The Case of the Fake Firelizard Eggs: An Unpopular Man

Writers: Aaron, Corrin, Estelle
Date Posted: 9th March 2026

Characters: L'keri, N'kyri, Ç'pier
Description: Ç'pier brings L'keri and N'kyri a new case
Location: Vintner Hall
Date: month 1, day 13 of Turn 13
Notes: Mentioned: I'serin, N'vanik, K'mai, Saedyna, B'lyse, C'rand

L'keri

N'kyri

Ç'pier

"Here we are!" L'keri wove his way through the evening tavern crowd, dodging outstretched legs and elbows with the agility of much practice, and set down their drinks - fruit juice for him, beer for N'kyri - without spilling a drop. He slid into the chair, raised his glass and sipped with relish. "Ah, well deserved. What a drill! It's like all the leaders are competing to show the new Weyrleader who's the biggest perfectionist."

Ç'pier was already halfway through a citrusy shandy of some sort when the older riders arrived nearby. Of all the idle chatter around them, that caught his ear. He was not sure whether a new weyrleader would be better or worse for him, but he doubted Panitath would stop choosing Loseth any time soon. So he would have to live his new weyrleader fantasies vicariously through... whoever these two were.

"Sure seems like it," agreed N'kryi, gratefully taking the cool tankard. "I think seeing F'ren get busted down to wingrider spooked them all. And I'serin to wingthird... Can't say I was expecting that."

Ahh, that was it. Ç'pier definitely knew that name. People had been talking about him at Dolphin Cove in the context of N'vanik's evidently quite terribly scandalous habit of dancing with and slash or kissing men. So he was the one who was out. And these two were happy about it.

"Surprised they let him keep any rank at all, really," he said, as if he knew what he was talking about.

"Well, he wasn't so bad. A decent man, just inexperienced." Whatever he might have thought of I'serin, he was K'mai's friend, and L'keri would always stand up for a Dragonsfall rider over some kid from another Weyr. "It's usual to give an ex-Weyrleader something, even if he can't keep his Wing. They say it's out of respect, but more likely the Weyrleader knows the next time the queen rises, it could be his turn to be out of a job. Who'd be a bronzerider, eh?"

So, not so happy about the demotion that they were willing to speak ill of him to an outsider, it seemed.

"I think N'vanik might die if he ended up a wingthird," said Ç'pier. The man had grown so incredibly accustomed to giving the orders, Ç'pier doubted he remembered how to take them.

In any case, it seemed prudent to Ç'pier to pivot away from his blunder of an attempt to provoke them into talking smack. A change of subject was, perhaps, in order.

"At least then he wouldn't be breathing down my neck about solving his little mystery."

N'kyri perked up, intrigued. "What mystery?"

There it was.

"He has me trying to figure out who scammed some holder just because they claimed to be me when they did it," said Ç'pier. Mostly true.

"Wait a minute. Someone pretended to be you to run a scam?" It sounded far-fetched to L'keri, but even if the boy was making up a tall tale, the telling would at least liven up their evening. "What kind of a scam?"

"Sold them a bucket of firelizard eggs. A gold one, too. Only, they were actually rocks. Painted rocks. They looked pretty raggedy by the time I saw them, but I'm sure they were very realistic at the time.

"Anyway, they gave my name instead of their own, and when the poor swindled holder came crying to N'vanik about it, he hauled me in to answer for it. Obviously, they didn't recognize me. But now he expects me to find out who did it."

N'kyri's eyebrows went up. "That _is_ a scam," he exclaimed, impressed. "I'm a little jealous I never thought to do that myself-- not that I want to swindle anyone, of course." Not usually. He grinned around his hasty recovery. "I admit I like a bit of Harmless Fun here and there, and this doesn't sound like quite the thing-- on either end. ...I'm guessing you joined a new wing recently? Not a popular man or something? It sounds like you're being hazed."

Ç'pier scoffed.

"No, I am not a popular man." That was an understatement. He had found a few folks here and there who seemed to get off on danger, though. So that was nice.

"Sorry to hear that." L'keri raised his glass in commiseration. "But it shouldn't be too hard to work out who did it, right? At least..." He glanced at N'kyri. "Not for a seasoned pair of investigators, with a successful case already under their belts."

"That sounds expensive." Ç'pier grinned and took a swig of his drink. There was no way his luck had guided him to someone who could solve his problem without it costing him more than he could afford.

Drumming his fingers against his tankard, N'kyri looked thoughtfully from his wingmate to the young Cove rider. "I have it on good authority that these investigators have quite reasonable rates," he said with a wink. "Tell you what. Why don't you get us something to eat while you fill us in more about yourself and this little incident. Do that, and we'll take the case."

"I'd love to. Name your favorite meal. And your favorite dessert." Ç'pier winked.

Of course, Ç'pier knew their favorites were limited by the venue, but he was fairly sure whatever the tavern could provide would be worth the guff N'vanik was ready to pile on him about this case. And if they were ready to read something into that wink, well. _That_ was a price he was more than happy to pay.

L'keri's eyes gleamed. "Ooh, how about some of those fingerroot sticks with the cheesy dip to start? And some toasted bread with garlic butter, and..." He waved over a barmaid and carried on naming the least healthy snacks on offer at the tavern, heedless of ruining his dinner at the Weyr, and finished up with the evening's special bubbly pie.

Ç'pier was grateful that Saedyna had deigned to let him keep a little bit of his money for himself.

"So, tell us what you've found out so far," L'keri said, once their order had been taken. "Have you talked to the holders? Did they say what this person looked like?"

"Well, there were two of them. One lad with green eyes and dark hair, one lass with light brown hair and blue eyes," said Ç'pier. "Both greenriders. And I suspect they were the ones who hid a couple of paint pots in my weyr, though no one ever bothered to search it after the holder didn't recognize me. I talked to him then, but until N'vanik chewed me out the other day, I wasn't really trying very hard to find them."

"About how old?" N'kyri prodded.

"A youngish woman. And a youngish man, younger than me by the look of him. No beard, no scruff."

"Hmm. And the descriptions didn't ring any bells - oh, thank you," L'keri said, turning a charming smile on the server who'd just brought out their first tray of snacks. He popped a fingerroot with a generous helping of dip into his mouth. "Mmm. Swhm fwrm..." He swallowed. "Someone from your Wing? Or your weyrling class?"

"Maybe. And I had two weyrling classes. You might have a hard time getting anything out of any of them with direct questions, though," said Ç'pier. "None of them like me. You can probably use that to your advantage to elicit some information, though. Want a list of names and descriptions of anyone who vaguely matches?"

"A list would be great." N'kyri patted down his jacket pockets and pulled out a small booklet meant for sweep notes. "But lets start with the most important thing-- what is your name, young man? And why are you apparently so unpopular? That may give us some clues as to the culprit..."

Well, here it was. Ç'pier would not be surprised if they changed their minds.

"My name is Ç'pier, and I put myself heavily into debt to help a friend escape his abusive father. I let myself be blackmailed into hurting someone else when I couldn't pay back the debt fast enough. I didn't seek help from the weyrlingmaster or the weyrleader or anyone else who might have been able to help me, and I almost killed her, but thank fate, I failed. I might have gotten away with it, because she couldn't remember what happened at first, but I turned myself in when my... former friend almost took the blame for it. If not for Impressing Yuliuth, I'm sure they'd have killed me or exiled me, but I've been paying reparations to my victim ever since.

"I understand if you'd rather not help me, knowing that." They would have found out pretty quickly, even if he had kept it from them.

L'keri's brow rose as he listened to Ç'pier's story. It had taken a darker turn than he'd expected, but he could certainly see why someone might have a grudge against the young man. "I suppose the case ought to be solved, if not for you, then for the honor of dragonkind. We can't have holders thinking we go around cheating them." He thought for a moment. "This former friend, and the one you hurt. Would they happen to be young greenriders?"

"Saedyna is a greenrider, yes," said Ç'pier. "But she already gets all the marks she can spend from me without having to swindle any holders for it. I don't think she would do it. Of course, you can always ask her who _she_ thinks might get up to something like that, but you can understand why she might not want to have a chat with me about it.

"B'lyse, my former friend, is a bluerider. If you decide you want to talk to him, you'll want to ask his boyfriend to help you. He's hard of hearing, and you'll have an easier time talking to him if you know how to sign-- and C'rand knows how. He rides blue, too, if you're worried it was him."

"Well, that's all very useful to know." Honestly, the blue rider didn't really care about gullible holders losing a few marks, or the questionable past of their client. What interested _him_ was the hint of drama in the air and an excuse to spend some time in the tropics chatting up greenriders. He grinned toothily at his accomplice. "Sounds like we got our work cut out for us, L'keri!"

"It does," L'keri said, loading up his plate with more savory snacks. "But as Dragonsfall's most intrepid detectives, I'm sure we'll rise to the challenge." He raised his glass. "Never fear, young Ç'pier. We'll have a solution to your puzzle, and the Weyrleader off your back, in two shakes of a dragon's tail."

Last updated on the April 1st 2026

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

The Case of the Fake Firelizard Eggs: An Unpopular Man