Trinity Inn

Trinity Inn: Arben and the Dragoons

There weren't always dragons in the Valley. That was until Du'themere arrived in the far East. The rise of the Arcane Sage in the Kingdom of Drucca marked the end of a saga and the beginning of a new age. His majesty seemingly arrived from nowhere with an architect's itch for the creation of both the material and metaphysical. From where he accumulated his knowledge or from where he originated remains to be known, but his arrival was marked by that of the dragons. Some received the sage as saviour and prophet while others who met their untimely demise screamed tyrant. The kingdoms of old have all been erased in just over a decade. Thirteen years was all it took for empires forged over millennia to be burnt to ash, flash-frozen or converted into miles of thick shrubbery. The landscape was restructured by the might of dragons under the Grand Architect's plans. His vision is to reconstrue the world once again in the primordial image. Nothing left of civilization other than empty ruins home to beasts of all sorts and kinds. The new landscape is vast, dangerous, and, most importantly, open once again to rediscovery.

Not all hope is lost. Since Du'themere's campaign seven years ago, no one has seen or heard of him or his dragon compatriots. New settlements litter the renewed landscape, appearing almost everywhere, but they are few and far between compared to what once stood in their place. The norms and people are different from what I remember. My memory of the world of old seems like nothing more than a distant dream abandoned to the unconscious. I was seven years old when the dragons came. They took everything from me; my life has never been the same. My father Osserius was captain of the Praetorian Guard for the Emperor Gulkishar of Ur, the greatest kingdom in all of Mesopotamia. Gulkishar was a fair man, noble, brave, and justified in his ruling of the people. His domain was home to the biggest host of populous anywhere in Mesopotamia. We enjoyed a golden age that spanned over three hundred years, sprouting from the spoils of our Sasanian rivals.

My mother Helen was the fairest of women and the most exquisite. Well-rehearsed in the skill of rhetoric, she took on public office as a leading judiciary in the Court of Samba. There she conducted herself in service of the people of Ur and listened to their pleas and plights. Known for her expertise and fair judgement, many appealed their cases to be heard by her and her alone. A notion my father constantly reminded my mother of was solely attributed to the people's desire to admire her beauty. Oh, how they used to glow together; I am truly blessed to be their son. I will never forgive Du'themere for what he has done.

"Are you almost done writing in there? I'm hungry, and Osterek is still six hours away!" Arben closed his diary, stretched his arms in an upward arch, and slowly stood up from beneath the tree he was sitting up against. "We have only rested for twenty minutes; are you sure you are ready to get going already?" He replied while collecting his gear. Irena, an eight-year-old orphaned girl Arben stumbled upon in a busy tavern a moment away from being pulverized, has never ceased following him ever since. "We have to! It's the evening hour, and if we get going now, we might be able to get there before midnight. I don't wanna spend another night in the woods. Besides, we have no food!" Irena crossed her arms, puffed her lips, and furrowed her eyebrows, looking at Arben disapprovingly. "Alright, alright," he replied. "Here, take this; it's the last of my rations. It should tide you over for the remainders of our journey." He handed over a few chestnuts to the young girl, and she disdainfully received them, murmuring, "I hate chestnuts."

Arben looked upwards in appreciation for the enormous trees of the Yukitra Forest. Dense vegetation that did not exist a decade ago but sprouted in the wake of Cernunnos, the Eldest Forest Dragon. Cernunnos devasted the eastern provinces of Mesopotamia; however, his means of doing so was a peculiarly subjective one. Everything the beast's foul green breath brazed upon turned into agonized vegetation. No living being trying to escape the enormous beak creature had any chance of running from such a doom. "Mother nature is incarnate," many screamed before their death, but this is not it. This is Du'themere's doing. This abominable parody of creation would not have existed to cause so much death if it was not for him. His breath transformed everything it touched into plants of all sorts and kinds; the forest known as the Yukitra is but one example of the incredible power of Cernunnos, the Eldest Forest Dragon. The Yukitra Forest was seeded in the Avatar’s wake. This region's deserts and agrarian lands are buried beneath this new artificial landscape.

Arben whistled once, then twice, and rustling from the leaves above could quickly be heard. A screaming body came crashing down from above with a thud out of nowhere. "I see you got my call, good sir, Niko." Niko, an adolescent boy Arben saved during the last battle for Ur, has been his travel companion, best friend, and apprentice. Arben aimed to teach him everything he knew, from combat, magic, and stealth to arts, literature, and how to be. Nine years older than Niko, Arben became his mentor and the older brother he lost. Niko was already an orphan when he arrived in Ur, a refugee travelling from the land of Ajax with his older brother Hisham. Hisham protected and cared for his little brother for eight years since they lost their place. Like many others, their years of travel led them to Ur, one of the final stands for the civilizations of old.

Niko rubbed his head in a vain attempt to make the pain go away, "it's a work in progress." He got up with a groan and collected his belongings. Both Arben and Irena helped him with the task, and the three were quickly on their way. "What do you got there?" Niko asked Irena as they trotted along. "Chestnuts! He gave them to me because I'm his favourite!" Irena giggled as she munched on the few rations she had. "Well, I guess you're my favourite too because I have these raisins leftover from last week that are all yours." Niko tossed the small satchel at the skipping little girl, and she received them with excitement.

Two hours passed since the crew of three resumed their three-day journey from Timgrad. The rays of sunlight were beginning to dim, and the sounds of crickets, frogs, and nightlife slowly emerged as nocturnal critters awoke from their slumber. They followed a narrow winding path through the shrubbery, carved out from the infrequent passersby making their way between Osterek and Timgrad.

"When was the last time you saw a dragon?" Irena asked, breaking the silence. "A long time ago," Arben replied plainly. "That's boring. What about you, Niko? When was the last time you saw a dragon?" Niko whistled sharply, which slowly turned into an exhalation, "probably during the escape of Ur. We barely made it out of that rut, didn't we, Arben." Arben said nothing but managed a grumble "mhmm" and continued on walking. "What kind of dragon was it? What happened? Did you die?" Asked Irena curiously with wide eyes. "Oh, indeed, yes. Well, no, we did not die, girl, but we definitely came close to it. You see, it was a Ngen juvenile dragon. It flew over us, spewing hues of green and brown. Whole swaths of travellers escaping the carnage of Ur met their death that day. I remember one fella turned into a squash tree. I still chuckle sometimes at the look of his face turned into a vegetable." Niko cackled after the remark as he twirled a twig of grass between his teeth. "Squashes are fruit. Even I know that. You must already have a chestnut for a brain," and Irena threw her last nut into the side of Niko's noggin. "Owwww! Why you!" Niko yelped while he tried to lunge at the little girl in retaliation.

"Shhhh!" Arben hushed the two. "Lights up ahead. Keep alert," and he shoved the boy back to his right flank. Irena grabbed Arben's leg tightly, concealing herself slightly. "Who are they," she asked. "Traders by the looks of their gear and garments," but Arben did not rest his hand off his sword.

"Who goes there!" Shouted the lead male bearing a torch, coming down a slight slope, pushing thick leaves to the side. "Travellers from Timgrad on route to Osterek. Do you have food to trade?" Arben inquired, taking a couple of steps towards the man, right hand on his hilt. The man wore white and grey garments which covered his entire body, only his tan face exposed. Four men bearing torches and an ass hauling their goods came to a halt behind the man. "That depends. What do raggedy folk like yourselves have to trade?" "Hmph," Niko scoffed. Arben taking another step forward, stated, "I have 400grams of copper. Four ingots at 100grams a piece." The tan man pursed his lips and looked Arben up and down. "What of that girl? Is she worth anything to you other than a burden? I have two pounds of silver to replace the weight. I have food that you both can all help yourselves to." The man looked back to his companions, who all nodded in agreement. Arben furrowed his eyebrows in disgust. "She is not for sale, nor is she a slave girl. Food is the only deal I am interested in today. Will you accept the copper or not?" The man feigned agreeance and turned around to feign fetching his goods when he jerked forwards and grabbed Arben's wrist at the moment it eased off the hilt. A small dagger threatened Arben's neck.

The sound of unsheathing metal filled the air as everyone, but Irena drew their unique weapons. The tan trader's men slowly circled the group, and Niko looked side to side, his blade outstretched in front of him. "Irena! Irena, come here. Stand behind me, do not stray." He shouted uneasily. Arben glared into his opponent's eyes, and the two locked gazes. "You should have taken the deal. There is no room for idealistic boys masquerading as men in this world". Arben's rage-filled eyes disdainfully received the man. Then suddenly, he noticed a glint right behind the man's left ear, in the shadowy background of the forest. He stopped grinding his teeth, and his expression slowly turned into shock as he realized what he saw. The lead trader scoffed, "you really expect me to fall for that?" His eastern accent was almost wholly absent from his voice this time around. Arben said nothing. "That's all you got? That's your attempt to get out of this? You try to get me to look away so you can. . ."

"Dragoon!" One of the man's compatriots behind Arben shouted, and the lead man jerked to hastily look behind him, but the creature, as fast as a dart, had already gotten him. Arben dashed to the side a second later, and he would have been tumbling with the bastard. The man screamed in agony as the hunched humanoid creature mauled him to pieces. Another beast snatched one of the men, and another was seized too. Chaos broke out; the death screams echoed high above the enormous trees. They all ran, Irena jumped onto Niko's back, and Arben called for them to follow. Two red humanoid monsters gorged on the pack-ass they ran past. Arben hacked one of their heads off with his sword on his way out. The other Dragoon roared at the sight of its beheaded friend and chased after them, its lizard-like tail waving behind it.

Niko ran slower than Arben as he carried Irena. He looked back in horror to see the humanoid face of the beast screaming as it ran after him, its arm outstretched in front of it. "Arben!" He shouted, and Arben stopped abruptly and checked the beast midleap. The two tumbled off the trail, bouncing off the elevated terrain. A few moments later, there was silence. Arben groaned as he got up and saw the beast doing the same. He put his hand to his hilt and found nothing. The creature known as a Dragoon stood now before him, shaking itself out of its daze. A humanoid dragon, a grotesque obscenity born out of some twisted machination. It looked at him precipitously, sharp teeth exposed. It growled, salivating, its arms ending in three sharp claws arched in front of it. Its posterior was encased in a hard red shell, but its underbelly was not as durable. Arben knew this about Dragoons, but he had not seen one in years. Still, there was one right here and now, keen on having him for dinner.

Suddenly, the beast stopped growling and salivating. Its face changed expression too. The once-human thing slowly contorted its face to look somewhat neutral, more humanly. Rays of moonlight illuminated its face as it drew nearer. It stood more upright and looked at him with seemingly no malice. What in the gracious love of God is this. Arben thought, and he backed up two steps. He felt more uneasy now than he did when the beast was intent on killing him. The beast slowly walked towards him, "Arrr. . . Arrr. . . Arb. . Arben," it said. Arben tripped, fumbling on his own two feet from the croaked voice. "What the hell" is all he could muster. The beast took rapid steps towards him now, and Arben tried to back away from it, scurrying backwards on all fours. The beast got even closer to his face than that wretched tan man. Its breath wreaked of rotten flesh. Its greenish-yellow eyes had upright rectangular pupils that reflected his horrified image. Three notable scales etched its human cheeks. "Arben, Arben, Arben, let me see you." Is all it said as it crawled over him, looking into his eyes, keeping its face directly in front of his even as he tried to back away. "Let me see you. Let me see you," it began to repeat horrifyingly. Then it stopped. "I see you," and it opened its mouth wide. At that moment, its head was severed from its body. Its face is replaced with the view of Niko standing atop the decapitated beast. Black ooze covered Arben, and he rushed to push the corpse off of him.

"Wha. . . Was that thing talking to you?" Arben stood up quickly, scouring for his sword. "I don't know what that was, but we must go now. The other Dragoons will surely be on to us once they finish with those fools," and they finished the rest of their journey briskly.

Two hours before midnight, the party made it to the shanty town of Osterek. Once a bustling trading settlement has now been reduced to no more than a few blocks worth of taverns, whorehouses, and vegetable stands. They knocked on the gate with solid fists, each still trying to catch their breaths. A storm broke out in the last hour, and the three were soaked. A peephole opened up, and squinting eyes scrutinized them. "What do you want" A nasally old voice croaked. "We seek warm beds and food and have the coin to pay. We travel from Timgrad." Arben flashed the man two copper ingots. The man peered at them discontentedly and then shut the rectangular peephole. A second, even bigger orifice opened up at waist level. Arben placed the copper, and the man snatched it in a split second. Silence ensued, and soon after, the large wooden door began to creak open. They all rushed in; Arben stood for a moment and looked back into the dark abyss towards the Yukitra Forest. Just a visible tree line across the Valley.

The party of three briskly walked towards the center of the town. Hooded figures roamed the place, and the sounds of drunk men and flirting women could be heard all around as the underlying ambience of this place. "Let us go to the Trinity. The innkeeper owes me a favour, and he will graciously receive us tonight." Arben rushed his companions into the Trinity Inn at the epicentre of Osterek.

The doors swung open, and the bustling atmosphere of the tavern came to an abrupt end. Everyone inside glared at the odd group. "Arben!" A man shouted, breaking the silence. "Arben, Arben, my good friend! So lovely to see you! How long has it been? Three years now? I see you have put on a bit of weight." The mustached man gestured towards the little girl to his side. "Yours?" The man asked. "No, no, no. Not mine. Just another soul left to the wolves of this new world.” "Hmph, I see. Well, in that case, old friend, my warmest welcome! Please, grab a seat. Matilda will bring you all food and refreshments." Arben smiled, "Thank you, Archi. I owe you." The innkeeper looked back, "I haven't forgotten, good sir, we are square now. But do tell me, are you staying the night?" Irena interjected, "Yes, please!" Archibald chuckled and returned to attend to his guests.

Arben, Irena, and Niko walked over to an empty table, and each of them exhaled a sigh of relief. Food and refreshment quickly arrived at their table, and they indulged themselves. "What a night," Niko managed with his mouth stuffed. "I know. I can't believe we came that close with Dragoons and malicious traders in one night." Irena was visibly shaken up from the encounter. "Arben, what are Dragoons?" He swallowed what was left of his food, "they are some kind of dragon-human mix. I don't know how they came to be, but they began appearing soon after the dragons did. Wherever their wrath touched, those things always showed up in the aftermath. Surely Du'themere's doing. Perhaps it is his efficient way of getting things done. Every plan needs a hierarchy to execute it, no?" Irena looked down at her food, losing her appetite to discover a new horror in the world. "My hypothesis is that some microorganism is responsible for it. Something in the wake of those dragons must cause people to change, lose their minds and become the henchmen of Du'themere. It's gotta be right, Arben?" Niko asked, looking for affirmation.

"In Atlas, the Clucari say that those who accept the embrace of Du'themere become Dragoons." An approaching Felinx interjected, dressed in the formal attire of a ranger of his order. Felinx's were a cat-humanoid species native to the Northern Brunx just south of the equator. Arben looked up in disbelief. "What a day it is indeed. What in the world is a Felinx doing this far east?" The cat-man stood at attention, "apologies, I am Count Hermez Odigos of Atlas. I have come a long way in search of you." Niko put down his third pint of ale, smashing it on the table, absorbing their attention. "I definitely don't know you? Why the hell would you be looking for me?" Arben squinted at him in confusion, "you took the words right out of my mouth. I don't know you, nor have I ever mingled with Felinxes." Hermez smiled, putting his furry chin on Irena's chair, and giving her a lick on the ear. She giggled. "I come here on behalf of the Lector Priest. There is trouble looming, and it is foretold that a young Mesopotamian man holds the key to our salvation. The Order in Atlas sent me here, to this moment, to meet with you, Arben." Arben clenched his jaw alarmed. He stood up slowly with both his palms on the table. "I have had quite a long day, and to be completely honest, I am growing rather tired, weary, and impatient. So tell me, Count Hermez Odigos of Atlas. How do you come to know my name, and what is the exact reason you stand here before me, interrupting my first meal of the day." The Felinx swallowed, "the Order has. . ." Arben smashed the table, and utter silence ensued. "Speak one more riddle, and I will riddle this place with your blood. Speak plainly.

A large bald Caucasian man stood up from the crowd. "Arben, cool your temper. I have need to speak with you as well." Arben looked up in shock and disbelief, "who the hell are you?! Why do you know my name?" The enormous man took a few steps closer, but before he could spit out another word, the doors to the inn came crashing open.

"I am looking for a man named Arben. Have you seen him?" The man came in frantically, looking at seated patrons urging them by the shoulders. "Have you seen Arben?! Do you know who Arben is?! They told me he would be here, God damn it!" The man's long black hair was drenched with the rest of him. Arben looked at him in dismay and confusion. The man walked up to Arben, "are you him? Are you Arben, son of Osserius?" He did not reply; the man shook him frantically, "are you him or not!" Hermez put one furry hand on the frantic man's shoulder, and he jolted away.

Arben looked around the inn analyzing all who were there. Each of them looked at him intently. Through the crowd, he noticed keen eyes on him, and he suddenly realized that there were many more here in search of him. What is going on, he thought to himself. Archibald came out, "okay, okay, everyone. Settle down. What is the matter with you folk today?" He stood between Arben and the soaking wet man and asked aloud, "All right, everyone here for Arben, please stand up." Wooden chairs and tables scratched against the floor as almost everyone in the building stood up with attentive eyes. Men and women, all with impressive capability, stood in silence. "Okay, well, Arben, you got some explaining to do."

Arben put his hand against his forehead and sat down, conceded. "Seems like everyone knows my name today," he mumbled with an exasperated sigh. Niko stood up in an attempt to alleviate the pressure off his mentor and friend. "Listen up, everyone. Arben is a nobody, and you all must be mistaken as this is definitely not the man you are looking for. He snores every night, his breath smells almost as bad as his feet, and today he almost became Dragoon feed. So now that's out of the way, why are you all looking for him." A beautiful blonde Nordic woman with a scar over her left eye came forward. A hulking specimen of a man with similar features flanked her with an enormous axe attached to his back. The seer sent us in search of the pureblood. The one who will save us from Ragnorak and Fenrir's clutches. But now that I stand here, I see that the seers are mistaken. This measly being is not a phenomenon of man. Look at him, defeated from meagre words." Arben looked up, shaking his head in agitation, his hand gesturing upwards in a manner that said, "are you, serious lady."

Another, a warrior fully clad in iron armour that must have weighed hundreds of pounds, eloquently stepped forward. The Knights of Rascar have received divine word to deliver the one named Arben to our temple held in Vexica. You must come with me now, Arben. There is no more time to waste with these heretics." The remark attracted uncomfortable shuffling in the crowd and contemptuous looks. A warrior in the Hindu garb of the Royal Raj Guard spoke up: "Arben, do not listen to these fools. The Raj received you in a divine dream, and he saw you reach the highest heights of mount Kapur. If you come with me now, I can take you far away from here. There are places on this Earth that Du'themere cannot reach. The land of the Great Raj is one of them." The brown man draped in delicate garments and jewelry extended an open hand to Arben.

"Oh, how inclusive the universe is, eh? Sending out loving envoys from all ethnic backgrounds and the wholesome genuine innkeeper to receive them all? How romantic." Interjected Hermez satirically. "This whole thing has become a parody. None of you here understand the stakes. We do not have time to entertain each of your people's wishful fantasies. Arben is coming with me."

All the various and diverse characters unsheathed their weapons in response. Hermez's remark was the last any of them would spare the time to hear. Each of them has come to this place, to this moment, to find the one named Arben. None of them travelled this far to falter now.

"Oh, ho ho ho, oh come on now, fellas. Cool it down. There is time yet. There haven't been any dragons in the Valley since Du'themere's departure." Stated Archibald, the innkeeper, in a vain attempt to spare his livelihood an extreme makeover.

"That's enough chatter for one day, old man," said the gigantic Nordic warrior, and he walked forward, axe in hand.

Distant shouting could be heard from outside the Trinity. Everyone inside listened intently. Faint shouts and screams grew louder with every passing moment until a man burst from the door yelling "DRAGON!" His voice contorted with agony before he could finish the word as he solidified into living bark, spitting flowers and small fruit. They all looked at each other with extreme stress, each baring their teeth and weapons.

The roof ripped open in a violent windstorm. There above he stood; Du'themere, the Arcane Sage, the Grand Architect, amid a storm. Three adult dragons flew overhead: fire, ice, and forest. Not the avatars, but godlike no less. Arben drew his sword and called upon his inner energies to imbue him with power. He went in deep into his inner self, trying to center himself before the upcoming engagement. He exhaled.

"Run!" He shouted.