The Goddess' Druid

(Chapter 8) The Boar Hat

A/N: I just have to ask, to everyone who is reading the 4KoTA manga, and has gotten to chapter 50, who wants to know what Tristan's gonna look like once we see him again? Not that I'm talking about myself, of course, but still, who all does? *Raises hand slowly and hopes no one notices*

~Ten Years Later~

~Dream~

Arcadia stared in horror and shock as tears ran down her cheeks. She knelt to the floor and cried, her sobs reverberating and echoing against the walls of the hollow room in the grandmaster's office. "Arcadia?" It was Gilthunder, whose eyes widened at the sight of his now dead father. spears stabbed through his body in both of his arms and legs, blood dripping down his face as his lifeless eyes gazed down at the floor, his head tilted downward as he screamed at the top of his lungs in pure agony. "Who did this?! Who did this to my father?!" Was all she heard as she looked back up to see the ghost of her friend, staring down at her with sorrowful and regretful eyes. "I'm sorry." She mouthed, causing him to nod softly. Then, with a voice only she could hear with her magic activated, he spoke. "You need to go now. They're going to go after you next, Arcadia, and I don't want you to meet the same end that I did." He warned, causing her to regain the strength she needed to get up to her feet and walk over to Gilthunder. He stared up at her with wide eyes and tears rolling down his cheeks. "I'm sorry, Gilthunder. I wish I knew who did this, but I don't, and I'm so sorry." She whispered, causing him to grip her shirt as she hugged him tightly. "Please, he wouldn't want you to see this, to see him like this. I'm begging you to leave the room, little one." She said, her voice soft and gentle as she spoke. He nodded and walked away from the room, before Arcadia took one last look at her friend and swore she'd get the two left back from the darkness they were currently held hostage by. She then left and thought for a minute, before running to her room, packing everything she owned that she would need for where she was going, calling to Ella, and then getting her things onto the dragon's back. She fastened them to the saddle that the dragon had on her back, before she got Molly, nodded a silent and tearful goodbye to Hendrickson, and left without his or Dreyfus' knowledge, deciding to find Meliodas and make sure he was alright.

~Dream End~

Arcadia woke with a jolt, tears rolling down her cheeks as she recalled that fateful day in Liones. She pulled her knees to her chest and looked around the room that she stayed in in the Boar Hat. She had left Ella in the care of Mallory when she got the chance, and then recalled when Merlin had appeared to her shortly before she left, asking to seal away some of her power to allow her to go unnoticed in crowds and to stay incognito in areas with Holy Knights present. She looked out the window and then sighed when she saw that the sun had just barely started to light up the sky. Arcadia put on her uniform and then went to find Meliodas, sighing when she saw the blonde downstairs sipping from a mug of ale. "You're up early." He commented, earning himself a slap upside the back of his head. "So I take it that you had that dream again, huh?" He guessed, causing her to nod softly before she sat next to him at the bar of the Boar Hat tavern. "So, you think that this one will make it, Mel?" She asked, looking over at the blond as he shrugged. "I hope so. I've had to deal with too many dying like they have, and I'm getting closer to insanity with each one that gets killed and that dies." He said, running his fingers through his hair before she hugged him tightly. "Listen to me, I will find a way to help you guys break it, no matter what happens to me in the process." She promised him. He looked up at him before the two heard a knock at the front door of the tavern as she separated from the blond. She then went over to the door and saw customers at the door, smiling as she turned to Meliodas. "It's time to open for the day." She then saw that Hawk was asleep on the floor. She walked up to the pig and leaned down into his ear. "WAKE UP IT'S TIME TO OPEN!" She yelled, causing him to jump and squeal as Meliodas laughed. "What was that for?!" He demanded, angry that he had been woken up so suddenly. "Well if you had listened, then you would know why, now wouldn't you, Hawk?" She said, smiling as she welcomed the customers for them to eat and drink. "Alright then, the Boar Hat is open and ready for business." She said. Arcadia then started taking orders and getting drinks prepared, while Meliodas cooked (and got yelled at for it) and took the pay for the bill. If anything, Arcadia got the better deal, since had such a pretty face, many customers tipped well, and she got to keep the tips she got. After a while, she heard the story from one of the customers that barged in, before hearing the sound of metal clanking up the hill. She transformed into a prairie cat and then went behind the counter, hiding in case she needed to surprise whoever it was and attack them. However, when she saw the face that Meliodas made once the helmet had fallen off of the head of the "knight", she knew who it was, and transformed back into herself before helping the blond carry the girl to her room.