The Mundaen Chronicles: A Venture into Infinity [Chapter 1]

Story by Flaks Cader on SoFurry

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As seen onhttp://www.furaffinity.net/view/7328125/

andhttp://goodasell.deviantart.com/art/A-Venture-into-Infinity-Chapter-1-282771866

An old story I once started posting online. Never really got beyond the first chapter as people seemed to lose interest.

Still! Here you are!


A new dawn's benevolent light shone over Medlfreh, the epicentre of the kingdom of Rodattamus, a bustling, hectic epicentre. And though Throluxidei's rays illuminated much of the valley, the sun's radiance could not fully disperse the shadows of Medlfreh's towering structures, for few things could shake the fruit of progress that was Medlfreh in the eyes of the many, many rodents that claimed it. Even in the crisp morning air rose the angry cries of frustrated workers, the din and thrum of automobiles, and the numbing drone of chatting citizens. Even in the lowest reaches of the towering, multi-layered city one could hear the odd scuffle or drunken slur, accusations of prostitution and witchery, as well as the odd gunshot or two breaking the silence. For the people of Rodattamus, this was as close to a paradise as they needed. A place where one is free to start their own life, and even the most well bredand noble of blood must eventually contend with even the most brackish bastard. Advancements in technology were at their height and in turn - so was living. If one could afford it. In the eyes of Rodattamus' citizens nothing on the face of Mandae could ever compare to it, the place which housed those which first settled upon the land, and still remains their ancient home. It was rare in the life of any rodent that any passing thought of what lies beyond ever surfaced, but when it did the questions gave way to a biting curiosity. Innate fear chewed away at their ability to venture out into the world beyond their Kingdom's boundaries, as all they knew of the world beyond was from the suffering their kinds endured during the wars that took place in ages past.

The suffering of being hunted and in turn hunting - of when survival for many in a world without unintelligent wild-life drove many to perish. It was during this time, that the benevolence seeking god Unidinrii, the discord-bringer Perlumcus and the order loving Natorera reached out to many of their loyal magi around the world and offered them knowledge through Throluxidei - the sun, the high seat of light and knowledge. With newfound knowledge, these magi worked to open great portals to a world beyond. Rather then depart from their own world, they ushered forth these portals to allow the fleeing wild-life of a dying world into their own. Docile beasts, natural hunters, colossal creatures and repulsive abominations helped offer a peaceful alternative to the inhabitants of Mandae, but even those whom had agreed to the peace, barricaded their kin from others. Countless years have passed since these events, and now during their technological epoch, the rodents of Rodattamus have chosen to no longer allow fear to hold them back. King Cemun, Rat King of Rodattamus, openly funded expeditions into the world beyond his kingdom's boundaries, not only to attain knowledge of the places beyond, but more importantly - land and goods for the kingdom. Expedition teams of all shapes and sizes began to form from those brave enough to wish to venture out into the wilds. Undoubtedly, the largest stir was amongst the city's nobles, as many of them were interested in funding these expeditions or participating in them themselves, while others were also strongly against the idea. It is amongst these blue-blooded rodents that we truly begin.

A chill ran down the spine of one Perry Digory Rearden, a young mouse no older then twenty-three years of age. He was an adult by his race's standards, though in his drowsiness he felt like a lost infant. The mouse's fur was a light shade of brown, his beady black eyes staring right at the ornate mirror hanging from the wall before him.

Both his handpaws gripping the edge of the counter as he held himself straight, a washing basin filled with fresh water catching the drops of water emerging from his fur. He had just finished washing his face, taking this time to fix his equally brown hair and shape it into something more proper. He stood there half-bare in a half-open chamber robe and staring himself over, his eyelids narrowed slightly as he gave himself an almost accusing stare. Finally the silence was broken by his own habit - talking to himself.

"Perry, Perry. You look like a ghastly twat about to head out to meet his firing squad." he said to himself.

Perry's voice was not exactly up to the usual par, still being slightly sore and bile-laden, unlike his usual pleasantly deep and chipper pitch. It did not save him from sounding obnoxious when passing off-hand comments or talking to himself, which his family pressured him not to do throughout his childhood and adolescence. This did not - however, stop him from doing it once in a while, out of habit.

"Right then. Bloke like yourself can't go out looking like that! Royal court would scoff you out of existence." he reminded himself, taking a moment to pull out a thick-haired brush and begin to groom himself, finishing off by fully combing his hair and tying it up in a pony tail.

"Hmf. You look like a padis' backside." he said, shaking his head at his own comment, recalling the many times he received it from others every time he rode one of the horse-lizards himself.

"But as always, a dashing and handsome one. Dare I say, sexy?" he continued, chuckling to himself as he would put the brush down and make his way into his bed chamber. While it was insisted that the serving staff bring him food and tend to him, he insisted that he should at least be allowed to groom and dress himself, as he was touchy about his appearance. He took his time to clothe himself, dressing in a gentleman's suit along with a thick swallow-tail jacket and a pair of cuffs, watching himself in his room's mirror, making sure he looked as prim and proper as he could muster up. It was as he was finishing up that he was interrupted by a light knocking upon his chamber's door. With a brief "Come in.", the door opened, and a well dressed middle-aged female porcupine made her way into the room, offering a short bow. Perry recognised her as one of the serving staff, the Maid - Betrys .

"Masta' Perry? M'am Rea'den wan's a quick word with yous." said the maid, clasping her handpaws together and perked her ears , her tone having been very uneasy so far, as was also noticeable from her expression. After hearing her words, Perry too seemed uneasy, almost messing up as he attempted to button up his jacket

"W-Well , er, do tell my mother I will be there shortly, she knows I am punctual." he points out, nodding to himself as he looked into the mirror

"Thank you , Betrys, that will be all." he said, dismissal heavy in his voice. Betrys nodded in understanding, and slowly closed the door behind her as she left , leaving Perry deep in thought as he finished dressing himself.

"Well, if there is one thing I know - mother does love to ruin my mornings."

A ray of light met the still-closed lids of Vreis Dumno, the rat stirring shortly after opening his eyelids and gazing across at the crack in between his curtains. He wasted little time before sitting up, slowly scratching at his own side as he examined the room, a mild hangover causing more then a bit of drowsiness. A glance to his bed-partner assured him that he was in his right mind, trying to slowly climb his way out of bed without awakening the younger female rat that lay by him in the nude. Vreis was a bit of a letch, that was clear. He knew very few finer pleasures then a hearty drink, a good song, and someone to share his intimacy with - and he was not particularly picky. The black furred rat was relatively large - even for his kind. This along with his intimidation made his position as the Rearden family bodyguard all the more easier for him , as he rarely had to physically disperse a troublesome assailant. He lived in relative comfort in his own little cabin on their property grounds, thanks to the arrangements of Perry Reary, whom had known the rat since early puphood. A loud creak gave away his attempt at rising from his bed, interrupted by a pair of arms wrapping around his waist.

"Leaving so soon?" the female pondered, attempting to pull herself up behind him. Vreis shut his eyes, trying his best not to convey his dismay as he felt her soft bosom against his back, leaning back a tad in dismay.

"Well, didn't I pay you up-front, Bretta? Or did you just assume that was foreplay?"he pondered in good humour, eliciting a chuckle from the female

"Well you ARE the customer, Vreis so you tell me if it was all fine n' dandy for you." she said, leaning over and pinching his cheek rather playfully, which caused Vreis to tug against it, chuckling

"Your favourite customer, Bretta me girl, don't forget that." he points out,waiting for her to stop pinching him before he slowly rose from his own bed, quickly making his way to his closet, it's unvarnished old wooden door creaking open, clearly not having been oiled in a while. The prostitute did take her time to get up and gather her own clothing before finally turning to Vreis

"I ask this as your friend , and not your favourite whore Vreis . Do you ever think of settling down? Silly of me to ask, knowing you always on the go..." she says, trailing off and waiting for him to answer. Vreis could not answer at first, being far too busy trying to fit on his suit on, knowing damn well that he needs to look his best for the oncoming momentous occasion - not helping that he was a tiny bit on the plump side. After managing to wiggle his snout free from the jacket, he turned his head, gazing at her for a moment

"Aye, maybe when we get back from this expedition of ours. A family would be no good out there." he says, turning his head once more in order to gaze at the quite-literally hanging mirror in front of him, consisting of a hand-mirror held by some string, and slowly fastened his bow-tie

"Only slow me down like a tick up me arse." he added, muttering rather ineffectually - as the other could hear him. Bretta stood there, staring at him. Half-dressed and very dubious .

"Vreis, ye' ever stopped and gave it a nice long thinking over? Maybe say - bugger it all and stay here? You know the truth, bless me sun, you know the truth damn well Vreis." she says, pointing at him accusingly, sounding rather frustrated

"Only reason they be out there is to never come back. Maybe they THOUGHT they could find somethin' beautiful out there Vreis, but they'd never see it comin'. They'd be bloody dead by now even if they weren't lost."she says, making her way up to him

"Stay here, Vreis. Best t'die a chump then out in the wild." she points out. Vreis could feel himself almost choking himself with his own bowtie upon feeling the sting of her words, finally stopping his fidgeting and turning to her fully, handpaws upon his hips

"Bretta, bite me arse. You know damn well we can't all accept our fate n' die a disease ridd'n whore." he barked out, raising his paw in anger. He hardly had time to utter another word before he was struck in the jaw by her surprisingly hefty paw and felt her claws raking across his jaw, leaving a little scratch. He blundered back into the closet, looking rather dazed as Bretta quickly finished dressing herself and stormed out of the room, leaving him seeing stars.

"Aye...I need t'stop insulting them does..." he proclaims to himself rather disoriented by the entire ordeal. After a few moments, he managed to pick himself up off the ground and gaze into the mirror, rubbing his palm over the scratches left by the doe, and slowly shakes his head

"Definitely going te leave a big 'un." he utters, his eyelids slowly shutting as he rubbed it, whining a bit as he rubbed off some blood

"Best clean this oop." he says, gazing back at himself and smoothes his hair out, giving a half-forced smile as he would show off those buck teeth of his, rummaging through his clothing after that quick moment of enthusiasm boosting.

"Now, where is me Tam." he uttered, finally fishing out a dark blue cap and slipping it on, adjusting it to the right position. He took a step back, choosing to spend a little time before his departure practicing his etiquette, doffing his cap and trying his best to sound 'elegant'.

"Your hono- No, no...ach! Your eminence! Bah! MAJESTY!" he reprimanded himself "Oh I am gunna need a little practice."

A light scuffling could be heard shortly prior to the opening of a door. Eleanor Rearden resided in the brightly lit dining hall - with it's radiant white walls decorated in lavish purple patterns and ornate gold visages akin to past family members, as she sat diligently upon a wooden stool by the window , gazing up and out at the blue skies and casually holding a a cup of tea in her left paw, holding the plate under it with the other, occasionally lifting the cup up to her lips, slipping her incisors over the rim and slowly sipping from the tea, feeling the hot liquid trickle down her throat and warm her up. The middle-aged dam seemed rather perplexed, oblivious to her son and the servant accompanying him entering the room, almost dropping her cup as she was startled by Betry's voice.

"M'am, fetched 'im just like y'asked." she said, giving a low bow to the nobledam. Eleanor slowly righted her posture, clearing her throat just for good measure and turned to face them, giving a suspicious stare-over to the two of them before waving her handpaw

"That will be all, Betrys, go tend to your other duties." she said in a particularly weary and dismissive tone. Betrys, knowing very well when it is the worst time to doddle, simply turned and scooted her way out of the room, treading lightly.Eleanor's gaze did not subside, staring her son down for a good few moments before she she slowly moved to place her cup of tea upon a nearby table. The table consisted of a single wooden board, levitated above a short obsidian pillar, which seemed to be etched with an assortment of runes along it's ridges, each of which was glowing rather faintly with a blue light. Magic, while not exclusively common, was used in many things - even domestic appliances and simple mechanisms. The sight of his mother using this table, though, did not bode well with Perry. He knew of her fascination with magical phenomena and was almost certain she was using this simply to restrain herself. So far he had gathered a dozen hints that she was not going to let him leave without a fight.

"Perry, darling. You did not come down for breakfast."she pointed out, her tone relatively tender and even a might troubled. Perry simply stood there, handpaws behind him and straight-postured, looking rather at ease - or as best as he wanted to appear at ease

"Mother, you know very well I had no time. I was hoping you would pardon me on the basis of me having to finish the composition of my brief, filing my notes and sending them along for early review." he pointed out, his ears perked up wide as he listened for her reply, tension gathering in his spine. He had no love for arguments, especially long and drawn out arguments. His tail betrayed him in the end, wrapping around his lower leg and showing how tense he was. It was like a primal battle between a predator and prey, looking for the slightest sign of unease and fear. Eleanor latched on to this and spoke up

"Well then, I assume you will be joining us for tea. Your father would be most disappointed. Perhaps we could all put this silly little game behind us all and arrange a little celebration here, perhaps a light brunch?" she said, reclining against the window sill. Perry grimaced at her words, shaking his head slowly, his teeth slightly bared at this notion

"No thank you, mother. I think I would rather like my tea with a helping of adventure and a little twist of danger." he pointed out, giving a rather weak smile at his own snark. Eleanor promptly stood up upon hearing this, a clear frown upon her features. Even under her grey-tinged brown fur she seemed to be turning red, frustrated with her son's insolence

"Watch your tongue, son. You know quite well how worried we are about this, but you continue to drive the point home like this! Why, your brother has already risen to the oh-so-prevalent position of royal treasurer, and what of you? Hardly a year younger and yet still chasing pipe-dreams and risking your image - your very blue blood - in this endeavour." she cried out, crossing her arms over her bosom, giving her son a stern glance. Perry seemed to take what she said at face value, having received this talk quite a few times, but none the less answered back in aggravation

"You know very well that this could benefit Rodattamus as well as many other kingdoms we may encounter! Think about it, mother. We can extend our borders to the far reaches and ally with so many other species. Integrate their cultures. Why, from the relics of the eldest war alone we can find traces of their fascinating lifestyles." he says, making his way to the same window, pointing outside.

"What would that establish? You know very well that foreigners bring nothing but death and pain. Another species about, and for what? So we could start killing each other all over again?"she says, shaking her head as she moves to grasp his shoulders and shake him a bit

"You have to understand." she pleaded, before turning to gaze at where he was pointing, seeing as he did not stop the gesture. Perry remained adamant, simply stating

"We could work with them to reach an entire new height. Think about it, mother. A world where cities soar in the clouds, safe from any danger, walls of pure energy and food that could feed you for days in a single bite. Even with our knowledge of magic and technology, we could not even hope for something like that. We could be making a better world." he explains, his mother slowing her shaking down to a stop as he goes on, still frowning, though looking a tad sad. She slowly moved to settle back on her stool, placing her handpaws over her eyes and exhaling loudly. Perry moved to kneel by her, patting her shoulder and rubbing her arm slowly

"Come on. You know I can do it. After all, what are a few borders and monsters in my way?"he says, giving a sheepish grin, knowing that his words did not help diffuse the tension. After a half minute of silence, Eleanor spoke up.

"I swear to Perlumcus, Perry Digory Reary, you will be the death of me. You will never get anywhere with these ideas of yours." she utters, her disappointment definitely not registering well with Perry, who slowly stood up and made his way towards the door, hanging his head. He stopped at the delicately carved and brightly colored wooden door, grasping the ornate knob and stared back at his mother, whom was still covering her eyes in frustration. "Well then. I suppose the King will be the judge of that." he quipped , turning to open the door and make his way out of the room.

A rogue gust of wind blew over Vreis, almost knocking over his cap in the process. A brief look into the mildly clouded sky above and a far briefer peak at the sun's location revealed that it was mid-day. Vreis himself was standing at the front porch to the Reary abode, alongside the family's chauffeur, an elderly beaver whom looked well into his years, but remained steadfast and cautious. He would occasionally check his pocket-watch, though he showed no signs of impatience. Vreis on the other hand was beginning to pace after a few minutes, relief washing over him as the front door finally opened, and Perry made his way out of the abode and slowly descended the porch - a pile of documents under his left arm bound in silk. A wide smile formed on his lips as he caught sight of Vreis and moved to greet his compatriot, pulling him into a friendly embrace.

"Well , well. Vreis Dumno, I thought I would never see the day when you would actually wear that suit." he says, his nose twitching a tad before he would wince

"Though it still smells like mothballs and old person's knickers." he pointed out, shaking his head and snickering to himself. Vreis shared a laugh with him, patting his friend's back as they followed the chauffeur

"Hah! Ye're one to talk! Look at you! Last time you put on a hat y'went and put a hole thru it." he said, moving to playfully snatch his friend's hat from his head and wave it about

"Look at us, aye! Look at us! Goin' ta' see the bloody King we are! Goin' ta' be damn famous we be!" he says, sharing another laugh as Perry snatched his hat back and set it back on

"Oi, careful! Last thing we need is to wrinkle these suits, we have to look our best. Speaking of which - think you could get us over there quick, Luag?"he pondered, gazing at the beaver whom nodded to the two with an eager smile

"That we ar' saar, that we ar. I cood get ye' thar in a half-hoor, if we don't doddle." he said, turning the corner with them and approaching the auto-mobile. It was quite a revolutionary thing, what technology could do for them. Powered by steam pumps and arcane, these auto-mobiles were a must for any form of nobility. Though they resembled a very strange combination of a train and a tank, these were a safe and efficient way to travel. The driver's seat was located at the front of the vehicle, and behind it was the armoured carriage which held the passengers. Laug made his way up to one of the doors, removing a set of keys from his pocket and opened the door for the two, gesturing for them to enter

"Best coom aboord, sirs." he said, closing the door behind them as the two eagerly climbed into the auto-mobile, giddy like a couple of pups. The vehicle would start up shortly after, a loud spluttering followed by a whirring sound heralding it's activation, the humming the accompanied it was relatively loud to anyone whom was not in the vehicle. Inside of the cart, Perry was busy setting up his documents, Vreis gazing outside of the window as they move through the gates of the mansion and into Medlfreh's streets. He eventually looked across at his friend, leaning over and attempting to get a peek at the documents

"So, how long did it take ye' to get all this information, lad?" he pondered, handing him a stray document that fell. Perry took the document, gazing at it's contents for a moment

"A year, perhaps? I have stacks upon stacks of this back home, I suppose I am a bit of a brainbox. I graduated for a reason, Vreis. And hopefully after today - we can live it." he says, staring the document over well

"So much we can encounter out there, I am definitely not looking forward to some of the monsters that dwell beyond, but I definitely know there are plenty of other species we are yet to encounter. By Natorera, there is plenty we can come across! For one - those stories about mountain folk? Definitely not a fairy-tale I can tell you that." he says, already hopping on his seat at the thought. Vreis also seemed to be enthusiastic about this, opening his maw, his question cut off by the sound of gunfire aswell as the vehicle speeding up, the two gazing out of the window to behold a firefight between two mice, both of which wielded pistols. As they passed by, luckily not the targets of the flintlock fire, they gazed at one another and shook their heads, unable to say anything more about what they beheld. Trying to quickly change the subject, Vreis spoke up at last

"So, what about these mountain folk? Are they really feline? An' do they live in hooles?" he pondered, leaning against the door and obscuring the view of the outside. Perry could only shake his head, also trying to ignore the events transpiring outside, and continued to explain

"Uh, no. They are not. While they are relatively primitive, you will find it rather surprising that they actually build structures. Very warm ones too. " he points out, placing the documents to his side, taking this time to examine himself and make sure everything was in order

"They are felines, yes, as the stories point out, but that goes beyond the point. We definatelly do not know enough about them, so directly coming in contact with them might come in handy - should they not...try skewering us on large pikes and beheading us, or eating us." he points out, grinning toothily

"But I am sure they will listen to reason, mercy and guns." he adds, nodding to the other. Vreis could not help but chortle at this, patting his own chest

"Perhaps I could persuade them with me fancy fighting skills and slay some dreaded creature threatening them." he proclaimed, lifting his chin proudly. Perry could not help but roll up one of the very expensive documents and smack him over the head with it, quickly putting it away

"Or try to steal all their females and leave their population to die." he points out

"Or boast with them to death." he also added, causing Vreis to frown a tiny bit and lower his head

"Bah, always thwarting my plans, how dastardly of you." he says, comically twirling his own whiskers. After anotherfew minutes of the two of them chatting, Perry gazed out of the window and subsequently had Vreis follow his gaze, staring outside at the massive castle they were approaching. They were approaching one of the largest and most important buildings in Medlfreh, if not all of Rodattamus. They were approaching the colossal structure known as the Castle of the Rodentian King, an ancient structure which housed the royal family of Rodattamus. Neither Vreis nor Perry had ever actually been inside of it, and while they had both seen it from the outside, the very thought of finally entering the gargantuan stone walls of the castle had begun to get to excite them. Luag would call out to them as soon as they began approaching it's gates, the massive golden gates leading into the castle grounds baring a mural upon it's surface, depicting an ongoing battle to breach the castle's walls. Perry instantly identified it as an event that took place during the last civil war, the gate having been a relatively new addition and a reminder of the Rat King's powerful grip on the kingdom. Both looked upon it in awe as it slowly began to open, watching as multiple bars and latches slowly slid out of place, allowing the very thick golden gates to slowly swing open, revealing the path into the courtyard. Vreis exchanged glances with Perry, whom was breathless with excitement

"My friend, I... do think we...have come a longer way then we know." he said in between breaths. Vreis would promptly move to tap him on the nose, trying to calm him down

"Shape up, lad. Come now." he said before gazing back out and into the courtyard. The courtyard was a relatively vast stretch of land, in the middle of which was the castle itself. The walls surrounding the area were pure steel, with massive runes etched into them, generating protective wards around them. Perry himself was drawn towards the gardens, which were surprisingly vast and plentiful. This surprised him greatly, especially considering the pollution from the factories and the general conditions of living in the very center of Medlfreh. The main structure itself was quite a beauty, and exactly what one would expect from a king of Rodattamus. A towering combination of stone and gold, sturdy as a stronghold and more ornate then the most expensive villa. Something that was readily noticeable was the lack of actual guards. Instead there were floating and rotating pyramids of arcane infused stone acting as sentries, making their way through the gardens. A few living guards were visible from time to time, in particular the two at the entrance - both of whom wore thick armour suits, covering their entire bodies to the point were neither race nor gender was readily noticeable. The auto-mobile came to a stop at the stairs leading up to the main structure, and after a few secondsVreis and Perry emerged from the vehicles, greeted by a young female rat wearing similar armour to the guards at the entrance , though her helmet was missing. She wore a gold and red tabard with the rough visage of the Rat King upon it, as did the two other fully suited guards accompanying her. She gave them a bow before standing at attention

"Greetings and welcome to ye'. On behalf of the royal family, allow me to invite ye' all in." she says, gesturing to the steps. Vreis and Perry exchanged glances once more before returning the bow, Perry breaking the silence "Yeah right in, you say? Well, lets not dilly dally any longer!"

The sound of trumpets heralded the duo's entrance to the throne room, a fanfare welcoming them in. The two could not help but gaze around them as they entered the massive chamber, the entirety of the room a mighty testament to the Rat King's wealth and power. The floors were made out of a rich platinum, the walls pure gold, adorned with patterns made out of the finest gems imaginable, all glistening in the light of the crystal chandelier hanging in the centre of the room, it's magical properties causing it to self-illuminate. From the walls themselves jutted many colossal figures, the golden statues of their torsos reaching out to wards the throne itself, their pure ruby eyes glowing the same red hue of their gemstone. There was quite the absence of din in the throne-room. No other sounds could be heard other then the composer sitting at the teak piano in the corner, playing for the king as he spoke to his ministers. Finally, Vreis and Perry's eyes landed upon the throne and the king himself. There, upon the massive shining throne sat the Rat King himself. Huge, imposing and covering himself with an air of cunning, it was clear why he was in his current position. The king's attention was drawn away from his ministers and advisors for a brief moment in order to turn and greet the duo as they entered. Vreis and Perry, upon noticing that his eyes were upon them, quickly fell to one knee and bowed to him. The Rat King was clad in a thick and flowing robe of purple silk, trimmed with white fur, covered from end to end with dozens of words and phrases, which could be recognised as the sacred oaths a king must take. Within his grasp was the royal sceptre, which upon closer inspection looked more like a royal mace. It was shaped like a flanged mace, which was so golden that at this point - in the boy's eyes - it had become very redundant. The king waved his sceptre over them, speaking out in a deep , thunderous voice

"Arise." he rumbled, moving to settle back within his throne and directed his first minister to speak to them as they rose. A rather short mouse with fur as grey as his king's approached them, clad in a similar attire to theirs, although of considerable finer quality.

"Mister Reary and Mister Dumno, we have called you here in regards to your both your application to be dubbed as national pioneers - which would give you full clearance to make use of our exclusive provisions and entitle you to a reward upon your return - aswell as your proposal to act as ambassadors and negotiators on behalf of the people of Rodattamus." he recited, gesturing to the others "We have been considering your case quite carefully and have found it to be of acceptable quality with admirable goals and of sufficient funding. We simply have to questions that need answering." he says, turning to the two of them and raising his pawhand, showing them a single finger

"Our first question : How many others do you intend to bring with you in order to assist you on your endeavour?" he pondered, the question causing Vreis to let loose an a quiet squeak before turning to Perry, who would take a few steps forward

"We will have no further assistance, Prime Minister. We believe that a two rodent operation should be more then enough, as there is less holding us back and will prove less costly for everyone else." he points out. Everyone in the court exchanged glances and opinions for a moment before the Prime Minister would speak up

"I suppose that answers that...our second question : You hope to help us spread our influence - to find others willing to ally with us and go on a mission of peace and discovery. Seeing as you have the correct qualifications, would you be interested in also filling out a map of what you some across, so that we can document the territories and boundaries of the unknown world?" he pondered. Perry nodded to this, scratching his own chin as this proposition caught his interests

"I would be honoured to do that, I will be sure to mark out any places of interest and resources beneficial to Rodattamus." he says, his words seemingly stirring the interests of several of the rodents there. The King spoke up first, slowly rising from his throne

"Very well then, to ye' I pass my judgement and bestow my blessing, pioneers. Do yer kingdom proud, and join the ranks of the other pioneers, the first of us out in the new world." he points out, grimacing a tad before stating

"And try not to perish, we would like this to be...productive. You leave in two days, make use of this time.". His words caused general unease to everyone there, but effectively reminded them of the danger to come. After a few moments, the two would rise, and after paying their respects would leave the throne room, making their way back outside under royal escort. Vreis would wait until they were outside before promptly giving Perry a firm pat on the back

"Well, lad, we did it! In two days we goin' ta' set off on a real epic we are. Traversing Mundae together n' being the firsts! Me heart swells, don't ya' know, at the very thought!" he cheered, Perry already beaming as bright as ever

"We finally did it! I guess all of those years of studying have finally paid off. Though frankly, I am happy to be out of that bloody room...there was so much gold my eyes almost bled." he uttered, stopping in-front of the still-parked vehicle and slowly making his way into the back seat along with Vreis, the guards closing the door behind them.

"Aye, but if you ask me, lad, somethin' just rubs me the wrong way with the King." he explained, promptly being comforted by a pat on the shoulder from Perry.

"Now, now, my friend, forget what he said. I am almost certain we will be fine! With you my bodyguard now - how could I possibly feel unsafe? Besides, I am certain the creatures out there can be harmed by weapons." he pointed out, slowly gazing out of the window and towards one of the gates

"Just think about it, Vreis. Through that gate and onwards three thousand miles and we might have entire Empires to bare witness to, so many different places to see." he says, brimming with enthusiasm. Laug, whom was sitting up front, slowly bent down and gazed at the two of them, smiling broadly.

"An' whar too, gentoolmon?" he pondered. Vreis turned to the chauffer, gesturing ahead

"Take us straight home, Laug. We have an entire world to explore!"