Chaney sat nervously on a tiny stool in some sort of workshop. The fairy had cleared some things off a workbench and swept most things up against one wall with a wave of his green hand. The fairy had told Chaney to wait here and not to leave the room "or the giant snake will eat you." The cat was out prowling through the pitch black tunnels nearby. To distract himself, Chaney focused on the warm ember in his chest. He could faintly feel the emotions of the big cat, even though it was distant. The moon cat''s emotions didn''t quite feel the same as his own, which was very interesting. Are they different because she is a cat and I''m a human? Maybe they are different because she is a dungeon creature. ''She'', ''she'', ''she''... She needs a name. Chaney thought.


    Chaney tried out various names, like "shadow" and "black-black", but none of them seemed to fit. He was reciting the names of different foods he had tried when the door opened.


    "Clam, elk, plum, liver, bread... Master fairy!" Chaney shook himself and sat up strait. The fairy was carrying a thick book written in a language Chaney didn''t recognize. Chaney was about to ask about the book, but someone else entered the room. Chaney yelped in surprise and jumped to his feet as a large, grey creature with big wings and big fangs stomped into the workshop. The grey creature glared at him with glowing red eyes. Chaney would have run away, but the small room had nowhere to go.


    "Sit down." The fairy hardly looked at him as he set the book on the workbench. The fairy summoned a second book and began to flip through them both. Chaney sat slowly. He pulled his eyes away from the angry stone creature to look at pages of the books. One of the books was just a bunch of words he couldn''t read, but the other hurt his eyes. Each page seemed to be covered in intricate designs that a madman had created in order to drive others to even greater madness of their own. Chaney blinked rapidly and looked away. As he rubbed his eyes, the stone creature''s glare took on a smug aspect. Embarrassed, but not sure why, Chaney folded his arms and looked at the wall.


    After a few minutes, the fairy began to mutter to himself. Chaney turned from the wall to watch the fairy. His muttering grew more and more animated and he began pulling out gems and tools and other things. He reached out for the stool under Chaney and came up short when he tried to pull it over. "What?" The fairy looked up, blinking rapidly. "Oh, you''re still here. Sorry, I forgot you still needed to swear an oath." The fairy pushed the book of madness away and focused on the book with words. "Chaney, as the assigned dungeon fairy for the Terse Elements dungeon, I offer you ''Employment Contract #6'' and designate your supervisor as the creature standing behind me" The fairy gestured over his shoulder at the stone creature.


    _ Warning: Violation Of The Proposed Contract Will Result In Loss Of All Experience Gained During The Contract _


    "What''s employment contract #6?" Chaney asked.


    Violet waved his hand dismissively. "It''s the simplest one: You do as you are told, I do what I promised. You keep anything you''ve gained during the contract. The cat doesn''t count, because you got her before the contract. Please agree or refuse."You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    "I agree." Chaney said. He felt like he was being led around with a blindfold on, but he also didn''t have much choice unless he wanted to fight a pair of bandits at the dungeon entrance and leave the cat behind.


    "Perfect." The fairy said. "Now I will introduce you properly." The fairy half turned so he could gestured at Chaney and the stone creature. "Chaney the human, meet your supervisor, Yrryth the gargoyle."


    Chaney tried to think how traders formally greeted people of importance. He bent awkwardly on his stool and said, "Greetings, supervisor Yrryth." The stone creature, the gargoyle, nodded at him.


    "Yrryth is going to stash you in one of the worldlets the bandits can''t reach yet. The swamp one, I think?" The fairy pointed that question at the gargoyle. The gargoyle shrugged. The fairy continued, unconcerned. "Probably the best choice. She will build you a simple shelter and leave you there. I will be along in a few hours... maybe a day... I will be along eventually to provide you with some basic gear you need as an employee of the dungeon. Your first task is to hunt and kill all the dungeon creatures in that worldlet. You should work on improving your stealth and fighting skills as well as working together with your cat. Questions?"


    "What''s a worldlet?" Chaney asked.


    The fairy gave him a flat look. "A dungeon floor. Now, I have to make that gear, so get out." The fairy flapped his hands at Chaney to get him off the stool. Yrryth opened the door and gestured him out with a grunt. Back in the dark tunnels, Yrryth led him through sets of tunnels made of stone, dirt, and mud. The moon cat joined them just as they entered a cavern made of rocky mud that dripped constantly. Yrryth climbed up a ladder and disappeared into the ceiling. Chaney looked down at the cat. "Can you climb a ladder?" He asked. The cat ignored him and leapt up into the ceiling. Chaney laughed and climbed up more slowly.


    Chaney passed through a portal and emerged into a short tunnel leading up into dim blue-green light. The moon cat sat in the tunnel, growling up at the light. Chaney could feel her dislike of anything other than complete darkness. He shuffled past the cat and climbed out into the swamp. A giant blue vine grew across the dungeon floor- Worldlet. He reminded himself. The vine grew across the worldlet. The leaves of the vine continuously sprayed water mist. Chaney''s clothing grew wet and heavy as he surveyed his surroundings. Yrryth was nearby, glaring at some boulders.


    "Yrryth." Chaney said timidly. "My cat doesn''t like the light." The gargoyle ignored him. Chaney tried again. "Is there food here?" The gargoyle grunted but didn''t look up. "Could-" Yrryth stomped on a boulder and Chaney stopped speaking and watched in amazement. The boulder flattened and spread out. It ran into several other boulders which also flattened and spread. The flattened boulders formed an even square. Yrryth stomped again and the entire square rose up to just above Chaney''s head. Yrryth reached out and began to climb the side of the square block. Her feet and hands left indents in the stone. She fiddled with something on top of the square block, then spread her wings and jumped off.


    Chaney expected her to fly away, but she plummeted to the ground like a slightly-slower rock. She gestured to the top of the square block with a grunt at Chaney. Chaney hesitated, but walked forward and climbed the square block. At the top of the block he found an open hatch that led into the mostly dark interior. Chaney noticed that the roof of the stone hut had a few holes along the edge, letting minimal light in. Before Chaney could climb down into the hut, the moon cat burst past him with a yowl. She dove down into the hut and pressed herself into the darkest corner. Chaney turned to look at Yrryth, but she was already gone.