I am Death Bringer, lord of the aeries and of the seven caverns, slave of the three gods, silent creature of the dark night. This night I hunt the dwelling of the gods as they sleep. My fangs and claws are sharp and I hunger for the warm blood of mortal beings.

I watch from the aerie as the last fire goes out in the land of the hill demons. Now I can hunt the caverns. I set off. The airs is still and the ground under my feet is soft. My passage is as silent as a tomb. I make my way, watching and listening, until I come to the cavern of the two gods. It is closed to me so I move on, listening in the dark for the rustle of life. There is nothing. I move to the cavern of the Charybdis, but its swirling waters are still. Further on, past the two great halls, I find the way to the deep cavern blocked so I squeeze through the small opening that takes me to the cavern of the chariots. It was here that I battled a long-tailed squeak beast not two days before. It escaped and left me the fool, so this night I seek my revenge.

My senses are on alert as I check every detail of this cavern, but the squeak beast is nowhere to be found.

Returning to the two great halls I sense prey in a fertile hunting area that has so far eluded me. It cannot hide from my keen sense of smell; I can tell that it sits high above, in fear of me, for I am Death Bringer. My muscles bunch and I leap. The plateau it calls home has been out of my reach until now, but I am stronger than before and this night I achieve my goal.

My prey is so terrified of me that it does not run. I slowly approach and sniff at it. My mouth waters at the scent and I take several licks. Yes, this is the prey that I smelled from below. I want the thrill of the chase and the ecstasy of the kill more than I want to feed right now so to motivate this thing whose life is moments away from ending I place my hand on it.

The beast still does not move, instead it covers my hand in its foul secretions. Perhaps it is dead already. Disgusted, I move off, but the secretions prevent purchase on the smooth surface of the plateau so after three steps I am forced to lick my hand clean. At least the taste is not bad.

This night's hunt has been exhausting and fruitless. It is time to sleep. The cavern of the godling is open to me so I enter and leap up onto its sleeping platform. I walk across the body of the smallest of my masters. It is warm. I shall remember that for when the time of ice comes to the land, but tonight my slumber awaits on the soft cushion in front of the godling's face. My claws prepare my bed and I settle down to sleep.

It is light when I am awakened by the distant bellowing of one of the gods.

"Bob, you left the cover off the butter dish last night!"