Chapter 10: Explosion at Eblana
"Are you sure you know what you're doing Cid?"
"Hey kid, don't worry about a thing," says the scruffy man. "I've gone through all the schemes and preparations a hundred times over. It'll work, just relax." Cid slaps the back of his newest prodigy in assurance.
"If it does work, are you going to tell me what you put into this little thing?" The twenty-year old attaches a small, wooden box near the base of a broken down airship. The young man stands at an average 5'7" with long, blonde hair tied back into a ponytail. His sky-blue eyes are wide in their youth, his face clean and shaven. His body is lithe, his fingers more lady-like than anything, and the form of his legs, if you could call it form, is straight up and down.
His name is Hanlen Wallister—a youth who was orphaned at birth and adopted by a couple from Eblana. His new parents were mere farmers working tirelessly in the fields until the war seventeen years ago. Now, under the ruling of Edge Geraldine, the successor to the throne, Eblana has turned into more of an industrial society—manufacturing weapons and airships, mass-producing armor and other such things. Eblana has become the leading supplier of all things military, sending out orders for certain supplies to various kingdoms and towns, and in return they receive shipments of certain foods, raw materials, and money. Farming isn't as important as it was before, so Hanlen's parents have taken up jobs on the airship assembly line, which produces about two airships a week.
In looking at Hanlen, he is the complete opposite of his new companion Cid Pollendina—a bulky man standing at 6'3" with a very thick and wiry beard that could trap whatever bugs that fly into it, just as good as any old spider web. His gray mechanics outfit stretches tightly around his large form. One rip and his whole body will pour out of that thing, Hanlen whispered to himself the first moment he met Cid. A wide utility belt, battered safety helmet and thick protective goggles complete the picture of Mr. Pollendina.
Before he even met Cid, Hanlen already heard the stories about him, just like the tales he heard about all the other heroes of the war. Looking to become a mechanic himself, Hanlen became ecstatic when he heard that he would be able to meet the legendary man. Of course the site of Cid threw him a little off guard as the heavy-set man looked as grungy as any homeless person he'd ever seen.
"I work so much, I never get the chance to change my clothes, that's all." Cid told him.
As the two walked through the warehouses earlier in the morning doing safety checks and inspections on a few of the airships, Cid kept up conversation with the young man.
"Ya know, when you were a just a little runt playing with your toys, I was here helping to shape this place into what it is today," he said. "All the architectural plans and the schematics for the assembly lines and such…all by me kid. I tell you I never had so much inspiration to do what I did at that very moment," Cid's eyes scanned around and about the warehouse, marveling at his accomplishment. "Eblana was in the worse shape than any of the other kingdoms…a lot of battles took place here, oh boy. You shoulda seen the shit we went through—the explosions, the monsters—chaos all around you, and nothing more than fire and smoke as far as the eye could see," Cid used many hand gestures as he spoke, acting out his story for better effect. "There was one time, only one, when I thought I was gonna bite the big one, and join my parents up in the stars. Miraculously I survived and now I'm here, seventeen years later, still helping to rebuild the world from that fucking war."
Hanlen was caught off guard by the way Mr. Pollendina spoke sometimes. He could have sworn that he never heard anyone swear and cuss as much as Cid did. After awhile, Hanlen got used to it and as he himself spoke, he sometimes let those swear words fall out of his own mouth.
Now, a little past midday, the mechanic and his apprentice are out in the open field to the north of the castle, with a battered, old airship that looks like it's been through three or four wars. After attaching the wooden device to the airship, Cid taps Hanlen on the arm to get his attention.
"You ready to run your skinny ass off boy?"
"Whenever you're ready Mr. Pollendina."
"Stop with the Mr. Pollendina shit. Cid will be perfectly fine kiddo. Just give this button here a little push and…" Cid listens for a moment…a clicking sound starts from within the box. "Let's go boy!" They take off in the direction of the castle toward a small barricade they set up a little while ago—fat and skinny, in a race for their lives.
Edge watches some of his ninja students warm down from their recent workout. Their loud moans of pain from intense aches in their bodies are like music to Edge's ears. After one of Edge's rigorous training exercises, if you don't feel it, you must not be working hard enough. That's what he always says.
These students were his elite class—the best that Eblana has to offer, many of whom traveled from across the globe just to be a part of Edge's 'Silent Brigade'—Edge's army. Though no one will dispute that Edge's ninja skills are second to none, he himself would admit that some of his students have greater potential and talent than he. But they are still raw and they need more refining in order to be as good as the great Edge Geraldine, King of Eblana.
"You boys did good today," he tells his students. "I expect to see even better results two days from now you hear?"
His students bow to him and then take their leave.
Edge wipes his forehead with the back of his hand, beads of sweat glistening among his spiky, blue hair. He looks out the window of his training room--the sky is clear and bright. Two airships lift off from a wooden platform below and pass by so close that Edge can make out the faces of the crewmen aboard. A flock of white birds take flight, following the airships around the castle. A little farther away in the distance, the town of Eblan bustles with business. Edge can see the little dots of people moving around and about on their daily commutes. All is fair and peaceful…a perfect day for most people.
"God it's been boring lately," Edge says to himself. "I'm going to need a little action soon or I'm going to grow old pretty fast." He walks to the other end of the training room, toward a long, marble table with a wooden box sitting on top of it. Dozens of rolled up parchments sit within twenty compartments inside the box, each parchment diagramming a certain type of ninja skill. Of course these were mainly the basics that teach students about stealth and concealment. They also teach things like throwing weapons such as ninja stars and using swords like the katana.
Edge reaches into the box and grabs one of the parchment rolls from it. He twirls it between his fingers and passes it from one hand to the other in rapid succession, testing his reflexes.
The parchments that teach the higher-level skills are stored in a steel strongbox with a combination lock that only a few people know about. Those papers teach things like assassination strikes and backstabbing skills, or how to use the Rapier of Panatori—a magical weapon with great power that only two people in history have been able to use. Edge is not one of those people.
The ninjas are the silent killers…warriors of the night, and by far the deadliest of any army in the world. Edge, who at times can be very boastful, prides himself greatly on the rise of his ninja warrior brigade. Pretty bad-ass, he thinks to himself.
"And who trained them to be the best? Me baby, that's right." He stands with his arms out like a cocky street punk, his body language saying, 'You want a piece of this? Come and get it.' Ego has always been Edge's main foe. If his wife Rydia were here right now, she would gladly shoot him down and tell him to check his big head at the door.
He thinks of her often when she's not around. Edge remembers ever so clearly the first day when he met Rydia. Times were tough and the war was still in full swing. He recalls the emotions that welled up inside of him and his pants, when their paths crossed. At first she seemed a little shy, which he didn't mind since he knows the way to any woman's heart, or so he says—to himself. But after a while, he found that Rydia could be very spunky, and also a little harsh when it came to criticizing him. Edge always liked women with a small bit of attitude, as it made conversation more interesting and heated.
When the war was over, Edge asked Rydia out to dinner thinking that he probably had no chance in hell, but what's the harm in trying, he thought. To his wonderful surprise she accepted, and since then they've married—her being his sparkling Queen.
The wedding was very extravagant. Of course with great ego, you need to have an even greater wedding, and Edge spared no expense in getting everything he and his beautiful wife desired for the ceremony. Countless flowers were draped across the walls, many potted ones lining the pathway toward the altar. Crimson sheets made from velvet were laid upon the benches where the guests sat—a perfect wedding on a perfect day.
What a life I've led so far, he thinks to himself.
A shiver suddenly comes over Edge sending a chill down his spine. His eyes move slowly from side to side as his body stays perfectly still. He can feel a presence within the room somewhere, but even with his ninja abilities he finds it very difficult to determine an exact location. Edge calmly walks to the middle of the room pretending to not notice a thing.
Besides the marble table, the room also contains four large stone statues at every corner—tributes to four of the greatest ninja masters in Eblana's history. There's also a shrine at the eastern wall, set up as a dedication to the last King and Queen of the kingdom—Edge's parents.
Edge can sense an intense aura surrounding him, emanating from an unknown location. The fierceness of the aura grows quickly and immensely, slightly suffocating and feeling very deadly. The hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, his hands are wet with sweat. Edge slowly reaches into his ninja garbs, his fingers touching the coldness of a metallic, poison-tipped star.
His eyes are closed while his ears are wide open. Edge lets his instincts guide him, to search for the mysterious force--the invisible intruder. A picture begins to form in his mind—blackness that starts to take shape; a form at first discernable, but then shifts into the flowing ripples of a cloak. The gleam of an eye shines dully through the shadows of a black hood surrounding the beings head, staring at him with a sullen emptiness. Edge gets closer to pinpointing the exact area where the hidden intruder is located.
I'm gonna get ya, Edge thinks to himself, a slight grin on his face.
"Master Edge." Edge's top advisor, Danson Stardworn steps into the room.
Edge darts his head in the direction of the mystery man, but no sign of the intruder can be seen, the sense of his presence now, all of a sudden, gone.
"Interesting." He whispers to himself.
"Something wrong?" Danson looks in the same direction as Edge, not seeing anything. "Is there a fly on the wall that I'm not seeing or is it something else?"
"It's nothing," Edge releases his hold on his throwing star (was someone really there?). "What can I do for you Danson?"
"I think there's something you should see sir."
Danson leads his king out to the main balcony of the castle. Along the way, many of the castle servants hurriedly make their way about, tending to their chores and duties. The hallways are decorated with many glass cases filled with treasured memorabilia—ancient artifacts and rare baubles and trinkets. A beautiful, silver colored chandelier hangs from the ceiling in luminescent elegance, sparkling with the light of the sun. At least one chandelier adorns every hallway in the castle, as does a long velvet carpet running down the middle of the floor. A look of sheer refinement and distinction is what Edge Geraldine wants to convey in the eyes of his visitors, which also speaks very loudly of his extravagant and expensive tastes. Nothing's too good for me, he always thought.
The wind blows ever so softly against his face as he and Danson step onto the main balcony of Castle Eblana. The air is crisp and refreshing, instantly rejuvenating whatever spirit Edge had lost while training just moments ago. The light heat from the sun feels like a warm caress across his skin. A white bird, small enough to fit in ones hand, lands on the balcony wall, right in front of Edge, chirping a beautiful tune while flapping it's wings. Edge looks upward…nothing amongst the empty blue…not a cloud in the sky.
(Something better happen soon or someone's going to have to shoot me.)
"I'm not quite sure what to make of it," Danson points a bony finger towards the meadows where a battered, old airship resides. "But I think Mr. Pollendina is up to one of his little, how should I call it, experiments?"
Edge squints his eyes as he glimpses Cid's stout form with someone else standing next to him. They seem to be doing something to the base of the airship.
"What the hell's that old man up to now?"
All of a sudden, Cid and his companion are off to the races, heading towards a small, wooden barricade about thirty yards away.
"Runs pretty quick for a man of his stature, don't you think?" Danson watches with amusement as Cid and his skinny counterpart dive behind the barricade.
"You don't think…"
Edge's question is cut off as an enormous explosion rips through the hull of the beaten airship, first shattering the base and then shooting upwards through the main deck. The airship begins to implode with great ferocity, wooden pieces and debris fly in every direction. Finally the mast comes crashing down, splitting the remaining portions of the airship into two until all that's left is a flaming pile of splintered wood.
Cid and his partner in crime dust off pieces of debris from their clothing, and stand up to marvel at their accomplishment. A high-five and a "yahoo!" quickly follow.
"Well that's a nice mess they've made, wouldn't you say Danson?"
"A very nice mess indeed Master," Danson scratches his head. "Should I, uh, send out a cleaning crew to handle it?"
"No, I think Cid would be more than happy to do it himself." Edge gives off a sly grin.
"I think we might have some visitors." Danson shades his eyes from the sun as he looks at three black dots in the distance, hovering above the horizon. The dots quickly get larger and begin to take shape. Edge reaches into his garb and takes out a small pair of binoculars.
"Is it the Mrs.?" Danson asks.
"I think so," The crease between Edge's eyebrows starts to grow. "That's our banner on the side of the middle airship, but why is she being flanked by a pair of Red Wings?"
"Trouble you think?"
"Dunno…looks like we're going to find out."
(Looks like this might not be such a boring day after all.)