There Is No Darkness Without Light

Chapter 8

Elizabeth arrived at The Old Oak Tree. She sat on a fallen log, placed her bag on the floor and waited. She was excited to see Meliodas. She knew it was wrong to feel anything towards him but that never stopped her. She still had around half an hour before Meliodas would turn up. How would she even begin to explain her mission? Would Meliodas come to visit her while she was here? Elizabeth hoped so. Even after a couple of days, She was oddly attached to Meliodas and whatever she was feeling, Was growing stronger. There wasn't anyone she could talk to about the matter. Anyone who was in a relationship in The Goddess Realm had to be approved of by Elizabeth's Mother. The was maybe one person she could talk to about it all. The same person was in the same storm as her.
"LADY ELIZABETH!" A voice shouted out. Elizabeth looked up to the skies and saw the King Of The Giants, Sir Drole. Flying next to him was The Fairy King, Sir Gloxinia.
"Sir Drole" Elizabeth waved as she flew up "Sir Gloxinia"
"So what brings you to this neck of the woods?" The Fairy laid back in the air. Arms behind his head. He closed his eyes, He seems to be taking a nap. Are all Fairies this lazy?
"Are you still trying to find the Child?" Drole's face had emotion.
"Of Course. I want to protect her" Elizabeth confirmed.
"Why? Why do you insist on protecting everyone?" Drole rolled his one good eye.
"Why not? We all live in the same world. Why should one set of Gods get to choose who lives and who dies? Everyone should be treated equally"
"Even Demons?" Gloxinia opened one eye.
"Demons should never be included in people Lady Elizabeth wishes to protect" Drole folded his top two arms.
"That is where you are wrong Sir Drole" Elizabeth took a deep breath in. Her hands dropped to her side "They live in this world too" Elizabeth sighed "Not every Demon is evil. They are just misunderstood"
"But they live in the dark realm where it smells and stuff" Gloxinia scrunched his nose up. Drole chuckled. Elizabeth huffed.
"But Sir Gloxinia, With all due respect, You live in a tree and Sir Drole, You live under a rock"
"She has a point" Gloxinia lent over to Droles's ear.
"We best be going. Be safe Lady Elizabeth" Drole walked off. Elizabeth was afraid that she had offended the Blue Giant.
"Don't mind him" Gloxinia folded his arms "He's always like that. He's just moody because you beat him in a debate. It may not seem it but I do agree with you"
"You do?"
"Yes. We all breathe the air. We all get buried in the same soil when we die" Gloxinia sighed.
"Nice to have someone on my side for once. You better catch up to him. We'll catch up another time" Elizabeth bowed as The Fairy flew after his friend "I do wish it wasn't just Sir Gloxinia on my side" Elizabeth floated back to the fall tree log and sighed.
"Do I not count as someone on your side?" Elizabeth's head snapped to the right. In the shadows of the trees was Meliodas.

"So you came then?" Elizabeth folded her arms. Meliodas was lent against a tree, His bag flung over his shoulder.
"I find your lack of faith in my disturbing" Meliodas tilted his head.
"I do not mean to offend but, Can you blame me?"
"I suppose I should give you that" Meliodas walked over to Elizabeth "Besides, I could hardly miss an opportunity to speak to you alone. At least we don't have to hide here" Meliodas put his bag on the floor "So why do you have a bag? Running away from home?"
"Actually, Mother gave me a month-long mission to find the child. We only have two Realm left to search, The Demons and The Humans" Elizabeth crossed her legs "Add since you're also looking for her, I gather she ain't in the Demon Realm. A fact that my mother and your father overlooked"
"How so?"
"She knows you're looking for her but said we still have to find a way to search your realm"
"Bit dumb that. How does she intend to do that?"
"God knows. So, Why do you have a bag?"
"Same reason as you. A whole month to find the Child among the Humans" Meliodas sat on the log next to The Goddess.
"So a month of working together?"
"Is that a problem? We have that deal and a common cause. Besides, I like spending time with you"
"You do?" Elizabeth's eyes lit up a little.
"Yeah, You don't see me as the bloodthirsty killer that I have come to be" Meliodas turned his head away "You treat me like a normal person"
"If you were a normal person then you would be taller" Elizabeth chuckled. Meliodas pretended to be offended.
"Cheeky. So, Is there anything you wanna learn while here? I could show you around the town. I spend a lot of time here when I don't wanna do what My Father says"
"Which is all the time then" Elizabeth giggled a little. Meliodas did a half-smirk. He rolled his eyes at The Goddess.
"Oh, what am I going to do with you?"
"I don't know but this is day 3 of us meeting and you have smiled more than I ever knew you could" Elizabeth turned slightly to The Demon.
"I guess you have that effect on me. You might be the only one you know"
"Only one?"
"Yeah. The only Goddess that I can tolerate. The Archangels get on my nerves"
"Tell me about. Lord Sariel and Lord Tarmiel are okay. Even if Lord Tarmiel is a three-headed weirdo"
"What about the other two, Speedy and Solar panel"
"Lord Ludociel and Lord Mael? Lord Ludociel is arrogant and Lord Mael is... Creepy" Elizabeth shuddered.
"You don't like him then"
"He is always there! It's like he stalks me" Elizabeth shivered again "My Mother has been trying to get me to marry him"
"And you don't want that?" Meliodas put his elbows on his thighs.
"No. I can't stand the man" Elizabeth look disgusted "Mael ain't a good man. I don't know whether it is his Grace that is doing it or not but I try not to be around him"
"That's why you agreed to the month-long mission"
"It was my idea. There was another reason why"
"Oh do pray to tell"
"I wanted to hang out with you more and not hide away in the ruins of a floating temple"
"I see" Meliodas nodded as Elizabeth hopped off the log "What's on your mind?"
"I can't explain it. And even if I could, You wouldn't understand"
"Try me. Isn't this the whole point of us meeting up, You help me to understand emotions and I help you"
"It's difficult to explain" Elizabeth turned her back to The Demon. Meliodas sighed.
"Elizabeth, You know you can talk to me. Who else am I going to tell"
"Since my Mother agreed to the mission, I have been a tad excited to see you. It's wrong to feel anything towards you because we are of two different races. Even after a couple of days, I am becoming attached to you and whatever I am feeling, Is growing stronger" Elizabeth wrapped her arms around herself "Even I don't know these feelings, So how can you?"
"Okay, you have point" Meliodas stood up from the log and walked past the Goddess "But you should know I somewhat have the same feelings" Elizabeth spun around on her heel to find Meliodas looking at the river flowing by The Old Oak Tree "When my Father agreed to me leaving for the Month, I was over the moon. I knew I could see you as much as I wanted"
"Meliodas?"
"But you're right, I don't understand these feelings" Meliodas turned his head so he could look over his shoulder "But I want to. I want to understand why you are the first thought in my head from when I wake up and the last thought when I go to sleep"
"I still find it strange that you have emotions. Why would your father hate you for having them?"
"He believes that emotions make us weak" Meliodas closed his eyes "I think that's why he killed my mum. She was one of the first Demons to have emotions"
"She sounds like she was a good woman"
"She was. Even though my father was a stain on her life. She tried to see the good in him" Meliodas lowered his head so his bangs covered his eyes "But his heart is made of stone"
"I would have liked to meet her"
"She would have loved you. I wish she was still alive. She could have helped me understand what this is" Meliodas waved his fingers between himself and Elizabeth.
"We can work this out together" Elizabeth stood next to Meliodas. She picked up a stone and skimmed it across the water "So we are going to spend the next month together?"
"If you want" Meliodas shrugged.
"Very much so. Though the Humans are very funny about a man and woman spending alone time together that are not family" Meliodas scratched his ear.
"So you propose a pairing of some sort?" Elizabeth picked up another rock. Meliodas followed suit. Meliodas nodded and clicked his fingers "We could pretend to be a couple?"
"Ain't we that already? A couple means two people" Meliodas flicked his rock and skimmed the water with it.
"A couple also means when a man and woman are dating"
"Oh, that" Elizabeth stuttered on her words.
"Well, We couldn't get away with being family related. We look nothing alike" 
"I guess that works" Elizabeth agreed.
"So, Shall we go to the Human's town? I don't know what it is called but I know they have an Inn there that we could use as a base to sleep in" Elizabeth nodded as Meliodas picked up both bags and flung them over his shoulder.
"I like that idea"