HAPPY EASTER!

I'm back ~ I don't have any more assignments until May so I can go ahead and work on completing Fox of Greed. I've got three chapter rough drafts at the moment that need some editing and they should be up before the end of today or tomorrow. 

This chapter was supposed to contain the fight in it as well but I realised that if I left it in there, you'd be looking at a 3000 word chapter - so I've had to split it up. 

Enjoy the tale and have a wonderful Easter :) 

~~~~

I gave Myra one last pat on the rump. With a pang in my chest, I turned away from the farmer and his family. The young boy's cheerful cries followed me back to the others. Diane was hiding just beneath the lip of the hill and some trees while King stood waiting at the top.

"I didn't realise how hard that would be," I said, blinking back tears. "She's not even really my horse." They were kind enough to ignore the fact that my eyes were red and cheeks blotched.

"Don't worry, you can always come back to visit her when this is all over," Diane said, patting my head with a finger.

I smiled through the tears, wrangling my emotions until I calmed down. "Thanks, Diane."

We trudged along in silence. Well, I trudged, Diane was walking slowly so we stayed together, and King floated.

"So what has happened while I've been... away?" I questioned, anxiety churning in my gut. Flashes of how things ended in Vaizel buzzed around, begging for attention. "Obviously you've collected a few more sins."

"We rescued Ban from Baste prison. It was around the same time we lost you," said a despondent Diane. "Then we moved on in search of King because of what Gilthunder told Meliodas back in the forest of white dreams. King was the enemy for a bit, has a bone to pick with Ban, but we brought him round."

"Diane!" King cried. Then suddenly he went poof! and transformed into a large man!

"What the hell?!" I jumped back, hand reaching for my sword instinctually. "How'd you do that? Why'd you do that?"

"Oops, sorry," he said in a deep voice, much older than his childlike self. He transformed back into the only version of him I knew. "When I get a bit stressed, I tend to change. But don't worry, this is my original form."

"May I ask, what exactly are you?" I fell back into line with them.

"I'm a fairy."

"Whoa, hold up!"

My mouth flopped open but before I could get more words out, Diane added, "He's the Fairy King."

I immediately squatted onto my haunches, rubbing my temples. "You're the king of fairies. And we have a Princess in our group, a giant, someone who doesn't die, and I don't know what Gowther is, maybe he's just unnerving to be around. This really is a motley crew of misfits."

"Don't forget yourself, a thousand-year-old fox," said King and I smiled, standing back up. "Anyways, after myself and Ban were recruited, we headed to Vaizel because we'd gotten word of the sacred treasure there. And that's when we ran into you."

I winced. "I really am sorry about all that. And I have to wonder why you decided to come to Vaizel even though it was clearly a trap.

Diane laughed. "Yeah, I don't know what everyone wanted Gideon for. Only a giant can wield it."

"Diane's the only one who can wield the sacred treasure and plus, she'll need it for the battle to come if we're to save the kingdom. I think that the trap was just a way to draw us out. Apparently that man stole Meliodas' sword."

Now that he mentioned it, the customary broken blade on Meliodas' back was missing. Strange that they needed it though when it was pretty useless as it was. I'd ask that question later, perhaps have a good ol' catch-up with the captain.

"Do you mean Helbram?" I'd gone a few more steps before I realised King had stopped. He was staring at the ground. "You okay?"

He blinked, seemingly coming out of a trance. "Oh yeah, I'm fine." I didn't push any further as he drifted past me and we caught up to Diane.

"So, Diane, is that how you did that huge attack? With that giant hammer?" I asked.

"Yep!" She added a skip to her step. "I'd forgotten how much damage it could do. I really hope I didn't hurt any of the townsfolk though."

I remembered the farm full of people, the distraught faces. "They got out of the town before that," I said weakly. I didn't want to add what her attack had done to them; the Holy Knights were also partially responsible for it as well. I decided to change the subject. "And how did you find Gowther?"

"He was in disguise wandering around with his armour encasing a demon. A really weird one," she said, her face scrunched up.

"What was stranger was the magical signatures," King mused but when I looked at him, his gaze wandered away, almost like he didn't want to make eye contact.

That made shivers run up my arms. Before I could ask more, we'd made it back to the tavern. Fairy lights glittered along the edges of the tavern and the door was thrown wide open, the intoxicating smell of good food sending my stomach into an avalanche of rumbles.

I patted it sheepishly. "I really hope Meliodas didn't cook this time because I really want to stomach some food instead of bringing it back up."

"Ban's taken over the kitchen, won't let the Captain in there unless it's to serve ale," Diane said, taking a set beside the tavern, peering inside. "We're back!" she said to an open window.

"Good! I need some help in here!" came Meliodas' muffled reply. King and I went through to see Meliodas juggling barrels. "Can one of you lift the table out? And grab the cushions from the storage room, King you know where."

A small table stood beside him so I assumed that was what he wanted. I grabbed it by the base and stand, hauling it outside. It wasn't very big so I assumed that the food would just be on it and we'd be eating on the ground.

King came out and threw the cushions in a rough semicircle near the table. It wasn't much but something inside me swelled at the gathering, the smells of delicious food and the laughter of my friends wrapping around me like a comforting pillow.

I'm going to miss this, I suddenly thought. Once we found Merlin, she'd turn me back into a fox. That thought though didn't fill me with the same elation I'd once had. Surprise caught me – I would actually miss being a human.

"Here comes the food!" Ban crowed, two large platters in hand overflowing with meat and roasted vegetables. Elizabeth followed behind with another platter, this one laden with a variety of fruits. Hawk balanced plates on his snout.

I tried not to drool over the table as I grabbed a plate and dove to the front of the line, fending off the other eager hands. I twirled out of the fray and took seat on a plush orange cushion, sinking in deep.

"Ban's outdone himself this time," Elizabeth said, taking a delicate seat next to me on a pink cushion. She nibbled on a bit of meat and her eyes lit up like the fairy lights.

I tore into a hunk of meat, forgetting in my hunger than I was human, and hummed with pleasure. "My compliments to the chef!" I cried, to which Ban turned and bowed.

"Here," Meliodas said and I shifted to see him holding a tankard out to me. I gave it a sniff and upon smelling Vanya ale, I sculled it.

"Ah! That hits the spot!"

"Make sure you don't pass out too early on alcohol. You were a light weight last time we drank."

The alcohol warmed my stomach but did little else. "I think I've somehow gained a tolerance for alcohol. I usually feel all strange by now, like the world isn't real."

Meliodas took a seat beside Elizabeth, digging into his own plate. Diane and King sat to my left, talking to Gowther who was sitting straight-backed and head cocked to the side. Ban came and plonked down right beside me on the blue cushion on my left.

Instantly, I bristled with annoyance. I might have praised him earlier but that didn't mean I'd invited him to sit next to me. The tension between us was souring my appetite. I knew from experience that having two dominant foxes in the same vicinity ended in fights and instinct was telling me that Ban was encroaching on my territory.

"Okay, then!" Meliodas said. "Let's celebrate!"

"Hurrah!" we all chorused, tankards raised in salute.

~

I counted the tankards in front of me, tapping the rim of each as I went. "One, two, three, four, five, six.... And one full one!" I grabbed the tankard in both hands and grab deeply.

"Careful on the heavy stuff," said a voice behind me and I spun on my heel, the world going tipsy-turvy before righting on Ban.

"Sayssss the man on the pig'ssss back," I drawled then burst into giddy hiccups. It was getting harder to talk but the pleasurable buzz through my veins had me brimming with energy so that I was practically vibrating on the spot.

Ban was plastered on the back of Hawk, who was also pottering about after a few pints of ale himself. Ban's cheeks were ruddy and he could barely keep a smile off his face. He was also missing his shirt. "Pssh, I'm faring much better than you. Can you even walk?"

I looked down at my bare feet – where had my shoes gone? – and wiggled my toes. "I can too," I retorted. I took another gulp – for courage you know? – and moved one leg out. I planted it firmly on the ground and took another step. When I didn't fall over, I scoffed and pointed at Ban. "See? Easssy peasssy. Bet I could even fight you."

He pushed himself off Hawk, swaying like a little sapling in a strong breeze. "Yeah right. I'm so sober I could beat you one handed."

"Probably not very smart," King sang as he floated around in lazy zigzags. Diane had long since passed out, Gowther watching like an eagle at his side. Did he even drink this evening? No matter.

I leapt onto the table with surprising ease, a cascade of empty bottles clattering to the ground. "I challenge you, Ban, the Fox'ssss Sssssin of Greed, to a duel!" I bellowed, tankard pointed at him like it was a sword.

Before the words had even left my lips, he was upon me with a tackle. He caught me around the midsection and I flew off the table. The tankard thankfully stayed in my grasp but delicious ale sloshed out the top, staining the ground.

That made me real angry. I growled, snapping my teeth at the other sin and wriggled out from under him. "You made me ssspill my drink." I bounced up to my feet, putting space between us. I couldn't have him hurting my precious supply of alcohol anymore.

"You said fight, so let's fight!"

"Estra, are you sure this is wise?" Elizabeth asked, popping up at my side and resting a hand on my shoulder.

I chuckled and wagged a finger at her. "Relax. I'm fit as a fiddle. Alcohol is a great neutraliser."

She frowned at me, like my mother used to. "That's not great, Estra. I think you should probably head to bed." Her voice was calm when she said it and I knew she meant no insult with it.

I shrugged off her shoulder and nearly face-planted. "Nah, Elizabeth. I need thisss." The truth of it rang through me. I needed this night of frivolous partaking, of leaving worries behind in bottles. "Just thissss one, let me fight Ban."

The princess sighed and held her hand out to me. Resigned, she asked, "Can you at least give me your sword so you don't accidentally hurt yourself?"

I did a little jig as I unbuckled my sword belt and handed the blade over. She shook her head as me.

"Elizabeth, I know your sssceptical but I have the ssskillsss necesssy – necessry – NECESSARY! – for hand to hand combat." Why was it so difficult to pronounce anything with a S? I took another swig of ale, finishing off what little remained in the tankard, and handed it over to her. "I'm much more capable now than when I challenged Meliodassss."

"At least you could *hiccup* see straight then. Can you *hiccup* even tell where I'm standing?" Hawk asked. I turned and gestured to him. "A little to your left."

"Ssssee? I just have to remember that everything'sss actually a little to the left." To the silver-haired man, I said, "You ready, Ban?" He was on his hands and knees in a bush. "I'll give him a minute."

Elizabeth still looked concerned so I patted her shoulder. "I'm the Fox of Greed, Elizabeth. You think I'm going to let Ban take my title? Even if he doesss, I'll take it back. I'm greedy after all."