Strays: A Romantic Fantasy Adventure

Ivy looked into the clear, blue sky, admiring the beautiful day that had been given. She breathed deeply, filling her lungs with the clear warmth of the air and continued taking laundry down from the line. With great care, she folded each little shirt and pair of pants, in awe at their smallness.

“Ivy.”

The girl turned, the curve of her lips growing but her eyes betrayed her smile. “Are you going now?”

Zero nodded, hints of regret in his own.

“How long do you think you’ll be this time?” she asked, walking up to the devil.

“I don’t know,” he said simply.

Ivy looked at Zero. He was usually so emotionless, but the girl had become more sensitive to his little changes of expression and tone, and in that moment, he looked so lost.

She raised her arms and pressed her fingers against the sides of his lips, forcing an uncomfortable smile. “Don’t look so sad.”

His hands covered her own. “I am sad.”

Ivy felt the same way. “I could go with you.”

“You can’t.”

She knew he was right. Even though the girl had no memory of the day in the forest, the same couldn’t be said for the boy, and he had rejected each offer she made to join him every time he went back to the blue and purple trees. “You could stay. We’ll figure something else out.”

“I can’t.”

Ivy nodded and pulled her hands from his, wrapping her arms around his waist and squeezing tightly. “I know. Just be safe and come back quickly.” She smiled into his shirt as he hugged her back, his cheek resting against the top of her head. He was always so warm. “You’re smelling me again, aren’t you?” she playfully accused.

The devil was silent, his body stiffened before tightening his hold. “Yes,” he spoke quietly. “You smell nice.”

Ivy laughed and pulled away. It was best to just get it over with. “Go on then. Just don’t take too long.”

Zero peered at the girl, crimson expressing what his tongue couldn’t. Turning away, he went back to the road where a small cart awaited his return and began the trip once more.

The girl watched him until he was gone, the warmth in her chest following after him.

What an empty and cold feeling that was left in its wake.

She finished folding the clothes, placing each one in the basket before making her way to the house that had become their temporary abode. It was just on the outskirts of town, boasted two stories and had been pieced together with different types and sizes of wood panels, almost giving it the appearance of having stripes. Flower beds wrapped around the entire house, overflowing with a rainbow of blooms. A large garden sat at its side, flourishing with vegetables and herbs.

Ivy entered the house and went into a room off of the main room. There was a small bed and dresser along with a few toys scattered on the floor. She put the clothes in their respected places and set the basket on the floor next to the dresser. The house was quiet as she went into the kitchen, prepping vegetables, slices of salami, and a couple of rolls of bread on a plate. She grabbed the food and started up the stairs, stopping at a door at the end of the short hallway. Taking a moment to prepare, the girl exhaled her nerves before turning the knob and entering.

The room was large and spacious, brightly lit, the windows on two of walls open, circulating fresh air. There was a large, lightly colored wood hutch that pushed up against the windowless wall. It was home to different jars, vials, bowls, and mortals and pestles. Herbs, roots, flowers, and stones were organized neatly, some hanging in bunches from the ceiling. There were two beds, each one placed between the windows of the two walls.

In one of the beds lay Sakura on her back, unconscious and pale. Ren lay alongside her, his body practically melded around the woman, his arm across her waist and head burrowed into the space between her neck and shoulder. Ivy noticed he had re-braided the fox’s hair, plaiting it tightly and laying it across her opposite shoulder and down past her hips.

Ivy set the plate down on the small table at the foot of the bed and shook his arm gently. “Ren,” she tried kindly. “You need to eat.”

The angel barely peeked out at her, his normally dazzling blues dull and weary. The eyelid drooped back down. “I’m not hungry right now,” his voice tired and far away. “You should eat it, Little One.”

This was getting old fast.

The girl grabbed a handful of curls and yanked. “Get up,” she demanded. “You’re going to eat or I’m going to make you eat.”

Ren groaned in defiance but rolled away from Sakura and sat up on the bed, his feet spread wide on the floor, rubbing the back of his violated head. “When did you get so aggressive and mean?” he grumbled as he took the plate from Ivy and lifted a slice of salami, staring at it with little interest before hanging it between his legs. A small hand snaked out from under the bed and snatched it, disappearing once it claimed its prize.

“You eat!” she commanded, trying her best to sound fierce.

“I didn’t like that piece,” he moped, dangling a carrot that vanished just as quickly. “Or that one.”

“Ren,” Ivy warned. “I will make you eat. Do you want that again?”

“Not really.” Grudgingly, the man bit into the bread roll, chewing it like it were nails.

The girl watched him struggle through half of the roll before setting it back on the plate and starting on a snow pea. “Zero left,” her voice quiet, the gloom setting in further.

Ren’s head bobbed lightly in understanding. “He’ll be alright. He’s a tough kid. He’ll be back before you know it. Don’t worry about it.” A carrot was offered to the miserable girl. “You gonna be alright?”

Ivy snatched the carrot and stuck it in the angel’s mouth. Lying was an option, but what was the point? “I don’t know.” She glanced over at the demon. “It’s been almost a fortnight. What if…”

Ocean eyes snapped towards her; dark, ferocious, and menacing. They had the girl choking on her words, feeling immobilized.

“She won’t,” he sternly answered her unfinished question. “If she were going to die, she’d already be dead. Thank you for the meal.” The angel placed the mostly untouched plate on the floor where it was promptly captured as he rolled back into the bed, returning to his previous position against the woman.

Ivy swallowed the lump in her throat as the tears welled up and sat on the bed behind him. “I’m sorry, Ren. I didn’t mean it. I just don’t know what to do.”

He sighed, removing his arm from around Sakura and took Ivy’s hand. “I know, Little One. Please forgive me.”

A door could be heard opening and closing downstairs as the tapping of footsteps made their way across the floor.

“Fuck,” the angel cursed softly, letting go of her hand and clinging back onto the demon, his body tightening up. “Tell her I’m not here.”

“Mama!” A tiny voice called from under the bed as a little boy with short black hair, black jaguar ears, and long, slender black tail scurried out and rushed from the room.

Quickly wiping at her damp cheeks, Ivy stood and went to the hutch where she began to prepare the space. There was a mixture of voices and then the heavy stomping of feet just before a woman full of fury stormed in.

“Get out, Ren!’ she roared, golden eyes burning while her lovely face twisted with disgust at the sight. Her slender and nimble body stalked across the room as her lustrous black hair swished around her shoulders above a baby that was not yet old enough to toddle who was wrapped snugly onto her back.

“I told him you’d be mad, Mama.” the little boy piped with pride as he tugged on her long tail that was similar to his own. “But he wouldn’t listen.”

“Not now, Jose!” she snapped. “Get out, Ren!”

“No,” the angel refused, burrowing his face deeper into the fox’s neck.

“Now!” Grabbing the back of Ren’s shirt, she yanked and dragged him out of the bed and onto the floor where he lay staring at the ceiling blankly. “You should be ashamed of yourself!” she continued her tirade. “What kind of man are you?”

“A not very good one,” he answered easily without a hint of hesitation.

“Then you should do something to change that. No woman wants a useless man.” She pulled the baby from the wrap, plopping her onto the man’s stomach. The baby giggled and reached for the angel’s face. “Take Luna and Jose outside to play. Give that poor girl a moment to breathe without you on top of her. You’re suffocating her!”

“Yay! Play!” Jose cheered and leapt on Ren’s legs. “Let’s play! Come on Ren!”

A groan escaped the angel as he gathered the children into his arms and sluggishly made it to his feet. “Yay. Play,” he mumbled unenthusiastically as he carried the chattering demons out of the room.

The jaguar watched as the man descended the stairs before turning and going to where Ivy was at the hutch. “Did you prepare the salve?” she asked, much more kind and gentle, her voice like silk.

“I did,” Ivy held a mortar out to her. “What do you think, Marisol?”

Marisol examined it closely and smiled at the girl. “It’s perfect. You’ve really come a long way in such a short period of time. You’ll make an excellent healer one day.”

“Thank you,” Ivy said meekly, not quite sure of herself. “I hope you’re right. I just want to be of use.” And at that moment, the girl didn’t feel like she was. She had been unconscious and nothing more than a nuisance in the forest for the other three to take care of, all while fighting to protect themselves and her. Even if she hadn’t been, what could she have done? Ivy was so much smaller and not nearly as strong or fast as her companions. She didn’t even know how to fight, Sakura having had given up on that endeavor years before to the girl’s tearful protests. Awake or not, she would only be in the way, always needing others to take care of her. It was a harsh realization, and something that Ivy didn’t want.

The woman smiled gently at the uncertain girl. “You very much are, so have more confidence. Part of healing is having the faith that you can.” Marisol turned and went to Sakura. She unwrapped the injured arm and examined it. The deep gash that Ren had cut was nearly completely healed, only a thin red line remained. “I can’t believe that harebrained idea of his actually worked,” the jaguar amazed, rubbing the salve on the fox’s arm. “Normally there’s nothing one can do for a Nibbler bite. I’ve never heard of anyone surviving until this one. Maybe because it was still small? Either way, she’s still with us.”

“Marisol?”

The woman turned towards the girl, her gold eyes like honey.

Ivy hesitated. “Why do you think she hasn’t woken up yet? Do you think it’s because of the poison?”

“No, it’s not the poison.” She turned back to Sakura, running her fingers through the demon’s bangs delicately. “It’s because she’s busy fighting against her own demons,” she chuckled. “A demon fighting their own demons. But that’s what it is. This one is trapped within herself and only she can bring herself back. When she’s ready, she’ll wake up.” Marisol stood and returned to the hutch. “I saw Zero leaving. How long will he be gone this time?”

“I’m not sure.” Ivy tried to ignore the pain of emptiness in her heart.

“He’s a strange devil. They’re not normally so quiet and docile like he is. I wasn’t sure about him at first, but he’s quite harmless and has been very helpful. The children sure do love him, as well.” Marisol smiled at her. “He’ll return. Just be patient.”

The girl nodded and went to her sleeping friend, sitting next to her. Leaning over, she pressed her lips against her forehead, trying to will the demon back to the world of the living. She sat up, observing no change as Marisol crossed the room to look out of the window.

“Is he always so pathetic?” she asked with a scowl. “For such a large man, he really is nothing more than a little boy.”

Ivy joined the jaguar and watched as Ren lay in the grass on his stomach. Raven wings were free and slowly flapping up and down while Jose held onto the feathers and squealed with delight. Luna sat in front of the man’s face, pulling his hair violently, giggling maniacally.

“Kinda, but normally he’s a lot more boisterous and entertaining. He just really loves her.”

Marisol nodded knowingly. “Love will do that you. Now that we’ve got him outside, will you please take him a change of clothes and tell him to bathe? He reeks, and I don’t want him back in my house until he’s clean. Tell him he can’t see her until he does.”

Ivy gathered the clothes and soap and went outside. The man had changed positions and was now on his back, wings splayed out around him with Luna sitting, trying to pull the feathers out. Jose was getting a running start to sprint to the angel, pounce on his stomach, and see how far he could spring from there.

“Extend your stride,” he suggested tamely as the boy pounded into his gut. “Long legs, boy.”

Ivy stood at the top of his head, looking down at him. “Marisol wants you to take a bath. You stink.”

“Bathing is for the weak.” Ren stared blankly into the sky.

“Well, your odor is strong. You’re not allowed inside until you smell like a field of flowers.”

He groaned as he folded his wings and the baby rolled into his arms. Getting to his feet, he exchanged the infant for the clothes and soap. The angel pulled his bracelet from his pants pocket and slipped it on, causing them to disappear just as Jose had leapt at them, and he crashed onto the ground instead of clawing into the feathers.

“Hey!” he whined. “No fair.”

“Life’s not fair, boy. It’s a good time for you to learn that.” The man prodded him unsympathetically with his toe as Jose latched onto his leg and tried with all his might to pull the man over.

“If you give me your shirt, I’ll get the wash started,” Ivy offered, adjusting Luna on her hip.

Ren nodded and pulled his shirt over his head, handing it to Ivy. She immediately noticed the large, scarred flower on his shoulder.

“Why do you have a flower there?”

“It’s a cherry blossom.” His fingers brushed across it absentmindedly. “Sakura.”

“Oh.” Her eyes dashed away shyly, as if it weren’t something meant for her to see. “Did you make that?”

“No. Sakura did. It’s her mark on me.”

“Oh.” Ivy wasn’t sure what to say.

“Did you ever ask about the feather on her shoulder?”

Ivy looked back at Ren, noticing his eyes had regained some of their luster. “She wouldn’t tell me. She’d just make up a story and then change the subject.”

“It’s the mark I left on her,” he told her.

“Why?” The girl had always wanted to know.

Ren grinned. “Because she’s my blushing bride.”