Chapter 1
It was the most peculiar city that one could ever see. It was not that the narrow streets with cobblestones or the strangely built houses made it peculiar, but the people or should I say creatures made the city for what it was-“strange” in the eyes of the ordinary. Of course, they could not live together, boundaries had to be made. One would think that the creatures came out of J.K. Rowling’s books- hippogriffs, elves, pixies, and goblins… nothing less than a magical city. The humans, however, the ones who considered themselves ordinary, lived ordinary lives-got up early in the morning to have breakfast on their way to work, worked all day long, got back home and went to bed only to start the next day just the same. Where is the fun in that? They despised the creatures and their magic that made everything possible.
Mr and Mrs Pembroke lived in London and were more than happy to send their only son on his first day to school. It only marked how ordinary they were. He knew nothing of the other city that was in the heart of his own. Everything was perfect as the years went by. The boy, Thomas, was exceptionally intelligent and had high grades. His parents were proud to call him their son. However, one day, the boy wrote a story about pixies and goblins at school and the headmaster immediately called his parents. Talking about pixies, even thinking about them, was forbidden. Mrs Pembroke apologized and told the headmaster that the boy knows nothing about that city and its habitants and it is only in his imagination. The headmaster knew better but said nothing. The boy, however, was punished by his parents and never again mentioned pixies even though he had dreams about flying pixies looking rather human and goblins and elves who worked in shops on a funny looking street. Years went by and everything was ordinary in the lives of the Pembrokes. The boy graduated and became a detective with a good reputation. He, however, was not satisfied with the ordinary life he led. He knew there was more to life than this. It is that his life changed utterly when a goblin was murdered in his own city.
It was a rather dull-looking day with dark greyish clouds in the sky when a report came to the constabulary that a creature of some kind was lying dead on Pemberly Street. Thomas Pembroke was to lead the case and for the first time in his life did he see a creature like that. It was lifelessly laying on the pavement with its red eyes fixed on the sky. Instead of fingers on its hands, it had some kind of claws, very long fingers and even longer nails. It had pointed ears and a wide mouth, unlike Thomas has ever seen. Its skin was yellowish under the ripped rather elegant clothes. It was murdered for sure, but where did that creature come from? What was it? Was it from this world? Thomas questioned himself. The body was taken to the coroner to be examined like every other victim the police ever encountered.
