Den of Beasts 4


    Once he was back out on the street the hobgoblin broke into a jog, and swiftly headed towards the first of the locations Luphera had told him about. The man named Fang apparently lived in the northern part of the city.


    Hisir was atop a ce where humans bought drinks. He had been told it would be easy to find, but full of guards. If they were anything like the other men that lived in the city then cknail doubted they would be much of a problem.


    The hobgoblin travelled through the back alleys most of the way to Fangs tavern. Only when he got close to his destination did he emerge from the shadows, and walk out onto one of the more crowded main streets. He kept his hood up as he scanned all the nearby buildings. Almost immediately he found what he was looking for.


    The left side of the street was dominated by arge building that towered over the rest. It was a huge sprawling structure with two wings that protruded from either side. The central part even had three floors, and a wooden balcony. Most the buildings in this city werent nearly that tall.


    Quite a few people were moving in and out of the front entrance, and a mor of human voices could be heard from within. Humans apparently liked to yell a lot while they drank their foul poisons, or maybe it was only the louder and stupider humans that drank it?


    cknail was sure he was in the right ce because a wooden sign, with what looked like a long bloody trolls tooth painted on it, hung over the taverns door. Luphera had told him to look for that symbol. This wasnt a building he could just walk into though, because two of thergest humans he had ever seen stood outside the entrance.


    They were obviously guards of some sort, because everyone who entered had to stop and speak to them first. Every once and a while, the pair of giants would turn someone away and force them to leave.


    cknail didnt think he could bluff his way past them. There were also too many people around out front for him to try and sneak in. He even saw several humans at windows who were obviously sentries of some sort, and one man who was loitering across the road was already ring at him suspiciously.


    Undaunted, cknail started walking down the street until he was out of sight of anyone watching. He then briefly scanned the crowd to make sure he wasnt being followed, before slipping back into the maze of shadowy alleys that bordered the main streets.


    He then worked his way around to the rear of his targets base. It wasnt long before he began to notice small patrols of humans wandering around. He could hear their footsteps as they walked back and forth through the alleys. Fang must have sent them out to protect himself, but they were no threat to the hobgoblin. He easily avoided them or hid as they moved past.


    He also quickly spotted several men and women in the windows of nearby buildings. The way they kept looking around at the streets below indentified them as more than casual observers. These sentries were more trouble for cknail than the patrols were. The hobgoblin was sneaky, but he wasnt invisible.


    He marked their positions as he circled thepound and looked for a way in undetected. It took him a while to find one. Whoever had posted the sentries had known what they were doing, but cknail knew he could find a w in any defense if he looked hard enough.


    That was especially true for any defense made by mere humans. cknail grinned to himself as he watched one of the sentries from around a corner. Most humans werent nearly as smart as they thought they were.


    After a few minutes of searching the hobgoblin managed to sneak right under the nose of the sentry. The woman was watching the street from a second floor window, so cknail slipped through the front door of her house and then right out the back. His ears and nose had told him thered only been the one person in the house.


    cknail then crept past the smaller buildings and wings, as he moved towards thergest building. Hed been told Fang lived on the top floor of it.


    cknail moved slowly enough that he could hear anyone before they saw him. He had to be super sneaky now; there were a lot of men wandering around the area. It would be bad if he stumbled into them.


    When he got to the central building the first thing he did was find an empty second floor window, and then he hid himself behind a row of barrels in the alley directly below it. Once he was out of sight he closed his eyes and began to concentrate on listening.


    A multitude of voices echoed through the building, but almost all of them were in therge room on the first floor just past the front entrance. The second floor was much quieter, with only the asional noise as someone spoke or boards creaked under peoples feet as they moved. The third floor was utterly silent as far as cknail could tell. He couldnt have asked for a better set up.


    He waited for several minutes before making his move. He had to be sure that no one was looking his way or near a window, before he started scaling the wall to get inside. He was aiming for a second floor window because climbing all the way to the third floor would leave him exposed to any watchers. None of the surrounding buildings were taller than two stories.


    It was easy enough for him to quickly scramble up the side of the building and pull himself through the window and onto the second floor. Once he was inside the empty hallway on the other side of the window he crouched down and listened again.


    He still didnt hear anyone nearby, so he got up and began to look for the way up to the third floor. He exited the hallway and walked into some sort of wide eating room full of tables, chairs, and other furniture.


    Most the room was dark and smelled strongly of many different types of food. None of the scents were fresh though, and after a brief exploration cknail didnt find anything worth eating. Reluctantly, the hobgoblin stopped looking for a snack and went back work. He would just have to get a bite to eat when he was done.


    As he was crossing the room he heard the creaking of floorboards, so he dashed off to one side and hid himself under a nearby table. Momentster, a smaller man walked briskly through the room and then disappeared through the far door.


    When the man was gone cknail crawled out from under the table, and resumed his search for the way up. He found it several minutester. Off to one side of the building there was a staircase that led upwards. cknail smirked eagerly as he carefully crept up the stairs and towards his target.


    At the top of the stairs there was a door. cknail stopped and stared at it for a moment before tentatively reaching out and grasping the door knob. First, he tried to push it. That didnt work, so next he gave the door a slight pull. When that didnt work either his stomach turned nervously. He only had one more shot at this


    cknail held his breath as he attempted to twist the handle. There was a muted click, and he almost jumped out of his skin in rm, as the door slid open slightly. He froze and listened just in case someone had heard something, before sliding through the doorway.


    He couldnt help chuckling quietly to himself as he moved. Hed sessfully defeated the clever human lock! Had there ever been a smarter hobgoblin than him? He doubted it.


    Expensive furniture lined the small room on the other side. It didnt seem as nice as the pieces in Lupheras chamber though, or as organized. Some of the furniture clearly didnt match, even if it all looked fancy. There certainly was a lot of it though. The walls were even covered in pictures drawn on rectangles of various sizes.


    cknail walked up to one of the pictures and examined one. He had seen simr things before, but never really had an opportunity to look at one closely. This one seemed to be of a mans face. It was really quite realistic. cknail had no idea how humans made things like this. Was it some sort of magic?


    The hobgoblin reached out and gently poked the portrait. He was somewhat relieved when his finger hit the t canvass. For a second there hed almost been afraid there was a real person in there or something. That would have been awkward.


    With his curiosity satisfied cknail moved away and explored the room. There was only one other door in the chamber, and after failing to find anything worth collecting he went over to examine it. He grinned confidently as he turned the doors handle, but nothing happened.


    The handle wouldnt turn. cknail hissed angrily as he clenched his teeth. Why wouldnt it turn? The stupid thing must be broken


    As he went to try and give the handle another twist he noticed a tiny hole in the door above it. He stared at it for a second, before realizing that it reminded him of the locks he had seen on chests. The door required a key! No wonder he couldnt open it.


    Apparently, the stuff on the other side of this door was super important; because it not only required one of the turning puzzle locks but a key as well. cknail thought that was overkill, and more than a little unfair.


    Hed had a key once, but hed given it to Saeter. How was he going to get past this door now? Fangs room undoubtedlyy on the other side of it.


    He was just about to try shoving random stuff into the keyhole when he heard the sound of footsteps on the stairs behind him. cknail stepped away from the door and frantically searched the room for somece to hide.


    Should he hide behind the chair? No, too visible. What about in the chest? No, too ufortable.


    The thud of footsteps grew closer until it reached the top of the stairs. cknail had no more time to waste, so he quickly threw himself behind a long padded sofa. He just really hoped whoever wasing up the stairs didnt look too closely in his direction. The sofas cushions didnt go all the way down, so his feet were visible underneath it.


    The wide eyed hobgoblin peeked out from his hiding spot as the stairway door opened. An older looking human woman in a long in dress and shirt stepped out with a pile of clothes in her hands. As cknail watched she crossed the floor and reached the other door. Then, she pulled a key out from her pocket and there was a click as she unlocked the door.


    She pushed through and disappeared inside, but she left the door open behind her. cknail smirked excitedly as he rose from his hiding spot and crept over to the now open door. He looked through to make sure the woman was out of sight, and then slipped through as well. Problem solved!


    The room on the other side was pretty much the same as thest one. There was a lot of furniture and paintings. He didnt have a lot of time to look around though, as he soon heard the womaning back.


    He hurried into a small dark side room as she passed, and then he heard the door to the stairway shut behind her and the click of it being locked. It seemed like he wouldnt be leaving the same way hede in


    cknail didnt hear or smell anyone nearby so he began to carefully explore the suite. He found a few trinkets and shinnies someone had forgotten, so he picked them up so they wouldnt get lost. There were several more rooms as well, including a bedroom, but they didnt contain anything that was interesting or edible. They were also all empty; Fang wasnt here.


    That was a problem. This was supposed to be hisir, but that didnt mean he was always here. Obviously, he left it sometimes. cknail sighed; he really should have thought of that earlier


    Oh, well there was no other option but to wait for the man toe back. What was he going to do in the mean time though? He should probably find somewhere to hide.


    There werent a lot offortable ces he could hide for a long period of time, so after a brief search cknail chose to conceal himself under the bed. The sheets that fell over the sides of the frame would conceal him, and as a bonus he couldy down on the floor. It was actually quitefy.


    However, after a few minutes cknail began to grow bored. How long was this going to take? He gave a quiet yawn as he shifted around to get morefortable. The entire bed had been ced over a rug so the floor wasnt too hard. cknail closed his eyes as he let out a deep breath and rxed. He probably shouldnt let himself fall asleep


    cknail was awakened by the sound of a door being mmed shut. As he blinked the sleep from his eyes he heard a pair of loud voices.


    Make sure I know the instant Zelenas message arrives. When we move to take Herad out I n on being right out front. That crazy hag has been a pain in my side for too long. How arrogant do you have to be to just move south and im the best territory around as your own exclusive little yground? the first deeper voice said.


    Youd have to have an ogre sized ego to think it would work, boss. Thats for sure, the other man replied.


    Well, the ck Snake is about to be cut down to size. Zelenas bought the cooperation, or at least the approval, of practically every chief in town. Only that pompous fool the Governor objects, and hes just worried about not being able to y us off against each other anymore, the voice that cknail was sure belonged to Fang said.


    The hobgoblin ground his teeth as he listened. How dare they insult the chief of his tribe! So what if Herad was ugly? All humans were; they were pink! What a stupid color for skin to be. Green was so much better. cknail also knew Herad wasnt crazy, she was one of the sanest people hed had ever met. It was the rest of the humans who were weird


    Very true, boss. Theres no way she can stand against you and your allies, the other man answered.


    Shell be outnumbered five to one, and shes the only vessel in her pathetic little band. Including me and that assassin of Zelenas well have at least five. Herad will be dead by the end of the week, and then all that nice territory shes imed will be mine! Fang eximed excitedly.


    As well as whatever treasures shes hoarded away at her base, his subordinate added.


    Under the bed cknail went rigid with surprise. Fang was a Slosher! Thatplicated things


    True, although I dont imagine its any great prize. Thats enough of this useless talk. Go downstairs and send one of the wenches up, make it the new blonde. Im feeling like a good romp, Fang told the other man.


    Yes sir, sure thing, the man said before heading back down the stairs.


    cknails target was now alone on the third floor. The hobgoblin under the bed grinned with eager anticipation as he plotted the mans murder. This was going perfectly, and would be so much fun!


    Since Fang was a Slosher the safest n was probably to just wait until he fell asleep and then to slit his throat. That would involve a lot of waiting though, and cknail had already had a nice long nap. He really didnt want to fight a Slosher though. If he was anywhere near as dangerous as Herad then he would be very unlikely to win.


    So, cknail waited and listened as the man named Fang wandered around the apartment. After a few minutes he walked over to the bed and sat down. His feet dangled and swayed right in front of cknails face.


    Then, a shirt hit the floor as the man started getting undressed. The shirt was soon followed by a pair of pants. As the trousersnded there was a whirring noise and several golden coins rolled out. cknails eyes watched them intently as they rolled. They were so shiny


    H e wanted to grab one, or more than one, but he knew it would be a dumb thing to do. Fang might be looking. As the hobgoblin watched, one of the coins rolled under the bed before falling over. Excitedly, cknail reached out and grabbed it. He smiled happily as he stared at its gleaming golden sides.


    Damn, bloody things, Fang suddenly swore.


    The bed then creaked as the man leaned over and began picking the coins up. cknail held his breath and started fervently hoping the man couldnt count


    The hobgoblin had no such luck. After he was done picking up the other coins, Fang got off the bed and dropped to his knees. He then reached over and lifted the edge of the sheets up to look under the bed.


    The hobgoblin and the man stared at each other for a second. Neither of them said anything. cknails hood wasnt up so Fang got a good look at the hobgoblins green, angr, and very inhuman, face.