Chapter 11: The Lost Son of Alfard.
Savyna filled her empty magnus with pristine water. It was going to be a long journey and it was best to be prepared. She caught up to Azdar who had already replenished his water and was now waiting for her. "How much is this holding back the oil mining?" asked Savyna as she broke into stride beside her former comrade.
"Without the Minister to sign the papers there's very little that can get through. Which is a blessing really, considering what they're trying to pull in his absence."
"I expect that once Lyude returns to his post there is going to be quite an upset in the government." said Savyna.
"You sound confident. We don't even know if he's alive." said Azdar.
"It would have served no purpose to take him alive if they wished him immediate harm." said Savyna. "Really, Azdar. I would have expected you to realize that."
Azdar's face was flat as usual, his expression mirrored Savyna's. It was always the same. Hardened by their years in the military, both felt affection to be superficial and a waste of time. Yet each caught the other glancing them from time to time. "How much of the surrounding area has already been searched?" asked Savyna.
"Very little around here." said Azdar. "Ayme equipped our vessel to detect metal under the surface, even with a protective field, we should be able to detect some sort of anomaly."
'It's better than nothing, I suppose." said Savyna. "Let's go."
Savyna kept a lookout as Azdar piloted the ship. It was a hot morning, the sun beat down mercilessly even this early. "See anything?" grunted Azdar.
"Not presently." said Savyna. "The land is untouched. No tracks at all. Not even those of an animal."
"Can't help but feel these searches are a waste of time. Wherever they took him, they probably have him there by now."
"All the same, if we do not locate this base, there's no telling what will happen to the Minister." said Savyna. "It is owed to him that we try."
"Not arguing that. I just don't see how it's going to do us much good. I have my doubts about the reliability of this new accessory."
"When were you not skeptical of such things?" Savyna shook her head and concealed her amused smile.
"Well, I guess it's worth a shot if it helps us find him." said Azdar gruffly. " I have to admit, he's done a pretty good job around here, getting the country back together and all."
They fell into silence then and continued their search.
Gibari wiped the sweat from his brow. Alfard was finally in sight. "This kid sure does know how to find trouble." said Gibari to himself. He's just as bad as Kalas about that, at least Lyude doesn't look for it though."
Gibari shook his head. He'd had a rough time getting here. His old ship wasn't getting along to well and he'd refused the new one Lyude had offered him in thanks for aiding in bringing food to Alfard. He almost wished he hadn't now. He could have gotten here much faster. When he made Mintaka's dock he noticed a small boy standing there looking at him shamefaced. "Hey Panaway!" said Gibari with a grin. The boy still felt guilty for his behavior the first time he'd met Gibari.
"Good evening, sir." said Panaway awkwardly. "Are you going to help save our Minister?"
"I'm going to do what I can. He's still missing then, huh?"
"Yes, there has been no progress whatsoever." said Panaway sadly. "We miss our Minister, good sir, please help him to return to us."
"Will do, kid." said Gibari with a grin. "Don't you worry, we'll get him back. We didn't defeat Malpercio to let one of our own go down like that."
"Thank you, sir." said Panaway and ran off to his house.
Gibari shook his head. "Gotten popular around here, haven't ya, Lyude? Too bad that government of yours is full of back-stabbers. Ah well, I guess everything can't change at once." He trudged his way to the former Imperial fortress and met Kalas and Xelha just beginning to leave for their search on the White Dragon.
"Hey you two!" said Gibari jovially. "How's it going?"
"Well...Kalas and I have been all right." said Xelha.
Gibari shook his head uncomfortably. "Yeah...I heard there hasn't been much luck on the search."
"We're hoping that if it's a base under the sand like last time, Kalas and I will be able to see some sort of outline in the sand." said Xelha. "It's the best we can think of right now."
"Better than nothing. Mind if I come along? Don't have much else to do right now."
"Sure thing, Gibari. I think Skeed's getting tired of briefing all of us. He was about to pull out his hair the last time we saw him. Those council members are driving him up the wall."
"Don't doubt it. Let's go then and you can explain all of it to me on the way."
Lyude paced the cell silently. His cell mate was asleep presently and there was little he could really do. He examined the walls running his hands over the rough stone, a frown creasing his brow. He believed the prisoner when he said that the walls were lined with metal. He would have expected no less from Imperial extremists.
Sighing heavily, he allowed himself to drop to the floor, leaning against the wall deep in thought. He'd been missing for over a week now. Well over a week, perhaps two. What was going on within the government? He thought back to his reflections on the way to Azha. All the things left unfinished and that, if his orders were followed, would be postponed until he returned. He worried about his country and he worried about Alyssa. He wondered if she yet knew of her maternity, if Lena had even been correct. She had seemed quite sure, however.
His cell mate stirred and opened his eyes. Lyude realized that he had never even asked his name...nor offered his own. He would likely be trapped here for some time, perhaps he should try to get to know this man. The man seemed fairly lucid at the moment so Lyude leaned forward as he sat up with a kind smile. "I don't think we ever properly met." he said kindly.
"No. I don't suppose we have." said the other man.
"My name is Lyude, and you are?"
"Lyude?" said the man sitting up suddenly and backing away with almost a terror in his eyes. "Nn..not...can't be...can't be!"
Alarmed by the man's sudden agitation Lyude stood up as the cross look entered the man's eye again and he drew his knife. "You're a ruddy liar! Who sent you! Who put you up to this? Have I not suffered enough! I'll never reveal what I know, never! No amount of torture, no amount of trickery will make me tell you!"
Lyude backed away. "I don't know what you mean!" he said. "I'm a prisoner like yourself! I'm not after any sort of secret!"
"Liar!" The man lunged and knocked Lyude to the floor. His hands on his neck. Lyude struggled the man was slightly frail from so many years of confinement but there seemed to be so much rage in him that even Lyude, young and strong as he was had a hard time fighting the man off. The prisoner's green eyes burned in his head, filled with sudden hatred. The assailant's eyes locked with Lyude's as Lyude rolled over on top of him and managed to pin him to the ground. He didn't want to hurt the man and it must have shown in his eyes because the prisoner stopped struggling suddenly and a softness entered them..a sadness.
"Are you really...? Could you really be? No...impossible...impossible."
"I'm going to let you up now." said Lyude as he cautiously released his hold on the prisoner. Sliding back and kneeling a few feet away from him, a puzzled expression on his face as he rubbed his sore throat.
"The resemblance is staggering, I have to admit." said the prisoner sitting up.
"What are you talking about?" asked Lyude. "Who did you think I was trying to impersonate?"
"None of your business! You won't trick me with your devious ploys! No matter how innocent you play!"
Lyude sighed. "Never mind it." He seated himself again against a wall and stared blankly at the opposing one. Why did every act of kindness land him in life threatening peril? Could he ever once go without some sort of disaster for a decent stretch of time? Absently, he reached into the breast pocket of his uniform and pulled out a magnus that he always kept close to his heart. He vaguely thought how it was odd that it had been left with him. Why it to hadn't been taken. He unleashed the magnus and a small silver music box appeared in the palm of his hand. The man had settled down in a corner, but was watching him intently now.
Lyude wound the music box that Almarde had given him so many years ago, on the last morning before his exile. He leaned back and closed his eyes as the soothing Azha lullaby began to play.
He hummed quietly to himself a single tear slid down his cheek. He turned away from his cell mate, leery of turning his back on him, but feeling that he would not attempt any such foolishness again. At least not at the moment. "Almarde..." he whispered quietly to himself. He still missed her terribly. Nothing would alter that, it was times such as this that made him miss her the most."
He was half asleep when he said it, not even really thinking, in that space between waking and sleep.
"Almarde..." said the prisoner softly. Lyude's eyes opened again and he turned to look at the prisoner. "That's her box...she said she'd give it to...can you really be...?"
Lyude looked the prisoner in the eye. He saw a flicker of sadness and self scolding in the eyes of the other man.
"Do...do you know me?" asked the prisoner, his bearded face drawing closer to Lyude's. "You look so like her...so like Almarde...so like...but that was years ago!...and yet...answer me! Do you know my face!"
Lyude stared. "I...I don't know sir...should I?"
Suddenly, the knife was out again, but this time, not to attack. The man was cutting off his long beard and shaving away the thickened bristles to reveal a worn, yet suddenly strikingly familiar face.
"No! It can't be...!" said Lyude jumping to his feet in shock. "Jareth Lyricello? But you died!"
"You have been dead to me for many years Lyude...I thought the empire had killed all my family when I disobeyed. I couldn't deal with it...I couldn't bear to think of you...my young, innocent child, all of you...but there is no doubting you even as I look at you...Lyude! My son!"
The man grasped Lyude close, weeping into his shoulder. Tears of joy and a feel of release in his sobbing movements. Lyude stood frozen. Shock ran through him as if someone had poured a bucket of water over his head. The man sobbed on...this man...his father...who had been dead to him since he was five years old. "...Father?" said Lyude, his voice cracking slightly as Jareth Lyricello held Lyude back from him in order to examine him better.
"You look just like your mother." said Jareth and Lyude's eyes rimmed with tears.
"Father..." It seemed all that he could say. As if he could not believe it...the word sounded foreign coming from his mouth. He didn't know what to think. Was it a trick? He wondered if the man across from him quite dared trust in it either. He felt it sink in though, as their eyes locked again. There had been something familiar to him from the start. Lyude now realized it had been his eyes. Eyes he had not seen for over fourteen years. It was his turn to lose his composure then and he threw his arms around the father that he never thought he would see again. But why? Why was his father here? Had they hoped that Jareth would confide in him? Whatever secret he possessed? Had he been brought here to get something out of Lyude?
Lyude drew back from the embrace and met his father's gaze. "Whether we quite believe in each other or not. Tell me nothing that you have been concealing for all these years. Nothing. I do not trust this and neither should you. Those from the former Empire have done enough as far as tearing families apart." said Lyude with a bitter edge to his voice.
"Former Empire?" said Jareth puzzled.
"There's plenty of time to explain...I suppose I should start at the beginning, but not tonight. One shock is enough for one day."
Lyude and Jareth reluctantly laid down their heads for the night. Lyude watched quietly as his father, a lost son of Alfard, drifted into sleep. He would still be unbalanced at times, Lyude doubted the mania would stop at this revelation, but perhaps he could coax him out of it. Back to the world in which he belonged. So much stolen time...it was cruel, and Lyude could not even allow himself to learn why. He leaned his head against his arm and drifted into soundless sleep.
Crazygirl: Thanks again for the review! I'm glae you're enjoying my portrayal of Mizuti, she is so fun to write about!
TFRiD Queen: Thanks for the review. Indeed. Lyude does have some of the most rotten luck one has ever seen.
Kalika:Thanks again for the review! I'm glad that you're enjoying it so much.