Devil's tale

Devil's tale chapter 19

When the paralysis wore off, Emily didn't hesitate for a second. She stood up and ran over to Robert to check if he was alright. The watchman sat up with a drained expression.

"What just happened?" He asked drowsily.

"I don't know, but Mormir's magic has worn off. Come on, we need to see if anyone else was effected." Emily replied, helping Robert to his feet.

"You're still so full of energy." He remarked.

"I have a job to do. I need to make sure everyone's safe." She replied as she made her way to the street. There, she saw a hooded cleric holding a prayer book, looking around with a surprised expression as the people on the floor began to move again.

"What happened here?" Emily asked.

"I don't know. Everyone suddenly fell limp, including myself. Then this red skinned devil appeared, cured me and ordered me to help everyone else."

"Did he have a goblin with him?" Emily asked.

"Yes, one with a rather mean-spirited face, I might add."

"Where did they go?"

"Towards the castle." The cleric pointed up towards the keep and Emily saw that the fortress's roof was engulfed in flames and smoke. Her heart sank as she realised that she'd missed whatever confrontation had happened up there, and that Avarice and Jazz might be hurt.

"Come on!" She grabbed Robert's wrist and began to run towards the castle. She wondered if Mormir was dead. She couldn't imagine either Jazz or Avarice killing someone. She then saw something else atop the castle. A beam of golden, divine light shooting into the sky, followed by an explosion of dark-coloured fire. The girl suddenly felt a menacing, stomach-turning presence. Something had just gone terribly wrong, she could feel it.

"What was that?" Robert asked.

"I don't know, but I sense both infernal, and angelic magic, and it feels like they're in conflict with each other. Like the angelic magic is using its light to cast a shadow, and that that shadow is dancing and flickering out of control because of it. Like a flame going berserk due to too much fuel."

She then heard a magical voice sound from the top of the castle, she heard the king speak.

"My men! I have broken the spell paralysing you, but the devil who cast it has not yet been slain! Stop this beast before it hurts any innocent people! As your monarch, I bid thee, do not let a single human fall to this creature! I shan't see innocent blood spilled under my watch!"

Something dark, and enveloped in fire and smoke shot up from the castle-roof. It seemed to be holding a smaller, green figure in one of is claws. The shadowy being landed with a loud, fiery crash in front of Emily and Robert. Several now mobile soldiers, clerics and paladins all immediately surrounded the figure. The smoke cleared and Emily saw a equal-parts fear and sadness-inducing sight. She saw Avarice, his eyes lacking pupils and simply wells of blazing fire. His skin had turned as black as shadow. His claws were enveloped in hellfire, as was the end of his tail, and most terrifying of all, sprouting from his back were two, enormous, demonic, fiery wings. It felt wrong, it was all wrong. Emily knew who this was supposed to be. She knew that this was supposed to be a boy with a good heart, one who wouldn't hurt a fly if he didn't have to. It was all disturbingly unnatural, to see Avarice's face displaying nothing but cruel hatred, and it put a fear into Emily's heart like nothing she'd felt before. In Avarice's left hand, he held a struggling Jazz by the neck. The goblin met Emily's gaze and immediately shouted.

"He's been enchanted by the-!" Avarice didn't let him finish. With a distorted grunt, he slammed Jazz into the stone floor brutally, he then threw the goblin at one of the paladins. When Jazz made contact with the man, an explosion of hellfire burst forth, knocking several soldiers off their feet.