Chapter 2 - Reaching the Boar Hat

My night has come to and end the moment I felt that strong power and I know that it's most important to find Meliodas. Because if I am right with my fears, he must have felt that strong power, too. Yet, it's quiet and peaceful outside, like nothing has changed at all and I wonder if we're the only two people who are able to feel the change.

5.000 years ago

Meliodas led me further through the castle after a short conversation with Zeldris, who didn't stop giving me angry glares for whatever reason. But they were enough for making me feel uncomfortable. He opened a heavy door and led me inside to what would be my room from now on. But all the events in the last hours still felt like too much so I didn't feel like taking a closer look at my room at all. Instead, I followed Meliodas to the bed and sat down next to him.

"Now, what's the deal?" he asked me. "I haven't seen any demon before that was so scared to be in the demons world."

I began to nervously play with my fingers, trying to figure out what to tell him but all I could think of was: "I don't belong here."

Meliodas laughed and patted me on the back. "A demon that doesn't belong here? Now that's interesting!"

It almost hurt me to see how much Meliodas enjoyed my situation but then he realized that his words didn't cheer me up at all and his look on me softened. "I'm sorry, go on."

Remembering how my life went so far was nothing but hurtful and the first thing I said was: "Bastard". Then, my gaze wandered from my hands to his purple and black eyes as I tried to go on. "That's what they called me when they found out who I was. I don't belong here because I used to live in the human world."

"A demon in the human world?" he thought out loud but his gaze told me to continue.

"I was still a child when that power first came to the surface. I was playing with other children until they began to make fun of me and tease and bully me. I was desperate because they had stolen the only toy I had. I... I began to get mad and when I screamed at him to give it back, something like... like a power wave left my body and rushed towards one of the boys."

I still remembered how he flew across the street and landed hardly against a wood pile. Blood was dropping from his body so much, that it was hard to tell where exactly he was bleeding. I still remembered the sound of the other kids screaming and how they all ran away from me, scared and shocked of what they had just seen. The hurt boy looked at me terrified and two adults rushed over to him before one of them screamed "Bastard!" at me.

"She's a monster!" I heard someone else mutter and a second time someone called me bastard.

I tell Meliodas all of this and how I began to run away as soon as I was able to move again. But whilst I ran away, crying, the power inside myself didn't become less. The more fear I felt, the stronger felt the power.

That is how it started but things just got worse from then. Whenever I got mad or scared, this power escaped and caused nothing but big damage. And the older I got, the worse became the damage.

"My mother told me a few days ago that she can only do one thing for me" I close my explaination. "That's the last thing I remember before I woke up here. I don't know how I got here though..."

"I understand" Meliodas thought out loud. "So you're only half a demon, right?"

"Seems that way" I said nodding. "At least, my mother is only human."

Meliodas nodded as well and then put his hand on my shoulder, squeezing it softly. "I'm sure your mother sent you here because she would know that you'd find help. The damage you can cause here is far beyond from the damage you could cause in her world."

"I guess" I whispered, still scared of the upcoming. But Meliodas just smiled at me encouraging.

"Don't worry" he said. "But you need to learn how to take control of your powers."

"I'm scared I can't do that" I said sheepishly.

"Of course you can" he laughed. "We're all capable of training our powers. You just need a good teacher and he's sitting right next to you."

Meliodas was right. All it took me was some training and I was able to control my powers. Okay, it took me a lot of training actually. But there is that thing when it comes to demonic powers - you can feel the presence of other demon powers when they are close enough.

I am able to control my powers by now, no matter how I feel and how hard they try to break free. But the power I feel inside myself never wanted to escape so badly since I arrived at the demons world 5.000 years ago. And this can only mean that my fears are founded and Meliodas and I am not the only demons in the human world anymore and that these new demons are very powerful, too. And there's just one group of demons that is that powerful and also able to even be here.

And with that knowledge, I pack a few of my things and then leave my small home, a forest cabin, behind. My new destination is the capital city of the kingdom Liones where I suppose that Meliodas is still at, like rumors say.

I have passed only a few villages, not walking for more than a few hours, when I hear the clanking noises of an armor. I turn around and see the Holy Knight, that I have worked with just a few days ago, running towards me. He gesticulates with his right arm, probably trying to tell me to wait for him so I stop in my tracks.

"Lady Yami! Where are you heading to?"

"I'm on my way to Liones" I say and nervously shift from one feet to the other, already knowing what his next words will be.

"But didn't you say that-"

"I know what I said!" I interrupt him quickly. "Something came up and it's urgent. I have to find Sir Meliodas from the Seven Deadly Sins. Is he still in the city?"

"I haven't been there for quite a while. Been rebuilding places further away from the kingdom but it's what people say."

"Anything else?" I ask hopefully.

"I don't know a lot but people are saying he's still living in that tavern. Weird story. People say it's appearing out of nowhere and now seems to be right outside the town."

The Boar Hat still exists? Interesting...

"Thank you, I'll try my luck" I say and begin to walk away from him but then turn back around to face the Holy Knight once more. "It's been a pleasure to work with you."

"Always there for you M'lady."

◊ ◊ ◊

Another few hours have passed and I am already close to the kingdom when I hear new noises, or to be more clear, new voices.

"Well, well... Look at that pretty face!" a male voice says towards me and another one laughs. I lift my gaze and look at them with a raised eyebrow. One of them is at least 10 years older than me. Or at least he looks that way. I highly doubt that he's older than 5.000 years. But despite my actual age, I look like being in my early twenties whilst he looks being close to his fourties. His friend that has just laughed at the stupid behaviour, looks like he's at least 30 years old and speaks up now, too.

"Hello beautiful, are you lost?" he says and they both laugh before they come closer, blocking my way.

"Sorry guys but I'm not in the mood right now. So please just get out of my way."

"Naughty" the younger one says and grins widely. "That's hot."

His older friend begins to grin but before they can even touch me, I jump out of their way and land right behind them. It takes only seconds to twist the right arm of the older man and kick him in his back, pushing him right into his younger friend. I close my eyes and my body tenses before I send a blast their way, right before they can get back up on their feet. I watch them fly through the forest before a dull sound announces their rough landing only seconds after they tried to touch me. A hole shows the way I sent them and I walk it along until I stand in front of them.

"You really should listen to a woman when she says no. It's a matter of manners, you know?" I sigh and look at the chaos I made. "Poor nature" are my last words before I leave the men alone, still groaning in pain.

◊ ◊ ◊

Half of the day has passed when I finally reach the capital city of the kingdom Liones. I look up at the unfamiliar place that's surrounded by a stone wall and with a final deep breath, I enter it. The streets are filled with people of all kinds. Some of them are fixing the broken parts of the city while some try to sell their goods in the nearby market.

The further I walk into the city, the more Holy Knights I see and I begin to feel uncomfortable. I'm sure I have fought against some of them and even though they have changed their minds about the Seven Deadly Sins and Hendrickson, I'm still not sure of how they would react towards old enemies. Especially when that enemie is a girl that beat their asses.

That is until I see a more familiar face. A tall, strong guy with pink hair and a knight's armor stands just a few feet away from me. Gilthunder!

He was punishing poor people for some nonesense when I met him last time and we ended up in a fight against each other, which I won. But I knew back then already that he wasn't doing this on purpose. Meliodas had told me so much about 'lil Gil', how he used to know him, and what kind of a good and brave soul he was. That is why I knew he wasn't a bad guy and why I feel less uncomfortable seeing him now.

"Sir Gilthunder!" I call out his name and hurry over to him. "Do you remember me?"

The Holy Knights stands opposite me and takes a close look, scanning me from up to down, trying to figure out who I am but then it seems like he remembers. "Lady Yami!" he says and laughs shyly. "You beat me up pretty bad when we met the last time."

"Yeah... Sorry for that..." I mumble but he just laughs once more, this time more open hearted.

"Don't worry. It was good for my ego. I didn't expect a woman like you having so much power. Especially without a weapon."

"If underestimating women is like you treat them in general, I'm worried about your dating life" I joke. "It's good to see you've made up your mind."

"You have missed out on a lot. First of all, I'm taken" he says and chuckles. "But I never lost my mind, actually. Sir Meliodas from the Seven Deadly Sins freed me from a curse that was laid upon me a long time ago. It's been the reason I had to do what I did."

His soft features harden and his body tenses up some. "I know I have done a lot of damage" he says and looks at the ground in shame.

"A curse, huh? Should've guesses that..." I mutter and then place my hand on his shoulder, waiting for his gaze to meet mine again. "Good to see you're doing better. And don't worry about what you did. You're already making up for it."

Gilthunder nods and then gives me a small smile. "What are you doing here, by the way?"

"I'm looking for Meliodas, actually. Do you know where I can find him?"

"He should be in his tavern right now, it's at the end of the city, over there..." he says and points to his finger to the other side of the town. "You should try his ales. He's got the best ones."

I chuckle. "I'm sure" I say and remember how Meliodas and I once got drunk together and sat on Mama Hawks back, joking about how good a tavern would fit on her back. I really need to be more careful about what I say around him. Actually, it was shortly after the Seven Deadly Sins needed to flee from the kingdom and seperated for a while. That was the last time I had seen him. "Thank you, I should find the way by myself" I say and wave goodbye.

Once I'm out of sight, I fasten my speed because the day is almist over and I haven't even talked to him. And I don't know a lot about the Boar Hat but I really need to hurry now in case he opens it in the evening.

I leave the wall that surrounds the kingdom behind me and see a beautiful green hill and the tavern standing on top of it. Mama Hawk!

Everythings forgotten for one moment when joy fills my heart(s). I rush up the hill and greet the not visible piggy, knowing that she can hear me, even though she's dug in. And I'm sure she's happy to hear my voice again after such a long time.

But then I walk closer to the actual tavern and look at the sign that says 'Boar Hat' and has a picture of a little pig underneath. My gaze wanders from there to the wooden door in front of me and I hesitate. It's at least 10 years ago that I have seen Meliodas. And his friends don't even know that I exist. Maybe I shouldn't have come here at all.

But I know that the reason why I'm here is urgent and take a final breath to calm myself down and then push the door open. Different people turn their heads around to look at me instantly and they all give me a puzzled look but I barely notice it because I look straight into Meliodas' green eyes already. He's at the other end of the room, behind the bar and holds a mug in his hand. His eyes are slightly widened and for a mere second, we just stare at each other before my feet drag me to him automatically.

"Yami" he breathes out the moment my arms wrap around his neck, my head burrying into his neck. And even though he's surprised to see me, the concern in his voice when he said my name is proof enough to me that I was right. Meliodas has felt the power, too.