The Twelve Forgotten Zodiacs (SDS Fic)

Chapter 14

After a while of traveling, the group settled down by a lake to take a small break.

"Here Captain, I broiled this just for you!" Diane exclaimed, shoving a giant fish towards Meliodas. "Open up!"

Over in a separate group Brooks was talking with her friends, holding a mug of Siren's Ale to her lips.

"Good to see you live and well, Gabriel. For a second there, I thought you were dead when I saw you in the Necropolis."

"You know me better than to think that." Gabriel said.

"I guess." Brooks said, "But I can't can't help but worry about my comrades."

"Aw. I'm touched commander." Tut said, a grin on his face.

"Ah, shut up. I wasn't concerned about you. I knew your annoying self wouldn't allow you to die. But on to serious matters." Her expression turned serious, and the group around her looked at her awaiting what she was about to say.

"The Hell Knights are rising up for a war. They're stronger than they were the last time went against them. I don't know exactly what happened to make them this strong." She swirled the contents of the cup in her hand, "Needless to say, we'll need all of us."

"Even... Him?" Aria asked, looking at Brooks.

Brooks looked at her, nodding. "We need the most forgotten one of us all. Ophiuchus"
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Over at the castle, the Holy Knights and Holy Knight apprentices were gathered for a speech made by the Grand Master.

"Though the King can see the fore-coming Holy War, he has ordered us to lay down our arms, in hope of avoiding the conflict!" A man in red armor exclaimed, looking over the crowd. "But he was gravely mistaken! We are the blades defending the kingdom of Leonis! Holy Knights, Duty demands you hone your skills. At this I swear! We your Grand Masters shall lead the Holy Knights to victory and together we shall save Leonis!"

"A little over the top, wasn't it, Dreyfus?" The other man asked.

"Always so critical, Hendrickson." Dreyfus replied, the smug smile still on his face.

"Grandmaster, Sir Gilthunder and Sir Howzer have just returned from putting down the savages in the north." A guard said, getting the attention of Fraudrin.

"Good. Send them to my chambers." Dreyfus instructed.

Once in his chambers, he sat down at his desk, waiting for the two to arrive."Well done Howzer, Gilthunder."

"So Grand Master Dreyfus, when is this Holy War gonna happen, Sir?" A blond man asked, Gilthunder walking in behind him. "Cuts running all these errands for you is kinda making me soft."

"Yes." Dreyfus agreed, looking back at his book he had been holding. "When indeed?"

"You don't know? Not even who it'll be against?"

"You need to mind your tone, Howzer." Gilthunder said, walking up to the blond.

"It's all right." Dreyfus excused. "Now tell me of the Seven Deadly Sins."

"Yes, sir." Gilthunder said, "King has turned his back on the realm, and the sins are gathered four strong now."

"Hold on just a minute." Howzer said, looking back at Gilthunder. "Are you saying the next Holy War will be against the Seven Deadly Sins?"

"That remains uncertain." Dreyfus said, not noticing that Gilthunder was about to say something. "However, there's one thing I'm quite certain about. The Sins, Meliodas the Dragon Sin in particular, are great threats to the realm and must be eliminated."

"Yes, Grand Master Dreyfus." Howzer agreed.

"I assume you're aware of Danafall, the kingdom whose might once recalled that of Liones?" Dreyfus continued.

"Yeah. They say it was destroyed by some huge disaster." Howzer noted.

"It was completely erased." Dreyfus told them, not looking away from the window he was staring out of. "At the hands of Meliodas, who fell victim to his own wrath."

"You can't be serious. Even assuming that story is true, the realms Holy Knights outnumber the sins dozens of times over. And there's the New Generation now, right?" Howzer said.

"Howzer, I think your being optimistic." Gilthunder said, "I've herd something unnerving."

"And that is?" Dreyfus asked.

"I've heard news from a Holy Knight who sent his apprentice after the sins. Along with the same message from Knights who were guarding an old prison.

"What is this news, Guilthunder, I don't have all day." Dreyfus said, looking back at him slightly annoyed.

"The Zodiacs are back."

"You means those myths?" Howzer asked, "There's no way they ever existed, not to mention they're back. No being alive can hold the power they're rumored to have."

"This is very unnerving news indeed." Dreyfus murmured to himself, placing his hand to his chin.

"Wait, you're meaning they're real? That they actually existed?" Howzer asked.

"They existed ages ago. We thought most of them died years ago." Dreyfus explained, looking back out the window. "The rumors about them are only slightly exagerated, but all stories, most forgotten, hold a frightening amount of truth."

"So you're meaning to tell me, with only four of their group, they can easily overpower all of the sins? Effortlessly?"

"Yes. I'm afraid so."

"Why would the kingdom cast out people that strong and make them our enemy?" Howzer asked.

"They did a crime, much larger than what the Sins had committed."

"What crime could they of committed?"

"They killed the king."

Howzer took a step back. "No way." He said, his voice almost a whisper. He placed his hand on his head, "Well, as dreary and glum this conversation is, I have some prior engagements I need to get to." He said, and turned around, heading out the door and leaving Gilthunder and Dreyfus in the room alone together.

Once the door closed completely, Gilthunder walked up to Drefus, and whispered in his ear. "There are reports that Hendrickson's faction has snared several apprentice Holy Knights." He started, "And is working with them."

"I see." Dreyfus replied quietly, "I'll have to deal with that."

Gilthunder nodded and headed out of the room, leaving Dreyfus to stand alone in his office. "The Sins and the Zodiacs teaming up together. This might be more difficult that I first thought it would be."

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Hey Sinners! So sorry for not updating this in a while. I need to stop planning new stories and work on this one... WELL GUESS WHAT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN.

Anyways, I plan to work on this more in the future, hopefully get more chapters out and get this on an updating schedule. (Aka get more chapters pre-written)

Enjoy!

-Sin