Walking Disasters and Me-Welcome Home – Ch 14

Walking Disasters and Me-Welcome Home – Ch 14

Akiko clears her throat slightly before responding to Elder Julian in a stoic, professional tone, "Very good, are they in the room currently or have you sequestered them outside until my arrival? Either is fine, I just need to know to prepare properly." The bear man kneels down swiftly since he is addressed fully now before answering her.
"Madama Akiko, we thought it best to have them wait outside the closed doors. They may be able to smell the remnants of what happened, but they will be in for quite the shock once the doors are opened. That should make them reconsider any foolish notions, should they have them." His low, baritone voice sounds out around the courtyard. I was watching some loose stones near the pond just to check, and sure as shit they did actually rumble a little when he talked! Wow, he must bring down the house on karaoke night. Literally.
"Excellent work Elder Julian. You may rise, your dedication to formality is most welcome. Return to the assembled seconds, I shall finish my conversation with Amelia and then rejoin you at the doors." Akiko supplies back. I get the feeling that she actually likes Julian, I don't sense that baseline level of hostility she emits when she interacts or talks about the other surviving Elders. Even before her human water balloon popping spree went down.
Julian stands primly and properly, before giving a bow and turning back towards the front of the Sect Hall. Watching him go, Akiko turns back to me with a
look.
Ah crap, I guess even Julian's distraction couldn't save me from having to fess up to that little smooch. Surprisingly, the look Akiko gives just seems knowing and playful. Her purple eyes gleam in the morning light with a hint of mischief while her tails wag behind her like a cat about to pounce on an unsuspecting foot as it passes by. Perhaps sensing my growing panic, she relaxes a bit before softly speaking to me.
"Do not worry dear, I know that was not an amorous kiss. You are still
exhausted
darling; I can tell even without my keen nose or Qi reading. No doubt, you have deep feelings of gratitude and relief at feeling safe, or at least safer, and it's perfectly fine what you did. Heavens, if every maiden balked at a bit of skin ship and connection like that, the world would be a cold, miserable place!" She laughs with mirth. I guess she is right, it wasn't a sexual advance or anything. I just felt so... grateful and relieved.
She continues on with that mischievous tone as I'm pondering her words, "However, do not think I won't tease you for it~! What a sweet and soft little peck on the cheek! If that is your way of expressing gratitude, then I will have to strive to always go above and beyond for you, my dear~!" She giggles out, eyes closed as the sounds escape her annoyingly perfect mouth! This cheeky fox!
"Now come, one last task to do and then we can retire to my estate, and you can rest
properly
."
I nod sheepishly, blushing only slightly heavily from her teasing this time as she rises back up to standing and offers me her hand. The orange tinted sky behind her, golden amber beams of light from the rising sun silhouetting her gorgeous frame and now lazily floating tails. I can't wait to get to her estate and finally rest, the lack of sleep
has
to be a big reason why I am constantly down bad for this woman! I give a small shake of my head, my crimson hair fluttering to and fro with the motion, before reaching up and grasping her hand.
Ignorant to my faulty rationalizing, Akiko gives a slightly curious look to my actions before giving a small shrug and hoisting me up to vertical to match her. She keeps ahold of my hand the whole time as we walk back to the site of carnage. Crazy to think just an hour ago half the people in a room just got vaporized. As we approach, I can see a small gaggle of people just outside the massive wooden doors to the Hall, most of whom seem to be much younger than the Elders that were minced and pureed. Hell yeah, younger generation rise up!
Julian kneels once more as we get closer, and the rest of the assembled group follows quickly after him. It's impressive how it was
nearly
uniform, 8/10 marks overall. I giggle slightly to my own commentary, the lack of sleep most definitely effecting me, when I hear Akiko speak to the masses.
"You have all been summoned here to witness what happens when you betray the Heavenly Flowing Pen Sect. Your Elders and Branch leaders are inside, awaiting your arrival. Elder Julian, open the doors, if you would." I see she went with the ice queen version of her voice for this, which honestly fair. Really sells the whole scene.
Julian hops up and rushes to the shut wooden doors, before taking a deep breath and breaking the seal. Noticing this, Akiko quickly glances at me seeming like she forgot something, when I feel another talisman get smacked kind of roughly onto one of my boobs and another shimmering field of energy surrounds me. I rub where she slapped my titty, shooting an annoyed, hurt expression back at her.
She has a look of instant relief and a tinge of regret before she quickly leans down to my ear and apologizes softly, "I'm sorry if that was a bit too forceful dear, I had forgotten that the earlier talisman had waned. I know you are still acclimating to this world so these scents may prove too much for you to handle right now. I sadly cannot do anything for the visuals. That talisman should last more than enough for us to finish our business here though, so don't fret."
She then leans away, and I can feel one of her tails softly come up my back, and the tip of the tail pats my head a few times. Akiko looks thoroughly pleased with herself while flexing the hand that placed the talisman on me a few times, before her cold, indifferent mask comes back on. She turns back to look at the group who now bear witness to her handiwork. As soon as they look inside, several of them begin rushing off to the side to throw up or make various dry heaving noises. Some don't even make it that far, simply vomiting into their hands as they unconsciously went to cover their mouths in shock.
The room is somehow strewn in even
more
carnage than when we left! It looks like the pieces of people that were hanging out on the ceiling and pillars have all finally slid or fallen down to the ground, creating random piles of accumulated gore. The dripping sound of blood can still be heard periodically, adding to the creepy as shit ambience of this horror show. There are small lakes of blood pooled between those random piles of meat, or being fed from the runoff of the drapes between the pillars. Akiko was right, the sight alone is enough to flip my stomach, if I was smelling this on top of it, I'd be joining in on their reactions for sure!
Akiko marches the entourage into the center of the macabre room, just behind the place where Xu sat, and then turns around and pauses to take them all in. The U-shaped table's wreckage around her adds to the effect, making it seem like the explosion that created this crimson landscape came from where she is standing now. Which, it did, so that checks out. Maybe if we invent movies here, we can get Akiko to setup scenes for horror films. Just get a bunch of animal cadavers or something and then have her stand in the middle of the room and nuke 'em. Hollywood eat your heart out.
My attempts at once again distracting myself so that the violent, gruesome display doesn't make me lose my stomach like those other chumps are interrupted by Akiko. "Your Elders and leaders are here, in some shape or form, and this is the result of their attempts at treachery. Know this, any further attempts at subversion, usurpation, or disrespect will have the offender reduced to this state faster than your enhanced eyes can blink. There will be
no
trial,
no
defense,
no
clever words to stave off your fate, and
no
treasure will save you from me indefinitely. You will simply
die,
with as much thought as a loose stone kicked from the road, and I
will
be the one to kill you. Do you understand?" I swallow nervously after her *ahem*
intense
speech, fuck Akiko...
Various looks of fear, disbelief, disgust, and outright terror roll through the mostly younger crowd. I feel kind of bad for some of them, they look about as old as me or maybe younger. But Akiko
has
dropped hints that age for cultivators gets kind of wonky, so maybe they're actually much older? Either way, sucks to be them right now.
"If you understand,
kneel.
If you need further explanation, then prepare to join the scenery around you." Akiko speaks out once more, obviously not taking any more shit today.
All of the assembled seconds instantly drop to the kneeling pose, some in puddles of blood, some that have to squish various bits of meat as their knees or fists hit the ground. But, surprisingly, all of them offer fealty to the walking agent of death before them.
"Excellent, it seems you are infinitely smarter than your predecessors. You all may rise." The group stands back up slowly, most still having the fearful looks etched onto their faces before Akiko continues.
"You have one week to get your affairs in order, and then you will move into the position of Branch leaders for your respective groups. If you receive any pushback or complications from this transition, you are to let myself or Elder's Julian, X'Cos, or Fei know, and they will it to me. Your Branches are all on probation until I say otherwise. You will gather no new members, take part in no tournaments or contests, and you will be part of random, thorough, and repeated inspections until I say otherwise. You are to compile lists of expenditures and full detailed rosters of active members and have that delivered to me by months end and continue to do so in that fashion until
I say otherwise
.
Any failure of these conditions is grounds for me to eliminate your Branch from the ground up and remake it properly. You will all also refer to me by my proper title going forward, acting Sect Leader. Do you understand?" Okay, seriously this side of Akiko continues to do things for me. I don't
ever
want to be the one she speaks to like that; I would probably break down and cry right then and there but watching her be so... tyrannical over others is just the
best.
Wait, is this a new fetish?
The group responds at the same time, "Yes acting Sect Leader! We understand!" before bowing almost at a 90-degree angle.
"Wonderful! The new Shadow Branch leader will stay behind, the rest of you see to the things I have said. You have 1 week starting from this moment to follow my orders. Dismissed." And with that, the majority of the group disappears in a mad rush out of the building, leaving only one scrawny looking fox woman behind. She seems to be shaking slightly, now that the cover of her peers has abandoned her. She has rather pretty purple hair, its tips ending in black that goes down to her waist. Her front bangs frame her skinny, but still attractive face, with silvery white eyes holding that hint of fear that seems to be all the rage whenever Akiko goes on the warpath.
Her ears are smaller than I've seen for most fox kin so far but match the coloration of her hair with purple fur on the outside giving way to black tipped inner hairs. She only has 2 tails behind her; both tucked in-between her legs and coming up to her front. Her slender arms move down to thin bony hands that are death gripping said tails like its her last lifeline out of here. The rest of her body matches the uniform description of petite, having seemingly smaller breasts and rear, with a decent little widening to her hips at her waist.
My observations are cut short by Akiko walking directly up to the terrified woman as she uses her height to tower over her. Her cold stare is enough to make the shaking fox actually start to crouch down into a cower, further adding to the height difference. Jeeze Akiko, I'm glad that you sexily loomed at me back in the cave instead of this...
"Kneel, Shadow Branch leader." It isn't a long journey to the ground for the poor woman, she was basically there already by the time Akiko finally addresses her. Akiko continues with a chillingly severe tone, "Did you know of your previous Elder's exploits and plots?"
"N-No acting Sect Leader! I swear it on my cultivation, I was never involved in anything behind closed doors! I don't even know why I was promoted to second in command! I had only recently joined the Branch a few years ago, after breaking into the 4th realm and shifting careers, I swear to you!" The obvious terror in her voice makes me believe her, but I look to Akiko who seems to still be on the fence about the matter.
Still fixing her in an icy glare, Akiko speaks out again, "Make a vow to the Heavens right now, that you had no participation in any of Elder Xu's plans, or any of his other schemer's plans. If you cannot do this, you will join your Elder in the afterlife."
Instantly, the scared fox's voice answers back, "I swear it! I swear to the Heavens that I was never involved or knew of any of Elder Xu's plans, or the plans of his allies or other schemers!" As she finishes, Akiko looks up to the sky as if waiting for something to happen, but nothing occurs after a minute or so.
"Very well then," Akiko says with a slightly softer tone as she finally looks back down to the woman, "It seems his idiocy was limited to himself and those he thought allies. Stand Branch leader, what is your name?"
"Ming Xi, acting Sect Leader!" Xi's voice comes out shakily as she talks while still moving back into a standing position, and still shaking slightly. I don't think she is
ever
going to forget this moment just from fear alone. Akiko nods her head smartly once and then addresses her again.
"Very well Ming Xi, as I have stated you are now Branch leader of the Shadow Branch and an Elder. You are prohibited from issuing missions to anyone unless they are directly given by me, my disciples, or Elders Julian, X'Cos, or Fei. You will recall all agents that are in the field currently.  The only exception is if they are in a life-threatening situation, or if they have been out of contact for too long to verify living status. I want a list of all of those who fit that criteria, as well as their missions and any s they may have filed. If
any
of them are frivolous or obvious attempts at leading me astray, you will meet your end.
The Shadow Branch is also under probation, like I had described before, so I hope you were paying attention. Additionally, I will be placing trusted agents to keep an eye on things for the foreseeable future. If
any
of those agents come to harm, I will personally destroy the Shadow Branch and everyone who is and was a part of it. Since you lot are also the sort that prefer to sneak around, my agents will be performing random and frequent roll calls that will require every member to be present and marked down. Anyone who is in the Village and not marked down for a roll call will be considered a traitor and summarily executed in public when found.
On a more personal note, you will any information you have or uncover about Xu's plans and plots to me. The more you provide, the more amenable I will be to revising the conditions of the Shadow Branch. Do you have any questions, Elder Xi?" Be still, my quaking heart.
"No, acting Sect Leader! Your will shall be carried out!" Xi barks out quickly before kneeling again on the red, wet ground.
"Excellent. There may be hope for your Branch after all Elder Xi. See to the tasks I have assigned you. I
will
be watching. The rest of you Elders, see to your groups and duties and then meet me at my estate in 3 days' time. We will discuss rotations and methods of surveillance for the Shadow Branch and other matters. Dismissed." Akiko finally gives the poor girl permission to leave, which she takes in record time. Within a few blinks of an eye, she is past the courtyard and gone from sight. The Elders arn't that far behind her either, and soon its just me and Akiko left in the gore-stained room.
"Wow, she was the fastest one yet! I think you really motivated her Akiko! Or should I say,
acting Sect Leader?
" I turn to say to Akiko with a cheeky grin on my face and a small wink of my azure eyes. I notice yet again that her ears flutter at my display, which makes my own heart flutter knowing I can mess with her like this too!
"You are lucky you are the cutest creature on this world, Amelia!" She says with a huff before her facade cracks and we both laugh loudly, our joy echoes juxtaposed to the death around us. "Come, my dear. Let us be rid of this place and return to my estate,
finally.
" I can hear the exhaustion in her voice, which matches what I feel in my whole body. I nod happily and reach out for her hand on instinct, as soon as I grab hers and begin to walk, I feel her not moving with me.
Confused, I turn back to see what the holdup is, and see her looking down at our conjoined hands with a small look of... I'm not sure what that look is to be honest. Awe? Joy? Something deeper that I am not prepared to handle right now? All of the above? Let's go all of the above, that never fails when you're taking a test.
"Akiko? Are you okay?" I ask softly, concern coming from my voice.
She seems to shake out of her stupor, her face regaining that soft kindness that makes me melt, as her ears relax and her six tails begin waving slowly side to side behind her. She holds my gaze as she replies, "Yes dear, it's just the first time
you
reached out for my hand. I know we had a moment back at the pond but truthfully, I had assumed that to be more of a reaction to stress and gratitude like I said at the time. This felt... different, if that makes any sense. I was simply enjoying the sensation while it passed over me but thank you for your concern sweet Amelia."
She has that deep and complicated look again, but it feels good when she looks at me that way. Ugh, I really need to start healing Sandra so all three of us can talk this out! I feel like I'm constantly falling for Akiko while betraying Sandra, while also betraying Akiko for leading her on while I figure this all out. This fucking sucks!!
She must have noticed a look of discomfort on my face, as I feel her trying to take her hand back from my grip. I quickly use all the Dexterity I can to latch back on firmly before turning back to look at her again, "I'm sorry Akiko, I wasn't upset by what you said. It's just... this is hard for me right now. I can't deny that even though we've known each other for such a short span of time, I really am feeling things for you. But I don't want to betray Sandra either. But it feels like I'm betraying you by not committing and leading you on too. It's... a lot. My brain can be a dick sometimes, and this is one of those times it seems." I rapidly say before sighing and continuing.
"I'm okay, honestly. Let's get to your estate so I can get some rest, hopefully that can help me calm down some. Regardless if it does or not, we need to start my training soon. I'm already over feeling this way, its not fair to either you or Sandra." I end my declaration boldly, determination filling my body for a brief moment before I look around and realize I just spilled my heart out in the
middle of all this mess.
Oh well, at least we had that nice courtyard date earlier.
Akiko looks at me with what I can easily tell this time is profound appreciation and some respect, I think. She comes up to stand right next to me before giving me a warm, encompassing hug. Her body smushes against mine, and I feel her breasts press just above my own as her tails swing around to cocoon both of us in heavenly fluff and the smell of freshly cleaned carpets.
"Caring, sweet, thoughtful Amelia. There will likely never again be a creature such as you. I will always do my utmost to protect your empathy and kindness, as this world is cruel and can easily rip such things from even the most well-meaning of souls. Whether that means I protect you myself or train you so that you can protect the things you care about and love, I will do any, either, or both. But you are correct, let's begone from here." Akiko says gently against my head, her lips gently grazing across my hair as she speaks. She picks me up without warning and wraps a tail around my waist, making me give out a soft "Eep!" before walking out of the room and flying into the skies once more.
After a short flight that I spend appreciating the Village below us, we fly closer to a massive, 2 story estate sat on some grounds that almost rival the Sect Hall where we just left. Landing in front of the entrance, which is a beautifully carved Torii framing the path leading upward to the building, Akiko sets me down while keeping a hold of my hand and having one of her tails wrapped around me. She looks down at me and smiles softly before saying,
"Welcome to your new home, Amelia."

Welcome Home – Ch 14