Can I have Your Daughter?

Chapter 8

Again, the quick trip to the town was quiet. This made Meliodas nervous as they finally approached the main gate to the city. Quickly his fears were realized as they were greeted by empty streets, filled yet unmanned shops and stalls. The cobbled streets were much smaller than in Moraine, with this town being not even half its size. But it was a beautiful town. Meliodas could almost close his eyes and see the people who would have greeted them here. Bustling streets filled with vendors and people just trying to live.

His fist clenched at his side as the anger rose in his chest. What happened to these people? Were they gone because of him?

"Captain!" Meliodas looked up to see King with Chastiefol in spear form at the ready. He nodded down the road ahead of them, where black shadows crawled across the ground. Diane growled under her breath, alerting them that they were coming from the left as well. Looking to his right, he saw Ban swing his weapon under his arm and more shadows approaching.

"Captain, more magical puppets. But I feel a much more powerful magical source just ahead of us. This is most likely the controller." Gowther examined the shadows now closing in behind the group and cutting off the exit to the city.

In a single motion, all of the shadows that had been flat on the surface of the ground now rose and took shape into the cloaked figures the Sins had faced in Moraine. They were motionless, waiting.

"So if we take out the puppet master, we get rid of the puppets?" Meliodas unsheathed his sword and scanned ahead looking for the quickest way through. He would make it quick.

"I cannot confirm that hypothesis," Gowther continued deadpan, and Meliodas faltered. "As stated before, I have never encountered this power and am uncertain the outcome of removing the puppeteer. These magical puppets are different than those of Moraine."

"Yeah, I know what you mean." King steeled his gaze while examining the ever growing number of puppets surrounding them. "These puppets have much more magical makeup than the others. It's like... they're alive."

"That's because they are, or were."

Meliodas' gaze shot up to a cloaked figure a few rooftops ahead of them. It had been a woman's voice who spoke, but she looked like all of the others. A cloak and darkness.

"What are you babbling about?" Ban asked, his tone reflecting how not interested he truly was.

Meliodas didn't need her to answer, though. He already knew. "These are the people from Moraine." It wasn't a question. It was a full on accusation.

"My, how clever we are. Yes, these were the people from this and that other town. This is my magical ability; living puppet."

Ban's expression changed along with everyone else's. These were actual people they were fighting. Innocents. People who just wanted to live in peace. People who had woken up like any other day and then enslaved and used as cannon fodder.

"You bitch!" Ban snarled out, mirroring the thoughts and feelings of all of the sins.

All of the figures cloaks dropped to reveal the faces of men, women, and children. Blank and emotionless, softly whispering their pleas of salvation, "please... save... us..." The living puppets then bounded forward with lightning speed and initiated the assault on the Sins.

From her place at the window facing towards the town, Elizabeth watched until she couldn't see Meliodas or the other sins anymore. She hadn't been able to see them for some time now, and she clutched her hands close to her chest in fear or her friends.

"Princess, try not to worry too much." Elizabeth turned to see Merlin sitting atop one of the tables, one heeled boot crossed over the other and a confident smile over her lips. Elizabeth envied that confidence.

"I just... something doesn't feel right. I still don't understand why the Holy Knights would be attacking the Sins and the people again." Her gaze turned towards her feet and tears threatened to spill over her cheeks.

Merlin's smile only grew as she watched. It was hard watching the princess suffer in silence like this, but Merlin knew the consequence of spilling Meliodas' little secret was far too great. Instead, she produced a small handkerchief from her long coat and passed it to the teary princess, "Didn't you hear the Captain? He doesn't believe the Holy knights are attacking the citizens."

As Elizabeth took the small square of fabric and thanked her, Merlin's expression changed. She was suddenly very focused, and her gaze shifted so that she was looking to just beyond the window where she could see the fields clearly. Shadows moved quickly across the ground and disappeared below Hawk's mom.

"Lady Merlin." Neither Elizabeth or Merlin had heard Gilthunder enter the room from where he had been cleaning up, but Merlin had sensed his presence. She turned to look at him expectantly.

"I'll take care of it." With that, and without Elizabeth even getting the faintest clue that she was in danger, Gilthunder left through the tavern entrance and descended the rope ladder, landing on the ground below.

"What was-?"

Hawk squealed from the upper levels of the tavern catching Elizabeth's attention, "Hawk!?" She called about to run to him when the pig barreled down the stairs, panting and shaking, "We have to get out of here!"

"What?! What's wrong?" Elizabeth knelt down to Hawk as a heavy clanking brought all of their attentions to the staircase. As they waited, Merlin stood between the stairs and Elizabeth, becoming her barrier. A deep green-armored knight finally came into view as he continued on to the first floor with heavy steps.

"Princess Elizabeth, you are in grave danger, please come with me." The knights face was covered, but she could tell this was a man. She had never heard his voice before either. She clutched Hawk tightly.

"This is private property, Sir Holy Knight. I'm going to ask you to leave now." Merlin sighed, putting her hands up ready to cast him out should he refuse or put up a fight.

"I have been sent by the king himself to retrieve the princess. Keeping me from doing so is an act of treason against the kingdom of Lyoness." This voice was stern and resolute.

Elizabeth gasped at his accusation, but Merlin merely waved him off, "Dear, I have been a Sin, a traitor, and a hero all in the span of a single day. Your threats don't bother me." With a wave of her hand, the man was teleported outside – off the side of the giant pig.

"Lady Merlin-" Elizabeth began before she felt a presence behind her and Hawk squealed again. "Elizabeth watch out!" Just before the knight could get his hands on her, she ducked and ran out of the tavern, with Hawk right on her tail. A massive electrical storm erupted to the side of Mama Hawk and Elizabeth tumbled to her knees by the sheer force of it. Getting to her feet, she saw Gilthunder fighting off a large mob of the cloaked figures they had seen in Moraine, and they were coming after him with everything they had.

Meliodas jumped to avoid yet another mob of puppets, as he dashed to take on the puppet master. With every puppet they took out, another popped up in its place. This woman had two large towns worth of people at her disposal and not a single one of them seemed afraid to die.

Looking back, he could see his team doing their best to fend them off without causing any lethal harm. The sheer number of puppets were giving them more than they bargained for.

"There's too many!" King was using his giant plush Chastiefol to keep the puppets at bay, but they were beginning to overcome it.

"Let these people go!" Meliodas yelled as he ran up the side of a building and landed at the other end of the roof as the supposed puppet master, pointing his sword at her, his emerald eyes shining with anger.

"Unfortunately, I cannot do that. My master needs these souls. And besides, they are no longer people. They will never be human again. My magical ability is irreversible." The woman mused, unfazed by Meliodas' closeness or his growing anger.

That's when They all felt the shockwave from outside of the city, and a blast of light lit up the sky. Meliodas swung around with wide eyes to see the shadows and puppets flanking Gil and Mama Hawk outside of the city.