The Dragonsteed Coup

The Dragonsteed Coup

         My name does not matter. My race and age are all trivial, it only depends upon what form I choose to appear to you as and how old and rickety, young and strong, or strange and fantastic I choose to appear. The only thing which you need to understand is that the tale I am about to weave for you is derived from the depths of truth.

         Truth...I am bound by all the deities in this land, which is called Ecorothensis by the races that live here, to speak only the truth.  I must warn you however, truth is truth. It is not bound to the colors gold and white, nor is it decreed that it must leave a warm and fuzzy feeling in you when spoken.  It can be a harsh reality. Especially when exposed in an attempt to bring justice to those who would hold it down. 

         This tale begins with a battle...


         Their swords clashed, the sharp sound of steel ringing on steel accompanied by the grunts and yells of exertion coming from the wielders. All around them, the bodies of their comrades lay dead from wounds unseen, and wounds grotesque and gory.  The large man ducked as his lean foe's sword swung, arcing through the air in line with where his neck was. 

         The lean man moved quickly to parry the large man's counter attack, his more slender blade smoothly coming around to halt it's large aggressor's sharp edge before it bit into his side, a blow that would have only been stopped by his spine. Both warriors were from an army called the Dragonsteed Riders, both held the rank of commander.  The larger man, named Eliam, had many scars on his body.  The lean man, named Allen, had no blemish or mark of battle on his skin.

         "Halt your fighting! What is the purpose of this!" A voice rose above the clamor of their battle.  They heard it, but they did not heed it.  Suddenly, both warriors froze.  The magical seizure was just in time, as the large man's blade was about to cut a chunk out of the smaller man's neck; and the latter's blade was aimed to run the large man through, into his stomach and out of his back.  Truly this would have been the demise of both warriors.

         The voice, strong and powerful, was not unkind. It was commanding, however, and neither of these warriors respected any authority but their own.

         "What is the meaning of this, wizard? Show yourself!" The Allen, the lean man, demanded through frozen lips, the words coming out sounding more like groans than speech.  Nevertheless, the newcomer understood their meaning.

         "Neither of you two deserve to ride your mounts! I should have let you both run each other through. I, however, am condemned to find out the truth.  I will know, and I will know now, what has brought about this...this...mutinous bloodshed!"  The short goblin, draped in baggy tan robes and plain leather-and-wood pendants, stepped into view.  The two humans gasped. "I will now free your tongues, but keep your responses to the point. Any malicious words and you will be submitted to torture. And it will not be physical."

         The goblin looked up at his two captives, his yellow eyes demanding answers and his thin dark green lips pursed tightly together in anger.  When none came, he brought one hand up and touched a pendant, his other hand reaching out to poke sharply into a shoulder on each man.

         "So neither will speak? Do you feel I am bluffing?" As the goblin spoke his last word, he snapped his fingers.  Both men let out bloodcurdling screams and their noses started bleeding.  From the pain they were in, they probably would have collapsed if they weren't ensorcelled still in the first spell.

         When the pain let up, both med passed out of conciousness for a brief second.  They both woke up dazed, with fear in their eyes.

         "I ask you once more.  What is the meaning of this bloodshed?  Look around you! Do you not see how you men, of the same army, have soiled this beautiful field!?" The goblin made gestures while he spoke, and turned his head this way and that, taking in the scenery that was now the crimson red of blood. "I demand answers!"

         "I apologize for my insolence, Lord.  We are fighting because Eliam here was plotting a coup.  Many people of the populace have been tricked into believing that your order and ours, the Dragonsteed Riders, are not protecting them well enough against an enemy that doesn't exist."  Eliam would have glared at his smaller foe, if not for the sorcery holding everything but his tongue in place.

         "You traitorous pig!  Those lies were spread and paid for with aid of your treacherous friends and allies! And with your skimmed profits off the royal coffers! I have proof!"  The goblin rose an eyebrow at the big man.  Both men were presumed loyal soldiers, enlisted into the ranks of the Dragonsteeds at around the same time.  Both were battle hardened, although only Eliam wore his scars openly.  The lean man, Allen, always had his scars removed with magic from whatever wizard would give him the cheapest price for the procedure. 

         "You both realize that the accusations you have spoken against each other, are of crimes punishable only by the most horrible torture and death?  Both of you could already be executed for attempting to start a civil war, leading our soldiers against each other!  I would have killed you on sight if I had seen one single mount dead amongst you.  You are not involved in a game here.  You are both going to be put in the dungeons holding cells and questioned rigorously until the truth is found out!"  The goblin produced two sets of magical manacles from an unseen place within his robes, and bound the wrists of both men.  He snapped his fingers once and both men were unfrozen, then snapped them again and the magical manacles activated.  Both men winced and gasped as the quarter inch spikes, resembling the tip of carpenters nails, bit into their skin causing blood to flow almost freely down their arms. 

          The goblin tied a large leather thong around the chain binding the wrists together of both men, and placed his hand in the center of the thong.  He lead them off the battlefield, which was inside of the palace grounds, and out of the light of the late morning sun.  Through two doors, down a winding flight of stone stairs, finally through one more door, they were in the top level of the dungeon.  Two large guards picked each man up, and hung  them by their manacles from a hook.  Their feet dangled just a foot off of the ground. The goblin turned around and left the room, without so much as a word.

The Kings Chambers

         "My lord, I have brought them into the castle.  They are currently in the dungeon, hung from the holding hooks.  They have both accused each other of trying to bring about a coup." The goblin said, kneeling in reverence to the king of the dragonsteed warriors.

         "Who do you believe to be the mutinous party, Kandir?  Is it Elian, or is it Allen?"  The king spoke kindly, as had the goblin.  His voice was firm and commanding, coming from a red-skinned throat and black lips.  His red eyes seeming to look through the goblin as he patiently awaited the answer that he knew would come.

         "Both of their words rang with truth when spoken, and both of these men have aura's slightly clouded with the waves of deception.  I could perhaps search their minds directly for the answers we seek, however that would be painful and possibly lethal to both of them." The goblin spoke with eyes that met the kings gaze with unwavering loyalty and trust.  Each held the other's gaze until, finally, the king spoke.

         "You must solve this mystery.  Neither of them are to be allowed command over soldiers, both are to be served prisoners rations, and both will be stuck in a darkroom in the dungeon."

         "Yes, your majesty.  I will see to it that it is done."  The goblin rose, then turned on his heels and walked calmly out of the king's chambers.  He went back down into the dungeon and stripped all insignia off of his captives.  He ordered the guards to escort them to their cells, then turned around and left again.  The guards did as they were told.

The City of Dragon Keep

         "You...You there! Yes, you...would you like to read the words of your salvation?"

         "Huh?"

         "Yes, you're salvation! Here, take this pamphlet and spread the word to everyone!"

         "Hey, where'd you go?" Said a tall woman covered in brown fur with a bow and full quiver of arrows slung across her back.  She opened up the pamphlet and read the words that were inside.

To the people of Dragon Keep, I write these words.  Be warned! You're precious Dragonsteed Riders are leading you into peril!  They are openly defying the peoples wishes, and planning to use the new laws against you! Already the other cities understand the danger which this order represents, and already they have overthrown the Dragonsteed Riders in their towns, and I urge you to do the same!

         No she thought, the riders were fine when I was in the other towns.Being an ogre, it took her a little bit longer for the information to click in her brain.  However, she was a smart ogre, so after only a few minutes of hard thinking, the information she had just read did register. "TRAITOR!" She yelled, causing an upstir in the town square.  There were dozens of people looking at her, just staring. She looked around, suddenly embarassed. A tap on her shoulder told her that she had probably caused to much of a stir.

         "You're going to have to come with us ma'am." Said two riders on their Dragonsteeds.  One rider, riding a blue dragon steed that was obviously female because of it's slender almost beaklike scaled snout, told her that she could either come with or without the manacles, but either way she was going to need to come with.

         "Where?" She replied, folding the pamphlet in half and stuffing into her pocket as neatly as could.

         "You're going to have to come to the palace for questioning. You'll be put into a holding cell in the dungeon."

         "No! Let me see the king!" She replied, not wanting to wear the manacles.  The rider's looked at each other, and back at her.

         "What makes you think you deserve an audience with the king?"  The rider of the red mount said, while his dragonsteed pawed and scratched the ground as if eager to be on it's way.  She looked at the broad red snout of the dragonsteed, knowing that because it was a male it was very temperamental, and might not be able to be controlled by it's rider.

         "My name is Ruinya." She replied.  At the mention of the Ogress' name, the two riders gasped.

         "We apologize, m'lady.  We'll take you there right away."  And they did.

The King's Chambers

         "Ahh, m'lady Ruinya.  Alas, the only time I ever see you, you are bringing bad news!  Why can't you ever come here for the mere task of eating a dinner with me?" 

         "Lot's of work to do, King. And you're an orc. I was given this piece of paper in town today."  Ruinya pulled out the piece of paper, which was kept in good condition considering her race, and handed it to the orc who sat in his throne with his majestic crown and beautifully embroidered black robes that contrasted nicely with his crimson skin.  The orc, in turn, looked over the pamphlet.

         "Ahh, so that is the bad news of which you speak. You know, I've already caught wind of the situation Ruinya.  Two of my most loyal soldiers are in holding cells as we speak because this morning they both led factions of my army against each other."  At the sound of this news, Ruinya's small eyes fairly popped out of her head while she let out an audible gasp.

         "You did not kill them?" Ruinya asked, showing her disbelief openly.  The king told her that he had no way of knowing who the guilty part was, as both of the soldiers accused each other in the initial interrogation.  They then sat in comfortable silence, both thinking of the matter at hand.

         "Ahh, Ruinya, I think I may have a way to get around this situation, if you will accept the quest of course."  The king spoke in a serious tone, not wanting to force her into doing something that may cause her death.  Ruinya thought long and hard before she replied, but in the back of her mind the decision to help had been made as soon as she realized traitors were in the town.

         "What's your plan, king?."  Ruinya finally spoke.

         "You and Kandir will take charge of the two prisoners, and stop this coupe as quickly as possible.  Use whatever you need to use, and the royal coffers are open to you for any supplies while in town."

         "You want me to work with a goblin?  You owe me, king.  I accept the quest." Ruinya said, showing her disdain for goblins.

         "You will go to the holding cells now, and Kandir will meet you there."  Upon completion of his sentence, Ruinya got up and turned on her heels, making straight for the dungeon.

The Dungeon

         "Well, Eliam, you're treachery has cost the both of us this time." Allen said with a chuckle. He was in his darkroom cell, which was designed to make prisoners go crazy from being in solitude for a long time.  It's only fault was that the prisoners could all talk to the person on either side of their cell through small vents that made it easier to get heat into each cell during the cool months.

         "You traitorous pig. Don't even speak my name." Eliam retorted, with a disgusted frown on his face.  The truth of the matter was, both men had been good friends up until the morning they were fighting each other.

         "You would throw away our friendship after all these years?  How long has it been, Eliam?" Allen replied, knowing that his laid back demeanor often aggravated the larger man, who tended to take life more seriously.

         Eliams door opened, scraping on the pavement for every inch of it's swing. The meager light in the hallway hurt his eyes, although he hadn't been in the holding cell for long at all.  The goblin walked into his cell.

         "What are you doing in here, green man?"  Eliam asked him. "I know I'm not being released yet, so this must be the start of the questioning."

         "Maybe it is, maybe it isn't.  I'm going to put a restricting ward on you, so you're movements will be difficult.  This is to hinder you for my protection. Step out into the hallway and close your door behind you." Kandir then went to Allen's cell and did the same thing, giving him the same instructions.  When both men were out in the hallway, he stood in front of them and bid them follow.

         "There is someone that king wants you both to meet.  Her name is Ruinya, and she is a valuable ally to the king.  She is also you're new commander."  Both men stopped in their tracks at the news which they both took as an insult.  Each of them had to hide their rage at being told that they were going to be led by one of the Dragonsteed Riders' rogue allies.

         When they stepped onto the first level in the dungeon, and into the room where they were previously chained to the walls, both men froze in their tracks.

         "You never told me that we were going to be led by an ogre." Allen said.  Both men were shaking their heads.

         "I am you're leader.  You're other option is guilt and a rope." Ruinya retorted, showing that she had a mutual feeling towards the men. "Our quest is better than death.  Find and kill the traitors.  One of you will die at the end of this quest."  Allen paled at the sound of one of their fate's being stated so bluntly.