Devil's tale

Devil's tale chapter 16

Avarice hoped he was heading to the right tea-shop. He looked at his map and his compass, he seemed to be heading the right way. Robert was walking next to the young minstrel as an escort, to show he was not a threat to other watchmen.

"Are you certain you are okay with this? I know you enjoy your freedom, and having a watcher for your entire time at the festival may get on your nerves." The man asked.

Avarice nodded. "I'll be fine. I'd have to be watched over anyway, and if it has to be someone, I'd rather it be Emily."

He and Robert made their way to the tea-shop. Along the way, Avarice enjoyed the usual suspicious and fearful glances of passers by, and the mothers hiding their children from his yellow, catlike eyes. Robert, as usual, was oblivious to all of it, simply strutting along merrily, clearly just happy to be out and working on a festive day. Jazz, in the meanwhile, had gone off on his one to scope out the city, looking for places to hide and for possible escape-routes, should battle break out.

"Before you leave. Can you tell me one thing?" Avarice asked.

"Of course, anything, son." Robert said.

Avarice opened his mouth to ask what had happened to Roland, to ask if the Song-String college really had been disbanded, to ask what had happened to all his old teachers and friends, but hard as he tried, no words came out.

"Forget it." He said eventually.

Emily was waiting outside a small, cozy-looking building that smelled of tea, a smell that made Avarice both happy and homesick at the same time. The cleric was still in her regular, long cloak and had her hood up, though she lowered it when she saw Avarice and Robert approach. There was a blush on her freckled cheeks, Avarice guessed from the chill in the evening-air.

"E-Evening." She stuttered.

Avarice did a small bow that even he thought was too cheesy.

"I'll leave you both to it then. Don't let him out of your sight, Emily." Robert said, turning heel and leaving.

"Want some tea?" Emily asked hesitantly.

"I'd love some!" Avarice replied.

The pair sat down by a small, round table, outside the shop and waited to order. Emily had a cup of green tea, while Avarice decided to order earl grey. The unique taste of the tea brought him right back home to his old room, to long nights of study and work.

"Ahh, it's been a while." He said contently, drinking his tea.

"I can imagine. You've been on the road a long time." Emily said. She then asked. "Have you ever been to a festival before?"

Avarice pondered this strange question, responding. "Not really, no. We had parties and celebrations back at the college, but never anything on a city-wide scale."

"I see..."

"Wait, could it be you've never been to one either?"

"I spent my whole life inside the monastery."

Avarice stood up. "Well then, perfect time for both of us to learn then."

Emily stood up as well and asked. "If I may, what happened to your old coat?"

"Got burnt off."

"By what?!"

"A dragon."

Emily giggled. "Avarice, I thought you were done lying to me?"

Avarice blushed. "It's true! And I can prove it!" He reached into his bag and showed Emily the collection of Rheagos' scales, as well as the flask containing dragon fire. Her jaw dropped and she covered her mouth with her hands. "Y-You slew a dragon?!"