"You're kidding right?" I asked sarcastically looking at my brother as I lit the fire.
"Nope~!" Ban grinned, "We're going after The Fountain of Youth~!"
"Why?" I asked as I started to prepare the meat we had. "We don't even know if it actually exists and besides that we don't know anything about the Holy Maiden."
"We're not little kids anymore Kala I think we can handle some 'Holy Maiden' or are you scared?" Ban teased as he opened two bottles of ale.
"No I'm being realistic." I glared at him. "But I know I'm not going to be able to talk you out of this."
We sat in silence for sometime as I worked on grilling the meat. I noticed Ban wasn't downing his ale like he would any other night. He almost seamed to be mauling something over. That would be a first.
"Kala we're going to split the Fountain of Youth and both gain immortality." Ban finally spoke.
"What!?" I jumped almost dropping the food in the fire. "Ban you can't be serious! You have drink the whole thing to-."
"Promise me Kala." Ban said looking at me. There was the same look of determination that was always present when protecting me.
"Alright big brother I promise." I smiled. I really do hate lying to his face like this.
I sat up with a start from a dead sleep. 'It was just a dream. Of course it was just a dream. If it wasn't then she'd still…' I shook my head and sighed. It was still early morning, the sun had barely started to rise there was no point in trying to fall back asleep. Getting up, I brushed my self off. I looked around the courtyard to see it was utterly trashed. I started to pick up mugs, bottles, plates, and what ever else the guys had thrown about. I was almost done with my task when I heard someone start to stir.
"Good morning captain."
"Morning Kala." Meliodas yawned. "You're up early. Get too cold or was it a nightmare?" He asked a little more sternly.
"Take your pick. Both are right." I told him. "How long does the doctor think it will take Elizabeth to heal up?"
"About three days. Why it there something you need to do before we leave?" He asked.
"I have to go get Dire Fang. When Ban decided to get us thrown in prison I stashed it away so the Holy Knights didn't get their hands on it." I meet his emerald eyes. "It's not far from here, just outside of The Forest of White Dreams. It should only take me a day at most."
"Forgot you didn't have your weapon in that fight." Ban groaned as he got up.
"At least I thought ahead and didn't get mine stolen." I turned to glare at my brother. "I was planning on heading out soon."
"Alright just be careful." Meliodas said. "I'm sure the Kingdom has a close eye on this area."
"A wolf is only tame when she pleases and never seen unless." I said as I started to leave. "You coming laze fox?"
Ban grunted and followed. We made our way through town without a word. I knew better then to try and speak to him this early in the morning, he would more then likely be nursing a hangover. We made it past the tavern before long and continued to the fields past. The wind blew gently around us whipping up the sweet scent of wild flowers and berries. It was about noon when I finally stopped. The entrance to the Forest of White Dreams was just ahead of us.
"Do you even remember where you hid Dire Fang?" Ban asked coming to stand next to me.
"Of course I know where she is." I told him looking around. "I'm not that irresponsible as to forgetting where I left her."
My eyes lit up when I spotted an old weeping willow a few years from the forest and about a mile from where we stood on the path. I took off for the tree, leaving my brother confused. Gently pushing past the hanging branches, light pink leaves brushed my cheek as I entered. The hanging branches created a shield from the outside world, hiding the wounded trunk inside. A large split ran the height of the tree, with being wide enough at the base to hide a young child in. Kneeling down and reached in feeling around. A smile pulled at my lips as my fingers brushed over weather worn fabric. I took hold of it and pulled it out. I laid the wrapped bundle down as Ban joined me under the tree. I gently unwrapped the fabric revealing the claymore sword that lay inside. The smoky gray scabbard gleamed in the little light that filtered through the branches. The earthly red crossguard swept forward resembled wolf fangs. Just below the crossguard hung a silver charm that almost blended in to the scabbard. I ran my hand over the were-fox charm a smile pulling at my lips to see it again.
I slung the blade over my shoulder, adjusting the strap so it sat comfortably on my back. I picked up the folded jacket that had laid beneath it. I had almost forgotten I had left the article of clothing with my blade. The pastel jacket still somehow held the sweet scent of the forest it was designed after. I tied it around my waist as I stood a grin plastered across my face.
"You would pick the one tree that stood out as a hiding place." Ban said.
"And yet after five years no one found it." I said heading back out.
The sun shone bight as we started heading back. We talked about what had happened while we were in prison. Ban explained he had escaped on several occasions to tend to the forest but let himself be caught again every time. I told Ban of the gossip and rumors I had heard from the apprentices. Ban laughed saying they were no better the school brats. I laughed as well agreeing with him. I started to tell him I had hared a rumor about one of the other sins but stopped abruptly. The image of lifeless amber-orange eyes flashed in my mind. The thought of our comrade's body left discarded where it had fallen, a body that would never decay because it was that of a fairy. Tears started to gather in the corners of my eyes, closing them I tried to shake the images from my vision.
"Kala what's wrong?!" Ban yelled trying to get my attention back on him.
I slowly opened my eyes after a long moment to see Ban standing in front of me. He was holding my shoulders to steady me. He eyes where full of worry. How long had he been calling for me?
"Kala…" Ban said softer seeing that he had my attention. "Sis you need to talk to me."
I took a breath trying to keep the tears back. "Ban… I heard quite a few rumors… about one of the others." I stopped trying to find the right words to tell him. Ban nodded encouraging me to continue. "King… King's…" My voice cracked, from anger or sorrow I couldn't tell.
"Kala what did you hear about King?" Ban asked.
"….King's dead. At least that's what most of knights have said." I was finally able to spite it out. "I've heard some rumors that say otherwise but it's not like I had a way to know for sure…"
Ban pulled me into a tight hug. I let a few tears fall as I buried my face into his chest. I could still see his amber-orange eyes looking back at me, pleading for help. King and I hadn't always gotten along but he had become something like a second brother, it was reather weird. Most of our fights where nothing more then stupid sibling fights like I had with Ban. Would this mean that we would become only Seven Deadly Sins or even less? If King was really gone how long had it been? How long had he been left there like discarded kill to rot?
"Kala you need to stop over thinking this right now." I felt the words reverberate through Ban's chest as he spoke. "There's no way King would die that easily. He's a member of the Eight Deadly Sins after all, right?"
"Right." A sad smiled pulled at my lips. Ban was right, I knew he was right. There was no way King was gone.
I don't know how long we stood there. It felt like hours in my mind but it could have easily only been minutes in reality. I had come to terms with the fact that I was prone to night terrors long ago, but it was very unusual for them to plague me while I was awake. Ban started to rub my back in gentle strokes. Slowly my body started to relax under the calming motions, the hunting images finally fading.
"Better now?" Ban pulled back from the hug just enough to see my face.
"Ya I think I'm stable now." I said taking his hand and started walking. "Guess the consequences of not sleeping properly for five years are finally catching up to me."
The sun was just starting to set as the Boar Hat came in to view. Captain was sitting out side talking to Diane. They waved as we approached. I smiled and waved back, releasing Ban's hand in the process. Meliodas told us to grab some mugs and join in drinking with them, and for once I agreed without a fight. Right now I wouldn't mind the ease being utterly intoxicated brings.
