A/N: I got inspired by something else again. Ha ha... This time, I've actually had the doc sitting there for quite a while. So, I figured that I might as well publish the first chapter.
Till next time,
D.L.D
Chapter One: It was all a Dream
The town was as it usually was this afternoon. Homes and shops were piled along the hill, delicately built into the naturally sloping landscape. Their roofs and latticed windows betrayed their traditional Britannian design, the outlying wooden eaves painted dark browns or blacks. Each building was decorated to its purpose, some painted brightly to portray their purposes as shops, others dotted and speckled with sweet-smelling and full-bloomed flowers to display the wonders of a green thumb, and others owning iron railings that rimmed fancy balconies.
The towering columns of chimneys stood out against the baby blue sky, each plume of smoke that spilled out belonging to the bustling factories within. If it was quiet enough, you would hear the turning of the gears and cogs and iron presses all the way across town. But that was only if the town was empty or if the train was not running on that particular day.
The local train ran through the centre of the settlement. Bridges were built across the walled canal it run upon, the black metal railings being the only barrier between you and the rushing locomotive below if you were crossing at the wrong time of day. A plain wall also ran along the edge of the train track to keep the town's citizens safe and sound, stained black from the constant soot and ash.
This particular town, however, took a wonderful proactive towards looking after their citizens around the trains. Therefore everyone in town knew when the trains were coming and going, the familiar chugging of its engines and gears coming at the same time every day.
As per usual for the day, the train rattled by on its daily afternoon trek, its curling ashen smog pouring into the clear sky. It sifted along its narrow canal, spilling onto the windows of the buildings perched nearby. Plumes splashed onto the clear glass, obscuring the inhabitants within, but they didn't particularly mind.
Elizabeth continued to stitch at her hat, tuning out the idle chattering of her fellow apprentice milliners. She held a beautiful red wide-rim piece, the fabric a gentle yet vibrant shade of scarlet. It was themed after the autumn season, and on it Elizabeth had added some dried pine cones and purple satin leaves. She was now stitching on some polished red beads, the items similar to gleaming red berries that grew within the bushes just outside of town. The young woman had been working on this particular piece for a while, her concentration set on the hat rather than her bandaged fingers.
Her workstation, well room, was quite alright in size. Her desk was pushed right against the window, giving her a wonderful view of the town whilst she worked, and was adorned in an organised mess. Fabrics, material flowers and anything that could be used in her stitching works, were all spread across the desk. A first aid kit was also present, the lid open in case Elizabeth were to prick her finger once more.
Her silver hair was kept within a braid, to keep all fly away hairs out of her face, and she wore a simple dark dress and apron. As she worked, Elizabeth's blue eyes blinked and her button nose scrunched. Two sets of feathered wings protruded from her back, angelic and pure, giving away her genetic heritage.
Elizabeth was a goddess. Yes, a goddess. She was one of the few that had survived the past wars and had migrated towards the kingdom of Camelot for help. Her mother had fled when things had seemed dire, and as a result Elizabeth had grown up within the confines of this town.
Like most wealthy women, Elizabeth's mother had expected her daughter to be a trophy wife like herself, someone who would marry a well-off rich man, but Elizabeth had not wanted that. She didn't want endless strings of divorces and loose threads; she didn't wish to become her mother. So Elizabeth decided to become an apprentice in a local hatter's shop, leaving her mother to wallow in her newest marriage to yet another well-off aristocratic man.
But with Elizabeth's clumsy nature, being a hatter was difficult. Very difficult.
"Lady Elizabeth," The owner of the shop, a stately young woman named Margaret, smiled at the young woman. Wisps of lavender hair fell into her cinnamon eyes. "We've just closed up shop. Why don't you come out with us?"
It was the same question. The same question Elizabeth was presented with each night: come out with us. And she declined every time. Elizabeth always had an excuse, something to finish up or something to catch up on. She never agreed to go out, mainly due to her fear of running into a potential future husband. But she would never tell Margaret that.
"No, I think I'd better finish this," Elizabeth smiles sweetly, turning away from her hat. Her eyes catch the shop owner's, shining with ingenuity. "I'll catch up later."
"Ok...suit yourself," Margaret bites into her lower lip, seeming reluctant to leave Elizabeth all alone. However with a lingering final glance, she turns around and brightly announces her message to the other girls in the room next door. "Alright ladies, let's get going!"
All the chattering girls follow, each dressed in simple and yet beautiful dresses. Some wore shawls, while others wore longer sleeved dresses or simply didn't care for the cold. Their boots were all uniform, the standard ones issued by Margaret's apprenticeship uniform/kit. On the girls' heads were cheaper hats of different designs, flowers, feathers and beads tucked into the plain ribbon waistbands. They all made an effort to look pretty, amazing, and sometimes Elizabeth envied their wills to do so.
"Look it's Meliodas' castle!"
It took one call. One call from a girl with sharp green eyes and brownish-red hair, for all the others to rush towards the window. They all gasped and awed, questions tumbling out of their mouths as they calmly but excitedly approached the window facing the train tracks. Even Margaret followed, the oldest of the young women taking a keen interest in the elusive blonde who was unique due to the moving castle in which he dwelt.
"I wonder if he's in town..." Another girl sighed, twirling her already curled blonde hair.
Elizabeth simply raised a brow at the question, not denying her own intrigue towards the mysterious Meliodas. She had even set down her hat, the piece resting on her desk as she peered out of the window.
Rolling clouds filled the hills in the distance, each one puffy and lined with a small tinge of grey. It made the stretching hills of green grass and pastel flowers seem like they were up high on a mountain top or enshrouded within an enchanted plain. However there was a shadow within the clouds, a big one. It had a misshapen outline, smooth at points but then changing as it moved and rippled across the cotton clouds.
But then it became clear; Elizabeth saw it. The castle.
It was not like your typical building, far from it. Curling smoke and steam escaped from a funnel up high, while thin and clawed legs moved at a slow and yet constant pace. A few roofs were haphazardly spread about the top, with the silhouettes of other structures being the most she could make out at the moment. Apart from the funnels, roof and legs, everything about the castle was strategically hidden within the clouds.
Then, just as magically as it had appeared, the castle slipped within its screen of cotton once more. Just in time too, as one of the army's air vehicles arrived at the spot, the bright flag and crest of Camelot obvious against the white screen of the clouds.
"He's gone!" The blonde girl whined, her face twisted with disappointment.
"No, he's just hiding in that fog from the planes," Another girl remarked, rolling her eyes as she pointed to the swarm of clouds. "He's wanted, remember?"
Elizabeth just tuned them out, her blue eyes returning to the hat resting on her desk. She had no time to worry over an elusive blonde who was as mysterious as he was rumoured to be attractive. He was dangerous anyways. Meliodas was said to be a person who hunted down beautiful girls and tore their hearts out, his powers supposedly coming from the cruel treatment of these women. Why should she bother with someone like him?
"Did you hear what happened to that girl from the town north of here?" The green eyed girl was speaking once more, her tone hushed. "He tore her heart out."
Just as Elizabeth suspected. Meliodas was here to find a new victim, a new person to draw out his needed source of power. Her fingers stitched a little faster, her blue eyes narrowing as she thought of the blonde. She would have to be careful tonight. Extremely careful.
"I don't want to go out now!" The blonde girl cried out, squeezing her eyes shut. "Meliodas might try to tear my heart out!"
The other girls smiled at the blonde's behaviour, each of them wearing smiles or knowing looks. The green-eyed girl who had first spotted the castle stepped forwards, placing an arm over the blonde girl's shoulder.
"Oh, don't worry," The green-eyed girl grew a smirk, her eyes narrowed like a cat's. She then tickled her friend. "He only preys on pretty girls!"
The group of ladies then fall into laughter, all of them glowing as they walk away from the window. Margaret follows, an indulgent smile on her features as she holds her purse and gloves in her hands.
"Alright, let's go," Margaret speaks over the animated hubbub of the group, pacing forwards. "We don't want to be late!"
The girls all follow, still chattering and giggling as they trail behind. Their vibrant skirts blend into a rainbow of fabrics, beads and feathers, the display similar to that of birds and creatures that enjoyed putting on such shows.
If Elizabeth did have a guess, she'd say that the other girls all enjoyed attracting attention. All of the other girls, her colleagues, her neighbours, and even some of the older women she knew, enjoyed the attention of men. They enjoyed putting on a show and looking pretty. And at times she wished she did too. Elizabeth wished she could look pretty and not be so old at heart as she was. But that was difficult for her, especially after being raised upon strings of marriages that were arranged with only gain in mind.
Elizabeth sighs as she hears the girls go, her hand digging into the box of beads she kept on her desk. The train rattled by once more, its plumes of curling smoke filling up the glass screen of her window once more.
It seemed the hats were her only wanted company these days...
It couldn't have been too long after the girls had left that Elizabeth had finished. She knew it couldn't have been as the train had only passed by once more. Plus the sky was still bright and the signs of dusk were far from near.
But to her it felt like ages, like forever, and now she had grown tired of the hats that had usually kept her so occupied. It showed as the goddess stared at the new red boater hat she had pulled out and gazed at for five minutes.
"I guess it's time for something new then..." Elizabeth murmured, knowing that her brain was done with hats for the day.
Releasing a gentle sigh, the goddess turned and hopped off her stool. She brushed out her apron, patting the white folds to rid it of stray threads, fabrics and beads. She then untied the pretty bow she'd secured it by, folding it and putting it down on the chest of drawers at the back of her workroom. She then picked up her plain straw cloche, the red ribbon and glowing red beads being the only hints of colour and design within the thing.
Elizabeth always wore plain clothing. She didn't like to flash the bundles of wealth her mother hand. She felt it was wrong. Very wrong. As a result she felt more at home shoving on her plain straw cloche rather than a fancy feather wide-rim hat.
As she exited the workrooms at the back of the hat shop, the humming thrum of the plane engines jutted above. The shadows of the thin and metallic vehicles passed slowly yet purposefully overhead, the buzz of their wings making Elizabeth think of bees or flies. She didn't mind them much though as she was used to the presence of army vehicles.
Ever since her childhood, Elizabeth had seen the presence of war and conflict. She knew of it. So when the war had started with the neighbouring kingdom, she hadn't thought much of it. She saw it as yet another pointless squabble that would end soon - well, hopefully it would.
"Should I wear it up today?" Elizabeth gazed at her reflection in the hat shop, admiring the fair features her mother had endowed her with. They went well with her hat, she thought, and her eyes made it all pop a little more. But then again, she would draw attention and attention is bad. "Nope! Better not."
She pulled the rim of her hat over her eyes, huffing as she marched towards the front door of the hat shop. She would be late if she continued to stare and gawk at herself, and then she would not be able to pay a visit to Elaine before it grew dark.
The streets were still busy when Elizabeth exited the shopfront, people and vehicles bustling about under the arc of royal flags that hung from every possible spot. The planes still buzzed overhead, engines jutting in their usual rhythm and force. Automobiles rushed past on the wide cobbled roads, carrying goods and people to the more notable town centre. An old man passed by with a donkey, a basket of potatoes balanced on the mule's back. He sent her a smile and Elizabeth gave a small one back, making sure that no-one could see any features other than her smile.
After crossing the street, Elizabeth rushed towards the waiting steam-powered omnibus. She allowed others to get on first before standing on the front steps that rested just outside the open door. Her pale hand clung to the iron railing, her eyes watching as the town passed by.
The flags and vehicles were everywhere now, the whole town seeming to celebrate the fact that Camelot was going to war. There were open parades, children cheering as they waved miniature flags and women and men reveling in the planned celebrations for the kingdom's military force.
As the omnibus passed over a bridge, Elizabeth could spot a line of tanks passing. They were all dark and metallic, driving at a crawling pace as people cheered and waved to the soldiers stationed within them. Dark smoke plumed from the cannons that had been shot to honour the military, adding to the growing unnatural dark streaks in the sky.
It got worse in the centre of town, with people cheering wildly everywhere as the cavalry paraded down the major streets. Confetti spilled from the air onto people's clothing and the streets, bright colours mixing in with the bright and raucous behaviours of the townspeople. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the fact that Camelot was going to war - they didn't seem to think about the bloodshed and loss of life that followed.
Elizabeth tsked as she watched it all pass by.
"It's getting worse..." She remarked as the omnibus pulled up at the station. "Perhaps we'll have to evacuate again..."
From the omnibus station, Elizabeth journeys through the backstreets of the town. She wasn't in the mood to dance her way through the crowds, especially with her not-so-helpful wings, and so decided it was best if she made her way through the maze of streets she knew better than her own hand.
The backstreets of the town were a little dimmer - and definitely seedier - than the main streets. They were often danker and the really unused ones reeked of stale urine and rotting trash. But most were quiet clean, although a little dark, with clear stone steps and grime-free railings. It was no major issue for Elizabeth to go through them, although many advised her not to, and she knew them better then most residents of the town.
As she crossed through an arch, she lay eyes on a solider. He had a mop of brown hair, clipped short, and was dressed in the bright fabric and gleaming buttons of Camelot's military uniform. Around him stood the abandoned guns and packs of the other soldiers, all the essentials discarded for the public celebrations of the day. The solider glanced at Elizabeth and she gasped, pulling her hat down and rushing past.
She continued along the backstreets, hopping down some steps, before pausing and reaching for a note hidden within her hat. It contained the address of her destination, somewhere she didn't go to too often.
"Left or right..." Elizabeth frowned, studying the note.
To the left was the clamoring townspeople and the booming parade; to the right were darker alleyways and a maze of streets she would have to navigate on her own. To Elizabeth, the choice was simple: right.
The young goddess turned to the right, hurrying away from the bright and loud scene of the confetti-filled parades. Her blue eyes remained glued to the slip of paper, staring at the address and trying to figure out where she should turn. She was so captured in her work, that she didn't notice the soldier leaning against the wall before her.
Well, not until she came face-to-chest to him.
Elizabeth's eyes widened, her lungs taking a sharp inhale as she stepped back and peered at the man. He looked like your average young man: tall, strapping and definitely able to overpower and outrun her if she attempted to.
"Looks like a little mouse lost her way," The soldier remarks, a gentle smile resting on his features. He leans more against the wall, his eyes studying her hidden features. They settle on her wings.
Elizabeth reddens, sirens ringing in her brain. This was the last thing she needed, wanted. All she wanted to do was avoid attention, but now she was gaining it through the backstreets of all places! The place where she wouldn't expect to be seen or noticed.
"Oh no," Elizabeth shakes her head, trying her best to make sure her hat hid her features. Her body feels warm with panic as her wings twitch. "I'm not lost."
The soldier doesn't seem to notice her words as he looks over his shoulder. Another man soon joins him, also clad in the army kit and sporting a well-groomed mustache.
"This little mouse looks thirsty," The soldier remarks to his friend, raising a brow. "We should take her for a drink."
Panic. Yep. That was what Elizabeth was thinking. She could feel it in the adrenaline racing through her veins; she could feel it in the way her wings itched to lift her away; and she could feel it in the way her lips pressed and her muscles stiffened.
She didn't like this situation. Not one bit. It was uncomfortable, avoidable and purely difficult. But Elizabeth didn't have the power to stop it right now. She couldn't run nor fight, so she had to use her words.
"No thanks, my friend is expecting me," Elizabeth gets the words out stiffly, trying to retain some of her manners. Her voice seems to surprise the soldiers as they both have wide eyes and regard her with an air of shock.
"She looks pretty cute for a mouse," Mustache observed, peering awfully close to her face. She can smell the scent of his uniform, the fresh aroma of newly cut grass contrasting with the underlying tones of gunpowder that pollute the fabric. It was definitely a very uncomfortable situation. The sort that her mother had warned her about.
"How old are you anyway?" The first soldier asks, he seems very eager. "You live around here?"
Elizabeth steps back a little, her eyes wide and face puffed. She's indignant, outraged, by that question. Did they expect her to willingly give away her age and address after they have so rudely blocked her? What impudent men! To act so brazen, so entitled, towards her when all she wished for was to go and visit her friend and get rid of this unwanted attention. It was simply terrible and added to the long list of reasons why she loathed the idea of drawing men's attention.
"Leave me alone!" Elizabeth cries out, trying her best to scare the men away. Her wings extend, the motion all for show rather than use, and she's certain that the soldiers have reconsidered themselves. She's certain that they'd stop.
But they didn't.
"See, it's those whiskers of yours," The first soldier jokes, a light smirk dancing on his youthful face.
"So?" Mustache responded, raising a brow. He was still looking at her. "I think she's even cuter when she's mad."
Elizabeth stiffens at their words, her wings dropping with the sudden realisation they would not help. She was hoping that someone will hear her, see her. But it seems no-one has. These men were still bothering her and clearly no-one would know as they were too far down the backstreets.
"There you are, sweetheart. Sorry I'm late."
Elizabeth tenses even more when a firm hand hooked around her waist. She can tell from the impact that whoever it was had quite a heavy hand. They also owned a voice that was pretty resonant and clear, utilizing a timbre that most she knew lacked.
"I was looking everywhere for you."
She feels like she knows this voice. It owns a familiarity that she feels like she's seen in a dream. In fact everything about this new person seems oddly familiar. The scent of him, the feel of his hand and even his presence feel like she's known them beforehand. But instead of making her panic, the familiarity oddly calms Elizabeth, her nerves and tension replaced with a sense of gathering relief that someone had found her and was helping her out.
However the two soldiers are wide-eyed at the new arrival, inching closer to confront whoever interrupted the one-sided exchange.
"Hey, we're busy here," The first one snaps, a light glare setting into his eyes.
"Is it really?" The stranger raised a brow, a teasing lilt filling his voice. "It looked to me like you guys were just leaving."
With a few movements of his free hand, the two soldiers then mechanically began to march away. Their voices protested the idea, both of their bodies and expressions betraying the forced nature of their movements.
Elizabeth peered over her shoulder to glance at the soldiers, and spotted how they were pressed awfully close and moved with a really inhuman motion. Odd. This person must be a magic user.
"Don't hold it against them," Elizabeth's eyes are wide as she turns to spot the face of her rescuer. She meets bright emerald eyes and a mop of unruly blonde hair. "They're actually not all that bad."
Elizabeth reddens, caught off guard by the appearance of her rescuer. She had not expected for someone so enchanting to be the one to spot her blunder and save her. She figured it would be an average Joe, a person who would then pester her again for some sort of compensation. But instead Elizabeth had been rescued by a magic user, someone interesting and rare, and just from a single glance the goddess knew he was trouble.
"Where to?" The blonde raised a brow, his hand still secured around her waist. A charming grin is sloped onto his lips. "I'll be your escort tonight."
This had to be a dream. It must be a dream. There was no way this interesting person, this person who was so wonderfully alluring, was offering to escort Elizabeth to her destination. The goddess could not be losing her words and logic over a man. There was no way this was real and she was allowing it to happen.
"Oh...um," Elizabeth trails off, her thoughts lost the longer she stares at the mysterious stranger. Her face is still warm, a dust of pink coating her cheeks. "I-I'm just going to the...um...bakery."
Suddenly, he's linked her arm with his and brings his face closer to hers. He wears an unreadable expression, his messy blonde hair distracting Elizabeth from her thoughts and questions about this man.
"Don't be alarmed, but I'm being followed," The blonde speaks to her, his tone dropped low. "Act normal."
Elizabeth nods and stiffly moves forward, trying to act normal, but knowing her body could never permit that. Her heart was racing and her mind was panicking, her legs feeling like jelly as she pulled a straight face and tried to focus on anything but her current situation.
The blonde was quiet, fast-paced in his steps and so Elizabeth tried to match it, knowing that she had to keep up the speed since he was being followed. But what was he being followed by?
Sneaking a glance behind her, Elizabeth spotted her answer. Oozing black blobs began to melt from the walls, their bulbous noses and faceless heads giving the young goddess a clue as to what trouble this man was involved in. The creatures formed from the walls themselves, dark and slime-like, and they spilled into the narrow alleys to form into boneless humanoids. They moved with a pretty quick speed, not at all slow, sloppy and gradual like you would expect.
Inhaling sharply, Elizabeth whipped her gaze back to before her. The same sight awaited her, the oozing men forming from the archway a few feet before them.
"Sorry," The man speaks once more, his tone a trifle playful. He still wore that stupid grin. "Looks like you're involved."
They stepped forwards a little more, heading towards the magical creatures. Elizabeth felt her grip tighten, her senses panicking as they grew nearer to the unnatural forms. She didn't know what would happen if she touched them, nor what would happen if the man abandoned her. As he said, she was involved now. She was in the middle of whatever mess this was.
"This way."
They turn sharply, Elizabeth's dress billowing as she jumps to make the turn. She's clutching tightly onto this man's arm, fearing her life as the slimy creatures follow. More of them are coming, their supply being infinite, as they hurry down the shorter and more brightly lit alley.
More of the creatures form ahead, blocking the gap between the archway and paved road. It was a dead end. No escape. Before them, behind them, were the inky creatures that were hunting down this blonde magic user for whatever reason it was.
There was no escape.
"Hold on..." The blonde announces as they quickly approach the growing mass of inky creatures.
Elizabeth squeezes her eyes shut and braces herself to feel the expected sticky and unpleasant sensation of these creatures. She expects to feel like a fly in a web, a mouse on a sticky mouse trap, or a shoe with gum stuck on it. But the unpleasant feeling does not come, the pair instead launched into the air.
Elizabeth's eyes widen, her legs bent towards her chest and her wings tucked due to her expectation of dropping or perhaps even being left behind. The blonde's arm is now wrapped around her waist once more, guiding and secure as the other held her hand.
"Now straighten your legs and start walking."
Elizabeth did as she was told, still in shock as she felt the air around her but her wings were tucked. It was like flying, so much like flying, and yet it lacked the work and feel of having your wings open and free. It was odd, so odd, to propel herself forwards with her legs instead of her wings. Legs were naturally for the land and wings were for the sky. Yet with this man, with his skill in magic, she was able to literally walk on air!
"See?" The blonde grinned, turning to face her. "Not so hard is it?"
Elizabeth couldn't respond, her words stuck in her throat as they strolled over the roofs and streets of the town.
Down below, the townspeople were still celebrating. They were spread all about the square, eating and drinking and laughing. The bright colours of the military uniform blended with the rainbows of silk and satin gowns. Fine feathers melded with rich laughter, and confetti still rained down on the freshly-washed cobble streets. Music drifted into the air, light and airy, as the pair walked over the scene and towards the balcony across from it.
"You are a natural," The blonde remarks, his voice sending a pleasant chill down her spine.
Elizabeth reddens and sends a small smile back, quickly turning her gaze towards the celebrations below. It was easier to focus on the people down there than the dazzling blonde who was made her feel as light as air. Most definitely. They were easier to predict.
It wasn't long before the pair were stepping onto the balcony of a tall building, the man helping her stand on the platform. He remained on the banister, Elizabeth knowing that he would most likely not be staying.
"I'll try my best to draw them off," The blonde tells her, his promise seeming genuine. He had not let go of her hand yet, the sensation of it still numbing Elizabeth's brain. "But wait a bit before you head outside."
"'Kay..." Elizabeth breathes, her senses dazzled by both the walking and man before her. She doesn't know if any of this is real. She feels as if it is not, but her mind knows that it has to be. There is no way that this could not be real.
"That's my girl," The blonde winked before easily stepping off the balcony.
Elizabeth's eyes widened, the female rushing to the edge. Surely, he would fall! There was no way that he could survive such a drop, plus the weird slushy creatures were still down there. It would be dangerous to even think of going towards where danger lurked.
The goddess' breath caught in her throat as she spotted the dancers below, the man gone and vanished. In his place were the swirling wines of fabrics and the infectious giggles of the dancers and their partners.
Elizabeth sighed, sinking to sit on the balcony as she closed her eyes.
Apart from the fact that she was very much on a balcony and had floated in the air, it seemed it was all a dream.