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Chapter 05 – Omen (II)
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Camelot Kingdom
Looking at the disheartened Elizabeth, Guinevere sauntered gracefully to stand beside her "Why do you look so upset and disheartened, princess Elizabeth?".
Elizabeth told Guinevere about what happened in the Boar Hat "Sir Meliodas truly meant it. He does not need my aide at all".
Guinevere twitched her eyebrow. She knew that her father was insensitive sometimes, but to think he would make her mother disheartened like this...
"Father... I've got to talk with him later... Might as well knock some senses into his head".
"Princess Elizabeth", Guinevere clasped her hands and smiled broadly "Men are rats when they're like this. Arthur is exception, though. Still, regards Dad—Sir Meliodas, I mean. Do you need me to freeze him or burn him into crisp?".
Elizabeth waved her hands, horrified "No, no, no, no, no! Don't hurt him, Gwen! It's alright!".
Hawk trotted beside Elizabeth and huffed "Tristina, Diane, Tristan, and Lancelot have given a punch or kick with good scolding for him. I also kicked him and scolded him. However, if you want to take a part in it, Queen, do it!".
Guinevere smiled creepily "Sure. Should I poison him or should I mess with his food and drink to feed him the potions which I'd like to test?".
Elizabeth gasped, horrified "GWEN!".
Guinevere chuckled before waving her hand "Just kidding. Since they have scolded and knocked him, I will not do anything. Though, I do need to talk with him later, I guess".
Elizabeth touched her chest and sighed in relief. She was glad that Guinevere cared about her but still, she scared her sometimes "Gosh, don't scare me like that, Gwen. Seriously, if you claimed yourself as Sir Meliodas' daughter, I would believe it because you and Sir Meliodas have something in common, just like the real father and daughter".
Hawk wondered if he should just blurt it out that Guinevere was indeed one of Meliodas' daughters. Come to think of it, Elizabeth hadn't known it yet, huh?
Guinevere lifted her forefinger in front of her lips with a mysterious glint on her eyes as she looked down to the piglet. Hawk shuddered. She smiled but it did not entirely reach her eyes. Hawk had no idea of why and how, but it seemed like the Queen of Camelot wanted to keep the fact that she was one of Meliodas' daughters as the secret.
Welp, one thing that Hawk learned. He would be doomed if he ever blurted it out. Might as well keep it as a secret, then.
Turning her attention back to Elizabeth, Guinevere shrugged "Do you know that I ever have a fight with Arthur, princess?".
"Eh? You and Arthur? Have a fight?", Elizabeth was shocked. After looking at the carefree young King who talked with Merlin, Meliodas, Tristan, and Lancelot right now, Elizabeth turned to look back at the young Queen of Camelot Kingdom "I can't imagine it. I mean, you and he always get along well".
Guinevere recited that it happened not too long after the assassination attempt where Guinevere was poisoned by the Assassin in the feast "I asked him to consider taking a concubine and he got mad".
Morgan popped her head, standing behind Guinevere "Even I thought that it was a stupid idea, sister in law".
Gelda clasped her hands on her skirt and nodded her head "I agree. How could you ask your lover to just take another woman when you just recovered after got poisoned?".
Isolde piped in "Even though you do it because you were thinking what's the best for this Kingdom, I don't think that it's a wise move, my Queen. Especially considering how madly in love the King with you".
"Really now. Do you seriously group in to corner me?", Guinevere deadpanned before turning back to Elizabeth "Anyway, my point is, it is important to communicate the things between lovers because it is what stabilize your relationship".
Morgan agreed with that, nodding her head "True. That's also how I and Lancelot work with ours. We always tried to communicate and talk with each other lately".
Gelda smiled, tilting her head "If I may be so bold, princess... I understand why do you think so and feel disheartened, but you have saved the Liones Kingdom after you were looking for the Sins, right? Then, you are not worthless".
Isolde suggested "If I were you, princess Elizabeth, rather than moping and thinking how useless I am, why wouldn't you try to train and get stronger? There's a time when I was in your shoes as well and I truly understood your desperation and your wish to help him. That's what kept me trying hard with learning to be a doctor. So, I can stand equally by his side proudly to help him no matter what he said. Not only once Tristan said the mean things to me that disheartened me, you know? However, my will to keep him safe and help him is bigger".
Elizabeth smacked her cheeks before fisting her hands "You're right. This isn't the time for me to mope around, doing nothing. I should train harder instead. So, I can help Sir Meliodas as well. Thank you, everyone".
They smiled to each other and continued talking idly before suddenly, Meliodas wrapped his hands around Elizabeth to protect her. Merlin spread her hands to shield Arthur and Guinevere behind her. Tristan did the same thing with Meliodas, protecting Isolde while Lancelot protected Morgan. They yelped in surprise because the sudden explosion in front of them. Once the dust dissipated, Meliodas lifted his sword.
"So, it's you... Galand of Ten Commandments!".
Guinevere, Tristan, and Lancelot's eyes widened. Being Meliodas and Elizabeth's children, Meliodas and Merlin had made sure that his children well-educated. Of course, they would recognize the enemy of their parents.
Merlin, Tristan, and Meliodas were not in their full power. Lancelot was not strong enough. They were quite in a pickle to fight against Galand whose power hadn't fully awakened yet. When Merlin turned into a stone and they were going to lose their life, Guinevere heard the voices in her head.
The Dark Side growled in frustration "Argh, just let me out! I'll kick his sorry ass easily!".
The Light Side chimed in "You just want to go rampaging, don't you? What a brute".
"I could say the same with you".
It could not be helped, it seemed.
"Ancestor, protect me".
Guinevere activated her Chaos power. Her sclera turned into dark and her heterchromia eyes turned into golden. She chose to let the Light Side take over the control of the situation. Just like her Mother in her Original form, she had three pairs of white-feathered wings.
Galand was shocked and dropped Meliodas to the ground "I-It can't be! The Goddesses are supposed to extinct!".
Meliodas gasped for air and grabbed his neck, looking behind in awestruck as he saw his daughter's transformation in a Goddess form.
"Who is there to say that there's no one of their descendant?", Guinevere laughed, ridiculing "Kneel down and know your place, peasant".
Galand was enraged and raised his spear. Arthur yelled from the Perfect Cube when that spear was about to strike Guinevere but Guinevere enveloped herself using the Light of Ark. She reached out her hand and smiled triumphantly as the Ark surrounded Galand.
When Galand was nowhere to be seen, Guinevere frowned "Huh... I thought there's only him?".
"Just barely. What we told you before to wait and recover first, Galand?", Sophia landed on the ground behind Guinevere and dropped Galand, idly leaning her spear on her shoulder "Strange. I thought all of Goddesses Clan members have extincted. To think there's their descendants who's still left...".
Galand gasped, puking blood "Forgive me... and thank you, Your Highness...".
Not too long after Sophia's arrival, Escanor made a grand entrance, landing on the ground. Lifting his Sacred Weapon Divine Axe Rhitta, Escanor was enraged after looking at Merlin who had turned into stone "Who dare to do it to my woman?".
Sophia hummed, sitting on Galand's shoulder "Galand, retreat. We can't win right now if they fight us. Not to mention, there's more coming from them. You can feel it, right?".
Galand was about to protest but he felt the familiar presences. Thus, he agreed to leave this time and left with Sophia.
Not too long after Galand and Sophia left, Lucifer and Neiva came with Gowther.
Lucifer felt the familiar magic power and whispered "Sophia...".
So did Gowther "Sister, how...".
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The White Dream Forest
The group of Three Misfits (Gilthunder, Griamore, and Howzer) entered the White Dream Forest. They had Hendrickson, Margaret, and Tristina as their additional members. Much to Griamore's distress, he hoped that Veronica could come with them. However, they had decided that they would set on the journey and re-group with Lucifer and Neiva later on the ruins of the Cameliard Kingdom.
Tristina looked around "What a nostalgic~ it kinda brought back the old memory. I remembered that my older brother barely killed you for hurting my Dad here, Gil-boy".
Margaret was shocked "You did what?".
Gilthunder felt the pang of guilt on his heart "Forgive me about it...".
Howzer knew that his crush was just being petty but still "Tina, seriously".
Suddenly, Tristina stopped dead in her track "Hendrickson, do you feel it?".
Griamore cluelessly asked "Feel what?".
"Being a ghost and the daughter of a Witch who has been resurrected by my Necromancer cousin, I'm quite sensitive with the death-related magic", caressing her chin, Tristina floated deep into the forest "Follow me".
They arrived on the top of the mountain where they met with the three people sitting around the campfire. The two of them had the cloaks around them while the last one wore the full-body armour. They startled when Tristina briskly pulled the cloak belonged to one of them. They were shocked even more after they saw the face revealing in front of them. He was a handsome man with the long straight white hair reached his hips and the familiar sharp golden eyes staring at Tristina.
Tristina beamed and greeted him casually "Yo, Uncle Will. Long time no see. What are you doing here? I thought you were still in your hermitage?".
Willard smiled and ruffled her head "Long time no see you too, Tina. Glad to see you safe and sound".
Another cloaked person which turned out to be a Mage spoke up "She's your niece?".
Tristina felt wary towards the Mage, clinging to her uncle's legs "Who is he, uncle?".
"Just a Mage I coincidentally met with here".
Tristina hummed approvingly before she turned to her comrades who were petrified "Huh? What's wrong with you guys?".
Hendrickson, Howzer, Margaret, Gilthunder, and Griamore were too shocked and speechless but they could recognize to whom that Druid Wizard took after because he exactly looked like the Sorceress Merlin.
Howzer lifted his shaking hand "Uncle? Tina, you mean...".
Tristina introduced Willard who smiled thinly "Ah, let me introduce him to you. He's my uncle, Willard Belialuin. Before you ask, yes, he's Aunt Merlin's older brother".
Willard wisely nodded his head "If you're curious about the order, there are the four of us, Lilith's kids. The first daughter, Sophia. The second child is me. The third child is Merlin and the youngest one is Isolde".
They were shocked even more "EH!".
Ignoring their shock, Willard turned to the last person who hadn't introduced themselvess yet "Aren't you going to introduce yourself?".
Tristina blurted out "Who are you? I feel the Death Magic coming from you".
"Well, I indeed am dead already, after all".
They thought this person's voice was familiar but it was Gilthunder whose eyes widened who spoke first "You are...".
That person took off his helmet, revealing his face.
It was the Grand Master Zaratras.
Gilthunder blinked away his tears "...Father".
Looking at how Gilthunder and Zaratras were hesitant, Margaret squeezed his shoulders from behind and nodded her head, blinking her own tears "Don't doubt, Gil. Hug your father".
It was a heart-warming reunion between father and son. When they hugged each other, Zaratras told him how he had been watching over Gilthunder and he was so proud of him. Gilthunder told him how he missed him and hugged him tightly. Hendrickson dropped to his knees and bowed his body in front of Zaratras, begging for forgiveness. Zaratras forgave him, even telling them about how Dreyfus was still alive and still being possessed by the Demon before asking their cooperation to save Dreyfus.
Zaratras turned to Tristina with a smile "Truthfully, this young Lady has been communicating with me through the telepathy ever since she found me here. Had she not persuaded me, probably I would not have the courage to confess and admitted my identity to Gil and all of you".
Tristina shrugged "Well, I understand why do you feel afraid and unsure of how they reacted, but as a child, I would prefer to meet with my Father no matter the circumstances. If I were in Gil-boy's shoe, I also missed my dead father, you know?".
Howzer patted her head "The title as the Fallen Angel does not fit you, you know?".
Zaratras nodded his head "Here I thought that you're going to be the late bloomer compared to my son and Griamore. I was right".
They laughed heartily at that.
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Enchanted Woods
"I will ask you once more time. How do you still alive, human?".
King reached out his hand forward, pointing his Chastiefol to the Second Fairy King's nape "Fairy King Dahlia, stop this and let him go".
Elaine clenched her fists before she reached out her hands, ready to use her Wind magic "That's right! What did Ban do till you reacted this harsh?".
"I could ask the same thing with you, Third Fairy King. You are a Fairy King, and yet, why do you come here with a human? The traitor, even".
Jericho wanted to say something but Elias stood in front of her, whispering "Don't. If you fight against Father, it won't do good for you".
"My husband, calm down. He's only someone similar with that man. He's not that traitor", Lily coaxed her husband and reached out her hand, lying on her bed "Come here".
Looking at his wife's weakened state, Dahlia dropped Ban and went to hug his wife. Lily was using this chance to use one of her abilities and lulled Dahlia to sleep. Once Dahlia fell asleep, Lily sighed in relief and turned to them, apologozing for her husband's rudeness.
Oberon narrowed his eyes "What did Father mean, Mother?".
"It happened 3.000 years ago in the Holy War before your father ascended the throne as the Second Fairy King, son", Lily's hand which caressing Dahlia's head on her lap stopped "I'm afraid you will need to ask my Father about the full story. What I know, there's a human who betrayed the First Fairy King and sided with the Demon Clan members, working with the Demons to infiltrate as the spy and caused the massacre. After the passing of the First Fairy King, my husband was announced as the Second Fairy King. My husband and my father do not tell me much, but... from his reaction, I take it that Sir Ban probably looked like that human".
King asked skeptically "It doesn't explain how and why your husband who supposedly has been dead is alive now".
Oberon hissed "Excuse me. If my mother had tried to resurrect my father, she would have done so years ago with Neiva's help. We also have no idea how could this happen".
Silky raised her hands and moved her hands which Spriggan translated "From what my wife said, she has spread her familiars all over Britannia. It turned out that it's not only in our place. In several places, there are dead people who revived back to life and attack the living. There are humans who lost their soul as well and being the empty shell, as if their souls have been devoured".
Lily perked at that "Ten Commandments. Demon King's strongest soldiers. My father once told me that there's someone who can control the dead amongst them".
After that, King decided to go back to the Sins with Jericho and Elias.
Oberon put his hands on his hips "Don't worry about Mother and Father. If something happens, you will know".
King looked at Elaine and Ban forlornly, disheartened "Ban, are you sure that you will not come?".
Ban shook his head and put his hand into his pocket "Nah. Not only that I'm not ready to face the Cap'n and his kids but I also have the destinations which I should visit. Just... make sure that they're alright".
Elaine, of course, would go with him "To where will we go first?".
Ban clenched his fists and looked forward "Cameliard Kingdom".
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Underground Library, Camelot Kingdom
Tristan put the candle on the table "Watch your steps".
Lancelot was looking around in awe "To think there's a huge library like this underground the Camelot Castle... but since Big Sister invited us to have a secret rendezvous here, it means that she wanted to trust us with something, correct?".
"Hopefully", Tristan glanced around "Though, I wonder if our other siblings will come in time".
Tristina appeared using teleport "Who are you talking about, huh? Of course, I will come".
Tristan put his hand on his hip "I refer to three of our sisters. I heard that their circumstances are not really good".
The flower petals floated around the certain chair before Lily appeared sitting on it "My circumstance is not the best, indeed. I feel a little under the weather lately, but it's not like I can't handle it".
Beside Lily, there were the butterflies gathered in one place before Melody appeared and told them all through the telepathy "It is our oldest sister who gathered us here. Of course, I should come after I picked Big Sis Merry".
On the chair at Lily's other side, there was the condensed water moving before it transformed into Merissa who opened her eyes slowly "Were we late? There are several complicated things that I need to solve in my Kingdom, but it's been solved. Sorry for being late".
"No, we just started. We just need to wait for your oldest sister", Merlin appeared behind Tristan before she squinted her eyes "Is there something in my face?".
Tristina elaborated "We heard that you turned into the stone".
Merlin smirked "Your oldest sister broke the curse, thankfully. Oh, here she is".
"It seems like everyone has come. Good".
Guinevere appeared with Gelda in tow. She dragged the gigantic dark wings on her back. They were surprised looking at their oldest sister's transformation. Right now, Guinevere was using her Dark Side form. So, she looked more like the late Second Demon Queen, Naamah, who gave born Zeldris and the little sister of the First Demon Queen, Medusa, Meliodas' birth mother.
Guinevere sat on her chair and intertwined her fingers, gracefully tilting her head "Let's start our meeting".
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Cameliard Kingdom
Once they arrived on the Cameliard Kingdom, Ban did not waste his time to go to the throne room where Merlin found Guinevere. Elaine crept closer to him before she felt something.
Poking Ban's bicep, Elaine pointed to where the King Leodegrance's skeleton was neatly arranged on the throne's chair "Ban, don't you think that it's strange? Why was the King's skeleton being arranged neatly on the throne's chair? It's as if someone had purposely arranged it and... I felt the wind coming from below the chair".
Ban knitted his eyebrow before he felt up the throne chair. When Ban touched the Emerald gemstone on the head of the chair, there was a hidden passage below the chair. They exchanged glances before they climbed down the secret passageway.
What they found underground was...
Ban dropped his bag "Is this… 'the Dark History' of Cameliard Kingdom?".
Elaine wondered, looking around "So, this is… what have been hidden under the fallen Cameliard Kingdom…".
What they found underground was something forbidden. They just found out the secret laboratory underground the ruins of the Cameliard Castle. There were various creatures in the cylindrical glass tubes where the various creatures, mostly human-like, drowning in its transparent or yellow greenish liquid. When they arrived on the end of the hallway, they opened it only to find the large door which was written above it on the board.
'Homunculus Room'.
There was a pool of the Holy water, fulfilled with the scattered, unmoving body. Their eyes were void of emotions. They had the deadly pale skin, as if all bloods drained from their body. However, the most identical of them…
…They did look so much like Guinevere.
"Oh, it's been a while ever since the last time someone visited here".
Ban and Elaine went rigid before turning around. They had turned on the torch as their lighting. The person which they met was someone unexpected. It was a beautiful person who looked like coming out of the painting behind her.
She wore the white dress gown covering her lithe figure. Her long wavy golden hair reached her hips and her emerald eyes looked dangerously like the pool of the sweet, poisonous substance because of how beautiful and deadly it felt.
Ban almost dropped the torch in his hand "...Gwen?".
Elaine gasped before tugging Ban's bicep "Ban, she looked exactly like the person on the painting that I've seen once in the Canterbury Cathedral".
But that person had been long gone. How could the person who had passed away—the Demon—appeared in front of them right now?
She smiled kindly to them, the kind smile which resembled so much with Guinevere. She put her hand on her chest and bowed her head "Allow me introduce myself. My name is Medusa, the Gorgonness".
"It's impossible. You're long dead even before the Holy War, right?".
"I was", she quirked a thin smile which felt dangerous as she lifted her forefinger in front of her mouth "One thing you need to remember, Immortal human and Fairy Princess. Nothing is impossible in the face of the Chaos".
"Is it alright to trust them, Sister?".
There was another person who entered the Homunculus Room. The one who called Medusa as 'Sister' had the spitting image with Medusa and Medusa called her 'Naamah' before Medusa introduced her as her little sister.
"It's fine, little sister. They knew about that child and called her with a friendly manner. Besides, I don't think that they're bad people".
Naamah scoffed "We don't even know whether they're trustable or not".
Medusa chided her "Naamah".
Elaine floated closer "So... you're Gwen's grandmothers? But why... do you look so young? What are you doing here?".
Naamah did not answer, neither did Medusa who smiled sadly and somehow, it reminded Ban with the way Guinevere always smiled with those sad eyes.
"Since you are her relatives, could you tell me what that kiddo planned?".
"I can tell the entire truth but it will cross the boundary. After all, only Meliodas and Elizabeth with their kids who have the right to reveal the truth", Medusa said apologetically before she smiled thinly "Perhaps, I can tell you the truth you've been looking for. Not for free, of course. As the exchange, may I ask you something?".
Ban readily answered "Go on".
When Tristina arrived on the ruins of the Cameliard Kingdom with Hendrickson, Howzer, Margaret, Gilthunder, Griamore, Willard, Zaratras, and the mysterious Mage, they saw the ruins of the Cameliard Kingdom once again was burned down with Ban and Elaine witnessing it from a far distance.
Howzer approached them first and asked "Hey! What happened here?".
Ban did not answer. Instead, he looked at Tristina with those sad eyes that it felt so unsettling. Elaine started crying before she hugged Tristina. Tristina cluelessly patted Elaine's back and head, looking at Ban in curiosity. They did not know what caused these two to act like this.
Ban only spoke one thing after the fire died down, patting Tristina's head "Let's go back to your home where your parents have been waiting".
Tristina looked at Ban and Elaine curiously. Now, she truly wanted to know what was going on inside their head but it seemed like they did some tricks which caused Tristina unable to read their mind. Before leaving the land of the old Cameliard Kingdom, Ban remembered his promise which was also Medusa's request.
"Never ever let go of their hands".
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A/N:
to Ansy:
Thank you very much for your kind review as usual (UwU)
Hahahaha I can't even deny it. It indeed does sound like it. I guess it started with Meliodas eloped with Elizabeth and ended up starting the Holy War before 3.000 years later, their kids involved themselves to stop the Second Holy War a.k.a. homewrecked-starter-war.