When you woke up, Meliodas was staring at you. Your smile turned into a yawn and then a gasp as Meliodas pulled you into his chest so fast you didn't register it. You smiled, lips brushing against his collarbone. How you had missed waking up in his arms.

Sunlight tiptoed into the room slowly. You went to get up, but Meliodas's arms tightened and now his head was buried in your chest. You couldn't help but exhale a laugh, your breath making his hair sway.

No. his voice in your head was thick with sleep but firm.

I've got to make breakfast.

Ban can do it. Or Hawk.

But - you tried to protest but were interrupted by a huge yawn. Against your will, your eyes began to close. Fine.

You could feel his smugness and would've rolled your eyes but settled for snuggling back under the covers instead.

You woke with a start. Something wasn't right. Sleep was still hovering at the edges of your mind like pins and needles but you pushed it back. Your eyes darted around the room looking for anything out of place. Meliodas was still asleep. The curtains were drawn. The door was shut. Everything was fine. And yet you couldn't relax.

A thud and a grunt came from upstairs. Ban. But before you could do anything, Hawk's voice called up the stairs.

'Out of bed, you lazy butts! Come and get your breakfast.'

Meliodas stirred and opened his eyes. As soon as they met yours, he smiled so big and warm it made you want to hug him so tight. So you pushed your worries for Ban to the back of your mind, got dressed and went downstairs to investigate if a pig really could make breakfast.

'Good morning, [Y/n],' said Elizabeth from where she was already seated with a plate of food.

'Good morning, Elizabeth.' You smiled. 'Are you feeling any better today?'

'Much better, thank you for asking.'

You walked over and peered down at the food Hawk had "prepared". You bent over to sniff it and felt something pinch your bum. Leaping up, you shot a glare over your shoulder to Meliodas who was walking away whistling.

'Is everything all right?' asked Elizabeth. You turned to her and smiled.

'Of course, nothing to worry about.' And you grabbed your own plate of food. For you, you added in your mind and felt Meliodas's laugh.

The food wasn't bad, not as bad as Meliodas's at least, and you ate beside Elizabeth with Meliodas opposite. Diane looked through the window and you wished her a good morning too.

Ban walked in and you watched him carefully. He seemed okay and you didn't want to bring it up in front of everyone. You resolved to keep a close eye on him that day and went back to your food. But not for long. Your eyes narrowed as you noticed Ban sit, not at the table with the food, but at the bar.

'I could sure use a drink, Captain,' Ban drawled, not looking at anyone.

Diane said exactly what you were thinking. 'A little early, don't you think?'

'Would you like to have some breakfast with us?' tried Elizabeth.

Ban huffed, a smile in his voice. 'You don't expect me to eat the captain's awful cooking, do you?' And Ban held a hand out to catch the bottle Meliodas threw his way.

But you caught it before it got to Ban.

When he didn't feel the bottle in his hand, Ban opened his eyes and looked down at you.

'Food first,' you said. Ban tilted his head and reached out to snatch the bottle back but you dodged each one of his swipes with ease. You grabbed his wrist with your free hand and squeezed it. 'Don't test me, young man. You're still on thin ice after what you did to Elizabeth last night.'

'Please, [Y/n], don't worry about that.' You heard Elizabeth say from behind you. 'That camp bed you set up was more than enough and very comfortable-'

Your eyes widened and then narrowed to slits. You squeezed Ban tighter. 'You made Elizabeth sleep on the camp bed?' Your voice was a hiss. Ban gulped and raised his free hand in surrender.

'Oh, no, I wanted to. That is, Sir Ban was already asleep when I got there and I didn't want to wake him and-' Elizabeth's apologies were rushed and hurried and tumbled over each other. You sighed a sigh so long and deep it felt like it came from your toes.

'Honestly,' was all you said. You released Ban's arm and chucked a slice of toast at him. 'Eat that. Then you can have a drink. And you!' You threw the bottle at your husband's blond head. He caught it before it made contact. 'Don't encourage him.'

Meliodas just smiled. Yes, mother.

You felt your cheeks heat up and quickly sat back down next to Elizabeth.

After breakfast was finished and the plates were all cleared away, Meliodas pulled out a map. He unfurled it across one of the tables and everyone gathered around (except Diane, who was still looking through the window).

'All right, guys, time to head for the Necropolis,' said Meliodas. You traced the route with your finger and tapped the destination a few times pensively. 'We'll start looking for King there.'

'Hold on,' said Ban now with his precious bottle. 'Didn't you say fatty-' you shot Ban a warning look but he just ignored you '-was six feet under these days?'

Meliodas shrugged. 'It's the only lead we've got, so I think we might as well check it out.'

If Gilthunder said it, it must've been for a reason.

Meliodas smiled at you. Exactly.

'The City of the Dead sounds scary,' Elizabeth said quietly. 'What kind of place is it?'

'I have no idea.' Meliodas folded his arms and looked away in thought. 'Honestly, the only thing I know about it is that it exists.'

'Look, guys, if you ask me, it's probably haunted with a spooky name like that,' said Hawk. You looked over at the pig who had begun to sweat. 'Bet it's gloomy and dark all the time with rows and rows of creepy graves everywhere.'

Elizabeth gasped and you poked Hawk in the face. 'Stop scaring her.'

'There won't be any bugs, right?' Diane's voice was quivering so you poked Hawk again.

Hawk glared at you then turned back to Elizabeth. 'Once we get there and start looking, what'll happen if we do find King? Do you really think he's still gonna be alive?'

Elizabeth put her hands over her ears and screwed up her eyes.

'Don't say anything else,' you hissed to the pig.

'Ghosts, huh?' said Meliodas.

A snore came from behind you and you looked around to see Ban had fallen asleep. You frowned. Guess he hadn't got much sleep. Something warm touched your hand and you started. You looked at Meliodas's concerned eyes and shook your head slightly, promising to tell him later. You glanced one more time at Ban. His sleeping face was so untroubled you couldn't help the fond smile that pulled at your lips.

'Well,' Meliodas's voice snapped you out of your thoughts, 'we've got a while before we get there. I need to talk to [Y/n], so see you guys later.' And next thing you knew, Meliodas was grabbing your hand and pulling you up the stairs to your bedroom.

You sat on the bed and folded your hands neatly in your lap and watched Meliodas close the door with a soft snap.

'So, what's going on?' He looked over at you with eyes that you swore could see into your soul. You looked down and started to twist the ring on your finger. His hand was on yours, stopping your fidgeting. 'Hey, it's okay. Deep breath and just... start from the beginning.'

You looked up and nodded. The first breath you took was shaky. The second one was a little better. And, with the third, you were ready to start.

'Okay, so, you remember when I left five years ago?' you said. Meliodas nodded and you saw his eyes cloud over so you quickly hurried on. 'Well, I just wanted to say I'm s-' But you were stopped by Meliodas's hand over your mouth.

'Don't,' he said.

'But-'

He shook his head. 'Don't,' he said again. You felt tears prick in the corners of your eyes and went to brush them away angrily but his fingers were already there, soft and gentle, catching each drop before they could fall. 'It's not your fault.'

A smile wobbled its way onto your face and, after a few moments, it was steady.

'Oh, I forgot to tell you!' Your shout was so sudden it made Meliodas jump. You giggled. 'Sorry, but I just remembered. I saw Merlin!'

'What?' Meliodas's eyes were wide. You nodded. 'Well, where is she?'

You pouted. 'She made me swear not to tell you, look.' And you showed him the tiny glowing purple star on the inside of your right wrist. Meliodas brushed his thumb over it. 'She said this is the mark of our promise and if I ever broke it then my hand would fall off.' Meliodas's eyes snapped up to yours. You shrugged. 'I think she was joking.'

'When I see her again...' Meliodas's voice trailed off threateningly and you patted his knee.

'You know, there isn't going to be enough time for us both to say everything that happened to us,' you said, looking out the window at the trees rushing by.

'Just the highlights, then,' said Meliodas.

You grinned. 'Okay. Highlights... hm... Lots of bandits, a kid named Arthur, Merlin obviously, a dragon, pirates and a giant squid. Okay, your turn.'

'Woah, wait, what?' Meliodas stared at you. 'Dragons? Pirates?'

'Just one dragon.' You shrugged. 'Now your turn.'

Meliodas shook his head. 'The only things interesting that happened to me happened in the past few days since Elizabeth came.'

You kicked his knee lightly then lay down with your head in his lap. His hand began to rub your back, the same spot in between your shoulder blades, and you hummed in pleasure. 'Then tell me how you know it's my turn first.'

Meliodas's hand stopped rubbing and you looked up at him. He was unbuttoning his shirt. You felt your cheeks warm and licked your suddenly dry lips. He winked down at you but then his shirt was off and you were sitting up with a gasp. On his right shoulder was a jagged scar, faded but still noticeable. You reached out a shaking hand to touch it.

'Is that where Gilthunder...?' your voice trailed off as you traced the shape of the wound.

Meliodas nodded. 'At first I thought you healed it even though I told you not to but then I remembered. It happened after Doctor Dana poisoned me, so you couldn't've.' You froze. Meliodas caught your hand still on his shoulder in both of his. 'And remember the Doctor was stabbed? He died. But when you met him, he was right as rain.'

A watery laugh bubbled out of your lips. 'It's really my turn first.'

Meliodas nodded and you both just sat there smiling at each other until he snapped his fingers.

'So what's up with Ban?'

You sighed and ran a hand through your hair. 'He had a strange dream last night. I don't know, it's like he's... really sad. I'm worried about him.'

'Hey, it'll be okay,' said Meliodas with a soft smile. 'This is Ban we're talking about, remember?'

'I guess.' You were quiet for a moment until you remembered a question you had. 'What about that thing you were thinking about that night? It was us... flying?'

'I'm sorry, but I can't tell you yet,' he said. You pursed your lips but nodded. For some reason, your back started to throb which reminded you of something else you were going to do.

You rolled onto your stomach and looked over your shoulder at Meliodas. 'Give me a massage.'

He laughed and got to work. You sighed as Meliodas's nimble hands started to rub your back. He was so good at this. His hands made their way back to that spot again and, through your haze of bliss, you wondered how he knew about it. It was always that one spot that bothered you in particular and you didn't think you'd ever told him and yet he always found it with ease. But now wasn't the time for riddles. It was the time for relaxing.

As he massaged, Meliodas sometimes gave you kisses. They were feather-light, almost tickling, on your back, shoulders and neck. After some time, the ratio of massaging to kisses changed and the kisses themselves changed. They were harder, longer and made your stomach clench with anticipation.

Eventually you couldn't take it anymore. You rolled over with a groan and looked up at Meliodas's face. He was staring at you with that lopsided smirk again and hungry eyes. You felt your own smirk twist your lips and knotted your hands in his shirt and pulled him down roughly to your lips. No more relaxing. You had five years to catch up.

There was a knock at the door.

'Who is it?' you called, trying to make your voice sound normal despite your heavy breaths and Meliodas's hands that were still roaming your body.

'It's Elizabeth,' said the princess. 'May I come in?'

You sat up so fast it made your head spin. Meliodas chucked you your shirt from god-knows-where and you buttoned it up with shaking fingers. 'One second!'

Meliodas was putting his own shirt back on and you made the bed. Your heart was pounding and your face was flushed and your eyes darted around wildly for anything out of place. Seeing nothing, you walked over to the door and tried to fix your hair. With one hand on the handle, you looked back at Meliodas. He was sitting cross-legged on the bed. To anyone else he would've looked perfectly normal, but you saw the colour in his cheeks and the way his eyes had darkened. You nodded, took a deep breath and hitched a smile onto your face. You opened the door.

'Hi, Elizabeth. Are you okay?' You stepped back to let her in.

'Ah, yes,' she said. 'Hawk just told me to tell you we were nearly there. He said you'd need the reminder. And Sir Ban said to make sure to knock first.'

Immediately, you felt your face burn. You could also feel Meliodas's amusement. Damn cocky bastards.

'Thank you, Elizabeth, that was very kind of you,' you said. You linked your arm with hers and walked down the stairs together with Meliodas following.

'I would've knocked anyway.' Elizabeth's voice was nervous. 'I don't know if that's a rule here, but I want you to know I'd never come in unannounced.'

You smiled and shook your head, mentally vowing to give Ban a good kick. 'It's fine, it's fine.' You patted Elizabeth's arm. 'Ignore Ban. He's just a fool.'

'It's true,' said Meliodas.

The three of you walked into the bar area together. Ban ambled over, looked you and Meliodas over and, without a word, gave Meliodas a high five. You let go of Elizabeth and smiled sweetly at Ban before kicking the back of his knee. Ban's leg buckled and he half fell to the ground and you just kept that sweet, sweet smile on your face.

'Hey, guys, come check it out,' Diane called.

It was not long after your sweet revenge. You had banished Ban and Meliodas outside and the last few minutes had been so peaceful with just you and Elizabeth.

You sighed and turned to Elizabeth. 'Ready for the noise again?'

She giggled and nodded. Together you exited the bar. The first thing you noticed was Ban stretched out on the steps, fast asleep again. You felt a twinge of guilt for making him stay outside but pushed it back. Meliodas strolled up to you and Elizabeth with his hands in his pockets and an easy smile.

With a great rumbling, Hawk's mum slowed to a stop. It made Ban slide off the steps and you would've laughed, but you were too busy looking at what was in front of you.

'We're here!' Meliodas's voice was cheery but you frowned.

This was the Necropolis? There were a few houses, each one run down and derelict with holes in the rooves and walls. There were no people. The woods that surrounded the hamlet were sneaking closer and closer to the houses, ready to reclaim their territory.

'So this is the Necropolis?' asked Diane. 'It's not what I expected.'

You nodded.

'How'd a run-down little village end up with a name like that anyway?' said Hawk.

'Rumour has it this should be the place that's closest to it,' Meliodas said as he helped Elizabeth down from Hawk's mum.

You went to join them but, before you did, you turned to Diane. 'Do you think one day he'll realise that all his information comes from drunk people?'

She giggled and shook her head. You rolled your eyes with a wry smile and stepped lightly off Hawk's mum, landing lightly right beside Ban.

With the Boar Hat all set up, you all gathered around Meliodas in a loose circle.

'Let's see if we can get some intel on King and find out where to go from here,' Meliodas said with his hands on his hips. 'And we're all gonna need to make a little food money right away, so let's get the tavern up and running.'

'What do you know, guess the captain really does sell the drinks,' said Ban.

'And I'm gonna put all you guys to work too.' Meliodas pointed to Diane. 'Bring in some customers, jumbo billboard girl.'

Diane's eyes lit up. 'Are you sure?'

'You start grilling up some tasty grub, jailbird cook.' Meliodas's finger moved over to Ban.

'Oh, who, me?' Ban's smile was so weird it made you shiver. 'Only if I get my sous chef to help out.' Ban looked at you and you grinned back.

'It'll be nice to cook with someone who actually knows what they're doing for once,' you said.

'Are you sure this guy handling our food? Even if [Y/n] is with him it seems a little risky to me,' said Hawk.

'Trust me, I know it's hard to believe, but this guy is a real whiz in the kitchen,' Meliodas told Hawk ignoring the jab you made.

'Yeah, well, I don't know about that.' Ban held up a hand and looked away all bashful.

'Oh stop being so modest,' you said and punched his arm. You crouched down and looked Hawk in the eye. 'This guy can make food that tastes like heaven. He's made kings weep and angels sing. His apple pie is a hug in pastry. His soups are so deep and complex it's like swimming in history. Once he made a meal so good, he stopped a war.'

Hawk's eyes were so big it made you laugh. Drool was flowing out the pig's mouth like a waterfall. You felt a hand on your head and looked up at Ban who was full on blushing now. You smiled warmly. You knew how much cooking meant to him and besides, you kind of owed him after making him sleep outside. And you always had a great time cooking together.

Meliodas clapped his hands drawing everyone's attention.

'All right, let's get to work! Put your backs into it, you guys!' he said and you couldn't help but smile as his infectious mood spread through the group.

'Please, Sir Meliodas, I want a job,' said Elizabeth. 'My injuries don't bother me anymore.'

'Just don't push too hard.'

'You got it!'

You grabbed Elizabeth by the arm. 'Come on, you can help me set up the kitchen.' As you pulled her away you heard Diane expressing her thanks to Meliodas in a very Diane way. 'I'm sure it won't come as a surprise to you, but after being in Meliodas's hands for so long the kitchen won't be up to Ban's standards at all.'

Elizabeth laughed and you shot her a grin over your shoulder.

Is Ban with you? Meliodas's voice said in your mind.

Nah, just Elizabeth. Why?

He just took off.

You frowned. I wonder why.

But you pushed it aside to focus on the task at hand. Together you and Elizabeth put the kitchen back together. Herbs and spices got put back in the right place with the right labels ('I don't know if he did this as a prank, someone was pranking him or he genuinely didn't know the difference between garlic and nutmeg.'). Elizabeth unearthed the best pot you'd hidden so Meliodas wouldn't ruin it. And through it all, like a motivational song in the background, Diane's voice could be heard.

'We've got amazing drinks! And there's a super-cute billboard girl who'll welcome you in! Step up to the Hot Boar Tavern!'

You caught Elizabeth's eye, both looking away quickly but neither able to stop the giggles.

'We've got plenty of free goodies just for coming inside!'

You raised an eyebrow. We do?

Let her have her fun.

Well where's my free goody?

I can give you one tonight. Meliodas's voice turned husky and you hid your blush from Elizabeth in a tea towel.

After some time, though not as much as you expected, the kitchen was complete so you and Elizabeth went into the main bar area armed with mops, cloths and buckets.

'Hey, you two,' Meliodas greeted from behind the bar.

You smiled at him before tossing Elizabeth a cloth. The princess began to clean the counter so you got to work on the tables.

'So, Sir Meliodas, um, how would you describe King? What kind of person is he?' asked Elizabeth as she worked. You couldn't help but snicker and, having finished, hopped onto the table and prepared yourself for the story.

'Hm, let's see now.' Meliodas leant back to think. 'I'd say he's kind of like the Seven Deadly Sins' mascot. Our pet, I guess?'

You snorted.

'Hey, you know perfectly well there's no pets allowed in here,' said Hawk loudly. 'Having an animal in a dining establishment is disgusting.'

You, Meliodas and Elizabeth stared blankly at the pig.

'Ever heard the word irony?' said Meliodas. 'Oh, about King. There was a time when Ban was totally into collecting plushies.'

Elizabeth's eyes grew wide. 'Seriously?'

'That's just adorable,' said Hawk.

You rolled your eyes. 'I think you're forgetting what kind of person Ban is.'

¾

You walked into the room from which King's crying could be heard and stopped. You blinked.

'Are we opening up a cuddly toy shop or something?' you asked and picked up one of the many toys piled around Ban.

Meliodas looked up from patting King on the back and opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by a loud wail.

'He's a nasty man!' shouted King and ran into your arms. Instinctively, your arms curved around the fairy and Meliodas recapped what went down. You glared at Ban from over King's shoulder but the Fox Sin was passed out drunk in his hoard.

'Hey, it's okay, King,' you said soothingly. 'He's asleep now, so why don't we return them all?' King looked at you and hiccupped. 'And I bet you could fix all the broken ones; you are good at sewing after all.'

King smiled a watery smile and you both got to work returning all the toys Ban had stolen.

¾

'Sir King seems like he might be a little strange, but he seems like a man with a really warm heart.' Elizabeth smiled. 'I admire that.'

'But it also means Ban is an even bigger jerk than I already thought he was,' Hawk pointed out. 'I bet they fought all the time.'

'What would make you say that?' said Meliodas. 'King and Ban were practically joined at the hip.'

You snorted. 'Yeah, 'cause King was the one to clean up Ban's messes.'

'But when all's said and done, they did make an excellent team,' Meliodas pointed out.

There was a loud crash from outside. You looked around and sighed. 'I bet he's making one such mess right now.'

Meliodas went to laugh but stopped. You sat up straight.

You feel that?

That's a lot of magical power.

'What should we do?' Elizabeth asked, wringing her hands.

'Guess we should take a look.' Meliodas shrugged. He led the way out of the Boar Hat and into the village.

The sounds of fighting got louder. It was definitely Ban's voice but you couldn't quite make out the other. As you jogged you looked over at Meliodas. Was he carrying a stein from the bar?

Why have you got that?

He looked at the mug and shrugged.

Up ahead, Ban came into view. His eyes were narrowed and his shirt was torn. He was in a familiar stance so you stopped and held out a hand, catching Elizabeth around the middle. Meliodas kept going and, when he was close, jumped up and tapped Ban on the head with the stein in his hand.

'Bad Ban,' Meliodas scolded.

You rolled your eyes and lowered your arm, allowing Elizabeth and Hawk to move again.

'Hey, Captain, could you butt out?' said Ban, rubbing his head where it was hit. 'I'm kinda busy here.'

'What's the matter with you? Think you can just skip out on work?'

'What's the matter with me? Some little punk I've never seen before came out of nowhere and started a fight.'

You looked up to where Ban was pointing and gasped.

'I mean, just look at what he did to my sweet threads.' Ban was rambling on.

Loud footsteps came from the right as Diane appeared on the scene. 'All right, someone better tell me what all this commotion's about.' And then she stopped and stared at the boy hovering right in front of her nose.

'King!' Your, Meliodas and Diane's voices mixed in the air.

Ignoring Ban's shouts, you waved up at King. 'Long time no see, King. How've you been?'

'King we came to look for you and now you're here,' said Diane. 'This is incredible. I'm so happy to see you again.'

You smirked; you knew what was going to happen now. King's blush would be so big you'd be able to see it from the Boar Hat. But, to your surprise, King just turned and flew off into the forest. Your mouth dropped open and you looked at Diane who was watching the space where King had disappeared. You reached a hand out to her but stopped. Someone was watching you.

Two children peeked out from behind one of the rundown houses.

'Hello,' you said with a soft smile. 'Are you two okay?'

The kids didn't say anything.

'You brats are still here, huh?' said Ban. Then he turned and walked away. He had only gone a few steps before he looked over his shoulder at them. 'You coming to get some food or what?'

The children looked at each other, then grinned so wide and ran after Ban. Or they tried to. They'd gone two steps when the girl stumbled. In a flash you were at her side.

'Let me help you,' you said and tossed her over your shoulder as easily as putting on a jacket. The boy tensed but the girl laughed and he relaxed again. 'What's your name?' You began to walk.

'Ellen.' The little girl's voice was quiet.

'That's a very pretty name.'

Ellen didn't say anything but she rested her head against your shoulder and you smiled.

You looked over your shoulder at Meliodas. He caught your eye and winked.

Back at the Boar Hat, you left Ellen and her brother at a table and joined Ban in the kitchen.

'Looks like someone tidied up in here,' Ban said as he looked around at the immaculate room.

'I don't know what you're talking about.' You shrugged and tossed him an apron. You went to get some pans out but felt a hand on your head. When you looked up, Ban wasn't looking at you, but you smiled nonetheless. 'You're welcome.'

Ban began to cook and you helped where you could until finally a veritable feast was prepared. You and Ban carried it out and set everything before Ellen and her brother.

'Okay, everybody, dig in.' Ban's voice was unenthusiastic. Hawk was not. Meliodas held the pig back by one ear.

Ellen and her brother stared at the plates in awe. 'It's great but we really don't-'

'If you won't eat it, I'm just gonna give it all to the pig.'

'We're eating!'

You walked over to Meliodas and he wrapped his arm around your waist, letting go of Hawk in the process. The children began to eat with enthusiasm.

'It's time for some give and take, all right,' said Ban, sitting down opposite the children. 'Now tell me everything you know about this Necropolis place.'

'What are you doing, Ban?' you asked, resting your head on Meliodas's shoulder. 'Finding King was our mission so there's no reason to go there anymore, right?'

'Right.' Meliodas nodded.

'No way in hell that little punk is King,' said Ban.

'Trust me, that's really him.'

'I think he's a fake.'

'Nope, it's really him.' Meliodas let you go to get in Ban's face.

'He's a fake.'

Just as you were about to stop the childish squabble, Ellen's brother did it for you.

'So you guys are trying to get into the Necropolis too?' he asked.

'Too?' You cocked your head.

'That boy's asked us questions about it a lot and he told me that he had to find it, no matter what.'

'King said that, huh?' said Meliodas.

'He told us he'd been looking a long time, too.'

'So it's actually here in this rundown place?' Hawk piped up.

The boy shook his head. 'No, but it's not far away.'

'Then where is it exactly?' asked Diane.

'The entrance to the Necropolis can be found here in this hamlet. But it's not a place you can reach just because you want to.' His voice changed slightly, like he was telling a spooky story around a campfire.

'Look, man, riddles have never really been my thing,' said Ban. You snickered and he glared at you.

'Oh, I get it,' Meliodas said. You stared at him in shock-he did? 'So what you're saying is it's something like this!'

You stared down at the contraption your husband had made and sighed. It was a plate of food suspended in front of Hawk's nose. Guess he didn't (although Hawk couldn't reach it even though he wanted to, in the Necropolis case it was probably more metaphorical).

'I don't think that's it,' said Elizabeth. Meliodas pouted.

'So it's like a grave that's normally hidden, right?' you asked.

'It's not a grave at all.' The boy still had his story-telling voice. 'It's a land unto itself, a place where you'll find the spirits of those who've died.'

'Are we talking about the afterlife?' said Meliodas.

Elizabeth put her hand on her chin. 'How could we reach a place like that?'

'How can I reach this plate right here?' Hawk stretched for the food in front of him but couldn't reach. Taking pity on the pig, you released him from Meliodas's contraption.

'Tell me, have you guys ever had a chance to go there yourselves?' Ban leant forward in his seat.

The boy shook his head furiously. 'Oh no, of course not. All that stuff's just superstitious nonsense.'

But you weren't looking at him. Ellen had gone still and had a kind of vacant look on her face. You got ready in case she fainted again, but instead she started to speak.

'If you share with the dead your precious memories, they will lead you to where you want to go,' she said. 'The man next door used to say that to us all the time. I'm sorry, but that's all I know.'

Ban reached out at ruffled Ellen's hair. 'That tip just paid for your meal and then some. Seriously, well done. Thanks a lot, Elaine.'

Your eyes darted to Ban.

'Um, my name-my name is Ellen.'

'Oh yeah.' Ban's laugh was easy-going. 'I'm sorry about that, Ellen. Now eat, there's still food on your plate.'

'Right!'

'What kind of reason could it be that Sir King wants to get into the Necropolis now?' asked Elizabeth.

'I know, that's a really good question,' said Meliodas. 'Guess we'll learn the answer when we get there.'

'Even if this Necropolis place actually exists, there's no way to get to the other side,' said Hawk.

It was some time later. Ban had gone on ahead with Ellen and her brother and you, Meliodas, Elizabeth, Hawk and Diane were walking around the hamlet looking for some clues as to where the Necropolis could be. Well, most of you were. You looked up at Diane who was scanning the forest.

'Looking for someone?' you teased. Diane blushed and shook her head.

'No,' she stammered and then looked at her feet. 'But why did King run away after seeing me?'

Your eyes softened. 'Maybe it wasn't you; maybe he got scared of Hawk.'

Diane laughed and started walking again just in time for you to hear what Elizabeth was saying.

'If I could, when my mother died I was too young to remember,' she said and now it was your turn to stop. Each one of your muscles froze and your head started to spin. From a faraway place, Elizabeth was still talking but you were somewhere else. Somewhere scary.

And then, all of a sudden, everything came back into focus. You looked down at Meliodas's hand that had wrapped around yours and blinked.

It's okay. His voice was soft and his thumb rubbed your knuckles. It's okay.

You took a deep shuddering breath and nodded. He reached up and brushed away a tear on your cheek you hadn't noticed. Hand in hand, the two of you caught up to Elizabeth, Hawk and Diane.

A delicate smell drifted through the breeze. Just ahead was a field of stunning pink flowers and, in the middle of them looking out of place, stood Ban.

Diane's laugh cut the silence. 'Ban, that is so not your style.'

'What the hell is this?' said Ban, looking around at the flowers. You frowned.

'Elizabeth, come here! Look at all these flowers.'

You trailed behind, still hand in hand with Meliodas.

'Who cares about a bunch of stupid old flowers,' said Hawk. 'You can eat these things all day long but they'll never fill you up.' And he snorted in impatience.

His breath caught the petals of the flower right in front of his nose and they flew up into the air. And then all the petals were flying. They hung in the air like a snowstorm on pause. They started to spin, a pink whirlwind with you, Meliodas, Elizabeth, Diane, Ban and Hawk at the centre.

'Pretty,' said Diane as she looked around. But you noticed Meliodas was on guard, standing in front of Elizabeth.

'Hey, you guys!' A voice called. You looked around. Just outside the petals, their clothes flapping in the breeze, stood Ellen and her brother. 'Be careful!'

The wind picked up and you couldn't see them anymore but you heard Ellen's voice. 'Hey, lady! Mister!'

It was getting louder, the wind faster. You pulled some hair out of your mouth.

But then everything stopped.

It was calm.

You were in a different place. It was very green; huge green crystals were everywhere and even the sky was green. It was empty and silent but it wasn't cold. The air felt different, more tingly, and it smelt different too. The smells were all things from your past, like daisies and spring water and armour polish and-

'Do you think it was my wish to meet my mother that opened it up and carried us here?' asked Elizabeth.

'Maybe it was my powerful longing for all the scraps I missed in my long and colourful life,' said Hawk.

Meliodas scratched his ear. 'My mind was totally blank.'

'Mine too,' said Diane, leaning down. You made a noise of agreement.

Ban started running. It made you jump.

'Hold it!' called a voice. You looked up just in time to catch King zipping through the air after Ban.

'King?' you asked in bewilderment.

'But how did he get here?' said Elizabeth.

'What the hell's going on?' said Hawk.

'Captain, what're we supposed to do?' said Diane.

Meliodas put a hand on his head. 'I guess we'll run after them for now.'

So that's what you did.