After a while, we sat down near a large tree to eat. Cienar had found some more food for us and the fruits he picked were delicious and juicy. It was so good I barely realized that Ikko was walking away from us. I looked up from the fruit I was eating to say, "Hey, where are you going, Ikko?" He stopped and looked back at me. "Getting something to eat." Arine gave him a confused look. "Why? There's plenty of fruit right here." Ikko turned away and continued to walk. "I don't eat fruit. I eat blood." I froze and so did Arine. 'Right. I keep forgetting that he is a monster! He's so calm it's hard to believe he kills people.'
I sighed and looked up at the darkening sky through the small openings of leaves on the trees. The trees were very tall and covered the entire top of the jungle, but it was easy to tell that it was getting dark. I turned to Cienar who was staring off into the jungle. "What are you looking at?" He didn't turn away as he answered. "This place gets even more dangerous in the dark. We should camp here for the night."
Arine leaned against the tree. "But wouldn't it be safer if we were to find something instead of something finding us?" Cienar took his staff and stood up. "It is more likely that something will find us if we are moving around. Our safest bet is to stay here and not draw any attention to ourselves." After he spoke, the sun left the sky, allowing the plants and algae to glow bioluminescently and light up the jungle in the dark.
I stood up to look at all the bright colors. "Wow." Arine stood up in astonishment as well. "You said it." Cienar looked at our surroundings for only a second and sighed. "As I was saying, we should go to sleep now." I moved my eyes to the river in front of me. Even the fish were glowing and lighting up the whole river faintly. "How are you not impressed by this?" He looked at me and then to the river. "It takes a lot to impress me." He smirked. "You should take that as a compliment because when you kissed me I was speechless." I felt a mixed feeling of embarrassment and annoyance as he said that and tensed up to face him. "Can you stop bringing that up FOR FIVE MINUTES?!"
He laughed and sat back down as Arine came up to pull me away from the river. He was glaring at Cienar but it was obvious Cienar didn't care. Arine then pulled me down to sit next to him against the tree while wrapping his arms around my waist. "You're sleeping with me tonight." I blushed as my brain took what he said the wrong way.
I pushed him away in a fit of blush. "What makes you think I would do that?!" He pulled me back toward him, tightly. "I don't want any monsters eating you up or taking you in your sleep." Then Cienar shifted, resting his arm on his knee. "You don't need to worry. We're here to keep anything in this jungle away from her." Arine glared at him again. "I was referring to you and Ikko." Cienar's expression turned to surprise and Arine hugged me tighter.
I struggled until I finally pushed him off. "I can sleep by myself thank you very much! But, if it makes you feel better, I'll sleep near you as long as you don't touch me." He smiled. "Deal!" Later, I found a nice cozy spot to sleep by the river. Before I could close my eyes, however, I heard some rustling in the bushes beside me. I jumped but relaxed once I saw that it was Ikko. "You scared me! Did you find something to eat?" I asked before I thought about what I was asking. 'I don't want to hear about something he killed!'
But it was too late and Ikko sighed. "Yes. But it didn't do much for me. The creatures in this jungle have the most disgusting blood and souls, not nearly enough to satisfy my hunger." I began to feel worried after hearing him. "You're going to sleep hungry?" He walked to a nearby tree and sat down while leaning against it. "There's nothing much I can do about it." I felt bad as I lay down next to Arine; who was already asleep. 'I know what it's like to not have enough food. It isn't fun, and my soul must be killing him right now. I'd better stay away from him until we leave the jungle. For his sake.' "Good night." I yawned and closed my eyes as Ikko answered me softly. "Good night."
I quickly fell asleep and all I could see was black for a long while. But then a dream entered my mind. I never remembered my dreams, but this one made sure I wouldn't forget it. I was shaking, with no clothes on, and trying to catch my breath as a familiar chest hovered over me. I looked up to his face and Sython's lips slid to the curve of my neck. His muscular arms were around my waist as he moved into me quickly. Sweat dribbled down my chest and he was making me feel so good. I gripped the sheets of his bed, letting out moans as if I couldn't hold them back. He then moved his lips to my ear and whispered to me in the possessive tone I knew all too well. "Mine."
I quickly awoke, startled. It was early in the morning and the jungle was silent. I sat up and saw something in the corner of my eye. There was a fruit next to me. It was the same fruit that Cienar said that women couldn't have. And it had a bite in it.
The sight of it made me realize the feeling flowing through my body. It felt good. Really good. 'What happened? Did I sleepwalk and eat this? Well, that explains my dream.' The more I waited, the worse the feeling became. I fell back to my side, quivering and I couldn't help but smile. 'No! I need to fight this!' It became stronger and I started to argue with myself. 'Why? I don't think it's possible to stop it, so why not enjoy it? What am I saying?!' I continued to shake for a few more moments until Cienar woke up and pulled himself to his feet with his staff.
He turned his head to me and realized I was shaking. He rushed over to me and noticed the fruit. I managed to say something through the feeling. "I-I think I s-sleepwalk." He kneeled next to me and looked to the river, then back to me. "If you ate it while sleepwalking, then who made those?" He pointed to some tracks on the sand in front of me which led to the river. It didn't look like human tracks and it seemed as if something dragged itself to me.
Suddenly, a sweet unknown feeling entered my body and it was ten times as good as before, making me squeak. Ikko then suddenly burst awake and sat up in shock. "Ah! What the hell?!" Oh no. 'He must be feeling what I am now. Sorry, Ikko.' His outburst made Arine startle awake and he sat up with his eyes wide once he saw me. "What happened to her?!" Cienar looked at him with no expression on his face. "Someone force-fed her the fruit I said women couldn't have, and I assume Ikko is feeling every bit of pleasure she is through her soul."