The trio followed behind elder Rong, their steps echoing in the otherwise silent room. Felix absently noted how the room was decorated in much the same theme as the rest of the sect. Swirling patterns representing the seasons twined around stone pillars with seemingly no pattern until one took it all in together. Sometimes the images seemed peaceful other times they roiled with rage. Earthen leaves crushing an icy hand or butterflies of water somehow feeding a burning tornado. Even the floor was a mosaic that paid ode to this style, with the center of the room culminating in a swirl of seasons that matched the symbol on all of their sect robes.

They finally stopped right before the table. Then Elder Rong blurred and a moment later he was seated with the elders. As the elders looked them over, Felix looked right back. Only a few fit his image of what an elder would look like.

They are really a strange bunch… That one isn’t even wearing a shirt and who the hell is that freakishly tall. I am sure that Elder sitting on the far left is just a teenage girl. Elder Shen barely stands out with his weird eyes.

Felix's was confused as the air seemed to thicken. He looked around in confusion and noticed an elder he had ignored at first who was sitting sixth to the left. The elder was rather unremarkable except for being the only one to actually look old. Yet appeared more intense, more frightening.

Heck, I can barely look at the man. What is wrong with me?

“So, Onooka clansman.” Drawled the elder in a bored manner. Yet with every word, Felix felt the inexplicable oppression grow stronger. “Would you care to explain why the disciples of the Thousand Season Sect were hunted like animals?”

Felix wanted to run. He wanted to hide. He wanted to do anything but stand there in front of this monster.

More cultivator BS…. I totally need to find out how to do that.

Whether the Onooka Clansmen was affected was hard to tell with the mask. The man stepped forward at an unhurried pace and brought out a little chalkboard. The man paused as he looked from the chalkboard in his hand to his missing arm. After a moment of hesitation, the man seemed to come to a decision. The clansman tosed the chalkboard into the air and then quickly pulled out a small metal stand, setting it in front of him. With a casual air, the clansman reached up and snatched the board on its way back down, laying it gently on the stand. The sound of chalk meeting board filled the room and then the man spun the stand with a flourish. To Felix’s annoyance, he found himself unable to read the writing from his current position.

“Well, clan elder Maun,” Said the old elder “I can appreciate the circumstances you were placed under. If you have indeed learned of the imperials plans, then we can only applaud your actions. I will however hear what our disciples say about your conduct.”

The Onooka clansman nodded but then began to furiously write on his board once more. Felix slowly inched forward for a better angle and then felt a light rap on the back of his head. He turned to see Xue glare at him. Facing forward, he found that most of the elders seemed to have ignored him. Most of them. Elder Rong gave him a wink, Elder Shen palmed his face, and the elder that looked like a teenager stifled a laugh. Trying to ignore, Felix found if he leaned a little forward he could barely make out the words on the board.

It read “Elder Akeno, I understand your anger at endangering your disciples. I hope your disciple’s words will show my good intentions. However, I must beg your attention on two matters of great urgency. First, some of the news I have obtained should be acted on immediately. I fear that once the imperials know their task force has been eliminated, we will lose the element of surprise. The imperials sent a squad of a not insignificant number to establish a defensive formation only a hundred kilometers from your sect. They have seemingly gone to great lengths to mask their movements. It may become a nightmare to root them out once they have had time for sufficient preparation.”

Elder Akeno raised an eyebrow and a snort was heard from a large elder with a massive white beard.

“Why would they send a task force so close to our sect?” Said the man, slamming his hand on the table as the many bells adorning his person jingled. “For goodness sake, even though our sect is relatively new, the power of our experts is well known. We have eleven Nascent soul cultivators. Do they not fear that they will choke when swallowing this meal? Unless their intelligence is lacking or perhaps misled…. Even then, surely they would be more inclined to pick on sects that have a history of weakness?”

The lanky elder who sat to Akeno’s left let out a bark of a laugh. With a gesture that put his creepily long limbs on display, he rebutted the argument.

“Perhaps it is an attempt to stall us Brother Harold or even keep us restrained. Surely, they can’t harm our sect while we are here, but will we be willing to aid others when the enemy is so close to our home? We are clearly one of the best candidates to lead a defense against the imperials and the kingdom. If they can keep us from contributing, then they have helped ensure an uncoordinated defense. With us otherwise occupied, it will allow them to move unimpeded until we root them out. I am just surprised that they were so bold. The empire must be much more invested in this than we first thought.”

The jingling Elder Harold leaned back in his chair while tapping the table in thought. “Mmmm, not a bad point. Aggressive but such a plan could work. Still, there could be something at work we don’t know about. Maybe they have a secret weapon that needs to be set up and protected. Though such subterfuge is unlike the empire.”

“Enough of this.” Rasped elder Akeno. “We can discuss this more once we have heard the disciples account. The enemy will either know by now or they will not. If they do not, we should have enough time to listen to our disciple’s accounts… no, better not risk it. Brothers Bai, Jackie, Kang, and sister Ja, go see if you can find this base. If they are too dug in, report back and we will go from there. If they are not, exterminate them with extreme force.”

Elder Rong coughed. “Brother Akeno. I hate the imperials more than the rest of you, but should we really attack right away? I understand the need to be ruthless, but we have not coordinated with the local clans and Sects yet. We don’t want it to appear as if we are dragging them into a conflict. It is one thing if we are repelling the empire and it is another if the empire is just gaining retribution.”

Akeno Laugh. “Elder Rong, if their base is this close, then it is easy to argue that they are within our sect’s territory. Most of the sects and clans around here will easily buy that argument and will only ignore it if they have a hidden agenda. You are used to arguments of morality. Even if that wasn’t the case,” Elder Rong pointed at Xue and Felix. “An imperial task force attacked us first. Not only that, but they attacked an Onooka clansman. It is no longer just our issue.”

Rong seemed unsatisfied but nodded. “I will acquiesce to your experience on this then brother.”

As soon as Elder Rong finished talking, four elders disappeared. Felix tried to reign in his emotions at such rapid changes.

I know we just fought, and we certainly came to much more than mere blows. But, to start a war so quickly… Or I suppose they are just retaliating in a war that’s already started. What a time to become, well, me. Though at least I am in a sect that seems to be worth being a part of.

“Now,” said Elder Akeno, interrupting Felix’s internal monologue. “You mentioned two immediate concerns, Clan Elder Maun.

The man flipped the chalkboard over to reveal more text. “Yes, thank you Elder Akeno. I was to meet my younger clansman at Greenwood town. My mission was a basic manhunt mission until I spotted the imperial forces and decided to investigate. If the imperials have penetrated this far, I fear that they have also reinforced their local spy network in the local towns and cities. If reports of my clansmen have reached their base, I fear that they may be attacked. I ask that you retrieve them until another elder can escort them back to the Clan.”

Akeno blinked in surprise at the request and exchanged a look with elder Rong. They then focused their gaze on Xue and Felix. “Well, of course, we are willing. This is actually a good chance to double check your story. Disciple Xue, were there any Onooka clansmen in Greenwood?”

Xue looked at Clan Elder Maun and then nodded. “Yes, elder Akeno. In fact, we had a… a friendly training exchange.” Said Xue. The Onooka clansman's head whipped toward Xue and Xue returned a crooked smile to the blank mask. “Nothing serious, just a friendly exchange of pointers. So, there were in fact clansmen there and they even have the clan’s young miss there.”

“Oh, I have heard a bunch about the young miss of the Onooka clan. What Fun.” Said a female voice that seemed almost musical. Felix turned to find the extremely young looking elder practically bouncing in her chair. “I will go get her. There must be so much gossip that she can talk about.” The elder paused her incessant movement for a moment to look at the chalkboard in Clan Elder Maun’s hands. “Or I suppose write about.”

The exasperation on the other elders was clear with a few sighing or burying their heads in their hands. Elder Akeno was one of the latter.

“Junior sister Zhenzhen,” Said elder Akeno slowly. “I know you get bored in the sect but perhaps it would be better if brother Jin got them.”

Elder Zhenzhen’s adorable heart shaped face fell into a pout. Her eyes opened slightly wider and almost looked like she was about to cry yet somehow remained cute. A silence hung in the room as the little elder’s pout somehow became more and more pronounced. Felix felt himself becoming uncomfortable.

Why do I feel like I just watched someone kick a puppy! How is this pulling on my heartstrings? She is probably an old lady. What is with all these things affecting my emotions! BS!

Felix looked away from the impossibly lovable face and tried to focus on the other elders. Elder Rong was exasperated. Elder Shen was amused. Some of the other elders seemed to have been affected. Elder Akeno’s face fought between annoyance and exasperation.

“Brother Akeno, how about I just go with Junior Sister Zhenzhen.” Interjected the lanky Elder Jin. “there should be plenty of elders remaining and Greenwood isn’t that far.”

“Well, I suppose that’s fine.” agreed Elder Akeno sigh. He was pointedly ignoring Elder Zhenzhen’s shit eating grin.

“Well what are you waiting for big brother Jin!” said Zhenzhen. With a flourish, a small cloud appeared in front of the table. Before anyone could respond, the miniature elder was comfortably seated on the cloud and zipping out the front door.

Elder Akeno pinched his brow. “Well Jin, you volunteered. Please try to keep our workload to a minimum.”

Jin gave Akeno a pat on the shoulder and with long strides that became a blur, he was out the door and in pursuit of Elder Zhenzhen.

Felix was a little taken aback by how quickly the elders had gone down from 12 to six. He looked to Xue to see if this behavior was normal, but she just had a bored expression. He turned to see what Clan Elder Maun’s reaction was but wasn’t able to glean anything.

Elder Rong saw how annoyed Akeno was and spoke up. “So, core disciple Xue and disciple Felix, please tell us how things proceeded from your point of view.”

“Well,” said Xue. “I suppose I should go first.”

She stepped forward and began to recount her tale. She described how she spotted the Onooka clansman and her split-second decision to remain at the road while the disciples fled. There wasn’t much else for her to say as she kept her fighting with the imperials rather vague. After she finished her tale, everyone in the room looked at Felix. He found he both disliked and enjoyed all the attention. He also suddenly felt several other emotions, including a strange craving for something called a grilled cheese.

Come on me! Get back in line.

“Ahem, so I followed Xue’s order and fled into the woods. I was unsure of what was going on but figured that there was no way Xue could fight and protect us. There were just too many and I had no idea how strong they were. When the Clansman caught up, he offered to help. I honestly had no idea what we were facing but figured we would have a better chance if we split up, hopefully allowing some of us to survive.” Felix paused to gather himself but the elders didn’t say anything, though they seemed to be communicating by their expressions. “the Clansman got my meaning and we split up. Through luck, I was able to slow down one pursuer but we were soon forcibly dismounted. As I gained my bearings, I thought we were going to be killed but luckily that is when Elder Rong appeared. The rest of the story should be known to Elder Rong.”

“Yes, I think that’s enough disciple Felix.” Said elder Akeno and focused on the Onooka Clansman. “Well... I suppose that exonerates you Elder Maun. Oh, wait, how did you slow that imperial down disciple Felix? You shouldn’t have the strength to do that even if you hit him with all your strength. I wasn’t aware you had any talismans on your person.”

“Well, I was able to surprise him with a blow to the face.”

Elder Akeno’s old face crinkled like old parchment as he smiled. “Come now Felix, that shouldn’t have done more than surprise him.”

“Well it didn’t but then he tripped and fell into a tree.”

The room was quiet for a moment. Then all the remaining elders burst out laughing except for Elder Rong who only rolled his eyes.

“Haa, haha… ha. Oh I needed that” said elder Akeno. He wiped a tear from his eyes. “that man was probably happy to die.” He glanced over at elder Rong. “Was the man a core cultivator?”

“Yes, though only at the middle core stage?”

Elder Akeno let out another wheeze “Poor idiot. Letting an essence gathering stage to do that to him. Well, back to more serious concerns. Disciple Felix, you have shown a decent level of decisiveness on this journey. I believe I speak for all of us still here when I say that we are impressed. Swing by the pill pavilion later and you will get a reward.”

Elder Akeno’s words were accompanied by murmurs of agreement from the other elders.

“Now, disciple Xue please take Felix back.” Said elder Akeno. “It is time we go over the potentially more sensitive information of our guest here.”

Xue bowed. “Of course, elder Akeno.” She then turned around and walked out.

Felix quickly copied her bow to the elders and then ran to catch up. As they left the building, Felix couldn’t help but feel a little put down that he couldn’t learn more.

I suppose it makes sense considering how unimportant I really am to the current power dynamic but it feels a little depressing to be so involved in the action and then to be kicked out, no matter how gently, from the real discussions of importance.

Felix shook his head.

It really has been a long day if I am letting that get to me. For now, I need to focus on changing those dynamics so I am important enough to be included. Learning and working with Xue is the first step.

He looked at Xue and was surprised to see a frown instead of her formerly indifferent expression.

“Are you upset about being asked to leave as well, Senior Sister Xue?” Said Felix.

She looked at him in confusion. “What? No of course not. I'm just still pissed at seeing that bitch Everglade from earlier.”

Felix just stopped and watched Xue begin walking down the path that led down the mountain.

What the hell does she have against this disciple Everglade?

Elder Rong watched as Disciple Felix ran to catch up with disciple Xue. The hall door closed behind the pair and he looked at his fellow elders who still had mirth written on their faces.

Come on you idiots. We have a guest.

The guest in question was still standing there silently.

Always so hard to tell with those Onooka clansmen. Though I heard they have terrible tells once their masks are removed.

“So,” Said Elder Akeno. “What else did you find out?”

Clan Elder Maun seemed to hesitate but then began to write furiously once more. It took him a while to finish and when he flipped the stand back towards them the board almost looked white from how dense the words were.

“Looks like you got a good amount of intelligence.” Said Elder Harold. “I am impressed. This will-”

“FUCK!” Said Elder Akeno, sitting up ramrod straight. “Remaining elders, stay here and protect the sect.”

Then he was gone, leaving his chair and the nearby table as dust. The other elders stared in surprise and then turned the densely packed board, reading furiously. Elder Rong finished first. In his rage, more of the surrounding furniture was destroyed. The room shook with vibrations as he erupted in anger and then a moment later, he seemed to deflate. With a sigh he sunk into a new chair he pulled out of his storage ring. He gave a bitter smile to the obviously stunned Clansman and then gave a bitter laugh to match.

“You should have shown us this first Elder Maun.” Said Elder Rong slowly. “Well, Elder Akeno will make sure they are safe. Ah, what a mess.”