Devil's tale

Devil's tale chapter 26

The heat was unbearable for Avarice. His devilish blood cooked him from within, and the sun fried him externally. He couldn't use his magic to affect himself, but at least he could, while he walked, use his power to ensure Jazz and Emily were kept cool. The cleric and goblin, thanks to the minstrel, both had a shell of cool air around them. Emily was barely looking where she was going, as she had her nose buried in her prayerbook, trying to find some sort of spell to help Avarice. The party's boots sank into the sand with every stride, making every step feel like their feet had weights attached to them. The harsh, hot wind cut across the wasteland and into the flesh of the travellers, blowing sand along with it which bit and stung at their faces.

"You know?! I'd almost rather return to that stupid valley than keep wandering this sandy shithole..." Jazz sighed.

"Same..." Avarice gasped.

"Really? After all that prayer to get rid of your nightmare-cage, you'd go somewhere where it could re-emerge?" Emily asked.

"Sorry. I didn't mean-" Avarice began.

"It's okay, I was kidding. I can't stand this heat either. I know I'm supposed to worship the sun, but even I'm having trouble loving my god right now." Emily quipped.

Avarice somehow managed to smile. He said. "Yeah, and here's me, a devil of heat, baking in the sun. Gods, I miss the mountains."

"Tell me about it." Jazz groaned as he walked.

"How can a civilisation flourish in a place like this?" Avarice asked to no one in particular.

"I dunno, you're the history-buff." Jazz said.

"I may have an idea!" Avarice suddenly said. He flexed his hand and tried to focus on the heat around himself. He was using artistic magic to alter the nature of the air around Jazz and Emily, but maybe he could use his innate power to manipulate the heat around himself? What if his ability to control fire translated into controlling heat as well? Now that Emily had removed the cage of light around his soul, he felt a bit safer, tapping into his devilish powers. He concentrated and felt his ability to control fire manifest. He could sense the heat around himself well enough. He reached out through the fabric of magic that surrounded the material plane to try and bend the heat when suddenly, it felt like time stopped. He was suddenly standing alone in a dark void he knew all too well. It was his nightmare-scape but without the cage of light. In his palm, a little flame danced, a flame that Avarice somehow knew, was a manifestation of the ability he was currently using.

"Why am I back here?! I thought I was done with this?!" He shouted at the darkness, more frustrated than anything. Emily had put in quite a lot of work and time into getting rid of the king's spell. Avarice then looked down at himself and let out a terrified gasp. In the centre of his chest, there was a large, vertical wound that seemed to leak smoke and fire. The wound didn't hurt, but it felt like it was leaking something. The fire in his hand suddenly flew out into the darkness, he chased after it in a panic, now that the cage no longer restricted him, he was free to move as he chose throughout this place. He ran after the flame until he saw it expand. With a burst of heart and light, he saw a form appear before him. A shadowy figure with eyes like glowing embers and a mane of hair made of pure fire. The rest of the form was enshrouded in shadow and smoke, and Avarice felt intense fear overcome his heart. The form reached out a clawed hand and Avarice ran from it, as he ran, he felt his foot snag on something, something like a deep step into sand. He fell forwards and landed face-first in the surface of the desert, he was back in the real world. He frantically grasped at his chest, to his relief, the wound was gone.

"Everything okay?" Jazz asked.

Avarice stood up and was about to lie and say yes, when he saw Emily's face. He said. "No, I tried using my power and ended up back in my dreamscape. When I was there, there was some sort of wound on my chest, leaking fire."