Your travels have led you back to the city, over which the ancient castle presides. You adjust your bag and shrug; this is unexplored territory, but it should be easy enough to sneak in.

An hour’s walk leads you through lovelier and lovelier homes, through dots of amber sunlight, through a network of aspen gated off with iron curls and twists. What lovely handiwork, you think. What a shame it separates us from our creaturehood.

When you arrive at the gardens, you find that the castle is not heavily guarded. Nobles wander aimlessly, talking at each other, words spoken to inflate their ego and that matter little otherwise. It doesn’t take long for you to find the gap in the bushes and the stone button among the pebbles. You slip deep beneath the soil, the stone. At the end of a hall is the creature, tucked away in a cozy room.

The creature’s caretaker has left a note scribbled hastily on rough paper. “I’m off to sell my wares! My darling is safe in here; they have plenty of toys and food and water. Feel free to visit anytime.”

You sigh with relief, and sit down to meet the creature.