Aperio carefully removed Teg from her face. With how fast they had changed their tune from supposedly scared and distraught to being only too happy to rule over this dungeon, she wasn't quite sure if it had all been an act or not.

"You do know that ruling over a dungeon also means being bound to it, correct?" the All-Mother asked. "I am unsure if your nature as a Fae will stop that from happening." Or if being a Fae makes you incapable of being a [Dungeon Master].

She would be lying if she said that she wasn't a bit intrigued to find out the answer. A Fae and a [Dungeon Master] seemed rather mutually exclusive, as one travelled freely across realities on a whim while the other was destined to stay in one place, becoming a cornerstone of their local ecosystem.

No matter, Aperio thought to herself as she blocked Teg's next attempt at a face-hug with a touch of her magic. Have to finish the dungeon first anyway.

"Fae win," Teg announced with an enthusiastic nod. "Title cannot bind Fae."

"If you say so."

"I'm pretty sure becoming a [Dungeon Master] is a bit more involved than just getting a title," Caethya said. "The pair of Dragonkin in Ebenlowe seemed to have changed rather drastically after they accepted the role, so why shouldn't it change you?"

Teg pointed at Aperio in reply. "She never made Fae as mortal. Fae always special."

"You are very much mortal," Aperio said. "Just harder to kill for other mortals."

"Everyone mortal to you," Teg replied with a shrug before it glanced at Caethya. "Maybe mortal for her, too. Powers ever-growing. Scary."

Aperio crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Not scary. Good. My love has much more unrealised potential." So much more.

While Caethya would never truly rival her own power — nothing would — her love was still bound to become one of the strongest beings in her Creation. She had endless potential, coupled with what seemed to be the same amount of drive. Of course, Aperio would also offer her own help wherever she could. Some might call that cheating, but she did not care. Just like anyone else, she got to choose what she did with her powers.

She grimaced slightly as the thought of Verenier crossed her mind again. She really had to go back to fix the ongoing issues there, whether she liked it or not. The mortal strife that had flared back to life at the death of the Elder Gods was not even the worst thing. No, that title was reserved for the fact that the imbeciles that dared to claim divinity had started to tinker with the fabric that made up the world itself.

It was currently frozen in time, and though she could leave it like that it would impact the mortals living on the planet sooner or later. It would also likely result in some unforeseen consequences, and she could quite do without further complications to her creation.

"I think I'll have to agree with Aperio," Caethya said. "Being strong lets you be who you truly are. You don't have to pretend." She shrugged. "I always feel better when I know nobody around me can or will force me to mask myself. Of course," she continued, looking at the All-Mother, "some people here should make use of that privilege more often."

"I try," Aperio replied, her wings moving forwards ever-so-slightly to wrap around her shoulders. "But me being myself — truly myself — has a bit more impact. You saw me, you know that that would not work."

"Yes, but I was more talking about telling a few mortals on Verenier that they should take their ideas and shove them back up the same hole they apparently came from."

Aperio blinked at the words, the anger not quite what she had expected from her love. She wasn't wrong, but so far, Caethya had always been rather… tame when it came to her choice of words. But then, she had just said that she liked not having to pretend… Did she put up a front before?

"Sorry," Caethya said, running her hands over her shirt. "Thinking about some of the people that run Verenier just makes me angry."

"Mortals dumb," Teg agreed with a vigorous nod. "Need more Fae to make less dumb!"

Aperio shook her head. "I do not think that is a viable solution. All you would accomplish is to make the mortals dislike you more, and cause them to invent new ways to capture Fae. And trust me, you do not want them to hold you hostage. They are vile."

"If vile, why let live?"

"Because most of them are not. If I judged every species by their worst, I would be better off unmaking reality." She offered a shrug of her wings. "The same would be true if I were to simply punish everyone that does something evil.

"First, I would have to define evil," Aperio continued. "Many people would consider a murder to be an evil action, but I do not. Yes, your current life ends, but you simply go on to the next. Removing death would also remove the purpose of the very System I have built. Mortals grow complacent when not faced with their inevitable end, no matter how far away it might be."

"But not Fae?" Teg asked, their six eyes blinking one after another. "We without end to most, but we never still. Always move. Always more to do. To see."

"You can visit many worlds at your leisure, mortals cannot," Aperio replied. "And before you ask, no, others will not get that ability. If a few mortal beings can do it, it is fine, beneficial even, but if every mortal in my creation were to be able to walk the worlds as they pleased, there would be a host of new problems."

"Lots of war," Caethya said with a nod. "That's what you would get if you let every mortal access every world."

Teg started bouncing in the air at the words, two of theirs arms striking out every now and then while the remaining two protected their face. "Fight mortal! Bring glory to Fae!"

"I am pretty sure your idea of a war is wildly different from the average mortal’s," Aperio said as she looked at the tiny being with a small smile. "Fae seem to enjoy annoying people much more than doing any amount of actual harm."

"If they killed people, they wouldn't be able to go and tease them again," Caethya said. "Even if they have access to basically infinite worlds. I get the feeling every Fae has, like, a favourite person to annoy." She looked between the shadow boxing Teg and Aperio. "I also get the feeling that Teg has made it their life's mission to annoy you, my love."

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"Whatever will I do?" Aperio asked, placing one hand on her chest and the back of the other against her forehead. "Faced with such an insurmountable foe, I am doomed to face defeat."

After Caethya had gotten her giggle under control, the All-Mother shook her head and gestured to a large tree that had simply appeared in front of them. "I have taken the liberty to create this so we can go down." She directed her gaze at Teg. "If you truly wish to rule over this dungeon, I will allow you to guide the creation of the other floors."

"Yes!" the Fae exclaimed as it raised all of its arms towards the fake sky. "Create the grandest!"

"I do hope that you will figure out a way to speak properly with me," Aperio said, carefully pushing the Fae away from her face. "Perhaps becoming a [Dungeon Master] will give you the boost in power you need."

Teg did a little loop, seemingly undeterred by Aperio's continued dismissal of their face-hugs. "Power! Dethrone Oberon! Almighty Fae!"

"Are you sure Teg is a good pick for the dungeon?" Caethya asked as she took Aperio's hand into her own and started walking towards the tree that would lead to the next floor. "Seems a bit… deranged."

Aperio offered a shrug. "They seem as fitting as any other mortal to me. Besides, if Teg decides to abuse the powers that I have granted them, I can always just take them back."

"Ah yes. Everything that is given can be taken as well," Caethya said. "And since everything has technically been given to us by you, you can just take it back."

"Exactly."

----------------------------------------

Caethya's next words were stuck in her throat as they entered the next floor and they found themselves quite unmistakably underwater. She did not need to breathe, but in her shock took a breath regardless. Much to her surprise no water streamed into her lungs, only fresh air.

"Neat, is it not?" Aperio asked, her voice as clear as ever. "A perfect illusion. I even created some new monsters for this. Nothing too out of the ordinary, but it should be different enough for the mortals of Earth to see them as new."

As if to underline her statement, a being seemingly made from liquid silver floated by. Its skin — for a lack of a better term — rippled as it passed in front of them, and a moment later a spike made from the same metallic-looking liquid shot out from its body, heading directly towards them.

The projectile did not hit any of them, of course, as Aperio caused it to dissolve with a wave of her hand. "It can also mimic shapes of various things the person it is fighting has seen before. Imperfectly, of course. Just enough to be recognizable, yet different enough to be at least a little unsettling. Every form it can take will also be adapted to living underwater."

"Fae not fish," Teg said, crossing all of their arms in front of their chest. "But this not water?"

"An illusion, like I said."

Caethya giggled as Teg pouted at her love's words. "I think Fae dislike illusions they didn't make themselves."

"Seemingly," Aperio agreed.

Everyone remained quiet for a moment longer before the All-Mother let out a long sigh, the world itself seeming to lose some of its colour with the gesture. "I think it is time to go back to Verenier."

"Oh? Why?"

"The removal of the Elder Gods caused some damage that I need to fix, and I would rather do that while I am present on the world."

"I see," Caethya replied. "Anything I can do to help?"

"Yes, actually," Aperio replied. "There are some people I would like to meet before I commit to fixing a few certain things." She turned slightly to better look at Caethya. "Besides, your input is always welcome. Building reality by myself is quite boring."

While she did not say it, the All-Mother's face quite clearly stated that she also did not trust herself to do it alone. A fear Caethya simultaneously did and did not understand.

On the one hand, her love was capable of literal omniscience. She could predict every possible outcome for every action any mortal could take and shape a perfect reality from that knowledge. But, on the other hand, Aperio wished for nothing more than to just be a normal person and would never make true use of her abilities.

"And who do you want to meet that would require my help?" she asked, moving a little closer to her love and giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "My family name has influence, yes, but it only goes so far. Not nearly as far as your own nature."

"I would think you can get me an audience with the royal family of the Kingdom of Ahl."

"Oh, yes, I can do that. Both the King and the Queen are quite fond of our family and my exploits as an adventurer."

"And I am sure they will love the fact that you are my girlfriend," the All-Mother said, the slight bit of annoyance in her voice more than obvious. "Ferio was probably right on that front."

"Oh, she is, but they aren't dumb," Caethya replied. "I doubt either of them will try much. They would likely be more interested in figuring out why you, of all the deities, chose to appear as an Elf.

"There are… certain elements in the Kingdom that think we should rule Verenier by divine providence," she continued. "Your appearance spurred them on a little."

"I am an Elf because I like being one," Aperio replied with a shrug of her wings and a slight twitch of her ears. "This is the form I am most comfortable in. Nothing more, nothing less."

"No leave!" Teg exclaimed as they flew back to Aperio and tried once again to hug her love’s face. "Dungeon not done!"

"I will finish it before I go," the All-Mother said, placing the Fae on her shoulder. "Besides, you can shape the dungeon to your will once you are in charge of it. Might have to wait a bit to become strong enough, however."

She smiled slightly, a wave of mana following shortly thereafter. "I have now made the bottommost floor and the heart," she said, tapping her foot on the ground. "Let us make your appointment as the [Dungeon Master] official, shall we?"

"Do you know what it will do to Teg?" Caethya asked. "Will they become something like a big Fae?"

Aperio raised a brow at the question. "They might grow a little taller if they wish, but nothing should change if they do not wish it to. You saw the Dragonkin become owners of a dungeon in Ebenlowe, and they stayed essentially the same."

"Mighty Teg," the small being said, nodding vigorously. "Strong enough to take names back."

"You should be careful with whom you try that on," the All-Mother said before their group vanished and reappeared in front of a black marble pedestal that took the shape of two wings, which held a small stone statue depicting a more stylised version of Teg. "Not everyone will be as forgiving as I was."

"Teg take name back from other Fae. No mortal names."

Caethya could only shake her head as Teg began a small rant about the time Oberon had been displeased with their antics, and all the names the other Fae had been able to take from them as a result. All the while, Teg flew around the statue of themselves, alternately admiring it and decrying its insufficiency.

Instead of focusing on the chaos this new Fae-run dungeon would bring to Earth, the Demigoddess directed her thoughts towards Verenier and the trials they would have to face there.

It wouldn't be hard for her love — not physically or magically, at least — but she was sure that Aperio would have more than a few moments that would require her help.

And who knew, perhaps she would also get the chance to get a little closer to her own Ascension. Being a Demigoddess was nice, but she did want to be more powerful.

Caethya rested her head against Aperio's arm and closed her eyes. It was, perhaps, a selfish thought, but she found herself wishing that Aperio would rely on her a little more. In order to be properly able to ask her love to do that, she should at least lay claim to at least the title of Goddess first. A sign of commitment, if you will.