Page 21 of A Realm of Fire and Ash

I decide I don’t ever want to find out.

The plants around the perimeter of the building are unfamiliar to me. Going without proper nutrition has never been an issue before. Now I'm worried that if I eat something that doesn't agree with me, it could be fatal. Where do I turn to get sustenance in the underworld?

I crouch down, fingers grazing the soft leaves of an unknown plant. Its dense foliage forms a canopy overhead, prompting me to recoil instinctively. Despite this, my gaze fixates on a small vine clinging to a nearby tree trunk. Clusters of vibrant magenta berries hang from its end, and the prospect of satiating my hunger overcomes my apprehension. I reach out to pluck a single fruit and place it in my mouth. The taste is sweet and refreshing, urging me to eat more. I consume the entire vine without noticing, only to be startled by a deep voice that pierces the darkness.

"You're in for a miserable night after eating those."

I yelp, stumbling backwards as a figure emerges from the trees. His wings are huge and leathery like a bat’s, gleaming in the moonlight. More ethereal than physical, they appear to be made of mist. When he moves, they ripple like silk flowing in the wind, and when he stops, they vanish into the shadows. Sharp spikes adorn his livery, and his face is punctured with multiple piercings, intensifying his intimidating presence. Black hair lies in loose strands around his face, cascading down his back in perfect waves like liquid night. Eyes the color of the darkest blue flames meet mine, and they root me to the spot. Skin like spun gold makes him look like a god, and he might be.

The godlike creature stops in front of me, and I crane my neck, staring up at him. His wingspan is wider than I am tall. The edges of each feather are serrated, like talons, and the tips of them glow a brilliant white. Smoke curls from his nostrils, and it rolls around my feet and laps at my toes. I'm immediately intimidated by his size and fierceness, yet I stay rooted to the ground.

A flash of lightning pierces the sky, followed by crashing thunder. Forked lightning fills the sky, creating a storm unlike any I had seen before.

"Who are you?" I utter nervously.

He stretches out his wings with a slight arch of his back. "Azazel. First night?"

I nod and slowly get to my feet, brushing dirt from my clothes. He takes a step closer, and I take an involuntary step back as my heart makes a racket in my chest. Then he breaks into a breathtaking boyish grin. "I'm sorry. I just wanted to make sure you were alone.”

He motions over his shoulder with his chin. "A tavern sits up that way. People go there for a bit of company." I suspected debauchery, but not something as normal as a bar. His gaze drops to the ground, then returns to meet mine. "Or we could hang out here." He gestures to my little hut.

"Uhh." I clutch the chain to my chest as if to use it as a shield, but then I hold it up, jingling it for him to see. "Not going much of anywhere with this."

"Who put it on you?"

"Caius."

His wings arc dramatically. "Figures. A pretty little thing like you?" He shakes his head. "He doesn't want you commingling with anyone else before he's sampled the goods."

I roll my eyes. "Shocker," I mutter.

"Can I come in?" He motions to my hut. He watches me hesitate before he points to the bag slung around his shoulder. "I've got food and drink. You're also going to need medicine," he glances at the moons, "in about sixteen more seconds."

"Huh?"

"You'll see." He steps back, making a gesture of invitation toward my hut.

My heart pounds as I hesitate, but then I step aside and let him enter. He sets the bag down, pulling out a clay jar full of herbs and a mortar and pestle.

Just as I enter the threshold, a searing pain rips through my stomach. I double over in agony, clutching the chains as I grunt and groan, cursing myself for eating the berries.

Azazel kneels beside me, pushing back my clothes to reveal a wide black mark on my stomach. He hisses. "Inferno's Kiss."

He pulls the mortar and pestle towards him and grinds the herbs with a little bit of water. He spreads the paste over the mark, wrapping my stomach with a strip of cloth.

"It'll help keep the pain at bay." He helps me sit up, handing me the jar. "You'll want to reapply this every few hours. Wait until the pain is gone before you eat or drink anything else."

"How long do you think it'll take?"

He shakes his head. "A day or two, unless you can get Caius to take pity on you."

I groan, my insides churning. "I don't belong here."

He grins. "They all say that."

"You don't understand." I shake my head. "I'm a phoenix."

He cocks his head. "The longer you stay here, the easier it gets. Well, maybe that's the wrong choice of words." He considers his thoughts for a moment. "You get used to it." He shrugs.

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