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If there’s one thing a goblin’s nose knows, it’s the scent of blood. It varies from creature to creature, but there’s always the metallic, iron scent that announces its presence. Riz picked up the scent immediately upon entering the lobby of Strongtower Luxury Apartments and his instincts kicked in. He wasn’t sure where exactly the smell was coming from yet, but his heart began to race as his mind filled with worst-case scenarios. He didn’t bother to wait for the elevator and he rushed up the stairs on all fours to the apartment he shared with his mom. As he made it to their floor, the scent became much, much more powerful and a unique pungency, a certain tinge of smell that Riz could never describe as anything other than “yellow,” hit his olfactory and he recognized the smell as goblin blood.
He got to his feet, pulled out his arquebus, and silently snuck up to the door of their apartment. It was ajar.
“Mom?” he whispered. Silence.
He nudged the door open and peeked inside, quickly scanning for enemies. Seeing none but still on guard, he crept inside and stuck to the wall. The blood smell was overwhelming now that he was inside the apartment, yet he saw no sign of a struggle.
“Mom? Are you here?” he called in a louder, yet wavering voice. He wanted the blood to belong to someone else, wanted it to be a little nick from a knife that she was cleaning up in the bathroom (though he knew the stench of blood was too strong for a mere cut). He wanted it to be anything but what made the most sense.
He heard a cough from the back of the apartment and he continued onward towards the secret room his parents had built into their home.
It was there in that room that he found his mom, covered in blood and scratches, yet breathing and drinking some whisky while sitting in a desk chair.
“Mom!” he cried out again, and he flung himself at her, thankful that she was alive.
“Oh, kiddo, careful now,” she calmly scolded him with a wince as Riz touched upon a scratch. He drew back a little, suddenly realizing how wounded Sklonda was, and looked at her with fear and concern.
“Mom… What happened? Who did this?”
Sklonda took a sip of the whisky and looked over her shoulder at the mangled corpse in the corner of the room. “That bastard thought he could sneak into the apartment and attack me. Problem is that he thought right.”
Riz approached the body and examined it; it used to be goblin, that was for sure, but his mom had done a number on her assailant with just her claws and fangs.
“What happened to your gun?”
“I didn’t want to draw attention and disturb the neighbors, so I kept things personal.”
“...Yeah, nothing more ‘personal’ than a goblin’s fangs,” Riz replied wearily. “But why did they attack you?”
“That was some goon from the Arrata Syndicate, I presume. They've been harassing me for months since I’m the public defender of one of their own. Seems they’re afraid that he’ll snitch on them in order for leniency and are putting the pressure on me to keep him silent. I brushed aside their threats, but it seems I should have been taking them more seriously.” Sklonda finished off her whisky and stood up. “Well, this body isn’t going to clean itself up. Going to help me, kiddo?” That’s why your dad and I had you!” She winked at her son.
Riz groaned. “I will, but first… I’m going to make a call.”
“Oh, the police won’t be able to do much about this-”
“I know that!” Riz snapped, frazzled at the state of the house and his mom’s nonchalance. “I’m calling my friends.”
Twenty minutes later the Bad Kids were crammed in the apartment, helping Riz and Sklonda clean up the mess. Gorgug and Fabian helped dispose of the body, Fig and Adaine used Prestidigitation and Mending to help tidy up the office, and Kristen healed Sklonda before helping the two goblins scrub out the remaining blood.
“Thanks for the help, kids,” Sklonda told the group afterwards, stretching out some kinks in her back. “How about I pay you back for the help with some ice cream?”
Riz sputtered and growled. “How can you be so cavalier about all of this!? You almost died alone in the apartment!”
“It just comes with the job, sweetie,” his mom replied in a calm voice. “Sometimes people send strong messages and-”
“‘Strong messages??’ You- I- Mom! I don't want to lose you! Why can’t you see that… that this scared me? I don’t want you to disappear on me like Dad did…” A single tear rolled down the rogue’s cheek and Sklonda’s heart broke to see it.
She had been trying to put on a braver face than she felt, and was now realizing that she was only hurting her son by doing so.
“Riz, sweetie, I’m sorry,” she said, and she stepped up to her son and hugged him in an embrace. “I’ll try to do better, be a little more selective with my clients next time, but we need the money…”
“I know. …I know. You’re doing it for us,” Riz said with a sigh.
The Bad Kids mulled around for a moment at the beautiful family moment before Adaine cleared her throat.
“You know… there’s always room at Mordred. Lots of people there to help watch your back if you need it.”
“Nonsense!” scoffed Fabian. “They’re moving into Seacaster Manor! With Mamá and Cathilda there, there is no safer place in all of Spyre!”
Sklonda chuckled good-naturedly at the offers.
“You kids are very kind, but I think we’d have to run this by the actual homeowners first, don't you think?”
Riz looked from his mom over to Fabian, the half-elf’s eye sparkling with nothing but honest enthusiasm. He knew that either household would be more than welcoming of them, but if Riz had any say in the matter, he knew where he’d rather be.
“I, uh, I think Mom and I will have to talk about this. And with Jawbone and Hallariel. …you know, like what Mom just said. Adaine nodded, but Fabian looked plain crestfallen and Riz sagged to see his friend look so sad.
“Um…” All eyes turned to Riz.
“Maybe we can stay with the Seacasters tonight and then at Mordred tomorrow?” he asked his mom. “Stay away from the apartment for a few days while this all blows over and you can see how you like it and talk with the other parents?”
Sklonda tousled Riz’s hair. “That’s not a bad idea at all, kid.” She turned to the rest of the kids. “How about it?”
“I love it!” Fig cuts in before Adaine or Kristen can say anything.
Fabian’s face lit up, and Riz’s heart lifted at the sight of the smile on the half-elf’s face. He really needed a hug from Fabian, and they were testing the waters on a relationship and not ready to tell everyone else yet, so spending the night at Fabian’s was the perfect cover.
“If you need more time away before you decide, I’m sure my parents would love to have you come visit as well,” Gorgug added from the back of the group, pulling Riz back to the present.
“Oh, yeah, that might be good, too. Just to play it safe,” said Riz.
“Alright, it’s a plan. Riz and I will pack and head over to the Seacasters in about an hour, okay?”
All the teens agreed and left the apartment to head back to their respective homes, Fabian calling Cathilda to inform her of the guests they would have that night. As the door shut behind the last teenager, Sklonda shot her son a sly glance.
“Uh, what’s with the eyes, Mom?”
“Oh, just thinking that you must be very relieved.”
“Well yeah, you were attacked but we’ve got friends who are willing to help protect us!”
“Mmm, and I’m sure that it’s just a coincidence that we’re going to your boyfriend’s house tonight first?”
“It just seemed easier and closer if we-” Riz went pale. “Um, I mean, he’s not-”
“Kid, I’m a former detective. You’re not going to hide that many things from me.”
Riz swallowed audibly. “Please don’t tell anyone else!”
“Don’t worry, kid, your secret’s safe with me. Now, let’s pack up and get the hell out of here before the Arratas send a second lackey.”