Ailine and I spent the rest of the night moving our things from Talon's new room to the master bedroom. We took out a new bed for us and covered our old bed with furs for her. We need to get back to the dungeon and finish it, but now that we have to secure an area for Navi's flower, strengthening this foothold has precedence. In a couple years if Talon can help protect this area, that's just a plus. One day, if we can ride her into battle? Fucking badass.

The next night, we awoke to find the fairies with their pet, playing an admittedly adorable version of tag with each other.

"Evening, all." I greet, walking into the garden.

"Lia! Talon is so smart! She's already housetrained!" Navi shoots back.

"Well, that's good? Would've been you cleaning up though."

"Ya, ya, ya. I would've just put it in your shoes. So! What do you think about kidnapping more animals?!"

This damn fairy.

"If we do that, we need a way through the wall. Until we make a gate, or at least a door, we can't really go anywhere."

"Then let's build a big, sturdy, gate!" 

"Ailine," I said. "Could you help us with the gate? I want to eventually build a portcullis we can put down, but let's at least get the gate first."

"Sure, Lia. Should I go fill a bag with the thicker planks?" she offered.

"Please and thank you."

After that, we went over to the eastern gateway, took down our stone patch, and got to work making heavy duty hardware for the wooden gate. We'll actually need one on each side, since the wall is so thick. For now, to let Navi start hunting, we just built the outermost gate. Once we had the outside gate built, Navi flew off into the forest to ambush animals. Looking around, it's amazing a forest can begin to regrow this much after burning. New growth is sprouting everywhere.

Until Navi called us to help grab larger animals, Ailine and I worked on getting a second gate built for the town side of the wall. About an hour after she left, she came back saying she got a herd of deer. Ailine and I left to follow in the direction Navi told us. When we got there, we found a group of five deer all freaking out with their hooves stuck in stone.

"Nice work, Navi," I say, looking over the weird scene.

"Thanks! Making the ground grab them is nearly impossible while they move. Kidnapping them at night when they sleep is much easier! Plus, I fly silently and they don't even know I'm here! I don't even need a 'free candy' sign!"

I'll ignore how creepy she can be, for now. "So… Thoughts on how we do this? I was expecting, like, one or two."

Ailine timidly raises her hand. "I might have one, Lia."

"What's up, Ailine?"

"Could we take two of the thinner beams we have and tie their legs around it so they hang upside down? We could tie their heads to the beam as well to keep them from dragging. They might struggle at first, but they should calm down after a while. We could tack the beams together and carry the beams on our shoulders."

I think about her plan. "That's a good idea. It'll still be hard, but two are babies, and with our increased strength stat, we should be fine. Alright, let's get to it. I'll hold them down one at a time, and if you can release the magic on that one, Navi, you tie their legs, Ailine."

"Okie dokie!" the kidnapper-pyro fairy said.

Together, we tied the legs of the deer family, tied their necks to the beams between their legs, and with a plank and nail from earth magic, tacked the beams together so it rested on our shoulders. Then we trudged along with the deer family completely scared out of their minds.

It took a couple hours, but we made it back to the wall and released them inside. They immediately took off into their new home, freaking out even though it's probably the safest place they could ever be since no monsters live here. Well, besides a hippogryph that'll hunt them in a year or so. By now, it was almost time for Ailine and I to call it a night, and we made back to the castle.

A week went by with Ailine and I finishing construction on the gates and the portcullis, including the mechanism for it. Navi would keep hunting smaller animals during the day. She got good at hunting the smaller animals that didn't move around much. As scary as it was, when something was still, she would remove the oxygen around them. They would begin to suffocate, and right when they pass out from lack of oxygen, she lets it back so they don't die.

The moment of time while they are passed out, she swoops down, ties them up, stuffs them in a cloth bag, and brings them inside the wall. Like a chloroform rag kidnapping, only fairy style. Scary fucking fairies.

Since we couldn't really lay traps because goblins or scavengers would get everything, finding creative ways to quickly incapacitate without killing, was interesting to do with magic. Really, about every external magic we knew was designed to kill, not to capture. Especially fast animals.

Dark magic worked to grab animals, but grabbing fast moving ones was hard. Finding a balance of holding without killing wasn't easy. Needless to say, we added a few animals to the belt pouch that became Talon's dinner bag. While we were collecting animals, Lala and Talon played together and ran around the area of the courtyard.

Even in just a week, Talon has grown. The two of them seem to get along really well and are enjoying themselves. After this week, we have about two dozen deer, and a number of smaller animals all roaming the quickly regrowing forest inside the wall. For now, that would have to do, since we had so many other projects. At some point, the fairies will kidnap more when out patrolling.

"Alright, Navi, Ailine, we need to get an idea of what we still need to do." I say one evening.

Ailine nods. "Right, Lia. There always seems like there is so much."

"We've been up here for about a year. Navi, I don't think I ever asked and never noticed. What are winter and summer like, here? I never needed to know before, and the weather always seems fine. Do they exist here?."

"Sure!" She flies down and sits on my shoulder. "Guess we never talked about it. Since Erald is a smaller planet than earth, the continent we're on goes from cold and snowy in the mountains to the north, to warm and tropical in the forests to the south. We're smack dab in temperate.  Because the planet doesn't wobble near as much as Earth did during its cycle, the seasons really don't change much. Summer is a bit warmer, and winter is a bit cooler. Chances are, we could go years without seeing a snow or drought. Pretty neat right!"

There's more that I want to comment on how that setup might not actually work with my very limited understanding of Earth physics, but fuck it. I'm on a world with dimensional bags. I'll just chalk all my questions about the physics of this, to magic and gods, and move on.

"No need to worry about ever preparing for winter or summer. Well that's good." Time to move on from that tangent. "Then as for the list. We really need to get the underwater breathing situation worked on. Now that we're pretty well set up here, I think that should take priority."

"I agree, Lia. We still need to become stronger for us to kill everyone you want to." Ailine chimes in.

Why does that make me sound like a villainess? Fuck it. It's not wrong, depending on the view.

"Then I'll get working on it!" said the fairy. "I'll probably still fly the general area around the outer wall every couple days just, to make sure nothing weird comes our way."

"Thanks, Navi. Then the other projects. We need to get Lala stronger so that she can watch the area. I think at least level 20-25 would be good enough." I ponder where best to spend my time. "I'll finish setting up the infinite spawns for her to get to level 15 at the Tutorial Dungeon, then we'll have to run her through the Abyssal Dungeon. I'll only use monsters she would be a definite hard-counter for, like we did before with slimes and naked goblins. You fairies and your flight is a definite cheat against certain enemies."

I turn my attention to my vampire girlfriend. "Ailine, could you escort her just in case? With your dark magic where it is, you should be able to blend in, and just act as bodyguard for her, right?"

"Definitely. I'll take good care of Lala."

"I'm counting on you, Ailine!" Navi gives her a thumbs up.

"Then lastly," I say with my hand cupping my chin, "I think we need to start fully repairing the outer wall. I'd just feel much better if our wall didn't have simple patches holding it in place. One breach we miss, and we could have more monsters to exterminate in here, or it could happen while we're in the dungeon."

"No complaints here, Lia! Build! That! Wall!" Navi chanted.

"Eventually," I continued, ignoring the ridiculous creature, "I would like to clear the courtyard, improve the outside of the castle, rebuild the inner wall around the castle, and other smaller projects. But all those are minor to these, I think. Any other thoughts between you two?"

"If Lala needs a day off from diving, I still need to look through the Monster Compendium for information on potential monsters." Ailine adds.

I nod at having forgotten that. "True, and I need to go through weapons for us. Let's plan on that once we have a solution for underwater."

"Then let's roll out!" Navi jumps off my shoulder and somersaults through the air.

After breaking apart, we went to complete all of our separate tasks. I really am feeling like a brick worker with all the wall building I've been doing over these months.

=====

POV - Ailine

"Ready for another round tonight, Lala?" I ask my niece.

"Yes, Aunt Ailine!" She smiles brightly, flying next to me. "This should be our last time in the Tutorial Dungeon, right?"

"That's right. You have done really well these few weeks."

Lala and I have been diving into the tutorial dungeon together, leveling her quickly. She's been such a good girl. Today, she will fight an infinite spawn of hellcats until her MP runs out or her level hits 16. Even though hellcats are level 14, Lia didn't want to have her go against the level 15 Death Mantis. I couldn't agree more. Remembering the state Lia was in years ago still sends shivers down my spine.

These last few years with her have been amazing. Even back when she first found me, she has always been so gentle and kind to me. When Navi introduced us to Lala as lovers, it made me just as happy as I was embarrassed. 

I want to marry her, but I'm afraid to ask. We're already essentially married, but we just haven't given vows to make it official. If we just exchange vows and say we are married, then it's done. If she hasn't asked after so long, then does she not want to get married? Maybe she just sees me as a lover and not a wife. I'm scared to ask.

We've been working hard these last few years in the dungeon. Fighting everyday, or researching and creating things to help us fight.  I think we all needed this past year where we could work on something that wasn't dungeon related. Just to give us a break. Plus, I've really enjoyed making a home with Lia.

Early on in the Abyssal Dungeon, Lia sat me down and explained about things she knew from her old world. She explained about how after I was taken from the village and had those things done to me, that I most likely have mental disorders like PTSD or other mental health issues. She described some different mental disorders she knew about, but also said she wasn't very knowledgeable on treating them.

She told me what they were and explained them as injuries to my mind and emotions that can't be healed with magic. That some of these may have made me become attached to her. She told me about how she thought she was taking advantage of me when we slept together.

I could only hold her tight. This woman really cares about me. She always acts so strong, but after she described some mental health issues and what they do, I think she might have some as well. She's the strongest person I've ever known or heard of, but will have moments where she breaks down in tears. Or other times when she becomes really sad for a while. These times seem to have increased as we've leveled up. 

I reassured her that even if my mental health problems distracted me from my past and focused that towards loving her, then I was glad. She had told me that the only thing she could do for me was to reassure me, be open and honest, and listen to me when needed.

Therefore, that's what I did for her.

I explained that I truly believe that if those things had never happened to me, I would still have fallen in love with her kind and caring personality. That I would always tell her how I was feeling, but made her say she would do the same, and that I always want to listen to her if she wants to talk.

If we were both broken, maybe we could help fix each other, even just a little. I'll be the dandelion to her four-leaf clover. 

After some time, I realized that when I asked Lia how she was feeling if I noticed her being down a bit, she'd usually deflect the question. However, if I told her how I was feeling and then said that it would help me to know how she felt, that seemed to work. She'd only talk about her feelings when it was something that I wanted. Never for herself, but always for me.

When I really thought about Lia's past, I felt sorry for her. In a world with that many people, and all of the different ways to talk to someone from anywhere with devices that worked like our telepathy. She was hurt and alone. How I wish I could have been there when she was sick, scared, and hurt. Even if I was the only one, I wish I could've been there, so that she wouldn't have had to face that by herself.

When I was hurt, I knew who did it. There are people that hurt me, and I'm working towards being able to kill them all. But for Lia? Her own body was hurting her. She described how they tried to treat her body. That she, or he at the time, had parts cut out of him. When that didn't work they started to poison him a little bit at a time, hoping to kill the part of his body trying to kill him before either it  or the poison, killed him. It sounded horrible. As much as Navi and Lia call that world more 'advanced,' that just sounds terrible.

During that time, he was alone as his own body tried to kill him, and his medicine tried to kill him. Until they finally succeeded. Immediately after, he was told by the gods to live and fight in this world, that was never his, while also changing him from a man to a woman. It all just sounds too cruel.

Yet she is still so very worried for me. She worries about if I ever meet one of the people that hurt me, what I'll do or how I'll feel. That seeing them might make me return to being closed off. I love how much she cares for me, but really wish she would care about herself even half as much.

I think that over the few years together, we're both in a slightly better place. That we both lean on each other when we need to. That if we're both broken pots putting pieces together, that we mixed some of our pieces, leaving bits of each other to help one another become whole.

As time went on, now our family grows. If there's one thing I don't like about being a vampire, it's that I'll never have children. Ever since Brother was born, I've liked children. Especially those that were around his age that you could play games with and teach different things to. Then I remember I couldn't have children with Lia anyways, and just have to laugh a bit at myself.

That was why I was so taken when Lala was born. She was so adorable, and even though she immediately could speak and knew some things, she was still very much a child learning about the world. When she called me 'Aunt Ailine' I was ecstatic.

This little fairy, just recently born from a flower, hasn't known any of the pain that Lia and I went through. If we can accomplish the goal, I hope that it'll make it so that a lot less children will ever have to go through something like that. Although, this world is harsh. It forces us to fight to defend ourselves, and the strong will many times take advantage of the weak. To stop that, we're training. To stop the strong, we have to be stronger.

Hidden in the shadows, none of these hellcats will sense me with our level and skill difference. I just watch over Lala as she's become better and better at using her magic. Lia even made her a tiny staff to go with her spear and sword.

Her total MP is still low because she hasn't had much time to use it. Even so, being that she doesn't sleep, and helps Navi during the day, it's growing incredibly fast.

As she flies above the hellcats, doing her best, I know that we can't let this little girl down. That together, Lia, Navi, and I will change the humans by cutting out the infection.

"Aunt Ailine! I did it! I leveled up!"

"Great work!" I shout as I shoot an arrow through the boss's head, then begin clearing out the remaining hellcats. "Let's grab the cores for you and head back for tonight. Your mana should be pretty low, right? 

"Oh, don't forget to keep working on your storage now that we're done. You can rest on my shoulder since you'll be out of mana. Even without having talent in space-time magic, if you work a little at a time you should be able to keep your weapons there."

"… Um, Aunt Ailine?" she asks with worry written on her face. "Could I ask you about the other dungeon? Mother said these floors went easier because Aunt Lia made them that way, but that the floors in the Abyssal Dungeon aren't like that."

"That's true. The floors there will be quite a bit different, but we all have been through them many times as we were getting stronger. We know a lot about the floor I'm taking you to."

"Could you tell me about it?" she asks, flying over onto my shoulder.

"Sure. It's floor 19. The monsters will be level 28 kobolds, which are kind of like lizard people. All of them will be wearing armor and have spears or swords. The level is designed as a tunnel with groups of one to five each room through the tunnel. There aren't any traps, and we should be able to clear it within the night.

"When we first did the floor, it wasn't very easy. The 'gimmick' of the floor, like your Aunt Lia calls it, is strong, armored monsters. Where other floors use traps or large groups to make it harder, this one was tough for us originally.

"With my power now, I can pierce their armor and bodies before they can get to us. The level difference will also help you level up much faster than if you leveled normally. What we plan for you to do here is continue with your magic practice as well as practice stabbing through the eye slits of helmets.

"Each group, I'll kill all but one, then will shoot the arms and legs of the one left for you to practice on. We'll keep going until we get to the boss, which is just a bigger version of the others. Each night until your mom finishes her project, we'll keep doing the floor. How does that all sound?"

"Thank you for doing all of this for me, Aunt Ailine. I love you." The sweet little fairy gave my head a hug as she rested on my shoulder after working hard.

This is what I want to protect, Lia. The little ones like our sweet Lala. 

"I love you too  Lala." I gently rub my finger on the head of the smiling fairy as we walk back home after another night in the dungeon.