renegade (seven deadly sins)

INTERLUDE / this is home

<EDITED ON FEBRUARY 2>

<<>>

"Ow!"

You groaned as you got up, holding your head. A blanket fell, hitting a bottle and making it roll off the table. Harlequin yelped as he scrambled to a sitting position with a red welt on his forehead.

"What happened?" you muttered. You rubbed your temples. Never before in your life had your head hurt this much. You tried to push down the queasiness in your gut.

"You passed out drunk."

"Eh?!"

Harlequin nodded and perched on the edge of the table. "Ban managed to rope you into a drinking contest. I don't think I've ever seen someone beat him...probably because you'd have to be insane to drink that much."

You sighed. "There goes my sobriety streak."

Elizabeth came into the tavern with an armful of bottles. "Good morning!"

You and Harlequin echoed the greeting. You hopped off the table and took the bottles from her arms. She giggled as you rested your forehead on her shoulder.

"Elizabeth, I am in so much pain."

She patted your head. "It'll be okay. Your hangover will go away soon. Just drink plenty of water, okay?"

You nodded and reluctantly peeled away. When you stepped outside, you noticed Howzer leaning against the wall, seeming to be just waking up.

"Good morning, Howzer."

"Hey," he replied. He took your outstretched hand and pulled himself to his feet. "Surprised you didn't sleep in with how much you drank."

Comical tears streamed down your face. "Why must everyone remind me?" You shook yourself out of it and looked around. "Oh? Where did Diane go?"

"She already left."

Harlequin started yelling Diane's name. Howzer rolled his eyes. He ruffled your hair and grinned as you protested. He went inside, leaving you to your own devices.

You headed into town, dropping the bottles into a trash bin as you went. The morning was cool and sunny, a pleasant day for the festivities planned. You smiled at the sight of so many people as a team to rebuild Liones. It was a true testament to Human willpower.

"Watch out!"

You turned around to see a runaway cart rolling down the street. You stood your ground and stopped it, skidding back a few feet with the force. The cart's goods wobbled but stayed in place.

A man and his son ran to catch up with you. "Thank you," he said with a sigh of relief. "We were on our way to the marketplace when I lost control of my cart. Who knows who might've gotten hurt if you weren't there?"

You laughed. "I'm happy to help." You looked at the little boy, who was staring at you in awe. "Oh, I remember you. You were the boy that asked me to train you about a year ago."

The boy's expression brightened. "Y-You really remember me?"

"Of course. Let me think..." You snapped your fingers. "Dragon Sin Peliodas, right?"

He jumped up and down with excitement. "That's right! Me and my friends, the Seven Deadly Sins, are gonna keep Liones safe!"

You reached down and rubbed his head. "Well, train hard and listen to your father then, okay? Liones is counting on you."

He nodded, his eyes wide and sparkly. You waved and turned, walking deeper into town.

A scream caught your attention. The happiness from the moment vanished. Your mouth set into a terse line and you flew as fast as you could in the direction of the scream.