Corrupt
An IPMA Troll Brother Extra
#3
Halloween 2015
By P. Edward Auman
Copyright 2015 P. Edward Auman
Cover Art Image by – Igorigorevich @ Fotolia.com
ISBN: 9781311731098
Discover other titles by P. Edward Auman at online e-book retailers, in print, and www.PEdwardAuman.com.
Learn more about stories featuring faerie folk and the IPMA (The Institute for the Preservation of Magical Artifacts) at www.TrollBrother.com.
Follow the creative media company founded upon Eddie’s works: www.IPMACreative.com
Temptation is an appealing guest, for whom it is easy to open the door. Plan for your party attendees long before it shows up.
MEMORANDUM
November, 2nd
To: Board of Directors, Institution for the Preservation of Magical Artifacts
CC: Dr. Wilhelmina Rheinhart, President
From: P. Edward Auman, Historian
IPMA, Eastern U.S. Regional Offices
Subject: Confirmed Interaction with the so-called Goblin Queen
Dear Madam President and Members of the Board:
As we have discussed previously, we suspect Special Agent Jackson Davidson, whom we know to have been making frequent trips from his Detroit-based home office to the western faces of the Rocky Mountains, may have had recent contact in his home on the evening of October 30th with the Goblin Queen, also known as Indigo Sykes. This interaction is troubling as agent Jackson has yet to report the incident himself. If true it does also confirm our suspicions about the quantity and nature of the Faerie Folk in and around the environments of Maple Springs. You will recall our ongoing investigation into human-mountain troll interactions in the vicinity.
Included is an approximation of the interaction we believe Agent Davidson held with the Goblin Queen. I am presently advising we do not act on this information, nor confront Agent Davidson until we understand the implications of their meeting, or we have need of direct interaction. My belief is that in the case of Ms. Sykes it would be best to allow her rumored association with the goblins and potentially other faeries to resolve itself. It is unlikely any faerie race or conglomeration of races would actually seek to provoke human retaliation or interaction considering the ratio of population that exists in our world today. I predict Ms. Sykes and Agent Davidson may be dissolved of their acquaintances by their own actions soon enough without acquiring further magical artifacts or skills for wrongful purposes. Let us hope that is not with a tragic ending for either party.
Sincerely,
Eddie
October 30
“Just as unpleasant as I r’call,” the Queen mumbled about her stow-away travel as she hopped down from the train car and brushed off her leather breaches.
Her accompaniment of three goblins, archers all of them, were constantly enthralled by their Queen’s beauty and did their best to cater to her and mind her safety as she strutted away from the parked cargo train towards the field before them. One drew his bow and scanned the horizon. It was flat, being near Pontiac. There wasn’t much to be said of Michigan landscape, particularly when compared to the great Rocky Mountains, other than trees and lakes to break it up. Where humans had cultivated or developed it was just flat land with tall grasses. But it did remind her somewhat of home and gave her a twinge of both longing and of guilt. Her human home. The one she’d left in Oak Harbor near the shores of Lake Eerie.
The grasses were fortunate. They’d be able to make a good start through them towards their goal on the far side of Pontiac in Troy, near the border of Bloomfield Hills.
“Be we still in shade, my Liege?” one of the other two goblins asked in a hushed tone and somewhat garbled English.
“I be liegeman to no one, Scrag. You address me as your monarch, fool!” the Queen hissed in a vile fashion, lips sneered, hand almost poised to strike down her follower. Then more calmly she added, “Aye, ‘course we be still cloaked.”
She led the group, taking long strides for her height, which was only a touch over five feet. The three goblins hobbled along behind her as they were most comfortable, their frog-like eyes and wide lips both smacking liquidly and making uncomfortable noises in the chill night. Every few steps an un-armored hand would be used to stabilize and accelerate their movement, much like a great ape would. Goblins’ speed and stealth were best demonstrated when they could use all four limbs and had the cover of trees and other obstacles. But they made due with weapons in hand and watching for signs of humans.
“We must first head east. Then south,” the Goblin Queen hissed again. “Stay with me, for if you are left behind you will be left to rot.”
The remaining gobblin who had not yet spoken since exiting the train gurgled in the back of his throat and then asked, “Whose terr’tory be it, My Queen? Be it river sprites? Or is this a land of yeti? We do not want to meet with them. Their numbers will overwhelm.”
“Aye, that they would, Krysim. Alert them not, ‘tis wise,” she answered, brushing aside tall grasses as she walked. “But this be territory of human now.”
All three accompanying goblins growled and murmured and two spat upon the ground to display their displeasure.
“Now, now,” she grinned without them seeing. “That be me lineage, before I were granted ye, wot? Never the less, do’an tempt ‘em. They have weapons and they have numbers.”
“Aye,” Krysim replied and the others nodded as they waddled along behind her.
All the goblins in their clan knew of course the Queen and her apparent advisor, the dragon she called Aragonamat, were leading them towards a battle with the humans. But none of the three in her company relished taking some on this night with only three bows and limited arrows for their defense. They would much rather have one of the human guns that she had been collecting over the last few years, though none of them had yet been trained on their usage.
So for the time being, they remained quiet as they moved around the human cities towards their goal.