The old man sat Aria down in a seat, and with the floating Pen Pen swirling around her, he introduced himself with a fashionable bow. Surrounding him were wisps that lit the dungeon along with the wall mounted torches.

“I am Gray Arkos, and welcome to my dungeon,” he said. “It’s a bit of a work-in-progress, but I’m working to get it up and running properly. Now, I must ask, who are you?”

“Aria,” she said, her voice soft as whispers. “I’m an alchemist who lives alone in the woods.”

“An orphan, eh? Well, little lady, what made you follow me? What sparked your curiosity?”

She paused, then pointed at his suit. He tugged on his collar, then let out a chuckle.

“Ah, I see. I stood out from the average villager now, did I? I suppose this spiffy suit does attract a lot more attraction than I first thought it would.” and he put a hand to his chin to ask, “Little lady, are you a fan of fancy clothing? I know a few people in the capital who’d love to take in a helping hand. How about it? Would you like to become the apprentice of a seamstress or perhaps a jeweler?”

“When I grow up… I want to be an evil witch the whole world fears.”

She said that with the sweetest smile he had ever seen, one that belonged to an innocent child. Gray couldn’t help but chuckle.

“An evil witch, eh?” he asked, and she nodded.

If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

“I want to be the strongest magician in the world, the most knowledgeable alchemist to ever exist and live for an eternity.”

“Good Goddess, what a tall order,” Gray let out, “and how are you planning on doing all that, little lady?”

She put a hand to her chin to think, then pointed it at him.

“I want to be like you.”

“Like me?”

“The king of a castle… or the master of a dungeon filled with darkness, snakes, scary monsters and treasure.”

Gray, hearing that, leaned back in his seat to think it over. Pen Pen came over and poked him in the side of his head, leaving a trail of ink on his face.

“What is it Pen Pen?” he asked, and the pen buzzed by his ear like a mosquito. His eyes darted over to Aria before an expression of shock arose.

“You’re kidding, aren’t you?” he asked Pen Pen. “You don’t really mean —”

The pen did a barrel roll, spilling ink about, making a tantrum.

“Alright, alright!” Gray argued. “I suppose I’ll take the offer.”

“Offer?” Aria asked, and he unrolled a piece of paper from his inner coat pocket.

“You came to me, asking for a job, didn’t you?” and he unfurled that sheet before her, saying, “I suppose I have no choice but to commend your go-getter attitude. If it’s a job you want, then it’s a job I’ll trust you with.”

“A job?”

Pen Pen flew over and scribbled on that blank sheet, turning it into a contract. Then, Pen Pen flew into her hand — acting awfully gentle as not to hurt her, as opposed to the ink stained Gray.

“If you really want to become a witch feared by the world, you’ll need a lair, won’t you?”

“A lair? You’re offering me a lair?”

“Sign away on the dotted line, and from this day forth, I’ll make you my second in command.”

Hearing that, Aria signed away. From that day forth, she became the dungeon’s keeper — second to the dungeon master, Gray Arkos.