Devil's tale

Devil's tale Chapter 5

"I wonder if Robert actually fell for our ruse, of us heading south and all that." Avarice wondered aloud.

"Probably, the guy didn't seem too bright." Jazz replied.

"He's not as dumb as you think."

"Isn't he? He seems to think he's actually on the side of justice."

"So do most who enforce the law." Avarice looked down at his boots. "I thought I'd be doing the same one day, after all."

"You?! You wanted to be a city-guard?"

"I told you this, didn't I?"

"Honestly, I had a hard time staying awake throughout most of your story."

"If you'd let me tell it more artistically, maybe it would've been less boring."

"Yeah, yeah. People forget things sometimes, you know?"

"I know, but still."

"Don't get your tail in a twist, I didn't mean nothin' by it."

The pair had been traveling upstream of the river for two and a half days and had still found nothing. Whenever they stopped to rest, Avarice tested the water to see if it was still contaminated. So far, the magic in the river only seemed to be getting more and more intense as the travellers continued further upstream. Avarice couldn't help but think on the fact that the government had refused to do anything to help the village's plague. He had never thought he'd think this, but a part of him was starting to think. "Honestly, I'm glad I didn't join the City-Watch."

"You wanted to join the city watch?" A voice in his head replied.

Avarice tripped over a root and fell flat on his face in shock. He scrambled to his feet and looked around. No one seemed to be there except for himself and Jazz.

The voice continued. "We've been traveling south for days now and there's still no sign of you. You don't seem like the kind of person to-" The voice suddenly cut off and Avarice's shock was replaced by amusement as he realised what was going on. Someone had cast a message-spell on him, and he was pretty sure he knew who it was. Knowing he could reply back, he said in his mind.

"You do realise you only get thirty words for the message, right Emily? And I am headed south, not that you'll catch me. Please say hi to Robert." Avarice couldn't help but feel a little guilty, lying to Emily like this, but her naïveté was one of the few advantages he had, so he'd have exploit it.

"What just happened?" Jazz asked.

Avarice explained and the goblin snickered. "How'd she not know the word-limit?"

"She's a cleric. She gets her spells from prayer rather than study. Think of it this way. Wizards and minstrels have to build their own crossbows, whereas clerics get them from their gods, pre-made, and just have to pull the trigger. The crossbow, in this case, being a spell." The devil explained.

"Ah, I see. How many times per day do you figure she can cast it?" Jazz asked.

"I'd reason about once or twice, but she'll save the second cast for something really important, she wouldn't just-"

"Sorry. Forgot the word limit. Robert says hi. He's worried about you. Thinks that goblin will be a bad influence. Wants me to say we can talk this out." Sounded Emily's voice in Avarice's head again, making him once again trip and fall on his face. This time, when he stood up, his horns got caught in a bush and he had to spend a minute or two trying to get them untangled.

He chuckled and Jazz asked. "Was that an 'emergency'?"

"I believe so. I can't tell if its her innocence or Roberts that made her send it. Oh, and for the record, Robert thinks you're a bad influence on me." Avarice said with an amused tone.