MONSTER

VIII

(A/N): Blame animation homework for the delay.

"Even if this Necropolis place exists, there's no way to get there."

"If it's the afterlife, you just have to die, right?"

"Are you an idiot?!"

Meliodas had a point, in a way. Though it was really stupid. I laughed at them, walking in circles around the three. "That doesn't sound safe."

The whole group had exited the tavern to look for an entrance to the Necropolis, trying to decipher the words of Ellen. However, there was no particular landmark or any sign of such kind that would indicate an entrance to the City of the Dead, and so were just walking around aimlessly waiting for a signal to turn up. I stuck beside Meliodas' side, while Elizabeth and Hawk walked in front of us aimlessly. Diane had gone off somewhere behind us, peeking around in the trees while Ban headed off west, to a dry patch of dirt.

"Precious memories shared with the dead huh." Elizabeth hummed softly with a smile. "I'd love to meet my mother! She died when I was too young to remember her!" She exclaimed excitedly with hopeful eyes, hands clenched.

That doesn't count. Hawk and I sighed, "Well that rules you out."

The princess' shoulders dropped as did her smile and she sighed a bit. "I guess you're right, I don't have any shared memories."

I hummed in thought, fingers tracing the crystal in my pocket. The face... Precious memories shared with the dead huh.... I can't think of anybody aside from Liz... If only I had my memories of Dahlia, of before that time. I'm sure I've lost people before. I wish I could remember. Being reminded of the lack of my memories unsettled me just as much as feeding did; it was a touchy subject.

My memories went only as far back as me turning up in Dahlia. With no damn idea who I was. And even now, my memories of my stay in Dahlia were... blurry at best. I couldn't remember doing what they said I did.

Yet it was the truth that I woke up in the middle of the burning town, with a bloody mouth and a tearful face, claws bloody and dirty with what I'd rather picture as not human flesh.

They said it was me who did it; who killed all of those people in Dahlia, destroyed the palace, burned down the town, and drank several people dry. It was a deeply unsettling story, for I could never picture myself doing something as monstrous as that, even if I had been starved for years. I'd never do that... right? But I was the sole survivor and when Danafor had captured me there was still blood around my mouth. I tried to forget as much as I could, avoid thinking that what happened really could have been me. Or at least, whoever I was before then.

A hand suddenly took mine out of my pocket, stopping my fidgeting. I startled and looked at Meliodas beside me, who squeezed my cold hand in his own warm one, gently. His emerald eyes seemed to know exactly what I was thinking about, somehow. He really did know all my tells.

I exhaled slowly, relaxing some in his grip. The warmth was unfamiliar to my own body, but it was soothing.

"You're okay." Meliodas whispered, squeezing my hand once more. I blushed a bit and nodded slowly. Whether it was a question, statement or reassurance didn't matter.

"Ban, that's so not your style!"

"What the hell..?!"

"Elizabeth! Look at all these flowers!" Diane giggled excitedly, waving us over.

Our attention was caught quickly by Diane's delighted voice and the four of us walked towards them quickly. My jaw dropped a bit at the sight of all those soft pink flowers, ones that had covered a large area so thickly I couldn't see the dirt. I am certain that Ban was standing on a dry patch of dirt. What the....