He had finally gotten a good look at the girl: she wore a black shirt and jeans, short brown hair, but something was familiar about her appearance. “Who are you?” Matthew’s question was met with a huff.

“Oh c’mon Matt, you know who I am.” Despite the girl’s accusatory tone, he was struggling to recall who she could have been. She looked too young to be his age, closer to fourteen. “I really don’t. Just tell me!”

Sarah had desperately waded through the crowd of undisguisable men and women, “Have you seen a guy with a sword and shield? He’s super tall, you can’t miss him!” No one seemed to want to answer her, they were more interested in her clothes.

“Howdy.”

Sarah turned around to see two new faces, the first people to stand out since she arrived. Sarah recalled the voice was masculine, so it must have been the obese teen who was dressed in jeans, leather boots, a plaid shirt, and a white hat. Besides the cowboy was a darker young girl draped in a purple dress, heals visible from the slit of her dress, and a crown atop her head.

“Are you lost?” The girl’s question carried an obvious condescending tone, but Sarah was in no position to complain.

“Yes, you see I lost my friend, he went somewhere. We’re looking for the princess of Lumina, Elizabeth Mortachello.” The two had turned to each other, a wicked grin forming across their faces. “Oh, looking for the princess you say?” Suddenly the two had become shrouded in darkness.

Before Sarah’s eyes, the two had changed: as the dispersed, the bigger teen boy had become a large devil, wielding an equally large knife in hand. The girl, who was quite short, had become an even shorter devil, her body mostly hidden by an overcoat, the most notable feature being her four eyes.

“What the hell are you?!”

The two continued to smile, amused at the terrified archer. “We’re the seven deadly sins. I’m Clyde, but you can call me Gluttony. That there is Hayley, or Pride if you prefer. Now I’ma just say this once: stop looking for the princess. We got her safe and sound, the only thing lookin for her will do is force us to beat ya up.”

Standing her ground, the archer pulled out an arrow and drew back the string on her signature weapon, “If you have the princess, I have to know where she is. Don’t make me shoot!” The pair chuckled, Sarah relinquished an arrow, but all it hit was glass, glass that had not been there seconds ago. “Well Clyde, I guess she won’t listen to reason. Why don’t you go for a taste test?”

Sara watched in horror as the stomach of the boy had opened up, sucking her in like a wind tunnel. Thinking quickly, the girl used the power of earth to surround her feet, but even that couldn’t save her from being pulled into the stomach. As she was devoured, her surroundings went dark and wet. The girl felt like she was drifting in an ocean, the ‘water’ rocking violently as she tried to stay afloat. This went on for what felt like hours, but soon a bright light had forced her eyes shut. In an instant, she found herself hitting solid ground hard.

“Pleh! Tastes like nature and earth, maybe a hint of wind. I’d give it a 2/5.” The girl opened her eyes to see the pair still standing there. Looking down, she saw a trail of water running from the creature’s stomach to where she laid. “You good?” The small devil approached, “Or is Clyde going to have to bite?” The girl shook her head furiously, never wanting to experience that again. “You be a girl now and don’t look for that princess, ya hear?” With that, the two devils vanished, leaving Sarah to collect herself.

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“C’mon, isn’t it obvious?” Matthew was getting fed up with the girl. “I’m done playing games. Either tell me who you are or leave me alone.”

“Have you forgotten your brother so soon?” The knight froze, unsure if he had understood her. “It’s your brother, or rather your sister, Lucy!” The brother was stupefied at what he heard. “No, I don’t have a sister, you’re lying. If you’re really Luke, or Lucy, tell me something only ‘you’ would know.”

“My birthday is March 12th, I know the princesses’ name is Mortachello, and our family sucks. I don’t know what else to you Matt, other than I couldn’t use mana.” He couldn’t believe what he was hearing, this was all accurate information, even the opinionated part.

“Ok, nevermind that, tell me where the princess is!” The sister continued to smirk at him, “I can’t tell you where she is, but you can calm down, she’s fine. She’s being fed, has a place to sleep, even gets to walk around without someone holding her hand.”

“Why can’t you tell me where she is?!” He roared, growing frustrated and impatient.

“Just following orders.”

“Orders? Who’s orders? Did you kidnap the princess?!”

“Now you’re getting it. I was promised power if I helped steal the princess, and I did. Now all I have to do is make sure she doesn’t leave.”

“Listen, Luke, I can fix this. Bring me the princess, come with me to the kingdom, and we’ll pretend this was all a misunderstand. After that, I’ll take you anywhere, away from Lumina.”

“Will taking me away from Lumina solve my mana issue? You’re not getting it Matt, I have power now, I have friends; I don’t need you, the princess, or Lumina.”

Matthew was shaking, angered to the point of tears, but he managed to hold back. “Luke, I can’t believe you.” Having realized there was no convincing her, he drew his sword and shield. “If you won’t tell me where the princess is, I’m going to have to hurt you.”

The girl’s expression had changed to determination, “You want to fight? Good, I’ve been waiting for this moment.” Darkness had surrounded the sister, her appearance warping in front of her brother. Matt watched her silhouette stretch, the figure towering over him. As the darkness gave way to a solid form, the knight took in his sibling’s new body: a devil with ram horns and a wiry tail, purple skin that was mostly covered.

Matt stumbled back as she opened her red eyes, “Heh heh, like it?” Remembering what he was doing, the knight pushed himself forward into a more offensive stance. “You think your little sword and shield are intimidating?” Out of the air, a spear suddenly appeared in the devil’s right hand, the head decorated with a flower. “This spear grants wishes, that’s how I became a girl. Isn’t that neat?” Dropping the determined look, the devil smiled and closed her eyes.

Matt charged forward, lunging his sword at her. In an instant, she opened her eyes, jumped to the side, leaving the knight wide open for a counter attack. Surprised that she had not taken advantage of the moment, he continued to slash forward, each strike was dodged. After one too many lunged, the girl finally kicked an off-guard Matt into a tree.

The blow had finally caused the brother to realize the futility of his mindless flurry. Grabbing his sword…Matthew realized his sword was not next to him, but instead out on the open forest floor. With Lucy between him and his weapon, he struck the ground with his shield, metal polls rising from the earth. Standing up, he summoned a flash of light which had dazed his opponent.

Grabbing his sword, the knight faced the devil, ready to strike. To his horror, the demon had disappeared. Before he had time to get a word out, Matt was suddenly jettisoned forward into one of the polls. “Looks like your little trick backfired.”

Rubbing his head, he turned around to see the devil balanced on a poll. “It’s been fun Matt, but I should be going.” With that, she leapt further into the forest. Realizing there was no point giving chase, the knight withdrew his sword and shield.

“Lu-Lucy, why? Why couldn’t you have just waited? Why did you steal the princess?” Matthew sighed, taking in the environment. “Where did Sarah go?”