Strays: A Romantic Fantasy Adventure

Ivy felt like an itty-bitty speck of sand in the desert.

Wei Wen was absolutely massive, spanning farther than the girl could have ever thought possible for a city to grow and beyond what her wide eyes could see. The streets were writhing with locals and tourists, an undecipherable blend of voices and noises overwhelming the senses. The buildings were colorful and finely detailed with wooden columns and elegantly tiled upturned roof corners. Expansive gardens were splayed throughout the city, every flower, tree, and shrub impeccably placed and bursting with vibrancy. Every pond and stream clear and thriving with life. Street vendors set up tents along the wide, stone roads, selling cheaper goods than the permanent, brick-and-mortar businesses around them.

The girl gulped at the sheer complexity of the maze-like city grid they had stepped into and looked up at the devil next to her. “Do you think I should wear my cloak?”

“If you’d like,” Zero said gently, understanding the girl’s hesitance. It would only take a moment of distraction and the petite beauty would be lost to the crowd and at the mercy of all the human men who happened to pass by.

She thought on it, deciding to let go of the boy’s hand and constrict her arms around his instead. “Don’t lose me,” she demanded feebly, violet eyes pleading.

“I won’t,” he assured as the two followed the demon and angel closely, unsure of where they were being led.

“This place is insane,” Sakura complained, already fed up with having to weave through the never-ending crowds. “It’s too big. Let’s just make it through and camp outside of the city.”

“It’s not that bad,” Ren argued lightheartedly, having no problem navigating through the people and intersecting roads. “You get used to it. You’re just being a grouchy mother hen. Ivy’s gonna be fine.” He glanced back at the girl clinging tightly to the white-haired boy. “See. She’s petrified. She’s not going anywhere.”

Ivy released one arm long enough to quickly poke the angel in the back in retaliation. “I’m not petrified! There’s just a lot of people, and I’m short!”

The man waved off the girl’s concerns. “Oh, come on! Wei Wen has the best night life. It’ll be fun. We’ll get a room, do something new, then head to Astern in the morning.”

Sakura shot the angel a suspicious glare. “What kind of night life? Does it involve a red light?”

A smarmy smile crossed Ren’s lips as he winked at the demon, and turned back to Ivy, having long figured out that if he could get the girl on board then the woman would follow. “I’ll buy you a new dress,” he offered. “A silk one.”

Her eyes lit up while her mouth dropped in astonishment. “A silk one? Aren’t those really expensive?”

The angel nodded with exaggerated vigor. “Ridiculously so. I’ll get whatever one you want. I’ll even get you two.”

Ivy so wanted to say yes. She had seen women in the finely tailored dresses before, the tight material clinging like a second skin to their bodies, making them look stunningly regal and elegant. How she wanted the same for herself. “But…” She hesitated. “They’re not very functional. I don’t know of any occasion where I’ll be able to wear it. I don’t want you to waste your coin on something I’ll probably only ever wear once.”

“It is a waste of coin,” Sakura agreed, annoyed that the man was trying this tactic again. “She can’t wear something like that on the road and you know it.”

“What?” Ren challenged the fox. “You don’t think she’d be beautiful in it?”

The demon smacked the man’s arm. “Of course she would be. Don’t be stupid. You’re not gonna manipulate me with that nonsense.”

“Sounds like you don’t think she deserves something nice. Poor girl, always running around in rags because that’s all you think she’s worth.” The angel continued, sighing miserably at Ivy’s perceived misfortune.

Sharp nails dug into the woman’s palms as she clenched her fists, attempting to remind herself that she’d promised to be nice. To be good. “I’ll turn you to rags,” she growled, emeralds ablaze.

Ivy focused on the stepping of her feet while the two bickered, her attempts at arguing much more reserved. “It’s not… I… I don’t...”

“You should get the dress.”

The angel and demon instantly halted in their tracks, the crowd swarming around them, and stared back at the soft-spoken devil who was forced to stop with them.

“Do you want one?” Zero asked, focused on the girl beside him.

Ivy peered up at him and nodded shyly, her voice quiet and sweet. “I do. I really do.”

“Great! Problem solved!” Ren wasted no time in searching around his bag before grabbing Sakura’s hand and placing a gold coin in her palm. “You promised to get Zero some daggers. You two do that, and I’ll take Little One to get her dress.”

The demon looked at the coin as if it were tainted. “I don’t need your coin.”

“Yes you do.”

He was right. The demon hadn’t made any coin since the worm extermination, and what little she had had mostly been spent on random odds and ends here and there. She probably didn’t even have enough to buy a mediocre blade from one of the vendors.

And if she was going to be honest with herself, it was nice having a seemingly endless flow of coin at her disposal. Her and Ren had grown up watching Raz constantly scrimp together whatever he could to afford all the costs that came with raising two children. Unfortunately, Sakura had only followed in the man’s footsteps, always having to find different means to make ends meet in order to care for herself and Ivy.

Now was not the time to act proud.

She quickly changed tactics. “Give me more.”

A chuckle caught in the angel's throat. “Why? So you can eat yourself sick?”

The smells wafting from the vendors were tantalizing and the fox’s mouth hadn’t stopped watering since well outside of the city’s limits. So many options, so many unexplored tastes awaiting the woman. She ignored him, and Ren’s eyes narrowed at her.

“Don’t you dare do it,” he warned.

“Don’t tell me how to live.” Sakura turned and looked at Zero, knowing she had been caught and wouldn’t be receiving anymore coin. “You ready?”

The boy gazed down at the girl who smiled and unwrapped her arms from his. Ivy pulled the ribbon from her neck, turning it to her cloak, and covered herself. “I’ll see you soon,” she chirped brightly.

“Come on, Little One.” Ren took the girl’s hand, and they started off. The angel tilted his head back at the devil who was staring at their clasped hands, and smirked. “Not so fun when it’s the other way around, huh? We’ll meet you two back here.”

Zero watched them get swallowed by the crowd, confused over what the man had meant.

Sakura rolled her eyes and tugged on his sleeve, beckoning him to follow. “Ignore him,” she huffed. “He’s got some serious issues. Let’s go.”

The demon and devil maneuvered their way through the busy streets on the search for a sword smith. A vendor with a wide array of knives of different sizes on display caught Zero’s attention, and he stopped to view the selection as the merchant rattled off prices and promises of quality.

The woman scoffed at the sight of the flimsy steel and grabbed his elbow, pulling him along. “Keep walking. We’re not buying toys.”

After asking directions from a hobgoblin who carried a large labrys, the pair was able to reach their destination. The building was short and made of mud and stone unlike its grand and intricate neighbors. It was sweltering and loud inside, with the constant pinging of hammers against steel. Various weapons adorned the walls, waiting for purchase.

The man behind the counter was shorter than Sakura but he was broad, muscular with skin like leather and black, wiry hair and full beard. At the fox’s inquiry he pulled three trays from under the counter, each one lined with white velvet, cushioning the daggers.

“Seventeen silver each,” he informed.

“How about three for forty-five?” the woman countered. One way or another, she was determined to eat on Ren’s coin just out of spite.

He considered it for a moment. “I can do that.”

She nudged the boy, proud of herself for the effortless negotiation. “Go ahead.”

Zero studied the daggers, each blade shiny and sharp, some curved and toothed while others straight. Their handles engraved and detailed, some set with gems and stones. The three he chose were plain, straight blades of different lengths with black and silver hilts.

She handed the coin to the man and groaned. “You are so boring.”

“I like them,” Zero said simply, slipping them into his belt.

The woman collected her change. “I’m sure you do. Come on, I’m hungry.”

Sakura followed her nose, leading them to a stall selling baozi. She ordered five, one for each of her companions and two for herself. She handed the devil his, wrapped the other two and placed them in her bag before chomping down on the first of the large buns. It was everything she could have hoped for, warm and sweet and chock full of meat, and she scarfed it down quickly. The demon glanced at the boy next to her as she bit into her second bun.

“You look miserable,” she mumbled, her mouth full. “You always kinda look miserable, but you look extra miserable right now.”

Zero looked at the fox. “Do I?”

The woman took a few extra moments to observe him. “You miss Ivy, don’t you?”

“I do.” He nodded.

The devil’s lack of reaction always slightly grated on the demon’s nerves. It could be frustrating not having any clue as to what he was thinking or feeling since his impassive expression never changed all that much. But she admired his unfaltering honesty and the way he unabashedly spoke the truth.

“Well, aren’t you adorable. You sure do like her, don’t you?”

“I do.” Crimson eyes a little less stone cold.

“You know, you should smile more.” The fox finished her bun, licking her fingers for any remains, wanting more. Maybe she’d eat Ren’s? “You really are good looking. It’s that angel in you, and you look every bit it even if you don’t have the blonde hair and blue eyes. But you always look so serious. It can be intimidating, especially with those red eyes. You’d look a lot better if you smiled now and then.” She grinned slyly. “And I bet Ivy would like it if you did.”

Zero was quiet as he considered the advice. “Ivy has been teaching me,” he confessed.

A booming laugh burst from the woman. “To smile? What? You don’t know how to smile?” She suddenly stopped laughing, the realization hitting her. “Actually, that makes a lot of sense. Let me see it. Smile.”

The devil upturned his lips slightly, his nose scrunching only a little.

“Ehhhh.” She scowled at the awkward attempt. “It’s not bad. It’s not good either.” Walking to the side of the stall, she plopped down to sit cross legged on the ground, motioning for Zero to do the same. “Alright, do it again but don’t scrunch your nose.”

Sakura instructed the boy in how to move his face, using her fingers to carefully correct the expression, pushing and pulling at his lips, cheeks, and eyebrows. She sat back, observing her work, chewing on her cheek trying to figure out what was missing. It had taken some time and a lot of adjusting, but his lips were now curved in the right direction and the rest of his face more relaxed.

Still, there was something wrong.

“It’s your eyes,” she concluded. “They’re dull. Lifeless. You need to make them bright, like this.” She smiled, her eyes shining with exuberance before returning to a frown as she clicked her tongue. “That might be more difficult for you though.”

“How do I do it?” he asked. “Make them that way?”

The demon shrugged. “I can’t tell you how to do it. It’s just something you feel. I guess when you feel it, it’ll show. Just take your time, do your best.”

Zero nodded, his face returning to its normal blank slate.

Sakura watched him, their eye contact unwavering. She thought of Ivy and how this boy had become so special to her. All she wanted was the girl’s happiness, and she seemed to have found it with him. The demon had spent years putting herself between Ivy and every one of her many admirers, determined to not allow any of them to so much as put the slightest blemish on the purity that seemed to radiate from the girl. But Ivy had taken to Zero so quickly, and he with her, and for the first time, Sakura didn’t want to get in the way of them as they figured it all out for themselves.

However, the devil was useless in certain matters, a product of Ren’s careless upbringing.

The woman was going to have to hold his hand and walk him through it. Nudge him in the right direction.

For Ivy.

“You think Ivy’s beautiful, right?” she asked.

“She is,” he agreed without a moment’s hesitation.

“Have you ever told I her that?”

His brows furrowed slightly. “Am I supposed to?”

The woman sighed, knowing full well that the boy was excessively naive but was still exasperated by it. “Ivy’s shy and she doesn’t see herself the same way that everyone else does. She’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, and I would venture to guess that you feel the same, but she’s blind to it. She gets flustered if anyone compliments her, but I think it would make her happy if you said it to her.”

“It would make her happy,” he repeated, thinking on it carefully.

“It would. It would make her very happy. Girls are into that sort of thing if it’s the right person saying it. Ivy’s getting a new dress, so it would be a good time for you to tell her that she looks beautiful in it.” The fox got to her feet, extending her hand to the boy. “But not around Ren. He’ll ruin everything.”

Zero nodded, taking her hand. “He’s an idiot.”

Sakura chuckled. “He is.”