Devil's tale

Devil's tale chapter 11

When Avarice awoke, he was amazed to find that somehow, he was still alive, albeit nearly buck-naked and covered in painful burns. He felt the texture of metal beneath his back and realised he  lay atop a horde of coins. He opened his eyes and saw he was still inside the dragon's cave. He felt at the tattered, burnt remains of his clothes and felt that through some miracle, the shreds of his fan-letter had been spared from the dragon's inferno. He looked around, despite the pain that moving caused him and saw the red dragon looking at him angrily. In the common tongue, Avarice asked. "Can you understand me?" The dragon didn't respond. Avarice tried speaking in goblin, still no response. He tried speaking in angelic, and at this, the dragon's eyes flared with anger and smoke bellowed from its nostrils. Hastily holding up his hands, Avarice asked in hellish.

"Would you prefer this language?"

The dragon slowly nodded.

"What happened to the humans who were here?" Avarice asked.

The dragon didn't respond, it simply shuffled its feet slightly like a cat moving into a more comfortable position atop a pillow.

"Did they perish?" Avarice asked.

Still no response.

Remembering that dragon's were said to be vain, arrogant creatures, Avarice said.

"Would thine mighty personage please enlighten mine humble self as to the fate of the fools whom attempted to infiltrate thy sovereign domain?"

The dragon looked up and scowled at Avarice, it said quickly, in a strange voice.

"The fools are no longer within this cave. I shall hear no more of this matter!"

Fear was replaced by curiosity as Avarice inched closer to the beast.

"Thou saw fit to spare me, why?" He asked.

The dragon didn't respond and turned its head in what Avarice almost thought to be embarrassment. The only reason he recognised it as such was because he'd seen it so much in Emily. An idea formed in the devil's head and he asked.

"Is it perhaps that the humans were somehow able to evade thine righteous fury?"

"Stop speaking in that way! It shall get you nothing!" The dragon snapped.

Avarice held up his hands apologetically.

"My apologies."

The dragon lowered its head on its front paws and closed its eyes. Avarice, after some time thought the dragon might be asleep and slowly began to move towards the exit of the cave. The beast instantly came alive and blocked the entrance. Spreading its massive wings and flapping them to send Avarice flying back onto the horde with a mighty gale. The message was clear, Avarice was not leaving this place. He tried several times afterwards to strike up a conversation with the dragon, but it always ignored him.

Hours passed, and Avarice eventually fell asleep. He woke up and more time passed. He fell asleep again and then once again awoke. How long had he gone without water now? He could barely even open his eyes at this point, and when he could, his vision was but a blur. Just before he felt everything about to go blank again, he sensed cool, saturating water slowly falling past his lips. A far-away sounding voice said in goblin.

"Drink slowly, unless you wanna undo all the shit I just went through to find your sorry ass."

Avarice drank modestly from the water-skin until his senses returned to normal. Above him was Jazz, looking seriously annoyed. The goblin whispered.