Seclusion Chapter 7
By Aujang Abadi
To the casual onlooker, nothing appeared out of the ordinary. A slightly cloudy day, with a pleasant breeze filtering the ocean's warm current into the land. The trees swayed ever so slightly to this breeze, and as scattered beams of sunlight hit the earth, nothing seemed amiss.
To the trained eye of a soldier, something was wrong. The breeze was no ally, it only served to conceal whatever bit of movement his eyes could catch with the gradual sway of the trees. And the warmth worked against him, eliminating the frosty vapor any being emitted on a cold morning. Yet still, nothing could be truly found, nothing to alert one to action.
But to the ninja, the shadows were alive. A slight smile played across Edge's lips as he watched Baron, hanging sideways from a branch, twisted to resemble a large, snaking vine native to the area. When the guard at the gate turned his head to the other rampart, Edge slipped out of his hiding spot, rolling across the damp earth and flattening himself across the wall, immersing within the shadows.
The guard twisted, sensing some sort of danger, something nagging at the edge of his senses. Edge grinned; the guard was more alert than most. But then again, Edge was true to his namesake. He never quite alerted the guard, but always skirted on that edge between discomfort and alarm.
Finally, the guard turned away again, shaking his head at his own paranoia. Edge softly slunk out of the shadows and proceeded to scale the wall as a spider skittles across its web. Within moments, he had penetrated into the courtyard.
"Cecil, Cecil, Cecil..." Edge whispered condescendingly. "You've improved your guard, as if an insult..." But in truth, Edge was worried. He'd encountered triple the amount of normal sentries, and if he hadn't been an expert ninja, he would have likely have been caught. They were all incredibly alert, as if panic fueled them.
Edge had received the summons from his ally two days ago, when he'd been cleaning out the Tower of Bab-il. It was a new tradition he implemented himself, after all, the king of Eblan couldn't verily be denied a request. Besides, it served a good purpose, it made sure none of the more powerful denizens of the Moon could make a strong foothold in the giant tower. And it made sure he stayed in top condition. He wasn't one to disappoint the ladies, either.
With the fluidity of a jungle cat, he climbed up the walls of the spiral staircase, wedging himself between the center pillar and the rising ceiling, and slowly snaking upward. None of the chambermaids or occaisonal nobles even noticed him, so stealthy were his movements. Finally, he reached the upper Halls, where Cecil would be waiting. Chuckling, he dropped behind an attractive chambermaid and pinched her rear quarters appraisingly. With a squeal, she twisted around, only to find thin air as Edge twisted with her back. He gave it a resounding slap this time, appreciating the mix of firm flesh and supple muscle beneath. When she whirled again, he did as well, this time encircling his arms around her waist and pressing his veiled lips behind her ear.
"Fear not, my dear lady... you have fallen prey to a swifter predator." She was motionless, both frightened and, he thought, powerfully aroused. Edge chuckled and released his grip. Had he been the man he knew, before Golbez, before the Moon, he would have kicked open the nearest bedroom and finished what he'd started. But with the war had come Rydia, and ever since, his heart was unwilling to let his body appease itself. In fact, the only reason he'd responded so quickly was because he hoped she'd be here. Otherwise, he would have finished the cleaning mission.
Suddenly, he found himself on the ground, staring up into eyes of deep emerald, matching the hair the cascaded around his face. His grey eyes widened in the realization that he'd been tricked.
"Edge, you are the most predictable man on the face of this earth." Rydia winked from her disguise, settling herself nicely on top of him. "Cecil figured this would be the only way to keep you from destroying the lock to his room, in order to make an entrance. You and your habits." She ruffled his hair fondly, chuckling.
"Just ruin my fun. And here I thought to scare the piss out of all of you." Edge couldn't help but chuckle along. "I guess you predicted my incredible skill in getting past that insane amount of guards. Only the best from master Ninja Edge."
"Oh, be quiet, you pompous ass." She stood, offering her hand. With a deceptively quick gesture, he twisted on the floor, knocking her legs out from under her and flipping to his feet, catching her and cradling her in his arms.
"You know you're jealous." He grinned and carted her to Cecil's chambers, wholeheartedly pleased that she did not struggle. With a flourish and a kick, he burst into the room.
"Hear ye, hear ye, the Incredible Edge has arrived!" He stood in the doorway, grinning under his veil of concealment, only to find Cecil standing over a shackled Kain. Both faces were grim as they turned to acknowledge him. His smile couldn't help but die, as he set Rydia down gently and looked from man to man.
"Cecil? What the hell is going on?"