Camilla pressed her back to the rock formation, closing her eyes briefly. Beside her, she could hear Meliodas shifting, readying himself for the arrival of their target. Above her, Gloxinia hovered, the tell-tale whoosh of his wings occasionally falling on her ears. Drole was a bit further away, careful not to stand too near his comrades when even a simple shifting of weight could prove dangerous for them. Elizabeth had opted not to join them on this particular mission. Camilla was glad. The goddess was a creature with a gentle heart, she didn't need to be on these sorts of engagements, when their aim was to slaughter, not deter.

Normally, this sort of bloodshed wasn't their team's prerogative, but, this particular group of demons had been slaughtering their way across the countryside with an unrivaled ferocity. The humans were suffering the brunt of it, as usual. It was up to Meliodas and his team to stop it. Though, Camilla thought with a sigh, Ludociel would be more than happy to claim any success they achieved. Over time, she'd learned that Stigma wasn't just the name of their taskforce, but of the entire alliance as well, of which the strongest of the Archangels was the leader. She much preferred staying with Meliodas and the others.

More than twenty years had passed since she'd met Meliodas on the roadside. A blink in the eye of the long-lived entities of the taskforce. The only mark Camilla had of the passage of time was the aging of the humans of the alliance. Those who had been young upon her joining of the alliance were older now, with offspring of their own. Strange creatures, the humans. Her birth mother had been human, but, Camilla had very little memory of her beyond an impression of soft hands and a gentle voice. Greyda, the woman who raised her, hadn't been human in the least. Her only interactions with them had been fleeting, negative things as she wandered. Though, those who worked with Stigma seemed more welcoming, there was still a wariness present. On the whole, Camilla did not care for them.

Nor did she really care for the fey. Gloxinia was different. As their king, she would have expected him to be the worst, and, indeed, she'd had a visceral reaction when she discovered his true title. This amused him to no end. He was a rather laid back, mischievous character, more interested in putting her in awkward situations or teasing her than looking down on her. He regarded her half-blood status as a curiosity, and sometimes asked questions about just how much fey power she possessed. He'd recently drawn a conclusion that, as she matured, she would eventually gain her wings.

"They won't be as impressive as mine, obviously," he'd said, lazily drifting above her, "But, they won't be terribly small either. Based on what I've guessed, I'd say that your father was one of my knights. They have a decent amount of power to pass down, so don't worry about being a weakling."

She had supposed it was his own odd manner of encouragement and accepted it as a compliment of sorts. The fey king had further made his acceptance known through his tendency to use Camilla as a pillow whenever he felt drowsy. It wasn't uncommon for him to suddenly flutter down to sit next to her and let his head flop onto her shoulder, back, lap, or, sometimes, even her own, with the sleepy request that she watch over him while he slept. At first, Drole had quietly chastised him for this, but, Camilla had assured them both that she didn't mind. She was actually quietly pleased. The physical contact was something she had lacked during her wanderings.

Drole had been more intimidating than Gloxinia, at first. It had been a long time since she'd seen a giant, and, even for a giant, he was truly huge; a veritable mountain of hard muscle and powerful limbs. In battle, he was ferocious, and watching him tear through demons with the Earth as his weapon had been an awe inspiring, and frightening, sight to behold. Off the field of battle, though, he was surprisingly gentle-mannered. Stoic and to the point. His smiles were quiet and few and he did not seem to like to waste time on idle conversation. He had also been very kind to Camilla. On more than one occasion in the past decades, she had been saved from particularly dangerous situations by a large blue hand swooping in to literally pluck her out of the fray. At first, it had been unnerving, leading to a few quiet apologies from the giant when his magical eye picked up on her disquieted thoughts. After the first few times, however, she'd become used to it, and, on occasion, had even asked that he watch her back in such a manner.

When Drole or Gloxinia were not watching out for her, though, she could be sure that Meliodas was. The Demon was a terror on the battlefield, rending the enemy with a horrible speed and efficiency. Even while he was fighting, though, he kept an eye on his comrades. More than once, he had suddenly appeared behind her to block a sneak attack, or descended from the sky in a mighty 'boom' to blast away a knot of enemies who had surrounded her, before bounding away with a reminder to be careful. She knew he did this for the others as well, though they oftentimes needed it less than she. Off the field of battle, he had assumed the role of caretaker. As far as he was concerned, he'd said, he'd brought Camilla into this, and he would keep her safe during it.

The final member of the team, the goddess, Elizabeth, was one who tended to stay away from the frontlines. Camilla enjoyed her company between battles and Elizabeth's political engagements. It had been she who had been the most openly welcoming to Camilla. Elizabeth had showed Camilla what it was like to receive a hug, to be permitted to simply speak one's mind, and to have a true friend. Elizabeth had begun to confide in her shortly after their meeting, which, at first, had confused Camilla to no end. Why would this woman share her personal feelings with her? Over time, she'd realized that it was an attempt to build a friendship between them, going far beyond simple acceptance. So, she'd begun to confide in Elizabeth, too. At first, it had been small things, simply sharing bits and pieces of her day, thoughts about her teammates, and so on. Then, it had been bigger things shared between them. Elizabeth's feelings for Meliodas, which Camilla had already guessed, entered their conversations. Camilla's loneliness and apprehension around the other races. Their pasts and hopes for the future had also been discussed. Only one other person had treated Camilla with such familiarity, and that individual had died long ago.

Camilla's attention was drawn when Meliodas went still. She glanced over at him to find him watching through a crack between two of the rocks in the formation, eyes narrowed slightly. Gloxinia drifted closer, also alerted by their captain's behavior.

"What is it?" the fey king asked, eyes sharper than usual.

"...there's fewer than we thought," Meliodas replied after a pause, "This isn't right. There should be half again that number…" he trailed off, frowning. Then, his eyes widened, displaying the ominously black iris and pupil, "There's a village a few miles East. I thought it would be far enough off their course, but, maybe…"

Drole had bent down slightly to better hear the conversation. A rumbling hum filled the ears of those below him as he followed Meliodas' thoughts.

"Go. You're the fastest of us. We can handle those coming here."

Gloxinia agreed carelessly, still looking out toward the oncoming attackers. Camila looked up at Drole, needing to crane her head to see him. Then, she looked at Meliodas, offering a small smile.

"Give them hell."

The demon gave a wide smile at that, this one tinted with more darkness than his usual cheerful grin.

"You too."

Then, he was gone, as if he'd just disappeared into the wind. There was silence between the remaining members for a few brief moments. Then, Gloxinia drifted up to perch on Drole's shoulder.

"So, what's our plan?"

Drole tilted his head, considering. Then, he glanced down and found Camilla standing alone, looking out toward what would soon become their battlefield. His lips pressed into a thin line, dislike for such loneliness filling him, and he bent to offer her a hand. She looked up, briefly surprised, before stepping into his hand without hesitation, trusting him completely as he lifted her up to the same shoulder Gloxinia occupied.

"They'll see me coming no matter what we do," the giant replied as Camilla quickly clambered up, seating herself beside Gloxinia and finding herself with a better view of the field, "If we wish to use the element of surprise, we must do so from a distance."

Gloxinia smiled, humming in amusement.

"While I agree with you, I don't know that any sort of surprise attack would work. They'll likely be expecting something of that sort."

Camilla listened to the two men discuss strategy, thinking quietly to herself. The goal was, as always, to crush the enemy swiftly, allowing for no escapees who may later wreck havoc. She half listened as they made a few suggestions, then, she looked over at them both.

"I could go in first. Act as a distraction long enough for the two of you to make a decisive attack."

They paused long enough to look at her, Gloxinia looking mildly surprised, Drole's single eye more searching than anything else. Camilla was not reckless, but, she did possess a certain disregard for her own safety, a trait both monarchs suspected came from her long years of segregation and discrimination. They then exchanged a glance. To Camilla, their silence spoke louder than anything they might have said.

"Do you worry about me?" she asked, still looking out over the battlefield.

They did not doubt her, that much she knew. They had both praised her capabilities. But, they did worry. She was a valued team member, and they were her only family at the time. In the past decades a bond had formed that none of them wished to see broken.

"I will leave the decision to you. You are my seniors, but, choose quickly. They come."

She extended one pale finger toward a black mass moving on the horizon. If they were in view, they would be upon them soon.

"She'll be fine," Gloxinia said decisively to Drole before turning his attention back to Camilla, "We'll back you up. Try not to get in the way," his tone was cheeky and his smirk even more so.

Camilla gave a small smile in return.

"I'll do my best."

Drole glanced at her again.

"How do you plan to approach them without being overrun?"

Camilla paused for a moment. Then, she smiled, wider than her previous smiles. A grin that bespoke confidence and carefreeness. It was the smile Meliodas had taught her to wear when she was about to do something that others might think was reckless. Gloxinia sighed softly, knowing what that smile meant. It rarely came to her face, as she was still much reserved at that time, but, he'd seen it on Meliodas enough to know exactly what it was.

"How good is your aim?"

Drole paused, cocking his head. Then, he, too, sighed, a short huff through his nose.

"Good enough."

When Meliodas returned to the site of the battle, there were carcasses dripping ichor strewn about everywhere. Toxic demonic blood oozed into the ground. Some had been smashed, others pierced, and still others simply cut down. What told him the most, however, were those who had been nearly burned to a black, flaking husk. A little away from the carnage, he would see where Gloxinia had summoned his Moonrose. Drole seemed fine, aside from a few scratches, and Gloxinia was quick enough to evade most attacks. That meant…

The demon prince jogged to the small huddle, peeking around his friend's massive leg to find Camilla in the final stages of healing under the Basquias's power. Her shirt had been burned by a potent blast from a red demon, it seemed, the skin underneath had been blackened. Her left side trembled and her expression was one of someone who was struggling to contain their instinct to react to pain. Gloxinia patted her silver hair soothingly, smoothing back strands that had fallen from the intricate bun on her head. The battle must have been intense, for him to openly show such friendly affection. Meliodas didn't miss the way the Fairy King relaxed as soon as Camilla did, the last of her burned skin replenished. He knew that, for Gloxinia, Camilla's blood made her one of his fey, his responsibility. Such injuries had surely insighted the King's wrath. Meliodas almost felt bad for whoever had damaged her.

"Looks like you guys had fun," he said lightly, stepping into view.

Drole looked down at the small man by his feet, nodding to him once.

"'Fun' may not be the correct word. But, we were successful...with minimal casualties," his single eye again drifted to Camilla, taking in her exposed back.

Meliodas nodded in understanding, watching as Gloxinia called Basquias back to himself. Then, he walked forward, looking over Camilla to check her one last time. Clutching the ruins of her shirt to her chest, she looked rough but unhurt.

"Yo, Camilla. You alright?"

She looked up at him, light eyes tired but still burning with the fire that had sparked after he found her. She nodded once.

"I'm fine, Meliodas," she smiled wryly, "And, with Gloxinia's help, I didn't even have to worry Elizabeth."

He grinned, giggling that odd little giggle, and nodded.

"Yup. Though," he pointed, still smiling, "You might want to get ahold of a new shirt. Your boobs are almost showing."

Immediately, the mood of camaraderie was killed by his manner-of-fact statement. Gloxinia made an exasperated sound. Camilla stood shakily, expression scandalized, and took a single step before collapsing on shaky legs. Drole swooped down to catch her, seeming to have anticipated this, so that she fell into one huge blue hand. Meliodas looked up, surprised, as the warrior carefully lifted her, cradling her close to his chest.

"I'll carry her, before she hurts herself."

Camilla shot Drole a reproachful glance that quickly turned into gratitude. Sighing, she settled in for their trip home.

"Well, let's head back and report," Meliodas said cheerfully, "And maybe grab some drinks after."

Together the four left the battle scene, not one of them choosing to look back. There was too bright a future to be reminded of the darkness of even the recent past.

The second of our snippets into Camilla's life. I'm having a lot of fun writing this, especially Gloxinia and Drole, who became two of my favorite characters as soon as they showed up. Also very much looking forward to Meliodas' role in this story.

I would strongly recommend going and checking out my cowriter's Seven Deadly Sins fic, Stone Cold. This is one of the few times we've done separate fandom works and not combined characters, but, we're likely to drop a few crossover cameos, so keep an eye out for them (Camilla's already made hers in the most recent chapter of Stone Cold).

Next up: A bit of angst, a bit of romance, and a bit of Gloxinia not really getting what it means to be a 'wingman'.