“And THAT is why he’s helping you,” Lina said as she walked along the castle with Terra, having explored the place nicely.
“So he’s interested in having this thing you call ‘sex’ with me?” Terra asked innocently.
Sighing slightly, Lina nodded. “Yes, and he wants lots of it.” The redhead sighed in disgust this time. “God, it’s too bad he got the throne... Weren’t there any other siblings that could have done the job? Cousins maybe?”
“Edgar has a twin brother...” came an aged female voice.
Lina blinked her eyes. “Excuse me?” She turned around to look and see an older woman.
“Edgar has a twin brother,” the woman repeated. “He was such a nice boy...”
Terra looked at the older woman and blinked. “There’s another man like Edgar, then?”
“No, I said he was a NICE boy...” the Matron reiterated...
(~~~~~~)
It was a younger Edgar that sat at a desk in the library, elbows resting on the desk-top as he covered his face in his hands.
Then, rushing into this quite place, breaking the solitude, came another boy around the first one’s age. “Brother,” he called out. “What’s wrong with father? What’s all this talk of his successor?”
Slowly lifting his face from his hands, Edgar turned to look at the look-alike. “Are you blind? Look how thin his face has become!”
The younger man looked into his brother’s face, seeing the steaks and wetness. “......What is it?”
Seeing his younger sibling not get it, Edgar turned in defiance and started storming off. “Brother!” The younger man called after his brother. But it was no use. Edgar stormed off, and away from his younger sibling.
Yet, the youth noticed all too well...
“...Tears...?”
(~~~~~~)
“Yes...” the Matron said slowly. “His name is Sabin. Oh, he looked so like his father! When he ran away, he was a sweet little child. I wonder what he's like now?” She began to muse to herself, now so caught up in her memory she was ignoring Lina and Terra.
Terra lowered her head in thought about that. So Edgar had a twin brother, who was nicer according to this woman.
Lina nodded her head. “Too bad he didn’t stick around. This place could have used a good ruler.”
“Oh, Edgar isn’t bad,” the Matron said. “Perverted, yes, but not bad.”
“What’s perverted?” Terra asked in confusion. Her friend Lina didn’t say anything about that.
Lina sighed. Turning to her innocent and naïve friend, she motioned for the taller lady to lean down slightly. When she did, Lina whispered, “It’s someone that focuses too much on sex or sexual aspects.”
“But... is that bad? I mean... you said you have sex with people when you love them,” Terra said oh so innocently. “Does that mean Edgar loves a lot?”
“No, Edgar lusts...” Lina sighed. “Sometimes sex is bad. When someone just wants to have sex for the sake of the act, not that it’s with someone a person cares about.”
“I see...” said the woman, not really seeing at all.
Noticing Terra bearing the same look Gourry usually had, Lina sighed. “In other words,” she started to speak again, thinking of how to make it simple. “Edgar thinks of sex or sexual things because he likes to be pleasured, not because he cares for anyone.”
“Oh...” Terra finally understood and frowned. “That’s not nice.”
“No, it is not...” Lina sighed. At least Terra got it, finally. “C’mon, you wanna go continue searching around?” Not that Lina didn’t want to stay in this cozy part of the castle, but there was still so much more to explore. And Lina felt better with someone she could trust with her. She didn’t like how in the jail, the ‘pick-pocket’ Lone Wolf was eyeing her. Who knew this world had Beast-men too?
“Sure.” In truth Terra was fine where she was, but she wanted to spend time with Lina since she had been so nice to her.
Nodding her head to that, the redhead turned to fully face the other woman. “All right! Let’s go, Terra.” She told the woman, before Lina started walking out of the rather quaint-atmosphered room of the castle, and was already heading outside.
And again, the two women were bombarded by the blazing heat, but at least both knew once they reached the castle again, there would be that wonderful ‘air conditioning’.
“The desert... It’s so peaceful,” Terra said as she once again stared into the distance.
Lina blinked her eyes at that. She stopped walking to see Terra had stopped some ways behind her. Walking back over to the other woman, Lina looked over Terra, noticing the glazed-over expression in her eyes, as if she were seeing, yet not seeing. “Something about this place you like?”
Terra nodded her head slowly. “The open space... and the feel of nature, even in such climate...”
Lina nodded her head slowly, looking out to where Terra was looking. “It’s like it goes on forever from here... like it really is a golden sea...”
A hot wind blew right then, showering them both in sand and burning their skin lightly. A reminder that, if even beautiful, the desert was dangerous...
“Haaawwwt...” Lina gasped out, patting down herself with her hands to get the excess sand off of her. “I think it’s time to go back in.”
Terra agreed wholeheartedly, shaking her head to rid her hair of the sand in it. “How do the guards live with this?”
Lina looked at one of the soldiers close-by. “Their armor’s loose and looks like it’s vented to let out sweat,” Lina said. “Plus the wider brim and the part in the back of their helmets seem to keep off sunlight...” she shrugged as she slowly added, “And I guess you can factor in that this is where they live and are used to it.”
Terra nodded, yet she still gave the guards admiring stares.
Lina however, was already by the door of one of the many castle entrances. “C’mon, Terra!” She called out to the girl. “I’m burning up out here!”
“S-sorry!” Terra stuttered as she rushed to the door.
Lina smiled and shook her head good naturedly. Terra may have been a bit of a space-case, but she really was a good person. Sure, she was too innocent for her own good, but she had a good heart.
(------)
Standing by the entrance on the open roof before one reached the main halls with armor and shops, Edgar smiled as he saw the two ladies coming closer. “Well?” He spoke up, getting their attention. “How do you like my castle?”
“It’s nice, and so big,” Terra said nervously, thinking of what Lina told her about Edgar.
“Nice and so big, huh?” Edgar asked, a grin forming on his features. “I take it you like nice and big things?”
Her eyes narrowing, Lina was SO about to let Edgar have it when, all of a sudden, the doors further down burst open, and a soldier came running up to them.
“King Edgar!” The Figaro soldier shouted in urgency. “They were spotted on the horizon! Someone from the Empire to see you!”
Edgar frowned as he realized who it was. “Probably Kefka!” He growled as if the name were a curse.
Terra’s eyes widened and she turned to Lina for guidance.
Lina looked at Terra and turned to Edgar. “Anywhere we can we hide?”
Edgar nodded his head. “Go inside. You can use one of the hallways at either side before the door to my throne room. It’ll lead you up to a staircase to the top of the tallest tower. You’ll have the vantage point.”
Lina nodded her head. At least he took this seriously. “C’mon, Terra!” She told the other woman as she was already opening the door.
“Thank you,” Terra said truthfully to the king before she was rushed inside.
Watching the two disappear into the castle Edgar sighed, as he mentally prepared for who he was SURE would arrive.
(------)
Trudging across the desert sands, three pairs of feet marched in steady procession. All were members in one way or another of the Gestahl Empire. Two were soldiers clad in the traditional brown armor of an Imperial Soldier, while the lead was clad in more of a... ‘unique’ attire.
Trudging along and waving an intricately designed paper fan back and forth in front of him, Kefka snarled as he was sweltering in this desert heat. Stupid treaty laws that kept them from bringing MagiTek Ride Armor within a certain distance of Figaro Castle!
“Phooey!” Kefka snarled as he trudged about, kicking up sands. “Emperor Gestahl’s stupid orders!” Why did HE have to be out here to the middle of some god-forsaken desert while that dumb-ass Leo and that BITCH Celes were being set up to gain glory on their campaigns!?
Okay, so maybe the little green-haired magic-using cunt WAS his responsibility, but DAMN IT! He wanted to be up North to fight, NOT to just search around for some pet whose leash broke!
The madman stopped in mid-pace. “Edgar, you shit-head!” Kefka shouted to the heavens. “Why do you have to live in the middle of NOWHERE!?” He growled to himself, waving his fan faster as all he was doing was making himself sweat faster. “These recon jobs are the pits!”
The soldiers that walked after Kefka remained dutifully quiet, long used to his antics and knowing that ignoring him was the best they could do. It was bad when Kefka noticed you. Very bad.
Slowly, the mad clown turned to the two soldiers behind him. “Ahem...” he coughed up to gain their attention. “There’s SAND on my boots!”
Both guards’ eyes widened at that. “Right away, sir!” One of them said, rushing forward and kneeling down to clean the sand of his right boot.
Kefka nodded at the thorough job and then standing on his right foot, lifted his left one up slightly to the other guard.
Said guard moved fast and did the same thing, not wanting to upset the crazy fuc... err... his leader.
Grinning, Kefka’s hands clenched into fists. Rearing his head back, he laughed to the heavens. “WUH HUH HUH HUH!” The echo of his laughter reverberated for a moment before his neck made a disgusting snapping noise as he looked forward, his left eye wide open, twitching and blood-shot for a moment. “Idiots!”
(------)
Lina winced. Up in the tower, they could still hear that laugh. “What a freak...”
Terra nodded, staring intently at the man and feeling strangely revolted by him. She didn’t know why, but he inspired that feeling in her.
(------)
“Sir Kefka!?” The young Figaronian Soldier gasped as he saw that man marching right up to the front doors of the castle with two Imperial soldiers in tow. “What on earth do-”
“Outta my way!” Kefka snarled as he grabbed the boy’s shoulder and literally pushed him away and to the side, falling down steps. He raised his right foot quickly, kicking open the door. The advisor of the Emperor slowly smiled as he could feel the cool air of Figaro’s most inventive ‘air conditioning’.
Stepping inside and taking a moment to cool down, Kefka then continued forward, opening the doors and making his way further into Figaro castle... And frowned as he saw the king outside and waiting for them. Bastard! How dare he meet them out in the hot and oppressive open when they could be talking in his air-conditioned throne room!?
“Greetings,” Edgar smiled a pleasant smile, raising a hand in the traditional Imperial Salute.
The two Imperials returned the salute. Kefka just snorted.
Withdrawing his hand, Edgar took a step forward towards the group. “What brings Kefka, humble servant of Emperor Gestahl, into our lowly presence?”
Kefka eyed Edgar. Thinking of his practiced words, he coughed into his hand for a moment before starting. “A girl of no importance recently escaped from us. We heard she found refuge here...” he said slowly, eyeing Edgar for any sort of reaction.
“Hmmm...” Edgar made a show of thinking, raising a hand to scratch his chin. “This wouldn’t have anything to do with this ‘witch’ everyone's been whispering about, would it?”
“Lies!” Kefka shouted in defiance. “She...” he twirled his hand in place, trying to think of a quick excuse. “She... merely stole something of minor value. Is she here?”
Up from the tower, the girls could, incredibly, listen in to the conversation. Mainly because of the silence that surrounded the castle ever since Kefka arrived. And that fact Kefka was rather ‘audible’ while talking didn’t hurt things either.
“That’s a tough one!” Edgar said as he turned his back to the Emperor’s Advisor and took a few paces away. Turning back to face the trio, he waved a finger as he explained, “You see, there are more girls here than grains of sand out there. I can’t keep track of ‘em all!” He finished with a flash of his award-winning smile.
His eyebrows furrowing, Kefka stared at Edgar for a moment. Slowly, his scanned around the place, looking here and there...
...And then LOCKED eyes with the green-haired girl he sought!
Terra panicked at that. She should’ve stayed hidden! Now everything was ruined, she knew!
However, to Terra's surprise, he didn’t press it. Breaking gaze with the girl, Kefka turned to and smiled at Edgar. A cruel, sadistic-seeming smile. “I’d hate to be you if we find out you’re lying... Mwa, ha!”
Edgar frowned. What was that man up to?
Turning about, Kefka started to leave the place. His soldiers turning and keeping up. Yet, as he left, Edgar could hear him say, “I truly hope nothing happens to your precious Figaro... WUH HUH HUH HUH...” he laughed as the doors closed behind him.
Edgar frowned as he saw Kefka leave. Somehow, he knew this wasn’t over.
“I’d say that guy’s missing a few buttons...” Locke said as he came out into view. Apparently, he’d been on the other side of the doors to the main hall and had been listening in.
“I don’t like that man,” Terra said, shaking slightly.
Lina nodded her head, placing her hand on the woman’s shoulder to gently placate her. She didn’t know how that man had such an effect on Terra, but he did.
“Lina...” Terra whispered nervously. “That man... he saw me.”
Lina’s eyes widened. Oh shit...
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(Posted Tue, 25 Jul 2006 00:16)
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