The following few days were a struggle for Samickle. He had tried to keep his distance from Reiko, but the urge had been unrelenting, the heat coursing through his veins. The way her long, black hair fluttered in the breeze, the way her dress accentuated her feminine curves, the way her breasts moved with each step, and her hips swayed as she walked… His body craved for her, the heat burning him from the inside out.

But, the journey continued, and the days passed. Samickle had been plagued by his primal urges, but eventually, he had gotten the hang of it. He could still feel his blood boiling, but at least he had learned how to keep himself in check— Most of the time, at least. It wasn't perfect, but it was enough for now.

Despite struggling with his urges, Samickle had enjoyed travelling across the land with Reiko, and he had come to treasure their time together; He had seen so many new things, the company was good, and the conversations were interesting. Reiko was well-read, and knew a lot about different cultures, and her knowledge of the world amazed Samickle. He just wished he could get closer to her, but unfortunately, the heat still forced him to keep his distance. Even the innocent, little gestures he wished to do were too much for him; Sometimes he wanted nothing more than just to hold her hand, or to brush a loose strand of hair from her face, but he never did. He just watched her, longing for her, until his urges forced him to turn away.

It was late afternoon when they reached Taka Pass. Reiko seemed excited, and she eagerly led Samickle through the canyon. She told him about the history of the area, and about the interesting locations nearby. One of them she hadn't mentioned yet, though; She had promised not to spoil the surprise, afterall.

"Okay, so, guess what..?" Reiko was grinning from ear to ear as the two of them stepped away from the main road. "We're not sleeping under the stars tonight."

"What? Where are we going?" Samickle wondered.

"It's a surprise. Just follow me." Reiko chuckled and began to walk ahead.

Samickle followed her, a hint of concern in his voice. "Is it safe?"

"Of course it is. Don't worry, I've been here many times." Reiko assured him.

They kept walking until the path ended. Samickle glanced around, confused. Reiko had led them in front of a large torii gate, but the road ended, and there were no other buildings in sight.

"Where are we going?" Samickle tilted his head, his brow furrowing behind his mask. "The path ends here."

"Hee~! Just wait and see..!" Reiko smirked. Without a warning, she grabbed a hold of Samickle's arm. "C'mon!" She cried out and started to drag him towards the gate.

"Wha- Hey! Wait a minute!" Samickle stumbled and tried to break free, but her grip was too strong— He was pulled along, despite his protests.

"Just a little further." Reiko chuckled and yanked him along, until they had both stepped through the gate.

The next thing he knew, the tall rock wall disappeared from their way and a path unfolded in front of him again. Looking around, Samickle saw that they were walking down a narrow path, surrounded by tall, steep cliffs.

"Huh? What..?" Samickle stopped and glanced over his shoulder. The rocky, dead-end path behind him was gone, as if they had transferred into a whole new realm by stepping through that gate.

"Cool, huh?" Reiko grinned.

"This- This isn't possible..." Samickle mumbled. "There was no way through there..!"

"I knew you'd be surprised." Reiko giggled at his confused reaction. "And I knew you'd make it through as well; They say that only those with pure heart can traverse through that gate."

"That's..." Samickle blinked, his eyes wide. Reiko's words were making him feel a little strange. She had said that only those with a pure heart could make it through, yet... here he was.

"Oh, and the surprises won't end here~!" Reiko clapped her hands. "We're almost there, just a little further. Keep up!"

Reiko kept walking, and Samickle had no choice but to follow her. As they wandered deeper into the valley, soon they found themselves surrounded by a bamboo thicket, the smell of sulfur and minerals filling the air.

"Okay, just a little further. Almost there." Reiko hummed as she led him through the forest. The ground beneath their feet was covered with small rocks and pebbles. Samickle could hear running water nearby, the sound echoing against the cliffs. The air was getting warmer and warmer, and the scent of sulfur was becoming more noticeable.

"Here we are..!" Reiko finally announced and stopped in front of a large bamboo gate. "Welcome to Sasa Sanctuary! The most elaborate hot spring resort this land has to offer~!" She sang, her arms spread.

Samickle just stared, his eyes wide. They were standing in front of a huge building made entirely out of wood, decorated with lanterns and purple coloured flags. The scent of minerals and hot water filled the air, the sound of flowing water getting louder.

"I... What?" Samickle stammered, not able to form a sentence.

"This is Sasa Sanctuary, the famous hot spring resort." Reiko repeated herself. "The only one ran by sparrows, not to mention." She added a bit mischievously. "I've always made sure to stop here while on my travels, and they know me quite well."

"A... A resort..?"

"Mmhm." Reiko nodded. "We could both use a little rest, no? I don't know about you, but I'm dying for a bath..!"

Samickle felt light-headed. It was all happening too fast, and his mind was struggling to process the situation. "So, we're..."

"Going to relax, that's what!" Reiko declared. "After a long, hard journey, a warm, relaxing bath is just what we need, right? Come on, let's get inside."

She was right. Samickle's muscles were tense, his joints aching from the constant travelling. He wasn't opposed to the idea, but the fact that he was going to spend the night with Reiko at a resort was a little overwhelming.

"Are you okay?" Reiko asked, noticing his anxiousness. "If you don't want to stay, we could always go back and camp outside..."

"N-no, no." Samickle shook his head. "It's fine. Let's stay."

"Great!" Reiko beamed and took his hand, and led him inside. "I'll introduce you to the sparrows, and then we'll go find our room."

They entered the resort, the warm air hitting their faces. The place was bustling with activity, sparrows everywhere. Some were cleaning, others were serving food and drinks. The sound of running water echoed in the hallways, the steamy, mineral-scented air making the air a bit humid.

"Good evening!" Reiko greeted the staff, her smile wide.

"Welcome, welcome!" The sparrows replied, bowing respectfully.

"Hi, guys. Good to see you- Ah!" Reiko gasped in surprise when something bumped into her leg; Glancing down, she saw a familiar face looking up at her. "Oh! Hi, Chun!" She greeted the little sparrow girl who was clinging onto her leg. "Have you grown since the last time I saw you?"

"Big sister Reiko!" Chun giggled and hugged her leg. "I knew you were coming! I had a dream about you!"

"Did you, now?" Reiko smiled warmly, reaching to pet the little sparrow's head.

"Mmhm!" Chun nodded eagerly. "I had a dream, and in the dream, I saw big sister Reiko with a scary masked guy!"

"Scary..?" Reiko tilted her head, stealing a side-long glance at the masked man next to her. She didn't find Samickle scary, but she had to admit that his mask could be a little intimidating, at least to children.

"Scary." Chun repeated as she looked up at Samickle, hiding her face behind Reiko's leg.

"Oh, don't be shy, now. Come on, say hi." Reiko patted the girl's head, urging her to approach the Oina warrior.

Chun hesitated for a moment, but then she finally stepped forward, and bowed before the masked man. "Hi." Chun mumbled quietly, her voice muffled by her beak.

"Hello." Samickle greeted her awkwardly.

"There. See? He's not so scary." Reiko encouraged the little sparrow.

"I guess..." Chun glanced up at Samickle, who gave her an awkward wave.

"Could you show us to our room, Chun?" Reiko asked, changing the subject.

"Sure, big sister Reiko!" Chun replied enthusiastically, jumping up and down. "Follow me, please!"

The two of them followed the little sparrow, and she led them through the halls, occasionally glancing back at them. "You're not staying in your usual room, right?" Chun noted.

"Ah, no." Reiko shook her head. "I was hoping that I could stay with my friend here, if you have any available rooms."

"Uhh..." Chun looked thoughtful for a moment. "I think so. There are plenty of free rooms, but I'll have to ask papa about it. Wait here, please." Chun left, leaving the two of them standing in the hallway.

"Sorry. I hope you don't mind, but I assumed that you wouldn't mind sharing a room." Reiko chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck. "I mean, we've been camping together for a while now, so, I guess it wouldn't be that different, but, uh-"

"It's fine." Samickle replied, his voice low.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. It's no big deal."

"Good." Reiko smiled, feeling a bit relieved. She had gotten used to his presence, and sharing a room didn't really bother her, but she didn't want to impose on him. Many of the rooms were spacious and they would have their own beds, so it would be less awkward than sharing a tent anyways.

"Big sister Reiko! I'm back!" Chun chirped as she came rushing back to the hallway.

"Oh. Did you speak to your father?" Reiko asked, kneeling in front of the little sparrow.

"Mmhm! He said that there's no problem. You can both stay in the same room, if you'd like." Chun nodded.

"Thank you, Chun." Reiko thanked, patting the sparrow's head.

"Follow me, please." Chun said and led them to a quieter hallway, the sounds of running water and birdsong growing louder. She stopped in front of a large door, and pushed it open, revealing a spacious room with a view to a garden, a small pond, and a bamboo grove.

"Woah. This is huge." Reiko gasped.

"Is it good? Do you like it?" Chun asked, sounding a bit worried.

"Like it? I love it! Thank you, Chun." Reiko grinned. "Come on, let's go check out the garden. Wanna join us, Samickle?"

"Ah, no, thanks. I'm just going to... Uhh... Go wash myself, or something." Samickle replied, his voice sounding a bit distant.

"Alright. We'll be around, if you need us." Reiko nodded, and left with the little sparrow.

Samickle let out a sigh as soon as they were gone. His mind was still struggling to process everything that was happening. He wasn't even sure how much time had passed since they had arrived; His mind had been spinning, his thoughts all jumbled. He looked around the room, his eyes wide. The room was huge, and decorated beautifully, the floor covered with tatami mats, and a set of wooden furniture and shelves against the wall. There was a large window overlooking the garden, and next to it, there was a door that seemed to lead into another room.

Samickle walked to the other side of the room, and slid the door open. A soft, soothing fragrance met his nostrils as he stepped inside. It was a bathing room, complete with a sunken tub, and a small washing area. The floor was made out of black tiles, the walls painted deep green and decorated with bamboo. The scent was amazing, the room filled with steam. Samickle inhaled deeply, taking in the pleasant smell. It was a mix of jasmine and lavender, and some other scents he couldn't recognize. The smell was strong, but not overwhelming. It was warm and soothing, and Samickle could feel his body relax.

He had never stayed in a place like this before, and it was a welcome change from sleeping on the cold, hard ground. He was looking forward to the hot bath, and he couldn't wait to unwind. He had been travelling for days, and his body was sore, his muscles tense and achy… Not to mention all the stress he had been feeling; The tension was eating him from the inside out, his emotions constantly bubbling just under the surface. The heat of the water was calling for him, the thought alone making his whole body feel warm and fuzzy.

"Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all..."