Ban l My Lily [On Hold]

Chapter 18 l Blood & Tears

Calla could no longer hold her weight as she toppled onto her back. Distantly, she heard Gilthunder fighting Hendrickson, but a ringing began to overtake her sense of hearing. She almost laughed at herself.

An immortal, dying. 

In the back of her mind, she wished Gilthunder hadn't saved her and she had died quickly instead of choking on her own blood in the middle of a battlefield. She hoped she had at least been useful in the end.

"Hey, hey," a voice chided. "No dying on us yet, 'kay?" She was pulled into a set of arms, cradled against a chest. Cracking open one eye, she saw Meliodas, bloodied, but smiling. "I don't know what Ban would do to me if you died, so just hang in there." Calla nodded, or at least tried to as her mind delved into happier thoughts. Ban...She thought back to the first time they met, him getting beaten up and her throwing an orange at the shopkeeper's head. Her sidling up to him in the middle of the night to keep him warm. Their first kiss in an alleyway. Venturing into the Fairy King's Forest. Meeting Elaine. The red demon. Immortality and Elaine's death. Her eyes burned and tears mixed with blood as she cried, being held by a demon and fatally wounded. She felt herself slipping into the darkness. "Hey, no sleeping yet." Meliodas said, drumming her arm with his finger. Calla mumbled something incoherent as his eyebrows knit together with concern. Her face was torn open, blood dried across her pale skin. Her tunic was shredded and blood spilled every heartbeat. It was worse than he originally thought. He looked up at the sound of Diane calling.

"Captaaaain!" She shouted. He saw her peeking over with King floating next to her. The duo noticed Calla in his arms and their eyes widened. Diane took a knee next to her Captain and King hovered over her.

"What...happened to her?" He inquired. They could barely make out a face in the mutilated mess of her wounds.

"Hendrickson." He answered. "She wasn't fighting seriously and Gilthunder distracted her."

"Fuck you too." Meliodas shushed her.

"Don't talk, you're wasting energy." He brushed a piece of hair away from the cut on her face. "We can probably find a mage somewhere around here to fix you. But for now, focus on staying awake, okay?" King landed next to them.

"I might be able to help." He offered quietly. "It might not do much since I just used it, but it'll have to do." Meliodas nodded. "Spirit Spear, Chastifol; Pollen Garden!" Calla's eyes fluttered open as warmth surrounded her and the pain around her was dulled. The three Sins surrounding her watched as the wound on her face knit back together, a red and purple scar in the place. The bleeding from her stomach stopped and underneath, revealing an ugly red line across her stomach. Calla slumped back down as the small sphere dissipated, letting out a small sigh. Meliodas stood up, still carrying her.

"Now that Calla's fixed up, we need to find Elizabeth." He said. Gilthunder, who still had Margaret—Elizabeth's sister—against his chest looked up at the castle.

"According to Margaret, Elizabeth was moved from the underground dungeon to a 'safer' location." Gilthunder explained. "That can only mean one place! The royal bedchambers where the King is being held!" Meliodas' eyebrows knit together. 

I'm coming, Elizabeth.