Devil's tale

Devil's tale chapter 24

Rheagos landed before the shallow start of a thin, quickly deepening crevasse in the landscape. It was less a valley and more an extremely narrow canyon that cut from the luscious green fields and woods of the kingless lands into the desert beyond. The valley seemed to have no end in the desert, as if it stretched on for infinity, just as Rheagos had described it, and its bottom was hidden by a thick blanket of unnatural mist. Mist that remained prevalent despite the fact it was a warm, sunny day.

"No mortal soldier shall dare venture in here, but remember that they do so out of wisdom, not foolishness." Rheagos warned.

Avarice turned to Emily and Jazz. "We can always try and find another way around. Are you sure about this?"

"Yes. I have this feeling seeing this place, like it's calling to me in some way. It feels similar to when I'm praying. Maybe down there, there'll be something I can use to show my fellow clerics that they're wrong to say Leto wishes them to follow such a problematic creed." Emily said.

"And you, Jazz?"

"In for a penny, in for a pound. It's the quickest way into the desert right?" The goblin reasoned.

Avarice nodded. He stared at the valley and gulped. A sudden gale blew out of the mist and swept the minstrel's hair and coat into a frenzy. The wind almost sounded like it was calling his name.

"Avarice..."

He gulped again and lied. "I don't fear this place." As he marched forward, leading his party into the mist below. He then, in the middle of his dramatic moment, realised he'd forgotten something and awkwardly turned around to say to Rheagos.

"By the way, I can't thank you enough for all you've done."

"Fret not, my friend. Not even you know the full extent of my reasons for helping." The dragon replied as he spread his mighty wings and disappeared into the sky.

"I still can't believe you befriended a dragon." Emily remarked.

"Join the club." Avarice replied.

"With how deep this place seems to go. We're going to need a light down there." Jazz remarked.

"It'll be better if someone has an object I can make glow." Emily said.

Avarice drew his rapier. "I'm not going to cut anyone with this anyway."

Emily nodded and cast a spell, making the sword emit a gentle, blue light.

The devil proceeded to lead the way down into the valley without a name. The mist soon swallowed the three mortals and Avarice once again heard ethereal voices whisper his name. The slope descended steeply down into the earth and the light of the sun quickly began dim, as if the laws of time were being bent to make the time of day twilight. Avarice remembered from his studies that dusk and dawn were the two times when the astral world and the material plane were closest together. A feeling of dread overtook the minstrel as he walked forwards and downwards. His boot hit a loose rock and he slipped. Jazz caught him and said. "Careful" The light of Avarice's sword was now just barely enough for him to see the outlines of Emily and Jazz next to him in the fog. Instinctively, out of fear he'd lose her in the mist, Avarice took Emily's hand. Feeling her warm skin against his own and knowing she was there with him helped him ignore his fear somewhat.

"Do you feel that?" Emily asked.

"Feel what?" Avarice asked back.

"This place, there's something off about it, and not in the obvious way. It feels like the fabric of reality is... wrong somehow."