Fox Of Greed (Greedy Fox Book 1)

~~ FORTY FOUR ~~

I woke in my bed. Bird song trickled through the open window and I sat up, the world's worse headache from crying trying to tear my head in half. I sniffled, threw the blankets off me and stumbled to the cupboard.

The others were downstairs, clattering away. It had to be mid morning so I must have slept through the night. Force of habit had me changing out of the clothes I slept in and rifling through the piles still stacked in the closet. I withdrew a pair of dark cargo pants and a lime-green cropped singlet with inbuilt support. I decided against wearing my sword even though my waist felt empty without it yet I kept on the choker Leraj had gifted me and I laced up a pair of ankle-high boots I discovered in the back of the closet.

Afraid to look, I stepped in front of the mirror. Bruises peppered my skin but they were faded to yellow blotches now. My hair was a mess; I ran my fingers through it and got snagged too many times to continue that disastrous effort. I let it hang down, framing my thin face. I'd lost a bit of weight, but it wasn't all for naught.

Seemed my time with the Holy Knights, no matter how little, hadn't totally been harmful to me. I'd developed a bit more muscle over the weeks. I gave my abdominals a poke – they were just shy of rock hard.

My face was still haggard but a smile at the muscle gains I'd made brightened my complexion. I flexed and posed in the mirror some more before my stomach grumbled and forced me out of my room.

I flounced down the stairs, in considerably higher spirits than I had been yesterday. The memories were all there, raw and fresh, yet they didn't haunt me like they had before. I feel like me again.

"Hello."

I skidded to a stop on the last step, arms flailing to right myself. Standing before me was a pink haired man with golden eyes. He was wearing a white top with purple sleeves, plain pants and overall had girlish features.

"Do I know you?" I questioned.

He adjusted the glasses on his face, the eye contact he was making with me becoming exceedingly uncomfortable. Did he ever blink?

"I am Gowther, the Goat's Sin of Lust." He struck a pose and the collar of his shirt slipped slightly to reveal the maroon tattoo on the right side of his chest.

"Huh, so Meliodas managed to find some more. You, Meliodas, Diane and now King and Ban makes five so you guys must be close to finding the others."

"Correct. Although our search was also to look for you. You're Estra, the original sin of Greed."

"Yes, I am. It's nice to meet y-" A blue light shot from his finger and hit my forehead. It was warm but not overly so. After a second, he dropped his hand and I stood there, confused and speechless.

"So you really were a fox. And you lived with your family, who were also foxes. Your mother, father and three siblings. But strange, there's another story there. You had a human family."

I made to grab for his shirt but thought better of it. The others might still be touchy and I didn't want to provoke another attack. My hand hovered between the two of us until I jabbed a finger in his direction. "I'm warning you now, Gowther. Unless you want me to rip off your head, get out."

"You are quite volatile. I understand, I will leave now." And just like that, he walked away to hang near the bar counter. I took the final step off the staircase and noticed that the others were watching us.

The nerves bubbled away inside of me as Meliodas made his way over. I wasn't sure how he'd react; he had been calm and cool after welcoming me back home but I had a feeling that there was always something more to the Captain's thinking. Just because his eyes looked cheerful and unsuspecting didn't mean his mind was silent; it was probably churning away with so much information and plans and whatnot.