I was certain that whoever we summoned wouldn’t like it here. That we’d be doing an awful thing by bringing him here. But it seems you don’t mind it so much. I’m glad.”
Droplets glistened on her azure locks as she wet her hair with the river water. She brought some into her mouth and swallowed.
Suddenly, I felt thirsty, too. I did the same, enjoying how minerally the river water tasted.
Another gust left me shivering. “As much as I enjoy the free feeling of the wind against my crevices, I think I’d prefer clothes.”
“Of course.” Esme giggled. “I don’t have anything in your size, but we may come upon a merchant.”
“Why are there still merchants? Is there an economy, even after the world has ended?”
“Even at the end of the world, people want to make money. Us survivors must rely on each other, more than ever, and so those who can move goods from settlement to settlement are very valuable. And very well rewarded.”
So some things weren’t so different from back home. Still, the economy of the world I’d left was so massive and complex, it defied understanding, like an eldritch abomination that controlled us all but was beyond our ability to encompass. From what Esme had described, we were back in ancient or medieval times. The simplicity of it relaxed me.
“We also need to have rings made.” Her face pinkened when she said it. She gazed at the ground with shyness.
“Rings?”
“To celebrate our soulbond.”
“Interesting. In my world, we only exchange rings for marriage.”
Esme’s cheeks reddened even more. She hemmed and hawed.
“What are you not telling me, Esme?”
“Well, you see, a soulbond is sort of like marriage. Uhh, at least, in the sense that it’s very difficult to reverse. And also, we, uhh, well, we’re sort of tethered to each other.”
“Tethered? You mean that blue rope of light that connected us while we were fighting?”
“We can’t see it right now because I’m not flowing any ice mana into you, but that tether is still connecting us, even now. And that means we can’t go too far away from each other for too long. If we do, it’ll become incredibly painful and erode our life force. So…”
“So we’re stuck with each other. Like a husband and wife.”
Esme chuckled nervously. “Sorry. I wish I’d explained the consequences better.” Her voice hushed. “Someone like you probably wouldn’t want to be soulbonded to someone like me.”
“Why do you say that?”
“I’m not much more than a scrapper. A vagabond.”
“So? You’ve got the sickest sword I’ve ever seen. I’d say that’s something.” She was also adorable, with one of the fittest bodies I’d ever laid eyes on. But women back on Earth tended to respond to physical compliments in unpredictable ways, so I was hesitant to express that.
“Sick? Why is my sword sick?”
“No-no, not sick as in ill. It’s just an expression from my world. Your sword is amazing, is what I’m saying.”
“Oh, thank you. Ice is my soul affinity, so it was only natural to create a sword from ice.”
I cupped some river water and doused my face, enjoying the cold. Well, it could be a lot worse. Coming to this world, getting the chance to use amazing powers, and being soulbonded to a cute girl – could be a whole lot worse. There wasn’t a single thing worth complaining about, aside from my lack of clothes.
“Let’s go find a merchant.” I stood up and stretched.
“Right!” Esme did the same, and on we went.
We walked along the riverside until we came upon a shack. Outside the shack was a flickering fire. A plump man sat at the fire, chomping down on what resembled a barbequed chicken leg, though the meat was darker.
A barrier of light formed from yellow and orange lines surrounded him and the shack. Strange glyphs shone among the lines.
“This one might have something to trade,” Esme whispered to me as we approached. “We could sell him the soulcore if he gives us something worthwhile in return.”
I waved at the merchant, then said, “Greetings! We are two travelers looking to get fair recompense for a rather lovely soul core.” In college I worked for one of the major carriers, selling cell phone plans. I knew how to make something sound shinier than it was.
The plump man stood up, then bowed. I bowed back, just to be polite, as did Esme.
“Let’s see the soulcore,” the man said before taking another bite of the grilled meat. My mouth watered.
Esme held up the obsidian crystal. It had so many edges and prickly points. Come to think of it, she didn’t have any pockets on her skimpy dress. Where had she been storing it all this time?
The man rubbed his beard. “That’s a manticore’s soulcore. I hate those foul creatures. One reason why I had to erect this barrier around my house.”
“You have a decent set of clothes you could sell?” I asked. “One that’ll fit my frame?”
“Sure do.” The man drew a circle in the air, tracing an outline of light. Then he pushed his hand into the circle. It disappeared. When he pulled it out, he was clutching a silky pair of pants and an even silkier shirt.
So that must’ve been where Esme was storing the soulcore, too. Incredible. The magic of this world was more impressive than the technology of mine.
The man held out the shirt and pants. With the ornate lining around the collar and the airiness of the silk, it resembled something from Aladdin.
“Nice digs,” I said, “but taking down that manticore was a lot of work. I think you should toss in something else, to make the transaction fairer.”
“Sure, let me rummage through my soul storage.” He stuck his hand in the floating circle of light and pulled out a pair of pointy, sequin-embroidered shoes.
“Seems a bit fancy,” I blurted out.
“It’s all I got,” the man said. “They were tailored for my son. Almost twenty years ago. But worry not, the soul storage kept ‘em fresh.” The man’s face twisted into a pained frown.
I didn’t want to pry. “Thank you, kind sir. I’ll treasure them.”
The man drew a circle on his barrier, creating an opening. I passed the soul core to him, and he passed the clothes to me.
I put the clothes on and looked at myself in the river. I really did resemble a character from Aladdin or Prince of Persia. A brilliant style, though the pointy shoes seemed inconvenient for fighting.
Esme watched me, a slight frown on her lips. “That man’s son died in the Cataclysm.”
“So this Cataclysm happened twenty years ago, then.”
“Yes. I was born the day it began. The day the Shadowsoul descended. Most people refuse to go near me, insisting that I’m cursed.”
How ominous. It also explained why Esme had described herself as a vagabond. But despite others rejecting her, she was still fighting for everyone’s future.
“I want to help you, Esme,” I said. “Where I came from, injustice and evil thrived. I was powerless to help others. Here, I can be a force for good. Maybe this is where I belong.”
Her pale cheeks turned the color of a fresh rose. “Hearing you say that warms my heart. But I fear I haven’t quite made plain just how difficult our task is.”
“Tell me. I’m ready to begin. I know I’m far from strong enough to face the Shadowsoul, yet, so I’ll do whatever I must to get stronger.”
“To destroy the Shadowsoul, we must first find its tethers that bind it to this world. These tethers are spread throughout the land.”
Esme reached into her soul storage and pulled out a vellum scroll. She unrolled it, revealing a beautiful watercolor map.
Upon the map was a blinking dot. I pointed to it. “Is that some kind of magic?”
“Fast learner.” She chuckled. “This is an enchanted map. It shows our location, as well as the surrounding area. I’ve marked several points of interest.”
Most of the map was painted in sepia tones. Only the area around us was colored, and there were several spots marked.
“I assume the sepia is places you’ve never been to.”
“Indeed. I don’t know much about your world, but this one is likely as massive. I’ve only traveled through this region, so I’m afraid I don’t know anything about what lies outside of it.”
I pointed to something that she’d marked with the drawing of a treasure chest. “What’s this?”
“It’s a treasure protected by a fierce demon named Angara. Unfortunately for us, this demon is immune to ice attacks.”
“Usually monsters that are immune to ice are weak to fire. Why doesn’t Shireen – Sherry – help you?”
Esme raised an eyebrow. “Wait, how’d you know that Sherry’s attunement is fire?”
“Just a guess. You have blue hair and you’re an ice wielder. Sherry’s got red hair, so…”
“As right as you are, Sherry isn’t strong enough to defeat Angara. That’s why we summoned you. If you could form a soulbond with her, her power would be multiplied through you. That’s our only hope.”
“Wait…” I scratched my head. “But I’m already soulbonded to you!”
“So? There’s no limit to how many soulbonds you can form. The more the better. And the stronger the bond, the more powerful you’ll get.”
“How does one strengthen a soulbond?”
Esme put a hand to her heart. Our tether appeared. A wispy blue line connected us.
“Our bond will strengthen as we get to know each other better,” she said. “And as this happens, I’ll unlock new abilities, which you’ll be able to use at many multiples of my power. Also, that multiplier will increase, too, and old abilities could even transform into stronger ones.”
I liked the idea of getting to know her better. She seemed like the shy type, who hid layers behind a veneer of politeness. I wanted to peel off those layers. I’d never really gotten this opportunity back in my world. Most of the girls I’d dated were the more assertive types.
“I’d love to get to know you, Esme.”
I could infer that our soulbond was not merely about knowing each other, but connecting on a deeper level. On multiple deeper levels: emotionally, mentally, physically, spiritually. It was called a bond, after all. So the closer we became in mind, body, and soul, the more powerful I’d be with ice weapons and magic.
“I have an idea.” Esme tapped another point on the map. This one had an icon that resembled a cave. “There’s a dungeon here. The monsters within aren’t too powerful, and most are weak to ice. We could amass many soulcores by slaying them, which we could then sell for better armor and perhaps even enchanted items. And that’s not all.” She paused to catch her breath from how fast she was talking. “There’s usually a significant treasure at the end.”
Well, I knew that from all the videogames I’d played. “What are we waiting for? Lead the way!”
