Devil's tale

Devil's tale chapter 25

The darkness, at once dissipated to reveal a large, spacious chamber full of a gentle blue light and multiple, fluttering insects that seemed to be made of light. Avarice and Emily moved their faces back and looked around in wonder.

"That was weird." Emily said, a blush on her cheeks.

"Yeah, and no god struck us down in fury." Avarice joked, trying to hide his own feelings, which were a strange cocktail of embarrassment and unbelievable happiness.

Emily laughed and added. "It's a good thing we only had to do that and didn't go further."

"M-Meaning?!" Avarice asked in a panic.

"Well, any further and I'd have gotten pregnant, right?" Emily asked.

Avarice stepped back and held up his hands. "I'm sorry, what?!"

"Everyone knows that when people kiss with their tongues, it makes a baby, right?" Emily asked, and Avarice could see in her eyes she was being completely serious. He stood there with his mouth agape, then he began to laugh uncontrollably. He felt bad, it wasn't Emily's fault she was misinformed, but it was just so damn funny to him.

"Did I say something wrong?" Emily asked worriedly.

"Um, I'm not sure if I'm the right person to tell you this, but that's not how children are born." Avarice said between fits of laughter.

Emily blushed red as an apple and crossed her arms. "Well it's not fair to laugh and then not tell me!" She said indignantly.

"Trust me, you don't want me of all people telling you how it works." Avarice said, thinking on how he and Emily still had a long journey ahead of them, and they were the only person of the opposite sex they were going to interact with for a while. He figured Emily's ignorance of the 'mechanics' of the situation would serve as a decent motivator for him to keep his distance.

"And you two didn't even have to go that far." Said a new voice. The two mortals glanced over to where the sound came from to see a strange being sitting atop a large boulder. The creature had ebon-black skin, white hair, long ears, angelic wings, devilish horns, a tail that ended in a fan of feathers and eyes like the night sky, with irises like full moons. The being's gender was unclear, but it radiated an otherworldly and strangely frightening beauty. Upon seeing the being, Emily fell down to one knee, likely assuming it was of a divine nature. Avarice however, though he agreed with Emily's assumption, did not kneel.

"And you are?" Avarice asked cautiously, looking at the being with awe, as everything about its image and aura seemed to emanate contradiction.

"No one of consequence, and also the most important person in this place." The being answered paradoxically. Its voice sounded youthful yet also full of age, and its tone betrayed a hint of excitement, as if this was the first time it had been happy to speak in who knew how long.

"I suppose you wouldn't care to honour me with your name, would you?" The minstrel asked.

"Oh my dear Avarice, my name is Glorofin, and you may attempt to enchant me if it so pleases you." The being answered.

"I'm not nearly that foolish. Now care to explain to us what's going on here?" Avarice said, trying to hide his wonder and fear.

"Explaining it in detail would take days, time you are not afforded. Let us simply say that Emily was correct in that this place is a wound in reality. It is the site of an ancient battle between mortals."

"Mortals? Not gods and demons?" Avarice asked.

"You misunderstand what I say, as you both misunderstand the nature of your respective patrons. Emily, you do not see the truth of Leto, and Avarice, you are too blind to search for the truth of what you are. I almost did not let you through for your individual flaws, but you both overcame them at least to some degree, once you were together, and so only together, may you pass." Said Glorofin.