Guilty x Creatures Ch. 61

Chapter 29 : Early Afternoon

Glancing down at his watch and seeing that they were only about twenty minutes out from when they were supposed to meet with Leopold and Ila, Anton nodded and turned to Fiona and Mica.

Standing all together in the kitchen, he and Kianna were each wearing nice, semi-casual outfits in accordance with their upcoming business meeting. While Fiona and Mica were both dressed from head to toe in solid black, form-fitting clothing that made them look all the world like a pair of cat-burglars.

"Alright. You two remember the plan, right?" said Anton as he paced back and forth in front of Fiona and Mica and looked them over "Get in, get out. Move quickly, but cautiously. First sign of any trouble, you get out of there as fast as you can and close the portal. And I mean immediately with this! Do not try to stand and fight, just get out of there. Understand me?"

"Yes, sir!" said both Fiona and Mica in unison as they stood at attention.

Staring at them for a moment, Anton nodded and smiled softly.

"Watch out for each other, okay." he said as he stepped away and moved over to the counter.

"...We will." mumbled Fiona and Mica as they glanced at one another.

Grinning, Kianna held up her phone.

"As soon as I give you the signal, it's a go." she said "Don't do anything until then though."

"Right, right. We know the plan. Wait for you guys to make sure they're really there, then sneak in, and steal Mica's shit." said Fiona as she crossed her arms over her chest "We got this. It's all easy enough."

"Hopefully it will be." said Anton as he came back from the counter with two potions in each of his hands "Here, take these."

Fiona ears pointed themselves straight upwards as she gazed at the two potions she had been handed.

One of the potions was the familiar green variety she had seen Anton use on Mica a few times now, but the other was a bright, golden colored brew that she had never seen before.

"What's the deal with this one?" she asked as she held up the golden potion "This some kind of super potion or something?"

"Pretty much. They're called radiant potions. And they'll be able to fully heal you from any injury." explained Anton "They do take a few moments to work though, so don't use them until you're in a safe place. Also you'll need to give them a good shake to activate them. You'll know they're ready when they start glowing. Oh, and don't worry, Mica, they're not made with holy water, so they will work on you."

"Good to know." said Mica as she slipped the two potions into her pockets and adjusted the belt that held her sheathed daggers against her hips.

"We better get going." said Anton as he turned to Kianna "You ready?"

"Yep!" chirped the dark elf as her ears twitched with excitement.

"Alright. We're off then." said Anton as he raised his hand and opened a portal to the coordinates Leopold had given him.

Stepping through the portal, Anton and Kianna found themselves standing just outside of a two story restaurant that looked as though it had been built in the style of a Mediterranean villa.

Upon entering and speaking with the hostess, they were led upstairs to a private seating area that was set up in a far back corner of the second floor.

Leopold and Ila were already seated and waiting at a round table in this area, and upon seeing Anton approaching, they both donned welcoming smiles. As she caught sight of Kianna following along behind Anton, Ila's eyes widened a tiny bit though her smile still remained.

Noticing the kiochi's hesitant demeanor, Kianna couldn't help but to grin smugly and gleefully flare her aura in anticipation. She quickly reined it in however when Anton glanced back and gave her a pointed look.

"Leopold, Ila, good to see you both again." said Anton as he came up to the table and shook each of the shinoccubis hands "I hope you haven't been waiting too long."

"No, not at all. We just got here. And it's good to see you again too, Anton." said Ila as her smile warmed with her greeting and she turned to Kianna "And, I'm sorry. But I don't believe we've been introduced yet. I'm Ila, and this is my husband, Leopold."

"Kianna, pleased to officially meet you both." said Kianna as she took each of their offered hands in greeting "And, yeah. Sorry we got off to such a rough start..."

"Oh, don't worry about it." said Ila as she waved her hand in a dismissive manner "These things happen sometimes. Nothing worth dwelling on."

"Good to hear that." said Anton as he pulled a chair out for Kianna "No reason we can't all be friendly here."

"Agreed." said Leopold as he picked up a wine list "Shall we share a bottle?"

"Sure, sounds good to me." said Anton as he took his seat opposite Leopold and gave Kianna a slight nod.

As Anton, Leopold and Ila decided on a bottle of wine, Kianna covertly took out her phone, kept it hidden beneath the edge of the table, and sent Fiona a message as a signal that everything was a go. Grinning smugly, the dark elf slipped her phone back into her small purse just as everyone began to look over their menus.

"So what's good here..." mused Anton as he browsed over his options "Oh, they've got scallops..."

"Yes. Their pan seared scallops and pasta dish is very good, definitely recommend..." said Leopold in an absent tone from behind his menu.

"Well then, I'm sold." grinned Anton as he turned to Kianna "Anything jumping out at you?"

"Mmm... I can't decide..." mumbled the dark elf "I really want to try the sea food salad, but the mushroom chicken also looks really good... Hmm..."

"Mm hm..." hummed Anton as he looked back at his own menu "Well, how about this. Let's order both of them and I'll split the salad with you, sound good?"

"Oh, yeah, that'll work for me." said Kianna as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards "Thank you!"

"Of course." said Anton.

Looking back and forth between the smiling couple, Ila let an amused expression slowly spread across her face.

"You know, Anton..." she started as she glanced over the top of her menu at him "It's nice to see you finally with someone. It's been so long now, and I was always so worried that you might be lonely."

"That's true. It really has been awhile..." mused Leopold "So how did you two meet by the way?"

"Oh, you know, it's the same old story." grinned Anton "A stranger sits down at a bar, and starts talking to a pretty girl. One thing leads to another, and now here we are."

"Actually, it was more like me and my sister drugged, kidnapped and were going to try to kill him. But that didn't work out too well for us. And now I'm his sex slave." said Kianna in a matter-of-factual tone "Best decision I ever made too. I don't regret anything."

Both Leopold and Ila paused for a moment and began to laugh as they took in the look on Anton's face.

"Seriously?" chuckled Leopold "Is that really what happened?"

"...It may have been something like that." mumbled Anton as a giggling Kianna leaned over and playfully nuzzled herself in against his shoulder "It was definitely along those lines..."

"Well then... That sounds like an interesting story!" laughed Ila "You've just been completely unlucky with people trying to kill you lately, haven't you?"

"I wouldn't say unlucky, per'se." grinned Anton as he leaned back against Kianna "There's been more good than bad, honestly."

It was at this moment that the waiter, a tall, soft-spoken, dark haired human man, appeared and began to take everyone's order. Once he had everything jotted down, he went off to inform the kitchen and quickly returned with a bottle of wine and a pitcher of flavored ice water.

As they all waited for their food, Anton began to tell the full story of how he had met Kianna and Fiona, as well as how their lives together had been going thus far. He kept the finer details to himself of course, though Kianna did interject with her own rather colorful anecdotes from time to time.

Having expected this meeting to be more awkward than not, Kianna was in reality quite surprised at just how casual and outgoing both Leopold and Ila really were. And although she was still very much on her guard, she quickly found herself actually enjoying the joking small talk she was having with the two alleged assassins.

Before too long, their steaming hot meals arrived atop a large platter and were quickly passed out across the table.

As she watched Anton divide their sea food salad between two plates, Kianna's sensitive ears picked up on the faint sound of her phone suddenly beginning to vibrate inside her purse. Being as discreet as possible, she took it out and immediately had to stifle a laugh by clamping her hand over her mouth. On the screen was a picture from Fiona showing the smiling dark elf lounging across a sofa in an unfamiliar living room and giving the camera a peace sign, whilst in the background behind the sofa, a clearly irritated looking Mica was in the middle of shouting at her in an obvious bid to get her moving.

"Everything okay over there?" asked Anton as he raised an eyebrow at the dark elf.

Without a word, Kianna shifted her phone to the side so he could see it clearly. Taking a single look at the picture, Anton sighed around a smile as he shook his head.

"Looks like everything is going just fine." chuckled Kianna as she put her phone away.

"Indeed..." mumbled Anton.

"Sharing secrets over there?" quipped Ila as she sliced her baked eggplant into thin strips.

"Maybe." smiled Kianna as she quickly became focused on her own plate of food.

"Well you have fun with that." grinned Leopold as he arced his tail over the table and used his spade to slide the pepper shaker over to himself.

Having ordered a whole roasted young chicken over rice, the kiogah looped a length of his tail around the pepper shaker, lifted it up over his plate and lightly sprinkled pepper across his chicken as he used two knives to expertly slice the bird into pieces.

With her meal now ready to eat, Ila gave her own phone a quick glance to make sure she hadn't missed any messages and stopped short as she noticed that the app connected to their in house security cameras was signaling that it was detecting movement in their home. Creasing her brow in question, she quickly opened the app and blinked in surprise as she saw Mica and Kianna's sister Fiona moving through the hallway of their apartment. Looking up at Anton and Kianna, she met their eyes for a moment before dropping her gaze back down to her phone. She was just in time to see Mica and Fiona quickly exit Mica's room with armfuls of her daughter's clothing and belongings and disappear though a portal before reappearing and repeating the process. Shaking her head, she closed the app and gave a staring Anton and Kianna a knowing smile.

"Something wrong?" asked Leopold as he looked over at her.

"...No. It's nothing important." said Ila as her expression became amused "I was just checking in on the cameras at home... Everything is fine though."

Nodding in understanding, Anton chuckled and began to eat his food which prompted a faintly nervous looking Kianna to followed suit.

Narrowing his eyes at his wife, Leopold stared at her for a moment before shrugging and going back to his meal.

Small talk soon recommenced and before too long more and more empty space began to appear on everyone's plates.

"So, Anton." said Leopold as he added a bit more wine to his glass "Are we ready to go ahead and start discussing the matters that brought us here today?"

"I suppose we might as well..." mumbled Anton "Best to get it over with..."

"There really isn't too much." said Leopold as he brought a thin briefcase up from under his seat and set it on the table "I have a few things I want to go over with you and make sure you understand. And then I'll just need a few signatures and we'll be done. All simple stuff really."

"Well that's good news." said Anton as he rested his elbows on the table and leaned forward "So what have you got for me here?"

As Leopold began to delve into the taxes and zoning laws applicable to the dark elves former apartment complex, Kianna and Ila both took the opportunity to check their phones.

Seeing another text from Fiona, Kianna grinned as she read that they had finished and were now safely back at the house.

"Looks like the mission is complete." said Ila as as she clicked off her phone and smiled at Kianna.

"Mission?" questioned Leopold.

"Yes, don't worry. I'll fill you in once you guys are finished with all this." said Ila as she indicated the paperwork sitting in the briefcase.

"...Alright?" said Leopold as he turned back to Anton.

For the next hour and a half Leopold and Anton went over the all the details of Anton's newest acquisition.

"Alright... So now I'll just need you to sign these papers here, and here, and here. As well as initial and date them here, and we should be done with this for today." said Leopold as he took a pen from his briefcase and offered it to Anton.

"Sounds good." said Anton as he took the pen and began to sign.

"Alright, now... On to that set of contracts you asked me to have written up..." said Leopold as he took a folder from the briefcase "These are fairly rough, in all honesty. But they cover everything you asked for."

"Excellent." said Anton as he took the folder and quickly looked over the papers within "I appreciate you getting these done so quickly."

"Not a problem." said Leopold as he gathered up all the papers he and Anton had gone over and packed them back into his briefcase "That should be everything we need to discus today, business wise at least..."

"Right..." nodded Anton as he set the folder aside and picked up his wineglass "I suppose it's time to finally address the elephant in the room..."

"Yes, though first." said Leopold as he turned to Ila "What was that you were talking about earlier? Something about a mission?"

"Oh, yes. This is actually in regards to the new topic of discussion anyway, so that works out." said Ila as she took out her phone "It seems our daughter had a busy day today."

Leopold's brow creased in question as Ila held her phone up for him to watch a video that had been recorded off of their security cameras. Both Anton and Kianna couldn't help but to grin thinly as Leopold's expression slowly darkened and his tail began to curl aimlessly about in obvious irritation.

"Well then..." he muttered after the video ended "As much as I'd like to press charges for trespassing... I think I'll let it slide this one time..."

"Now, now. Mica certainly couldn't have been trespassing if she had clearance from your complex to enter the apartment, now could she?" smiled Anton.

"...That's a good point." sighed Leopold as he turned back to Ila "Did they take anything that wasn't Mica's?"

"No, they didn't." said Ila as she shook her head and went over the rest of the footage "...They did leave a package of some sort on our bed though?"

"Ah, yes." nodded Anton "That would be the outfit that Mica borrowed from you. Leopold expressed an interest in getting that back, so we obliged."

"Oh, oh yes. He is very fond of that one..." grinned Ila as her tail waved about happily "Thank you for getting that back to us."

"Of course." smiled Anton as Leopold closed his eyes and shook his head.

"In any case. Home invasion aside..." said Leopold as he turned to Anton "What exactly do you have planned for our daughter, Anton?"

"As I've said before, I intend to have her act as a bodyguard of sorts." said Anton.

"For dark elves." said Leopold "As if a bodyguard would even be necessary for such creatures."

"An extra set of eyes is always nice to have around." countered Anton "And considering Mica's natural abilities, a role as a bodyguard would be both an easy fit and a good way for her to earn her keep. So it's an obvious route to take with her."

"Mica has no experience when it comes to combat though." said Ila "She could easily end up as nothing but a hindrance for you in a battle."

"That's true, as of right now." said Anton "But that won't be the case for long. I've already gotten Mica set up with an experienced teacher, and she'll be starting her lessons within the week. She has a long way to go, of course. But I have some confidence in her, and I think she might do better than we all expect."

Both Ila and Leopold were quiet for a moment.

"...So, she has begun to train then." stated Leopold.

"I suppose you could say that." said Anton.

"Has she seen any actual combat yet?" questioned Leopold.

"A little, though nothing actually life threatening of course." said Anton "But enough to say that she has had a bit of experience now....A tiny bit, at least."

The two shinoccubi both nodded slowly as they glanced at each other.

"...So then she hasn't killed anyone yet?" asked Leopold as he picked up his glass and took a small sip of wine.

"No. She hasn't." said Anton.

"That's good. We aren't too late then." said Ila as Leopold nodded in agreement.

"...Too late?" questioned Anton as Kianna cocked one her ears in a curious manner.

Both Leopold and Ila were quiet for a moment before Leopold finally spoke.

"...You have made it clear, that you are at least somewhat informed on both our kind and our customs." started Leopold "But how much do you really know about our ceremonies?"

"Ceremonies?" repeated Anton as he raised an eyebrow "...I suppose it depends on what ceremonies you're referring to?"

"You know I can't be specific." mumbled Leopold.

"You can't be, or you just won't be?" questioned Anton "Sometimes it's difficult to tell..."

Leopold merely stared back at him in silence.

"...Generally, it's a matter of can't." said Ila "But considering the circumstances, and the fact that we are likely not revealing anything new to you, information wise... I think we can afford to be a bit more candid. Though, I would still like to ask for a promise of secrecy, on the part of you and your people..."

"...I think I can agree to that." nodded Anton as he looked over to Kianna.

Meeting his gaze, Kianna gave him a knowing look as she turned back to Ila.

"If my Master wishes for us to remain discreet..." she said as she lifted her chin just enough to indicate the collar around her neck "Be assured, he has the means to enforce such a decision..."

The two shinoccubi nodded slowly as they looked from the jeweled collar back to Anton.

"There is a certain ceremony practiced among our kind in which an initiate to the clan must first prove themselves both worthy, and capable." explained Leopold "This is done before the initiate is given any major training. As this is considered both a test of their natural skills, and as a way for the clan to find out whether or not they would have wasted their time..."

"...Wasted their time?" questioned Anton "And what does that mean?"

"This is a rather intense challenge, Anton. You could think of it as a sort of trial by fire." said Ila.

"Right..." nodded Anton "So then I take it that not everyone survives this challenge then?"

"No. They do not." said Leopold "It is a right of passage, that is paved in blood. And it takes the form of a one on one battle, in which only one combatant is meant to survive."

"...I see." said Anton as he nodded slowly and looked Leopold in the eyes "So tell me, please. Why exactly should I believe that this in any way a legitimate practice among your people, and not some poorly disguised ploy that you've come up with to kill Mica?"

"Because it is in fact, both of those things." said Leopold as he stared right back "And I make no claim otherwise. It is an opportunity for us to see Mica killed, yes. It is a very real ceremony as well though."

"Hm, I see..." mumbled Anton.

"There, is another factor at play as well..." said Leopold as his expression became faintly strained "This is also... Well... It is a chance for us to be a part of this portion of Mica's life. If however small..."