Strays: A Romantic Fantasy Adventure

Sakura wanted what she wanted, and she wasn’t getting it.

That harsh reality ate at her. The failure weighing her down and smothering her. The constant nagging that she wasn’t good enough, picking and pulling the strings of her being, unwinding her one thread at a time. A reminder that no matter how much time or effort she put forward, there were things completely out of her control. Questions that would go unanswered.

She hated this city.

Hated that they’d wasted a week.

And hated that once again she had gained nothing from it.

It shouldn’t have been such a surprise or so difficult to accept. How many times had she been to this city, scoured its library relentlessly, discovered nothing of use?

But this time was supposed to be different.

It hadn’t just been for Ivy.

It had been for Zero.

There should have been something.

Even just a taste.

A nibble.

But there was absolutely nothing in the library. There was nothing on the docks. There wasn’t even so much as the tiniest crumb pointing towards a possible lead to guide them out of this place.

They would be leaving soon.

And they would be walking blind.

Sakura allowed her eyes to slip just open, trying to elude the thoughts that plagued her conscious, the world around her still in the final throes of night. She hadn’t expected to find anything more than the quiet and stillness of the room but found herself staring at the cascade of amethyst in the bed across from her, the first soft waves of dawn spilling in from the window above her and washing over its deep color.

She witnessed the boy’s eyes open, like blood in the dark.

No.

Like fire.

The sun.

The girl’s body lifted, floated above his, her hands sweeping over his cheeks as his did the same to hers, her long lashes separating, exposing the brightness of her violet eyes.

Like the glow of the moon.

She lowered her forehead onto his.

And the woman saw it.

The flame and the light.

The threshold between the day and the night.

Before they closed their eyes, and it was gone.

Sakura could feel her body, her soul, alive. A way she had never felt before. As though she had slipped into a dream and descended into infinite depths, cradled by a most affectionate embrace, soothing whispers to calm her mind.

She had stumbled upon something unimaginable.

So powerful.

Beautiful.

Natural.

Complete.

She could cry.

Their eyes opened.

And the girl's went wide as she gasped deeply for air, the heat igniting her lungs as it spread rapidly from her chest to rest of her body, burning her skin scarlet from the tips of her toes to the roots of her hair. She flung herself back and away from the devil, scurried from the bed, and disappeared across the room, the rustling of her bag as frantic as her labored breathing.

The boy lay there, staring at the ceiling but looking beyond it. Never had Sakura seen such emotion on his face. It wasn’t just a hint as it normally was. It was all consuming, impossible to not notice. The disappointment, loss, yearning, and need settling across his features, exposing the agony that dwelt within. His arms came up, his hands pressing against his face, wiping away and erasing any trace, before falling back to his sides. He sat up, as stoic and unruffled as ever.

And Sakura rolled over, pulling the blanket over her head and burrowing into Ren’s chest, hiding from it all. It was all too much to make sense of, and she couldn’t even say for certain if what she’d seen had even been real. Perhaps it was a delusion of still being half asleep or her eyes playing tricks on her through the slivers of light that cut through the darkness?

But still, the tightness in her throat lingered, refusing to be swallowed down as the serenity that had invaded her slowly ebbed away.

Proof that there had been something.

A ritual not of this world.

A gentle tapping beat at the base of her spine, and she looked up into endless blue.

Her lips moved.

What the fuck was that?

As did his.

I know! It’s weird, right?

Their gazes were unwavering as they lay in silence, just as they had done as children when they knew they were one movement away from being scolded for whatever misdeed they had committed the night before. They listened as the girl chattered quietly, trying not to awaken the already woken pair. The boy would respond, short and concise. It was as if nothing had happened.

Everything was normal.

But what she had just witnessed was anything but.

They shifted their eyes sideways at each other, their mouths speaking without words, both demanding the other move first, both refusing to be the first one to go. The room continued to brighten as they silently argued, the girl and boy packing their bags for the journey that loomed ahead, unaware of the war that was raging a short distance away.

Sakura was starting to get annoyed with the pointless back and forth, and she knew that Ren was well aware of that fact. She could see how he watched her, his lips smugly curving higher while he gauged her irritation, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. The arm around her waist crept carefully towards its owner, fingers bidding their time before they would inevitably dig into her soft flesh, shooting spasms throughout her muscles and forcing her to be the one to confront what she had just seen.

But she didn’t want that.

So, she would just have to beat him to it this time.

Without a moment’s hesitation, her fingers slid up his back and pinched at the soft curls at the nape of his neck, jerking hard.

“Ow! Fuck! Why would you do that?!” Ren yelped as he bolted straight up in the bed. He looked at Zero and Ivy as they sat on the floor, the boy unfazed as the girl clutched tightly at his arm, terrified by the sudden reaction. “Oh. Hey. Good morning, you two. How’d you sleep?”

Ivy tried to slow her breathing and racing heart. “What was all that about, Ren? Are you okay?”

The angel rubbed the back of his neck, certain the demon had claimed the clump of hair for her own. “Yeah. Great. So… um…” This was an awkward position to be forced into, and Ren did not appreciate being put on the spot. But since he had lost this round, it was up to him to finally expose the elephant in the room. There were ways he could go about it delicately, ease into the conversation. However, it would probably be easier and less unpleasant for him to just get it over with. “What was up with that face thing you two just did? I’ve noticed it’s been going on for a while now. It’s kinda weird.”

Sakura reared up, smacking the man’s shoulder. “What the fuck, Ren! What is wrong with you?! That’s not how you ask!”

“Don’t bitch at me about it!” He snapped back. “If you want it done right, then do it yourself!”

Ivy’s eyes went wide as all the color drained from her face, her mouth gaping in shock and humiliation. Without so much as a peep, she released the devil and got to her feet, glided across the room, and buried herself under the blankets of the bed where said offense had occurred.

“Damn it, Ren!” the fox hissed as she slipped out of bed and under the covers with the girl, speaking softly, trying to comfort the girl out of her cocoon.

Zero stared blankly at the angel, only surprised that it had taken him this long to say anything after his previous confession to the boy a few days prior. Ren always did have a talent for making things go from bad to worse, and this time had been no exception. Zero had hoped that at the very least, the man’s fondness for the girl would prevent him from blundering things too badly.

And yet, here they were.

“You’re an idiot.” The complete lack of emotion from the boy only made the words cut deeper.

Ren sighed, willing to give anything in order to go back in time to be quicker on his attack and make this whole situation Sakura’s responsibility to deal with. “Yeah. You’re probably right about that.” He got up and began preparing for their departure. It seemed like the best course of action would be to give Sakura some time to do damage control before trying himself to coax the girl out.

But before any attempt could be made on Ren’s part, a thunderous clomping made its leisurely way through the hallway outside of the room before stopping in front of the door, the knocking on its wood rattling the walls and window.

“It’s me,” Lore’s voice boomed from the other side of the room. “Open up.” Ren let the ogre in, and he glanced around, finding only the angel and devil. “Where’s Ivy and Sakura? They actually take off on you?”

“That probably would have been easier,” the angel mumbled, motioning towards the lump on the bed. “It’s been a rough morning.”

“Hm.” Lore raised a brow, not really wanting to get involved. “Well, I’ve been asking around about what we talked about a few days ago, with the whole controlling men thing, but haven’t gotten anything worthwhile from it, so I can’t help you there. But I’ve been thinking about what you said about how Ivy and Zero sleep.”

A growl from under the covers interrupted the ogre. “Are you fucking serious, Ren? Do you not know how to keep your mouth shut? Should I fix that for you?”

The man waved the woman off, paying her little mind. “Ignore her, she’s just mad at me. Nothing new. Keep going.”

Lore felt that was good advice to take. “Anyways, I haven’t talked to anyone, but I’ve been thinking a lot about it, and the more I’ve thought about it, the more it seems like a good idea. One you might want to try out. A few years back, didn’t you take Ivy up to Volsceen to see a succubus?”

Sakura poked her head out from under the blankets, visibly irritated. “Yeah. Why? She’s not a succubus.”

“I know she’s not.”

“Are you gonna suggest that we take her back there?” she scowled, growing more frustrated at the thought. “That woman was a complete waste of time. I’m not doing that again.”

Lore shook his head. “I’m not suggesting you take Ivy to her. I’m suggesting you take him.” He nodded towards the devil sitting on the floor. “There may not be much a succubus can do with Ivy, but Zero’s a man, and succubi enter the dreams of men. Why not have her enter his dreams while those two are asleep? Maybe she can find something?”

The fox’s ears and mood instantly perked up. “I hate to say it, but that’s a great idea!” The smile began to spread across her face. “With a man, she’ll probably be a lot more willing to work with us. And as long as she’s still in Volsceen, it’s only a three days walk. It won’t take long to get there.” She looked at Ren. “How much coin do you have?”

He shrugged indifferently. “Enough. What do you need it for?”

“For Mahala. She’ll definitely help us, but she doesn’t come cheap.”