Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Chapter 120 - Restless Night (2/2)

After the bath, everyone got dressed together in the changing area and Vahn couldn't help but stare forward into space. He had made a gross overestimation of his own resolve, as even when he had decided to maintain his calm and reasoning, he couldn't prevent his eyes from wandering when he was taking the bath. As the 'hounds' were all similar in age to him, he couldn't help but inspect their figures to satiate his own curiosity.

Each of the girls, similar to Anubis, but on a much smaller scale, were very lithe without almost any fat on their bodies. They were very similar to Tiona in a way, except their b.r.e.a.s.ts were marginally larger. The most distracting thing was the bush black tails that splashed around the water while they helped clean each other. They even seemed to notice his gaze but made no attempts to conceal themselves which just made matters worse for Vahn. Vahn noticed that, from the moment he entered, they too had taken glances at his p.e.n.i.s with expressions of mild shock before quickly averting their eyes.

As he had never compared himself to another boy before, Vahn now had the opportunity to do so and looked toward Rasui, Nour, Akil, and Ata. Ever since he had entered, Vahn noticed they seemed to be keeping a bit of distance from him. He noticed their gazes had wandered and their brows furrowed as they compared between each other. Vahn, too, was doing the same, and noticed that he wasn't just marginally larger than the similarly aged boys.

Though they had various sizes, except for the twins, they weren't that dissimilar from each other. Vahn inspected himself and tried estimated his p.e.n.i.s to be nearly 18cm long, which was a striking sight for anyone that saw his 156cm height. Though he had never thought of it before, he began to realize that he was strange, but after remembering the reactions of the more mature women than had seen him, Vahn didn't understand it if was a bad thing.

Unable to resist his own doubts, Vahn quietly asked Anubis, "Is it a bad thing to have a bigger p.e.n.i.s?" Anubis, who had been focusing her efforts on Vahn's back, immediately froze at his question. Everyone else in the bath also looked at him in a strange manner, and Vahn felt like he just asked something he should have kept to himself. Anubis, after a brief pause, looked around at the other children and they began busying themselves cleaning each other.

Once everyone was 'distracted' she spoke quietly to Vahn, "It may be a problem in certain aspects, but it isn't necessarily a bad thing. There are several women that prefer a larger size, as long as you have the proper technique and show adequate care." Though he knew she was just explaining things, Vahn felt like the words were very heavy in his mind, as he began to think about the context of her explanation.

The moment Vahn started thinking about s.e.x, an unexpected event occurred which brought silence to the room. His previously intimidating dragon seemed to be awakened from a long slumber and proudly raised it head as though it was about to soar into the sky and pierce the heavens. Vahn was incredibly surprised by the reaction of his own body, but the surprise wasn't just his alone. The eyes of everyone in the room seemed to be pulled towards the sight, almost as if they were unable to avoid watching the unstoppable ascension of the fierce beast.

Vahn heard a gulping sound from behind him as he inspected the phenomenon that was occurring to his own body. Turning his head, he saw Anubis's gaze drawn to the awakened dragon and he could even see a bit of fear in her eyes as she said, "That...could be a problem." The moment her words hit his ears, Vahn felt a fear of his own build up in his mind which seemed to seal the dragon away and return it to its slumber.

Looking around, Vahn could see the boys staring at him like he was a monster, while the girls had actually moved to the other side of the bath like their lives were on the line. They each had pale faces, and even Maat, the eldest of the trio, who always had a confident expression on her face, seemed like she had encountered an unconquerable foe. Vahn was suddenly concerned about the future and recalled the words spoken by Tiona previously, "I won't be defeated so easily...". He wondered if she would be able to repeat that phrase in the current situation...

---

After Vahn was dressed, he sent the children off to be before making his way to his own quarters. Anubis followed closely behind him, and the atmosphere was incredibly awkward for the duration of their short trip. Standing outside his door, Vahn turned his head toward Anubis and said, "Good night, Anubis." He turned the handle of the door and began to step through, but stopped when Anubis spoke out to him.

Though she hesitated to speak at first, Anubis wasn't able to allow Vahn to walk about in such a 'lifeless' manner. Ever since the incident in the bath, he lost his presence as the 'Alpha' and it seemed like his confidence had taken a big hit. To help him, she swallowed her own fears and called out to him as the tried entering his room. "Master...If you lack confidence, I am willing to help you."

Vahn looked toward the beautiful and exotic chienthrope goddess and he could see her aura was fluctuating even though she was trying to keep a calm expression on her face. He knew she was just worried about him and wanted to help him, but Vahn wasn't willing to have someone make such a 'sacrifice' just to ease his mind. Her intent was clearly felt by him, and it had brought back some of his motivation even without her having to do anything to appease him.

With a genuine smile on his face, Vahn reached out and stroked Anubis's head gently as he said, "Thank you, Anubis, but your concern is more than enough for me. I am proud to have such a faithful attendant, but I'll never ask you to bear the burdens of my mentality with your body."

Anubis, after Vahn had reached out to her, actually clenched her teeth a bit until Vahn started speaking. Seeing his smile and the concern in his eyes, Anubis felt both relieved and a bit sad. Even she had no confidence in being able to properly tend to Vahn, and she was glad he seemed to be able to recover a bit on his own. However, since she had resolved herself, she was somewhat unwilling to step back just because he was worried about her.

Anubis tried to speak out, but Vahn used his index finger and poked the middle of her forehead and interrupted her words. "That is my decision, Anubis. If you truly consider me to be your Master, you will respect my will." Vahn didn't leave any room for discussion as he gave her another gentle smile before closing the door behind him. Anubis just stared at the closed door for a few seconds and mulled over his words and actions in her mind. Eventually, she sighed and made her way toward her own room next door.

After Vahn closed the door, he got a notification that Anubis's Loyalty had reached 95, which was a bit surprising to him. He wondered what would happen if he was able to raise it to 100, and his intrigue in the subject pushed away his other concerns. Looking through his system, Vahn noticed there was something strange within his 'View Affection' so he asked Sis, ("Sis, why is there no affection displayed for Anubis?") He had clearly touched her several times, and he could even see her aura, but she wasn't displayed on the affection list for some reason.

Sis responded in his mind, (*Loyalty is a higher functioning parameter than affection within 'The Path'. To those that have subordinated themselves to you, they functionally have maximum Affection and Intrigue. It is typically impossible for someone to immediately become your subordinate without either being suppressed by you or possessing very higher values for affection, to begin with. Anubis seems to have realized something after you revealed your soul, so she managed to circ.u.mvent the process of developing affection entirely and became your subordinate.*)

Vahn was surprised at the information and couldn't help but ask, ("Does that mean, when I fulfill someone's 'heart's desire', I'll be able to subordinate them?") If that was true, Vahn was worried that his functions may not be inherently good-natured. As if to drive away his concerns, Sis responded, (*That isn't always the case. Loyalty is only one of the 'hidden parameters' that can be obtained through the system. Loyalty is only for those that desire to follow you as a subordinate, and not those that want to grow closer to your personally.*)

Vahn was relieved after hearing Sis's clarification. It turned out there was much more to his system functions than he had discovered, and it was fortunate he didn't seem to be able to accidentally subordinate others. He wanted to help fulfill the 'hearts' desires' of those that were affectionate toward him, so he would have had inhibitions if the ultimate result put them under him. With that thought in mind, Vahn remembered that he had obtained one [Heart's Desire: Tiona] that he had yet to use.

Laying down on the bed, Vahn was somewhat distracted by the fragrance, but he did his best to keep it from his mind as he used the item. Similar to his previous experiences, the air seemed to freeze around him as time seemed to come to a stop. Unable to move, Vahn just lay powerlessly on the large bed as the vision entered his mind.

---

Vahn was alone in the darkness, outside of a place that filled him with despair and sadness. The only thing that brought him comfort was the presence of the young girl next to him. Upon closer inspection, he realized the girl looked very similar to Tione and Tiona, but she was much younger, probably around ages 5-6. She was wearing next to no clothing and was prevented from being fully nude by two small cloths wrapped around her chest and waist. Inspecting 'his' own body, Vahn noticed he was also attired in a similar garb, and his body had now become that of a small girl as well.

Though Vahn felt the situation to be strange, he understood that he was currently experiencing things from Tiona's perspective. He could feel a powerful sadness in her heart as she resisted the cold night by seeking warmth from her twin sister. As one of the only pairs of twins to ever be born among the Amazons, they were ostracized and beaten by the other children and even avoided by the a.d.u.l.ts. Everyone treated them like a jinx, all except for their Goddess Kali, who seemed to take an interest in the two.

Unfortunately, her interest manifested itself in the form of various trials which pitted the two identical girls against others. Tiona was forced to spend her days fighting against various opponents, and she hated the feeling of being beaten, so the only thing she could do was beat them instead. She often spent the latter half of her days wiping away the blood from her body with a sick feeling in her stomach. She wanted nothing more than to escape this cruel way of life, these people that didn't care about her, and this endless cycle of pain and cruelty.

Unable to free herself from the torment, the only thing that brought solace to her mental state was the belief that, if she never gave up, a hero would one day show up and free her from this prison. She imagined a dashing man would show up any minute and rescue her and her sister, but as the years passed, this belief slowly faded away. As she grew stronger, she lost a lot fewer fights until she eventually got to the point where she was unbeatable amongst her peers. Eventually, without a hero every appearing, she and her sister managed to earn their freedom through their own efforts.

However, even when she was allowed to wander the world, it always felt like something was missing in her heart. Unlike other Amazons, that was just drawn to seeking powerful males to sire their children, Tiona wanted something different. She became determined to find the hero that failed to appear in her childhood, and she would do so by her own efforts. She wanted to meet that fated person so she could understand why they had failed to save her when she so desperately sought freedom.

Over time, her efforts to find the 'hero' became slightly warped, and she simply wanted to meet anyone that met the qualifications in her mind. Even when she lost fights or came across valiant and powerful men, she was never satisfied. Tiona began to hate the men that thought she could be courted so easily, just because she was an Amazon and they were stronger than she was. To escape their pursuit, she once again worked hard to increase her strength until the point there was no-one around that harbored those intentions.

Eventually, both she and her sister, now stood at the pinnacle most people were never able to reach. But, no matter how far she had traveled and how strong the became, Tiona never met the hero she was looking for. She began to feel an emptiness build up inside her, and she tried filling the void by acting playful and dismissive. When her sister found someone that she wanted to pursue, Tiona was happy for her, but it made the void in her heart grow much larger in size. It got to the point where, when she wasn't looking, Tiona began to resent her sister. Especially since, after she fell in love, Tione's b.r.e.a.s.ts began to grow and they were no longer identical.

Now Tiona felt like the only person that had understood her suffering and would always be at her side was now leaving her behind. The only solace she found to ease her suffering was battle, and she became so proficient in it that she developed skills like [Berserker] and even earned the alias 'Amazon' as a testament to her accomplishments. She was now considered one of the idols for all Amazons and had a new burden to bear atop the emptiness in her heart.

Just as she was beginning to give up, Tiona found something that tore her from the darkness. In the time when she needed it the most, a hero finally appeared before her. She heard rumors of his exploits and couldn't wait to meet the boy people were calling the 'Vulcan'. After she discovered where he resided, she convinced Gareth to allow her to accompany him so she could meet the boy she had been waiting for.

As she had hoped, the boy was very kind and trustworthy. He had an aura that made her feel both calm and excited, and for some reason, he was even willing to fight against her. Tiona was very excited because she would get to experience her hero's capabilities first hand. Though he was much weaker than she expected, he was incredibly powerful for a Level 2, and she noticed that he had been concealing his strength. She looked forward to the opportunity to see his full potential in the future.

Fortunately, not even a week later she got to see her hero go all out against an opponent he should have had no hopes against. But, no matter how many times he was knocked down, just as Tiona expected, he always got back up. Not only that, he became stronger and was slowly overcoming the insurmountable foe. There was even a point where it looked like he was going to be defeated, and she nearly jumped in to save the young hero. But, against everyone's expectations, he made another breakthrough and instantly defeated the giant beast that was just about to crush him moments before.

Unable to contain her excitement, Tiona rushed the boy and tackled him to the ground. She knew that the boy named Vahn was the person she had been looking for all this time. The reason he had been unable to save her, was because he was also very young. She could see he had his own hidden tragedy and was likely too busy saving himself to help others. Any resentment she had towards the hero she had in her mind vanished without a trace and replaced with the image of the boy before her.

Her emotions overwhelmed her, and she was unable to contain them as she looked at the boy she had pressed to the ground and said, "I want to have your baby!"

---

Time returned to normal, and Vahn just lay in his bed in a dazed state. It felt like he had experienced Tiona's entire life, all of her pain and suffering, and he felt pity for the young girl that was forced to become stronger against her own will. Though he had already resolved himself to be with her in the future, now Vahn was determined to make the girl's dream come true. No matter how many she wanted, Vahn would give her as many children as it took to satisfy her heart.

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Tiona's Heart','Everyone has a tragic backstory',Anubis's failed attempt')