Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Chapter 2310: Underwood

After one final night in Asgard, Vahn left Muninn and Vor to deal with any fallout from freeing the Valkyries while he, Fenrir, and Sis made their way further South to the headquarters of the Draco Grief Alliance, a huge city built beneath a Giant Water Tree.

Though the size of the Giant Water Tree couldn't compare to Yggdrasil, Vahn was still impressed by its beauty. The emerald canopy of the tree spanned several tens of kilometers while the root system branched out toward the horizon. Betwixt this root system, hundreds, if not thousands of canals had been constructed, their interiors reinforced with shimmering green crystals that helped to redirect the water from the Great Water Tree into several large rivers. It was quite the sight to behold, but the reason most people venture to the Giant Water Tree was for what lay beneath, a massive, endlessly expanding depression where the Underground City of Underwood had been constructed.

With more than 90% of Underwood's residents being eudemons, beast people, or some form of magical creature, no one even batted an eye as Vahn, Sis, and Fenrir ventured through the carved wooden streets. From the perspective of the underground city's residents, a 'human' like Vahn stood out more than the two girls, so, shortly after landing, he made his ears pointy, sprouted a pair of curved black horns, and a thick dragon tail tinged with a golden hue.

Though Sis kept periodically poking his tail, Vahn didn't particularly mind it as the three of them made their way down one of the helical paths that lined the interior of the Great Water Tree. Countless shops and entire city districts extended away from the central helix, disappearing into a maze-like structure that spanned hundreds of kilometers. It was pretty easy to get lost if you didn't have a cheat-like mapping ability, but that was a non-issue as Vahn, Sis, and Fenrir had no reason to stray from the city center, the convergence point of the six Communities comprising the Draco Grief Alliance: One Horn, Two Wings, Three Tails, Four Feet, Five Claws, and Six Scars.

Bypassing the headquarters of the other five Communities, Vahn and co continued until they reached the deepest level of Underwood's spiraling path, the location of a vast system of underground tunnels and the One Horn Community Headquarters. Vahn found it a little odd that a Griffin, a creature known for its flying prowess, would establish a Community deep underground, but, seeing how vast some of the surrounding tunnels were, it wasn't difficult to imagine entire squads of Griffins flying through them.

Making their way to a building constructed in and around one of the Great Water Tree's larger root systems, Vahn, Sis, and Fenrir were forced to stop outside a heavily fortified gate by guardsmen and women from more than a dozen different races.

Representing the group was a tall, heavily-armored man with the head of a wolf, shouting, "Halt! You are attempting to enter the Headquarters of One Horn and the Draco Grief Alliance! Unless you have an invitation or an escort, you'll need to be processed before you're allowed entry...!"

Though he was unsurprised by the man's words, an 'are you serious' kind of face developed across Vahn's as he saw the wolf-headed man staring intently at Fenrir. The man had a no-nonsense expression on his face, but the not-so-subtle wagging of his tail made it clear he was excited.

Narrowing her eyes at the wolf-headed man, Fenrir threatened, "I will tear your throat out if you keep looking at me like that..."

Instead of being offended or deterred by Fenrir's words, a literal wolfish-grin developed across the man's face as he brandished his spear and was about to give the order to arrest the three intruders. The moment he even thought about it, however, he abruptly collapsed to the ground like a sack of potatoes, eyes rolled back and frothing at the mouth as Vahn exuded a fraction of his aura and stated, "Inform your leadership that Vahn Aldrnari Mason, the Sage Dragon Emperor, has come to pay a visit."

Upon seeing their companion fall to the ground, many of the guardsmen and women were prepared to detain Vahn and company at all cost. When they heard his introduction, however, they abruptly froze in place as those with the ability felt a cold sweat break out across their bodies.

Just as Vahn was about to retract his aura, a deep and womanly voice called out, "Stand down...!" as a beautiful young woman with bronze skin and vermillion hair leaped through the sky to land between Vahn and the collection of guards. Her pointy ears and horns revealed her heritage as a Dragon's descendent, but the feature most people would notice about her appearance was the scant, dancer-like outfit that did little to conceal her lithe and athletic frame.

Having exposed herself to Vahn's aura, a noticeable shudder shook the body of the bronze-skinned woman before she managed a determined expression and started to ask, "What business—hold on a minute! Aren't you the Sage Dragon Emperor...!?"

Though she very rarely paid attention to events taking place beyond the South, the bronze-skinned woman, better known as Sala Doldrake, could never mistake the identity of the man who had married her younger sister. His pointed ears, sharper features, horns, and tail had momentarily thrown her off, but the aura he exuded was unmistakably that of a Pure-Blooded Dragon.

Not sure if she should bow or cower, Sala's knees began to shake even as Vahn adopted a casual smile and said, "It's good to finally meet you, Sala. Though you parted ways when she was still an infant, your sister has told me quite a lot about you."

Hearing Vahn mention her abandonment of Sandora, Sala's expression paled as she balled her hands into fists. She doubted Vahn had come all this way to take her back to the North, but the thought of being forced to reconcile with her family terrified her to the core.

Mustering what little willpower she could, Sala sheepishly inquired, "Why have you come here...?"

Not used to seeing their War Leader behaving in such a way, the group of guardsmen and women appeared even more nervous than Sala. Vahn felt a little sorry for them, but he did his best not to mind it as he replied, "We were invited here some time ago by Draco Grief himself. I happened to be in the area after visiting the Nine Realms, so I figured I might as well stop by."

Furrowing her brows, a bit of vigor returned to Sala as she parroted, "The Nine Realms? What business could you possibly have with such a vicious and bloodthirsty lot? Don't tell me..."

Waving his hand in a dismissive manner, Vahn said, "Relax. I'm not trying to destabilize or conquer the South. At the very least, I have no intention of starting a war. If anything, I'm taking measures to prevent one."

"I see..."

Though she didn't fully trust Vahn's words, Sala knew the Aldrnari Empire had more than enough power to conquer the South. If the rumors were to be believed, he was already at a level where he could contend against the ancient beings inhabiting the 1-3-Digit Gates. Even if he wasn't, the Draco Grief Alliance was comprised of six 5-Digit Communities. If not for the fall of Avalon and the constant fighting between the 4-Digit Communities that populated the South, the Draco Grief Alliance would never be able to hold on to the position of Floor Master.

Imagining Vahn's dragon form erasing Underwood with a single sweep of his hand, another powerful shiver wracked Sala's frame. She wasn't cold, but she found herself hugging her body in a vain attempt to suppress her instincts. Her subordinates interpreted her behavior as fear, but Vahn and Sala knew the actual reason for her trembling...

Smiling wryly, Vahn suppressed his draconic aura as much as possible as he said, "Please tell Draco Grief I have come to meet him. The medicine I sent over previously should have healed him fully, but I'd like to check on him at least once."

Recalling that Vahn had, in fact, treated their Leader's illness, Sala felt a sudden urge to apologize on behalf of the entire Draco Grief Alliance. If she lowered her head in her current state, however, she might not be able to raise it without Vahn's permission. The latter's bloodline and aura were so pure that Sala's body, quite literally, craved to submit to him...

Gritting her sharpening teeth, Sala muttered, "Dammit..." under her breath. Then, as if he had been standing right in front of her, Vahn's hand came to rest on her head, an overwhelming calm and cooling energy pervading her body before she even had time to blink. The heat that had been agonizing her disappeared in an instant, replaced by a sense of peaceful serenity as Vahn retracted his hand and revealed, "I sealed your bloodline, albeit only temporarily. You can break it by mustering your power, but I would advise you to keep it in place until my departure. If you want a more permanant solution, I can change your race into something else entirely..."

Though she felt a mixture of frustration and confusion at the first part of Vahn's words, Sala blinked in surprise when he mentioned being able to change her race. One of the reasons she had fled the North was because her father had forced her to consume a special aphrodisiac mixed with his blood. It was supposed to make her more 'compliant.' Instead, it triggered a violent awakening of her draconic heritage, compelling her to attack her father before fleeing in a frenzy. When she finally returned to her senses, most of her power had been lost, and she now felt agitated whenever she was in the presence of other dragons, particularly males.

After briefly considering Vahn's proposal, Sala's pride as a Salamander eventually won out, her expression turning severe as she shook her head and replied, "While I appreciate your concern, this is a matter I must deal with personally. If I can't do this much, I'll never be able to face those my actions have harmed..."

"You're an idiot."

"Wha-"

Without giving Sala a chance to question him, Vahn shook his head and said, "While I understand your reasons, we both know you're just making excuses. The truth of the matter is that your brother and sister have been eagerly awaiting your return. Now that your father is dead, the only thing preventing you from returning home is your selfishness. I'm half-tempted to teleport you over to the North and force you to reconcile...In fact..."

Before Sala could even think to evade or argue, Vahn extended his hand to flick her forehead. The moment his middle finger made contact with the golden band holding up her bangs, the befuddled beauty dispersed into motes of golden light.

Seeing their War Leader suddenly disappear, the guardsmen and women that had been standing around like a bunch of statues immediately came back to life. Those closest attempted to charge at Vahn, but he countered their efforts by casually teleporting them to the surface of Underwood as he, Sis, and Fenrir advanced into the interior. A large gate and an invisible barrier barred their passage, but both warped and distorted to allow the trio passage before repairing themselves the moment they were inside...

Spreading his senses through the compound, a frown marred Vahn's face as he realized there were no Griffins inside. Instead, there was a veritable army of beast people loitering about and a girl with lavender hair sitting in what he had presumed to be Draco's office. She had a tiny, spiral-shaped horn growing from the center of her forehead, and, based on the structure of her aura, Vahn correctly assumed she was a Unicorn...

"That explains the name..."

...

..

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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'He's just lucky Vahn knocked him out before Fenrir could teach him a lesson...','RIP Sala-chan xD...','Who could have imagined the Leader of One-Horn being a Unicorn (O o O)....?')