Harem Ethics 101

06. So... It's Just Us Here Then?

“Fifty-three years!?” I sputtered. I’d had the impression that outworlders weren’t super common, but isn’t this a jail or something for outworlders? And there hasn’t been one to come through in at least fifty-three years? But also… 

“There’s no way you’re a day over thirty…” I said, unable to hide my mixture of surprise and suspicion. 

Her attempt at professionalism cracked as she snickered. “I’m a shadow primal and am magically gifted, I age slowly.” 

“Oh…” I said, “What’s a shadow primal?”

“My… aren’t we curious?” she teased, seeming to grow more relaxed as she tentatively let her tone thaw into something less coolly detached. “A shadow primal is the offspring of a human or elf and a shadow elemental.”

“How does that work?” I asked, the image of a dude unsuccessfully trying to bang a shadow cropping up in my imagination.

“I think I’ll decline on explaining the finer details about the coupling between my parents…” 

“Fair enough.” I chuckled, pleased that she seemed to prefer a more casual atmosphere. I tried to steer back to the original question. “About the outworlders though, fifty-three years and not one coming through here seems like a long time…”

“It’s not that odd. They appear rarely and in seemingly random places all across Thaessa. So, while Myris is a large country, it’s more likely for one to appear somewhere else,” she explained patiently.

“‘Thaessa’ is what this world’s called?”

“It is.” 

Reaching the top of the stairs, I found four wooden doors set into the walls along the walkway.

As we continued forward, my eyes drifted to her ass as she pulled me along. It was hard to tell through her loose-fitting pants, but I thought I could make out the outline of what looked to be an athletic and shapely backside. 

“So… I haven’t noticed any guards here either… Is it just us here then?” I asked with as much neutrality as I could muster, hoping she’d say yes. 

A moment of awkward silence passed.

Damn… Guess I didn’t hide that very well.

“Apart from the constructs, yes. It’s only us here.” she said cheerily. 

My stomach fluttered with excitement. I didn’t realistically think I could make something happen with her, but there was still something exciting about being alone with her.

Never say never… thirty-six days is a long time… If you’re careful then maybe something could happen…

A moment later the front of my brain caught up and kicked my dick out of the driver’s seat. 

“What’re constructs?” My attention returned to the back of her bedhead. 

“They’re machines created with certain duties in mind. We have a pair of cleanser constructs here who are responsible for cleaning and a nourishment construct which prepares meals.” 

A variety of robots from my world marched across my mind. “I see…”

“They navigate Stone Lock using hidden passages and usually only emerge when nobody’s around. So you probably won’t ever see them.”

Disappointment twinged within me at the idea of not seeing the robots. “Can you show them to me later?”

We came to a stop at one of the wooden doors and she turned to me. “If you like.”

“Thanks,” I said, letting the simmering excitement at seeing the constructs manifest as a broad grin. 

She offered a small smile of her own and released my chain. Her hand moved to the door handle and a lock within released with a click at her touch. She pushed open the door before standing to the side, flourishing the black folder playfully in a motion for me to enter. “After you.” 

I stepped inside and into a space the size of a large bedroom with sconces embedded in the ceiling. The fixtures illuminated the room using what I assumed to be a smaller version of the crystals I’d seen earlier in the main area, revealing it to only contain lines of drawers covering one of the walls.

She followed after me and closed the door. When her fingers left the handle the lock reengaged.

“During your stay, you will be required to wear clothing identifying you as an outworlder,” she said. “You’re rather tall, but the ones over there should have something that’ll fit you.” She nodded at the column of drawers nestled in the far corner of the room. “Boots and socks are in the bottom drawer.”

Thankful for the fresh change of clothes that didn’t smell of prison wagon, I schooled my growing sheepish expression into one of stoicism as I power walked over to the drawers she’d indicated. 

Pulling the middle one open, I found neatly folded gray shirts and pants. The fabric felt reasonably comfortable against my fingers as I grabbed one of the uniforms. I held the shirt up to my chest awkwardly due to the manacles, unsure if it’d fit. A patch featuring an eye was stitched to its chest. 

I guess this means ‘outworlder’ somehow?

I pushed the symbol from my mind, then knelt down to get a pair of plain black boots and socks.

“So… Do I take these with me and change when I get to my cell?” I asked as I stood, clutching the garments and footwear to my chest in an unwieldy bundle. “Also, it’s been a long trip… Is there a chance I could get a bath soon?”

The corners of her lips tugged upwards in a knowing smile. “No baths, but the showers were our next stop. You’ll change there after cleaning up.”

“Lead the way!” I said, not bothering to hide the eagerness in my voice.

The door’s lock disengaged as she turned and reached forward to open the door. She pulled it open and stepped quickly out onto the walkway. “This way, Mr. Northgate,” she said, a chime of amused laughter in her voice. 

I hurried after her, noticing that she hadn’t decided to pull me by my chain, and fell into step beside her. “So, about learning magic–”

“We can discuss that after the intake process,” she interrupted.

Damn, what’s with the one-eighty?

We came to another door. The lock released as she pushed it open and stepped inside. 

I followed her, entering a room with lockers, two benches, and a hardwood floor which extended forward before terminating at the beginning of a spacious, white-tiled communal shower.

“These are the showers…” She said coolly, her back to me. 

“Huh, looks like this world isn’t so medieval after all…” I placed my uniform atop the bench to my left before stepping forward, appreciating the familiarity of the shower room. 

She didn’t make eye contact as she turned, her brows furrowed and mouth quirked to the side in deliberation over something as she walked around me. 

“So, where should I come find you after I’m done changing?” I asked as I rotated to keep her in sight.

Curiosity swelled in me as she stopped at the door, looking away from me again and saying nothing over the next half-minute or so.  

As I was about to ask what was wrong, her small shoulders rose as she inhaled deeply, then fell with an exhalation.  A click sounded as the lock engaged. 

Her mask indecipherable crumbled as she faced me and leaned against the door. The corners of her lips slightly curled upwards as her obsidian-colored eyes latched onto me hungrily. 

“Here at Stone Lock, a strip search is a required part of the intake process…”