Chapter 20: Sticking a Cat in Water

"We should bring her to the hot spring!" Damara blurted. "When we bathed in it, our skin was revitalized and our fatigue faded away."

"We also came out super horny," I added, flashing her a grin. "Good idea, though," I said, grabbing the girl from the couch. "Let’s go see Sarah."

Carrying her up the stairs proved to be a trivial matter. Damara helped us up each step, making sure I never tripped. The door to the hot spring sat in the center of the top floor.

Opening the door, a thin fog spilled out. The humidity hit my face instantly, coating it in a thin layer of moisture. Using my free hand, I wiped my face before stepping inside.

Unlike our first visit, the area was well lit. Some kind of sun sat in the middle of a bright blue sky, with no clouds in sight. The springs were a few feet in front of us, burbling and sending the smell of salt into the air.

"Get her in the spring, fast!" Damara commanded, grabbing my hand and pulling me toward the water’s edge. "Sarah!" she shouted, using her hands to amplify the sound.

I found the stairs into the pool and began to walk down. The moment my feet hit the water, a wave of relief and warmth coursed through my body. Lowering the woman into the water, the moment her tail touched the surface, her eyes shot open.

"Nyah! What are you doing?!" she screamed, shoving her hands against my face. She jerked backward, dunking her entire face beneath the water. "WHAT THE FUCK?!" she yelled as she jerked back up, the words slightly gurgled.

"Calm down!" I yelled, trying to dodge the incoming attacks. "The water will heal—"

An elbow found my nose.

"Son of a bitch—"

The woman planted both feet against my chest and shoved, sending me barreling deeper into the pool.

As I tried to regain my balance, Damara was behind the woman in an instant. I watched as she delivered a quick strike to the side of the woman’s neck, catching her moments later. She lifted the girl onto her back and returned her to the pool.

"This time, don’t let her go," she teased. "Though I don’t think you have anything to worry about. I knocked her out. She should be fully healed before she wakes again."

I tried not to think too hard about how casually she had knocked the woman unconscious. "Thanks, Damara. No luck with Sarah?" I asked, grabbing the woman from her.

As I lowered the woman back into the water, I made sure to keep her head well above the surface. The easiest way to accomplish that was to sit down and rest her against my lap.

Her body pressed against mine, and despite the heat of the spring, I felt my face grow warm.

"Sarah isn’t responding..." Damara muttered.

She looked over at us. "Oh, that’s not fair."

Her face reddened as she stripped her pants off, leaving her toned waist on full display. "I’m getting in too."

She found a spot next to me and settled in tight. She rested her head against my shoulder, her horns brushing against my neck. They were freezing in contrast to the warm waters.

We sat in comfortable silence, both watching the woman’s body heal in front of our eyes. Her face filled out slightly, leaving her looking more like a woman and less like a skeleton. She started to stir again shortly after.

She blinked in quick succession, reaching up to rub her eyes. Peeking through her fingers, her eyes met ours.

"Wh-what’s going on?" she asked, her voice quiet and timid. "A-are you g-going to h-h-hurt me?"

"Absolutely not," I said calmly, letting my voice carry some warmth. "We actually saved you," I explained. "What’s your name?"

"Katrina..." she whispered, looking around the area. "W-where are we?"

"Long story. Look, you’re not going to try and hit me again, are you?" I teased.

I released my grip on the woman. She quickly turned around, sending waves rippling toward us. Water flew from her hair, spraying us with cold droplets.

"Hi, I’m Sam," I said, giving a soft wave and a grin. "This is Damara," I added, pointing to the dark-skinned demi-human next to me. "There is an insane amount of stuff to explain to you, but I think I’d rather just show you."

Deciding that tangible proof would bridge the gap far better than words, I set out to fetch what I needed. I retreated from the water, retrieving my cellphone from the living room before returning.

Ignis caught me on my way back, complaining about dragging water through the manor. I apologized before shooting back up the stairs.

Re-entering the misty enclave, the surreal calm swallowed the tension of the hallway. Once in front of the springs again, I opened the Celestial Market app.

My first thought was food. So I chose to spend 100 Favor on two cheeseburgers. They manifested in my hand a second later.

"Here. You have to be hungry," I said, holding the burger out. "It’s safe, I promise."

She took it out of my hand, inspecting it as she twisted it around. "This looks like metal... I can’t eat metal," she said, handing me the burger back, her eyes angled.

"Here," I said, peeling the wrapper away, exposing the food inside. "It’s on the inside."

The instant the foil parted, the savory steam broke through the lingering dampness of the spring. The smell of cooked beef wafted through the air. Katrina shot closer, grabbing the burger back. Her eyes bounced around as she looked it over again, giving it a heavy sniff after.

Her eyes grew wide, and a bead of drool formed in the corner of her mouth. She took a giant bite, munching wildly afterward. Bits of burger and ketchup painted her face.

"So, Katrina, remember me?"

She studied my face for a few moments without answering. Her head tilted while she thought.

"Nope," she shot back, cheerfully ignorant.

From the distance, the sound of tree limbs breaking rang out, causing my stomach to drop as I looked around frantically.

"What the fuck was that, Damara?"