Elizabeth took her time walking away. The silence which followed her leave was suffocating.
Contrary to what he said, Gilthunder did care about whether she was alive or dead.
Still, she couldn't have walked any faster so he could get this over with?
When she was finally far enough away - Gilthunder could just barely feel her presence anymore - Meliodas looked at him over his shoulder again, an eyebrow raised. Gilthunder steeled himself.
"You sure you want to do this?"
No. He really didn't.
But what choice did he have?
"I have to."
Meliodas hummed.
"Why?"
He'd already said it, hadn't he?
He was the most powerful Holy Knight ever.
Or, well, he wanted to be. He did.
It was a bit hard with only some of the most powerful ones standing right in front of him.
Gilthunder inhaled slowly. "Because I am now stronger than any of the Seven Deadly Sins. Who else but me would be fit to bring you down?"
A loud caw echoed from the treetops had Gilthunder moving instantly, kicking the blonde man away and into a thick tree across the clearing. Meliodas' bindings disappeared when he collided, and he fell to the ground with a loud grunt.
The black haired man - Zeldris, Gilthunder briefly thought - hissed and the blonde woman beside him grimaced. Ban huffed and plopped himself onto the ground, not-so-subtly keeping Meliodas' younger brother between him and the fight. Diane frowned deeply but settled back a little ways, worrying at her bottom lip as Meliodas hauled himself off the ground.
He wasn't on his feet for long.
Gilthunder appeared behind him, glaring more at the ground than Meliodas as he swung his sword.
Meliodas just barely managed to block the swing, still being tossed a few feet from the sheer force of it. He rolled and had barely gotten himself up when Gilthunder attacked again.
Keep him on the defensive.
The blonde was ready for the next attack, easily blocking the swing and then the next. The third Gilthunder let lightning crackle along his sword. Meliodas tried putting some distance between them. But either his old teacher was getting slower, or he was going easy on Gilthunder, because Gilthunder landed the hit, striking Meliodas' shoulder.
The awful metallic smell of blood and charred flesh pierced the air, and Meliodas stumbled back, almost in shock. Gilthunder took the chance to land more hits - how effective they were was up for a very easy debate, which he'd lose in a heartbeat.
The next thing Gilthunder knew, however, was the fact that Meliodas was literally beneath him now, heaving breaths as his blood stained the ground beneath him. His family and friends watched on silently, tense, ready to lash out if the moment provided itself. Not that Gilthunder would let them.
"Any last wishes?" Gilthunder only asked out of courtesy.
He wasn't expecting the blonde to answer.
"I just… wanted to know what happened to the others."
Gilthunder had to bite back a shiver.
Since when did Meliodas ever sound weak? Sure, he was small, but he sounded so… defeated.
It was wrong.
He took a deep breath, wiping the blood off his sword before returning it to its sheath.
He could do this one little thing before he killed Meliodas. Before he killed the others.
"Very well. Not much is known about the whereabouts of the other Sins. King is dead, some believe the Rust Knight is also a Sin. No one has heard or seen any signs of Escanor or Merlin."
Meliodas hummed, closing his eyes. Then he glanced up, not at Gilthunder but back towards the others, and he grinned.
"All yours!"
"You've got to be kidding me."
King really should have seen this coming. The moment he left with the Apprentice Holy Knight, he should have expected Gilthunder to do something stupid. And yet, he was still surprised.
Gilthunder didn't say anything, his face lacking almost any emotion, more blank than King had ever seen it. He merely stared out a window - a shattered window, mind you, and how that wall was still standing, King hadn't a clue - and ignored the very obvious injuries he had sustained.
Clearly, most of them weren't from smashing through a church. The crack in his armor, finally discarded after King had forced him out of it, was more like a slice with a sword. The armor was also scorched, not burned long enough to melt but it was clear an attempt was made. King had caught sight of some rocks still lodged within the armor and Gilthunder's arms.
None of the injuries had been issued with an intent to kill, though. Which confused King.
Actually no, it didn't confuse him that much.
Ban would have murdered Gilthunder. But King doubted the captain would have allowed that. He'd always had an odd attitude whenever it came to killing someone - always hesitant, always as a last resort. It was admirable.
Gilthunder was probably only alive because Meliodas refused to let him be killed.
Finally, the pink-haired Holy Knight spoke, crossing his arms and ignoring that one was still bleeding, probably numb by now. He should treat it soon, King thought, or else it'll get infected. "That Zeldris and Gelda can indeed fight."
King choked back a laugh. "I can see that," he said with the most stoic expression he could muster. Gilthunder finally showed some emotion, narrowing his eyes at King. The fairy ignored the warning look, knowing full well Gilthunder couldn't do much of anything to him even uninjured. He circled Gilthunder slowly, taking a closer look at some of the injuries.
Gilthunder looked ready to drop. King was certain fatigue was finally kicking in, along with blood loss and probably some effects of Ban's power. The fact the man was still standing was an achievement.
He was covered in bruises, dried mud and blood clinging to some tattered shirt where a sword had nearly driven into his side. Gilthunder was lucky whoever dealt that wound - King was guessing it had been Zeldris, he was the only one King ever saw carry an actual sword - didn't aim a little more over to the right. And upon closer inspection, some of Gilthunder's hair was singed, right in front of his face. That was an even closer call.
"I'll be fine," Gilthunder muttered, shifting his weight more to one leg. King raised a brow. He definitely wouldn't be fine, not unless he managed to get to a druid anytime soon.
But King wasn't looking over the wounds because he was worried.
"I'm sure you will be. Do you want me to return you to the capital as well?"
If he wanted Ban gone, then he'd probably - unfortunately - have to get through everyone he was now traveling with.
Goddesses, he should have killed Ban while he was still in Baste.
"No. I'll be fine," he repeated, his attention back on the broken window. "They think you're dead, by the way."
"Do they now?"
Gilthunder hummed. "Meliodas said he wanted to know what happened to the rest of the Sins, and I told them you were dead."
"How is that supposed to help me?"
Gilthunder shrugged as best he could. "Did you want them to know you were working for us?"
King's glare was venomous - or as harsh as a glare on a little boy's face could be - but he didn't say anything else on the matter. His stomach twisted horribly at the thought of his captain's face if he found out King was working with the Holy Knights. Even if it was temporary, a means to an end, King could imagine Meliodas' disappointment clear as day.
And disappointing his captain always felt awful before. King doubted it would be any different a decade later.
Well, he'd probably disappoint him anyways. King was trying to kill Meliodas' best friend, after all.
He huffed, glaring at the ground as though it had personally offended him instead of the pink-haired Holy Knight. "Come on, let's get you a healer."
Being forgotten works wonders sometimes, Gelda thought, looking over the scene before her. Elizabeth fretting over Meliodas - specifically, his wounded shoulder - with Ban mocking the blonde for letting Gilthunder hurt him at all. Zeldris sitting at the open tavern door, talking with Diane and catching her up on all that's happened so far.
The Sins would forever be remembered, forever be feared and respected. People will always remember the sheer power they wield. Not as much as beings centuries ago, of course, but for the times they were extraordinary.
Few remembered Zeldris, though he was always with the Sins. Not a member, no, but by always being around him people could at least recognize him. Some remembered more than others, could recall that he was just as strong as the warriors he hovered by.
No one remembered her, though.
She'd never gone on missions with the Sins - she didn't have to like Zeldris - and a decade ago she hardly ever used her abilities. She never fought anyone.
Well. No one that survived, at least.
But because no one remembered her, they underestimated her. Unsure if she'd fight at all, and if so, what she could do. Her veil of shadows contradicted her flames, and it was great because then her opponent wouldn't know what to expect next.
Off-topic, Gelda thought, frowning to herself before looking down at the notepad. She didn't feel all that interested in trying to get anyone's attention at the moment. Well, maybe she could get Zeldris'. She was feeling a little fatigued, and - unlike his brother - Zeldris hadn't lost any blood today.
Glancing at her husband, Gelda's frown deepened and she chided herself on wanting to eat when he looked exhausted.
Well, exhausted wasn't quite it. Anxious was more like it, but tired. He looked tired from being anxious.
Which was fair. Zeldris always worried when Meliodas was too careless in a fight. Despite knowing Meliodas could have very easily taken Gilthunder down, and that he'd never let someone like that kill him, it never made Zeldris feel any better seeing him get injured. "Injuries could get infected and lead to death," he'd say, or "you're still affected by blood loss, brother, that hasn't ever changed and you damn well know it."
She smiled slightly. When was the last time she'd heard them bicker over the whole blood loss thing?
Ah, right… the drinking incident.
She did feel bad about finding it funny, but some of the ways Meliodas had left them were just so utterly stupid she couldn't help but look back with a smile. Sure, it hurt at the time, and she wanted nothing more than to literally slap some sense into her brother-in-law, but years after the fact if she didn't look back and laugh she knew she'd be riddled with constant worry.
Not to say she wasn't. It was hard not to be nowadays. So every little moment of pure stupidity - even ones that were previously heart wrenching - from her family was a small joy she could cherish.
Gelda glanced up when the chair to her right scraped obnoxiously on the wooden floor. Hawk stirred by her feet - the poor pig was currently asleep, utterly exhausted by the time they returned, and basking in cool towels to try and uncook him - but ultimately remained unconscious. Elizabeth smiled at her, though the concern was still written all over her face. Gelda returned the smile, hoping it reassured the girl.
But she was also curious. A glance back at Meliodas, and Gelda noticed him trying to convince Ban to make a meal with a recipe that Gelda hadn't heard in a long time.
Maybe she should be worried over how much blood he lost if he was bringing up a recipe from two centuries ago.
Returning her attention to Elizabeth, the brief slip in her own expression disappeared as Gelda tilted her head with a raised eyebrow.
"Can you teach me sign language?"
Finally!
Gelda's smile widened, and she nodded. Elizabeth brightened and Gelda was glad to see the tension finally leave the princess' shoulders. Gelda quickly wrote Be right back on the notepad before disappearing up the stairs.
She had no doubt Elizabeth was confused - and would be once she returned, but Gelda could easily wave off the questions Elizabeth might ask. Especially about this.
Stars above, she hadn't had to use them in so long…
Gelda grabbed a box tucked under her and Zeldris' bed, pulling it out and sifting through the contents for a moment. She pointedly ignored the dozens of drawings, a collection she wasn't quite ready to look at still even after almost two decades, before pulling out a deck of cards.
The cards were worn out, but still legible and the drawings easy to make out. The texture was weird - much softer than paper or cards usually were. Maybe she should make new ones soon. She frowned at the thought of having to remake them. They were such a pain to do in the first place.
Shoving the thought aside, Gelda closed the box and slid it back under the bed where Meliodas had no chance of stumbling across it by accident. Gelda hesitated then, looking at the cards clasped tightly in her hand.
Would he be okay seeing these?
He had been before, but then again, the last person she had used them with was… it had been the worst when she died.
It wouldn't be a good idea to use them in front of him, she might trigger an attack or a shutdown and neither were ever things she wanted to be the cause of again.
Gelda hummed silently, glancing around the room. She could bring Elizabeth up here to start…
Decision made, Gelda quickly took down a few paintings and drawings, slipping them into the desk neither she nor Zeldris used. She could easily dodge Elizabeth's questions about the very old-looking cards - they were old, they had been around longer than recorded human history - but she wouldn't have been able to explain the artwork she and Zeldris kept hidden from even Meliodas.
Satisfied that nothing left around the room would cause an issue, Gelda returned downstairs to fetch Elizabeth.