It would have been all too easy to dodge the stone. Weariness kept her in place, uncaring of the sting on her arm as the stone bounced off the flesh there. Her feet kept up their slow, plodding pace, her eyes staring emptily ahead. The boy shouted something that went unheard. It didn't matter what he'd said, she could feel the hatred in his words. Hatred was a familiar thing, in those days. It was a common emotion in war. Hatred of the other side fueled some of the most despicable acts of conflict Britannia had ever seen. Hatred allowed one to see the enemy as little more than beasts. Hatred made their treatment of her just fine, even though she wasn't an enemy.

She didn't mind, not really. The inhuman blood pumping through her veins protected her from more than just stones thrown by hateful children. The sword on her back was proof enough of her status as a warrior. The black blood on her armor was a testament to her success in battle. None of that mattered to the humans, though. At least, not those who knew who, and what, she was. The daughter of a kingdom torn down long ago, by their standards. For her, it was only a brief memory away. The death of her home, and the beginning of life as it was. Wandering endlessly from battle to battle. Fighting without purpose. Swinging a sword, club, mace, axe, whatever found its way into her hands. Magic flowing from her palms. That was just the way things were, and how they would be for a long time to come. There was no end in sight for this Holy War, and certainly no end in sight for her status as a pariah and omen of ill tidings.

She heard, more than felt, another stone ping off her shoulder. She did not glance back. There was no need. Even if the stones bruised her in a particularly lucky shot, she would heal all too quickly. Besides, she was just passing through. Soon, she'd be away from the humans here. At least they were just humans. Some of the other, more powerful races found her disgusting enough to attempt to smite. Then again, the demon clan wanted to kill everyone who wasn't a demon and the goddess clan had always been 'holier than thou'. Giants tended to ignore her, thankfully. It was the fey she had to be watchful of. They tended to be the most disgusted with her…abnormalities.

She continued out of the village, deaf to the shouts of the boys who pursued her to the edge, blind to the looks of contempt from the adults, unfeeling to the last of the projectiles. She let her slow steps carry her up the road, Northward, toward the heaviest of the fighting.

How long she walked, she did not know. Long enough for the sun to pass overhead and begin its descent. Her throat was dry, but it went unheeded. Her stomach rumbled, but it was ignored. She did not stop, trudging on in a sort of sleep-walking state.

Camilla's first hint that she was no longer alone came in the form of a dark shiver down her spine. She slowed her trudging steps, coming to a stop. Her body hung loosely over her feet, betraying her exhaustion. After a long pause, she slowly turned to look at the source of the presence. Unnaturally silver eyes, resignation shining in them, fell on an individual who had not been there a moment before. He stared back at her for a moment, expression innocent. Then, he smiled.

He was standing on a rock beside the road, a short little man who looked more a boy than anything else. Blonde hair stuck out from his head and green eyes glimmered with a sort of contentment. He wore a sword on his back, over clothes unstained by road or battle.

The warrior regarded him for a moment. Judging by his energy, he was a demon. However...she sensed no malignance from him. He raised a hand in greeting and she followed the motion with her eyes. She was so tired. How long had it been since she slept? She wasn't sure. Dark demon blood still streaked her hair, staining the white strands. It stuck to her leather armor and the ragged clothes beneath. Her pale skin was colored by mud created by the dirt of the road and her own red blood. She looked a terror, covered in filth, hair messy, freshly scabbed cuts splitting her flesh. Yet here this demon stood, smiling at her in that surprisingly friendly way. She distantly wondered if she should draw her sword and prepare to meet him. His human appearance meant that he was high-ranking, which meant that victory was unlikely. She was still exhausted from her last battle with a handful of grey demons who had sacked a village some distance back. Not that she could take someone like this at full strength.

She was so tired. Maybe, if he killed her, she could finally rest. She had little to live for, no one to miss her. It might be for the best...

"Hi, there!" he chirped, "You're a hard woman to find."

She didn't move, aside from a long, slow blink. Her sword was still sheathed at her side, a nice thing taken off a dead knight. She didn't like stealing when the land was in the state it was, but, he hadn't been using it and she had needed it. He seemed to take her silence as a cue to continue.

"Are you the one who's been cleaning up the villages around here? The half-blood fighter?"

It took her a moment to process his questions. Then, she gave a slow nod. He seemed to brighten.

"Great! Then you're definitely the one I'm looking for! I have a proposition for you."

Her brows drew together. A proposition? He didn't mean to kill her? What did he want? He looked back at her, still smiling. The silence between them grew and she realized that he was waiting for some sort of acknowledgment.

"...what is it you want from me?" she asked, her voice a rasp from disuse.

His smile widened. An odd one this was. Overly happy for a demon. In her experience, they tended to be more interested in destruction and devouring the innocent than making propositions.

"I've got a little group called Stigma. Our job is to act as a taskforce that works against the Ten Commandments and their troops. From what I've seen, you'd be a great addition."

Camilla stared at him unblinkingly in confusion. Had she heard him right? He fought the demons? Was this short man with messy blonde hair a...traitor to the demons? And he wanted her to join him? Did he not know what she was?

With the same painstaking slowness she'd demonstrated previously, she looked away.

"You don't want me. Whatever you're doing, it wouldn't be wise to have me with you."

The demon cocked his head slightly, smile shifting to an expression of confusion mixed with interest.

"Oh? Why's that?"

Those silver eyes took on an incredulous glint. Did he really not comprehend what he was asking? She turned slightly, muscles straining in protest, to better look at him.

"You've already mentioned that I'm a half-blood, which means you are aware of what I am. Do you really want a half-breed muddying the name of your group?" her voice carried a scathing bite.

The demon blinked at her, not replying for a moment. Then, he shrugged.

"We don't really have much of a name," he said mildly. When her eyes hardened, his easygoing expression slipped into something more serious, "Listen, I understand why you might be hesitant to join us. I'm guessing people have treated you pretty badly, right? But you won't have to worry about that from us. You're good in a fight, and that's what we really care about. If the Holy War is gonna end, we've got to join forces and do our best to defeat the Demons."

There was a moment of silence between them. Then, she turned to face him fully.

"Who are you?"

That wide-eyed, innocent expression came back, settling over his features like a well-worn article of clothing.

"Who, me? I'm Meliodas, the current leader of Stigma," he smiled in an equally innocent way, "What's your name?"

She considered him for another long moment. There was no guile in his bearing. If he was deceiving her, he was doing a very good job. Though...did it really matter. Ever since Greyda had passed, she hadn't had much to live for. Just aimless fighting, scrabbling for another day of existence. If this was some elaborate scheme to end her life...did she really care?

"Camilla."

The demon- Meliodas- grinned again, giving an odd little laugh. Something so unassuming from such a dark being seemed out of place to her, but, again, she couldn't bring herself to care more than a little. She was so tired.

"Cute name! Now then," he folded his arms over his chest, the muscles of his arms bulging in a way that didn't fit his otherwise childish appearance, "You're half-fairy, right?"

Camilla's eyes widened slightly in surprise. He had ascertained it so quickly…Again, he gave that odd little giggle.

"Your coloring gave you away, plus, you're a bit shorter than a regular human. Both are fey traits. You're obviously not a goddess, no demon would settle down with a human, and giants...you get the picture."

She nodded once, slowly.

"I see….and you're a demon."

"Yup!"

An odd thing to be cheery about, but, he'd proven to be an odd man. Another moment of silence passed between them. It stretched on beyond that. Camilla observed the odd demon unblinkingly, strangely avian in her posture and body language. He stared back, waiting for her to say something. When nothing was forthcoming, he rocked back on his heels.

"So…?" he dragged out the vowel questioningly.

Camilla looked away from him, turning her eyes down the road. It stretched off into the distance, dirt rutted with tracks from cart wheels passing over it, packed from the feet of travelers. Eventually, it would run through the next town before continuing. It was fortunate, really, that the road was there. All too often, that was a luxury that couldn't be had, and travelers were left to struggle over open plains and hills. She'd had her fair share of walking both.

For a moment, she considered her options. She could keep wandering, see where this road took her, continue begging for food and doing hard labor for small change and a roof over her head at night, spending most nights on the road. Or she could accept his offer, join his team, fight the demons as a group. After a long pause, she looked back to him, finding him waiting patiently.

"Is there food and shelter?"

Meliodas didn't seem surprised by the question. He merely smiled and shrugged.

"Most times. I mean, we're on the road sometimes, but we usually bring something in to eat. And, well...Drole eats a lot," he looked up thoughtfully, "It might not be a lot by giant standards, but it's still a pain to keep up with."

Camilla cocked her head. A giant? This really was an odd group.

"A demon, a giant, and a half-fairy," she rasped, considering him, "Who else is a part of this team?"

Meliodas looked at her again, his expression one of something like surprise. It was as though he hadn't expected her curiosity.

"Hm, well, we've got a goddess. She's the one who patches us up after fights. And a fairy."

Camilla recoiled. It wasn't much, just a twitch and a flash of displeasure across her expression. The fey were the worst when it came to demeaning her. Their disgusted looks were often much worse than the humans' projectiles and insults. Humans were fleeting creatures, she'd already lived a number of their lifetimes. She had already experienced walking through the same town twice and finding different people there each time, a generation having passed. Fey were long-lived. Their disgust grew over time and their disgust remained over centuries.

Meliodas read her reaction and smiled.

"Don't worry. No one there will treat you poorly. Gloxinia's strange sometimes, but he's okay."

There was another tense moment of silence. She still had no reason, aside from her own tired state of existence, to believe this demon about any of this. Though...considering what could happen, a bit of prejudice was nothing. She frowned, her pale brows drawing together in a deep furrow. It was the most expressive she'd been since the conversation started.

"...when do we leave?"

As soon as she said those words, Meliodas brightened. He gave his odd laugh and nodded once, looking almost gladdened by her decision. He hopped forward, off his rock. Camilla was struck by just how small he was, barely reaching her chin. He looked up at her, green eyes shining.

"Right now," he leaned closer, looking mischievous, "You ready?"

This is what happens when Jax binges season three of Seven Deadly Sins and then picks up the manga.

This series is a set of chronological one-shots chronicling Camilla's life and relationships with various canon characters. Major spoilers for season three and beyond. Rated for canon violence, innuendos and humor, angst, dark themes, and later mentions of physical intimacy. Feel free to leave comments and constructive criticism.