Choices Were Made

“You can’t just get rid of that! It’s nostalgic!”

Sakura swatted at the man buzzing in her ear as she watched the middle-aged, human woman at one of the few clothing stalls examine the white dress in her hands with diligent intent. It had been a mistake to make a beeline straight into the throng of stalls without first sending Ren away on some pointless errand. She should have known better, known that sentiment would make him push back on what was obviously the quickest and easiest means to coin—something they actually needed.

Unlike the dress.

A pretty piece that would undoubtedly see an untimely end under the vixen’s haphazard care.

Best to get something out of it while they still could.

Ren’s feelings be damned.

“This is an absolutely beautiful piece,” the merchant admired, the ultrasoft and weightless fabric slipping effortlessly through her fingers like water. “Not a single stitch out of place. I’ve never seen fabric like this. It’s smoother than silk but more durable than leather. And this color, it’s the purest I’ve ever seen. What is it?”

“It’s not for sale is what it is!” Ren snapped at the woman before turning back to the demon, gently trying to coax her out of the transaction. “Come on. Don’t do this. We’ll find coin another way. Don’t sell the dress. It’s a symbol of our love.”

Sakura snorted at the ridiculous declaration. “It’s a symbol of something alright, but I wouldn’t go that far.” Her hand met his face, pushing him from further muttering his pleas into her ear so she could focus on closing the deal. “I’m not sure of the fabric. I got it from an angel. It’s from The Kingdom.”

“It would have to be. It’s perfect.” The woman looked up at the vixen, all business. “I’ll give you fifteen silver.”

The offer wasn’t even taken into consideration as Sakura grabbed for it. “I’ll take it elsewhere.”

“Alright! Settle down.” The merchant shielded the dress with her arm. “Thirty silver, but that’s the best I can do, and it’s the best you’re going to get around here.” Her hand swept out as she motioned to their surroundings. “Look around. It’s mostly men here either looking to watch the tournament or cater to those who are. No one is going to appreciate this dress like I do. I won’t even be able to sell it here. I’ll have to wait until the next city to find a buyer who’s well off enough to spend this amount of coin on a dress like this.”

The first offer had actually been so much more than Sakura could have ever expected, but this new one had her fighting against all odds to not drop her jaw on the ground. The price people would pay for basically a rag to cover their body!

She chewed her cheek and glanced around at the other vendors, never having had any intention of going to them in the first place considering this stall was the only one with any women’s clothes. “I don’t know. It is from the heavens after all…” Her tongue clicked in consideration, but a gentle tug at the demon’s sleeve had her looking down into misty violet.

“You don’t have to do this, Sakura,” Ivy whimpered, guilt weighing on her. “That’s the only other clothes you have. I brought too much. Let’s sell something of mine.”

It was true that the girl had over packed, stuffing her bag to nearly bursting with dresses before convincing both Zero and Ren with a pout of her lip to carry extra spare pairs of boots in theirs. She was certainly not hurting for a wardrobe change. While on the other hand, the woman had only paid enough attention to grab two shirts and pairs of shorts, one of those outfits having had been shredded in the parasite extermination, leaving only the one she was wearing and the dress she was looking to sell.

Still, though Ivy had much more quantity, it wasn’t nearly the same quality as the angel’s dress. Nothing on the land could compare. They could sell everything in the fae’s bag, and it wouldn’t come close to netting them the same amount of coin. Even if it did, it was something Sakura would never consider. Ivy cherished each and every article of clothing she possessed, taking special care of each dress and pair of shoes, all while Sakura couldn’t care less.

The woman smiled down at the girl, touched by her selfless offer, as she smoothed her hair back. “You don’t need to do that. We’ll just wait until we reach the next town and...”

“How about this,” the merchant interrupted, her desperation to possess such a rare find poking through her assured demeanor. “Thirty silver and you can pick something new. Within reason.”

“Perfect!” the demon exclaimed, slapping the still complaining angel’s chest. “Everyone wins. You two go ahead and play dress up. Pick whatever you want.” She chewed her cheek, realizing the implications of such an offer. She didn’t really care what they picked, but at the same time, she did. For different reasons from the two of them. “That I can actually wear on the road. Don’t go overboard. Not too much.” She pointed at the girl before setting her withering sights on the man. “And not too little.”

Ren grumbled. It had sounded like a sweet deal before the Sakura went and put silly stipulations on it. He wasn’t going to complain though, least she take the entire offer off of the table. So, he followed the girl who wasted no time eagerly sifting through the rows of dresses. It didn’t take long for them to pick a tawny brown dress with off the shoulder sleeves, corset, and a whimsy skirt that would flutter in wisps above the woman’s knees that was to the merchant’s approval.

“It’s so cute!” Ivy gushed, as she presented their choice to the woman. “You’ll look so pretty in it!”

“Whatever, as long as it gets Ren to stop his whining.” Sakura held her palm up to the woman as she dropped the appropriate coin in her grasp. “Pleasure doing business with you.” Dividing the coin, she handed over everyone’s share. “We’ll split it. It’ll be easier this way. Come on. Let’s get something to eat, and then we’ll go sign up for all that free coin.” She grinned, practically frothing at the mouth just at the thought of the tournament.

How long had it been since she had last participated in a tournament?

Much too long.

Much, much too long.

The group found a food stall to their liking and ordered their meals before setting off to follow the signs to the amphitheater. Sakura led the way, gobbling at the hunk of steak and corn on the cob in her hands as she practically skipped along. Ren watched her merriment, feeling just as excited as she was.

It was going to be a great time watching the woman fight.

But it could be so much better.

The man slowed his pace and fell into step beside Zero and Ivy. His arm slipped around the devil’s shoulders and his face leaned closer to his ear. “Hey boy,” Ren spoke calmly, trying not to garner too much attention. “How are you doing? You ready for this?”

Zero already knew what the man wanted and wanted no part of it. “No.”

As if a single ‘no’ ever discouraged him. “You don’t mean that.”

“No.” There was really nothing more to say. It was best to just continue looking forward, avoid eye contact, and keep answers short and to the point. Maybe if the boy was lucky, the man would just go away.

But it wasn’t going to be that easy.

It never was.

“Come on. Now’s your time to go out there and show the world what you’re made of.” The man pulled him closer and thumped the boy’s solid chest. “Look how muscular you’ve gotten. Like a man. Don’t you want to show Ivy how strong and manly you are. You know nothing excites her more than a good ol’ fashioned battle royale. Watching you go head on head with another fighter and take gold is all she wants in life. You can’t disappoint your woman. What kind of man would you be if you did that?”

“No.”

“Don’t be like that. You love fighting. You live for it.”

The devil sighed. It never ended. “No. You love me fighting.”

Ren chuckled. The boy knew him so well. “I do. I really, really do. That’s why I’m going to need you to fight in this tournament.”

“No.”

Ivy looked up at the man, having followed along quietly the entire time. “Sakura’s already fighting. There’s no point in Zero fighting, too. Besides, he doesn’t want to, and I don’t think Sakura wants to fight against him in a tournament.”

“I don’t.” The woman’s voice piped up from ahead. “It’s a waste of time. I’ll kick his ass later if it’s that important to you.”

The angel was back in the devil’s ear. “Don’t listen to her. She’s just scared. You’re not the same wimpy kid that she first met. You’re a fae devil with wings of bones. You’re a nightmare. There’s no way you’ll lose. Ivy will be so impressed.”

There was no doubt in Zero’s mind that Ren wouldn’t stop until he finally gave in. How many times over the years had this very conversation happened, a little different, but basically the same? Each time, the boy giving in just so that he didn’t have to listen to the man’s needling voice any longer. Each time having to fight against men or pests that he had no interest in fighting. It was never something that he wanted to do, but he did it anyways to appease Ren.

This time, though, was different.

Like Ren had said, Zero was no longer a kid.

The devil’s head tilted towards the angel, crimson eyes expressing an unwillingness to play anymore. “No.”

The man’s arm dropped from around the boy as his eyes narrowed at the challenge. “Are you really gonna tell me no, boy?”

“I already did. Multiple times. No. I’m not going to fight.”

It was an uncomfortable standstill between the angel and devil as they continued on their way towards the tournament grounds all while not breaking eye contact. Crimson and sapphire. Fire and water. Two indestructible forces, neither willing to budge or give in to the other’s demands.

But it couldn’t last forever.

Ren was the first to break, groaning loudly as he rolled his head along his shoulders, face to the sky. “Fine! Whatever! You know, you’ve really changed ever since you found out you were fae. You used to be fun and completely unhinged like the devil you are. Now, all you want to do is frolic around and sing and dance. It’s disgusting.” The man paused. He had witnessed Zero dancing with Ivy before, a sight that was overwhelmingly breath taking. Like a dream. But singing? Ren looked back at him. “Wait, can you sing?”

Eyes that had been fierce and determined drained to mortified as they darted away and he faced forward once more, lips tightly sealed.

The reaction was just as good as an answer, but the man could never leave well enough alone. “I asked you a question. Can you sing, boy?” He leaned forward, bypassing him for the girl. “Can he?”

Ivy glanced away, an impossible to suppress smile on her face, before peeking back up at Ren. “He can,” she admitted quietly, as if Zero couldn’t hear her. “It’s beautiful.”

“It really is,” Sakura agreed with an enchanted sigh.

“Wait.” Ren looked to the woman, feeling left out of something special. “You’ve heard him sing? When?”

Fox ears twitched brazenly, showing off what the angel would never have. “Here and there. He sings to Ivy pretty regularly, and after hearing him enough from a distance, I asked him to sing while we were hunting. So, now he sings for me sometimes.” She faltered, chewing her cheek as she thought it over. “It often brings animals in. I thought it was really strange, but it kinda makes sense now with him being fae and all.”

The man turned back to the boy, the betrayal thick in his voice. “Bullshit! First, you kiss her. Now, you’re singing to her. What the fuck?! What about me? After all I’ve done for you. When do I get mine? Where are my kisses? Where are my lullabies? Where is the love and adoration I deserve?”

There was no way the boy was going to even acknowledge him. Anything more than silence would only antagonize the man further, and even silence was pushing it to the limit. Fortunately for Zero, they finally made it to the amphitheater and entered its confines. Row after row of seating reached towards the open sky and encircled a large, empty space of sand that currently only held a smattering of small groups of men chatting and a table that a lone man sat at.

“Enough!” Sakura snapped. “You can annoy Zero later. This is important, so stop screwing around!”

The man at the table glanced up at the group as they approached, eyes nearly as dark as night observing them for only a moment before looking back at the book in front of him. “You just barely made it in time. I was about to head out. Are one or both of you fighting?”

“I’m fighting,” Sakura informed him mildly.

He sat back in his chair and fully took the woman in, his initial disinterest turning to mild surprise. “You’re fighting?”

It wasn’t the first time someone assumed she couldn’t fight, and she shrugged it off. “I am. Is there a problem with that? Anything in the rules against it?”

“No.” He shook his head, his straight, shoulder length, navy blue hair swishing with the movement. “Women just don’t typically fight. You do realize you’ll be fighting all men, right? Some of the best on the land. This isn’t some back alley bar brawl, and they won’t go easy on you. You can’t use that glaive either. Or those daggers. Hand on hand combat only.”

“Perfect.” The vixen smiled. “My name’s Sakura. What’s my number?”

There was only a moment of hesitance from the man before he jotted her name down. “Suit yourself. You’re number fifteen. Tournament begins in the morning. Rules are simple. No weapons, if you’re on the ground for ten seconds it’s a loss, and if you step outside of the circle that’ll be drawn up tomorrow then you’re disqualified. Anyone else?”

“Nope. Just me. Thank you.” She turned and began making her way from the arena, two of her three companions following.

Ren stayed put, watching the fox walk away. She was so sure of herself, not even the slightest bit of doubt towards her victory. And there was no reason for her to think differently. Of course she was going to win in a landslide. That beautiful woman was going to walk out there and take the first challenger by complete surprise, annihilating him immediately due to his ignorant underestimating of her abilities and general lack of vigor. Each one after that would fall in much the same way, like moths to a flame. Ren didn’t need to know who was on the list to know that there wasn’t a single man on it who could take her on and win.

And where was the fun in that?

Sneaking up to the table and eyeing the book, the angel made small, inquisitive groans. “So, you only have fifteen people, huh? Odd numbers make it kinda hard with the brackets, dontcha think?”

“It’s been done before.”

Ren casually nodded in agreement. “Of course it has, of course it has.”

Sakura stopped and spun around, her head tilting to the side in confusion. “What are you doing? Let’s go, it’s getting late. We need to find a place to set up camp before it gets too dark.”

Her concerns were waved off. “Yeah, yeah, give me a minute. So, fifteen people.”

The man at the table rubbed at his face in exasperation, unable to see the point in the angel’s roundabout inquiry and wishing he could just pack up and go home. “Yeah, fifteen people.”

“Fifteen people.” The angel tapped his fingers in an upbeat tune on the table. “Alright. Let’s make it sixteen. Name’s Ren.”

An eerie quiet settled over the arena, and Ren smiled as the first wave of contempt licked at his heels, growing rapidly until they were all emerged in their emphatic depths.

Finally, some excitement.

The dark eyes of the man shifted uncomfortably between the giddy angel and the ever increasingly irate vixen. “Are you… are you sure you want to do that?”

“Oh yeah.” Ren’s head bobbed up and down enthusiastically. “I definitely want to do that. I’ll see you in the morning! Have a great night!” He turned and strutted past his companions, beaming at the demon as he went by. However, he wouldn’t get far with his proud gait, only making it a short way past the exit before a harsh tug at his shirt had him stopping in his tracks while Ivy and Zero hurried on without so much as glancing back.

It was better to get out while they still could.

It was the angel’s grave mistake to deal with, after all.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Sakura hissed, barely containing the urge to lash out. This was supposed to be simple—in, out, done, with plenty of coin in their pockets afterwards. Why the man was choosing this moment to make things difficult for her, she wasn’t all that surprised. But that didn’t mean that it made her any less furious.

The man gazed lovingly down at her with a loopy smile. “You’re so beautiful when you look at me like that. Like you want to rip my throat out.” His smile grew along with her fury. “You’ll have the opportunity to when we play together tomorrow. Aren’t you excited?”

“Why would you do that?”

“For you, of course. To protect you.” He reached out, pressing his palms against the flat of her stomach. “And to protect my child. The less men you have to fight, the better it will be for my daughter. I know how rambunctious you get, and I don’t want her getting bounced around too much in there. It’s not safe.”

Her eyes widened at the man’s asinine logic. “I’m not with child, Ren!” she whispered so she wouldn’t scream. “There’s nothing to protect! And why would you think it would be a girl?”

“Of course it’s a girl. I already have the dress for her.” As if the answer were so obvious. “And you don’t know that you’re not, but even if by some miracle you aren’t, I’ll make sure you soon are. Either way, I’m not taking any chances with my child.” Ren leered at the woman before giving her belly a light squeeze and turning away, continuing on. “Come on, we’re losing light.”

Sakura chased after him. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“I’m going to find us the perfect place to set up camp. Gotta get plenty of rest for tomorrow. It’s gonna be a big day!”

She slipped ahead of him. “Oh no you aren’t. You’re on your own tonight.” Her furious tone and eyes that matched left no room for argument.

“What?” That wasn’t part of the plan. “Why?”

Sakura shook her head as she turned around to follow the devil and fae and leave Ren behind. “Because I don’t sleep with the enemy.”