Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After several hours of party and dance, with many Al Jamilans falling asleep under the open sky, Vahn was reclining against a carved tree trunk with his arm thrown over Fenrir’s shoulder. Across from him, Eulimene Ea was chugging the contents of a clay pot larger than a watermelon. She was rather fond of brandy and rum, so, as a show of gratitude for the Al Jamilans’ reception, Vahn had passed out a few barrels of high-quality rum that had been purchased from the system shop. This had been well-received by the friendly people, and, though he felt a little guilty about it, Vahn didn’t mind drinking several of their proudest ’Warriors of the Sea’ under the table.

Having emptied the clay pot, with a fair amount of spilling down her throat and onto her chest, Eulimene Ea tossed the container aside and said, "Tell me, Vahn...why have you come here? Is it on behalf of those children...?"

Understanding she was likely referring to Arika, Asuna, and perhaps even Eva, Vahn shook his head and said, "It isn’t that simple. Truthfully, I have no interest in the politics of this world. I have already completed my initial objective, and, if not for the bonds I have forged during my stay, I would have moved on long ago. Now, I just want to help the people I care about while keeping a close eye on those who have the potential to lead this world toward a better future. If possible, I’d like to avoid having to bear responsibility for this world...there are far more important matters that require my attention..."

Though he had the distinct impression he might not be able to stay out of things for much longer, Vahn still wanted to avoid becoming personally responsible for watching over the world. He wasn’t bad at it, but, even back in the Nasuverse, he hadn’t particularly cared about governing over others. In fact, he didn’t believe anyone should have such authority, as, regardless of how intelligent, kind, and capable they were, people would always be more invested in their own interests than the lives of other people. This is why he supported the system developed by Da Vinci. It certainly had its own set of problems, but, compared to individuals, it was infinitely better at monitoring and regulating a society than something like a Monarch or an Emperor...

Somewhat surprisingly, Eulimene Ea nodded her head in agreement, adding in a wise, soothsayer-like tone, "Everyone is responsible for their own life, their own happiness. It is enough that you do not use your power to suppress others. There are those far weaker than you who lord themselves over others as if they were Gods. They use the power and trust they received from the people to exploit those they are obliged to protect and guide. So long as you never lose sight of what is most important: family, friends, loved ones, and nature, nobody has the right to question your decisions. To live, be free, and protect what is important...there is no greater purpose for power. You have no obligation to use it for anything else..."

Though he didn’t agree with everything she said, Eulimene Ea’s words resonated with a lot of Vahn’s intrapersonal thoughts. He believed those with power had a responsibility to use it, and, though his mentality had changed a lot since the time of his naive heroics, he concluded that the complacency of the good was the greatest opportunity for the wicked. He was unable to ignore such inequity, so, even if it brought him a substantial amount of trouble, Vahn aspired to become a symbol. Whether or not people saw him as good or bad didn’t matter. The only thing he really cared about was that the vile and wicked knew there would always be consequences for their actions...

As this thought crossed his mind, Vahn lightly shook his head in self-admonition before looking up at Eulimene Ea and saying, "You should meet with Arika. Her quest might be her own but I respect what she is trying to accomplish. I’m not in a position to publically support her, but, if it came down to it, I would come to her aid. This has nothing to do with an affiliation with Ostia or the Kingdom of Vespertatia; I have simply grown fond of her."

Understanding what Vahn was trying to say, Eulimene Ea took a deep breath before suddenly rising to her feet and saying, "I will meet with her. Before that, I only have one question for you..."

With nothing to lose, Vahn wasn’t worried about what Eulimene Ea might say. Thus, without having to think about it, he issued a small nod, encouraging her to speak. In response, she simply asked, "Is it true that you are the ’Guardian’ of this world?"

Though it wasn’t exactly false, Vahn didn’t hesitate to shake his head before explaining, "My desire to protect this planet is purely personal. It isn’t derived from any actual duty, just a personal sense of responsibility and an intrinsic desire to protect the natural beauty of the world. If you are worried about Megalomesembria, don’t be. I have already decided to take active part in this war, and, when the dust begins to settle, they will either reform or face annihilation..."

Eulimene Ea was slightly disappointed when she heard Vahn’s initial response, but, hearing what he said after, a massive grin spread across her face. She was most worried about the fact that, even if they ’lost’ the war, Megalomesembria would just redouble its wanton destruction of the planet. She had tried to stir the other Great Spirits to action, but, with the exception of Brave Enlil, all the others were more concerned with guarding their territory than protecting the planet. This had caused her a great deal of frustration in the past, so, hearing Vahn’s words, she couldn’t help but burst out into laughter when imagining the vexed looks on the faces of the Megalomesembrian Senators...

After Eulimene Ea’s laughing fit, Vahn arranged a late-night meeting between her and Arika. Time of day had no real meaning when you could spend days at a time in a Sub-Space Orb. Thus, when she learned that Eulimene Ea was willing to meet her, Arika ceased her training before washing up and donning a formal dress for the meeting. She knew it was a little excessive, especially considering Eulimine Ea was basically wearing a modified swimsuit, but, regardless of the other party’s culture, she considered it ’proper’ to display due courtesy and etiquette when meeting the de facto leader of a foreign nation.

Fortunately, other than a few teasing remarks, Eulimene Ea didn’t particularly concern herself with the style and garb of others. She wore very little simply because it was more comfortable and more convenient. What Arika chose to wear had nothing to do with her. The only thing that mattered was the intent, so, knowing Arika was trying to be respectful and courteous, she extended similar, albeit less refined, courtesies. They were able to talk without any discernible awkwardness between them, and, after hearing about the reason for Arika’s visit from the person in question, Eulimene Ea ended up laughing boisterously before giving her Blessing freely.

Without a guarantee that Vahn would help Arika to achieve the task she had in mind, Eulimene Ea decided to forgo mentioning it entirely. She pitied the Leviathan’s plight, but, knowing it would just cause wanton destruction if released, letting it remain in captivity was for the best. The impression she got from Vahn was that he would eventually take matters into his own hand, so, even without mentioning it, he was bound to discover something after contending against Megalomesbria. She had originally intended to bring it up after the war officially began, so, rather than try and force the matter and unnecessary complicate things, she would wait for better timing.

With nothing else to discuss, Eulimene Ea extended an invitation to greet the dawn while partaking of a few drinks, but, having spent nearly thirteen hours celebrating, even Vahn was starting to feel a little tired. Thus, rather than accept her invitation, he gifted the Al Jamilan people enough grain and wine to tide them over for several months. He also gifted them many hard to obtain spices, and, as Arika had already discussed the plot to conquer Al Jamila, Vahn gave Eulimene Ea a similar bracelet to the one he had previously given Theo. It was a version designed to be a single-use item, but, if Al Jamila was ever facing a peril it could not overcome, Vahn promised he would come to their aid...

When everything was said and done, Vahn was enjoying three very different kinds of baths. In one, he was relaxing in a small tub with Eva reclining against him, while, in another, he was watching on with a wry smile as Asuna tried, and failed, to help Euryale wash her hair. He knew her struggle well, as, despite several years of concerted effort, even Medusa often struggled to control her hair. Since she always asked him to help wash it, Vahn was intimately familiar with trying to wrangle the rather disobedient hair, so, seeing Asuna suffer a similar fate, he couldn’t help but feel a small amount of vindication and a fair amount of amusement.

Fortunately, even if Euryale’s hair periodically tried to nip or bite Asuna, her snakes lacked the rather terrifying fangs visible on the viper-like hair of Stheno. Instead, her’s were similar to pythons, and, though they had teeth, they weren’t venomous in the slightest. They were also unable to break the natural defenses of Asuna’s body, so, even if it was a bit of a struggle, she wasn’t in any real danger. Rather, even if Euryale’s hair tried to constrict her, Asuna could easily slip out by making use of the State of Nothingness or by creating a frictionless barrier across her entire body...

Vahn had previously been surprised by how well Euryale and Asuna got along, but, after asking the latter for the reason, he was more surprised by the answer. It seemed that Asuna had been able to understand Euryale without the latter needing to speak, and, according to her, the young Gorgon was actually ’very talkative’. She just communicated through nonverbal and tactile cues instead of using words to convey complex thoughts and emotions.

Though it made him feel a little guilty to have overlooked such an ’obvious’ things, Vahn couldn’t really be blamed for his oversight. Euryale struggled to explain her feelings, and, every time he was around, she would just cling to him or snuggle up against him without saying anything. All he knew was that she was relatively happy, and, unlike her ’big sister’, she wasn’t in any hurry to do much of anything...

While thinking of the eldest of the gorgon twins, Vahn turned his attention to where Stheno, now appearing like a young girl on the verge of pubescence, was sunbathing against a flat stone. She was maturing at an accelerated pace, and, unless he put his foot down, it likely wouldn’t even take two years before she exceeded the physical maturity of her own mother. Medusa appeared to be a petite woman in her late teens, but, despite appearing distinctly younger, Stheno’s bust was already on the verge of overtaking her mother’s...

Based on her current rate of growth, Stheno was bound to grow into a voluptuous beauty within a dozen or so molts. She was determined to mature as quickly as possible, and, when he inquired as to her reason, Vahn was both gratified and extremely worried when she answered, "I want to grow up quickly so I can punish all the bad people who prevent Papa from spending more time with us!"

Fortunately, Stheno didn’t recognize people like Eva, Arika, Theo, and Asuna as ’bad people’. She was a remarkably intelligent young girl, so, while she still had a lot to learn about social dynamics, she recognized that her enemies were, very specifically, his enemies. She seemed to have inherited the part of Medusa’s nature that wanted to fight, and, though she was still physically weaker than the lesser-developed Euryale, her potential as a Mage had even surprised Eva.

Stheno, while not as prodigious as someone like Asuna, had already mastered Elementary Magic to the point of being able to freely cast it without chants. She was also inordinately gifted in the use of Telekinesis, and, as a result of her Innate, all of her offensive magic had an inherent corrosive effect. This would have been more than enough to allow her unlimited growth, but, to further emphasize her suitability for magic, the individual snakes formed from Stheno’s hair could autonomously cast all of her spells.

Though it was an ability copied from her mother, Stheno was able to create a total of seventeen snakes with her hair. This effectively turned her into a one-woman magic squadron, and, even if she just stood stock still and focused on defense, she would be able to overwhelm most enemies just by the sheer volume of spells cast. Her only real weakness, other than a lack of experience, was that all of her snakes drew from the same, admittedly massive, reservoir of energy. She could quickly drain her energy if she wasn’t careful, and, though she the terrifying ability to absorb the energy and life force of others, Vahn wasn’t comfortable with encouraging its development...

While his other two bodies were enjoying baths of their own, a third version of Vahn was relaxing in a private bath with just Arika. They would be parting at some point over the next few days, so, while she would usually behave unnecessarily detached around others, she was currently acting both bold and obedient. She had taken the liberty to straddle his lap, and, though it caused her face to burn a rather dangerous shade of red, she managed to link her arms around his neck in a manner she had obviously copied from Eva.

If not for his promise with Eva, Vahn had little doubt that he and Arika would currently be having sex. She had an impassioned look in her eyes, and, though it was very subtle, she was slowly and purposefully moving her hips. She wasn’t bold enough to move around too much on her own, but, if he took the initiative to rock her hips or squeeze her butt, she would bite her lip without offering any form of protest. This was an exceptionally adorable response, and, under normal circumstances, Vahn wouldn’t have been able to resist eating up the tantalizingly beautiful woman...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: ’Illaoi OP’,’Being a father ain’t easy...’,’When the kuudere becomes deredere...’)