The cooking fire had died out, leaving behind only dim embers. In the twilight sky above, there was still a faint purple glow, signifying the short few moments before complete darkness.

However, sitting across from Zachary, Katherine’s eyes shined with unexpected brightness, as if she had suddenly found the most interesting thing in the world. His story was finished but she was still as excited as she had been at the beginning.

“Zachary Zhang and his Yaoyao… I knew it was you. Ahhh!” She squealed like a little girl.

“What… you knew? How?” He asked.

Instead of answering, she hopped out of her seat and slid next to him. She gave him a tight hug and rubbed her head against his arm.

“I knew it. Well... when I first met you, I was pretty sure but not totally. When you told me your last name and your crimes, I knew for certain. Zachary Zhang and his Yaoyao, the famous novice summoner with his one-of-a-kind winged tiger. The pair that steamrolled through the novice competition of Plymouth County with a single summon!”

She laughed happily and refused to let him go, even when he tried to push her away.

“How do you know about that? That was years ago, I was like eleven…” He protested.

With Yaoyao, he had indeed won a novice summoner competition in his local county. She was the offspring of that majestic saint in the sky. She was far away the strongest within the novice rank. It wasn’t even a fair fight but straight-up bullying.

But he hadn’t done anything else after that. Yaoyao’s performance was far too shocking and his parents made them keep a low profile from then on. Although he was the champion of the county, he did not go on to the provincial level, let alone the national level.

However, he couldn’t stay in Warton forever and eventually left for university after passing the exams. He had only managed to experience a few short months of university life before the incident happened. He lost everything after that, including Yaoyao.

“Yes, yes. You were only a little novice summoner.” Katherine said, “But with that one competition, you had already attracted the attention of various people in the republic and beyond. They had all been keeping an eye on you and Yaoyao, all this time.”

“Shit…” Zachary muttered.

He had known something like that was possible. His parents had warned him many times. He also had many days on the prison ship to reflect on the events that led to his current state.

During that time, he had come to the conclusion that he had trusted the wrong person. He gave his naïve heart to her and she had stabbed him in the back. She played him from the very beginning in order to get her hands on Yaoyao.

He didn't expect that it wasn't just her... that there were even more people eyeing Yaoyao.

If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

Zachary let out a long sigh, “Alright, fine. So you know about my past and my first summon. That still doesn’t explain why you are following me.”

She let go of his arm and jumped to her feet, “It’s getting late, I’ll tell you tomorrow.”

With that, she climbed up the nearby tree with surprising speed and agility, leaving him to stew in his own thoughts as the first watch of the night.

---

The first thing Zachary noticed when he awoke was that it was far too warm. The jungle was hot and humid during the day and also during the night. However, he felt as if he was covered by a soft blanket. Then he realized that the said blanket had arms and legs and was clinging to him like a barnacle.

“Hey…” He groaned.

Katherine’s face was buried in the crook of his neck. Her scent tickled his nose. Her light snores sounded so content.

“Hey.” He nudged her.

They were on a large tree branch. His back scraped against the rough bark. It wasn’t the most comfortable place to sleep. On the other hand, she had conveniently used him as a cushion.

“Mmm.” She mumbled.

“You were supposed to be on watch."

He had diligently watched over their surroundings for half a night. She was supposed to do it for the second half.

“Marble said she would do it.” She said.

Zachary looked around for the cat and didn’t find it. He felt something fluffy and looked down. Her cat was nestled between them, sleeping like a brick.

He muttered to himself as he tried to push her off. The sky was already bright blue. He didn’t know how long they had slept in. There was no need to mention the dangers of doing so in this place.

“Are you angry?” Katherine asked, still clinging to his neck, “I’m sorry. I was really tired last night. Marble promised she would stay awake. I will discipline her today, I promise.”

“It’s fine… I’m not angry.”

“Thanks.” She said softly.

She then leaned up and kissed his cheek.

“Eh?” He made a silly noise from surprise.

He rubbed the spot on his cheek reflectively. Her lips were small and soft, like a ball of fur. She had a distinct scent, it reminded him of what he had lost.

“What? Do I smell?” She asked after seeing his expression.

She checked her breath and then her hair, sniffing herself all over. “I suppose we both smell a little bit. An easy fix.”

She detached herself from him with speed akin to a startled cat. She leaped off the tree and dashed to the riverbank. She then jumped into the water.

“Hey! ...damn it,” Zachary said and scrambled after her.

He quickly summoned both Hammer and Dream. Dream’s rainbow scales flashed briefly under the morning sun before it slid smoothly into the water. Hammer’s large body followed with a large splash.

“Dream, Hammer, stay alert for other Ensouled.”

“Kack!” The crab answered with an affirmative while the fish wagged its tail.

There was another splash as Katherine reemerged. Standing in the shallows, she gave him a dazzling smile. Sunlight reflected off the river, surrounding her with flashes of rainbow colors. Water dripped from her hair and down her smooth, bare skin. The two gentle swells on her chest glistened as they guided droplets to their pink tips.

Her hands were thrust into her sides, making no attempt at modesty. Her hips were cocked to one side, playful and enticing. His gaze inadvertently drifted downward. A small gap of daylight was visible above the water, between her thighs. Its secrets were hidden by a small triangle of brown hair that captured his attention for far too long.

His breath caught in his throat. He wanted to say something but found a sudden lack of coherent thoughts.

“See something you like?” Katherine asked coyly.

Zachary coughed and looked away, suddenly far more interested in the trees on the other side of the river.

“That’s too bad.” She said and dived back into the water.

With their summons standing guard, she swam around a little before washing herself. She scrubbed her body from top to bottom. She cleaned her hair the best she could. She also washed the worn-out prisoner outfit she had been wearing for far too long.

All the while, Zachary tried to look at anything except her. Unluckily, he failed more than he succeeded.