“You want to be our hostage?” There was no mistaking the surprise in Pig-faced’s voice.

“It’s not that I want it, but I wouldn’t mind if it will help you understand this isn’t some kind of trap. I can stay with you guys until everything is over. You can have me as collateral.”

“You really are devoted to your master, aren’t you?”

“No, I’m not. This was my plan. She can wait for centuries, but not me. And if you guys will take on the guardian anyway, I might as well use that to get me out of here.”

“Ah yes, you’re not here of your own will.”

“Exactly.”

“And your master won’t think we’ve kidnapped you?”

“I proposed it myself. Acting as collateral was my idea.”

“And she didn’t think you were trying to escape her? Isn’t that how you got shot, while trying to get away? Isn’t that what you’ve told me? Why wouldn’t she think you’re trying to do the same thing again if you’re telling the truth?”

“We … had some serious heart-to-heart after she healed me. We understand each other now and trust each other.”

“It almost sounds as if you two are acting like some teenagers.”

“Heh … she isn’t quite … good with social interactions. I admit, dealing with her takes a lot of nerve and patience. Which is why I’m here and not her.”

“And the only reason you’re with her is because you want to get out of here?”

“That and the fact that I’d end up in some beast’s belly if not for her.”

“So … you struck a deal with a devil in order to survive.”

“Yes.”

“And now you want us to strike a deal with that same devil.”

“Yes. Nobody is asking you to sell your souls, getting rid of the guardian is beneficial for both you and us. You get your riches, and we get a way out of here while the odds of survival drastically increase for all of us.”

“And you will serve as a guarantee that the devil isn’t playing any games with us?”

“That’s right. Would you like some other guarantees instead?”

“Not until our mage checks you first. Come on in. It will take us a while to decide if we’ll accept or not, but you can enter the camp in the meantime. Just no sudden movements, ok? You’re here as a prisoner, not as a guest. Understood?”

“Understood. I’ll enter the camp slowly now.”

Eric started walking slowly towards the entrance with his hands raised. There were no doors or anything similar, just a gap in the palisade.

Passing through, he saw adventurers lined up behind the palisade, staring at him warily. They all wore different weapons and armor, making it obvious that each of them was specialized in fighting a different kind of foe.

And they all had diverse, animalistic faces, with the exception of one brown-skinned female elf.

“Over here,” the familiar voice said. Turning his head, Eric saw pig-faced, wearing the same robes and gadgets he had the first time they’d met. His hand was outstretched towards Eric and in it was …

… a bag?

“Put this over your head,” Pig-faced said while approaching Eric, “We can’t have you spying on our camp, so you’ll have to wear it when moving around. You’re a prisoner here, not a guest, so you better get used to it.”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Oh,” Eric took the bag without giving it much thought, “Ok.”

“And it’s better if you put it on yourself. That way, your devil won’t think we’ve kidnapped you without your consent. A consensual kidnapping is the best kind of kidnapping, wouldn’t you agree?” Pig-faced said with a stupid grin.

“I think voluntary kidnapping is even better.”

“Heh, at least you won’t be a boring prisoner. Now put it on.”

Eric did as he was told, after which he was immediately dragged further into the camp. It didn’t take long for his captors to take the bag off, though.

“You will stay in this tent and won’t go anywhere,” Pig-faced said, “Understood?”

“I do. I didn’t come here to run away.”

Pig-faced gave him a smirk: “That makes sense. Just don’t forget you have no freedom of movement here. And remember that we can kick you out of here in a short while. We didn’t agree on anything yet.”

Eric nodded his head slowly: “I understand.”

“In the meantime, our healer will check you out. She will make sure the devil didn’t alter your body in some way.”

Pig-faced pointed his hand towards the short adventurer standing next to him, dressed in white robes and with the head of a brown-furred mouse. And even though her completely black eyes couldn’t be as expressive as humanoid ones, Eric could swear he found a hint of fear in them.

“And just to make sure you don’t do anything stupid, we’ll have a guard with you at all times,” Pig-faced pointed the thumb of his other hand at yet another adventurer. This one had leather armor and the head of a wolf with grey fur.

“Ok, I understand. He is wasting his time with me though, but I understand you can’t afford to trust me. Will I be able to communicate with any of them?”

“Do you know any tongue besides a demonic one?”

“I know English.”

“That word means nothing to me. So no, no one else will understand what you’re saying, so you shouldn’t bother them. You’ll have to direct all your questions to me, and that’s only if we agree to help you.”

“Ok, I understand. By the way, my name is Eric. How should I address you?”

“I will tell you my name only if we decide to work with you. You don’t need to know it otherwise. Now, you will stay here and be a good little boy …” he quickly sized Eric up and down, looking a little bit surprised, “… even though you’re taller than most of us … and you’ll wait for me to come back. Our healer will check you in the meantime. Take your top off, sit on that stool, and let her do her magic. If you try anything funny, my furry friend here will slice you in two. Got it?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Good. Now, I have some arguing to do, and it could take a while. Stay put and be patient until I return.”

Eric nodded without saying anything. Looking satisfied with that, pig-faced turned around and left the tent.

Soon after, he heard a squeaky voice. The robed mouse was saying something in its language while moving its hands up and down.

“What?”

That only made the mouse move its hands faster.

“Ah, yes. I’m supposed to take my top off, right?”

He gave the mouse a slight smile, but that didn’t alleviate the scared look in its eyes.

“All right,” he said as he took his ragged top off in one motion, putting it gently on the ground before sitting on the stool next to him, “Go for it.”

The mouse looked at the wolf first, who gave it a low snarl. Then, tentatively, it got behind Eric, putting its clawed hands on his shoulders.

Eric expected something to happen, for the mouse to start chanting some magic or for some flash of light to occur. But nothing happened. Mouse simply held its hands on his shoulders without saying or doing anything.

Having nothing better to do, he glanced at the wolf adventurer who was supposed to act as his jailer. And even though he was sitting on the stool, it wasn’t hard for him to realize he was taller than the wolf. He estimated the adventurer to be about as tall as timkiks he had dealt with before.

But this one wasn’t fat like most timkik nobles Eric dealt with. The simple leather armor covered most of the wolf’s body, but he noticed it carried itself with the swagger of a fighter. A seasoned fighter, unlike the timkik knights who are only for show.

And the joints in the leather armor exposed fur, meaning that not only his face was furry.

“Oh my god, I’m surrounded with god-damn furries,” Eric allowed his thoughts to escape his lips, knowing the creatures around him wouldn’t understand what he meant.

The wolf did respond, though. And although Eric didn’t understand a word, his experience told him the adventurer was quite irritated.

“All right, all right, jeez … I just wish there was an elf acting as my guardian, that’s all. I know you have some around.”

This time the mouse responded in a squeaky, somewhat feminine voice. The wolf looked at it for a moment, giving it an incredulous look, and just shrugged. Such human-like behavior made Eric remember that he was dealing with people. He knew that was the case, everything so far indicated these were sapient people and not animals, but his instincts just couldn’t accept it for some reason.

He knew that as a diplomat sent to an alien world, he was supposed to be open-minded about such things, which is why he hated that his instincts were actively working against him.

Not wanting to annoy the armed wolf any further, Eric decided just to keep quiet. So he, the mouse, and the wolf spent quite a lot of time doing nothing but staring at each other in awkward silence.