01: The Lost One

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The child wandered aimlessly, steps staggering and unsure. The nest of dark purple on her head was a mess of curls and knots, her yukata was a few sizes too big and it may have been quite a sight before but it was filled with holes now. Unseeing pupil less eyes of a pale golden green shade may as well be dead with its lack of shine in them.

She was barefooted, hungry and thirsty at the same time, with a heavy trudge she stumbled and tripped over a small rock on the ground making her fall and scrape her knees. She didn't cry like normal children do, she didn't got up either choosing to stay at the dirt road. Her eyelids are getting heavier by the moment as the soft breeze blew against her back. She was lucky that it wasn't scorching hot this time and she felt the least bit comfortable against the ground.

She decided to lay there, her limbs wouldn't obey her either way even if she wants to get up. She was just so tired.

So tired of it all.

'Maybe I'll sleep for now.' She thought to herself.

And at the back of her mind, she wishes that she wouldn't wake up anymore.

•••••

The forest trembled at the slightest, animals disturbed to look on to what caused the disturbance of their peace. Birds flew away from their collective trees to get away from the peace disruptor.

Then the trembling suddenly stopped.

"Hawk's Mama why did you suddenly stopped?" A young voice came from an innocent looking establishment.

If said establishment wasn't on top of a giant green pig that is.

"Yeah, mama what's with the sudden stop?!" A high pitched voice sounded, as the door of the unusual establishment opened revealing a blonde boy and a pig.

The large green pig or Hawk's Mama, just huffed at them both.

Then another weird thing happened, "Huh? Someone's down there?" The pig talked seems like he was the one with the higher pitched voice.

"I can see someone there!" The boy pointed down at the lying small figure below them and without a second thought he slid down from his position to inspect the little road blockade.

As he neared the fallen child he noted the cuts and bruises on the child's feet, he noted that the child might've been travelling for a long time. He knelt down and took a hold of the child's shoulder (it was bony and can easily break if he put to much force in it) carefully and shook them.

"Hey kid, you shouldn't be sleeping in the middle of the road. Oi, wake up! Kid!" The boy continued. But still there was no answer and that's the moment he was suddenly alarmed.

He turned the child over only to see dry chapped lips, gaunt flushed cheeks with a superficial scratch, and oh, the other important thing is that the kid has dried blood on the general area where the heart is. And barely breathing now.

"Shit..." He felt for the pulse and it was there, though too faint for his taste, he clucked his tongue and picked up the child, hurriedly going back to the small establishment.

"Hawk's Mama full speed ahead to Bernia!" He called out to the giant pig, although she was already rushing on straight to the dirt road.

"Meliodas, what's going on?!" The talking pig yelled, "And what's with the kid?"

The newly identified Meliodas ignored the pig as he stalked hurriedly to his room.

"Don't ignore me!" It squealed.

He placed the little child (girl he noted) gently on his bed as he rushed to retrieved a basin of water and clean towels for cleaning the girl's wounds and also to place one on her forehead to at least help with her fever.

"Meliodas! What the hell's going on?! And what's with the little girl?!"

"Shut up useless pig—"

"Who are you calling useless?!"

"—can't you see that she's injured. We need to bring her to the nearest village to get her treated right away. So stop yapping it's not really helping." He said indifferently.

"What is a little girl doing on her own anyway and what's with the half dead condition?"

"No idea, but I can tell that she's been travelling for a week now and she doesn't seem to have anything with her either." The blonde looked pointedly at the foot he was currently bandaging.

"Poor kid, she must've been lost or something. Wandering alone is very dangerous for a little girl."

Meliodas didn't answer as he took away the tattered robes of the purple haired child carefully. His green eyes remained passive as he surveyed the splash of blue, black, purple and yellowing bruises on the otherwise porcelain like skin of the child. There's a stab wound alarmingly near her heart but he found out that it was only shallow enough to draw blood. His face remained blank, though there were tightness around his eyes, as he remove the dirt and grime on her skin only to reveal scratches and more bruises. Black bruises on her wrisks and ankles obviously made by some sort of shackles.

He scratched the thoughts away of what could the child have experienced before he could harm her by grabbing her extra tight. No need for that now, he needs to focus on cleaning her wounds.

'Why does the sole of her feet have hole like punctures?'

Ignoring the squealing pig beside him, ("Who the hell would do such a thing to a child and look at that one it looks like a hand print!") he stood up and went for his drawer to get one of his button up long sleeved shirt to dress the child.

After clothing the little girl, he placed a damp cloth on her forehead and tucked her in. Whatever she's been through its something no child should experience.

And whatever it is, he would get his answers later.

•••••

"That poor girl, whoever did this to her didn't hold up on hitting her. She might've been a slave or a captive of a bandit at this point. The stab wound near her heart isn't deep enough to damage anything important. She have a few bone fractures, otherwise it's all bruises and cuts. Her past injuries have healed nicely somehow and she is not being fed well either and she's dehydrated, if you hadn't found her any second later Meliodas-san she would've been dead right now."

"D-dead! Pugo!" The piglet squealed.

"Yes, she's one tough little Missy to escape and survive whoever had her captive. It's her resilience to survive is astonishing."

The blonde looked at the small child, who looked even tinier on the bed, "When will she wake up?"

"I'll give it a few hours or so for the medicine to kick in and it seems like she needed her rest. She might wake up the next day, if her fever breaks tonight."

"I see."

The blonde smiled to the doctor, "Thank you for taking care of her old man, I would need to stock up on ale anyways, so I can stay for a few days."

"Hey Meliodas, are you going to take her in?" The piglet asked looking at him.

"I don't know." He shrugged, "I'll wait 'till she wakes up though."

He glanced back at the peaceful face of the little girl before he went out.