Chapter 5: Who's the boss in Nashira?

"Well, hello there, Matty!" said the barmaid as they entered. "Who's that dashing young man you have with you?" she said smiling. Lyude relaxed a little, glad to see another friendly face.

"This is Sir Lyude." said Matthias. "He is an ambassador from Alfard."

"Pleased to meet you Lyude." said the barmaid with a wink. "I'm Anna, the owner of this humble establishment."

"The pleasure is all mine, Anna." said Lyude with a courteous bow.

Anna laughed. "Well, that's the first time I've gotten the royal treatment. Welcome to Nashira."

"Thank you." said Lyude. "I hope that you may all find my presence useful."

"What's going on in here?"

Matthias jumped with a displeased expression, Lyude turned to face the speaker. "Ah, hello, Reblys. There you are. I'd like to introduce you to Sir Lyude. He's the new Ambassador sent by the empire." said Matthias.

"Kinda young ain't he?" said Reblys looking Lyude over.

"Just because he isn't an old goat like you, Reblys, doesn't mean he won't make an excellent ambassador." said Anna. Lyude tried hard not to smile. Though he suspected that his eyes gave him away. He liked the light atmosphere of Anna's tavern. The simple surroundings reminded him of warm memories of his few trips to Azha with Almarde when he was young.

"Well, I guess he'll do." said Reblys skeptically. "Don't know why that Geldoblame guy suddenly decided to send an ambassador over here."

The emperor felt that having a representative from Alfard here would aid the relations between our two nations." said Lyude.

"Hmmm..."

"The ambassador just arrived last evening, and has had little time to become acquainted with the area. I thought you might aid him in his adjustment."

"Why?" said Reblys. "I'm supposed to baby sit him or something?"

"Reblys!" scolded Anna, "Don't pay him any mind, Lyude. He's just an old blowhard."

"It's not as if his business is here in Nashira." said Reblys. "That's all I'm sayin'.

"You always have somethin' to say Reblys." came a new voice and a tattooed man with wild brown hair came up to them. "Hey, there." he said nodding to Lyude.

"Hello." said Lyude.

"Gibari." said Reblys. "You've always gotta butt in, don't you?"

"You're not exactly the most pleasant welcome wagon." said Gibari, slapping Reblys on the back. "Missed your name, kid." said Gibari shaking Lyude's hand amiably. "I'm Gibari, as the old oaf over there so grandly introduced.

"Lyude." said Lyude smiling. "It's a pleasure to meet you sir."

"Gibari."

"Gibari, then."

"Well, Lyude, how would you like to see the town? There's not much to see, but we're hard workin' folks all."

"I'd like that." said Lyude.

"You got a problem with me showing him around, Reblys?"

"As long as you keep him out of your boat, why would I care? Saves me time."

"Knew you'd say that." said Gibari. "All right, Lyude, Matthias, let's get goin'"

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Lyude." said Anna. "We'll see you around."

Lyude smiled and nodded in farewell, then followed Gibari and Matthias from the tavern.

"Glad you came along, Gibari." said Matthias with a relieved sigh. "I wasn't looking forward to listening to Reblys' superstitious lectures."

"Ain't that the truth?" said Gibari rolling his eyes. "Don't worry, kid, you'll have plenty of time to get acquainted with the routine around here. Reblys is just really high on tradition and superstitions around here and there sure is a lot of 'em."

"Yes. I know."said Lyude with interest. "I've studied Diadem on and off in my lessons and when I learned I was to be dispatched here I got a hold of all the reading material I could find on the country. I didn't want to offend someone by mistakenly disrupting your culture. I find the origins and lore of your country to be quite fascinating."

"Wow, did your homework, huh?"

"You could say that." said Lyude. "I've actually have had a keen interest in other cultures since I was just a small child. It's amazing what you can learn if you take the time."

"I'm likin' this kid already." said Gibari. "Well, you've seen the dock, we'll take ya to the storage hangar. Lyude followed them and was assailed by the smell of fresh sea bream as the fishermen emptied their stores into the warehouse.

He heard a lot of whispers as he entered, as well as a woman speaking heatedly towards her husband. A pair of studious looking boys stood hiding behind their father. Lyude was suddenly reminded of one of Skeed and Vallye's old teachers. That woman had scared him senseless when he was a small child. .made him thank heaven he was home-schooled.

He listened attentively to Gibari as he showed him around. The villagers were friendly enough, for the most part and were very keen on discussions about their fishing and pride in their work. For an hour or so, Lyude forgot that he was an exiled soldier on a mock mission.

When it was time to return to the palace, however, the thought struck him like a blow to the head. He wished he could just forget about it and live here in peace. He thought he could live with being separated from everything he had known before, except for the few people who cared about him. He was very quiet on the return walk to Elnath Castle. It was time to run his drills for the king. His sonic rifle was waiting for him in the courtyard when he arrived along with three scarecrows. He started simple. Several kick moves accompanies later by the calculated sonic blast destroyed the first scarecrow. He used Overture on the second splitting it in perfect halves. And demolished the third with Concerto. His drills completed he reverted his rifle back to magnus form and returned it to the weapon's clerk.

King Ladekahn nodded in approval. "You are very skilled with your weapon." he said. "Tell me, Lyude, how did you spar before?"

"I had an electronic device that weakened the blows of my attacks to where they only stunned the victim, but I was not issued one when I was sent here."

"Hmm... I'll have to consider this. I wouldn't worry about it, Lyude. You'll get opportunity to train. We may just have to bring in monsters for a while until you can have one of those devices brought in."

"I don't want to be any trouble, your majesty." said Lyude earnestly. "You really shouldn't have to worry about this."

"You are a guest in my kingdom, ambassador, I will see to it that your needs are met. You are dismissed. Feel free to walk the grounds."

"Thank you, sire." he said quietly and walked from King Ladekahn's presence quietly. He wandered aimlessly for about an hour, his mind a jumble of thoughts. King Ladekahn was making every effort to make his transition as easy as possible on him. He felt lower than dirt. What do I do, Almarde?" he said quietly. "I wish you could be here..." He returned to his room and wrote the letters he had promised to Almarde, Scalla, and her mother, Brianne. He tried to make them sound cheerful, but he wasn't sure he was successful. His mood was so dim he wasn't sure if he'd ever feel cheerful again. He tried shortly to concentrate on his studies, but he had no stomach for it.

He pulled out the detonation device he had removed from the ship and began to examine it. It was a typical sort of sabotage device that ate out the systems of the computer banks and destroyed memory and machine alike. As he had suspected, though, it was not intended to cause him bodily harm. So why had someone wanted to disable his ship? It didn't make any sense. He sighed. He was not likely to find out.

It was growing late when Lyude dimmed his lamp and went to bed. He closed his eyes, bracing himself for what was to come in sleep's embrace. The nightmares started almost immediately . With every new face he knew, more shame came with it. Anna's kind face turned dark and angry, Gibari shook his head at him and looks of disgust came from all around him. It was rather like his last morning walking the streets of Mintaka. Everywhere he looked, expressions of disappointment and disdain surrounded him.

His surroundings suddenly blackened around him and he found himself facing the old gentleman

that had spat at his feet. The old man sneered at him angrily. "Go home, Imperial, get out of our

sight!"

"I...I can't." said Lyude sadly.

"Can't go home, eh? Your own people don't even want your filth. Then just go curl up and die

somewhere. You're a useless coward. What are you worth, boy? Tell me, what are you worth?"

"I...I no longer know..." said Lyude his shoulders slumping as he bowed his head in shame.

"Don't know, eh? Don't know much of anything, do you? I would have thought the answer was

obvious, boy. Nothing. You aren't worth the toenail of a cancerite. You're no good to anyone.

You're a useless coward. Couldn't even stand up for yourself, let alone a village. What made you

think an insignificant whelp like you could make a difference anywhere? What made you even

hope that you could be of use here?

"I...I don't know. Please...won't you at least give me the chance to try?"

"Give it up boy, you have no future. None. You'll spend the rest of your life wondering why you

still breathe. You are a stain, a drop of sour wine on a tablecloth. That's all you'll ever be to

anyone here. Something that doesn't belong."

Lyude closed his eyes against the tears he felt forming. The old man was right. He didn't belong

here. He didn't belong anywhere. His future was moot.

Lyude woke feeling sick to his stomach. What did he think he was doing? His presence here was unacceptable. He knew that. He didn't belong anywhere anymore. Not like this. Not as something he was not. He stood up in resignation. He knew what he had to do. He had known it since the Imperial commander had given him that falsified military file. If he ever hoped to sleep in peace again, if he ever hoped to look in the mirror without being ashamed of what he saw he knew what he had to do.

King Ladekahn was taking a morning stroll around the castle grounds when he heard the soft tones of a flute in the garden. It was with no small amount of surprise that he found Lyude seated underneath a willow tree playing a soft, gentle melody. The music seemed to float in the air around him, beautiful and calm. He was playing what seemed to be a soothing lullaby, but there was sadness in the tone. He saw as he approached that the ambassador's eyes were closed and a few silent tears had streaked down his face. He was unaware of his presence. He stood there and waited for Lyude to finish, enjoying the beauty of his song and wondering at the melancholy tone in which it was played.

Lyude's song ended and he leaned against the tree with a sigh. His eyes remained closed for a minute. When he opened them he jumped. "Oh, your majesty!" he said standing hastily, "I apologize, I didn't realize anyone was around."

"Why do you apologize? That is the most beautiful music I've heard in quite some time. What was it?" asked Ladekahn.

"It's just an old lullaby from Azha, the foster nurse who raised me used to sing it to me..."

"I see. I've arranged for a temporary sparring partner for you. If you'd like, one of my knights could even train you in the sword."

"Don't go through all this trouble on my account, your majesty..." said Lyude, a sudden bitterness in his voice. "I...I've wasted enough of your time." he closed his eyes, his face grim. He seemed to be bracing himself. "I have something to tell you."