Fox Of Greed (Greedy Fox Book 1)

~~ TWENTY SEVEN ~~

The cool air of the forest lulled the turmoil inside me. The pain behind my eye was gone and the dream, memory, whatever it was had faded away. Only my resolve to take down the Seven Deadly Sins remained.

But something wasn't right! I blasted the tree I was leaning on. It crumbled into ash as flames covered my fist and arm.

A roar rose from the festival and no matter how much I itched to be ring side, biding my time, I couldn't be there now. As Leraj used to tell me, I got a teeny bit unstable when I was upset. Try breathing. He said that so often that was the mantra itself.

Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe-

"Argh!" A smoking hole the size of a dinner plate marred a tree trunk, skewering it straight through. And the one behind it. And the one behind that and the one after that. It continued for another five trees, growing smaller in smaller in size until it was just a blackened path on the final tree.

The canopy shook, birds taking flight with screeches. I drew a deep breath, the flames finally dying on my arm. There. Now I was calm. A resounding crack! echoed then a grating groan. The closest tree toppled to the ground.

I slumped down, head between my knees. I had to think rationally. What I remembered couldn't have happened. Never, ever. I'd never been inside that tavern before – I barely frequented taverns as it was. I was definitely not friends with Meliodas and neither was I chummy with the third princess of Liones.

That only left one option.

A member of their team had mind manipulative powers. But which one? I was never going to know. Unless I went back down there and continued the mission. All my heart needed was a thought to sky-rocket. Maybe... Leraj had been right.

I waited a while longer. The sun was high in the sky when I got to my feet, dusting dirt and leaves from my armour and shorts. I was unsure what would happen when I got back down there; I hoped no more conflicting hallucinations. My mind was both my safe haven and my worst enemy. I admitted it wouldn't take much to throw me over the edge with the right fodder.

The crowd was still roaring on top of the hill as I trudged back to it. I unstrapped my sword and readjusted the loop so it attached to another two loops at the top of the scabbard. I made sure to design my sheathe so I could easily fasten it to my back or to my waist depending on the situation.

Just as I was finishing the last of the fastenings around my waist, a voice hollered at me. "Hey, you!" I blinked then squinted at the figure standing in the middle of the road.

It was a pink pig with a barrel strapped to its back. Wait, it was the same pink pig I'd tripped over. But had it just talked? I walked closer and called out a tentative hello.

It squawked. "It is you!"

I reared back as it leapt at me, sobbing, tears streaming from its eyes and nose. I drew my sword, pointing the tip at the hog's nose.

"Estra!" It yelped, taking a few shaky steps back. "What's wrong?"

"How the hell do you know my name, porky?" I snarled, feinting a jab.

"Stop thrusting your sword in my face! Where did you even get that? Never mind that, where have you been? Everyone's been worried sick."

"I don't know who you are," I replied vehemently. "Now I suggest you get out of my way before you become a shish-kebab on my blade."

Those doleful eyes widened and wobbled. "Estra, it's me. It's Hawk. Remember, Captain of the Scraps Disposal."

A jolt ran from toes to head but I ignored the familiarity his name sparked within. "Like I said, I don't know who you are."