The Survivor Becomes a Dungeon

Vitmori POV

It wasn't long until the birds had gathered where the squirrels were. Things were tense at first, but the birds and squirrels quickly got over it once I began pouring more drinks. I'm not sure how I ended up becoming the bartender, but it's probably due to the fact that I'm the only one with hands big enough to even handle the bottle and I couldn't even drink even if I wanted to.

To help spread the wine among the many birds and squirrels, I went about creating little basins all around the clearing, pouring out stones from my inventory, and shaping the shallow bowls for the birds and squirrels to drink out of them as small groups. I also came to realize that even though this bottle of wine is fairly larger than most bottles I'm used to, there was absolutely no way that there would be enough to get through the night, at least on its own. So to stretch out the wine a bit more, I diluted each basin with two parts water and one part wine.

At first, I'm briefly worried that either of the groups would perhaps complain about the taste, but my fears are quickly squashed as both the squirrels and birds happily and excitedly drink from the bowls. Right, the only experience most of these critters have with alcohol is fermented berries; likely, this wine, even while watered down, is better than anything they've had before.

Turning my attention back to Jack and the squirrel boss, I watched as Jack sent away some birds with his bandana, while a group of squirrels were sent scampering off in a different direction. The unit squirrel then went about collecting the swaddled squirrel kits and taking them away to a certain tree that was nearby. Taking my seat back at the bench, I look between the two while flashing a bit of a smile. "So what was all that about?"

Jack hopped up onto the perch I had made for him before looking over to address me with a bob of his head. "Oh, I just sent some of the crew out to bring in some snacks and foodstuffs. We can't celebrate on an empty stomach after all, and alcohol always makes food taste better." He whistled cheerfully at that before leaning over to the small bowl I made at the end of his perch and sipping at the undiluted wine.

Looking over at the squirrel boss, she smiled a bit, though I could tell she was already rather tipsy from the first couple of cups of undiluted wine she's downed at this point. "I sent some of mine off to make sure the kits are all put down for the night." She then looked up and met my eyes as she swirled around her stone cup, nursing her wine before speaking up once more. "And if what you say is true, then we won't need to worry as much about food this winter, so they'll be breaking into some of our stashes and bringing other sorts of foods for us to eat."

"Oh? So are you already considering joining us?" I ask with a pleasant smile before taking up the bottle of wine and topping off her cup with another splash, then doing the same for Jack as the duo eagerly drinks it down.

The squirrel boss squeaks out a hiccup before chuckling with delight. "Well, I don't see any reason not to, what you offered us brings a lot of benefits. Not to mention you handled our young with genuine care and gentleness. Someone who wasn't sincerely wanting to end the conflict would not have been as kind as you have been. Even that dumbass over there showed kindness to our young, even if he was hesitant." She mused as she gestured over to Jack with her cup before taking another deep drink from it.

Looking over at Jack, it looked like he wanted to say something about her comment, but I could sense he didn't really have a good point to argue back about, so instead he dunked his beak into the wine to drink some more before sitting upright and letting out a low whistle. "The Boss treats us all pretty well, and the people in his care are all good, especially the kids." Jack mused as he very slightly sways on his perch before dunking his beak into the wine again, looking very similar to those drinking bird toys back home.

The squirrel boss nodded intently, looking fairly thoughtful. "That's good to hear... Are you expecting us to move to live closer to this people town of yours?" She asked while setting the stone cup down and leaning forward on the table before her.

Now that's a good question... "Do you all actually have a home you all work around? I was somewhat under the impression that most squirrels just moved from place to place." I countered in response, deciding to hear what she has to say first before I answer her question.

The squirrel boss takes another drink from her cup before shrugging her little shoulders. "We move around when the weather changes, following the food and all that." She explained before looking a little ways behind her. "But this is where we settle for the winter. These trees are by far the warmest for us and offer the most space for our food and for us to huddle together for warmth."

"I see..." So it is not a matter of not wanting to move. Rather, they're staying here for the sheer practicality and reliable comfort of it. "Well, if that's the case, then I have someone you should meet. His name is Woody, and he can show you a way to make your trees even warmer and more comfortable."

At that, the squirrel boss' tail flicked and twitched behind her as she tilted her head. "Really? Just like that? Is it some sort of power?" She asks, gesturing to her chest.

It takes me a moment to figure out what she means, though it soon clicks as I smile a bit. "Nope, no magic is needed." I mused before considering it a bit more. "Well, maybe some water magic might help. Basically, he'll show you how to make some kind of special plaster using a mix of dried grass, clay, and water that will help keep in the warmth." I don't actually know how to properly make it myself, but Woody seemed pretty confident when he told me about it, so it shouldn't be too hard to learn and teach.

I could sense that the squirrel boss' intrigue was palpable despite being more than buzzed on the red wine as she took another long drink before gesturing for me to refill her cup. "That does sound rather useful... Perhaps we won't lose anyone to the frost this winter." She mentioned, sounding rather delighted before licking her lips as I went about pouring another splash of wine for her.

Before anything else could be said, the birds and squirrels that had been sent off had just returned, Jack's birds setting down a bandana full of nuts and fruits, along with quite a few good-sized bugs and a few rodents here and there. The squirrels for their part bring in their own haul of nuts and berries, with quite a few overripe berries mixed in. At first, I'm surprised to see that meat had been brought to the party, but as the birds and squirrels that brought the food started passing it out to the various groups around the few basins of watered-down wine; I watched both birds and squirrels tear apart the various rodents and bugs before chowing down with gusto.

Sensing the lull in the conversation as Jack and the squirrel boss start digging into their share of the food, I decided to fulfill my self-imposed role of bartender, going around to the various basins and topping them off with only one part water and one part wine this time. By the time I got back to the table, the two were talking once again about something or another.

"It's gonna be a shame to lose them, but not a lot of birds are suited for trying to weather the winter." Jack said with a whistling sigh as he proceeded to dunk his beak in the wine.

"Who are you losing?" My curiosity got the better of me as I settled on the bench. If it's a matter of the weather, I'm sure I could figure out something to prevent anyone from dying from exposure.

Jack whistled pleasantly as he looked up at me, seemingly sensing my concern. "Don't worry, Vitmori, I'm not losing anyone like that. It's just that a lot of my crew are getting ready to head north for the winter. It's just nature, as most of them aren't hearty enough to survive and thrive in the winter like myself and the others who are sticking around. I don't blame them, but it'll make patrolling harder for sure." He considered before absently flapping one of his wings.

I could feel the squirrel boss watch me as I spoke with Jack, a smile plain on her face as she chewed through the hard shell of a nut, spitting some shell out before digging into the fruit of the nut with her teeth. After another moment, she washed down what she had in her mouth with a gulp of wine before speaking up. "If it's a matter of making sure your territory is secured, my squirrels should be able to pick up the slack, especially if we're all going to be stronger, as you say." She says while setting down her cup and looking at me in particular.

"Well, if you're so curious as to whether or not I'm telling the truth, how about we find out?" I mused to her, holding up the bottle of wine as I swirl around what little remained at the bottom of the bottle.

At that, the boss squirrel smiles back down what she had left of her cup before setting it down as she tapped it against the table. Pouring out the final splash of wine, she holds up the cup before looking between me and Jack. "I suppose a deal's a deal." She mused cheerfully, bringing the cup to her mouth and steadily draining it to the last drop before flinging it over the edge of the table and wiping her mouth with her arm, looking more than satisfied as she let out a delighted sigh. "Alright, Vitmori, I'll join you. What do I have to do?" She asked, placing both of her hands down on the small stone table before her to keep her balance, her tail flicking and swaying behind her.

I couldn't help but smile with amusement at her gusto, glancing over at Jack before offering my hand to her. "Well, first, I've got to give you a name. From there, you'll get a large chunk of my mana, and then all you've got to do is share that mana amongst your squirrels."

She curiously sniffs at my hand before reaching out and holding the end of it. "A name, eh? Sounds neat. I hope you don't name me something stupid, like Stripe or Fluffy." She mused almost mischievously before hiccuping and steadying herself.

I chuckled softly at that before shaking my head. "I'll do my best, how does... Dionyba sound?" I offer, and at that, I could feel a surge of mana flowing from my mana core, all the way down to me. But the mana doesn't go into the squirrel boss just yet, as if she was still deciding.

She looked thoughtful, even as she swayed while standing in place, my hand being the only thing keeping her properly upright at this point. After a pregnant pause, she hiccuped before smiling cheerfully up at me. "You know what, I like it, sure." With that, the mana began coursing into her, flooding her little body as I watched her twitch and convulse. Her mana heart flared from the overflow of mana.

I quickly get to work on stabilizing her, following the example I had seen of both Rita and Reyvyre. My free hand goes around to her back as I do my very best to swirl the mana within her and around her mana heart, grabbing all the strands of overflowing mana and forming a ring. Eventually, I'm gradually able to pull my second hand away, her body stabilizing after a tense few minutes. Though I leave her with my other hand to keep her upright as I watched her curiously. "Dionyba? How are you doing?" I ask her as gently as I could manage.

She pulls away after a few moments, still shaky on her own two feet before walking over to the edge of the table. She looks among the birds and her squirrels, all of which had gone completely silent after she had been named. She took another moment before raising both her arms up in the air. "From now on, you shall know me as Dionyba! Under Vitmori, we shall be strong, and under Vitmori, we shall not only survive this winter. We shall thrive! Now let's celebrate!" She cries out with an enthusiastic grin before falling back onto her fluffy tail and falling right to sleep.

The squirrels and birds all let out their own form of cheering as they hoot and holler in celebration, going back to their food and watered down wine.

Jack whistled out with amusement as he looked over at me. "Looks like we're going to be just fine this year. Don't ya think, Boss?"

I chuckle a bit, gently picking up Dionyba and moving her away from the edge of the table. "I think you might be right. Just try not to provoke anymore fights with other woodland critters." I muse before draping my poncho over Dionyba once it became obvious she didn't plan on waking anytime soon.

Jack couldn't help but chirp out a chuckle as he stretched and flapped his wings. "Why not? It turned out pretty well this time." Though that earned a half-hearted glare from me as he averted his gaze. "Aye Boss."