"Nate! Hold on, Nate!" Bán cried. "Damn," he muttered, pushing aside branches as his legs moved faster. "Nate!" He slowed as the forest gave way to a clearing.

"Just go away!" Nate exclaimed. He stood with his back to Bán, arms crossed tightly over his middle.

"I'm not going back without you," Bán said sternly, taking a step forward.

"I appreciate what you've done, I really do, Bán." Nate's voice shook. "But it…it won't work. This…idea, of us. It just won't work."

"How do you know that?"

"Because I'm going to die."

"This town is so cute!" Elizabeth exclaimed, looking around. Her attention was caught however, by a little semi-outdoor tavern some way down the road. But it wasn't just the look that caught her attention: it was the musician on the patio. He played a lively fiddle tune, whilst men, women, and children of all ages danced and clapped along. "Meliodas! We have to go see this!"

"I admit, my feet could use a break," Ban smirked. Hawk nudged him roughly.

King rolled his eyes. "We've been walking two minutes."

As the quintet sat down, Bán found his gaze glued to the fiddleist. The way his dark auburn hair, bordering brown, was swept away in the wind and his movements, the sun shining perfectly on his tanned skin, the wide, wire rimmed glasses pushing his bangs aside, the long, dark lashes against his cheeks. When it came time to order, he numbly got himself a beer.

He watched the musician end the song on a sharp note, smiling when he was rewarded with applause. The musician opened his eyes to reveal glistening hazel green orbs. Bán felt his heart flutter a few beats faster.

The musician noticed Bán's gaze and smiled, waving, before sitting at a table occupied with some other men. A plate of food and a drink were brought to him a moment later. His contagious laughter ran across the tavern, causing Bán to giggle himself.

Meliodas snickered. "Dare I say, is Bán falling in love?"

King choked on his drink. "Like hell he is!"

The blond Sin laughed, waving his hand. "I'm kidding!" King made a noise of annoyance.

Bán merely nodded as he took a sip of his beer, his eyes still glued to the musician. "Yeah, he's joking…"

The boy looked no older than seventeen or eighteen, but then again, looks were deceiving. He stood at 5'4, rocking a lean body. He wore a leather chest plate over a moss green shirt, the collar laced with dark ribbon, with puffed sleeves gathering below his elbows. Dark pants were tucked into scuffed, knee high boots with various straps. A single gold chain, weighed down with a stone of turquoise no bigger than a large pebble, hung around his neck, bouncing against his chest when he moved.

The ground rumbled slightly, and a moment later, a few horses carrying Holy Knights stopped in front of the tavern. "We require shelter!" the leader demanded harshly.

"Gilthunder!" Elizabeth whispered.

The musician narrowed his eyes, and was in front of the tavern before anyone could object. "You have no home here, Holy Knight."

Gilthunder narrowed his eyes. "Do I know you?"

The brunet smirked. "Of course you wouldn't remember, you only kill and forget." His voice grew harsh. "You killed my mother! You're not welcome here!"

Another Holy Knight jumped off his horse and approached the boy. "You dare betray the kingdom?"

"This town, decades ago, was protected by the Seven Sins," a man yelled from the tavern.

"We respect and honour them for what they did!" another cried.

"You Holy Knights dare spread lies?!

"You're betraying the kingdom!"

"How do you know that?" Gilthunder growled.

"Everyone here," the musician started. "Has been personally impacted, negatively, by a Holy Knight. I will tell you again, you are not welcome here. We will not give you shelter. Go find another village that does believe your lies."

Gilthunder hopped off his horse and quickly made his way to the boy, drawing his sword.

"No!" the tavern keeper cried. "He's a boy!"

"Child or not," Gilthunder murmured. "Treason is punishable by death. Beg for mercy, apologise, and I might just spare you."

"If I should die, let it be known it was done by speaking the truth," the brunet replied. "I will not apologise for the truth. Arrivederci, mother killer." He closed his eyes as the sword was raised high. Screams rang out.

Bán scoffed in annoyance, shrugging the sword from his shoulder. "Now you're gonna kill a kid? I'm starting to doubt you're even human anymore," he growled as the skin between his shoulder and neck started sealing itself.

"It couldn't be," one of the men from earlier whispered. "Bán?! The Fox Sin of Greed! It really is him!"

The musician stared up at Bán, his breath hitching. "Bán the Undead…"

"Nate! Come back over here, it's dangerous! Leave this to Bán, he'll take care of it!" the tavern keeper cried.

The boy, now known as Nate, ran back to her side, his hazel eyes glued to Bán. "It can't be…"

"So wait, if that's Bán, then…" the keeper glanced at the table Bán had been previously sitting at. "They must be…"

"Meliodas?" Nate exclaimed. "A-and King?! The Sins of Wrath and Sloth! It's them!" he cried with a smile. "I can't believe it! Anne, I can't believe it! You were right…they do care about others."

Anne stroked Nate's hair. "Yes, child, this village truly does honour the Sins. Now hush, and let Bán focus his energy."

Nate clamped his jaw shut, chancing a look over at Meliodas and crew. So…if that's Meliodas and King…then that must be Princess Elizabeth! But…isn't Diane supposed to be with them? The Snake Sin of Envy, where is she? Ah, well, they couldn't have known we honour them, they probably thought we'd be scared at seeing a Giant…

"Now, best hightail it outta here before I have t'kick your ass all the way back to the Capitol," Bán grumbled. "Hey, Captain! Wanna help me out here?" Melinda's slowly stood up, hand poised on the hilt of his sword.

Gilthunder snarled, turning on his heel and mounted his horse. "Ride out!" he ordered. In moments, the Holy Knights were gone.

Nate's face spread into a wide grin. "They did it!"

"To be expected from the Sins!"

"A round of drinks in honour of them!"

Bán smirked. "Sounds good to me!"

Through the drunken commotion, Nate made his way to Meliodas's table, carrying a tray of roasted meats, vegetables and other assorted foods. "This is thanks, for protecting this village all those years ago. And for you, Lady Elizabeth, for seeking out the Sins and working to bring back the kingdom. So, as thanks, I made you guys some food! You should bring Diane down here! I'd love to meet her!"

King bolted up. "I-I'll go get her!" In a moment, he'd flown off into the sky.

"So, Gilthunder," Elizabeth started slowly. "He killed your mother?"

Nate's face fell. "Yes. It was two years ago, my mother and I were staying in a village to the East. He passed through, and decided to stay in the inn we were residing. I met him by chance, when I went to gather breakfast. My mother was frail, so I did a lot in her place. When I went down to get her food, he was complaining that it was too quiet. When he saw me, he asked if I played an instrument. I stupidly said yes…from then on, he forced me to play every moment he was present at the inn. He refused to let me sleep or eat. One day, I became so weak I couldn't open my eyes. He still demanded I play. My mother started yelling at him…and, claiming she showed defiance, killed her right then, and left, after destroying my violin." He took off his glasses to rub his eyes. "I was only able to open my eyes enough to see my mother smiling at me, and the last thing she said before she died…was to never trust the Holy Knights. That if I was in the presence of even one Sin, I would be safe," he said, smiling.

Meliodas grinned as well, holding out his hand. "Well, nice to meet you, I'm Meliodas, the Dragon Sin of Wrath. Your name's Nate, yeah?" Nate nodded, taking his hand. "You already met Bán, and you know Elizabeth right? That kid that flew off to get Diane was King, the Grizzly Sin of Sloth. And this right here," he finished, pointing down at the pig by his feet. "Is Hawk."

Nate nodded his head to each. "It's so nice to meet you. Like he said, I'm Nate. Thank you, Bán, for saving me."

Bán looked away, his face turning a darker shade of red. Whether it was from the alcohol or Nate's compliment, one couldn't tell.

The ground rumbled, and a second later, Diane walked into view, crouching in front of the tavern. "Hey!" she greeted, as King floated back down to the table.

Nate's face lit up. "So you're Diane!" he exclaimed, running up to the Giantess. "Oh my gosh, you're so much prettier than the posters give you credit for! You're so cute!"

Diane blushed lightly. "Oh, how nice! Now this is a true gentleman!"

"Diane, if I may?" Nate asked, holding out his hand palm up. The Giantess smiled and placed her index finger in his hand. Nate kissed the tip of her finger. "It's very nice to meet you, Diane, the Serpent Sin of Envy." After releasing her finger, he gestured to the tavern. "Why don't you sit, and I'll bring some of my home cooked food out! Do you like pork, or beef?"

"Oh!" Diane exclaimed. "How could I possibly choose!?" Nate laughed as he entered the kitchen of the tavern, ignoring Hawk's protests of pork.

"You know," Meliodas said to Anne when she passed to refill their drinks. "We have our own tavern up the way, the Boar's Hat."

"Do you?" Anne replied. She was an elderly looking woman, though still in her prime. A few wrinkles etched her brown face, crinkling around dazzling brown eyes when she smiled. Curly black hair was pulled back into a loose braid. "Well, now, small world, isn't it?"

"So, how long has Nate been here?" Elizabeth asked.

"About a year," Anne replied. "He came to us beaten and broken. He became like a son to me. His cooking and music has brought us so many customers, now we're heard of all over this side of the country!"

Nate jogged back out with a large slab of roasted meat, offering it up to Diane. "There's more where that came from, if you want any more!"

Anne rested her hand on the boy's shoulder. "Nate, do you remember what I told you?"

Nate nodded, turning to Meliodas, before bowing in front of him. "Sir Meliodas, I-I would be honoured if you let me join your search for the other Sins! Please! In memory of my mother, I want to bring down the Holy Knights!" He bit his lip as he waited anxiously. M-Maybe I came off too strong… he thought as the silence of the tavern weighed on his back.

A strong pat to his shoulder jolted him up, his hazel eyes meeting Meliodas' blue. The captain of the Sins smiled. "Of course!"

"B-but, Meliodas, we don't have any rooms!" Hawk exclaimed.

"He can sleep with King and me!" Bán exclaimed.

Nate hesitantly nodded. "Y-yeah…"

Anne's eyes widened, and she tugged on Meliodas' sleeve. "Excuse me, may I talk to you in the back for a minute?" The Captain nodded, and she scurried to drag him into the kitchen.

"What was that all about?" Bán muttered.

Nate sighed inaudibly. Thank you, Anne. "Uh, it's just uh…"

"Alright!" Meliodas exclaimed as he jogged back over. "So, here's the plan! Nate's comin' with us, and he's gonna be sleeping with Elizabeth!" Said princess flushed heavily as Hawk screamed.

"Wait, what? Why?" King asked, annoyed.

"It's a little complicated," Nate shrugged.

"Should we really trust him with Elizabeth?" Hawk questioned.

"I respect personal space, and I understand no means no! Plus, I wouldn't make any moves unless I had consent. And I barely know her. I'm not gonna do anything," Nate smiled.

"Alright, Elizabeth," Nate started. "This is why Anne and I were so nervous about me rooming with King and Bán." He slowly unbuckled the leather plate, letting it fall to the floor.

Elizabeth's lips opening slightly to form an understanding "o." "Did Anne tell Meliodas? Is that what she had to pull him aside for?" Nate nodded. "I see. But trust me, I won't treat you any less than who you are! It's my job as the princess to see all the people of the kingdom are happy!"

"Thank you, Lady Elizabeth," Nate smiled, slipping the chest plate back on. "This is really extraordinary…Hawk's mother…the Sins…It all feels like a dream."

There was a knock at the door. Elizabeth called "come in!" and Bán poked his head in. "Dinner's ready, kids. Hurry up before Hawk eats it all!"

The two walked downstairs after Bán, both openly enjoying the fresh air and the wonderful smell of Bán's cooking.

"That smells amazing!" Nate exclaimed as he sat on the grass. "It smells even better than my cooking!"

Bán smirked. "We should cook together sometime. Your food's pretty good."

"And music might help bring customers," Meliodas commented lightly. "Here, have a drink, Nate. It's some of Vanya's finest ale. Go on." He pushed a mug of ale into Nate's hands.

"I-I'm not a big drinker…I-I'll have a little bit though," Nate stumbled over his words.

"Oh come on! You're a man, aren't ya?!" Bán exclaimed, throwing his arm around Nate's shoulders, causing the boy to jump at the sudden contact. "Drink up!"

"H-hey!" King chimed in. "Don't bother him about it! Not every guy likes to drink!" He floated down next to Nate. "You don't have to drink it if you don't want to," he said softly, throwing Bán's arm off.

"N-no!" Nate protested. "I like liquor, I just don't like heavy drinking." He stared down at the mug wistfully. "I've never had Vanya ale. My mother would always have some during celebrations…" He didn't notice the ripples his tears made in the foamy liquid. "I want my mother back…" he sobbed quietly. "I j-just want her back…!"

Diane curled her hand around Nate to offer him some warmth as his shoulders shook violently. "Hey, it's okay. It's gonna be okay. You're with us now."

"Lady Diane is right," Elizabeth continued. "We're all here to help you."

Nate brushed his tears away on the back of his hand. "Th-thank you…" he sobbed.

"Now drink up!" Bán exclaimed. "That's some of Vanya's finest ale!"

Nate smiled slightly and took a sig of the drink, exhaling heavily after. "I needed that."

"Well?" Meliodas asked. "Is it good?"

Nate nodded. "It reminds me of my mother even more. It smells like the perfume she always wore."

"Perfume?" Bán asked. "It's ale, how does it smell like perfume?"

Nate shrugged. "It just does. It makes me happy."

Meliodas smiled. "That's good. You're with us now, your happiness is just as important! Now eat up! We've got a big day tomorrow!"

Elizabeth felt something on the bed move, and heard distant creaking. She sat up slowly, just in time to see the bedroom door close.

A blanket was adjusted around Hawk, and bare feet padded to the front door of the tavern. Stepping out onto the porch and grass, Nate sighed, wrapping his arms around himself.

"Nate?" Violet eyes looked down curiously at the human.

"Oh! Diane, hey. What're you doing up so late?" he asked, walking to where she sat next to the tavern, sitting himself next to her.

"I could ask the same of you," Diane giggled. "Homesick?" Nate shrugged. "Come here." She laid her hand out for him, and repositioned herself so she laid on the ground. "You can sleep with me if you're that upset." She smiled when Nate curled up in her outstretched hand, removing his glasses. "Good night, Nate."

"G-good night, Diane…"

"So uh, should I ask what's going on here?" Bán's voice woke Nate with a start, causing him to bolt up and lock eyes with the bandit. "Seriously, Elizabeth freaks out that you're gone, the Cap'n's found in her bed, and you're here." Nate swallowed nervously, fumbling around for his glasses.

Diane lifted herself up, glaring at Bán. "He was homesick, he came outside to get fresh air, and I offered to let him sleep with me."

Meliodas opened the window and leaned out onto the sill. "Alright, you two, quit bickering. Bán, you gonna cook breakfast or what?" Bán rolled his eyes and sauntered back into the tavern, grumbling. "Sorry about him, Nate, he's a dick." From inside the tavern, a distant but loud, "Fuck you, too!" replied. Meliodas chuckled. "Come in and eat, Nate. You gotta be hungry."

Nate gave Elizabeth a small wave as he sat next to her at a table. Shortly after, a sizzling plate of food-eggs, oh god was that ham?!, assorted steamed vegetables (including but not limited to mushrooms, celery, and broccoli), and sausage, all piled on a layer of lettuce-was set in front of him. Nate felt his mouth water.

Bán chuckled and ran a hand through Nate's messy hair. "Eat up. We've got a long day ahead of us." He looked over at Meliodas. "Where did you say we were going?"

King floated over to the table and sat next to Nate, and a plate of food was slammed down in front of him. "If you paid any attention," he started as his fork sunk into the eggs, "We're on our way to Vaizel. Don't you remember, we're going to find your Sacred Treasures. Or do you not care?"

Bán quirked a brow. "What's in Vaizel?"

"Diane's Gideon," Meliodas replied as Diane pouted. "There's word that a large hammer was found there. So large no one could wield it. It's gotta be hers. It's still a long way off."

Nate raised his hand slightly. "I-I'm sorry, but what's a Sacred Treasure? It sounds important, b-but I don't know much…"

"Hey!" King exclaimed. "Don't be sorry! Here, let me give you an example. Think of a lake." Nate nodded. "Imagine it as all of the magical power in one Sin. How much could you scoop out with just your hands?" Nate looked at his hands, bewildered, before looking at king again. "Yeah, not a lot. But, if a Sin had a weapon, or more importantly, a Sacred Treasure bestowed by King Liones himself, they could draw out immense amounts of power. They're items used to draw out all of our magical potential." Nate's mouth formed an "o." "Exactly."

"So, we're going to find Diane's first?"

"It's the only one we have a lead on."

Nate tilted his head. "Do you have one King?"

King nodded and gestured to the pillow in his lap. "The Spirit Spear Chastiefol, forged from the sacred tree in the Fairy Realm. We're looking for Diane's, Bán's, and Meliodas's, the latter of the two being idiots and not taking proper care of theirs."

Nate immediately gave Bán and Meliodas the "disapproving mother's glare" from behind his glasses.

King laughed. "Yeah, those two can be careless!" Nate snickered slightly.