Devil's tale

Devil's tale chapter 10

The drop was at least ten stories long, but Avarice wasn't just going to wait for the ground to hit him. He grabbed the tails of his coat and cast an enchantment on them to change the properties of the fabric, making it into a makeshift parachute. It didn't slow his fall much, but it was at least enough that when he hit the canopy of the forest, he didn't die instantly. Clumsily, he fell through branches and leaves until he hit the forest-floor with a loud thud. He shook his head back and forth and checked if his horns were still whole. He'd fallen on his tail, and he had to do his best not to yell out in pain, as he knew Mormir would be hunting him. He tried once again to send a message to Jazz to tell him where he was, but it was almost like an invisible, noxious mist was clouding his connection to the magic of the world around him. Avarice knew all too well what this was. He'd been cursed, and he couldn't use his magic to enchant and cure himself. As a basic rule of magic, minstrels could not affect themselves with their powers. He rose to his feet, groaning in pain. He was sure that his fall had broken some bones. All that was left for him to do was to keep moving forward, though his fall had completely destroyed his sense of direction, and the canopy of trees above him blocked his view of the mountains or the sky, so finding his way back to Jazz was out of the question. He limped onwards through the woods, wondering to himself what had happened in Mormir's past that had made him the way he was. Avarice had seen plenty of disenfranchised, abused devils in the slums of the capital, and few if any had taken up sickles and plotted regicide that he knew of. It was also clear that Mormir wasn't from the capital, but from some less strongly governed region. Going by his accent, Avarice guessed from somewhere in the south of the kingdom. He resisted his urge to hate Mormir, despite the fact he'd torn up the letter and attacked Emily and Robert. He looked down at the few tattered remains of the letter he still had and kicked a nearby tree-trunk in anger, something he immediately regretted as a sharp pain surged through his sore leg. He wished for the first time in his life he knew how to sword fight, if only so he could defend himself and others against foes like Mormir, had that not been his original want, back before his banishment? To become a city-guard. As he thought this, he suddenly spotted a patch of white in between all the brown and green of the woods. He saw a large, white wolf with bright, intelligent blue eyes, looking at him. The wolf almost seemed to look amused as it turned around and began running. Avarice chased after it, curious at to what this animal was, but he soon lost sight of it and resigned himself to just traveling in a straight line in the direction the wolf had run, a direction to travel in was at least a start.

Avarice limped on for hours through the night. He was at least grateful that he seemed to be alone. Or at least, he had been until he saw lights up ahead. He sensed the presence of fire and heard the voices of men. He looked through the trees and saw a road cutting through the dense forest. Marching along it, were several men in white armour and figures in light grey cloaks like Emily's.

"So it's two devils now?" Asked one of the men.

"Indeed. I have heard that this green one has been a problem in the the southern provinces for some time now. They say he's slaughtered entire villages on his own, never leaving any survivors." Another soldier answered.

"Hush, speaking of devils, even in passing, gives them power. We do not wish for another rebellion of Kairon." Said one of the clerics gravely.

Avarice scowled at this and crept slightly closer.

"You just spoke the name Kairon." One of the soldiers pointed out.

When the soldier said the devil's name, Avarice grinned to himself and used his power to make the torches the men were holding flicker violently and menacingly. The solders and clerics all reacted with shock and fear and looked around anxiously.