Thankful that it was pit of ill repair rather than a trap the wounded warrior had been making her way through the dark tunnels. Dilo had taken the grand task of torch bearer from the rough materials they put together, precariously holding it over his furry head to not catch fire. They had been travleing in cooperative silence until Dilo broke it awkwardly "By the way thank you fow shaving me, it wash very nice of you, another gweat deed or valouw for our stowy!" Camdia said nothing. "I-I'm alsho vewy showwy, for being such a buwden... I musht caushe you twubble." Without looking back she turned the corner "You were useful. Our enemy has one less arm and" touching her stomach in pain, "I got caught in a stupid trap. I would probably be dead without your antics."
Dilo looked up unexpectedly, had he actually heard a compliment? He only stalled a moment in order to keep pace with the determined warrior. Camdia was thinking furiously. Her wound was bad but not incapacitating but her foe was much stronger than she anticipated. It was this thought that held her mind in a grip; I must find an advantage or a weakness to him, he can't be invincible. Just as this thought was dissipating a familiar voice filled the dark.
"tsk, tsk. How troublesome, how awfully frail." Camdia spun round, and crudley picked up Dilo to push the light into the echoing dark. It was the jester from the forest. The unseen voice continued "You know its rather boring to see how painfully underleveled you are, I'm almost tempted to give you an advantage."
"I hardly think you'd help me."
"Ohhoho! But my dear I am a servant to those who are strong, for strength is the determinant of all power and pleasure. And I am not in this aspect. But to dismantle this one's strength... well it will cost you."
Camdia continued to point the helpless Dilo around like a toy, searching the dark for the changing location of the voice. "I am willing to trade." Slowly from the darkness above the jester descended upside down, feet together on a spider's string, head cocked to the side as the awful mask come into view. "Now we are able to talk." came the venomous tone from behind the artificial upside down smile.
"Give me... hmmmm," as if looking her over "a quarter of your life force."
"No." The blunt response elicited laughter from the jester. "Well I guess we know you're not stupid." "Not sure I can say the same for you, maybe you're a bad dealer." the jester retracted as if pained. "Now now, a joke here and there haven't killed anyone, but yes lets talk reasonably, what would you offer to know the weakness of the black knight?"
"100 gold."
"Pah!" The jester swung charmingly on his string. "Monetary things to slay a god, silly brownies." He looked down at Dilo "How about that?" Camdia paused, uncertain of what he meant. "He's not mine to give, plus there are dozens of them to hunt." Dilo felt very scared at the term 'hunt'. "Oh I want that which can only be given by a guardian, the guardianship in question, to me." Rubbing his hands together "Its soul, if you will." Camdia paused in silence, weighing the option, which caused great panic in Dilo and great anticipation in the jester. Finally she spoke.
"He's mine." releasing them from mutual anxiety. "Hmmmm well that's too bad, not much else I want, are you sure?" Camdia's response was to set Dilo down and have him hide behind her. "Foolish girl." The jester rode up his spider string "you'll dream of regrets when the dark lord is having his way with your flesh" and he disapered into the darkness with cracking laughter. "Come Dilo."
Dilo followed now behind Camdia who was following a breeze out of the sewers. "Miss wawwiow, I'm owned by you?" Camdia gave silence back until she said "We'll get out of this together." Dilo was overwhelmed with emotion, no one had ever befriended him in his village before and now his first friend was the greatest warrior he had ever seen. Dilo beamed with his reply "Of course!" and raced on ahead, illuminating the wrong way until Camdia chased him down and scolded him.
