Heather laughed, her melodic voice breaking the tension in the air. Zachary’s crimes were grave but, in some sense, they weren’t crimes at all. Each person sitting around the fire had their own reasons for what they had done. It was difficult to judge right or wrong because they were in the New World and they were not bound by the rules of the old.

“So, where is this girlfriend now?” Heather asked, “Do you think about her?”

“She broke up with me… after I was locked up,” Zachary replied.

Heather’s smile faded, “Ungrateful bitch.”

He sighed, “Ungrateful bitch indeed.”

“But you still want to compete for a pardon and return to the republic?” She asked.

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“It’s a long answer…”

He trailed off and looked around, studying the faces of his companions. Out of the group, Oliver and Olga seemed the most carefree and preoccupied with themselves while Nellie, Shuhua, and Carlos were listening intently to his and Heather’s conversation.

“What about you?” He asked instead, “Do you want to go back?”

“I do and I don’t.” Heather said, “It depends on what kind of tricks the republic will pull in the competition for the pardons. If it is too dangerous, I will just give up. I would rather struggle in the New World rather than beg for mercy at the feet of the republic.”

Zachary nodded and turned to Oliver, “What about you?”

“Me?” Oliver glanced at Olga and laughed cheerfully, “I don’t care. Us old folks have already decided that staying here is pretty good. Right?”

“Right!” Olga nodded, “It might be strange, but after coming here, I feel young again. There are dangers everywhere but that’s what makes it exciting.”

“Exactly!” Oliver said.

After that, Nellie and Carlos both expressed their interest in competing for the pardons. They had parents and friends waiting for them, a welcoming home to return to. They were young. They could still build a life after going back and put this nightmare behind them.

To Zachary’s surprise, Shuhua also expressed her desire to go back. He thought that being convicted of being a spy and traitor was even worse than being a mass murderer. If it was him in that situation, he would not go back. He might have even taken up Katherine’s offer to join a beast cult. However, Shuhua insisted that she was innocent and that getting a pardon would prove that. He couldn’t quite understand it but respected her choice.

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As night fell, dinner ended in a somber mood. Time was short. There was one month and about one week left until the end of the year. Those who intended to compete for a pardon spot were all feeling the pressure. They had to train their summons and catch more to round out their lineup. They had to get as strong as possible.

As Nellie and Carlos cleaned up the plates, Heather beckoned to Zachary. Curious, he followed her into her hut. He briefly wondered what she wanted with him, whether it was to chat or something else. If she wanted something else… he would gladly indulge her. She was as far from unattractive as someone could be. Being around her even made him forget about Minah.

“Zachary, I want to make another deal with you.” She said, getting straight to the point.

“A deal?”

“A deal.” She said and sat down at the table. “We’ve only known each other for a short while. You helped me and I’ve helped you in return. Now we’re even. You are not a member of my gang or Roan Oak Village. You are free to come and go as you please. But I hope that we can continue to work together, therefore… a deal.”

He remained standing but nodded for her to continue.

She rested her chin on her hand and studied him deeply, “You really want to go back. I can see it in your eyes. Whatever unresolved issues you have, you don’t have to explain them to me. I understand. But with your current strength, you won’t be able to compete for the top four amongst the survivors.”

Seeing his expression, she laughed, “Don’t worry, it’s not a terrible thing. I don’t even think I can rank in the top four right now. Nellie, Shuhua, and the others are even worse. But that’s why we should continue to work together.”

“Alright, what the deal?”

“I have a piece of information, a very precious piece of information. I can give it to you but in exchange, I want something of equal value.”

“Oh? Interesting. Go on.”

“First,” She said and pointed a finger at him, “You have a lot of soul orbs. I want to know how many you are willing to spare.”

“Soul orbs?”

Zachary’s hand instinctively reached for his belt and the orbs fastened on it. Then he remembered the leather bag he carried with him. He always had it slung across his back. It never left him, even during meals. Nobody should have known what was inside it as he had never revealed its contents.

“Don’t be so nervous. It was just a guess. And it’s not like I’m trying to rob you,” Heather laughed, “After seven months in this jungle, we have only found one pinecitta tree at the center of the ruins. Your orbs should have come from that tree, right?”

She didn’t wait for a reply and continued, “My gang joined with several other gangs to raid the ruins. Our goal was the tree and the soul orbs. Aaron White was one of the leaders of the cooperative operation. He mentioned that he had tried to raid the tree before with a smaller group. Some orbs were taken during that time. So, unless you discovered another pinecitta tree that wasn’t guarded by a horde of wild Ensouled, you were part of the first group. Am I right?”

“It's about right.” He admitted.

Heather smiled, “Good. You should understand why soul orbs are so important to me and Roan Oak Village. The summoning cards the republic gave us are trash. They will break after prolonged use and they are useless for adept rank captures. For those that want to stay in the New World long-term, one more soul orb means one more way of protecting their life.”

“I get it,” Zachary said, “But I have a question. What happened to the tree? It was gone when I checked on the ruins a few weeks ago.”

“That… the wolf pack leader did it. It attacked the tree when it realized its pack was no match for us. I didn’t think a wild beast could be so cunning and vicious. There was no way to save it.” Heather finished speaking and looked at Zachary intently, waiting for his decision.

He didn’t think too hard about it since he had plenty to spare, “I can trade some soul orbs. But how many will depend on the value of your information.”

She smiled again, much wider this time, as if she had gotten a birthday present, “What do you think about this? I know the location of a quintessence spring.”