Read, review, enjoy!

Chapter 8: Ambassador

Flynn was still getting over Lady Oanez's appearance and manners and had almost over looked the part where they said Sylvarant Kingdom.

"There is no such Kingdom," Sabeline quickly claimed.

"Of course there is," Oanez said with her head tilted. "It's where your old capital used to be. You all took so long to reclaim it, so Ray Ray decided to stake a claim to it."

While they briefly wondered who she was talking about, the servant quickly cleared it up. "In Lady Oanez's insolence, she means His Highness Raymond."

"Yeah that's what I said, Ray Ray," Oanez said looking back at her companion. To which the servant just looked annoyed. She quickly pulled out a small hand fan to hide her displeasure.

"He claims to be a king, but what business does he want with the Empire?" The Empress then asked. She fought to keep her voice steady. Flynn could see the child had her hands folded in her lap but had her nails digging into her skin. Even Flynn was concerned with someone calling themselves king. There could be a number of reasons for them coming here.

Oanez just blinked at them. "Well I didn't bring his pedigree, but he does have ties to one of your Emperors. Which one was that again…The adventuring one. Ray Ray is like that guy's great-grandson but through a bastard or something like that. So he definitely has royal blood if that's what you all are concerned with. Not that it really matters to his kingdom."

"Is he trying to lay claim to the Empire?" Flynn quickly asked.

"Even if what you say is true, an illegitimate heir has no right to a throne," Sabeline said.

Oanez scratched the back of her head. "Yeah, yeah, look, we've been busy rebuilding what you used to call Zaphias into the Sylvarant Kingdom. Now I'm here to make it official and see if you want to sign an armistice so our kingdoms can start being neighbors. We can even start talking about trade if you want. But another day because trade talk bores me."

"You take our kingdom and land, you've even slaughtered our citizens," Flynn spat out angrily. "Now you want us to be friends."

There was a brief moment before Oanez began to explain calmly, "Both sides lost some in those skirmishes. I understand why you would be upset about the attack. But no one was even settled in Zaphias. You were still taking your time rebuilding it. Are you sure you're just not pissed that you now have another kingdom to compete with? We only want the land to Daiden Hold. We have no intrest in any other city."

Then why did you attack Halure?" Flynn wanted to ask. The events that transpired that day were burned in his memory. So many innocent lives were lost. But he needed to let the Empress led this meeting.

"That is the land where the first Emperor built the Empire," Iolanda said. "And you stole it from us."

The woman let out a sigh. "Look, we can keep going in circles on this. If you're really feel that passionate, we can always go to war and you can claim the land back if you win."

Flynn couldn't believe that she just outright said it. This was some ambassador.

Suddenly Oanez looked serious for the first time. "But neither of us wants that. Especially you though. War would be a financial burden on us and set us back a few years. However you are put at more of a disadvantage."

"What makes you so certain in that?" Sabeline asked. "We have an army of highly trained knights."

"And you're currently on bad terms with the guilds," Oanez told them. "If you go to war with us, it is highly probable that the guilds would use that as an opportunity to attack. And no matter how finely trained your knights may be, you won't last long on a two-front war. And before you say it, the guild cities have nothing to gain if they attack us. They have no reason to seek more land and one of Ray's ambassadors used to be a part of one the five master guilds and even has deep ties with Palestralle. So due to the guild's treaty with one another, the Union won't make a move on our kingdom when we're on good terms with Palestralle."

Flynn wondered briefly if she meant Gillian. Being a member of the White Sentinels would have certainly given him connections with people in Palestralle.

"Are you trying to insinuate that you have more allies than us?" Councilor Sabeline asked.

"Not really," Oanez told them. "We're on good terms with them, but I doubt they'd join a war for us at this point in time. At least we didn't betray the guilds trust like you did."

So they even know about that, Flynn thought bitterly. Relations with the guild became worse after Zaphias was taken and Ioder was murdered. Aurnion was meant to be a city for all. But when Zaphias had been destroyed over twenty years ago, the guilds gladly opened the city for citizens of the Empire. Then when lands were taken, by who Oanez calls the Sylvarant Kingdom, the guilds were probably a little irritated, but allowed Aurnion to become home of the Empire until it could get back on its feet. Then Ioder was killed.

Fingers were pointed everywhere and mainly at the guilds. The child Empress was given bad counsel and she banished the guilds thinking they were responsible for her father's death. So the city of Hope and Friendship between the Empire and Guilds was gone forever. And things have just gotten worse.

"Of course everything I said would be your worst-case scenario," Oanez added. "But even if the guild cities decided to stay out of our war, I'd take a guess that our odds of winning would still be about fifty-three percent. And Ray and I are gamblers, so we'll take those odds."

"I'm not sure how you came up with those odds, but is that your real tactic? To scare us into not opposing you?" Flynn said.

Oanez still had a serious look and she gave a tired breath. "I knew it was too soon to reveal ourselves to you all. But no, Ray Ray just had to make us known. All we're trying to do is avoid a war, much like I assume you all are doing with the guild cities at this moment. Sure, I can give you statistics and the possible odds. But let's face it, our world and its people have no idea what war is really like. The Great War we refer to is called that on the loses of terms. There were only little skirmishes and people were mainly fighting against monsters. So none of us have any way to accurately predict how the war will go."

Just then the woman started walking up the stairs, toward the Empress. The knights quickly readied their weapons. But having them out did nothing for the woman. She kept walking until Flynn stepped in front of the Empress and drew his sword so it was against the woman's bandaged throat. She didn't so much as flinch and went on. "For all we know, it could cause both of our mutual destruction. Us humans crave different things; glory, money, sex, bloodshed, and even death. So with a battlefield open to everyone, how do you think it will go for a bunch of newbies? Will they find joy in murdering people?"

"Step back from Her Highness, or you will no longer have a head," Flynn quickly warned. He would not allow her this close to Iolanda. All of the alarms were going off in Flynn's head with this woman.

"Kill Lady Oanez and you have all but insured there will be a war," Oanez's companion shouted. Flynn noticed something shinning under the woman's sleeve. A knife, perhaps? She was planning to attack if Flynn intended to follow through with his threat.

"Look, you're not bad looking," Oanez suddenly said in a lighter manner. Then Flynn felt as her hand moved up to grab the blade. Then she pushed it a little so the blade wasn't resting against her neck anymore. "But I don't have any desire to be killed by an old man." She was squeezing the blade now so that her hand was bleeding through the bandages.

Her next action really confused Flynn, because she quickly smiled and said, "Now if you were maybe twenty years younger, I'd gladly let you kill me. That's definitely in my top five ways to die."

"Lady Oanez," her companion seemed to threaten with gritted teeth. It made Flynn wonder if this was something common this woman talked about.

At that, Oanez let go of Flynn's sword and jumped down the stairs to rejoin her companion. "There's two reasons why I was chosen to be the king's ambassador. One of them being because I crave death. Anyone else more qualified for this job refused because of the fear you'd just outright execute them." That weird side of her returned then to say, "That's why this job sucks so much, I'm not allowed to die because it would cause a war. I've already had to pass up few great ways to kill myself on this trip."

Why does she sound so disappointed? Flynn only briefly wondered.

Then that seriousness returned in her eyes. "The other reason is because I'm pretty good at predicting the way people will react. Now that I've seen your kingdom, I'm all but sure that war will end in your own destruction And it won't be because of the enemy."

"Can I have time to think about the situation?" Iolanda suddenly asked. That startled Flynn to hear that. But not as much as Sabeline. He almost said something against it. Thankfully he chose to keep his mouth shut. It would not look good for the Empress' advisors to be questioning her decisions.

Oanez blinked up at the Empress. "That's fair, I guess," she answered. "But we are planning on leaving after this. But we can make it back here before we return home. That'll give you a month to decide if you prefer peace or war." With that, she and her companion turned to leave.

Flynn motioned for the knights to let the women go through no problem. They left with no incident and once the door closed behind them, Flynn said, "I want them followed."

"I know the perfect person," Sabeline said. "I also want to know who they met with and every meal they ate."

Sabeline was from an old noble family that has had their ups and downs over the years serving the Empire. Flynn at least believed whole heartily that the Sabeline family would do anything for the Empire and their ruler. The only down side was that he was in favor going to war with the guilds. Maybe this whole Sylvarant business will at least put a pause on that.

"Do you think they have support in the city," Lady Iolanda asked her advisers. She couldn't hide her fear anymore. She was shaking a bit.

Flynn then turned to the Empress and knelt down in front of her. "We will get to the bottom of this, Your Highness. All I can promise is that I will keep you safe, no matter what. That is my top priority."

"But Sir Scifo," the Empress started to say. "Is it true what she said. If we went to war, would we really have that much of a disadvantage?"

Of course that was what Iolanda was worried about. Many on the council was ready for a war with the guilds just to get it over with. "I at least believe one thing she said, the war would be unpredictable," Flynn told honestly. He wanted to avoid a war at all cost. But there was just something that wasn't sitting right with him. Was it the because they were finally having another kingdom to compete with. Or was it because Gillian was in the Sylvarant Kingdom? Something in Flynn was just yelling that going to war was some kind of trap. What is Gillian wanting to achieve?

Damn you Mayvin, where are you when you are really needed?

"Your Highness, you will not be alone in this," Sabeline told her. He knelt in front of the child Empress. "The Sabeline family creed is "Absolute loyalty to the Empire". We shall serve you till our dying breath."

Lady Iolanda looked uncomfortable. "I don't want anyone to die," she muttered.

Flynn wished he could protect her like he would his own child from the harshness of situation. He wanted to promise nothing bad would happen. But that wasn't a possible outcome. The only thing he could promise was that he would do anything to protect her.

Suddenly a knight ran into the room and up to Flynn. "Sir Scifo," he said in an urgent voice.

"What is it now?" Flynn asked. What else could be so urgent that it would require his attention.

"It's your wife, Lady Scifo. She's greatly distressed," the knight explained.

Flynn really had to fight the urge not to groan or roll his eyes. He knew what that meant. This was her attempt to get his attention when she felt he was neglecting her. She had a tendency to overreact. Especially when Flynn hadn't been home for a day or so. After hearing about the attack at the castle, she probably thought she could use it as an excuse to call him home. "If she is that worried, she can have a few more knights around," Flynn told him and hoped that would give him at least one day's peace to deal with the bigger crisis on hand. She couldn't seem to grasp that there were bigger issues at hand.

"No sir, she's worried about your son. He hasn't been seen since this morning," the knight quickly explained.

Flynn froze hearing that.

/~/~/

Raiden and the others reached Aurnion Port in just a few hours with nightfall almost upon them. The port town was just as busy as the capital. Raiden was hoping that they could get on a boat tonight. But they would likely have to stay at an inn to wait for a ship in the morning.

They had barely made it into the city limits when they suddenly heard someone call out, "I've finally caught up to you criminals."

Raiden did look around, but was really looking for whoever the criminal was. No one was running. Then they heard the same voice call out, "Don't you dare walk away from me." This time the voice sounded a bit whinier.

Finally Raiden turned around to see a boy maybe a year or two younger than Raiden. He had short, straight blonde hair with right side bangs being long enough to cover his right eye. He was dressed like a noble wearing a rich looking training doublet with arm and leg braces that were only type of armor he wore. In his hand was a simple combat staff with no sharp edges.

Raiden pointed to himself. "Are you talking to me?" He asked the boy.

The boy looked annoyed. "Of course I'm talking to you," he answered. "You disrupted the peace of Aurnion and even escaped justice by breaking out of jail."

Raiden just blinked at the boy. Rune did the same thing and Elena was busy reading that she probably didn't even notice the boy had stopped them. "Dude, I didn't do any of those things," Raiden said bluntly. "The commander of the Royal Knights let me go because I didn't do anything wrong."

For some reason, the boy seemed to have flinched when Raiden mentioned Flynn. But he quickly recomposed himself. "Well I was ordered to keep close watch on you by my superiors," the boy claimed.

"But that doesn't make any sense," Rune said a bit sheepishly.

Raiden looked to his sister for some clarification. But she was still nose deep in her book. They were on their own. "I'm pretty sure even that would be super illegal, to follow a citizen," Raiden added.

"I don't think that's the issue," Rune commented to Raiden. "It's more to the fact that he's about the same age as us."

"I may be young, but I am a knight," the boy defended, but seemed a bit flustered. "I graduated from the academy early."

"I guess that's not impossible," Rune commented.

"Look, I am a knight, and this is my first solo mission without my brigade," the boy stated firmly. "I was sent to keep an eye on you so you don't cause any more trouble."

Raiden felt a bit annoyed. He had wondered if Flynn decided to send a knight to accompany them. But wouldn't it make more sense to send an experienced knight considering where they were going? Then it suddenly dawned on Raiden. The boy really did look familiar. "So are you not planning on introducing yourself?" Raiden asked. He was pretty sure he knew who this boy was.

"Very well, my name is Matthias. You may refer to me as Lord or Commander Matthias," the boy stated without any shame.

Raiden started to laugh a bit. "So little Mattie really did become a knight," Raiden tried to say as serious as he could. But he just couldn't believe that Matthias would think Raiden wouldn't recognize him.

Matthias couldn't keep his composer and got really flustered. "How many times have I told you not to call me that. My name is Matthias. And I'm not short anymore."

"You know him Raiden?" Rune asked.

"We used to play together when we used to live in Halure," Raiden explained. "He's Flynn son, remembered?"

It then clicked with him too. "Oh, the little boy who cried because he thought we abandoned him in the woods when really we just got out of sight," Rune recalled.

When they used to live in Halure, Flynn had visited more and brought his son. Raiden and Rune didn't really have much of an opinion of Mattie since they didn't see him very often. He had sort of been a bit of a pain to play with. Raiden's dad always commented that Flynn's son acted more like a spoiled prince than a knight's son. Raiden had gotten in trouble with Mattie's mother for playing too rough with her "delicate son" plenty of times. So young Raiden didn't think playing with Mathias Scifo was that fun.

"I was not that short," Matthias argued. He had always been smaller than average. It seemed like he finally caught up. Although Raiden was still slightly taller.

"Well Mattie, I'm glad you got to become a knight like you wanted," Rune commented.

"Matthias Scifo is my name," Mattie stated. "Since I'm a knight now, you have to show me at least that much respect."

"Fine, Matthias," Raiden ceded. "So what, your dad sent you to watch us?"

"Exactly," Matthias claimed. "I'm here to make sure you three don't get into any more trouble."

"It's not exactly like we caused that much trouble in the first place," Raiden muttered.

"But why didn't you just tell us who you were at the beginning?" Rune asked.

"People think just because I'm the Commander's son that I'm only here for that, but I want to assure you that I'm here from my own merit," Matthias told them.

Raiden supposed that made sense. A little. Flynn didn't seem like the type to send his own son into dangerous territory though. But as long as he didn't get in their way.

"Fine, we're heading to Heilord," Raiden told.

"Very well," Matthias said. "I've been there plenty of times. So I'll help you navigate the city better then you could have on your own."

Just then they heard a book close shut. Elena looked up at them, but paused at Matthias. "Who's the loser?" Elena asked.

It took some time to explain to her who she was. She never really played with them and definitely wasn't good at remembering real people. Even before all the bullying at school, Elena was pretty shy with new people and preferred to read. Fictional characters she could quote and recall with almost 100% accuracy.

"Where's your sword?" Elena asked bluntly.

Now that she mentioned it, Raiden did think it was a bit odd. Raiden distinctly remembered that Mattie wanted to be a swordsman like Flynn. Strange he wouldn't have one. The staff wasn't for magic, but just a basic self-defense staff.

"I found I was more skilled in staff training then I was swordplay," Matthias explained.

"Lame," Elena said. "Minus ten points," she muttered.

"What are you talking about?" Raiden asked his sister irritably, though he had a feeling that he would regret it.

"Character points," Elena answered. "That was a lame character introduction. Plus staffs like that one are just boring for a main character claiming to be a knight." Sable seemed to bark in agreement.

"Of course," Raiden muttered as he rubbed his head. It shouldn't surprise him that his bookworm of a sister would start review people she just met like characters.

An apology on Elena's behalf was right on the tip of his tongue. But then Matthias said, "I see, I'll have to work harder to make you think more highly of me. Miss, I will be a shining example of what a knight should be."

Elena ignored him and had already found another book to read. She and Sable were already walking toward the port town.

/~/~/

Skit: Miss Maiden

Matthias: Raiden Lowell, you are the lowest of the low.

Raiden: What did I do this time?

Matthias: We're going into the savage guild county and you bring your little sister.

Raiden looking annoyed: Dude, I would have liked nothing more than for Elena to stay at home. But she came on her own.

Matthias: I know you're not a knight, but to think you can't consider Miss Elena's safety or feelings. The way you talk to her should make you ashamed as a man. Not to mention you making her carry her own bag.

Raiden: Look, I get that you're an only child. But this is how siblings interact with one another. And for your information, I do worry about her. But it's more for other's benefit.

Matthias: What do you mean? Miss Elena is delicate flower.

Raiden: That. I wouldn't say that in front of her if you want to stay the same color.

Matthias: You're just uncouth. Watch. *Elena walks by* Miss Elena, that bag looks heavy, I wouldn't mind to carry your bag.

Elena: Drop the "miss."

Matthias looking confused: Huh?

Elena: It's just Elena, got it.

Matthias: Oh, if you say so.

Elena: Then here. *Large crash and Elena walks away.

Matthias: What the- *huff* You let her carry something so heavy?

Raiden: Those are all the books she brought for this journey. It looks like she bought more in the city. Good luck carrying her and your bag. *Walks off.

Matthias breathing hard: Come on Matthias, what would your mother say if you don't carry a lady's bag. *Breath* You can do this.

/~/~/

"This is so annoying," Raiden complained to Rune as they heard Mattie crying. They weren't even that far away from him.

Rune looked a bit uncomfortable listening to Mattie freaking out. Halure was still in sight and if Mattie would just get up and walk a few steps he'd see them. "I guess hide and seek is out of the question for him," Rune said.

Raiden could handle people being scared, like Rune. But Mattie was like a baby. He practically wanted to hold hands while playing. That was no fun.

Raiden's dad then appeared. There was a moment when he had a worried look. But he saw Raiden and Rune and realized what was going on. He gave a sigh when he said, "I thought one of you was hurt or something." Really, he meant "I thought Raiden did something stupid that caused someone else to get hurt."

"Mattie is just being a baby," Raiden complained.

Yuri put his hand on his son's head. "I know that he acts more like a delicate little prince rather than a knight's son. But try to go a little easier on him," Yuri told them. But then he gave him a mischievous grin. "Not too easy though. Someone has to toughen him up a bit, right?"

Raiden gave him a reluctant smile. He wished Mattie would toughen up already.

Yuri then walked a little ways toward to the crying kid. Just so he was in sight. "Matthias, they're over here," Yuri called out. He was going to make Matthias walk.

If it had been anyone else, Yuri probably would have left them to figure it out themselves. He only step in because there was probably no telling what Matthias' mother would do if she heard her child cry. Raiden would never complain about his own mother or even Aunt Rita for that matter. Matthias' mother was so proper and acted like she and her son were made of glass.

Anytime Raiden saw Flynn, he just couldn't believe that he was married to someone like that. They were such opposites. When Raiden made a comment on that, his mother explained that Flynn and Lady Scifo did like each other, but that they only married for political reasons. Raiden didn't really get it and then asked his parents if they had to do something similar.

For some reason, that made his dad laugh. "You mother would have, if I didn't come into the picture."

"You really are a terrible influence," his mother said in a light joking tone.

Mattie finally caught up with them and was sniffling his cries. "Why did you guys leave me?" Mattie asked.

"We didn't though," Rune tried to tell the boy.

"You're such a cry baby," Raiden said. "And you really think you be a knight?"

"I will become a knight, just like my dad," Mattie declared with tears still in his eyes.

"Well you better get tougher," Yuri told the kid.

/~/~/

The room was dark with just a single candle burning. But the one waiting didn't need to see. The less they saw, the less information they can give if caught. The figure was waiting for orders with, wearing dark formless clothing to hide and white mask.

The masked individual looked up when they heard someone approaching the dungeon. "Grim Shade," the new voice said. Grim Shade knew it was Grand Viper, the leader of their organization. "You have a new mission."

"I am, but a tool for the Empress," Grim Shade recited.

"Two women appeared to the Empress today declaring themselves members of a new kingdom," Grand Viper began to explain.

"Do you want them dead?" Grim Shade asked.

"Not yet," he answered. "I want to know their every move. But if you feel they are a threat to the Empire, I will trust your judgement on whether to kill them or not."

"What of my other mission?" Grim Shade asked.

"I'm told they are going to the same place you were originally going. I have faith you can multi-task," Grand Viper said. "Out of everyone in our order, you show the most promise of bringing us back into the Empire's shadow."

"We are the hidden blade and shadow of the Empire," Grim Shade recited as they stood up. They were once the Empire's Shadow, its assassins. Their order almost vanished with the long absence of the Emperor. Emperor Ioder was ignorant to their existence as is the little Empress. Many of them blamed the lack of activity of the absence that led to the death of the Emperor. But no more.

Grim Shade could not let that happen again. That's why three important guild members would die soon. Grim Shade would protect the Empire at any cost.