Board Thread:Roleplaying/@comment-3293219-20160726193402/@comment-5543592-20160728231953

Crimson strolled down the street, pipe in his mouth, and head down. He'd let so many people die tonight. And on top of that, he'd watched Jude murder a dozen people. That had been insane.

He’d noticed someone following him a few streets back, and was playing it off as cool. He thought he recognized the person, but they wore a hood up, and he could only see them out of the corner of his eye. Plus, it was rather dark. Coming to an alleyway, he ducked into it, out of the light of the street lamps.

The person followed him in, and Crimson leapt from the shadows, seizing him by the shoulder and throwing the man’s hood back.

“Legger?!”   Crimson exclaimed. “What are ya doin’?”

Legger lowered his head, seeming ashamed, “I’m sorry, chief.”

“Do not call him that anymore.”   A voice spoke from behind Crimson, in the alley. “He is no longer worthy of that title.”

Crimson whirled around, to face Heartbender, along with several others he recognized:

Hooves, The Bit, Kamandi, Misfit, Orin, and Top Hat.

“What’s going on?”   He asked.

Heartbender seemed to want the others to answer, but none of them did, so he did himself. “A coup.”

Crimson blinked, and then threw his head back and laughed. Heartbender just stared at him with intense eyes, never looking away. He did not respond to the amusement.

“That’s a good one, Bender.”   Crimson said once he’d finished laughing. “Glad ya went through all this effort for me, I've had rough not.”

“This is not a joke. While you were off partying, some of the others and I came to an agreement. You are no longer fit to lead.”

Crimson gave Heartbender a puzzled expression. “So yer big plan is to overthrow me?”

“That is correct. You always said how impressed you were at how I listened to the men, how I responded to them, how you wished they’d stop worshipping you. This is my response, and these are men who no longer worship you.”

Crimson looked around at the assembled Keshik. “These are yer rebels?”   He asked. “Eight guys? How ya supposed ta overthrow all the officers in the Keshik with just yerselves?”

“We don’t need too. Once we’ve gotten rid of you and Girth, we--”

<p class="MsoNormal">Crimson expression darkened, and he interrupted Bender. “Hold on a moment there, Bender. Don’t tell me you’ve gone and done something ya can’t undo. Girth is…?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Still alive. We decided you were the more dangerous one.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Crimson breathed a sigh of relief at hearing his friend was unharmed and said, “I’m properly flattered.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“And it was no secret how much you respected my council as a colonel.”   Bender continued, still outlining his plan.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Kinda regretting that now.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“They will make me your natural successor. Especially if your deaths look the results of assassins, not Keshik.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Crimson glanced around at the mercenaries, noting they didn’t have short swords or bows, the weapons they were trained in, and only were carrying daggers.

<p class="MsoNormal">“It seems like ya got all this figured out.”   Crimson admitted.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I do.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Crimson pursed his lips. “Well… except one thing.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Heartbender cocked his head, curious what he meant.

<p class="MsoNormal">The Archer grinned wickedly. “I’m not dead yet.”

<p class="MsoNormal">He turned and drove a powerful heel kick into Legger’s stomach, launching the man an impressive distance, and sending him flat onto his back. Legger struggled to get up for a second, then fell flat again with a groan, defeated.

<p class="MsoNormal">Crimson turned back to them and held up his hands in a defensive position that implied training in hand-to-hand combat.

<p class="MsoNormal">“C’mon then. Show me if you were worth my time.”   There was some hesitation among the Keshik, more so than there had been before.

<p class="MsoNormal">“He’s bluffing.”   Heartbender said, drawing his dagger, a large, heavy weapon meant for hacking. The other Keshik gripped their daggers, but did not draw them. “He cannot take us all by himself.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Crimson nodded sadly. “Yer right, poor defenseless me is never goin’ ta beat all of ya big strong soldier types. If only I could summon ‘elp right when I needed it.”   He snapped his fingers. “Oh! I got an idea!”

<p class="MsoNormal">Crimson brought his fingers to his lips and let out a shrill whistle.

<p class="MsoNormal">There was the thunderous sound of a horse at full gallop approaching and then, silhouetted by the light coming in from the street, the massive form of a stallion appeared behind the Archer. It reared up on its hind legs, and let out a deep whiney.

<p class="MsoNormal">Crimson threw himself backwards, up into the air, and Whistles’ lowered his head so that Crimson could pass over his mane, and land directly in the saddle.

<p class="MsoNormal">He folded his arms and nodded to the two shortbows resting in sheaths on either side of his horse’s saddle, along with several full quivers of arrows.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Ya better run, mates. Unless you got an idea of who I should pick off ov’ ya first?”

<p class="MsoNormal">Heartbender narrowed his eyes, but he knew he had been beaten. “This isn’t over.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“It better be.”   Crimson said, voice uncharacteristically hard. “I don’t want to see any of you again. Ever.”

<p class="MsoNormal">He nodded back to Legger’s unconscious form. “And take him with you. You all no longer have a place in the Keshik.”   He whipped the reins of his horse. “I hope you’re happy.”   With that, he took off down the street on horseback.

<p class="MsoNormal">-

<p class="MsoNormal">“Well, our plan failed miserably.”   Orin said, lifting Legger up onto his broad shoulders. “We should’ve known better than to try and pick a fight with the chief.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“No.”   Bender snapped. “Do not say that. He was as scared as you were. He just didn’t show it. The clothes, the horse, how he talks—it is all part of his image. It builds up a legend before your eyes that you can’t see him being anything else. But he’s only just a man. And we could’ve taken him, too, if you all hadn’t hesitated.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“We’re sorry, Bender.”   Top Hat said, stepping forward and wringing the top hat for which he had been named nervously. “But he did train us. All the tricks we know, he taught us.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“No, he didn’t. You are all tested veterans. You know Crimson is making decisions that are bad for the Keshik. Your experience and ability to survive separates you from the recruits you were when Crimson first formed the Keshik. You’ve seen the Keshik rise to its peak—now we have to keep it there, and the Archer’s influence no longer does any good. Our mission hasn’t changed. We’re doing this for our brothers. We won’t be recognized as heroes now, but none of you went into this business to be heroes, did you?”   Bender said.

<p class="MsoNormal">There were nods all around and confidence seemed to be restored.

<p class="MsoNormal">“We can do this. We’ll catch him again, later. We can track him and the others to where ever they’re going and ambush him when it favors us. He may know our tricks, but we know his too. Remember, this isn’t for us, but for the Keshik.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Orin nodded. “The Keshik are my family. I’d do anything for them.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“I know you would, Orin.”   Bender said. “And I know all of you feel the same. Which is why we have to complete our mission, and kill the Crimson Archer.”

<p class="MsoNormal">-

<p class="MsoNormal">Crimson let his shoulders sag as he arrived back at the dock.

<p class="MsoNormal">Betrayal. The last thing he’d thought would happen to him.

<p class="MsoNormal">Was Bender right? Had he led the Keshik astray? If there really was mutiny in his ranks, then he must’ve done something wrong.

<p class="MsoNormal">Whistles neighed, tossing his mane.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I know, buddy.”   Crimson said, patting the horse on its neck. “But it’s got me thinkin’. What if I’ve done sumthing wrong? This isn’t what the Keshik is. There’s no maneuvering or backstabs. We’re all supposed ta get along.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Whistles snorted, lowering his head and sniffing the wood of the dock.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Maybe I am naïve. But I’d rather be, than believe the opposite, that this was bound ta happen eventually. They were troubled, but I made good people outta ‘em.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Whistles rolled his big blue eyes.

<p class="MsoNormal">“What do you know, anyway? Yer a horse.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“It is a horse.”   A nearby dockworker agreed, watching Crimson with some trepidation. “Are you okay, sir?   You’re talking to your animal.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“It’s alright. He talks back, but it’s in my mind, so ya can’t hear it.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Oh, of course.”   The dockworker replied, straight faced, before immediately going back to what he had been doing.

<p class="MsoNormal">Crimson led Whistles further down the dock, towards the ship, away from the eavesdropper.

<p class="MsoNormal">“It’s a shame ya don’t have more advice fer me. You usually have some good thoughts.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Whistles whinnied, shaking his head back and forth.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Kill ‘em? That was the point of letting ‘em go. Sure, we could’ve taken them. But I don’t know if I could kill them.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Whistles blew air out from between his lips, and kicked the dock.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I don’t mean I need ya ta do it for me. I could kill’em real good if I wanted to. I mean emotionally. They’re my boys, whether or not they tried to assassinate me. I swore I would protect all of them as much as possible. And I won’t see any of them dead by my hand.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Whistles cleared his throat as they clip-clopped up onto the ship’s deck.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Not avin’ the choice doesn’t have anything ta do with it. I won’t. That’s final.”

<p class="MsoNormal">There Crimson dismounted, and let the crane on the dock lower Whistles into the ships hold, where they held the horses, or just horse, since this was the group’s own personal ship and only held Whistles—the stallion liked the space.

<p class="MsoNormal">Crimson made sure the unicorn was comfortable, before heading off to his cabin, feeling an odd sense of heavy fatigue.