The Goblin Queen and the Sigil of Altazan (The League of Sinister Means Book 2)

by H. K. MacTavish

  “Good,” Gerald says.

  “And we have time to investigate this gem. Then I’ll do a little more scrying and find out where my army is and we will meet them on the way here!”

  “And then what?”

  “And then…I need to find two more people for my spell.”

  “All this for the Sigil of Altazan,” Gerald says.

  “For not knowing a lot about the spell you seem to know a lot about the spell.”

  “It is the weakest of the demonic sigils,” Gerald says.

  “Yes. No pacts or contracts or binding rituals. Just a simple casting, with a lot of rare ingredients, and then nothing but joy! Here. Turn here,” I say.

  “Are you sure?”

  “I am. I’d ask you for more water but let’s conserve your spells, shall we? You must be low on the spells that you have left.”

  “I’m good still. I mean, I’m not great. I have used a lot of my magic.”

  “So you don’t mind wasting spells for me?”

  “You are right. I should conserve my magic.”

  It feels good to be proven right. Especially from a hero!

  We turn down a street and I hear something to my right. Gerald hears it and so do my goblins.

  We all pause and look in the open doorways, in the open windows, trying to see if we can see anything. And again, one of my goblins gets curious.

  “Get back!” I order.

  “Yes highness!” he yelps and races back to the others.

  “Keep moving,” I say.

  “Yes highness.”

  “What is hunting us? Can it fit inside one of those buildings?” Gerald asks.

  “What if it is a small dragon?”

  “Could be. Could be something else.”

  “I had a thought,” I say. “What if the poison does something to the rest of the body and these creatures come back and eat it later?”

  “Like it liquefies the organs and the crystalized bones are just a side effect?”

  “Exactly,” I say.

  “That’s a possibility. Aren’t there giant centipedes that do that?”

  “There are. Only now I am trying to imagine a bunch of bugs slaughtering an entire dwarf city and, nope, nope I can’t imagine that.”

  I also don’t want to imagine that. All those giant bugs?

  “Yeah, that is pretty hard to imagine,” Gerald says.

  We continue on in silence. It could be giant centipedes. Gerald isn’t wrong; there are some large ones that suck out creatures’ organs like a giant fucking mosquito from a horror story. But killing all the dwarves? This is a large city. And they were defeated by giant centipedes? That must just sting dwarven sensibilities if that is true.

  Wait, I just thought of something. What if that is why I’ve never heard of this place before? What dwarf would tell everyone that they lost their home to some giant bugs? I mean, dragons sure. That just plays to their massive egos, but centipedes? Who wouldn’t laugh at that?

  Well, anyone that has ever faced a bunch of giant centipedes looking to turn you into fun sack of liquid lunch. They wouldn’t find it funny.

  It doesn’t take as long as I thought to get to the plain looking building that I saw in my scrying vision. I see more bones of dead dwarves and most were wearing armor from the looks of it. But there are a lot of bones here. More than anywhere else. They are all just piled around this door and out into the street. Even the goblins are on edge. They look really skittish.

  “Do you goblins see or hear or smell or…do you detect anything?” I ask.

  “No highness.”

  “Then why are you so nervous?” I ask.

  “I don’t know highness,” one responds.

  “How are you not nervous?” Gerald asks.

  I am terribly nervous. But I’d like to be the firm foot that is called queen. That wasn’t a really flattering metaphor, was it? The firm hand of the queen! That’s better.

  “Whatever happened here, it happened a long time ago,” I say. “Let’s go in, eye fuck this gem, and then see how defensible the building is.”

  “You want to make your stand here?”

  “Why not? We can lock ourselves inside until my army arrives and then I can start to systematically take over this ruined city, one block at a time. When the heroes arrive they will be my prisoners before long and I’ll get on with casting the Sigil of Altazan!”

  “Let’s just start with the eye fucking part of the plan first, shall we?” Gerald asks.

  “Goblins, see if that door is unlocked,” I command.

  “Yes highness.”

  “Not testing it yourself?”

  “Making sure it isn’t trapped? Oh no. That is what my goblins are for! Stop! I don’t want all of you to go. No! Stop! Not all of you! One of you! You!”

  “Me?” a goblin asks.

  You weren’t the one that I pointed to but you’re good enough.

  “Yes. Go and see if that door is unlocked.”

  “Yes…yes highness.”

  “These are just bones of dwarves. They can’t hurt…”

  The fuck was that? I spin around and expect something to be there but I don’t see anything.

  There it is again! To the left!

  “This…we should just leave this place,” Gerald says.

  “Nonsense!” I say. “We’re here, and I happen to have the key,” I pat my pocket, “so we might as well see what the dwarves have in here.”

  The goblin cautiously walks up and pulls on the door. It opens easily enough and he peers inside. That’s interesting. This door isn’t rusted. The dwarves must have spared no expense on the door. Oh. This is a vault I bet. Yes, vault doors would be of a better quality. Especially dwarven vault doors.

  I cast an orb of light and shoot it into the room. The goblin jumps back, such a skittish creature, and then it slowly steps into the room, looking all around him as he does so.

  “That’s it. Go on in. Make certain it is safe for your queen.”

  “You don’t feel bad using him like that?” Gerald asks.

  “Using him? I’m not using him. I am his queen. He is serving me. Isn’t that right?”

  “Yes highness,” the goblins all respond, including the one making sure that the room is safe for me to enter.

  “Let’s go in,” I say.

  “Are you sure?” Gerald asks.

  “Oh, he would have died by now if there was something in there,” I say.

  I enter with half of my goblins in front of me. Gerald is right behind me with the other half of my goblins.

  This first room is also plain, just like the exterior. No paintings, no designs, no statues, just plain white walls. Very boring. I almost wi...

  There is something out in that street! I am sure of it! Where is it?

  “We may be safer in here,” Gerald says as he tries to see what is out there.

  “Yes,” I say. I grab the door and close it. “Hopefully centipedes can’t use doors.”

  “If it is centipedes,” Gerald says.

  “Oh stop being the beacon of hope,” I say sarcastically. I turn to the goblin nearest me. “Go on and lead the way ahead of the others.”

  “Yes highness,” he says.

  Anyway, what was I saying? Oh yes, I was commenting on how this building looks so unlike the others. Did the dwarves decide that by making a plain looking building they were tricking everyone into thinking that there isn’t anything valuable in here? Because that is a stupid plan on their part because all of the other buildings in this city are exquisite and scream opulence. That makes this building look odd. Which would beg the question of anyone walking down the street, why is this building so unique?

  We push into the next room and…those look like blocks of stone and some statues covered with a crude rug.

  Oh, that makes sense. They were in the process of building this place. It wasn’t intentionally plain. They died before they finished.

  “They were in the process of building this place,
” Gerald says. "That is why it is so run down,” Gerald says.

  “I was just thinking the same thing.”

  “You have to take credit for everything, don’t you?” Gerald asks.

  “I really was just thinking that. And what happened to the nice priest from earlier?”

  “Maybe you are rubbing off on me,” Gerald says.

  I literally wish that was the case. Gerald might be gay and not be interested in me but…he’s still so handsome and fuckable. I guess the gem isn’t the only thing I’m eye fucking in here because my eyes don’t give a shit if he’s gay or not.

  “So they were building this all around the gem?” I ask. “That…no, what I’ve read of dwarves and their greed that makes total sense.”

  “This does look like a temple to a trophy,” Gerald says as we walk down the unfinished hall.

  “If they didn’t finish this, they may not have finished the traps,” I say.

  “Oh, I wish my sister was here,” Gerald says.

  “I don’t,” I say. “Let’s not spoil the mood.”

  “Sorry,” Gerald says.

  We come to a large door made out of steel. I look closely at it and I can see some raised impressions on the door that appear to be a design of some kind. I can imagine that they were going to lay some gold leaf over it at some point, or maybe paint it some bright and audacious color.

  I start to push it open in haste to see what is on the other side.

  Gerald joins me and together we push the large doors open and…

  “Did you hear that?” Gerald asks backing up. I bring my orb of light into the next room to discover it isn’t so much a room as an extensive landing with a long stairway going down.

  “I did, but it sounded as if it was on the other side of the wall. We’re safe,” I say.

  Still, I shouldn’t take unnecessary risks. I point to a goblin.

  “Go on ahead and look for traps and enemies,” I command.

  “Yes…yes highness,” the goblin says. I don’t care if he isn’t excited to head down there. Let’s not forget the hierarchy here.

  Half of the goblins follow the scout and then I follow with Gerald at my side.

  This hall is covered with spider webs. I use some of my magic to freeze them away. I don’t want to use too much. There is something out there and I’d like to be able to not join the dwarves in this tomb of theirs. And, assuming my goblins don’t return to me with my army, I will have to figure out some way to deal with the heroes. The heroes won’t give up, as much as I hope they do, or die, or suffer enough that they retreat, I know they’ll somehow keep coming.

  At the bottom of the stairs is another door…

  I can hear something moving about. A few somethings. A lot of somethings.

  “They are on the other side,” Gerald says.

  I take a step towards the door. This is the door I saw in my scrying bowl. This is it!

  Is whatever attacked my goblins in there beyond the door? I listen and, no. They are on the other side of the wall. Right?

  “They could be on the other side of the wall,” I say. I pull out my key and stick it in the keyhole and turn...

  There! That did come from the right, where the stairway wall is.

  “Did you hear that?” I ask.

  Gerald is putting his ear up against the door.

  “I can hear…something. It doesn’t sound like footsteps.”

  I put my ear against the door now, looking at Gerald who is eager for me to hear the same sounds that he is listening to…and I can hear it! It is…a slithering sound? Something keeps falling off, or wait! That must be the footfalls that this creature makes.

  “Are we sure we want to open up that door?” Gerald asks.

  Safely in the library it seemed like a good idea. Now? Not so much.

  “Okay,” I say softly. “Let’s just back away…”

  “I agree,” Gerald says. I turn with Gerald and we start to walk up the stairs. Whatever is on the other side isn’t worth whatever…

  Is that a door creaking open? Oh what the…I spin around and see a pair of goblins too curious for my own good!

  “Close that!” I order.

  It’s too late. The goblins scream! Something has them. The remainder of those near the door rush to the aid of the two goblins too stupid to live.

  “Stop!” I command. “Head upstairs! I order you! Follow me!”

  You stupid, moronic, toads that are too dumb to listen! I am your fucking queen and I just told you to do something! Follow me!

  “They’re dead!” Gerald yells.

  The light from my orb of light shares some details about the room, shining off of the blue gem hovering in that room and now Gerald and I are the curious ones.

  It is gorgeous! I can see the gem…only it isn’t exactly a gem. Looking at from here I can see the gem more clearly and it doesn’t quite look like a gem. The floor underneath is writhing. Is the room alive? The walls are moving as well. I need to see better. This orb of light that I have isn’t showing me enough. I create a ball of light and send it into the next room…

  I don’t know what they are. Snakes maybe. Hundreds of them. Maybe thousands! The walls and floor are crawling with them and more are dripping down from the bottom of the gem. Only it isn’t a gem. I can see faint runic marks along it. By the gods, are all of those runic marks? That is why...why it lights up on its own?

  “Run…” I force from my lips.

  I’m stunned for a moment seeing so many of these worms crawling out towards us. It is this writhing sea of death!

  One leaps out straight into a goblin by the door followed by another and another. They burrow into the goblin’s flesh killing the poor creatures.

  “Come on!” I say, a bit louder. Gerald understands but the goblins do not. I point upstairs, grabbing one by the ear. “Go upstairs! Clear the path back to the street!” I say.

  “Yes highness!” they say, snapping to and racing up the stairs.

  I’m not sure if it is self-preservation or my obvious fear, but the goblins that are left to me are not trying to help the others any longer. The goblins by the door are either dead or they soon will be.

  I head up to the top of the stairs, breathing heavy with Gerald ahead of me. He waits by the door for me. Together we close it as some snakes are slithering up the stairs. Damn, those things are fast! We close the door as one launches at us. I can hear it hit the metal door with a bang!

  “This city is infested with those things,” I say.

  “We have to get out of here,” Gerald says. I nod and we head for the street where the six or so goblins that I have left should be waiting.

  Safe Haven in the Lost City

  I cough as I try and catch my breath. We made it to the street. I don’t know why but we must have stirred up all of those snakes. I can hear them all around us.

  I see my goblins scattered about in the street and they look petrified. They have never encountered creatures like this before. And neither have I.

  “Help me with the door,” Gerald says. I turn to him and I can hear more of those snakes inside where we were just a moment before. As I get to the large outer door I can see movement inside.

  Together we close the doors. I rest against the door and I can feel the snakes running into the door. I stand back up and look at the door and then the whole building.

  Gerald is looking down the street in both directions. He knows what I know; those sounds we heard earlier were from those snakes. The city might be crumbling but it is infested with those…things! They aren’t contained in that chamber.

  And that does make sense. If they can slither upstairs as fast as I witnessed then they can find cracks in an unfinished building and sneak out. How many are in this city?

  “There are…hundreds of them,” Gerald says.

  “In this city? There could be tens of thousands,” I say.

  I have been lucky that they aren’t coming up to my lair up above. What am I going to do about
them now?

  “We need to escape,” Gerald says.

  That isn’t the brave and heroic response I expect from Gerald.

  “I thought an adventurer like you loved this sort of thing.”

  “I don’t know what this sort of thing is,” Gerald says. “Those…snakes? We can’t fight them all.”

  “No. We would need an army,” I say.

  My army.

  “And still, how many losses would you take? Look around you! An entire city of dwarves was wiped out trying to defeat them!” Gerald says.

  “Yes, they were…a long time ago…” I say.

  He’s right. The dwarves had an army and they lost. Can my goblins swarm these snakes and succeed where the dwarves failed? My whole lair could be at risk. The goblin warrens could be at risk too! I need to find them and warn them to stay away from the city. After they come here and help me capture the heroes, of course. After that, then they should stay away until I discover what these things are.

  That is a curious point. Why have I been safe? I didn’t find too many bones in the lair I live in when I moved in. And none of the armor had those pierced holes. And my goblins would have whined about these snakes to me by now. Shouldn’t these snake, things, have spread further?

  Before I get ahead of myself we need to make ourselves safe. Not just from the heroes but from the snakes as well.

  “We need to find a place to barricade.”

  “Where is that? They can get in through the walls,” Gerald says.

  “Don’t turn into a ten year old girl on me,” I say. “You fought a vampire. These are worms. Flesh eating carnivorous worms, but worms all the same. We need to find a place to rest.”

  “How far is your warrens?” Gerald asks.

  Wow. Maybe I should be more frightened than I am. If the heroic priest wants to find solace in the goblin warrens, I may need to reassess the danger surrounding me.

  “I don’t know,” I say. Time for a bit of truth.

  “You don’t know?”

  “No. I know there is a way down here, but I don’t know where it is. I can try and scry it, but if it is too far away I won’t see a lot of details.”

  He looks disappointed. I’m just as disappointed in today’s events. More so, in fact.