Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos
chapter-940

The day following Vahn's attempt to get closer to Kali marked a variety of changes, including the way he was treated by the other Amazonesses and his position within the crew. After putting Kali through the 'complete' experience of his [Hands of Nirvana], she had to retire to her own cabin for the remainder of the evening. When she finally did emerge, long after the crew had already awakened and began setting sail, she was no longer wearing her divine raiment and had instead worn a beige smock. She had emerged as her Chandi persona and remained silent throughout the day until the evening competition had concluded and the Amazonesses were gathered together for their meal...

This marked the first big change on the ship as, for the first time, Kali had shown up at the meal and pre-empted Myahi's claim, taking Vahn's lap for herself. It was at this point that she turned her Familia, blood-red eyes glimmering with a serious light as she said, "I understand how each of you feels but, unless you think you have what it takes to rise to the top of our society, you should give up. Even if it isn't wrong to desire a strong mate, simply 'wanting' it isn't enough. Unless you have the willingness to rise up and compete directly, then you'll do the sensible thing and stay out of the way. If you can't even reach Level 5, give up ever trying to stake a claim to Vahn..."

Kali's words weighed heavily on the hearts and minds of her Familia but, even from their own perspective, they understood the truth contained within. It was the strongest Amazonesses who would have the strongest mates while the weaker members of their community often ended up as little more than prostitutes before the changes in Orario. If you had a genuine desire to obtain something, you should put in the requisite amount of effort and increase your strength in order to obtain it. Because this was a defining principle of their culture, even the young Myahi could only ball up her fists and resolve herself to get stronger in the future...

After letting her words settle for a short moment, Kali reached up with her right hand and grabbed Vahn's collar, pulling his head down as she twisted her body slightly and somewhat aggressively tried to steal his lips. He had been caught off guard when Kali had moved to sit in his lap but habitually moved his hand to intercept Kali's face, causing her lips to contact his palm before she began to laugh in her characteristic 'shishishi' manner.

Vahn was confused by this reaction until Kali turned to her Familia, explaining, "Other than Tiona and Tione, even I haven't been able to claim what I want, just because I want it. Vahn isn't like a normal man, or he wouldn't have been allowed to return with us. A lot is going to change in the future and, unless you think you can contend against me, you'll stay out of my way. I might not be able to compete against people he is already involved with, but that doesn't mean I'll just idle around and let you girls do whatever you please..." Kali's words were accented by her releasing a small amount of her aura, causing the galley to feel ice-cold, even though the temperature hadn't changed at all...

The rest of the evening was rather tense as the Amazonesses weren't accustomed to the presence of Kali during their meals, causing them to remain relatively silent. Though Tiona and Tione didn't seem affected, happily trying to converse with Bache, this only made the difference in their status even more apparent. Kali's words were very clear and straightforward, essentially telling her Familia that, until they proved they were worthy, they had no right to even compete. If even a goddess wasn't able to act without restraint, they 'had' to show a bit of restraint until they had enough power to ignore such restrictions. This was Kali's way of making things 'easier' for Vahn, as she knew he wasn't trying to arbitrarily increase the number of children he had without care or concern for their well-being...

Even without Khodiva's intervention, the evening meal ended relatively early since it was difficult to stay in the galley while Kali was sitting in Vahn's lap. He was usually the center of attention but, now that their goddess had inserted herself into the picture, it was impossible for them to interact with Vahn without feeling as if their skin was crawling. Though most Amazonesses were relatively fearless, most living creatures had an instinctual fear of death and, unless they were fighting to protect themselves or the things they cared about, few would arbitrarily face death without anything to gain. Because of this, Vahn and Kali were left alone after less than half the time allotted for dinner had passed, with even Tiona and Tione parting with the rest of the crew after giving Vahn rather bold goodnight kisses...

When they were finally alone, Kali released a heavy sigh before reclining against Vahn's, peering up into his face as she asked, "So, what do you think? This is me compromising for you again, so feel free to show me your gratitude...Nn..." Even before Kali had finished her words, Vahn began to lightly stroke her abdomen through her smock, sending threads of energy into her petite body and causing her muscles to tense up as a result. Kali hadn't been a virgin, having had a 'very' long relationship with a god named Shiva in Heaven, so her body was extremely sensitive to his touch. They hadn't done anything 'more', but Vahn had been able to get Kali to submit to him after a few hours the previous night. She had tried to resist for a while but, after allowing him to get the advantage early on, there wasn't much she could do without activating her Arcanum to resist the tidal currents that had wracked her body until she had completely blacked out...

Kali inhaled a sharp breath and began to breathe heavily as she placed her hands on Vahn's knees, almost as if she were trying to brace herself as she said, "For someone that had so many inhibitions before, you're pretty merciless when you get serious, aren't you? Is this what you did to tame the other goddesses that pander to you...?" Kali's grip had turned so powerful that, not just her fingernails, but her actual fingers were beginning to sink into Vahn's knees. Much like Ares, she had base parameters that could put her on part with a Level 5 Adventurer. When she was 'excited', however, Kali could easily reach the lower limits of a Level 7 and it was hard to restrain herself completely, even with Vahn holding back quite a bit...

Vahn's focus was a bit split at the moment as, back in Orario, he was actually spending some quality time with Anubis and Nanu. When he heard Kali's words, Vahn fell into a thoughtful silence before tracing his fingers around Kali's diaphragm, saying, "Freya could have been considered an exception in the past, but I didn't really 'tame' any of the goddesses. I just did my best to try and empathize with them, keeping the promises I made, and trying to alleviate their loneliness. When our relationships developed past a certain point, there is a special technique I can perform that brings us much closer together. After that, even Freya and Loki had changed a lot since, for the short while we were together, we were able to fully understand each other..."

Though he hadn't thought about it in such a way previously, Vahn realized that his 'melding' with a goddess was actually a bit unfair to them. One of the biggest 'weaknesses' of all gods was the simple fact that, as a result of their inordinately long lives, they simply couldn't truly empathize with mortals. Even after watching over ancient civilizations for more than two hundred thousand years, or even after descending to the mortal world a thousand years ago, they were never able to sincerely understand what it meant to live as a mortal. They obviously sought this understanding but, regardless of how big their Familia would grow, gods were still restricted by their Divinities and the vast knowledge and experience they had accumulated, long before mortals even walked on the surface...

Without exception, every time Vahn had 'melded' with a goddess, they had experienced a rather drastic shift in their personality and perspective. After all, it was the first time in what could have amounted to hundreds-of-millions of years that they were able to truly see and understand the world from the perspective of another. The raw emotions were enough to even stir their Divinity to the point that it would begin to manifest in the mortal world, anchoring them to the same plane as mortals and severing their connection with Heaven. This gave them far greater freedom and allowed them to have access to power that 'should' have been restricted by the World's Laws, all while finally gaining something that most gods intuitively sought after...a true and meaningful connection with another being...

Kali didn't know what Vahn was talking about, but she noticed there was something 'off' about him after he had finished speaking. His hands still moved to various parts of her body, almost like muscle memory, but the potency had diminished a great deal and he had a distant look in his eyes. This caused Kali to frown slightly as she released her grip, watching as the indentations she had caused healed almost instantly. Even the blood on her fingers seemed to vanish into thin air, causing Kali to wonder just what limit, if any, Vahn's regeneration might have. It wasn't her first time seeing someone regenerate, but his ability seemed far faster and more 'complete' than any rare skill she had observed in the past...

Vahn's momentary daze hadn't lasted too long and, realizing Kali had also fallen silent, he gave a wry smile and said, "After all of this is over...when you are ready...I'll show you what I mean." To this, Kali snorted through her nose before saying, "That is one of the annoying things about you, Vahn. Even though you seem to empathize with other's, you're always thinking about your own perspective of things. This whole plot of yours to become an Emperor, how hesitant you are to make a move on me, and now this 'vague' promise you're making...who are you to decide when people are ready for something? I get the fact that you want to wait until you can keep your promise with those two, but you shouldn't say such insensitive things...it's really annoying..."

This time, it was Vahn's turn to frown slightly, causing Kali to lean forward slightly before she thumped his chest with the back of her head, saying, "Stop thinking so much! There isn't anything I can do to force your hand and it's normal' for people to have different perspectives. Stop trying to make 'everything' make sense inside that stupid little head of yours! Jeez, it's no wonder Loki seems so stressed out after dealing with you..." Having never been fond of people that 'overthink' things, Kali was annoyed that Vahn's immediate reaction in most situations was to try and reason his way through something. He was one of the most impressionable people she had ever met, even though he was also incredibly hard-headed. Kali imagined it must have driven Loki mad just trying to 'teach' Vahn to interact with others without suffering a disadvantage...

Even back at the Manor, Vahn had felt taken aback by Kali's words, causing Anubis to break character and ask, "Is something wrong, Master...?" She was currently half-bound with Nanu so Vahn felt the atmosphere became awkward in an instant with Anubis suddenly turning 'calm' and showing concern. If Nanu could have turned to face him, she probably would have had a similar expression on her face, causing Vahn to give a wry smile as he stroked the latter's butt and said, "Everything is fine...I just got a little distracted with something on the other end..." At the same time, back on Kali's ship, Vahn pressed his index finger into a pressure point above Kali's navel, causing the diminutive goddess' legs to tense up as her back became ramrod straight...

In response to her earlier words, Vahn nodded his head and said, "You're right, Kali...I always seem to be troubling those around me, especially Loki. She does so much just to make sure everything is running smoothly, even forcing me to take breaks so that I don't make things more problematic or break down. I won't deny I have a lot of weaknesses and, even when I do become an Emperor, this probably won't change. It's because of this that I'm so reliant on other people, especially the goddesses that support me...I am just one person, with a perspective that is heavily skewed as a result of my relatively short life and a severe lack of experience. I need strong and capable women to support me, just as I need my family to be happy so that I can also be happy..."

Vahn knew he had more than his fair share of problems but they were mostly related to the amount of knowledge he had that most others simply couldn't comprehend. His focus wasn't solely on the record he currently inhabited and, even though he still had the perspective of a mortal, Vahn had to tackle concepts that would even boggle the minds of gods. It was a lot to process and, even with Sub-Space and Space-Time orbs, he was barely able to cope with a lot of things that he 'needed' to focus on. Moments like this just added to the problems he was already dealing with but, at the same time, it made him a more 'complete' person when he was able to work through them. Kali's words, while harsh, helped him put things in perspective and, even for a brief moment, become more decisive and resolute...

While pressing firmly into one of the more sensitive pressure points on Kali's body, Vahn brought his right hand above her heart, gently gripping her almost non-existent breast as he said, "You are also someone I will need to rely on in the future, Kali, and not just because you will be the mother of one of my children. You provide a unique perspective that is necessary for me to make more informed decisions in the future and, even if you aren't the type to think deeply about things, the insight you provide will help me make me a stronger person and a better Emperor..." Punctuating his words, Vahn pinched the small protrusion that had made its presence known through Kali's smock, causing her body to shake as she exhaled a hot sigh.

For a brief moment, both Vahn and Kali were taken back to the previous night where, against her nature, Kali had broken down under Vahn's caress. Though he would need to take far more decisive action in the future, she had already taken on a more submissive position in their relationship, just as Tiona and Tione had in the past. This was why she had adopted her Chandi persona when leaving her cabin today as, even though it was the form she used to 'punish evil', it was also the form she took to appear weak and frail. It made it much easier for her to accept Vahn's 'indecisive' treatment and allowed her to repress her instincts, even though her body was screaming at her to 'take' what she wanted...

Vahn was very aware that Kali wasn't really satisfied, even if her body was going through all the motions and responding properly. Even now, her Affection for him was only at 94(Trust) and it would fluctuate up and down throughout the day, never exceeding 95. Though he tried not to rely on the values, Vahn still used it at times like this to try and spur himself onward. After telling her that she was necessary for him to be a more complete person, Vahn suddenly felt that holding back was somewhat ridiculous. Thus, even though Kali was 'tolerating' his actions while squirming around his lap, Vahn's hands became idle once again. This caused her to frown deeply until he suddenly picked up her body and said, "I'll need your help when we arrive in Telskyura...I can at least do something for you before then..."

While holding the somewhat surprised goddess in a bridal carry, Vahn transitioned from the galley and made his way towards Kali's cabin. After kicking the door shut behind him, Vahn matched Kali's 'amused' gaze and produced a wry smile of his own, knowing that he was going to 'suffer' a few grievances this time around. If he wanted to take things further with Kali, the only way for him to take control was to 'defeat' her, just as he had done battle against Tiona and Tione previously. The only other route forward was to reverse their positions, letting Kali take control of the situation and putting himself on the receiving end. This was something that was generally very difficult for Vahn but, with Anubis and Nanu being 'very' receptive to his advances back at the Manor, he figured he could let Kali have some leniency and always reverse things if she got out of hand...

Much to Vahn's surprise, though Kali very willingly took the lead, she didn't end up crossing the final line just yet. She had very different expectations for their first-time together and simply enjoyed teasing Vahn, knowing full well that he wasn't really comfortable with her antics. This was her way of getting back at him for the last two months while showing that she wasn't just going to do as he expected every time he played at being decisive. Knowing that Vahn had been 'willing' made Kali feel less inclined to take what her body craved while the knowledge that she would get 'much more' later allowed her to remain relatively calm...

The next morning, Vahn felt like his nerves had been stretched thin as he stared blankly towards the horizon with Kali sitting in his lap like a Queen upon her throne. This time, he was sitting on her cushioned platform while she was in her default persona, wearing her almost negligible divine raiment as she lounged against him. She would periodically release small peals of laughter and wiggle around in his lap, obviously taunting him while enjoying the 'mistakes' her Familia were making since their focus was split between their tasks and observing the abnormal interaction between Vahn and Kali. This was because, unable to simply let Kali do whatever she wanted, Vahn would occasionally return the favor, causing the small goddess to release loud and sensual moans, followed by even louder bursts laughter...

(A/N: I am aware I said no 'rest' days, but I'm down to the last two days before I need to leave and there are a lot of things I need to prepare before work officially starts. There will always be a chapter available at the daily reset, but other chapters will appear at random times. While I'm working, I'll try to do mass releases on the weekends, but there are some weeks where I work either Saturday or Sunday. I'll keep you posted as things change~!)

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Square up, thots~!','Kali is going to have an aneurysm dealing with Vahn xD...','Vahn fucked up...')