Ridley and Nairo alighted from their cab less than an hour after killing the Great Moota. Their driver had been none too happy about picking up the odd stinking fare covered in blood and ash, but business was scarce at the moment and he had horses to feed. The Three Horses and Nag was a quaint little village pub in one of the smaller boroughs of the city. It was on a dreary lane in a quiet area but even so Nairo could feel the buzz of tension in the air. Almost all of the houses around them were blacked out. There was hardly a person on the street but Nairo could hear worrying sounds drifting on the breeze. The sounds of heavy boots on the cobbles, chanting, screaming, and with that came the ever present smell of smoke. The city was gearing up for another night of violence.
“Come on,” Ridley said. “My bet is the bins are around the back of the pub.”
Ridley limped ahead of her down the alley at the side of the pub. As Nairo followed, she felt a prickle in her scalp, that odd sensation of being watched. She threw a furtive look over her shoulder but the street was empty. Wasn’t it? What was that? Just a flicker of light? Or the shadow of a figure in hiding? Nairo took a breath and followed Ridley. Her nerves were so frayed by this point she knew she could no longer trust any of her senses. She had no choice but to put one foot in front of the other and continue the chase into the darkness.
Ridley had stopped at a pile of trash and was tapping it surreptitiously with the toe of his shoe.
“Oz! You sonofabitch! Where are you!” he shouted into the darkness.
There was no response. Ridley continued down the alleyway kicking piles of trash and knocking over bins.
“So I guess we’re not being subtle,” Nairo sighed.
“Subtelty went out the window when a giant fucking snake tried to eat us!” Ridley growled.
They limped further down the alley until they found the ripe, overflowing bins that were used by at least half a dozen different businesses. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, Nairo saw the pile quiver.
“Oz!” Ridley roared as he took a massive punt at the pile.
There was a squeak and several rats fled. Ridley paid them no mind. He was tearing into the bins, kicking them over and spreading around their contents.
“Oi! Wot you doing!”
Nairo and Ridley spun to see two glowing, yellow eyes peeking out of a bin opposite.
“Oz?” Nairo said.
“Yeah, who else? Why’s he disturbin’ me piles. You don’t see me coming to yore house and…”
Ridley snarled and kicked the bin hard enough to dent it. The bin demon rolled out, viscous, green fluid splattered around the alleyway. Nairo remembered when that smell had almost made her vomit. That felt like such a long time ago. Now, she probably smelled worse.
“Wot you do that for!” Oz whined as he crouched in the alleyway, glaring up at Ridley.
“Where is it!” Ridley growled.
“Wot?”
“Where is it Oz! Don’t play games with me! Not now!”
“Wot’s he talking about?” Oz asked Nairo.
“The Pixie, Oz.”
If it was possible, Oz’s face turned a darker shade of green and his yellow eyes widened.
“W-w-wot Pixie?”
“The mental, fucking Pixie thats been putting holes in the city with a giant fucking magic fucking Diamond!” Ridley was red faced, veins bulging in his neck, his eyes wild.
Oz looked at him. His mouth flapped uselessly a couple of times. Liquid dripped from his scraggly hair.
Then he fled.
His scrawny body whipped around and disappeared into a pile of trash to his left.
“After him! Don’t let him get away!” Ridley shouted as he charged after the bin demon.
Nairo willed her broken body into a canter barely keeping Ridley in sight. They turned down the next alley and saw Oz burst from one pile to another across the alley like a dolphin leaping out of the waves. Ridley had found another spurt of speed and was leaving Nairo behind. She already felt dizzy. She couldn’t remember the last time she had eaten or even rested. Her brain screamed at her to stop, her battered body screeching and failing her. Nairo gritted her teeth, put her head down, and forced herself to keep going.
The chase spilled out onto one of the main streets and Oz ran out of alleys and piles of trash to hide it. His dripping body streaked across a main broadway, but he was markedly slower out of his piles. Ridley’s longer stride gained on the little bin demon as it narrowly avoided a cart and dived into an adjacent alley. Ridley spun around the cart but Nairo wasn’t as quick to react. She slammed into the cart, bounced off and spun. She staggered and hid the cobbles hard. She didn’t even acknowledge the fresh scrapes and blood on the heels of her hands and knees. Pulled herself up, Nairo saw a horse and carriage with blacked out windows pull up at the end of the broadway. The driver looked at her and the curtains twitched. Nairo watched them for a second before stumbling into the alley. She saw the tails of Ridley’s coat disappear around the corner and forced herself back into a run.
Nairo heard metallic clanging and as she came around the corner she saw Ridley tangled up with some bins. Oz hurled another bin lid at him and then dived into a pile of trash.
“I’m gonna kick shit out of that little…” Ridley snarled, trying to extricate himself.
“Come on!” Nairo said, pulling him forward by his collar and taking off after the fleeing bin demon.
She wasn’t sure how far they had chased Oz when they finally lost sight of him down an alleyway on the riverbank.
“Where is he!” Nairo said, doubling over and breathing heavily.
Ridley spat on the cobbles and looked around.
“He’s here,” Ridley said.
“Where?”
“I don't know, but he’s been leading us in circles for the last five minutes. I reckon they must be holed up somewhere around here. He just didn’t want to go back until he shook us off.”
“Still, how are we going to track him down…”
“Shhh!” Ridley lifted his head and began sniffing.
He wandered around in a circle sniffing at the air. He crouched low and then began to trot down the street, his eyes firmly glued to the cobbles. Nairo followed his eyeline and saw glints of viscous, yellow liquid on the cobbles. Oz had left a trail! A disgusting trail but a trail nonetheless!
Ridley pulled up at a fence and pointed to a crack in the bottom. Both edges of the crack were covered in Oz’s discharge. He pressed a finger to his lips and then peered through a missing knot in one of the fence panels. Nairo joined him and they stared into the back of a row of disused houses. The garden was badly overgrown and covered in filth. There was barely enough light to see by but she saw a figure slither into view. It was Oz! His chest was heaving. He looked around and then slipped into one of the abandoned buildings.
“Gotcha,” Ridley whispered. “You go around the front and I’ll go through the back.”
“Wait Ridley,” Nairo said, grabbing his sleeve as he tried to walk off. “If that Pixie is in there, then we’re walking into a dangerous situation. Maybe we should call for backup.”
“What backup?”
“The police.”
“They ain’t gonna come.”
“They will if I tell them their Diamond’s in there. The EIF will be trained in how to deal with…”
“We don’t have time to call the calvary, Sarge. Oz is probably in there right now, getting ready to disappear again. Our murderer and the Diamond are just on the other side of the fence. Don’t lose your bottle now.” Ridley’s eyes were wide, almost manic. His face, bathed in shadows, still couldn’t hide the evidence of their journey to this point. His eye was black, his lip was cut, and there were scratches all down one side of his neck. His fists were swollen and cut and Nairo noticed there was blood seeping through his shirt where Carl the bartender had shot him with a crossbow. And worse, his coat was filthy and torn in half a dozen places. They both stank and were covered in dozens of wounds. She couldn’t stop now, not after everything they had been through.
“Right,” Nairo said, nodding her head. “Just be careful and try not to surprise the Pixie while it has the Diamond. I don’t want the place going bang.”
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“I ain’t done all this just to get blown up now.” Ridley flashed her a grin that tiptoed from cavalier to crazed and then silently scaled the fence while Nairo skulked around to the front of the building.
The road was abandoned. The only sound was a slight wind that had kicked up. She peered around the corner and for a second she swore she saw more figures hiding in the shadows watching her. As the clouds shifted the moonlight dispelled the shadows and the street was empty. How many concussions can you suffer before you start seeing things? Nairo tried to shake off her growing paranoia and focus on the task in front of her. This was it. All the miles, all the blood, and all the lies had led them here. Nairo breathed deeply and walked into the front garden of the dilapidated home. She crouched low and peered through the window. It was no good. The window was so deeply caked in grime all she could make out was a strange luminescent glow coming from within. Biting the inside of her cheek, Nairo tried to force her hands not to tremble. She knew her nerves were frayed, perhaps beyond repair at this point, but there was something else making her tremble. Some other force or energy emanated from the building. It set her teeth on edge and raised the tiny hairs on the back of her neck. Her heart rate quickened and she felt like her lungs had shrunk. Taking quick, shallow breaths, she took another step towards the door. Gently, she turned the handle and was surprised when the door fell open. She caught it before it could bang against the wall behind and stepped into the house.
The luminescent glow pulsed vividly now from the living room to her left. The air buzzed with energy that made strands of her hair stand up. She could feel a vibrating crackle run across the exposed skin of her hands and face. As she crept into the hallway, she heard voices. One of them was Oz but she didn’t recognise the other.
“We have to go Pelt! The PI and that copper were right behind me! We’ve got to disappear before they find my trail!” Oz pleaded breathlessly.
“But this is my nest,” a monotone voice spoke.
“I know, but we can make another one. I promise. Somewhere nice.”
“But this is my nest. I don’t have another nest.”
“We can build a better one. Somewhere safe! Please Pelt!”
Nairo peered through the cracked door and saw Oz on his knees in front of a small figure swaddled in a dark cloak. The living room looked exactly like the shed in Ms Jenkins’ garden. There were little shelf beds, set up all around the room, and the glow came from the same flower the other Pixie’s had used. The creature must have recreated a Pixie nest here.
“Where else is there?” The Pixie asked, its tone soft and detached.
Nairo tried to see under the hood, but could only catch glimpses of the creature's lilac skin. As she peered through the half light she saw it! The Diamond! The Pixie had it in its lap, gently running its long, bony finger across the surface. Even in the dimness, the Diamond glittered and dazzled with an allure that almost made Nairo walk straight through the door towards it. Oz, however, recoiled at the sight of the Diamond.
“Pelt, you mustn’t hurt them,” Oz said. “They’s good people. Well, the copper is anyway, but Ridley’s not bad people…”
“Why do they want to take me from my nest then?” The Pixie asked.
Nairo caught a glimpse of its eyes as it turned towards Oz. They were so black. So empty. Just a quick flash of them was enough to make Nairo shudder.
“They… ummm… they’re just doing their jobs I suppose. They don’t want to hurt us.”
“Is it because I am a bad Pixie?”
“Pelt you’re…”
“Is it because I murdered? I killed the bad Goblin. I killed the Humans. Will they come because I am evil?” The Pixie’s voice was still calm and devoid of any emotion.
“You’re not evil Pelt… those were accidents! They know that. But it’s the rest of them, they don’t know that. They won’t treat you right. That’s why we gotta run. Maybe… maybe if you leave the Diamond here, they’ll leave us alo…”
“I WILL NOT!” The Pixie’s voice thundered so suddenly it made Nairo gasp. Energy, palpable as a rush of wind, exploded through the room, sending Oz tumbling backwards. “THEY WILL NOT HAVE IT! THEY WILL NEVER USE IT AGAIN!” The little Pixie’s voice was amplified, as if a dozen creatures all chanted at once. The Diamond glowed and the floorboards rattled.
“Okay! Okay! We’ll take it with us! I’m sorry! Please Pelt, calm down!” Oz howled, holding his hands up and begging.
Slowly, the Diamond stopped glowing, the rush of energy returned to a hum, and the house settled. Nairo’s mouth had gone completely dry. She had seen the remnants of the Diamonds power in Benny’s flat and the alleyway in the Iron District, but to feel it so close, so raw, had robbed the breath from her body. Cold sweat broke out on her forehead.
“It is too late,” the Pixie said, its voice returning to normal. “They are here.”
Nairo’s blood went cold.
“That was a neat trick, how’d you do it?” Nairo heard Ridley’s unaffected drawl from the other side of the room. She put her eye to the crack and saw him step into the room with his hands held up in front of him.
“Ridley!” Oz said, wringing his hands and attempting a wriggley toothed smile. “You shouldn’t be here.”
“Neither should you by the looks of it,” Ridley said calmly. “Really Oz, this whole time. You know what we’ve been through looking for your little Pixie pal here? I almost drowned in a toilet! I’ve been shot! A giant fucking snake nearly ate me!”
“Moota?”
“Yeah. It’s dead now.”
“You killed Moota?”
“Yeah, and a dozen other insane things just to find out you had the Diamond all along!”
“I’m sorry Ridley, but you don’t understand.”
“Are you going to take me?” the Pixie asked Ridley.
Ridley looked down at the little creature cautiously.
“To be honest, I’ve only been asked to find the Diamond…”
“By who?”
“By its owners.”
“Elves?” The Pixie hissed, the thrum of the Diamond intensified again, the air crackling with energy. “They are monsters. They won’t do it again!” A roar of energy smashed through the room, cracking the plaster work. “YOU ARE ONE OF THEM!”
Ridley was blown from his feet. He was slammed into the wall behind and held, his feet dangling, by the kinetic rush of energy from the Diamond.
“Pelt no!” Oz cried out.
The Diamond began shaking, glowing white hot, the house vibrated, cracks appearing across the walls.
“THEY ARE KILLERS! MURDERERS! THEY TOOK THEM! THEY TOOK THEM ALL FROM ME!” The Pixie roared.
Ridley cried out as the force of the Diamond pulled the skin taught on his skull, driving him through the plasterwork until cracks started appearing all around him.
Nairo threw herself through the door. She had no idea what to do but the Pixie was killing Ridley. She stood between them, feeling the pulse of the Diamond and the rush of energy. It felt like her skin was being stripped away. She tried to scream but she had no breath. Tears filled her eyes as the searing pain intensified.
Then it stopped. Nairo fell to one knee and heard the thud of Ridley’s body dropping behind her. She opened her eyes and looked at the Pixie. It was staring at her with those empty black eyes.
“Friend?” the Pixie whispered.
Its void-like eyes opened wide. The hood fell back from its head and it looked so disarmingly like any other Pixie. It trembled and reached out a bony finger towards Nairo’s face. Nairo flinched for a moment, but then she noticed Oz, who had been cringing on the floor, looked up at her with a wondrous look in his eyes. Nairo looked up at her reflection in the filthy windows and saw there was a streak of pink glowing brightly on her cheek where Hildy had wiped her tears. Ms Jenkins had said it was a mark of friendship! Nairo looked down at the Pixie in front of her. Its eyes brimmed with tears. The Diamond was still clutched in its hand but it was held the same way a toddler would hold a teddy rather than a weapon. The tiny creature stumbled closer to Nairo, its hand still outstretched.
“Friend?” it whispered again.
Nairo knelt frozen in place. She watched the Pixie’s trembling finger come closer, then she felt it gently brush against her cheek. As soon as the creature touched Hildy’s tear, it broke down. Great racking sobs took the strength from it. The Pixie dropped to its knees and held its glowing digit to its chest, sobbing like a wounding animal.
“Us,” it whispered, cradling the digit and weeping. The Diamond lay by its side, forgotten.
Nairo hesitated and then reached out a hand. Softly, she patted the Pixie’s back as it sobbed. Oz blinked in surprise and then he scuttled over to the Pixie.
“It’s okay Pelt,” he said.
“Pelt, is that your name?” Nairo asked.
“I give it to him,” Oz said. “Pixie’s don’t really have names. He likes it though, don’t you, Pelt?”
The Pixie looked up at Nairo, tears streaked its face.
“You know this Pixie?” he asked her, holding up his finger.
“Yes, her name is Hildy.”
Pelt nodded enthusiastically, fat tears rolling down his cheeks.
“You’ve been trying to talk to her, haven’t you?”
Now Pelt’s face darkened.
“They cannot hear. I am broken. Not a Pixie anymore.”
“But they did hear you,” Nairo said quickly, as she heard Ridley groan behind her as he regained consciousness. “Is that… is that why you took the Diamond, Pelt? You wanted to reconnect with your kind.”
Pelt looked up at her apprehensively and gave a small nod but then shook his head straight after.
“I thought… I thought the magick was strong enough to make Pelt a Pixie again,” he whispered.
“That’s how you’ve been communicating with those Pixie’s from the bank from so far away?” Nairo said and Pelt nodded.
“That’s why you took the Diamond?” Oz asked, his eyes wide.
Pelt shook his head.
“No… not just this. They did bad things,” Pelt whispered.
“Who?” Nairo asked.
“Elves,” Pelt barely uttered the word. “They made Pelt do evil things with the Diamond. They hurt so many people. They kill so many people. They make me do bad, bad things. I couldn’t… not anymore. I was so lonely. Scared…”
“Then they left you in that bank vault with the Diamond,” Ridley said, he had pulled himself up to a sitting position, still breathing heavily. “And you saw your chance to stop their evil.”
Pelt nodded.
“I took the Diamond and I run. I could feel them, my people, all around me. Thousands of Pixies. But they fear me. They know Pelt is evil. They won’t talk to me. So I keep running. Then that bad Goblin take me. He wanted to do evil with the Diamond too. I didn’t mean to…” Pelt began to weep silent tears and the Diamond pulsed angrily.
“Shall we put it away, Pelt? In the special box? Just to be safe?” Oz held up a small wooden box of smooth, well lacquered darkwood.
Pelt nodded and delicately picked up the Diamond, placing it carefully into the velvet lined box. Oz closed the box with a gentle snap and Pelt whispered a word over it. The box gave a pulse of light and suddenly the frenetic buzz and crackle of energy disappeared from the room.
“It was an accident,” Oz explained to Nairo, sighing with relief. “Benny was a violent thug, he wanted to steal the Diamond and take over the city. He tried to take the Diamond by force. Pelt didn’t mean to… to you know… it just happened. It was an accident.”
“Pelt is evil,” the Pixie whispered. “It is evil!” Pelt pointed at the box with Diamond in it. “Only bad things be done with it. All it wants to do is hurt, and make fire, and destroy. It is an evil thing.”
“Then I s’pose you won’t mind us taking it off your hands.”
Nairo spun around and her heart jolted so hard in her chest she almost choked. Four hulking Goblins stood in the doorway to the room! Rufi was standing there with his crew, one shot crossbows in all of their hands, pointing directly at each one of them.
“Hello Sarge,” Rufi said with a grin. “Congrats on solving the case, knew you could do it. Now hand over the fucking Diamond.”