Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Having expected matters to escalate from the start, Vahn left his ’main’ body safely stowed away aboard the Hell Express. More specifically, a version of himself had been lying beneath the canopy of the World Tree with Mordred nestled next to him. She was still resting after their earlier exertions, a contented smile on her face as the tip of her rather plump tail rhythmically tapped against the ground.

Seeing the sleeping face of the rather rambunctious tomboy, the majority of Vahn’s frustrations immediately melted away. At the same time, seemingly sensing his return, Mordred’s eyelids began to flitter, aquamarine eyes not all that dissimilar to his own coming into view before a natural smile spread across her face as she asked, "Did you kick their asses?"

Chuckling in response to the rather brash inquiry, Vahn pulled Modred a little closer to him, hand snaking around her waist as he answered, "Though I’m not too surprised, it seems the Empire has some good people serving as its pillars. I met a woman who is equally as obstinate as you and your mother. She was willing to sacrifice everything just to sow doubts in my heart so I couldn’t bring myself to kill her...are you disappointed?"

Though she couldn’t help but adopt a look of consternation, Mordred ultimately shook her head in response to his question, saying, "No. That sounds exactly like something you would do. You’ve never been the type to simply ’settle’ things using your power. Besides, if she is anything like me, I doubt she would consider this a victory. If it were me, I would spare no efforts to track you down and settle things once and for all..."

Understanding the truth contained within Mordred’s words, a wry smile spread across Vahn’s face as he restrained the urge to sigh. Instead, he reclined his head back against the ground, marveling at the canopy of the World Tree until Mordred mounted his lower abdomen, adding, "Unless you intend to take over, you shouldn’t concern yourself with the politics of the Tower. Even our Empire isn’t perfect, so you should just keep doing whatever you want. You’re already fixing some of their problems. You don’t need to fix them all..."

Punctuating her words, Mordred grabbed the sides of Vahn’s face with her surprisingly smooth, scale-backed hands. She had a habit of letting her Dragonic traits run rampant whenever she was excited. As a result, vibrant red scales sprouted across several parts of her body as the interior of her chest, similar to a forge, began to glow with an intense red light that pulsated with the beating of her heart.

Realizing he had more pressing matters to attend, a light chuckle emanated from Vahn’s throat as he shelved any thoughts related to Adori and her convictions. He had already promised to dote on Mordred for the better part of three months, so, rather than distract himself with things that were largely unrelated to him, pampering his Princess took precedence...

Several days after her battle with Vahn, Adori, now outfitted a mechanical left arm that served as a permanent reminder of her failure, stood before a number of kneeling individuals with animalistic features. These were the Rankers formerly responsible for the Name Hunt Station, so, as could be expected, the majority had greyish-white hair while some, specifically those with more dominant bloodlines, possessed rounded ears and spotted, bushy, tails.

Had he been present, Vahn would have recognized the woman kneeling at the front of the group as the beauty he had eyed prior to his battle with Adori, Hagipherione, and Maschenny. Unlike the rest of her kin, she gave off a gentle and approachable aura, but, were to look into her eyes for an extended period of time, those with weaker wills would be overcome by the impression they were a tiny mouse in front of a cat.

Wearing a perpetual smile on her face, the woman, representing the Snow Leopard Family as one of its Elders, calmly asserted, "Our actions within the Name Hunt Station were authorized by Lord Lo Po Bia and sanctioned by the Jahad Empire. We also coordinated with the Ten Families to reach an accord regarding how the station should be managed. Though I cannot deny there were some mishaps over the years, the actions of the Sage Dragon Emperor were clearly an act of aggression against the Lo Po Bia Family. We did nothing to overtly ant-"

Interrupting before the woman could finish speaking, Adori manifested a large light display, her voice cold and unamused as she said, "These are Pocket logs provided by a reliable source. They have also been cross-referenced and verified by the Workshop. According to these records, your people ordered the then-ruler of the Name Hunt Station, Lo Po Bia Elaine, to attack and capture the Sage Dragon Emperor. You even requested the support of two Princesses of Jahad, effectively treating the ’Swords of the Empire’ as tools for your own convenience. Afterward, you attempted to illegally commandeer the Hell Express, disregarding the laws we have protected for more than ten-thousand-years. To make matters even worse, you filed a false report in an attempt to avoid fault and shift the blame elsewhere. As a result, the Empire might have gained an enemy on the level of Ureko, endangering countless lives. What say you in your defense?"

Though her expression didn’t change in the slightest, the woman, better known as Lo Po Bia Pram, shifted her gaze to a masked man with the characteristic grey hair of the Snow Leopard Family but ears reminiscent of a human’s. He, Lo Po Bia Porp, was the representative she had left in charge of the Name Hunt Station, and, were it not for the current situation, she would have killed him on the spot for inviting this calamity upon them.

Returning her gaze to Adori, Pram adopted an uncharacteristically serious tone as she said, "There are none among the Ten Great Families who are as loyal to the Empire as the Lo Po Bia Family. We of the Snow Leopard Family have dedicated more than sixty percent of our Rankers to the service of the Empire. I will not deny our fault in this matter. I ask only that you take into consideration our many years of loyal service..."

Furrowing her brows almost imperceptibly in response to Pram’s words, Adori remained silent for several seconds before saying, "Those directly responsible for this matter will not be able to avoid punishment. The Snow Leopard Family as a whole, however, will not be held accountable. Lord Lo Po Bia has already been informed of this matter and interceded on your behalf. You, High Ranker Pram, have been appointed the task of locating the Sage Dragon Emperor and making amends for this situation. As for you, Ranker Porp, you will be made to answer for the various crimes you have perpetrated over the last eight-hundred-years. If you attempt to avoid punishment by taking your own life, your wives, sons, and daughters will be held accountable on your behalf..."

Though he was already kneeling low, Porp nearly collapsed when he heard Adori’s judgment. In the end, however, he managed to hold himself steady, his voice quivering ever-so-slightly as he lowered his head even further and said, "I understand and accept full responsibility for my crimes. No matter what punishment awaits, I will meet it with the dignity expected from a member of the Ten Great Families..."

With no other options, Porp knew the best course of action was simply to embrace everything that was thrown at him. Any form of resistance promised unimaginable suffering, so, in the pursuit of a quick death, acceptance was the only path available to him. He was also hoping to relieve some of the Elder’s anger, as, better than most, he knew how terrifying she could be. If he made a scene or showed even a trace of hesitation, it would be a mercy if his wives and children fell into the hands of the Empire...

Nodding her head approvingly in response to Porp’s acquiescence, Pram motioned for the rest of her people to rise before meeting Adori’s gaze and asking, "What is the Empire’s official stance on the Sage Dragon Emperor? It would also help to know where he is headed. Since you have been in contact with the Workshop, I imagine you have some idea of his destination."

Since Pram’s mission was a matter related to the Lo Po Bia Family, not the Empire, Adori refused to comment on what they had learned of Vahn’s intentions. She did, however, explain, "My father has issued a gag order encompassing all things related to the Sage Dragon Emperor. Unless the latter goes out of his way to antagonize the Empire, our official stance is that he simply doesn’t exist. All matters between the Ten Great Families and the Sage Dragon Emperor will be regarded as private affairs from this moment onward. If your Family continues to antagonize him over matters related to your own internal corruption, don’t expect the Empire to bail you out..."

Losing her smile for the first time since her arrival, Pram demonstrated her considerable shock by widening her eyes, mouth agape for several seconds before she asked, "Are you saying that man is as already viewed in the same light as Ureko? I know he is very powerful, but he seemed to be at a distinct disadvantage during your previous encounter..."

With Pram’s eyes momentarily shifting to her prosthetic arm, Adori’s expression clouded as she balled her hand into a fist and asserted, "That man is far more dangerous than Ureko. He is only a Regular yet he is already capable of fending off the attacks of a Top 10 High Ranker. By the time he reaches the top of the Tower, his power will have grown to such extreme that only my Father and the Ten Great Warriors could reasonably stand against him. To that end, it has been decided that the best course of action is peaceful coexistence. So long as the Sage Dragon Emperor does not openly side with our enemies, our public stance is that all rumors concerning his existence are exaggerated propaganda..."

Hardly able to believe what she was hearing, Pram fell silent for several seconds following Adori’s explanation. Then, as if a switch had been flipped in the most primal region of her mind, a potent heat spread through her body as she recalled Vahn glancing her way prior to his battle against the three Princesses. She hadn’t thought much of it at the time, but, in retrospect, she was pretty sure he had been eyeing her ears and tail...

Realizing why she had been given the task of seeking out and making amends with Vahn, the smile returned to Pram’s face as she offered a courteous bow, softly musing, "Thank you for the detailed explanation, Princess. It has been very...enlightening..."

Noticing the males around Pram beginning to fidget nervously, a cold glint flashed across Adori’s eyes as she said, "You and your people are dismissed. Leave."

Giggling despite Adori’s rather terse dismissal, Pram smoothly spun around on her heels, her thick tail following after her, snaking in a naturally seductive manner. This caused many of the people in her entourage to swallow audibly, but, with her sights set on a far greater prize, Pram completely ignored them as her pace steadily increased.

Following the group’s departure with her eyes, Adori’s brows noticeably furrowed as she realized that even Porp, despite the fact he was still kneeling on the ground, had twisted his neck to follow Pram’s departure. She could even hear the sound of his labored breathing, and, though it was very subtle, an unpleasant musk had started to permeate through the command room.

Snorting through her nose, Adori gestured to her Royal Guards with her mechanical arm, ordering, "Place this man in a holding cell. Once we have returned to Base, make sure he is escorted to the Torture and Intelligence Division without delay. He is meant to suffer for his crimes. I want to know the full breadth of his transgressions against the Empire."

Hearing Adori’s words, Porp’s expression, hidden behind his mask, became one of stupefaction as two members of the Royal Guards promptly seized him by the arms. He didn’t know what he had done to offend the Princess, but, based on the cold gleam in her eyes, she clearly viewed him in an antagonistic light. This realization caused him to briefly shift his gaze to her mechanical arm, a cold shiver running through his body as he realized that death was something he could only pray for at this point...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: ’Pampering a Princess (O w O)...’,’The Empire be like, "Don’t go digging your own grave and expecting us to lower a ladder..."’,’Pram on the prowl...’)