Howl of Despair

by Draco Zephyria

Hecate has spent a good chunk of her life wandering and exploring the world. At her lowest point the Sins came into her life and took her into their mismatched group, but not without some struggle. Ban was a man who did what he wanted when he wanted. The two had an odd understanding. Each time they were separated, they always found each other. The Wolf and Fox, reunited with Sin.

18. Chapter 18

Hey everyone!

I'm back with another chapter here for Howl of Despair!

I had some fun with this since I did leave the last chapter on a bit of a darker not.

So, this chapter isn't soley focused on Cat, instead it's going to jump around a bit with the charters before we see Cat again and hope everyone enjoys her and Gowther's interactions as much as I have enjoyed writing them out!

Next chapter will see Ban and Cat reunite, and hopefully Ban won't be too much of an ass like he usually is when that happens.

Till then, take care and I would love to hear your thoughts on the chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Seven Deadly Sins, which is a Sin in itself, or any of the major plotlines. I do however, happily own Hecate and Dante, and whatever deviations from the storyline that come about.

Please note that this story contains: Mature subject manner, swearing, gore, and potential mature subject matter in the future.

---

Sitting in front of the fire that he lit in the dark cave, Gowther, Goat Sin of Lust read from the book he purchased earlier. There was a practiced smile on his face as he did, believing if he showed human emotion enough that he would understand more of the people and world around him. Across from the slim Sin, a large bulky set of armor sat almost quietly, lightly swaying to the sound of Gowther's voice. Occasionally, the Giant Armor made some nonsensical noise, though it didn't stop the Sin from his task.

It was only later in the afternoon when Gowther paused mid-sentence and looked towards the cave entrance either pinched brows. A familiar spike if energy caught his attention as it grew closer to where he was. Deciding to investigate, Gowther closed the book, much to the annoyance of his companion, who began making more noise, wanting Gowther to continue the reading.

Walking to the mouth of the cave, Gowther cast a small look to the shaking armor. There was very little the Goat Sin could do for his companion right then, not with the way the energy signal was traveling.

"I will continue later." He stated simply and walked out if the cave.

Gowther looked around the area for a moment before moving to the spot where the the energy would meet him. He wondered if it was the Captain's doing, to bring Gowther back with the others after their ten-year separation.

"This is highly unusual for her to rush all this way alone." Gowther could help but muse as he readied himself to receive his guest. "Especially without Ban… those two hardly leave each other's side…"

Gowther's train of thought was cut short when he saw a body in the sky falling towards him. It took less than a moment for his to realize that his original assumptions became voided as he shifted his stance to catch his falling comrade. Gowther now wondered what had happened since their last meeting. It was also clear to him that his companion was injured as the heady scent of copper clung to the air.

Tilting his head to the side, Gowther tapped his chin slightly, narrowing his eyes a little before shifting his position enough where he could easily catch his comrade. He knew he would have to brace himself before impact. His comrade was coming at him at a high velocity, meaning it would sting once they connected.

Holding his arms out, Gowther thought he was ready for impact, until his comrade's body connected. The impact forced Gowther back, his feet digging into the earth as he wrapped his arms around his comrade to protect her from anymore damage. They finally stopped once Gowther's back connected with a tree, and he finally stared down at the woman in his arms.

Hecate's naturally pale complexion looked ghastly with her oozing, bloody wounds not healing as fast as they normally would. Seeing that, Gowther knew all he needed to know on how to help the unconscious woman. He didn't know what happened to her, but he assumed that she wasn't wounded simply from the festival. He supposed once she was stable, and awake, she would tell him what happened. At least, that's what he hoped would still happen once she was up and going. For now, he would have to get her back into good health. The last thing anyone needed was a feral halfling running around hurting people without meaning to.

Gowther would have taken her back to the cave where he was setting up camp, but he didn't know what would happen if he left her with the Armor Giant. While the being wasn't overly aggressive towards the Sin, he didn't know how he would react to someone else, especially someone who was currently defenseless and could easily overreact if Gowther wasn't around to explain things to her.

"Let's get you better, Hecate…" He murmured and began moving through the forest to hunt.

It had been three long days since the group escaped the Holy Knights in Vaizel.

Three even longer days of the group dealing with a restless Ban.

Sitting in the restaurant of the Boar Hat, Elizabeth looked up at the ceiling in worry as she heard the agitated, pacing footsteps of the Fox Sin. The man had been nothing short of a grump since they group got back together after their experience back in town. Elizabeth felt her heart twist painfully in memory of what happened to her sister and as much as she wanted to break down crying again, the princess knew she had to try and be strong. But Ban had been nothing but restless after finding out that Cat hadn't made it past the Holy Knight that had faced her.

"Do you think Ban will be okay?" Elizabeth asked worriedly, turning to the others who were paying the Fox Sin little to no mind.

"Yeah, once Cat get's back or we find her, he'll be fine." King stated with a shrug, floating over to the princess to keep her company. "He always gets like this when Cat disappears on him."

"Which is funny when you think about it," Meliodas spoke up with an easy-going smile, "cause Ban always disappears without telling Cat where he was going. Some days the guy would be gone without a word to anyone, only to return the next day as if nothing happened." The blonde snickered a bit at that, though Elizabeth couldn't help but feel bad for her halfling friend.

"But isn't that unfair?" she couldn't stop asking. "Cat has to always tell Ban where she's going, but he can just disappear whenever he likes and doesn't expect her to get mad?"

The question caused the two men to pause before sharing a look. Sometimes they forgot that Elizabeth didn't understand Ban and Cat's relationship, then again, sometimes the rest of the Sins couldn't understand the two.

"It's not even that…" Meliodas spoke again, taking a seat next to the princess. "It's more so that Cat knows that Ban can't stand still for long, it's part of who he is." The Leader of the Sins explained, "For Ban, he's not that used to Cat going off on her own. She's usually pretty open about where she's going when she does plan on leaving for a bit, but when she spontaneously leaves, it makes Ban nervous."

"But that's not the case this time…" Elizabeth murmured, her hands tightening around the skirt of her uniform.

"No, from what that Juku said, between their attack and Gulia's, she was sent flying while being wounded." King simply reminded them. "We don't know where Cat landed, but we know that if she was on a rampage, we would have heard something about it by now."

He let that though sit with the others, watching as they nodded in agreement. They all knew that Cat could be dangerous when she was injured, but she had enough sense to stay away from populated areas until she was stable again. While that knowledge alone should have eased their worries, they couldn't help but look up at the ceiling when they heard a loud crash overhead. They knew Ban's brashness and irritation came from his worry.

King thought back to the day when Juku taunted the immortal about Cat, dangling the woman's bracelets in front of him until the man snapped. If Ban wasn't gifted with the ability of Snatch, those bracelets might have been lost. The man had been livid ever since, gripping the bracelets like his own life depended on them. For the past three days, King had seen Ban playing with the silver bands, looking at them forlornly before stuffing them back into his pockets when he noticed someone watching him. He could only hope that they found the halfling soon, before the immortal became even more unstable than he already was.

Up in his shared room, Ban paused in mid-pace and ran an irritated hand through his hair. He had been pacing non-stop since he returned to the Boar Hat without his Kitten that he was sure the others were getting sick and tired of him. He had snapped at the others more than he cared to admit, but that Juku had really gotten to him. It was hard for Ban to admit, but knowing that his Kitten was out there injured, and unlikely to have anyone to help her, scared him. He didn't know if she would be able to control herself to feast on blood without attacking someone. Though the bracelets in his pocket were connected to her, he didn't understand how they worked or if they would be able to lead him to her.

Letting out a defeated sigh, Ban brought the bracelets out and looked at them. He knew he was being unreasonable, his actions and words much harsher than they needed to be. If his Kitten was there, she would be chastising him for his lack of faith in her and for being rude to their comrade and friends. He had to do something other than pacing and worrying himself into an earlier grave.

"She would be kicking my ass if she saw me right now…" Ban muttered with a bitter smile and ran his hand over his face.

Knowing he better stop brooding and actually do something productive, the Fox Sin left his trashed room and headed to the restaurant, feeling Hawk's mom settling into the ground. It was also a matter of time before someone came up and dragged him out of the room anyway. His Captain wasn't a man to be ignored for long, nor would he stand for Ban's ridiculousness over his Kitten's disappearance.

Bracing himself for the flak he would no doubt receive from the others, Ban finally left his room, listening as the chatter downstairs suddenly stopped. The immortal could feel the tension in the room when he entered, five pair of eyes were staring at him as the man walked behind the kitchen to grab something to drink. He ignored their looks, waiting for someone to speak to him before he said anything to the others. Ban didn't want to make the first move.

"Ban!" Elizabeth spoke first, the third princess unable to help herself as she watched him, her eyes uncertain on how to approach the man. "How are you—"

"Finally done moping around?" King interjected, the faerie staring at the immortal in annoyance.

Ban paused after picking up a bottle of his preferred beverage and slowly turned to the faerie. He gave his comrade a slow, impassive blink, his face drawn into a slight frown before popping the top off and took a long swig.

"Kitten would be kicking my ass if she saw me like this." Ban stated simply, his answer as bland as the look on his face as he made his way around the kitchen and leaned against the counter.

"She would be doing more than just—" King began, only to have their Captain cut him off by shoving the faerie to the side.

"Anyway, we're just glad to see you out of your room, Ban." The blonde chirped with a lazy grin. "We were planning on splitting up for a bit since we're low on supplies." He explained, filling the man on what they had been talking about earlier before he came down. "Elizabeth and Hawk are going into town to get some information on any strange sightings around there and pick up a few things we can't forage."

"So, what's that got to do with me?" Ban asked dryly, sticking a finger into his ear to get rid of some build-up.

"Oh, no!" Their Captain stated with a grin, wagging his finger in his direction. "You're coming along with us."

"Us?" King asked sleepily, turning to their Captain wearily.

"Yup!" their Captain grinned at the two, resting his hands on his hips before pointed in their directions. "The three of us are going to have a competition to hunt and stock the tavern up with some delicious meat!"

"What?" Ban and King questioned, looking at their Captain as if he had lost his mind.

"Not happening." King stated simply, hugging his sacred treasure closer to him.

"Not interested." Ban replied, shaking his head and took another swig of his drink.

King wanted to stay behind with Diane, since the giantess couldn't go anywhere without being spotted. He didn't want her to be lonely, since she would be left alone since Elizabeth would be gone. He also wanted to take the time to catch up on his sleep, having had less sleep with all the worry and running around they had been doing for the past few days.

Ban didn't want to leave in case his Kitten randomly appeared at the tavern, if she ever appeared again. The immortal wanted to spend some time alone and think about the past few days. Now that he had his head back in the game, he had to think about everything that happened back in Vaizel. Something wasn't sitting right with him, but he was having trouble figuring out what it was.

"Not happening!" Their Captain stated, shaking his head as he grabbed both male Sin's by their clothing and started dragging them out of the tavern, despite their protests. "Elizabeth, Hawk, stay safe out there!" He called back to the other two as Diane looked down at them from her place, her eyes watching them curiously.

Being near the Ordan Forest, there were always some strange whispers going on about the place. It was no difference now as vague reports of an Armor Giant being seen near the town of Ordan a few days before. There wasn't anything to truly go on for the group to go looking, but Meliodas was going to be keeping an eye out for any sign of the Knight. Not that the others knew about this small fact. After all, there was only one person they all knew who wore a giant suit of armor with a broken horn. If Meliodas' suspicions were correct, they would finally find Gowther and be one step closer to bringing back the entire crew together. At least, that was his hope.

Back at the tavern, Elizabeth couldn't help but release a breath of relief after the men had left. She knew this excursion was just a way the Sir Meliodas to get everyone's mind off their missing friend. She honestly didn't know what to expect when she and Hawk left the tavern, but she hoped it would be a quick trip into town. Grabbing a dark coloured scarf, the princess covered her head as a makeshift disguise. Grabbing a basket to carry everything back, the two finally left the tavern after saying goodbye to Diane, who saw them off.

It didn't take the two long to get to quiet town where they shopped around for everything they needed at the tavern. Elizabeth took time to enjoy the small town, taking her time with looking at each stall to see what they had. She saw a few things that caught her interest, but the princess knew they didn't need them at the tavern. Sadly, the town didn't have everything that they needed, but it was nice to walk around without fearing for their lives. Hawk suggested the two make their way back to the tavern since there wasn't anything else that they needed to get, and Elizabeth agreed, though she was disappointed in leaving so soon.

As the two came close to the town's edge, they spotted fresh wanted posters on the towns board. Much to their surprise, a picture of Elizabeth's face stared back at them along with the wanted posters of the Sins. Elizabeth felt her heart drop at the sight of her wanted poster, not knowing what to think about it when the sound of hooves and neighing horses caused the two to squeak in surprise as they scrambled to hide behind the stone wall next to them. Huddling together, Elizabeth and Hawk waited until the sound of Knight's faded away before slowly peaking over the wall to make sure the coast was clear.

"That was close…" a male spoke with what sounded like a sigh of relief.

Elizabeth and Hawk squealed in surprise as they turned to see who had spoken, only to come face to face with a lanky looking male who was squatting next to them with his knees brought up to his chest. The male had pale skin with short green hair, and yellow eyes framed with square, silver glasses. He was dressed in a yellow coat and looked out of place in the village.

"Oh, are you playing hide and seek with the Holy Knights too?" the boy asked them curiously, his eyes blinking slightly at them, as if he just noticed them.

"W-what?" Elizabeth sputtered, tripping over her words as she tried to form them.

"W-who are you!?" Hawk squawked, standing fearfully in front of Elizabeth as his entire body shook in fear of whoever this person was.

It didn't help that the strange male was looking at them blankly, his face devoid of all emotion as he studied them closely. There was something disturbing about the way this person just watched them, unmoving and unconcerned about who they were or why they were hiding behind the same wall as he was. Hawk felt the fine hairs on his body stand on end as he watched this person closely, but the more he watched, the less confident he became. He didn't know if he could protect Elizabeth if it came down to it, and he could only hope that they would be saved from this person.

"Oh, are you not hiding from the Holy Knights then?" the male tilted his head to the side, his gaze unwavering still as he placed a hand on his chin now.

"Oh… uhm, yes!" Elizabeth stuttered, curling into herself as if she was caught doing something she shouldn't have.

Elizabeth couldn't explain it, but she felt like she was being scolded for trying to stay safe and keep the other Sins safe. The last thing she wanted to do was bring any danger to them, not when they were already a magnet for trouble.

"What's it to you anyway!?" Hawk bit out, finally finding some sort of courage amongst the overwhelming fear that he felt. "Who are you even!?

At the question, the male blinked, his eyes widening slightly before an emotionless smile graced his face. He was trying to appear friendly, that much was clear, but it wasn't coming off as genuine, though it was hard to say why his was acting that way.

"Oh!" he laughed soullessly. "I'm Alan. I came here looking for some armor glue for someone." He explained without being prompted it. "Unfortunately, the village doesn't sell it."

"Is it for your friend?" Elizabeth asked curiously, tilting her own head now, as she hoped that this would allow her to grasp at something that told her this encounter wasn't going to end in disaster like she feared.

"Friend?" Alan repeated, his face portraying his confusion as he thought it over. "No, I wouldn't call him my friend…"

Even to Elizabeth's own ears, it sounded like the male wasn't even sure about it himself. There was something almost innocent about the way Alan responded to her question that brought life to his eyes. Alan fell quiet at that, losing himself in his own thoughts, causing Elizabeth and Hawk to share a curious look themselves. This person was strange, even amongst the strangeness they were already accustomed to with the Sins.

"So, this is where you disappeared to so suddenly?" A tired voice spoke up, causing Elizabeth and Hawk to shriek in surprise.

"Yes, there were Holy Knights around and I needed to hide." Alan stated simply, holding finger up as if it was an obvious fact.

"I don't know why you bother," the woman sighed dryly, "no one knows what you look like other than Merlin and myself."

As the two spoke, Elizabeth turned to the mystery woman who snuck up behind them without their knowledge and just stared at her. If it wasn't for the familiar dryness and tone of the woman's voice, Elizabeth wouldn't have recognized her. Leaning against the stone wall to look at them, the woman's dark blue hair fell in wisps around her face, though most of it was hidden by the dark grey scarf wrapped around her head and face. Her vibrant pink eyes were focused on Alan as they spoke. Elizabeth could see dark bruises around her eyes, they were prominent against her pale skin. A battered, tanned coat covered her body, hiding it from view, though her tattered leggings were on display, showing the wear and tear of battle.

Elizabeth couldn't stop the tears that began welling up in her eyes as she covered her mouth with her hands. She was trying her hardest to not sob or yell out to the woman.

She couldn't believe it!

They had just been talking about her earlier that day! And here she was, within arms reach of her, battered, but alive.

Unable to stop herself, Elizabeth launched herself at the woman, wrapping her arms tightly around her as the first of many sobs escaped her. Burying her head into the woman's chest, Elizabeth let her tears flow, soaking into her tanned coat as she clung to her. Hawk squawked behind her, stumbling over his words as he watched her.

Hecate was growing wearier as she and Gowther continued to argue meaninglessly. Ever since he saved her three days ago, the man was hitting every nerve with his factual, logical way of speaking and the lack of social and emotional awareness and understanding that came with trying to understand her needs to regain her strength properly. It was starting to give her a headache, something she honestly didn't need right now.

Before Hecate could tell Gowther to shut up, she felt arms wrap around her tightly and tears began soaking into her borrowed clothes. Just as she was about to look down to see who was embracing her when Elizabeth's familiar scent registered in her mind. It took her a moment to react as she stared down at the princess, unable to believe that she was in town of all places and felt her heart warm. Embracing the younger woman now, Hecate rested her head on top of Elizabeth's head, relief washing through her at the sight of her young friend.

"Elizabeth, you're safe…" Hecate murmured, letting her relief flood her voice, closing her eyes for a moment to make sure she wasn't conjuring this up in her own mind or that Gowther was manipulating her.

"C-Cat…" Elizabeth hiccupped as she gripped the halfling's coat tightly. "We… we were so worried about you!"

"I'm sorry…" Hecate murmured quietly, unable to say anything else.

"You better be!" Hawk declared, hopping up onto the wall now that his fright diminished. "Everyone has been worried about you!" He snorted heatedly, thinking back to the past few days and what everyone had to deal with. "Ban has been insufferable because you weren't around! Do you know how many times that man has snapped at everyone!?"

Hecate turned to the talking pig, giving him an apologetic smile. She could honestly image just how intolerable her immortal had been, the man was nothing short of an overgrown child. While she didn't know what exactly happened that got him so pouty, aside from her disappearance, she knew once they were reunited, there was little chance Hecate would get any time alone.

"I'm sorry, Hawk, I can only imagine how much of an irritated asshole he must have been to get you this riled up." Hecate sympathized with the pig on this matter, she knew how Ban was, and how he could get.

Hawk merely stomped his hoof against the stone and jumped to the ground again, nodding his head. Whether he believed her or not, she didn't know, but he did seem to accept her words as he stood next to Elizabeth, who had been holding back a smile as she listened to the two speak. Even Gowther was watching their interaction curiously, his eyes blinking owlishly at the trio, cocking his head slightly.

"It's so good to have you back, Cat." Elizabeth giggled, a watery smile gracing her face as she slowly pulled back from the halfling, wiping the leftover tears in her eyes. "I can't wait for the others to see that you're alive and well!" she smiled, beaming at her friend.

"I'm truly sorry to have worried you so much, Elizabeth," Hecate murmured softly, placing a hand gently on her shoulder. "I failed to defeat the foe I was up against… and—"

Hecate felt herself fall short of what she was about to say, unable to express the worry that her failure to dispatch Juku would reflect badly with the others. There had been a nagging feeling inside her mind that caused her to worry about how the others would take her reappearance. While she knew they would never think badly of her and what she had gone through, she didn't want them to think she was a loose cannon with how she snapped. She knew the Captain frowned upon her losing control, reminding her sometimes that she could be a danger to everyone if she lost control.

"No one cares if you defeated them, Cat," Elizabeth reassured her and gripped the halfling's hands, hoping to give her some comfort. "All anyone cares about is that you're alive and that you're safe."

Hecate felt her breath tremble as she listened to the princess' words, hearing the teen tell her that no one cared about the fact that she lost control or that she didn't finish her fight how she wanted to. Tears pricked at her eyes now as she squeezed both her eyes and Elizabeth's hands in silent thanks. She didn't realize how much she needed to hear those words and know that she could return to her family without fear of being judged.

"Are you still worrying about that, Hecate?" Gowther asked her suddenly, his surprise clear in his voice as he stood now.

Turning to the Lust Sin, Hecate bit the inside of her lip, giving him a half-hazard shrug in response. There really wasn't much she could say to deter the man from his assumptions. Trying to lie to Gowther was harder than people thought, the Sin could literally find out the truth without anyone knowing.

Instead of responding verbally, Gowther's impassive look gave Hecate all she needed to know with how he felt about her lack of response.

"We should return, Hecate," Gowther announced, looking at the halfling with knowing eyes. "Even though you have found your companion, your stuff is still back in the cave and we still have to find some armor glue."

Having Gowther remind her of their original goal, Hecate nodded her head, knowing she couldn't return to the others just yet. Turning to Elizabeth and Hawk, Hecate gave the two a warm smile.

"I know our reunion is short, but if you see the others before I do, let them know that I'll be back soon. I just promised to help someone out right now." Hecate spoke softly, giving Elizabeth's hands a gentle squeeze, hoping she would understand.

"Of course!" Elizabeth nodded, though her smile faded slightly at the knowledge that the halfling wouldn't be joining them. "Come back when you're ready, no one will turn you away." She assured her, nodding her head in confirmation.

Smiling softly, Hecate nodded her head and took a step back from the princess, turning towards Gowther and nodded her head, letting him know that she was ready to head back to the cave where the Armor Giant would be waiting for them.

Walking side by side, Gowther and Hecate stayed silent until they were far enough away that no one else would hear them speak.

"How come you didn't tell her about what we're doing?" Gowther asked, casting a look at the halfling, who had been rather quiet since they left the village.

"Because then she would worry more than she needed to." Hecate explained dryly, letting out a heavy sigh as she clutched her hands tightly. "She doesn't need to know that we're housing someone… something that is no longer human…"

"Even though it might be important?" Gowther prodded, wanting to know what was going through the halfling's mind.

A low growl caused the Sin to stop as he turned to his companion now. Gowther watched as the woman's eyes flashed from the vibrant pink to dark fuchsia. It dawned on him in that moment that Hecate had been doing more than just trying to protect the teen from what they were doing, but also from herself.

"I didn't let you go feed before we left, did I?" Gowther mused, as if that small fact just occurred to him.

Another low growl was his only response as the halfling sneered at him.

"You insisted… and I quote: 'Your need to fee right now is inconsequential to us finding some armor glue'. I told you I had to feed before we left… but no…. you had to get us moving right away, just so we could be disappointed after finding out that the village doesn't even sell armor glue!" Hecate reminded him, huffing at his cluelessness, and crossed her arms over her chest.

"You really get hangry, don't you, Cat?" Gowther hummed, not noticing the glare the halfling sent his way.