Our First Fall

A Meliodas and Elizabeth story
Jesterbelle Beta'd this chapter and I'm very glad to have her.

Chapter Twenty: Demons

As we approached the demon kingdom, Meliodas changed. He was on alert, walking closer to me and looking towards any noise in the distance. His eyes were black, a thin jagged line down his cheek connected to his demon mark and his behavior set off my anxiety.

"Is everything okay?" I asked him, whispering as if we were hiding.

His eyes change, bleeding green until they shone. "Don't worry. I can handle anything that comes our way, I just want to sneak you in without much attention." I frowned, focusing back on the path. Would I be a secret? I wanted to learn about demons, to get out among them, not sneak around and hide. Estarossa walked beside me and I scratched at his head, contemplating.

The Demon clan had a wall around it. Not to fortify but to indicate the line. I smiled to myself, thinking of when I crossed our border for the first time and tried to find where it was marked. Meliodas walked along the stacked logs and the sacks of sand. A large red breathing beast was laying on its back to our right, among the tree line. I stepped closer to Meliodas, clasping my hands to my chest.

"That is a Red Demon. They are only activated when we are threatened. It's like a golem, since it was created, but more like a guard dog that sleeps most of the time. Don't get too close." He didn't have to tell me twice. I suppose we had to sneak in because of all the higher level demons Meliodas had spoken about a few days ago when I first showed him my dignitary paperwork. I dismissed my earlier concern.

Meliodas planned to rearrange his entire clan to make this city safe for me. If that meant laying low so he could do what he had to, then I would make it easier on him. A howl sounded in the distance, somewhere in the city and I gripped the back of Meliodas' shoulders, stepping right to him from behind. He smiled reassuringly before walking on. I followed, still holding on to him.

The buildings that I could see through the gaps in the border wall were far apart. An acre, sometimes more, between them. Compared to the floating city I lived in, the goddesses are cramped. I wonder if that ever made Meliodas uncomfortable, being closed in. I'll have to ask when I wasn't nervously sneaking into a demon city.

It began looking more like a series of barren farms built next to one another. The stacks of logs were broken up ahead, splintered wood was scattered out as if something exploded out from the inside. Meliodas had the horse reins and we all fit through, going into the city together. It was early morning. We could have entered the city last night but Meliodas said demons were most active at night, as their power increased in the darkness, like vampires.

The buildings ranged from hut sized to estates of various types. Some had the cabin logs, some stone and some planked but almost all of them had the same slat stone roofs. It was cool to see the rocks so flat and I peeked around as best I could. A few people were about, some with strange limbs made of darkness, others scurrying away from us as if we were a threat.

"Where is everyone?" I ask.

"Sleeping off their drink probably." He quips, "I planned to come in from here. If I can just avoid the Commandments... I want more time, that's all." There is a pause as he pulls along our horse and he takes my hand, plucking it from his shoulder to guide me to walk beside him. I smile, thinking of him declaring us to whoever could see us through his town. When I look over, he's smiling too, eyes dark green rather than jet black. "I swear, Elizabeth. I won't hide us, even with the consequences I'll have to face. I'll bear them as you have."

I flush, thinking he must see something in me that I don't. Still, I smile, happy just to be in his world. I'd heard about it but to see it was different. I don't think any goddess I knew had ever stepped foot here and lived to tell anyone. "I trust you, Meliodas. It's okay." His eyes flash liquid green before slowly bleeding to dark green again, the darkness in them almost looking like tendrils with how they moved.

The castle was in sight, a mass of stone towers while the bulk of it spanned in a large L shape with grey and black cutaways adorning the top. It was huge, maybe not as big as the whole of Megadozer but for one building and for just two princes to live in, I was blown away. The nearer we got, the closer together the people lived. Rather than Ten plus acres between homes, there was maybe an acre, sometimes half of one.

"This is the market district," Meliodas explained. "We'll come through one day, you can go shopping."

"I've never shopped before," I hushed. The goddesses didn't have much by way of currency. We shared everything with one another, helped one another. It would be exciting to experience a different kind of exchange. "I won't use my coin though. I need that one." I tell him. "Will they take the gems?" I inquire but he's stopped moving, guiding me to stand behind him and I quiet immediately.

A moment later, he exhales, we're off again and I breath easier too. Soon, we're before the castle grounds. The gates creaked open but Meliodas relaxed a hundredfold once inside them. Estarossa, that dumb bird and our horse must have all sensed the danger as they had been quiet in our journey. I spun in place, looking at the beast statues holding weapons, the gates of iron wrought with jagged points on the top. The stone blocks of the barrier wall that looked as if they'd been in a fire in some places from the scorch marks.

Meliodas waited for me, no longer in any rush as I followed the tower up to the top with my eyes. I wanted to go up there, to see the view of the city from up high. When I had my fill, looking at the pointed windows and spotting a few balconies, Meliodas lead me to a door. The handles were screaming faces, the frame a black wavy snake shape.

He hooked Langelier to a post beside the door, taking our things. I carried the birdcage as the thing squawked like crazy when Meliodas got too near. Inside, the halls were large, a giant could walk through but would have to watch for the dangling candelabras. The walls were a deep red, the carpet black and every so often an empty suit of armor stood. We took a few turns, passing a large dome room that I peeked around but couldn't see much of.

We reached a pair of double doors, long handles at the center that looked like serpents stretched tautly. Meliodas dropped his bag and used that hand to pull the heavy door open. "This is the safest place to be, while here Elizabeth." He told me, not telling me to stay put but seeming to find a need to stress this. I nod, following him in after he picks up his bag again.

It was a full wing. He showed me the rooms, a study, a bathroom that had its own warming tub and a bedroom with a large demon crest over the oversized bed hung on the wall. The main room had been my favorite with the chairs and the fireplace but now that I have been in this bedroom, I liked this one more.

"You'll be sleeping here," Meliodas points, dropping our bags off in front of a door to our right, probably a closet since our bags were mostly clothing. "After sleeping on the ground the last few nights, a bed sounds divine." I look at the mattress and then around at the decor. A stray thought wiggles in and I dismiss it but still feel a little sting. How many women have been in this bed with him?

"Where will I sleep if I'm mad at you?" I ask and Meliodas looks shocked before turning to look at me with humor in his eyes.

"Here, obviously." He's grinning.

"Okay, then where will you sleep?" I joke and his laugh fills the room. I smile, loving the sound and feeling much better for it. "And, what if you can't keep your hands to yourself." I chide, crossing my arms as I make my way over to my bag. I'd love a bath.

"Oh, sweet Elizabeth." He murmurs softly "You shouldn't worry about if, there is no doubt that my hands belong on you." I grow hot, thinking this was different than the times we've spent the night together. Sneaking at Megadozer, with so many others close, we hadn't done anything. Even him coming to my room when I had that fever, he hadn't stayed the night but here we were planning on being a couple.

We'd have complete privacy.

Maybe because of the adrenaline when we stealth in, or maybe because of Meliodas' long look over me, I'm nervous. I can't help but fiddle with my dress hem. Estarossa bound around the place, jumping on the bed and running in a circle around a chair to my right. I watched him, realizing the situation I put myself in.

My goal had been 'be with Meliodas again' but I was now in our very recent enemies territory with no friends outside of Meliodas and Estarossa. I would be relying on him for everything and I flushed, realizing he had his own obligations and couldn't exactly hand hold me the entire three months I'd be here. "What... can I do here?" I puzzle, my voice sounded squeaker than normal and I flush.

"Don't worry," Meliodas spoke, drawing me out of my thoughts. "I'll get things settled, you may need to stay in the castle for the time being. Until I can show you around. They'll know then, that you are under my protection." He is firm, eyes growing dark again. I frowned.

He must have picked up that I was out of sorts as his touches were simply soft affection. He showed me how to prepare a bath, a well pump there to use and he started a fire below it. When it was ready he gave me my space, telling me he had to go for just a moment but would be back by the time I was finished.

Naked and wet, and Meliodas passed up the opportunity to be a pervert. Maybe he was nervous too, or knew I needed a moment to adjust?

The hot water helped and I shook my feelings off. Clean and calm. Even if I just stayed here for the next three months, it wasn't that long. Meliodas is important, but ending the war for good was my top priority. He knew that. As if to reminding me how far away that goal was, the ugly bird squawked in the next room. Would Ludociel request my return if I didn't give him enough information?

I had to tell Meliodas what Ludociel expected of me. Together we can hash out a plan to keep him satisfied without delving too deep into anything. I dressed, now nervous about telling Meliodas I had to spy and report back while with him. It tainted our time together and I felt a bit morose, thinking our clans were far off from declaring peace or dismantling the armies.

He had two plates of food when I got out, we ate on the floor in front of the fire. It was all meat. Chunks of it, with no vegetables or grains or rice. I didn't ask, thinking maybe this is what Demons ate. No wonder he had loved fruit so much! And still ate the food I made regardless how awful it tasted.

After we ate we took a tour of the castle. Where Zeldris' wing is and where Chandler and Cusack stayed. Even the staff's quarters in case I needed anything. He introduced me to a "Ms. Polly" who was a stout and pregnant woman with a pretty nose. "She'll take care of anything you need, she runs this place," Meliodas told me and Polly flushed. Her darkness, which covered her in a flowing dress from neck to ankle, flickered off the edges.

The place was cold. Not temperature wise but in the way our 'museum to the ancients' back home felt. Things were placed here for a purpose, sconces polished but unused, weapons encased in glass. Back at the temple, the hall of purity flowers and most of the prayer chambers were like this, but in the sisters-in-waiting hall there were warm memories. I didn't feel like there were any here. The only things that drew my eyes were the holes blasted in the walls and ceilings every so often. Meliodas pointed to one round indentation in the stones across from the large dining room.

"Zeldris made that, we fought over the last piece of cherry tart." I wasn't sure if his brother made it with his body or if he meant Zeldris had thrown him into it. Hm. So they did have other things besides meat. We held hands as he brought me to the courtyard, telling me about his memories here.

"Chandler raised me while in this realm, we did most of our training here. Until the cube, obviously." Meliodas explained and I frowned. This realm? And there's a reference to that cube again. He said it as if I should know, but he pulled me along, excited as we entered a tower. His darkness spread to wings and we flew up the stairway, him turning to watch me behind him until we reached the top. The wind is harsh, whipping around my hair and I stepped down to fold my wings so not to lose any feathers.

I walked to the edge, clutching Meliodas' hand with both of mine in awe as I looked out. Each house, on their acres were like a patch of earth, a quilt of life. Open and free, surrounded by forests in the far, far distance. Giant grey, red and a white demon sat, laid and stood frozen at the edges of their city, spaced out. Truly like guard dogs.

"That's the market district I told you about." Meliodas points out, and I turn away from the barren farms to the closer together buildings. With it being evening, people were milling about, looking like dots from up here. Pop up shops and buildings were glowing from the inside, like an invitation to come in. "Over this way, that's the training grounds." We walked a half circle around the top of the tower and I took it in.

There, covering a few miles was just dirt, buildings in the center of it. The exposed ground had etched circles around the buildings every so often, like little arenas had been stamped out with a round cookie cutter. Beside it, from there to the far off borders were burnt fields of black ash marring the beauty of this place. I can see why he showed me the other side first. "What happened?" I whispered, looking back to Meliodas, his eyes black as coal as he turned from the scene to look at me.

"War." He answers, simply. Oh, the goddesses have done this. "Come on." We left the tower, me in a daze until we passing the courtyard. He pulled me into a run as we went under the breezeway that connected the tower to the castle. In the grass, there was a half hoop made of rusted metal in the center of a stone-lined hoop-ball field or well, Booru. "Wanna play?" He asked and I grinned, "absolutely". He left to find a ball and I walked around, wondering when I'd get the nerve to tell him about Ludociel and that dumb bird's purpose.

Maybe before bed.

Later, after I lost horribly as hoop-ball, Meliodas gave me space again to change. He kept his hands to himself but still touched my face and pulled me against him when I had tried to stay on my side of the big bed. The sheets were smooth and it took no effort for him to slip me over to him. Cuddled up like this, it reminded me of Megadozer.

I giggled, turning into the nook of his neck.

"What?" He breathed, arm coming around to play at my hip and down my back. We were on our sides, chest to chest and although my feet dangled past his, we fit together.

"It's such a big bed but we're acting like we're on a one person bedroll." I reply, exhaling on his neck from this angle. He chuckles.

"I like you beside me." He confesses and I like it too. I frown, pulling away and sitting up. With overwhelming shame I can't bring myself to look at him as I fold my hands into the other.

"Meliodas," I hush, scared this would change something between us. "Ludociel wants me to report to him," I whisper, afraid if I say it too loud, he'll be more hurt somehow. Meliodas sits slowly, his hand comes to rest on mine, intertwined together so tight my knuckles were white.

"I figured." He surmised, voice soft. "Is there repercussions if you don't comply?"

"A white ribbon on that stupid bird means I have to leave, immediately and stealthily. So, it's implied that I'll have to be useful to him here or I won't be permitted to stay." I frown, thinking Ludociel had a lot of overinflated clout to make me do this. He is one of the representatives on the treaty!

"Then, be useful," Meliodas says, touching my chin to force me to look at him. "I trust you. Anything you've put your mind too has succeeded." My face feels like it's on fire and I feel my eyes well with tears. He opens his arms, knowing what was about to happen and I fall into them, crying against his chest in relief.

That night, he kissed me awake to tell me he had to go but would be back that afternoon. It was hard to fall asleep after he'd left, knowing I was alone in this strange place. Through the window I watched the night twinkle and I gave up altogether when I heard a large crash somewhere to the east of us, toward the patchwork of houses. Meliodas did tell me Demons were most active at night. I dressed, planning on finding a book to read.

When I made my way to the sitting room, a girl was here, firewood in her arms and she froze on her way to the bathroom to stare at me with wide eyes. She looked to be about my age but had no curves, so I pegged her as younger. Her hair was stringy brown, cut to be choppy over the left side of her face. I could only see one of her eyes and her mouth. Her darkness covered her breasts and flared at her hips to look like a cute dress, but it covered her left arm, left leg and spread up her neck on that same side of her cheek.

"Hi!" I chirp, waving my fingers at her. "I'm Elizabeth," I tell her and her wide, dark eye look at my wings, to the door I just came out of and back again. "Do you need help?" I ask, stepping to the girl and taking the wood from her. She was so shocked I could have knocked her over with a finger poke. "You must work here," I reasoned as I walk into the bathroom, stacking the wood where Meliodas had taken it from to heat my bath yesterday. She snapped back to reality.

"Oh, please miss. That's my job, if Ms. Polly knew." She fusses, brushing the splinters from the sleeves of my dress. I laughed as she froze, looking mortified as she backed away.

"Don't worry," I tell her. "I won't say a word." The girl smiles, soft and her face finally relaxes.

"You're a goddess." She observed, shaking her head. "I mean, I heard that Lord- uh, Master he took a woman but I thought you'd be in the mistress wing and not that you would be... well..." Her face grows flushed, her eyes shifting away and she physically put a hand over her lips as if that would stop her from talking.

"I am a goddess. You're a demon." I tell her, smiling at her. "Meliodas brought me here. I'm the Ambassador from the Goddess Clan and I hope together we can find a more stable ground between our clans." The girl's mouth pops open, jaw hanging.

"Me? What can I do?" She panicked.

"Oh. I meant like... me and your clan, so just talking to me is good." I amend, raising my hands as if in surrender and she lets out a long breath, nodding.

"Yeah, okay." She relents, "Well I have more chores so I need too..." She stands, going to leave and I frown.

"Can I help?" I'm too eager, "I don't have anything to do and I don't want to wait around." I wasn't the type, never have been. "If I can do something, let me."

"Lady Elizabeth, it wouldn't be proper, Master has taken you as his lady so you-"

"Just Elizabeth and I'm my own person," I correct her. Slowly, she smiles.

"I'm Mina and I'll take that as an order. Come on." She relents, her darkness trickling out from her left side. I follow her, helping her clean the spotless sconces and we talk. Mostly she just asks questions about being a goddess and I ask after her own family.

She didn't have anyone, all lost to the war, so she'd been sent to live here with Ms. Polly. Their mothers had been cousins, so she was the only relative left to her. I explained that I only had Lady Graelle, that she wasn't my mother but had become so. We even talked about how I had the same duties she had now, at the temple back home. She'd been amazed that Goddesses didn't use their slaves for duties like that. She'd given me another shocked look when I told her we didn't have slaves at all. "But your breath!" She'd reasoned and I flushed.

"They don't use it for that," I confessed and she asked, wearily "Have you ever used it before?"

"No!" I proclaim, hot and I move my shoulders back. Ludociel had fought against me before the council and had won, so it was still legal to use our breath weapon. I lost that fight, but the council had told me I could revisit the law after the war was over. I changed the subject, telling her that we didn't even have coins for trading that we just shared among ourselves. When she'd finished her duties, with so much time to spare from my help, she looked at me with hope.

"Is it true goddesses can heal?" Mina shyly asks. Her eyes a honey brown now that she's gotten used to me. "I've only ever seen... well..." I filled in the blanks, the goddesses light canceled out the demon darkness. It could burn, breath of bless could influence minds, arcs exploded and our blades... We were the monsters to them. She's only seen how we destroy.

"Yeah, I can," I tell her, smiling sadly. "It's the only thing I'm good at." I watch as slowly, the darkness seems to steam off her arms, her leg and her neck on her left side and scarred, burned skin is revealed. Her hand rippled with rough cracks as it pulls her hair from her face and her cheek was the same. I stepped toward her, eyes welling.

"Did the goddesses...?" I needed to be sure and she nods, telling me about the village she grew up in. Grain farms had been burned with the white light of grace, along with the farmers. To starve out the demons, that they didn't have any military might. Civilian casualties to the cruelty of war. "Let me try. I'll have to touch where the burns are."

With a little discussion, we go to her room. It's in the wing where Ms. Polly and the others that work in the house live and it reminds me of my room at the temple, only about four times the size. Demons definitely liked their space. She let her darkness shimmer away, leaving it where her skin wasn't marred and my chest constricted for her. Her left breast, her chest, her hip and the entire left half of her body was covered in the lines and bubbles of long ago burned flesh.

With a little tentative touch, I started at her foot, moving around her body. The glow from my hands made her flinch from me, looking betrayed and angry down at me. My light must remind her of the goddess light that harmed her. I cried then, tears streaming down my face as she spotted the lighter, pink skin at her toes that hadn't been there before and her mouth gapes.

"Oh," Mina exhales, the unruined half of her face pinkening. "Okay." She consented softly, relaxing again, I went back to the task, both of my hands glowing over her skin. Mina wiggled and shook as I moved higher and higher up her side.

"I'm so sorry, Mina," I tell her, trying to explain how I never wanted this war, that I'd been trying to stop it since I'd been old enough to speak up. "It doesn't make it better, and this will only heal your body... but I hope... I hope nothing like this happens to anyone ever again." At her stomach, she breathes heavy. "You are so brave and so kind to still speak to me... to get to know me, as a goddess, when one did this to you." It truly amazed me that this girl didn't run for it, after spotting my wings.

"It was a man." Mina confesses, "I... I was a little afraid of you, but you are like me. No family, used to serving others homes and sent somewhere foreign without you getting a say." I flush, thinking she had the wrong idea about me being here against my will.

"I wanted to come here," I tell her and she looks down at me alarmed.

"But Master is... terrifying," Mina whispers, looking as if she were frightened just for saying it out loud.

"He's just powerful," I tell her. "I want to be with him but more than that I want to end our war, and the root of it is hatred between our clans. I told you, I'd do anything to end it, including having a life here."

"You're the brave one then," Mina declares, looking away as I heal over her breast. It's a little awkward but her flesh pinkens and the tiny thing is smooth creamy skin when I work over her shoulder, down her arm and massage her fingers. "This won't... fade in the morning or..."

"No, you'll be you," I reassure her and I go up to her neck, over her chipped ear and across her face. As I pull away to look her over, she's crying, feeling her left side with reverence. Before I know what's going on, her arms are around me, her wet face pressed into my collarbone.

"Thank you." She mumbles. "Oh thank you so much Lady Elizabeth. If you ever need anything, anything at all-"

"Just Elizabeth," I say, holding her to me with a loose hold. "Please, it's what friends do."

When she gathers herself, looking so young and glowing fresh, her darkness covers her but just in the shape of a dress. "It's cool that you can use your own magic as clothing," I tell her. Her chest puffs out a little.

"Only the strongest of us have the ability." Mina brags. I ask if I can touch it but she immediately tells me "Oh no, it's my demon- it's hard to control but I manage it. My demon doesn't like anyone- especially after the burning." Oh, okay.

"So, your inner demon is like... something else inside you? That you draw power from? Your darkness?" She nods, telling me it's like a rabid animal always muzzled by their strength of will. When it gets loose, that's when the fights break out among them. "I've felt Meliodas' darkness, and it didn't hurt," I tell her and it's like I just slapped her, her looking at me appalled. I shrug.

"Let me walk you back." She offers, breaking the silence and we talk awhile down the halls, her hands still feeling her smoothed flesh. "I can't wait to show Polly, the surprise might send her into labor!" Mina giggles and I grin, happy for the girl. We turn the corner by the dining room, passing the concave indent that one of the brothers had made in the wall. Down the hall is Meliodas with Chandler talking low at his ear. He had his demon mark, his eyes dark as night and they both stop, seeing us. I take a step to run to him, realize where I am, and cease

"Hi Chandler, Meliodas!" I smile and since Mina had stopped moving, in fear, I take my step back to stand with her. With a look, I tell her "If you want, you can go back. I know the way." Immediately her shoulders stiffen with conviction and she refuses, walking with me towards the two demons.

"She's roaming the castle!" Chandler complains in contempt, motioning towards me but Meliodas is emotionless, before slowly turning from me and glaring at the old man with the lion's mane of white tufts of hair.

"I've told you how I want things. Abide." Meliodas demands, cold and in control, and I realize this is what Mina must see all the time. Meliodas did have a scary aura but I wasn't afraid, he just looked like my Meliodas to me. Mina shook the closer we came and when we passed I brushed the back of my hand against his, hoping he'd know I wanted to greet him warmer but didn't know how to act in front of Chandler and Mina. That this was on his terms. "Elizabeth," Meliodas catches my hand to stop me.

We meet eyes, the black was gone and in its place shined the emeralds of the kind Meliodas. I smile, reaching forward with my opposite hand to touch the tendrils at his shoulder. Velvet and smooth against my fingers. When I pulled away they gripped at me, as if they wanted me to stay. Meliodas' inner feral beast, liked me. His eyes swirled and I wanted to kiss him.

"I've much to tell you." He disclosed, "all good news," the warmth in his voice makes my heart race and I grow hot.

"I'm glad," I tell him, our hands parting. "I'll wait in your rooms," I whisper, knowing he wasn't upset I'd roamed the castle, but wanting him to know where I'd be the rest of the night so he didn't have to go searching.

"Your rooms?" Chandler scolds, looking mortified. Was that a secret? Mina grabs my arm, pulling me down the hall. Chandler gives me a simpering look but I don't know why. Still, I follow Mina's lead, not sure how I should have handled that. With a last look at Meliodas, he's looking at me, pained. Why? I frown, making a mental note to ask him when we were on our own.