The knight, the dragoon, and the rogue sat in silence, having just finished their five plates, they had finally filled the holes in their stomachs. It was a small restaurant they sat in, they couldn’t return to the largest one and face the staff that might have known Clyde. Queen’s duty or not, they didn’t a repeat of the Hayley incident. His disappearance might raise suspicion, especially all the ruckus and the downed trees, but it was unavoidable as far the group was concerned.

Sarah had left for Lumina, her mind filled with what her boyfriend told her. “I really wish you didn’t have to do this. I know you don’t want to do, but we have to finish what we started, and if things get tougher than that, that thing we just fought, then we’ll need all six of us. There’s been talk of a man named Westin around here; he’s one of the sins, and he’s within walking distance. The three of us will take care of him while you bring the others to Branton starting tomorrow.”

Their eyes bouncing around, looking at one another, Matt, Brian, and Adriana were all preparing themselves for tonight.

“Westin is the circus assistant. After they’re done performing, we’ll swoop in when he’s alone and face him. All three of us can light up the sky, which will help us see him, but it might attract attention, especially late at night. If it comes down to it, this might be a battle between just you three since I can’t fly.”

Matthew departed, his friends unsure if he was going to rest or build on his plan.

“Brian, I need to ask you something personal.”

“If it’s about whether I’m going or staying, I don’t have a choice in the matter.”

“You do have a choice. We’re not going to tie you down and force you.”

“First off, I’m not giving myself the choice, that would make me a terrible friend. Second, you and Matthew have your fights laid out for you. Let’s remember who the remaining sins are: a guy who can hit really hard, someone only Matthew can really stand up to, and a woman who can mind control everyone but you. That leaves me to fight the only remaining guy.”

“It’s not necessarily going to be that straight-forward.”

“Doesn’t matter. You and Matt shouldn’t waste all your energy on this guy, because even if we contribute to the next fights, you two will be the stars.”

“Brian, you guys are the best.” The rogue looked into Brian’s eyes. “Every time I wonder if you guys are going to leave, you don’t. You really should, especially after killing someone. But, you remain adamant; not just you, Eric, Jessica, and even Sarah is only leaving to pick the other two up. I’m just afraid that, even if no one breaks now, what’s going to happen when we eventually have to…”

“Have to what? Kill his sister?” The dragoon could Adriana nod before she lowered her head.

“Killing these kids has put our friends on the edge. I’m afraid whoever ends up taking care of you-know-who is going to have to deal with Matt, and poor Matt is going to be devastated.”

“Do you really think this is a good idea? We could simply not kill Lucy, pretend we did, and no one would be the wiser for it.”

“I have a feeling the queen has her ways of finding out. I doubt she came to us just because she trusts us. Even still, this is for his own good; he let his sister get away with a lot, it’s time there was retribution.”

“You don’t sound thrilled Adri. But whatever, I guess we’ll do it. I don’t want to be the one to deliver the killing blow though. Can you promise that won’t happen?”

“I promise.”

The rogue and dragoon laid about, letting their food digest. Once hunger had given way to satiation, fulness gave way to pain, pain gave way to regret, but they knew now it couldn’t be helped, it was an aftereffect of killing a sin. Once night had fallen, Matthew brought them from their hotels to a large tent out in the plains.

“We going in?” Brian didn’t get his hopes up. He wanted the time to pass faster but he had a sinking feeling Matt would decline.

“No. Let’s try to conceal ourselves as best as possible. We may be public figures around Lumina, but that can quickly change even if we people accepted our justification.”

The tent had a bright golden glow escape its opening, illuminating the nearby ticket taker who seemed to be spacing out now that his job was done. From the tent itself, fits of laughter, excitement, and the boisterous sounds of speakers blurted out, viciously reminding Brian and even Adriana what they were doing.

Heading around the side, the three waited to see the crowd disappear. “So, when do we pounce?”

“If what the villagers said is to be believed, the show should end soon actually. Westin, being the ringmaster’s apprentice, will be leaving second to last. How long it will take for the staff to leave is up in the air, but they plan to stick around a few days.”

Matthew looked out to the stars, slowly panning his gaze from left to right, a sweep of the heavens above. Shifting downward, he turned his attention to Branton, or at least the direction it was in. “Do you guys think any of the sins actually did it?”

“I’m starting to wonder myself. They all seem like nice kids now, makes me wonder what they’d be doing if they were never part of the sins.”

“Adriana, Brian, what are you guys going to do once this is all over?”

“Me and Eric are moving far away from this hell hole. After everything the queen has made us do, moving to the other side of the planet won’t put enough distance between us.”

“And you Brian?”

“I don’t know man, I once thought about sticking with you, but I guess that sounds like a loser thing to say. I guess I’ll move where ever. Still a little scared by the thought of just going anywhere.”

“Hey, if you wanna join me and Sarah when we leave for Pyora, go ahead. Like Adriana, I just want to put as many miles between me and Lumina as I can. If we all lived together, that’d be great. If they didn’t mind, I’d bring Lucy and Shelly too.”

The trio fell silent again, Matt viewing the time on his watch impatiently, Brian playing with his wind power, and Adriana day dreaming. After nearly falling asleep, they could hear people leaving. A large mass of barely recognizable shapes spewed out onto the path, an occasional shape heading out the back.

“It’s almost showtime guys.” The rogue laughed inwardly, unable to hate herself for the pun.

After a few more people left out the back, Adriana went into the shadows to try and spy on who was left. It wasn’t even a minute for she signaled the boys to join her, the three running into their target.

“Oh, fans of mine? Ha ha! I kid, being an apprentice, I assume you’ve only come to me to the meet the ringmaster.”

“No, we’ve come to meet you, and we’d like to ask you to come with us. Right now.”

“Hmm, well that’s new, but hey if it earns me some fans, by all means.”

Adriana led the way, the three followed her for what seemed like the entire night, the moon having walked a brief distance to mirror their own movement. Suddenly, she stopped, spun around, and the other two mirrored her. All three facing the boy, they used their respective elements to light up their faces.

“Westin, after over one-hundred people died in Branton, queen Vanilla of Lumina has sent us to eliminate you. Before we attack, do you have any words?”

“Ah, you’re those guys from four years ago. I knew you weren’t fans, but I wouldn’t have guessed this is how things would play out. I figured that a night like tonight would be coming, I just thought it would’ve come sooner.”

In the middle of the night it was impossible to see Westin transform until his shaped changed. Creating a ball of light and throwing it into the air, the group could see the scrawny gargoyle fully.

“Three on one isn’t exactly fair, why not even this up?” Westin flapped his wings, eventually soaring upwards, Brian and Adriana pursuing him as best they could. Adriana intended to strike him when traveling as lightning, but he was somehow too quick to hit. When Brian followed up with a strong gust of wind, the devil was tossed around helplessly like a piece of paper. Taking advantage of his lapse in control, she landed a strike on his wings, causing him to plummet.

Westin landed with a thud, the rogue’s follow-up strike with her dagger bouncing off him harmlessly, however the dragoon’s heat lance penetrated the rocky shell of the gargoyle. With a yelp, he reeled back in pain. “Dang, seems no matter which trick I use, you guys got the upper hand. Guess I got no choice.”

The gargoyle summoned a cane from the air, pointed the long side at the knight, and in an instant, a gold coined launched out, hitting him in the face. In the next second, Matthew solidified into solid gold, Westin turning to Adriana and repeating his action. All the remained was Brian, only just realizing what was happening.

“Don’t worry pal, your friends are only gold status for as long as I can maintain them that way. It’s not hard, but it will be draining eventually. Really, I just want a fair fight, even if it kills me. I do have a question though, have you laid a hand on the others?”

Brian relayed the death of the three sins prior, noting he was only partially responsible for two.

“Looks like if I screw this up, Xander, Alex, and Lucy are going to bite it. If ever there was a time to screw up under pressure, this wasn’t it.”

Westin flipped a gold coin, Brian had prepared and launched a fire blast at him. As the coin landed, the gargoyle sidestepped the blast in one instant and was face-to-face with the dragoon the next. With a hard punch, the dragoon was sent flying; opening one eye as he managed to land, he could see the devil was now bulkier, alongside being faster.

Jumping up high, Brian watched in horror as Westin pursued him, quickly catching up. Using both his hands, the dragoon unleashed all the fire he could muster, ascending the sky as quickly as he could. Watching his adversary, he couldn’t tell if the gargoyle was gaining on him, losing ground, or maintaining distance. After nearly reaching the clouds, Westin’s hand catching Brian by the leg and tossing into the ground had answered that thought.

Letting gravity and wind resistance do their work, the dragoon blasted countless fireballs at the gargoyle, each one missing. Blasting himself up, he surprised his foe long enough to slip by him and make his way more controllably toward the ground. The dragoon landed and turned to see he had actually outpaced his pursuer, but he knew why.

When the gargoyle landed, Brian began swinging the energy head of his halberd at the beast, his impressive dodging ability now diminished enough to barely avoid being graved, and even that was rapidly deteriorating. As the number of hits landing increased, so too had their severity, all the while Westin’s breath continued to weigh down.

With one last lunge, Brian impaled the gargoyle, his form changing immediately, barely giving the dragoon time to withdraw his weapon. As the teen fell on his back, Brian kneeled down, lighting a fire in one hand before asking him the question.

“Westin, I’m sorry this had to happen, but if you have any last words, I would be honored to hear them and share them.”

“If you could tell the ringmaster I won’t be making it to anymore shows, that’d be great. Also tell my still-living friends that my act is cancelled. And one last thing” when he began hacking, Westin realized how short his time was, “don’t beat yourself up. Our acts will all end someday. I’d rather go out making people smile, even my enemies.”

Brian let the fire in his hand extinguish, his focus bolting to his friends who he just remembered were gold status. Except when he turned to where they used to be, they were normal again and just waking up.

“You’re right Westin. One day all our acts will end, I just wish we didn’t have to end yours so abruptly.”