Chapter 6: Liones Castle

Even if you're not around in this wide world
Of course it surely would have some kind of meaning
But if when you're not around in this crazy world
Would be like the month of August without summer break
And if you're not around in this great world
Would be like Santa Claus without any glee
If you're not around in this wide world

The days turned into weeks, and slowly Meliodas' room became covered in pictures. Instead of keeping them locked in his drawer, he would hang the sketches up, trying to recreate larger images: the courtyard, the dining hall, Elizabeth's room, the doorway to the underground. There were figure drawings of the Holy Knights and of the dresses the princess had worn, lists of names that only sounded half-correct. One section by the window was covered in two dozen papers all filled with the sun and crescent moon symbols. Again, none of them were quite right, but he would stand and stare at them, wondering what he was missing.

The collection of papers and the disappearance of wall space was the only indicator to Meliodas that time was actually passing, because every day was the same: wake up, get dressed, prep the tavern, complete a service, move on. His evenings were spent in his room drawing instead of sharing a drink with Ban or a word with Merlin; his days were a blur of getting done chores and tasks and running errands so he could scour whatever town they were in for something familiar.

He slept, he ate, he drew. He poured drinks, he counted change, he drew. He washed tables, he tied his boots, he drew. He read and re-read and read again Elizabeth's notes to him, hunting, searching, praying for some clue. For hours he would sit, sketching, staring, wondering where she was, wondering where he would wake up in the morning. Often Meliodas would go back over the papers, erasing and redrawing tiny details, rolling the little blue bead through his fingers.

Until one day, as he looked out his bedroom window into the morning light, Meliodas recognized something. They had arrived somewhere new in the night, the tavern now still and settled, and curiously he looked outside to see where they were. But as his eyes traveled over the scenery, they paused at what lay beyond. It was just a bit of mountain, at least a couple hundred miles in the distance; but in the cloudless sky, with his sharp eyes and the bright visibility of the horizon, he saw something familiar in the way the tops formed a smooth, rolling pattern.

Quickly he ran to look through his sketches. One by one he pulled them from the tacks keeping them pinned to the wall, shuffling the papers as he returned to the window. He held up a picture of the castle, of the training fields, of the church, of the city surrounding. But when he flipped to a picture of Elizabeth's room, he noticed the shapes he had drawn in the window. With a slightly trembling hand he lifted the paper, comparing Elizabeth's view to his own. There was no mistaking it: the mountain range was the same shape.

Meliodas was dressed and stuffing the drawings in a bag within moments before flying out the door. "Captain!" he heard called after him, but there was no time to stop. He hurried away from the tavern and headed straight for the town that was just below the rise where Hawk Mama had stopped.

It took less than fifteen minutes for Meliodas to reach the village. A sign read "Dalmary Town" on the side of the road just before the line of buildings began. It was unlike the smaller, more rural towns they had visited in their trek across Britannia. Dalmary had cobblestone streets, buildings lined up neatly with two or even three stories, shops and merchants already preparing for the day. He would have been impressed with the seeming modernity of an otherwise unremarkable place, complete with a fountain in the city center, if he had not been so focused on his task.

For a while he wandered around, looking for the celestial symbols, for a familiar face, for anything that made sense. As the minutes ticked by Meliodas became more and more frustrated. Finally he rounded a street corner, and stopped short in surprise. "What are you doing here?" he demanded.

Ban stood with an unreadable expression on his face while Merlin chuckled. "We figured you must have found something, so we came to help."

"You two should be up at the tavern," he scolded, anxious to be rid of them and resume his search.

Ban waved him off. "Don't worry, Master's got it covered. He'll have everything set for tonight."

"Oh, so you're all in on it?"

Reaching out, Ban grabbed Meliodas and wrapped him up under his arm in a headlock. "Now, where is the girl?"

"She's not here," Meliodas grunted as he pushed him off. "I thought I saw something familiar and came to check it out, is all. I don't need your help."

"You've got everyone worried about you," Ban replied with a bit of a yawn, raising his hands to link behind his head. "We can't ignore this. What if someone is trying to pull something on you?"

"What do you mean?" frowned Meliodas.

"It could be a spell," Merlin mused. "Or a sickness?"

Ban snorted. "Maybe Captain hit his head."

"I did not!" he hollered, drawing eyes from a few people around.

Leaning over a bit to look Meliodas in the eye, Ban said slowly, "We all know you've been acting fishy lately, and that's why. So we're keeping an eye on you."

"I don't need a babysitter!" Meliodas growled. The three had a stare-off that lasted several long, tense moments before the Captain heaved a sigh. "Fine. The switches stopped. I haven't had a note from Elizabeth in weeks. That's why I decided I needed to see Elizabeth in person. I want to see her, but…"

Both of his friends looked at him expectantly, so he opened his bag and pulled out the drawings. "This is all I know."

Merlin shuffled through the pictures as Ban peered over her shoulder. "You mean to say you don't know where this girl is?" Her sharp yellow eyes snapped up at him. "All you have to go on is some landscape?"

"Yeah," he answered sheepishly.

He took back the pictures and began to walk down the next street, the other two Sins flanking either side. "And there's no way to contact her?" Merlin asked. "You didn't have a place you agreed to meet?"

Meliodas shook his head as Ban complained, "Where even are we? You are a terrible tour guide."

"That's because I'm not," he snapped in reply.

"Well, that's why we are going to help you search," Merlin grinned.

Together the three began combing each street of Dalmary. The morning was bright and warm, so people were spilling out of their homes to go about their usual business. Women headed for shops and men swept doorways, children hurried to lessons as soldiers patrolled. It was as ordinary of a town as one could hope to find, and it had a bit of everything.

"Look Captain, this one has Vanya!" Ban called, tugging on Meliodas' sleeve to steer him towards a tavern. "Let's see if she's in there!"

"No," he warned, knowing it would be Ban's last stop.

"Ohhh," Merlin breathed at a storefront window. "So rare to find a bookseller outside of the capital cities! I'll go see if they know anything."

"Are you serious?" he grumbled, knowing it would be Merlin's.

They spoke to shopkeepers, bakers, soldiers, the blacksmith, two sisters who were hatmakers, an apothecary, a barber, three scribes, a physician, the moneylender, clothiers, the constable, various children, and even a minstrel also wandering through town. Or rather, Meliodas spoke to them, showing them pictures of the castle and the courtyard, asking after a girl named Elizabeth, while Ban and Merlin tried some of the local food and purchased some items from the merchant carts. But no one had any answers.

As noon approached, the three took a break to sit by the fountain and splash a bit of water on their hot faces and necks. With a sigh Meliodas plopped down, resting his hands on his knees and dropping his head forward. "This is a lost cause," he groaned.

"What!" the other two shouted, their voices shocked. "After everything that we've done for you today?" Merlin scolded.

With a growl Meliodas looked between the two of them. "You haven't done anything."

"Let's get some lunch," Ban suggested. "Some food will help."

He heaved the Captain up by the arm and pulled him towards a small pub just across the way, Meliodas muttering as they stepped inside. It was empty, much darker and cooler than the outside, and when the door shut the quiet was a bit of a relief. A woman hurried out from the back and seated them at a table and informed them that rabbit stew was ready. Each of them ordered a bowl, and she returned minutes later with the steaming stew and a small loaf of bread.

They ate in silence for a bit, all of them hungry from the morning and the mystery, until Meliodas said, "Do you think if we head back to the Boar Hat, we'll have time to do a service tonight?"

"I told you, Master has it covered," Ban grinned, leaning over the table. Meliodas shot him a look that made his friend laugh. "Yeah, yeah. We'll be cutting it close. But probably, if you wanted."

"Wait, Captain," Merlin interrupted as she put down her spoon. "Are you really sure about this?"

Meliodas lifted his bowl and drained the broth, licking his lips when he replaced it on the table. "Yeah," he answered with a sigh of satisfaction. "I think I've been barking up the wrong tree with this whole thing."

Ban and Merlin both seemed to deflate a bit, which surprised him, realizing now that they were just as invested as he in figuring out this mystery. They returned to their meal, and he pulled out one of the drawings in his bag. It was the castle itself, the main tower climbing into a cloudless sky. Meliodas had sketched a few birds flying over the wall surrounding the castle proper. The buildings of the city that surrounded the castle were pressed together in semi-neat rows and pushed all the way up to the wall. It reminded him of Dalmary a bit.

"Hey, that's a sketch Liones, isn't it?" the waitress said as she refilled his empty water glass. In shock he looked at the woman, who was about middle-aged, her hair pulled back into a simple bun, her clothes sturdy and sensible. She was peering at the parchment in his hand, and she smiled. "It's pretty good."

Meliodas turned to look at Ban and Merlin, who were both frozen. The woman took no notice of them staring and called over her shoulder, "Hey hon, come take a look at this!"

Moments later the cook emerged, a large burly man who wiped his hands on his apron before taking the picture that Meliodas offered. He could barely breathe, his entire body tense and shaking as the chef studied it. His face was creased with age and hard work, his eyes unreadable; but then, unexpectedly, they softened, his mouth turning down into a small, sad smile. "Yeah," he said gruffly, "that's Liones all right. It takes me back."

"My husband was born there, you know," the woman continued. "He was one of the king's favorite chefs, and worked in the castle."

"Liones?" Meliodas' eyes widened slowly, the word sweeping over him like a spell. It sounded exactly right. "Yes of course! That's the place! It's nearby, isn't it?"

The woman gasped. "You don't… know?"

"Liones!" Merlin gasped, interrupting them. "Wait, isn't that the place where—the Holy Knights, they—"

All four fell silent. Meliodas looked around the table, reading the shock and horror on his friends' faces. "What is it?"

"Liones is gone." Any softness in the chef's face was replaced by a twinge of anger. "Liones was destroyed by the Holy Knights who swore to protect it."

There was nothing but wind and wildlife as Meliodas ran towards the spot where Liones Castle once stood. The couple in the pub had been gracious enough to lend them a carriage and a horse, and following a map the three made their way from Dalmary, less than an hour east of their destination. There were a smattering of farms and small hamlets on the way, but after a while, the road had become rocky and difficult from neglect. The populated area of Britannia that they had been traveling through gave way to what resembled some of the wild places that were left.

They had spoken little on the way, as Meliodas just wanted to get there. His mind was already whirling, his body nothing but a bundle of nerves when they finally climbed down from the carriage. Meliodas was acutely aware of the line of sweat on his forehead and the clicking sounds of his boots as he walked on the cobblestones, even noticing when the clicking stopped as his feet began to tread on the dirt and weeds.

The buildings were gone, the houses were gone, the streets and the stores and the schools empty, burned out shells. The wall that surrounded the castle was nothing but a crumbled ruin, and he stopped before crossing over what remained, simply staring in an empty sort of horror at the place where the castle should have been.

No sounds of people and animals existed, only the slight howl of the wind. No banners swaying in the breeze, no soldiers calling for them to give their name, no grinding of the gate opening, just weeds and crumbled rock over a barren, scorched field. No townspeople coming in and out. No life.

Now, it was just a hole in the ground.

"Hey," Ban said behind him, "is this really where she's from?"

"Perhaps the Captain confused Liones with somewhere else," Merlin offered.

Meliodas could feel a rushing in his ears as his heart beat furiously. "No I didn't," he said. "This is the place. The wall, the castle, look over there!" He pointed and shouted, "The gate was right there! The trellis would raise, and there was a courtyard, and a staircase that went into the tower. My room was there—her room was there—and the training fields—and the ballroom—I remember it all!"

"There's no way you could," Ban said with a nervous laugh. Rubbing the back of his neck, he gave Meliodas a strange smile. "Didn't you hear what happened to this place?"

"The Grand Masters were corrupt," Merlin continued. "They say they gathered all of the most important families to the castle, in order to stage a coup. But they unleashed a demon that ended up destroying them all, until there was nothing left. Not even this castle."

Her words hovered above Meliodas, as if his mind was refusing them entry. "When?"

Ban took a step towards Meliodas. "Three years ago. That's why it can't be the Elizabeth you started switching with."

Meliodas shook his head. "Three years—no, that's impossible. I remember all this. I remember—"

"They all died," said Merlin.

"Died?" he whispered. "She died?" It made no sense, absolutely no sense, and frantically he pulled out his notebooks. "No, no, I still have the notes she wrote me, I—"

Meliodas flipped through the pages eagerly, searching for where his drawings ended and her handwriting had begun. He found the first one where she had written Elizabeth and huffed out a breath at the sight of her familiar, delicate cursive.

But then, the letters began to change, morphing into his own writing, until her name was gone and all that was left was a note to buy eggs. "No, no, no," he muttered to himself, turning page after page, rubbing his eyes to clear them as he watched her notes—No baths! You work too hard! Have you ever complimented her?—begin to twist on the page, changing the meaning of her words.

The finally, the words disappeared, the ink bleeding into the parchment.

"It was the same day a comet traveled across the sky." The chef, whose name they learned was Tobias, sighed heavily. "The great families of Liones were invited to the tower to watch, as it was the highest point in the kingdom. Many important people were there, their spouses and children and families, everybody with any influence or money or power."

"They used the comet as an excuse to have everyone in one place," Ban deadpanned.

Tobias nodded. "There were rumors—awful rumors. About Holy Knights whose eyes turned black, about the Grand Master forcing ordinary men into the ranks. That people were being tortured and threatened. The Holy Knights were feared, and the king could do nothing."

"How did you escape?" Merlin asked.

"The staff was ordered to leave. How odd, right? With all those important people, you'd think the entire staff would be there." Tobias pressed his lips together tightly before continuing. "It's because they knew we'd fight. Baltra wasn't a perfect king, but he was fair, and good, and a lot better than what those Holy Knights would have been. We would have fought them, even if it meant death." He rubbed a hand over his face, visibly irritated. "Women and children were there, innocent people, and they didn't deserve that. And the princesses—"

"Princesses?" For the first time, Meliodas spoke, and everyone looked at him.

"Yeah," answered the chef. "The king had three daughters. All beautiful, and strong, and good. They were loved by everyone. Margaret, Veronica, and Elizabeth."

He could feel more than hear Merlin's gasp and the way Ban shifted uncomfortably. For Meliodas, however, it felt like he had taken a beating, this last bit of news like the final blow against his stomach. "Elizabeth," he echoed.

"About three hundred people, I'd say, died that night," Tobias said. "That's about how many we were told to plan for. Once they were gone, Liones was done for. Everyone who was left moved on, and the kingdom never recovered."

"Do you know what they did?" Merlin asked. "I've heard only stories, and you mentioned rumors. Is there anything known for sure?"

Tobias swallowed thickly. "There was fire that could not be quenched. But before that, there was this sound, I'll never forget it. As if the universe itself was tearing in half. I was on the other side of the city, out in the lands around the perimeter, watching for the comet with most of the townspeople. When we heard that sound—" He cleared his throat. "There was a lot of panic. Some of us ran back to the castle to help, but there was nothing left when we got there."

Leaning forward, he rested his forearms heavily on his thighs. "That was no ordinary fire. That was something else. There's no way an entire castle, especially not one as large and grand as Liones, would be gone in a matter of thirty minutes. I don't care how hot it is." He looked up then, peering at Merlin. "Afterwards, the stories from the remaining Holy Knights started coming out. Talk about a coup, talk about the Grand Masters, rumors about demon blood."

"He was experimenting, I'll bet," she mused.

"Whatever it was, it got him too though," Tobias answered.

"Demon fire would have taken down that castle," Ban muttered. "If it can take down the Fairy King's Forest, it can wipe out an ordinary human city."

Meliodas could hear them talking, but he had long tuned them out. He thought about Veronica's smile and Margaret's soft voice, about the way Jericho and Howzer would laugh at each other's jokes and act as fierce protectors. He remembered the king's scolding tone, the way the sunlight would shine on the city's rooftops. He remembered the door to the underground, and the glowing light of the Horn of Cernunnos. "It's impossible," he whispered, and the talking stopped.

"You were wrong, Captain," Merlin said gently. "Your princess can't be Elizabeth Liones. This girl died three years ago."

He lifted his head, but did not look at any of them. Instead, he caught his reflection in the window of the pub, the other Meliodas staring back with a creased brow and panicky eyes. "Just a few weeks ago, she wrote to me, the day of our date, that when we got back we'd be able to see the comet." He panted for a moment, his mouth going dry. "That means—I—"

His reflection was sweating profusely, and he wondered if he was too. "I—"

You're dreaming right now, aren't you?

It was him, Meliodas remembered. The Grand Master, Hendrickson, who had led them to see the goddess, who had seemed strange somehow. That's who did this.

Meliodas blinked, his skin flaring hot with fever for a moment; then, he shook his head. "I—" Was he dreaming? It felt like a dream. "What was I saying?" he asked aloud.