Chapter 16: Stone, Fire and Flowers
Meliodas lay in the bathtub, finally allowing himself to completely relax.
Owen had manifested as well. For some reason, the familiar had formed a small floating ring and was calmly relaxing beside him, sipping ambient Straum from a tiny cup topped with a ridiculous little umbrella. He looked perfectly at ease.
Meliodas chose to ignore him and instead let his thoughts drift over everything that had happened.
He had explained most of it to Tyka.
As expected, Tyka had simply shrugged it off.
“Glad you’re alive, bro,” he’d said. “But before you tell me anything else…” He pinched his nose, grimacing. “You kinda stink. Like, really bad.”
At the time, Meliodas had sniffed himself and nearly gagged.
“Damn. You’re right.” And so, the bath.
Once finished, Meliodas stood as he let his aura flare briefly, warm orange fire drying the water from his skin in seconds. Owen remained in the tub, unbothered by Meliodas's actions, still floating lazily. Meliodas shrugged and reached for his uniform.
It was clean. Spotless. Practically sparkling. Neat, he thought.
Meliodas looked at himself in the mirror, fiery orange eyes staring back.
“Still alive,” he murmured quietly to himself.
Being with Tyka had helped him process the near-death experience far more than he’d expected. Meliodas slipped on his glasses, took one last glance at his reflection, then walked out of the bathing area. Owen stayed behind in the tub, still relaxing, and made no move to follow.
Tyka was stretched out on his bed, humming softly, completely relaxed. He glanced over as Meliodas entered.
“Hey,” Tyka said with a grin. “Now you don’t just look like a prince, you smell like one too.”
Meliodas shook his head, amused, as he sat down on his own bed.
A brief silence settled between them before Tyka spoke again.
“So,” he said casually, “tell me more about this familiar of yours.”
“Sure,” Meliodas replied.
He reached out through their connection, calling Owen.
Owen drifted lazily out of the bathing area, floated over, and settled onto Meliodas’ shoulder. The little golem raised one small hand in a relaxed greeting, copying Tyka’s usual greeting with surprising accuracy.
Tyka burst out laughing.
“I thought familiars were supposed to be impressive,” he said between chuckles. “Majestic figures, ancient beasts. That one’s cute, yeah, but what exactly does he bring to the table?”
Owen ignored him and floated forward, positioning himself before Meliodas.
The air around them shifted.
A faint vortex formed as Owen drew in ambient Straum, the movement subtle but unmistakable. Tyka frowned, watching the small figure with growing confusion.
The Vortex disappeared and Owen floated closer, and punched him straight in the nose.
Tyka flinched as a sharp sting hit him, a thin line of blood immediately forming. He stared at Owen, eyes wide in shock, just as the familiar calmly retreated back to Meliodas’ shoulder.
“Hey,” Meliodas said flatly. “That wasn’t nice, Owen. Apologize to Tyka.”
Tyka stared at the little golem, disbelief written all over his face.
“…Amazing,” he muttered.
“Are you okay tyka?” Meliodas asked.
“Yeah,” Tyka said, rolling his shoulders. “More than okay.”
He stepped forward and, to Meliodas’ surprise, bowed slightly toward Owen.
“My apologies for misjudging you, little guy, no, soldier,” Tyka corrected himself with a grin. “And… thanks. I can feel it. You replenished some of my Straum.”
Meliodas glanced at Owen, curiosity flickering across his face. “You can replenish other people’s Straum too?”
Owen looked at Tyka, raised a tiny hand, and gave a crisp salute. Then, after a brief pause, he added a small bow before relaxing completely.
Mission complete.
Without another reaction, Owen drifted backward and dissolved into Meliodas’ core space, the familiar presence settling instantly. The connection dimmed as he fell asleep.
Meliodas exhaled softly.
“…That’s incredible,” Meliodas whispered.
“Wow,” Tyka said, genuinely impressed. “Congrats, bro. That’s really useful, and perfect for you.”
“Yeah,” Meliodas shrugged lightly. “All I had to do was almost die.”
Tyka burst out laughing.
“Minor inconvenience.” He stretched his arms and continued,“So… did you look at our schedule yet? Because I didn’t really understand any of it.”
Meliodas reached into his robe and pulled out a small piece of parchment. He unfolded it carefully, eyes scanning the lines as his expression shifted from neutral… to thoughtful.
“…Yeah,” he said slowly. “I think I get it.”
He glanced up at Tyka.
“It’s not really a schedule,” Meliodas said, rereading the parchment. “It just says we’re supposed to report to our Classroom tomorrow morning. We’ll get further instructions there.”
He lowered the paper, frowning slightly.
“Weird.” Meliodas said in a whisper
Tyka shrugged, completely unbothered.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“Eh. Nothing too complicated.” Tyka spoke
He stood up and stretched.
“Come on, then. I’ll give you a proper tour of the grounds.” Tyka said as he moaned
Meliodas looked at him, suspicion clear on his face. Entrusting that task to Tyka didn’t inspire much confidence.
“Relax, bro,” Tyka said, grinning. “My sense of direction isn’t that bad. Besides, I’ve already explored most of the island.”
He paused, then added thoughtfully,“They really should modify the grounds though. Feels kinda cramped.”
Meliodas burst out laughing.
A while later, Meliodas and Tyka were seated on a stone bench near one of the fountains. Both leaned back lazily, cups of water in hand, slurping noisily as the sun climbed high above them. It was nearly noon. The heat wasn’t harsh, but it lingered just enough to make itself known.
“So,” Tyka said between gulps, “what do you think?”
Meliodas took another sip before answering.
“Not too complicated. Most things are clearly marked, and everything important is inside the main building. Training grounds are behind it too, so… yeah. Easy enough.”
“Shame though,” Meliodas added with a sigh.
Tyka glanced at him. “What?”
“The guards at the suites area,” Meliodas said. “They wouldn’t let us in.”
Tyka answered. “Yeah, I thought having His Majesty with us might do the trick.” He grinned. “Guess you’re not that important after all, brother.”
Meliodas just shrugged.
They sat in comfortable silence for a moment longer, soaking in the warmth.
Then a shadow fell across them, blocking the sunlight.
“H–hello…”
The voice was soft. Hesitant.
Meliodas opened one eye and looked up.
A girl stood there, not much shorter than him, though her build was noticeably softer, a bit fragile-looking, he thought. She fidgeted slightly where she stood, clearly unsure.
“Oh hey,” Tyka said, raising a hand casually. “How’s it going, Liora?”
Meliodas glanced at the girl. Her hands were fidgeting with the hem of her robe, fingers twisting nervously. She was clearly anxious.
“You two know each other?” Meliodas asked.
“Yeah, bro. Met her yesterday,” Tyka replied. “She helped me out. Thanks again, by the way.” His gaze shifted toward Liora.
Her face flushed red. “Oh don’t worry, Tyka. It was the least I could do.”
Meliodas looked between the two of them, confusion flickering across his expression. Then he studied Liora more carefully.
Her lilac hair caught the light softly, freckles scattered across her cheeks. Round glasses rested on her nose, hiding her eyes. Her robe was similar to his simple, functional, clearly mage-issued.
He extended a hand, offering a gentle smile.
“Nice to meet you, Liora. I’m Meliodas.”
She didn’t take his hand. Instead, she nodded quickly, hands clasping together as she said nervously,
“Nice to meet you.”
Tyka grinned. “You should be a bit more careful there, Liora. You’re talking to Meliodas Archypego himself.”
“What—?”
Liora stumbled back a step, eyes widening. “Meliodas Archypego? As in…the Third Prince of Archypego?” she gasped.
“You would be correct,” Tyka added cheerfully.
Liora froze, then bowed her head immediately, words tumbling out in a rush.
“I-I’m sorry, young prince! Please pardon my manners, I didn’t know—”
Meliodas turned slowly toward Tyka, his expression flat.
Tyka burst out laughing, wiping a tear from his eye.
“Enough,” Meliodas said, exasperated. He looked back at Liora and sighed.
“There’s no need for that. Please just call me Meliodas. We’re both academy students, after all.”
“But I can’t,” Liora said silently , clearly flustered.
Tyka waved a hand dismissively, still grinning.
“Relax, Liora. Meliodas doesn’t care about that stuff. Honestly, he’ll get more annoyed if you keep bowing.”
He leaned closer, lowering his voice just slightly.
“Besides,” he added, “you technically outrank him here.”
Meliodas blinked. “What?”
He glanced down at Liora’s badge.
Rank: 20.
He stared at it for a moment, then looked back up at her, genuine surprise on his face.
“Amazing,” he said honestly. “You’re truly incredible, Liora.”
Liora’s cheeks flushed instantly, her pale complexion turning a brilliant red, like two ripe tomatoes. She opened her mouth as if to respond then closed it again, looking down instead.
Meliodas smiled faintly and turned back to Tyka.
“So… how do you two know each other?”
Tyka scratched the back of his head.
“We ran into each other yesterday. I was heading toward the hospital wing when I saw Liora surrounded by three other girls. Didn’t look friendly, so I walked over.”
He shrugged casually.
“As soon as they noticed me, they bolted. Ran off in opposite directions.”
Liora shifted uncomfortably but nodded, fingers clasped together.
“I’ve been meaning to ask about that,” Meliodas said, glancing at Tyka. “Why were you sparring with a professor of all people?”
“Why not?” Tyka grinned. “He’s strong. Really strong. I can’t even touch him.”
He laughed.
“And it doesn’t bother Professor Kazzek at all. Every time we finish, he just says I’m welcome to try again.”
Meliodas frowned slightly, thinking.
I know professors are powerful, usually around the Lake Realm, but still… Tyka is a force on his own.
Who exactly is this Kazzek? Meliodas wondered.
Tyka continued, scratching his arm unconsciously.
“My arm was pretty messed up. Liora saw me before I could even introduce myself. She just grabbed it and healed it on the spot.”
He chuckled sheepishly.
“Then she walked me straight to Morvak. I ended up spending the night there, and… well, here we are. Sorry, bro. I wanted to come check on you, see how you were holding up, but Morvak wouldn’t let me leave.”
“For good reason,” Liora said, her tone suddenly firm.
She stepped closer, eyes sharp now.
“Your arm wasn’t just ‘messed up,’ Tyka. It was broken. You were covered in cuts, bleeding everywhere. The only reason I didn’t run was because you clearly needed help.”
She raised a finger and pressed it lightly against Tyka’s face, scolding him outright.
“You really have no sense of self-preservation.”
Tyka froze, eyes wide, then said nervously.
“Y-yeah… sorry?”
“You’re a healer?” Meliodas asked, cutting in before Liora could keep the scold.
Liora startled, realizing how close she was. She pulled her hand back instantly and took a few steps back, shoulders tensing as the shy girl resurfaced.
“Y—yes,” she said softly.
“That’s amazing, Liora,” Meliodas said with a grin. “What’s your element?”
“Flower,” Liora answered softly.
“Flower…” Meliodas repeated, thinking it over.
A brief silence settled between the three of them.
After a moment, Meliodas spoke again, clearly piecing it together.
“Is your element a variant, like Tyka’s?” Liora nodded, then hesitated, a flicker of confusion crossing her face.
“…You’re a variant too?” she asked, turning to Tyka.
Tyka nodded proudly.
“May I ask what element you have?” Liora continued.
“Stone,” Tyka said with a wide grin.
Her eyes widened slightly.
“Impressive,” Liora said, half-lost in thought.
“I assume you’re a defense specialist, right?” she asked.
Another nod.
Then Liora shifted her gaze to Meliodas.
“What about you?” she asked softly. “May I call you Meliodas?”
“Sure,” Meliodas replied with a small grin. “I’m fire.”
Silence.
To no one’s surprise, Liora froze.
“Fire?” she repeated. “Are you sure?”
Her eyes flicked to Meliodas's eyes, glowing faintly orange. Confusion crossed her face.
“Well… that explains the eyes,” she muttered under her breath.
Tyka burst out laughing.
“Seriously, I still don’t get why everyone’s so shocked. Your element being fire makes total sense, bro.”
Liora looked up sharply.
“Because he’s from Archypego, Tyka.”
Before she could continue, Tyka waved a hand dismissively.
“Yeah, yeah. Something about fire manifesting on an island state, destiny, blah blah. The professors already explained it.”
Liora planted both hands on her hips, clearly annoyed that he’d cut her off.
“If that’s your reaction,” Tyka said, “imagine how you’ll feel when he tells you he has a dual specialization.”
Liora’s gaze snapped back to Meliodas, sharp and searching.
“…Is that true?” she asked.
Meliodas nodded.
For a heartbeat, she just stared at him.
Then she started laughing.
Meliodas blinked, completely confused. For a moment, he wasn’t sure what to do, then he realized something else. The shy, nervous girl from before was gone. In her place was someone radiant, her smile bright and unguarded… and unexpectedly beautiful.
He caught a glimpse of Tyka from the corner of his eye.
The giant was frozen, cheeks flushed, staring at Liora like the world had narrowed down to just her.
Meliodas sighed and jabbed an elbow into Tyka’s ribs.
Nothing.
He tried again, harder this time.
Tyka snapped out of it and looked down at him. Meliodas raised an eyebrow.
Tyka only shrugged and leaned in slightly, whispering,
“She is beautiful, after all. I’m only mortal, bro.”
Meliodas didn’t respond. He turned his attention back to Liora just as she finally stopped laughing, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye.
She exhaled softly.
“I… needed that,” she said, glancing at Tyka. “Thanks.”
Then she straightened slightly, her tone shifting.
“Alright,” she said, looking back at Meliodas. “Seriously now. What’s your specialization?”
Meliodas blinked. “My… specialization?”
Tyka frowned. “What do you mean?” he asked. “We are being serious.”
Liora waved a hand dismissively.
“Now, now, Tyka. Stop pulling my leg and let Meliodas answer.”
No answer came.
Liora’s smile slowly faded. The color drained from her face as she looked between the two of them again.
“…You’re serious,” she said quietly.
Tyka nodded.
Meliodas nodded as well.
Liora took a small step back, eyes wide, her face going pale.
“No way,” she whispered.
