Aidan patted his mate's shoulder.

"I am better now, Sora. I'm sorry I broke, but this was too much to take at once."

"I know. I miss my family too. Once we are done with our princess problem, let's go find them. The four of us."

""Three."" Corrected the princess problem and Aidan in unison.

Sora tried to laugh, but only a huff came out. "How about we get up. Or is the Vault no longer off-limits?"

"Perish the thought." Aidan planted a peck on her lips before standing up.

"What should we do now?" She asked.

"Find the Vault Keeper. Be warned, she might taunt you. Don't play her game and keep your cool."

It only sparked Sora's curiosity. Was there someone down here all this time?

"Is the Keeper a girl? A real person?" Aidan nodded. "Since when does she work here?"

"Since forever. She was a companion of the original God-Slayer. Come, I don't want to spoil the surprise. I've never seen her too."

They looked at the doors. Left, right, ahead.

"Which door?  Do you know what is behind them?" After the original shock was over, the squirrel girl was very curious.

"One is the armory, the other is the field and the third should be the dungeon. I guess we try."

Aidan rapped his fingers on the first door to the right of the vault door. No answer. He turned the handle and the door opened inward. Pitch black again. The ground was made of stone bricks. Some magical torches lit up on sconces, showing a long corridor, about a hundred meters long with several prison cells, their bars carved with runes. In the middle of the corridor, it opened up in a large room with a rhomboid clear crystal a meter tall floating over a dais, humming, and spinning, refracting the light of the torches around.

"Dungeon. I don't even want to find out if something is imprisoned here." He shut the door. "Left should be the armory and middle the field."

"Field?" Asked Sora. "What kind of field?"

Aidan walked to the middle door.

"I'm expecting some kind of farm. The coffee Astro wants is a bean from the otherworld, before brewing the beans are roasted and ground."

Sora stopped him. "I heard that, but it is impossible. The god's taboo. Crops from the other world cannot grow in our world. I thought there as a stock of it. A farm here, underground? That is too much."

Aidan smiled. "Well, then it is a good thing we are not in our world anymore. Ever since we crossed that metal door." And he opened the middle door.

Sunlight invaded the lounge. The sound of birds chirping, the wind, the scent of growing plants. They stepped through the door and a big open field with soft hills expanded all around them. Including back. Sora could see the lounge through the door, but there was nothing but the door behind her. Aidan closed the door. Now it was only a doorframe standing upright and a door in the middle of a big field.

Squared sections of land with crops carefully planted and matured, just awaiting the harvest. Orchards with fruit trees. Shrubs with berries. All around them. Sora could see a mist blocking the horizon all around the place, but at least two or three kilometers away. A medium-sized forest. There was a couple of rivers running down the soft hills ending in a lake next to the mist.

Clouds in the too-blue sky. A sun. It felt like late summer or early fall. Some animals. Cattle, horses. Birds flying between the fruit trees.

"How can this be in our basement?"

"It isn't. I told you. The Vault is another dimension. A pocket world, my father called it. From what I know, this was the divine domain of the demon god. It became ours when we killed him. The other gods don't get a say in what happens here. They can't even look inside."

Sora started to walk on the paths between the crop gardens. Aidan and Dawn followed her.

"I don't know most of these plants. These grains, these herbs."

"They were gathered during the last twenty centuries by my family. Seeds from the other world. I think one of these bushes is the coffee Astro wants."

"There is a farmhouse over there. Should we go there?"

"Yes. The Keeper should live there."

They walked the path around a hill until they reached a house made of wood. The roof was thatched, there were several glass windows and a red brick chimney. now that they could see behind the hill, there was a barn behind the house.

"Who harvests all these crops?"

"The Keeper. She tends this whole place."

"Won't some of these crops go bad? Can she harvest them that fast?" Almost all the plants Sora saw were ripe for harvest.

"I'm not so sure, but I heard she can slow down the wilting of a crop once it is mature. Or things never go bad in this place. I don't know."

They were at the door, wondering if they should knock when a shrill and girly voice came from behind.

"Halt, intruders. All who trespass into this sacred place shall leave their lives behind!"

They froze. Whoever was powerful enough to care for this whole place on her own must be also powerful enough to see through her threat.

Aidan asked without turning. "Are you the Keeper of the Vault? I'm Aidan, the scion."

"Liar! My little Aidan is but a cute chubby toddler! I'm going to smite you now with my magic!"

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"Wait, wait." Aidan turned around. "I've been here before?"

"Why, yes. My Aidan always came here to play with me." She huffed.

At first, Aidan thought the voice was coming from an invisible person because he saw nobody in front of him. A faint fluttering sound, a buzzing like an insect wing prompted him to look up and he saw her.

A fairy. About two outstretched hands tall, wearing flower petals and leaves for clothes, a glistening pink hair and two butterfly wings at her back.

"Wow. So pretty." It was all he could think or say.

"Oh, thank you." She blushed and covered herself with her arms. She had a coy expression. Right after that she shook herself and pouted, angry. "You won't deceive me! Prove to me you are Aidan!"

"When did I come here? I mean, when did the boy Aidan come here?"

"He used to come here all the time with that princess friend of his." She looked around and stopped on Dawn, "Oh, hi Alina. As I was saying, he came here to play with the princess, two lovely toddlers. And then all of a sudden they stopped coming."

"And how long has it been?"

"I don't know. Not too much time, I guess."

Sora was having difficulty in following the conversation. Everything was too much for her. But that was one thing she caught on.

"Why did you call this girl Alina?"

"Because that is what she is, silly. Alina the Holy healer. I think she was the princess' mom. The girl's name was Lux, Lumen, Lucia..."

"Lumina?" Aidan suggested.

"Yes, that is her. The princess was called Lumina. A brat, I must say. she would run through the fields and trample my crops. And then they would blame me for making her float or tying the girl to a tree."

"And Aidan, what would he do?" Sora asked, grinning in anticipation at unveiling Aidan's past.

"He was a quiet boy, he usually went along with her crazy ideas. She is a bad influence on him! I could swear that girl would one day get him killed."

Aidan grimaced. "Not for a lack of trying." He mumbled and the Keeper caught that.

"Exactly. I am so glad we can understand each other, mister... what did you say your name was again?"

"I'm Aidan. Scion of the God-Slayer. Pleased to see you again, Keeper of the Vault."

"Aidan. Welcome. Funny, you have the same name as my darling toddler... WAIT FOR A SECOND! You can't fool me, intruder!"

She began to gather mana. Aidan lifted a hand and called her to wait.

"Doesn't the vault door only open to those of the bloodline?"

"Yes, of course, it does that. Not even the gods could pry that door open. Somehow you snuck inside. Suspicious!"

"I opened the door."

"Liar. I'm not going to play your games."

Sora asked. "Is there anything you could use to recognize Aidan? Like a birthmark?"

Aidan had an idea. "Or his mana signature. You can see mana, can't you?"

"Of course I can. What do you take me for? I am an elder fairy. Ancient and wise!" She put her hands on her waist and lifted her chin, proudful.

Aidan gathered Underworld mana. "Whose mana signature is this?"

"That is Aidan's mana. I could recognize it anywhere. Why are you testing me?"

"It is my mana."

"Of course. It is Aidan's mana. Oh, you tricky little devil! Confound me, you shall try but fail!"

"I'm Aidan and this is my mana. Can't you see it."

It took a while. But they convinced the fairy.

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

"Your parents are alive. And unharmed. I can tell." The Keeper told Aidan. "But to think that little Lumina would grow to become this refined lady! Lumina the Trampler of Crops..."

Aidan chuckled. The girl was gathering quite the collection of titles.

"Keeper, we need coffee. And one more thing."

"Humph." She pouted, turning her face away. "Of course that old man would send someone for the coffee. About time he ran out, I bet the can't avoid the shivers. And to think he is less than a thousand years old. Tell him that next time he has to come in person to get it. And I am only sending half the usual amount."

"Yes, I'll tell him. About the other thing..." Aidan was carefully skirting the subject, fearful of her mood.

"What is it, young boy. Dispel your worries. You can speak your mind. Our covenant is eternal, I am your truest ally."

Aidan thought it was true, but eternal? The Keeper read his face and asked.

"Tell me about the world outside? Is it a good place? Can people find happiness and love despite the hardships?"

"I guess so, Keeper." He answered, doubtful.

"Is the grass green, the sky blue, the sun warm, and the water cold?"

"Yes. It has always been."

The keeper snorted right after the 'always'.

"Is the current scion of the dragonslayer a virile man?" This question she directed at Sora. "I can feel his essence in you." She smiled at the beastkin.

"Yes." She answererd, bashful.

"Then I still haven't fulfilled my side of the bargain. When all people are enveloped in sheer despair, the land dry, the sky blood red, the sun cold, and the waters boiling, when the bloodline of the God-Slayer is spent, only then will cease my reason to be here. I'll lock this place and leave."

Yes. Still too much to take in. And they think the prophecies and omens in the official history books too much.

"I expect to have problems with an otherworlder sooner or later. I'd like some otherworlder bait."

She laughed and spun two times in the air. "Are they calling it that now? That is too much. Sorry, I'm going to burst. Poor otherworlders."

"Can I get it?"

"Of course you can. Everything here is yours. The jail, the armory, the farm. Even me, if you fancy that. I hope you don't. Do you? No? Good."

The armory was one thing Aidan was always curious about. To think of all the legendary weapons stored there.

"Can I get something from the armory? A weapon?"

"Yes, you can, but you shouldn't. Do you know why we have an armory in a vault nobody can reach?"

Tricky question. Why would a family hoard a lot of powerful weapons, armor, trinkets and oddities.

"So we can gear up in times of need?"

"NO! That is too silly. If you reach the 'times of need' still in want of gear, you are doomed!"

"Because they are dangerous?"

"Yes! Your father and his father and his mother and her father and his mother and her mother fought to keep these items away from the world. They are too dangerous. And there are some of those items whose owners are still around and they want their stuff back."

 "I guess you are right."

"Yes. But I have a special gift for you. Come, let's go to the barn and fetch the things you need."

They left the house and went to the barn. With a wave of the Keeper's hand, the doors opened. Inside several sacks of grain and fruit.

"Nothing in this building rots. And where is the coffee... here. I'm sending him this half-bag. Now the... Tehe. Otherworlder Bait. Yes, this one. You only need a small bag, I think five kilograms is more than enough. Ok. that is it. Let's go. I'll take you back to the lounge."

Aidan was stranded with forty-five kilograms of exotic trade goods as they went back. The coffee grains rattled in the bag.

Back in the lounge, the Keeper sighed. "Your good for nothing father. Leaving the drinks out on the table and the dirty glasses out. For crying out loud. She opened a cabinet and with a wave of her hand the bottle and glasses flew inside. "And here it is. This is your gift, from yours truly."

She handed him a leather envelope. Aidan dumped the bags on the table.

"Can I open?" She nodded. He opened and inside he found a set of fairy wings similar to those the Keeper had. "Wings?"

"Yes. My wings. They molted a few months ago and I got these brand new babies." She fluttered around. "You can eat them. They should increase your mana pool slightly."

"Do they work on anyone? Can I give them to Sora, for example?"

"Aidan, I don't think it is proper," Sora warned him.

"Nah, I don't mind if you gift them to someone else you like. Just don't sell them. And yes, they should work on any person. Ah. Also, don't let the dragon get them. It is as useless as a river pebble to them. Greedy covetous little worms."

"Do you want them, Sora? You have Fire and Light affinity, it would allow you to use magic."

"Thank you, Aidan. That you thought of me for such a gift right away is heartwarming. But I have no desire to wield magic. I know next to nothing about spellcraft and wizardry, and I am already taken by my scout and diplomat training at the academy."

His head hung. "I understand." To Aidan, magic was something as vital as water. Getting shot down by Sora like that was hard. He wanted her to share his enthusiasm. It was quite selfish of him.

"I'll give you this one I'm wearing in sixty-something years. You can let the girl make up her mind. Or you can keep the wings until she does. They won't go bad for the next two centuries, guaranteed!"

This fairy's sense of time was skewed, to say the least.

Aidan stashed the wings away safely, picked up the heavy bags and left the safe, a silent Dawn and a curious Sora after him.

"Aidan, I have just one doubt."

"Yes, Sora? You can tell me directly."

"What is this otherworlder bait?"