Pretty good first employee contract, if I do say so myself. Reading it through a second time, then a third.

  “If I had a contract like this, I would’ve stayed at my previous job.” If it wasn’t 12 hours away…

  I got up from my stool and positioned myself in the middle of the dining room. I didn’t feel like taking chances, of a being wrecking my kitchen when summoned.

  Purchased.

  [Employment Contract Complete]

  [Confirm 200 Gold Coins]

  “Yes yes, confirm.”

  I answered. My heart pounding at the thought of what this Shade would actually look like.

  [Would you like to name it?]

  What?

  “I thought this shade-thingy was a being that once lived. Wouldn’t that mean it already had a name?”

  [You can just let it have its own name]

  [Ready?]

  “Yes. Let’s just get this over with.”

  The air swirled past me and into the space in front of me. Dust and other particles being sent around the room. To the sound of Peek emerging from the kitchen and beginning his routine of cleaning.

  When the spectacle was coming to a close; the electric like sparks and whooshing sound, confirming it. With the production of a black silhouette standing before me.

  It wasn’t tall, but matched the general look of a human at least. Normal limbs and all.

  It turned around. Known only by the fact I could now see white glowing dots, where eyes should be.

  “A-Am I dead?” The figure asked in an almost dual style voice.

  I cleared my throat with a dry cough and couldn’t help but grin to myself a little.

  “Employed.”

  Which in some cases would probably be the same.

  “E-Employed. Like a job?” Its head turning around to establish its location. “Where am I?”

  First things first, he knew what a job was and understood what employment was too.

  “You’re in my house, you’ve been employed by me to assist in running this Safezone.” Giving him a bit of a wave of my hand.

  “This place… I need help with a task. Can you help me?”

  The being looked at its hands and legs, which were essentially just black, shadowy sticks.

  “I look—different.”

  I bet.

  “How about you sit down for a minute and we’ll go through the nitty-gritty’s together?” Shooting him my most “customer-service” smile I could muster.

  The being stood there frozen for a few more seconds, then turned to sit in my empty dining area. The one that was too small for orcs, but perfect for regular sized people—like me.

  Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

  I headed back to the kitchen, nearly tripping over Peek. Who was enjoying the fresh coat of dust on the floorboards. His little sweeper doing the lord's work.

  The cobweb-guy had been moving around the room and eventually made it back to the kitchen. Slightly sweaty—surprisingly chatty.

  “Hey… sorry, may I have some water? It’s been quite the… task, getting these webs.” Wiping sweat from his forehead with the back of his sleeve.

  “Sure thing.” Grabbing a glass from my “visitors” pile and handing it to him.

  Good glasses are for good people.

  The thug looked at the glass in confusion, tipping it upside down.

  “Umm, not to be ungrateful, but there’s no water in here.”

  I looked at him. Then at the sink. “Fill it up?” Pointing at the tap.

  The thug hesitantly walked over, glass in hand and kept looking back at me. Like I was some sort of instructor. Smacking my lips at every move he made.

  He stopped at the sink, holding the glass beneath the faucet… and waited.

  It’s not automated, bud.

  I walked over, exhaling heavily and pulling the tap-handle up. Startling the once brutally confident man into a step backward.

  Like cavemen to the fire…

  “Now fill it up and get back to it, yeah?”

  He followed my example, pushing the handle down and was left with a full glass. His eyes went wide with each subsequent loud gulp, turning to me for his newest tale.

  “It’s so… clean. Is this magic-infused?”

  I mean… it’s unfiltered, but sure.

  “You bet. Those ‘runes’ on the side also determine what temperature it comes out with too.”

  The man looked in disbelief, so I turned it slightly to the warm setting. Gotta watch those gas prices.

  And put his hand under it, making him gasp hard. “Unbelievable, without the need of a fire.”

  Which made me snort even more.

  It had been about an hour, since everyone had left and cobweb-guy was prodding along nicely.

  “When you’re done with the webs, come see me.” Working my way through the FoodLocker for a hot coffee and my favourite cereal—sans limited edition bowl.

  “Bloody stock-standard bowl. It’ll never be the same.” Pushing in the coins and retrieving my selections after the usual commotion.

  When I turned, it was not a surprise watching the man look at me with renewed eyes of woe.

  “May I…” But I cut him off.

  “Your 10 minute smoko is done and you’re not entitled to an extra 30.” Accidentally regurgitating the 5 hour rule from my country.

  “Ok?” He replied slowly, eyes looking away in confusion. Until they reached the dining room—noticing the black figure for the first time.

  “So what’s that thing then?”

  “A new employee.” Holding a coffee in one and chocolate flakes in the other. “So if you’ll excuse me.”

  Giving him a smile and sauntering off. Tiptoeing around Peek and setting myself down, across from the Shade.

  I slid the coffee across the cheaply constructed table, wood scraping against the mug. A stock standard one. And sighing to myself.

  “Let’s run through the contract and what we can do to help each other.” Ingesting my first spoon to the warm feeling of calmness.

  “What’s… This?” Looking at the mug with a tilted head.

  “Coffee. Ummm, an energising beverage.” I added, mouth full of flakes—and not apologising for it.

  “Go on, have a sip.”

  The Shade looked at it a while longer, before reaching for it with a shadowy limb. Confusing me on how he would grab the thing, in the first place.

  To my surprise, his hands shifted to fingers, forcing a sequence of shape-shifting up his wrists.

  The shadowy being formed into the shape of a woman, But remained blackness incarnate all the same.

  “I remember… coffee.”

  The voice-pitch had clearly shifted to a more female one in tone. But the demonic duality remained.

  I cleared my throat, after wolfing down the remainder of my second breakfast.

  “Are you ready to get into it?” Smiling at her with a satisfied clink of my spoon dropping.

  Her eyes met mine, coffee raised to her mouth. Couldn’t see it anyway. And did a soft chuckle of her own. Startling me a bit.

  “This better be good…” She replied, lowering the mug again.

  “Or we’re going to have a problem.”