A/N: Another chapter because I couldn't stop myself from writing. It's long too as it took a bit to tie in the loose ends I had. Let me know your thoughts on the pacing and content in the comments below.

"So I still have the abilities that I had when I was a Holy Knight as well as my natural abilities?" I blew on the tea, more out of a comforting move than to actually cool it. It had been cold 10 minutes ago. There had been a lot of information from Leraj to process and only now were my nerves settling.

Leraj lounged across from the fire, swirling yet another cup of tea around in his cup. It was probably his third of the long night. He could act relaxed as much as he wanted but he wasn't fooling me. "Yes. Muscle memory too which means you'll be able to wield a sword, carry a shield, shoot a bow, anything really that could be used to attack and defend as a human."

"But how? I never knew how to do those things before."

He stopped inspecting his cup and began inspecting me. "That's because in order to get you functioning like a Holy Knight from the get-go, I had to give you incognito memories of all those things. It was tricky, dangerous too because I had to make sure you didn't turn into the person who owned those memories beforehand."

A chill ran down my spine. "So what, I have some dead Holy Knight's memories?"

"No. That would be too complex to do. You have mine instead. From sword wielding to snarky attitude, it was ingrained in those memories which I shared with you."

"So if I think hard enough, I could see your memories of those incidents."

His smile is lazy. "You could try but there would be no use. It's not like you can see the memories. It's more like they're built right into your very being. Your brain knows you know how to do all those things or knows the names of places and people but you'll draw a blank if you try to focus on how you know all those things."

Before I could question if that meant that everything I felt towards him was a product of his memories as well, he handed me a bag he'd been lying on. Interest pique, I opened it to find... armour? But it didn't look like much. Really, it didn't look very protective.

"We've spent enough time here. Hendrickson's probably sorted out the chaos in Liones of my escape and will be sending out minions on the double. I can explain the rest as we ride. Change quickly and we'll go."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Into this?"

"I only had enough time to grab what I'd prepared earlier and that was your lightweight armour. And yeah, it's not much but it's made of the strongest steel possible. I made sure."

I laid it all out, marvelling at the feel and weight of it all. He wasn't lying about the strength as I rapped a knuckle over the... vambraces... I wasn't sure I felt all too comfortable with all this extra knowledge. It scared me a bit.

I motioned for Leraj to turn and I quickly slipped into the singlet and shorts, admiring the texture of the fabric, then fastened the calf-high boots on with an extra metal guard running over the knee. I tightened the vambraces on with expert ease. At the bottom of the bag was a choker necklace with a small black bead in the centre.

"What's this?" I questioned. Leraj turned round and I held the necklace up.

"Ah, that's a protection choker. You bought that recently from a soothsayer slash magicker."

"I did? Strange, I don't remember it." Either way, I put it on. It fit snug.

"There's bound to be a few small gaps in the details of memories. Here. Thought you might want this back too."

He held out a sword in its scabbard to me. I took the silver hilt, the metal cool to the touch. An amber jewel with a fox carved in it glinted in the firelight. Like the other sword, it felt light, comfortable in my palm like it belonged there. To stave off the strangeness, I drew it with ease. The blade was almost midnight blue, wickedly sharp and balanced perfectly with the majority of the weight closer to the hilt.

"This is mine?" I breathed out in awe. A contradictory memory answered, one where the blade was forged with fire and steel, revenge ringing out under the steelsmith's blade. Revenge for a human family I never had.

"Yes, but it wasn't originally made for the purpose of revenge," he said, wincing. "Sorry. I had to input something to make you thirst to hurt your friends. Hendrickson wanted it so."

The blade trembled in my grasp and I walked to the closest tree, anger sizzling inside me. The target was a young sapling, the trunk about as thick as my leg. My brain both screamed that this wouldn't work, and that I needed to do this and it would.

"Wait, Estra, don't do that!"

A slicing arc. There was a second where the tree was still; it toppled backwards with a resounding thud. I smirked, running a hand down the blade. "The only revenge I have now is for Hendrickson. He'll pay for fucking up my life."

"That's great and all but we have to move." I glared at him only to realise he was looking out into the darkness.

"What do you see?"

"Nothing good."

"Guess that means we saddle up?"

I looked over at the horses and they looked right back. They were still saddled from our – well, more like my – desperate gallop away from the carnival. Leraj helped me into the saddle of the smaller horse.

"Good girl... Myra," I said, running my hand down her neck. She tossed her head at me.

Leraj untied her, kicked out the fire, then mounted his horse, the one I couldn't remember the name of. "Do you need me to lead you along?"

"I've got it." I think.

My hands went to the reins, tugged the horse's head up and I wheeled her round. I didn't know how to ride a horse but muscle memory said otherwise.

Don't tug hard on the reins; use your legs to guide her left and right; heels to her sides to make her move.

I tapped my heels once to her sides and she skittered forward, a sort of ambling walk that bounced me in the saddle. Oh sticks. I held on tight, heart stuck somewhere between my chest and my mouth, thundering away.

Leraj and his horse matched our pace. He pointed us in the direction to go, silent, eyes wandering around in the dark. The moon gave off enough light to see the shapes of hills in the distance, the dips and gullies in the road a darker shade of grey. For half an hour ( I guessed), we travelled in silence before Leraj stopped looking back over his shoulders.

He sighed. "Okay, I think we're good for now," he whispered.

I assumed that meant I was safe to talk so I asked a string of questions, the main one being, why did Hendrickson need me.

"The Seven Deadly Sins have been a special project for Hendrickson. And Dreyfus too, but he's not as extensive in hunting them down. According to all those concerned in Liones and the surrounding areas, Meliodas and his fellow knights are the greatest threat after killing the original Grand Master."

"I heard about the killing from Elizabeth. Was it really as bad as they say?"

"Is being impaled multiple times bad?"

"I guess so. So I'm just a pawn in this game. He was using my connection to Meliodas to either lure him in or get him killed."

"They probably intended for you to kill them. Hendrickson wasn't very forthcoming with your main purpose but considering your natural abilities from your time as a fox and the power of new abilities, there was a high probability they'd make you the murderer or at least the one who defeats them."

I wrinkled my nose in disgust.

"Don't worry, I wasn't going to let them make you do that," he reassured, patting my knee, resting it a second longer before retracting his hand.

"Thanks," I said after a minute's silence. "About my new abilities...are they yours too? You mention that I got most of 'Holy Knight me' from you."

"All your powers are mine. Unlike the memories, the abilities are exact replica of what I'm capable of."

"So I don't actually have any powers of my own whatsoever?"

"Nope. But you have Mana that's on par a high-ranking Holy Knight so it was only fitting that you had powers to rival them." He gave me a crooked grin. "Don't worry, I'll let you hold onto them for now."

Nostrils flaring, I said, "And if I don't want anything from you after everything?"

"You've accepted everything else I've given you so far: tea, information, your armour, your sword, help onto your horse." His face went blank. "Don't think of it as a gift but a necessity. In the fight to come, you're going to need more than what you had when you were a fox. Physical strength will get you killed against your enemies."

We stopped at crossroads in the path. One pointed off towards looming hills and the other off into the plains. I had a feeling one was for me but the other was not for Leraj.

Looking at him now, hunched in the saddle, I could see how weary this had all made him. "Even though I still want to gut you for your betrayal in the tattoo parlour, I'm grateful for everything you've done to get me free." The 'thank you' was on my lips but I couldn't thank him for any of this.

He raised his head and gave me a weak smile. "Don't worry. When this thing between Hendrickson and the Sins blows over, you can repay me for the parlour incident." He clicked his fingers and a red ring appeared on the ground.

A form shimmered into existence – a very familiar chicken-hawk hybrid preening its feathers. It squawked when it saw me and I swore it looked half frightened to see Leraj and I.

"This is Heido. He'll lead you home."

"I know who he is," I said slowly and Heido squeaked and shuffled away from Leraj. "We met in the Forest of White Dreams."

Leraj sent a sharp look at the chicken. "I told you surveillance only."

"Don't berate him! He helped me out when I got separated from the others." To Heido, I said, "Sorry again about slashing you."

"Now everything's starting to make sense," Leraj muttered under his breath before barking at Heido in the strange language he'd used to freeze me. Heido shivered then his body twisted and cracked, ballooning up as muscle and bones lengthened and grew.

It was horrifying and memorising to watch. After a few bone-cracking moments, an ash-black, shaggy hound stood to attention, tail wagging, tongue lolling out over fnags that could shear through muscle and tendon with ease. I was envious of those teeth. Four red eyes darted between Leraj and I.

"This is where we part. About half a day's ride away, you'll find your friends. Heido knows the way." He turned in the saddle to look at me, hand twitching the reins.

His need to say more, do more was on his face, in his body language. I sat still, a tingle running from toes to head.

He guided his horse into a circle. "Until we meet again." He nodded to Heido. "Take care of her." Heido whined back then started trotting down the path towards the mountains. He looked back as if to say, 'Are you coming?'

I opened my mouth to say goodbye but Leraj had already moved away.

Watching him riding away, back to Liones, all I wanted to do was call him back. My throat clenched. I had one final question for him but part of me didn't want the answer. That part was the one who'd lived as a Holy Knight, the one that feared rejection. The real side of me couldn't have cared less.

I hesitated. Then swung Myra back again. "Wait, Leraj!" He came to a sudden stop and I nudged Myra until our horses stood a foot apart. "Everything we had," I swallowed the lump in my throat, hands sweaty, tongue dry, "our.. relationship... how real was it?"

I could see him chewing on his bottom lip before they parted into a small smile. "How real did you think it was?"

The well of emotions in me churned. Love, hate, lust, anger, longing. I bit my tongue to stop it from all flowing out but he must have seen it all because his smile grew larger and he leant forward to pull Myra closer. Side by side, his hand came up and cupped my cheek, turning my face to him.

His kiss was soft but hard, a contact too short to convey everything I felt for him. I didn't even have time to raise my hand to press my fingers to his neck before he pulled back. A regretful sound caught in my throat as the distance between us grew.

"I'll see you soon, fox. In the meanwhile, don't die before we meet again. Make sure you stay prepared and keep training. Your memories will show you what to do. Give Meliodas my best."

I watched him ride away for the second time.