The next day, Phisola and Eric visited the adventurers with a cargo of materials, as usual. But this time Ghilanna waited for them at the gates.

“Hey,” Ghilanna said in a tongue Eric didn’t understand.

“Hey,” Phisola responded.

“What did you do to Rutmuik, our dwarf?”

“I made him see reason.”

“See reason … but how?”

“You elves will never understand. Trying to explain it to you would be a waste of time.”

“Are you calling me stupid?” Ghilanna’s voice got serious as a frown settled on her face.

“I’m calling you an elf. You make what you want of it. Anyway, why are you here? Did something happen?”

“Well … yes … but it’s not necessarily a bad thing.”

“Let me guess … your dwarf is working very hard.”

“Even harder than usual. He used to spend some time with us, but now he is in his workshop non-stop. I thought that’s what I wanted him to be like from the start, but now I’m worried if he is taking his meals properly and sleeping at all.”

“That’s perfectly normal for a dwarf. He is so mad at me that he wants nothing more but to get me out of his life as soon as possible. And the sooner he finishes that thing …”

“The sooner you will leave.”

“… yes.”

“You know a lot about the dwarves,” there was a dose of skepticism in Ghilanna’s voice.

“Yes, I do. I like them.”

“I never understood how someone could like a dwarf, but I have to admit it makes sense in your case. They are very easy to infuriate, and I bet that gives you plenty of entertainment.”

Phisola smiled widely, “That’s true, but it’s not just that. I like them on a deeper level. Well, they can’t go deep, but they’re very wide, which I happen to like.”

Ghilanna’s frown turned into one of confusion. She searched for the meaning of those words for a few moments. Once she finally got it, her lips contorted in disgust.

“You demons are truly sick.”

“Hey, I like masculine males. What is the point of getting a male that looks like a girl?”

“Then get some girls instead.”

Hearing that made Phisola raise her brow suggestively, “Oh? Is that a suggestion?”

“It would be if you weren’t a psycho.”

“You can just say no. There’s no need to be confrontational.”

“The dwarf you like so much tried being friendly with you, and look how that turned out. Please forgive me for not wanting to go through the same thing.”

“How about you stop staring then?”

“I’m not staring. I’m looking you straight in the eyes.”

“Don’t play stupid!” Phisola smirked, “I’ve seen you ogling me at every opportunity you get.”

“Well, you’re completely naked at all times! Things are put on a display to be looked at, right?”

“Listen, Miss Frustrated. If you don’t want me to help you with that frustration of yours, then go bother someone else and get out of my way.”

“I can’t do that. I have to escort you this time. Tensions were extremely high yesterday, so I’m not taking any chances.”

“We both know this is just an excuse so you can ogle me some more.”

“Do you mind?”

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Phisola grinned seductively, “Not at all. In fact, I’ll go first so you can admire my perfect figure from behind.”

They went through the camp with no issues, reaching Rutmuik’s tent quickly.

“Let me go first,” Ghilanna said.

“Alright.”

Ghilanna entered the tent slowly, “Hey, Rutmuik, the devil is here.”

The dwarf worked his craft uninterrupted, not bothering even to acknowledge Ghilanna’s presence.

“Can she come in?” Ghilanna asked, but got no response. The dwarf kept on working, ignoring her as if she was just a figment of his imagination.

“That’s not how diplomacy works with the dwarves,” the devil said, “Just let me in, and I’ll leave quickly. I’m not even going to talk to him.”

Ghilanna gave a serious look to the devil, “Ok. But please, don’t provoke him any further.”

“That’s not why I’m here today.”

The devil and her companion entered the tent and unloaded the materials, after which the devil approached the dwarf. However, she said nothing to him. She didn’t even look at him. Instead, she inspected the dwarf’s work carefully, approaching it from all sides and taking in even the slightest details.

Rutmuik did his best to ignore the devil, although he couldn’t make the deep frown on his face disappear. Still, he allowed her to examine his work, all the while pretending as if she was never there. So much so that he threw a chisel he no longer needed exactly where she was standing. But the devil’s quick reflexes helped her avoid it effortlessly.

That little gesture drew a playful smile on her face, but she said nothing.

After examining the dwarf’s creation thoroughly, she nodded her head and walked away without saying a word, looking very satisfied.

“I take it you are pleased?” Ghilanna asked.

“Very. The dwarf got the message. He is experienced and wise.”

“Most of our party members are. Fools can’t go this deep.”

“And then there is your inquisitor.”

Ghilanna’s face soured instantly, “He is … I won’t say he is a fool, but the reason isn’t his strong suit.”

“But you don’t want me talking about him, right?”

“Of course. As incompetent as Svinjko can be, he is not an outsider.”

“Like me.”

“Like you.”

The devil smiled deviously, “I guess he’s been with you for a while then?”

Noticing the smile, Ghilanna’s face got serious, “That doesn’t concern you. I’m not about to share information about my party members.”

“Relax,” the devil’s smile turned into a playful one, “That was just a rhetorical question. I already know the answer. Still, my companion told you a lot about me. It’s unfair that you know everything about me, but I know nothing about you. Don’t you agree?”

“Sharing personal information is not a part of our deal.”

“Ok, fair enough. What got you so stuck up today?”

“One of my companions had suffered a nervous breakdown because of you yesterday. And you’ve also killed several others. Do you really expect me to be friendly with you?”

“But that’s all in the past. Now we’re working together. I mean, just look at my companion,” the devil pointed at Eric with her hand, “He is not handsome, he is not capable, he isn’t smart or intelligent, but he is very reasonable. And that’s why, despite all odds, he is still alive. I thought he was going to get himself killed in a few weeks, yet he is still here. Sure, I did cause him some pain and suffering. I even abused him at one point, but now that’s all in the past and we can work together towards a common goal.”

“So you caused him pain, have abused him, and now he is your servant. Thanks for the offer, but no thanks.”

That made the devil laugh, “Ok, I get it. It does sound bad when you put it that way. But hey, he is still alive and well. And even though he would never admit it, he is living a fulfilling life with me. Besides, I’m not asking you to be my servant. Hell, it’s the exact opposite. I’m the one serving you right now! You have no idea how far I’m going with this one, working with and depending on mere adventurers to get something done.”

“You must have a very good reason for that.”

“My, umm …”

Ghilanna was treated to a very unusual sight. The sight of a devil looking uncomfortable, averting her eyes, and fidgeting around. What Ghilanna’s eyes saw was so out of the ordinary that, if she didn’t know better, she might even start thinking that the devil got embarrassed somehow.

“Oh, fuck it!” The devil said after a few moments, returning to her usual self, “Fine, I’ll say it! You see, the problem is that my companion is weak as fuck. And he will only live for a few decades, even when living in perfect conditions. His people are simply frail and short-lived. So, he is going to wither and die very soon if I don’t find a way to get him out of here.”

“Are you expecting me to believe that a devil would sacrifice her pride just to save a mortal?”

“Not any mortal. He is, well … I mean, he is special to me. Not in a romantic way, but he is one of the few people who can get along with my irritating behavior. Yes, I know I’m irritating and that people hate my company. But he is … different. It’s probably because he used to be a diplomat …”

“A diplomat?”

“Yes. He used to be a diplomat before he was teleported here. He is useless in pretty much everything else, but the one thing he is really good at is dealing with people. And he is especially good at getting under your skin.”

“That also explains why he got Svinjko on his side. I never expected him to have such sympathy for a demon.”

“My companion may be stupid, but his social skills are top-notch. Which is why he is one of the few people … well … he is the only person I can get along with. Sure, we have our fights. We have our disagreements. He might even give me some sass or be sarcastic towards me. Yet, I can’t help but let him get away with it. And I can’t explain why I’m letting him get away with such disrespect. That’s the biggest mystery of it all. There is no rational way to explain why I’m letting him get away with things I’d easily kill others for.”

That made Ghilanna smile, “And there is no way to explain why you’d stoop so low for him, to the point where you’re working with mortals just to get him out of here.”

“Well … umm … yeah …” The devil said while scratching the back of her head.

The devil’s reaction made Ghilanna’s smile widen, “You know what? I’ve been told that I should never trust a devil for my whole life, but I’m actually going to believe you on this one. Simply because I know a devil would be way too prideful to come up with such a lie.”

“Thanks … I guess.”