by Al K. Line
"Let's get this over with. If I'm right then this will be a quick and easy job."
Mithnite turned to me and shook his head ruefully.
"What? Why you on such a downer?"
"Kate, even I know that you never, ever say a job will be quick and easy. It's asking for trouble."
"You'll see," I said, smiling and feeling pretty upbeat about the whole thing.
He was right, I was wrong.
Goblins
I drove out of the city and went over what I knew about the goblins' main residence, which was more than I used to know but not as much as I'd have liked. The goblins were prone to fighting amongst themselves whenever there was more than one in a room, and often they were happy to pick a fight even if alone. This had led to them living in small groups spread around the city in various hovels.
Over the years they'd gone from all living in a single location to all living alone to living in groups and back and forth as times changed and the structures of the Hidden hierarchies forced their hand. Sometimes they needed to be grouped together for their own safety when they were at all out war with other species, but in the quiet times they still sometimes lived close to each other for their own convoluted reasons.
Much had changed in our world in the last decade, with Heads coming and going and humans having more or less sway over the true Hidden. They were quick to adapt and always somehow stayed in the thick of things whilst being one of the most private species I knew. Many worked in catering or the high end restaurants, whilst others were happy smeared in oil and could be found in dark garages working on vintage vehicles. They loved only one thing more than tinkering or baking, and that was themselves. Oh, and money, so make that two things.
They were the tightest of the tight. You'd need a crowbar to wedge open a goblin's wallet, and a magical one at that.
Currently, and it only now made me suspicious, the majority lived on a large farm estate not far from the city. They'd bought up a massive derelict dairy from an ancient man who'd run a successful milk business for decades until it slowly fell into decline as the supermarkets pushed the price of milk lower and lower and he could no longer operate a sustainable business.
It was one of those places that had been untouched since first inhabited, the house large and sprawling, endless ancient buildings, the milking sheds and vast open barns where the cattle were wintered. I'd been there once, before they'd bought it, marveling at the huge piles of rusting machinery and the quaint large stone building covered in ivy. I remember feeling saddened by the air of neglect, the place abandoned and left to the wildlife and the weeds that would soon take it over.
I'd often wondered what they'd done with the property, but had never gone back once they bought it as you don't get invited to a goblin's home, and even if you were you'd find a way to decline politely.
Nobody had thought much of it, it was just one of the many shifts within the community that happened on a regular basis. Everyone ended up relocating. The vampires had moved from home to home for several reasons, so had human Hidden factions, and the same for other species. It's just the nature of our world. One thing you can say for it, things are never static. Alliances shift, fights change the dynamics of who's in control, the Heads bicker and plot, the Council get involved, and usually make things worse, and on and on it goes.
Kind of like the affairs of Regulars but a lot more deadly and less polite. That's magic for you, its volatile and it attracts those who want something more from life, who crave danger and power and are at the very least prone to the darker more criminal side of things.
So nobody thought anything of the goblins' new residence, why would they?
Sneaky
The rule of sneaking up on people in remote parts of the countryside is simple. You park half a mile away down a track so your vehicle is out of sight, you lock up so no chancer can nick your car, and then you go cross-country to the lair so you can do your spying and get the lay of the land without the inconvenience of getting your head bashed in.
So that's what we did.
I wished we hadn't bothered. We were both soaked from the wet grass, our feet squelching as we walked. Mithnite's trousers were sodden but mine were fine—yay for leather. It was dark and we kept stumbling even with enhanced vision as the damn grass hid furrows, rabbit holes, and badger sets abandoned long ago. All part of the joys of being an enforcer I guess, but they never tell you about this part before they give you a job, sending you on your merry way with a knowing smile.
We trudged on, coming to a steep bank that sectioned off a field full of maize stalks. It was thick with briar and hawthorn, dotted with active warrens that sent the rabbits scurrying for shelter as we approached. Figuring now was as good a time as any to try out my newfound skills, and wanting to do something I'd practiced countless times, I pictured myself with a second skin of magical protection, a force field any superhero would be proud of, and smiled as my tattoos swelled and my body was bathed in a pale white light like the moon was shining just for me.
It felt warm inside this bubble and I pushed through the hawthorn feeling nothing but a slight sense of pressure as I brushed the sharp stubby branches aside.
Not wanting to be outdone, Mithnite shone dull orange and walked through the hedge like a burning man, smiling at me as we stood at the top of the bank.
"I'll miss this so much if I have to go back," he said wistfully. Then he collapsed as the magic use hit his system and he had to pay the price for his thievery. In pain.
Used to this, and knowing it was best to ignore it and that it would pass soon, I said, "Don't worry, we won't let that happen. Even if you are a sneaky demon, I still love you." As my shield dropped, I bent and gave him a hug, although I'm not sure if it was to make him feel better or me.
"Thanks. I'm so sorry about this, honestly. I thought something was off then it all kind of came at once and I didn't know what to do or—"
"Hush, it's okay. Let's focus. We need to find out what they're up to."
Mithnite recovered quickly and we climbed the low stock-proof fence and walked along the edge of the field, the old dairy farm just ahead.
Arriving at the end of the field, our way was blocked.
"Damn, this is new. This bloody fence must have cost them a fortune. Talk about overkill."
Mithnite whistled as he looked up and studied the security. "Yeah, ten feet of chain-link and razor wire around the whole place doesn't come cheap. And it's not like them, normally they know nobody would come visit or attack as everyone knows how mean they are."
Mithnite was right. Even though they were trouble and often the cause of minor incidents, they weren't really players in the sense that what they did affected the whole community. They were more an annoyance than anything else, like imps, but preferring to fight instead of steal your socks. The fact they'd gone to the expense of erecting a fence meant they were undoubtedly up to no good.
"Seems a bit stupid if you ask me," I said, as I grabbed the metal and ripped open a large gap with my bare hands, the steel parting like I was breaking cotton thread.
I stepped through and Mithnite came after me. The main building was some distance away, the large house dwarfed by the domed room of the milking shed and wintering barns. Everything was in darkness, the buildings indistinct black shapes like giant beetles against a sky that showed the first hint of morning still hours away.
Everything was quiet as we made our way towards the buildings from the east, wary of patrols or light sensors, but the slow walk was uneventful and that made me nervous.
"Where the hell is everyone?" I whispered.
"Asleep is my guess." Mithnite shrugged; he had a point. Goblins slept like humans, although usually they had later nights and were extra grumpy early in the morning, but you'd think they'd have a few sentries. Different strokes for different freaks, I guess.
We kept going, the way becoming increasingly difficult as the grass and weeds almost swamped us. Vast piles of ancient farm e
quipment lay hidden in the grass or towered above us, anything from piles of logs to corrugated sheeting to rusting tractors. Engine parts were strewn everywhere, the place as much a wrecker's yard as a farmyard. The closer we got to the large groups of buildings, the slower we had to go because of the accumulated detritus of the goblins.
They aren't known for their eco friendliness, and on top of all the other obstructions we began to encounter their trash. As the wind blew in our direction, it hit us full on and we both gagged at the foul stench of months of garbage left to rot or sit on the land and pollute the earth. Patches of ground were devoid of life where piles of black refuse sacks, their contents spilling out where birds and animals had foraged, killed off everything they were washed into.
It was like a second line of defense and much more effective than the fence. We didn't stand a chance of climbing over it, and if we tried we'd probably die of a highly infectious disease, so we skirted the long lines of trash and found ourselves behind the main house.
We leaned against the wall and caught our breath now we were out of the wind.
"This place is so gross," moaned Mithnite, pulling a bandanna down from over his mouth.
"They need to dig a big hole or pay the council to move it. Come on, let's go take a look around. Maybe we'll get lucky and find out what they're up to and we can leave without anyone waking up." Mithnite stared at me funny. "What?"
"Kate, you sure you're up to this? I'm a noob and even I know you never say stuff like that. You already said you hoped this would be a quick, easy job and now this?"
"Shut up." I punched Mithnite on the arm and it was only the wall that stopped him flying twenty feet through the air.
"Ow!"
"Oh, oops."
I bent over and crept around the side of the house to go have a look-see. I'd show Mithnite how the first Vampire Enforcer did things. "Live and learn, youngster," I said as I turned and smiled.
Mithnite shook his head, but followed. Damn, you're supposed to respect your elders, especially when they're kick-ass lady vampires looking all kinds of cool and sexy.
Time for Magic
We skirted the house in full-on sneaky mode, meaning, we crouched low and tried to be quiet. I knew I should have been scared but I wasn't. If we were found then I was more than capable of dealing with some angry goblins, and even if hordes of the gross green gits came after us we'd put up a good fight and show them what we were made of.
This was no idle boast. Mithnite was powerful, I was deadly. Nobody messed with me now. Okay, they did, but I was confident. That isn't to say I wasn't a little nervous anyway, as it's one thing feeling invincible, it's quite another to fight loads of goblins when you've trespassed. Things could get messy.
At the front of the house, still up against the wall, I checked on Mithnite behind me. He was smiling, and relaxed, and his eyes were sparkling. What was with him? He should be a little worried, shouldn't he?
Then I understood, and I grabbed him by his shirt collar and dragged him away until we were back where we'd started.
"What are you doing? You'll ruin my shirt." He brushed my hand aside and straightened out his collar, annoyed, and rightly so.
"Sorry, I panicked. Okay, I didn't panic, I wasn't worried at all, and that's the problem." I waited for him to understand, but he just stared at me, looking vacant.
"Nope, not following you."
"How are you feeling? Nervous, scared, worried?"
"Nope, feeling fine," he said, jaunty lilt to his voice.
"And that doesn't strike you as odd? Here we are, in goblin territory, right at their house in the dead of night, suspecting them of being the ones behind why everyone has no fear, and we're—
"Fearless! Damn, I hadn't even thought about it. I was positive we'd be safe, that we could deal with them no problem."
"Me too," I said.
"So we're infected?"
"Yup, guess so."
"Those sneaky buggers. This isn't good, usually I'm shi... somewhat scared, and that gives you the edge you need."
"Exactly," I agreed. "If you aren't worried and nervous you're not at your best. We need to be on top of our game, and we need the adrenaline to keep us on our toes. It's subtle, and damn clever, whatever this is. You don't notice anything's missing unless you think about it."
"We need to turn it off. I think I can, how about you?"
"I guess."
As Mithnite's eyes turned up in his head and he sought out this infection, I did likewise, searching myself for something blocking a natural sense of fear. My nature should make me move with caution rather than going in gung-ho and getting into all kinds of trouble, and without it all kinds of nonsense would occur.
It didn't take long to understand there was something wrong, something bypassing the part of my mind where the fear reflex was. It was like a blank spot in my head, dormant and uninterested in activating. Something had put it to sleep, same as it had to everyone else.
But how? And why?
I forced magic through my system to flush out any foreign bodies, even though I had no idea what this was or how it had got inside me. As energy surged, and my flesh sang for joy, I felt myself cleansed of this intruder like my mind had been expanded, unaware until that point I was only half a person.
I snapped out of it feeling myself once more, meaning, I felt nervous, slightly fearful of facing the goblins, and I buzzed with a sudden surge of adrenaline that almost had me running back home, jumping into bed, and hiding under the covers.
"Um, should we just leave?" asked Mithnite.
"Haha, guess you're feeling it too."
Mithnite glanced down and pulled his hands from down the front of his brown cords. "I was just making an adjustment."
"I didn't mean that. But, ugh, gross!"
I watched as the payback for drawing magic from the Empty came over Mithnite. He doubled over, cramping up, pain clear on his face as his neck bulged and his jaw clenched. He rode it out, knowing it was coming and certainly no stranger to it, but however many times I witness this it's always hard to watch. Guilt washed over me as anguish washed over Mithnite, for I felt no comedown, had to pay no price. This was how Faz would have been, now he hurt just thinking about magic.
"I'm okay, just a taster of the real thing." Mithnite straightened, wiped the sheen of sweat from his brow, and gave me a smile of reassurance.
For several seconds we stood, motionless, letting our true selves emerge unfettered by this attack on our minds. My heart was beating loudly, a little too loudly, and the silence enveloping us made it all the more distracting. Mithnite's breathing was silent but fast, and I knew he was listening as intently as me.
Everything pulsed, like my entire body was throbbing to the beat of an inner drum, but it was too deep, too intense, and I got a sinking feeling. Was I primed for a full-blown panic attack? Then my legs vibrated and I knew this was no panic attack, wasn't my heart pumping blood furiously, wasn't the ink. It was coming from underground.
"Can you feel that?" I asked, more than anything wanting to shout rather than whisper.
"Yeah, like someone's knocking on the ground from underneath."
"Or digging," I ventured.
"Don't be stupid. Goblins don't dig, they hate it. Freaks them out. They think there's things down there, ancient creatures that feed on goblins and break into their lairs. Everyone knows that. They're totally superstitious about tunneling and only use caves that already exist, never make new ones."
"I know. But what if they no longer have any fear? Then they could dig tunnels, excavate, whatever."
Mithnite shrugged. "Suppose, but why bother? There's no gold in Cardiff, and if there was the dwarves would be right on it. They can smell it from another dimension."
"Maybe they aren't digging for gold. Okay, maybe they aren't digging at all. Let's go find out."
Once again, we snuck around the side of the house, only this time we were more cautious, more worried, and much more expressive as
the regular vibrations from the ground really made me want to dance.
Breaking and Entering
It made sense to start with the house; it was the riskiest proposition so it was best to get it out of the way first. Riskiest because of the number of goblins it would contain, but it would give us an idea of what we were up against if we raised the alarm. I'd also come to understand over the years that most Hidden used minimal security, if any, in their homes, feeling safe because they were together.
Often, food stores or esoteric equipment were guarded while their homes were easy to walk into. Plus, I knew the goblins abhorred anything technical, partly because they couldn't understand how electronics worked, and partly because they didn't get on well with gremlins—the adorable furry creatures found nothing more pleasurable than screwing with goblin tech.
The front of the building was a mix of mud and mess, trash trampled into the ground, piled up so it almost hid the windows. Machine parts and old equipment made a maze of the weed-infested garden, well-trodden paths led off in numerous directions, some more used than others. There was little more than a faint light coming from inside, spilling under the door and coming from windows in weak patches where the ivy hadn't completely covered the glass.
I grabbed the door knob then pushed against the wood with just enough pressure to force the lock. It began to give way but the sound of ancient oak groaning made me stop instantly. Too loud. Instead, I forced my body to relax and let the ink in my arm activate. Magic surged joyously through the patterns, almost whooping as it went. A blue spark shot from the tip of my index finger and a quiet snick told me the door was unlocked. Pretty nifty.
With a nod to each other, I opened the door. We both staggered back under the onslaught, in no way prepared for what hit us. To say it was ripe is like saying a drawer full of dwarf underwear sealed in with several pounds of Camembert for a year or two has a slightly pungent odor when you open it up. The stench of stale goblin sweat, moldy food, and alcohol fumes was so overpowering I felt like I was instantly drunk. My ink went into overdrive purging the foulness from my system.