Chronicles of a Mage, Book One

Chapter 18: Meeting With a Devil

I was sitting in my room on my bed, eating a stew.
"We earned 2 gold today" I said
"And we earned 3.6 gold yesterday" Eeuna replied
"That means we have 5.6 gold out of the hundred we need." I put a spoonful of food in my mouth and when I was done chewing I spoke again "In other news, the healers have been tending Mathra. My movements around the cathedral is pretty restricted but Liselle gave us this report." I took out a piece of paper that contained comprehensive detail about Mathra's vital signs as well as his injuries and conditions
"What does it say?" Eeuna asked
I skimmed the report and then said "Mathra was shot in his leg with a crossbow which has now given him a fractured leg. What's worse is that the bolt was tipped in a poison which causes nausea, loss of consciousness as well as many other ill symptoms including death, if given enough time unchecked. This poison has also caused Mathra to enter a coma and for now, it is unknown how long he will remain in this state. Coma aside, it is estimated that Mathra will be fully healed in a month"
"That doesn't sound good"
"At least we can take solace in the fact that he'll be healed in about the time we'll be out of here. If we're lucky" I said
"Lucky for us to be out of here in a month or lucky for him to recover in a month?"
"Preferably both." After that conversation I fell asleep but I did not wake up with my face in a pillow.

Instead I woke up with my face on a carpet that was laid over a hard, stony material which gave off a slight heat. Then I heard Eeuna's voice " You're here. About time too"
I looked up and saw a girl wearing a blue dress and green hair. This is what Eeuna looked like in the dream when I first met her. The room surrounding me was certainly not the cathedral, but the architecture seemed like something you'd find in Thele City. There was a long, red carpet which led up to a throne and whatever was sitting on the throne was hidden by shadows. The walls and ceiling had cracks which were seemingly filled with fire and the ceiling had a pentagram on it. 
"You're also here does that I'm dreaming again?" I stood up but instead of saying anything she just pointed behind me, at the throne. When I turned around to face the throne, two braziers that next to the throne erupted in flame, revealing a humanoid figure with horns, red skin and a face that I couldn't help but find charming. They wore fine, red clothing that touched and held a book in his hand titled 'The Laws of Hell'.
"Welcome, mortal. I have been watching you for some time. But I believe now is as good a moment as any to introduce myself" He spoke to me in a deep voice and stood up from his throne
"So what have I done to catch the attention of a devil?" At least, I was fairly sure he was a devil. Devils are extra planar creatures that reside in the plane of Hell, where they follow the laws of hell. The book he was holding was a pretty good giveaway as to what he was.
"It's not about what you have done but rather what you will achieve, and believe me, you will achieve great things. You see my name is Mephiles the Merchant and I know that speaking to you now will benefit me in the future"
"So why would you do business within my dream?" I said
"You noticed that this was a dream? Good, that will make this much easier. But to answer your question, it is simply more convenient to do business this way. As a mage, you must know how difficult for extra planar beings to enter the material realm. " It seems my guess about him being a devil was correct.
"But if you enter my dream, you don't technically enter the material plane"
"Correct, and I have come here offer you a... free sample of my services" He pointed to a pedestal rose up from the ground next to me that had a book lying on it. From the faint magic tingle I could feel coming from it, I surmised that this must've been a spell book of some kind. Indeed, the book had writing on the cover that said, "Spell book of Naraht" whoever Naraht was I did not know, nor did it care to know.
"Nothing comes for free. What do you want in return?"

"Well to be honest, I don't think you're in much of a position to give me anything. I know of your predicament and how you are spending time fighting in the sewers. That tome and the spells it contains will give you a far better chance at surviving in those sewers. For now just think of that spell book as an... investment. " Mephiles spoke
I looked hesitantly at Eeuna "I don't know. Do you think we should take it?" If devils are known for anything it's that you shouldn't make deals with them unless you know what you're doing. But it's not as if he's making me agree to an official contract.
"If it helps you not die then I think you should accept this gift from the demon. Plus didn't you hear him? It's free!" Eeuna said
"Actually he's a devil. Demons are separate creatures entirely. But I you're right, it would help us in the sewer.s" I looked back up at Mephiles, who was wearing a smile "Very well. I accept this sample. Just one question though. How exactly is this tome from a dream going to help me in the material plane?" I asked
"A valid question. I have ways of delivering packages to the material realm. I wouldn't be a very good merchant otherwise. When you wake from your dream you will find the tome under your bed."
"Alright. Then our business is settled here."
"Indeed. It's been a pleasure to finally meet you, Sorace" It was kind of weird how he knew my name when I didn't tell him, but he did say he was watching my travels "We'll meet again after you've sorted this whole thing out. Until then" He teleported from his throne to in front of me, where he towered over me by a foot or so and held out his hand. It was kind of hot. And I'm not just talking about a devil's natural charisma, he was literally giving off heat. "I wish you luck". Naturally I shook his hand and everything went white.

Then I was back in my room in the church and to my surprise I found the same tome from my dream under my bed, right next to my spellbook (the one that I briefly mentioned in one of the first chapters.). I picked it up and flipped through the pages
"Now this is something to behold. Every single page is filled with spells, diagrams and whatever else, unlike mine which only has a few pages filled in. I did not expect a devil to be kind enough I to give me such an item, even if he has ulterior motives" As much as I would've loved to spend the night studying the tome, it probably wouldn't have been wise to delve into the sewers while sleep deprived, so I staunched my lust for knowledge and went back to sleeping.