Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Though they had arrived on a mission of peace, Vahn had Arika moor the Custos Rosea a few kilometers outside the Forest of Penance. It wouldn't take much effort for him to charge into the heart of Elven territory, but, as a gesture of goodwill, he decided to approach from the front. He also wanted to inspect the infamous forest personally, as, depending on the circumstances, there was a fair chance he would be burning it down in the near future.

Vahn could understand the reasoning behind sealing people into trees, but, as it seemed a little excessive to imprison people for more than fifteen times their average lifespan, he wouldn't just ignore them. They might have wronged many people throughout their life, but, with reincarnation being a very real thing, it was always 'fairer' for them to simply return to the cycle anew. The weight of their Karma would determine the quality of their next life, so, rather than force them to atone in the present, allowing them to reincarnate was the juster outcome.

With this thought in mind, Vahn slowly roamed through the gloomy, fog-filled, Forest of Penance with Eva, Arika, Asuna, and Fenrir in tow. The forest was filled with a depressive aura that lingered in the surroundings like the atmosphere of a funeral wake. It was incredibly eerie, and, with several unique magical barriers present, most trespassers would experience a host of nightmarish illusions while passing through.

Fortunately, even without Vahn taking action, Asuna's ability to negate magic caused a bubble just under five meters in diameter to form around her. Though it was generally impossible to use magic within the boundary of this field, it allowed them to pass through the forest with impunity. Even an unexpected attack would have little effect on them, as, unless it was purely physical, it would never be able to penetrate the wispy, invisible, field.

The only weaknesses of Asuna's magic cancelation was that it had no effect on internal magic, ki, and illusions that directly affected reality. This meant someone like Merlin would be able to easily deal with Asuna, and, though your barriers wouldn't work, using physical attacks against her were highly effective. Though this assumed you had some way to deal with her State of Nothingness, a truly skilled individual would be able to work around the gaps in Asuna's defense.

Though she had gotten the better of him in a few situations, largely thanks to her powerful fate, Vahn served as a perpetual reminder that you could never underestimate your foes. Higher forms of energy could often ignore even Innates, and, if your comprehension of the Laws was higher than your opponent, even 'indestructible' foes could be cut. He often caught Asuna by surprise when he used magic within her field of cancelation, so, rather than become dependent on the skill, she had learned to treat it as an auxiliary ability.

The most amazing thing about Innates was their ability to adapt and evolve with their user. They had unlimited potential for growth, but, if you became dependent on them, you were bound to experience some suffering. Rather, the best way to develop an Innate was simply to use it while making an earnest attempt to grow stronger. Trying to develop the Innate directly actually limited its growth, as, much like the description stated, they were impossible to identify. Their penultimate form and function were based on the capabilities and character of their user, so, even when he had made an earnest effort to try and develop them, Vahn's progress had been limited until he made a concerted effort to improve himself, rather than the Innate...

---

While walking through the Forest of Penance, Vahn would periodically place his hand upon the twisted trunk of a dead-looking tree. It was said that the color and vitality of the tree was based on the nature of the person it was grown from, so, while many looked relatively normal, some were as twisted and blackened as could be imagined.

Though he had experienced it with several prior trees, Vahn felt a little perturbed by the lukewarm feeling transmitted through his palm whenever he placed his hand against a tree. It was similar to touching the driest and most craggy skin imaginable, and, after spreading his senses throughout the tree, Vahn could detect a phenomenal amount of negative energy as the twisted and atrophied nerves continuously pulsated in agonizing pain. Near the very center of the tree, there were even modified organs and the remnant of a skeletal system that had been stretched and twisted into a form that guaranteed the greatest amount of suffering.

Even if it was the result of their own actions, Vahn couldn't help but sigh every time he investigated one of the blackened trees. Some were hundreds of years old, but, due to the nature of the 'curse', they were unable to adapt to the pain. Even if they truly wanted to repent, they were not given the option. Instead, they were forced to live on for centuries, their bodies wracked in pain without any hope for relief. Some, perhaps the perpetrators of heinous crimes, had even been vandalized, and, though it was different than normal blood, a brackish-red liquid slowly oozed from scars that had been left behind by hatchets, swords, daggers, and arrows...

While shaking his head in mild exasperation, Vahn sent a powerful ripple of Source Energy through the tree he was investigating. This resulted in a spontaneous collapse of the nervous system, and, though it would be unimaginably painful, the process was so quick that they wouldn't even have the time to process it before they were dead.

After destroying the eleventh tree, Vahn turned to look back at Arika and Asuna, his expression solemn and serious as he stated, "Punishments like these are unjust. No matter how heinous their crime, forcing people to suffer is never justified. I am not without flaws in this regard, but, if at all possible, I would like you to avoid repeating my mistakes. If you do not provide people a means to repent, you are simply being cruel, self-righteous, and vindictive..."

Hearing Vahn's words, both Arika and Asuna nodded their heads in understanding. They were well aware of the mistakes Vahn had made, as, rather than try to cover them up, he was always open and forthright about them. He had taught them that mistakes weren't something you should be ashamed of. Rather, it was important to openly acknowledge the mistake, as, the harder you tried to conceal it, the more it would haunt your future decisions.

Seeing both girls nod, Vahn's mood improved marginally. Before moving on, however, he offered a silent prayer for the departed, as, despite the misdeeds of the person during their lifetime, the Soul was without sin. Event he most vile criminal could be reborn as a saint under the right conditions, so, rather than pray for the deceased, Vahn offered a prayer for the new life that would result from a Soul's departure...

---

Perhaps as a result of Asuna's magic cancellation, it took more than two hours for the first group of Elves to encounter Vahn's group. Even then, they were genuinely shocked by the group's arrival, to the point the leader of the group stared slack-jawed at them for several seconds before nocking an arrow and shouting, "You are trespassing upon protected grounds! Set aside your weapons or we will be forced to fire upon you!"

In response to the androgenous man's shout, the four Elves accompanying him all nocked arrows of their own. Each had blonde hair and deep green eyes, and, unless you looked closely, it was very difficult to determine their actual gender. The only tell-tale sign was that the females had rounder ears, as, with very few exceptions, even the bustier Elves within the Akamatsuverse rarely exceeded a B-Cup. As for the males, they never grew facial hair, and, unless they achieved the status of High Elf, they appeared just as fair and feminine as the females of their species...

Fortunately, Vahn could even discern the differences between identical twins without any difficulty, so, when it came to determining gender, he had no trouble at all. Thus, even though all five of the Elves look exceptionally similar to each other, he could discern that three were male and two were female at a glance. This wasn't particularly important, as there was virtually no separation between genders in Elven society, but it made things a little easier when conversing.

Rather than comply with the man's demands, Vahn remained calm and casual, a gentle smile on his face as he said, "If we arrived with malicious intentions, the Elementals would have informed you of our arrival. Please, lower your weapons and hear our reason before jumping to conclusions..."

Though he was speaking softly, Vahn's words carried a considerable amount of weight, as, during the brief period when he was speaking, hundreds of nascent Elementals readily prepared to defend him. These weren't visible to most Elves, but, as one of the more sensitive races, every member of the patrol party was able to sense their presence. They could sense the natural aura around Vahn, and, though they instinctually refused to believe it, they couldn't shake the feeling his affinity was even greater than their Ancestral Mother's...

After several tense moments, the supposed leader of the group slowly lowered his bow, but, even after pointing it toward the ground, he kept the arrow nocked. There were no limits to the number of tricks humanity could come up with in the pursuit of their ambitions, so, even if his instincts told him Vahn could be trusted, his wisdom and experience prevented him from lowering his guard.

Instead of reproaching the man for his behavior, Vahn gave an approving nod as he, very slowly, raised his hand. His gesture caused the five to tense up at first, but, after another long period of silence, they seemed to understand his intentions. They were a species that communicated more with body language and physical contact rather than speaking, so, seeing Vahn's relaxed posture and outstretched hand, it didn't take a leap in logic to realize what he was trying to say...

As the natural aura around Vahn was only growing stronger with the passage of time, the leader of the Elven patrol ultimately nodded toward his companions before quivering his arrow and slinging his ornate wooden bow. Then, exhibiting the meticulousness and grace associated with his race, he trepidatiously approached the group, his footsteps leaving absolutely no traces upon the grass and soil below...

Without hurrying the process, Vahn just continued to smile disarmingly with his hand outstretched. It didn't matter if it took ten minutes or ten hours, as, from the moment the man touched his palm, everything would become clear. He was the furthest thing from an enemy they could imagine, and, depending on the circumstances, he would become the greatest benefactor of the Elven people.

Unaware of the significance of his action, the leader of the patrol group gingerly placed the tips of his fingers against Vahn's. Immediately thereafter, a phenomenal amount of information began to enter into his mind. This not only conveyed Vahn's intentions in Elfenhof, but, most importantly, it showed the paradise he had prepared for them in a short four years. Better still was the fact that it was all shown from the perspective of Vahn, so, in the mind of the patrol leader, it was like viewing the world from the perspective of a God...

Like someone that had placed their hand on a hot stove, the elven man retracted his hand with a start. This alerted his comrades, but, before they could misunderstand the situation, he gestured for them to stand down, exclaiming, "Lay down your arms! This man is not our enemy! Come, see what I have seen...!"

Similar to a child that had just discovered something incredible, the man was eager to share what he had experienced with everyone else. He quickly approached his companions, and, though they showed a bit of trepidation at first, their eyes rounded when they made contact with the man. Even indirectly, the memories inherited from Vahn were unlike anything they had ever experienced, and, while it wasn't impossible to fabricate such things, the aura permeating through the surroundings now made a lot more sense.

Finding the reactions of the Elves rather humorous, Vahn couldn't help but lightly chuckle as he pulled out a few rather large crystals. He had already conveyed his intention to the Spirits within the Diorama, so, with the exception of the Aspidochelone, he brought all of the evolved Elemental Spirits with him. This included the Lucky Cat received from Nyon Utu and the Nether Panther that had imprinted upon Eva, so, with the exception of an Intermediate Lightning Elemental Spirit, Vahn had the makings for his own entourage of Great Spirits.

Though they were already convinced, seeing the myriad Spirits surrounding Vahn was enough to change the excitement visible in the Elves' countenance to reverence. They had already heard the rumors of the Sage Dragon Emperor, and, at several points over the last few months, the Council of High Elves had even considered sending out an envoy to make contact with him. The fact Vahn had arrived on his own volition made a deep impact on each of them, and, though they didn't have the tradition of bowing, all fives Elves lowered bowed respectfully towards the gently smiling man standing before them...

Waving his hand, Vahn manipulated the wind elemental energy within his domain in order to have the group raise their heads. This surprised them quite a bit, but, before they could say anything, he preempted their response by saying, "I believe there are more pertinent matters to attend. I would like to meet with your Ancestral Mother. Please, lead the way..."

As they were well aware of his intentions at this point, the leader of the patrol group didn't hesitate to nod his head, signaling to his comrades before saying, "It is an honor to escort the Sage Dragon Emperor and his companions."

Following the man's words, the other Elves formed a protective formation around Vahn's group. It wasn't really necessary, but, as a courtesy, they wanted to properly escort the man that might very well save their race. They didn't know what they would have to exchange for his protection, but, after seeing the World Tree within his memories, they had exceptionally high hopes for the future...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Unnecessary Cruelty','Mistakes are the tools used to shape the future','One Touch Man...')

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