“It wait until first moon rises, huh?” said Slobad. “You sleep for three rotations, but Slobad need rest. I take you see Dwugget after breakfast, huh? Sleep, food, Dwugget.”
The elf nodded. “I could use some rest as well. I wasn’t exactly relaxing on the way here, either.” Actually, she felt renewed. Her heart was pounding, and she felt completely awake. This changed everything. If Memnarch was below her and there was a hole in the goblins’ lair, they might not have to leave the mountains to leave the mountains.
* * * * *
Despite her excitement Glissa was asleep moments after she lay down, a sleep mercifully devoid of dreams. When she heard Bosh’s voice calling to her and opened her eyes to darkness, she felt a momentary panic, as if she had fallen back into the abyss.
“Slobad, Glissa,” said the golem again. “Wake up. Something is wrong.”
“What is it?” said Glissa, glad to hear her own voice in the darkness. She sat up and squinted, trying to pierce the gloom. She could see two red dots high above her that could only be Bosh’s eyes.
“A battle approaches.”
Glissa heard something that sounded like a small explosion, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. “Aerophuis,” she said. “Bosh, grab Slobad. We’re under attack. We have to get to the cultists.”
Bosh lifted the goblin, who snorted sleepily.
“Wake him,” hissed Glissa. “I need light.”
Glissa crept along the wall toward the door. She could barely see its outline. From down the corridor came a flash of light.
“I’m going to take a look,” she whispered. She inched down the corridor, her back against the wall, and peered around the edge. Pools of light from goblin fire tubes dotted the next corridor. In the dim light, Glissa saw a score of goblins running toward her.
They were being chased by what looked like large, walking aerophins. The creatures had the same blue, bulbous heads, but their silver bodies were much larger—man-sized. Each had two massive arms connected to barrel-shaped bodies. Their legs were mere stubs jutting from the base of the barrels, yet they moved amazingly fast.
One of the silver assassins pointed an arm at the retreating goblins. It had no hands, but a huge metal arrow shot out, impaling, two goblins. Their bodies knocked down several in front of them. A second barbed missile shot out from another creature, taking down a third goblin. Then the goblins were past Glissa, running down the hall. A bolt of lightning came from another beast, blasting the mass of fallen goblins.
Glissa fell to her knees. “No!” she screamed. “Not again!” The silver attackers stopped and searched for the source of the screaming then moved forward. They glided down the corridor, their stubby legs never touching the iron flooring.
She could do nothing but watch in horror as they drew near. In the pile of goblins she saw only the faces of Kane, Rishan, Chunth, and her family. Her grief paralyzed her. Two hovering attackers reached the corner and peered into the darkness. Glissa curled into a ball, half-hoping they wouldn’t see her, half-hoping they would.
Something struck her, hurling her back down the corridor to fall in a heap. She looked up in time to see one of the silver men point its deadly arm at her. The bolt flew toward her. She made no attempt to dodge.
Inches from her face, the harpoon stopped, snatched from the air by Bosh.
The golem flipped the spear over in his hand and flung it back down the corridor. The huge missile slammed into the hovering beast’s crystal head. The resulting explosion knocked the headless creature to the floor and slammed its companion through the wall of the corridor.
“Pick her up,” said Slobad. “Follow. I get us out, huh?”
Bosh snatched Glissa from the floor, cradling her in his arms. The hair on her neck tingled, but she couldn’t even cry out. Bolts of lightning struck the walls and floor behind them as they ran. Bosh stumbled and almost fell. Glissa felt a surge of energy run through her body. The golem regained his balance and kept running.
They raced through dark corridors, twisting back and forth, followed by sounds of lightning cracking and harpoons clanging. At last they halted, and Bosh set Glissa down. She looked up to see Slobad wrestling with a plate on the wall. The goblin grunted as he tried to pry it open with one of his tools. Bosh came forward, pushed two thick fingers behind the cover, and ripped it off the wall.
“In here,” said Slobad. “Quick, huh?”
Glissa crawled into the cramped tunnel.
“Keep moving,” hissed Slobad.
Glissa obeyed. The darkness of the air duct called to her. She welcomed it back into her mind.
Slobad pulled out his fire tube, lit it, and tossed it into the ductwork. Glissa grabbed the light and inched forward. She could see now, but still the darkness closed in on her. The abyss was near, and she could do nothing but crawl toward it. She heard the clanging of harpoons again, as if through a fog, then Bosh’s voice.
“I cannot fit,” said the metal man. “Proceed without me. I will safeguard your escape.”
There was silence. Glissa looked back to see Slobad hug the giant golem’s leg.
“Goodbye, Bosh,” he said.
“Farewell, friend,” said Bosh.
Bosh turned. Two harpoons stuck from his back beside a huge scorch mark. He lumbered down the hallway into the darkness.
“Keep moving, huh?” said Slobad after a deep breath and a stifled sniffle. “Keep moving.”
Glissa crawled through the ductwork, following Slobad’s directions. The farther she went through the maze of cramped tunnels the closer she came to the abyss. After a while, she could hardly hear Slobad’s commands through the fog in her mind.
She saw light up ahead. A few more turns and they reached the end of the tunnel. The yellow moon was rising in the distance. Glissa fell to the ground in a heap. She heard Slobad drop to the ground behind her, but she stared in silence at the moon.
THE GREAT FURNACE
“What now, huh?” asked Slobad from behind Glissa.
She glanced up at the goblin. “What did you say?”
“What now, huh?” he repeated. “We get away. What we do now?”
Glissa stared at the goblin. She had no idea where they were or what was going on. She had heard that same question before, but it wasn’t Slobad who had asked it. It was …
“Where’s the golem?”
Now it was Slobad’s turn to stare at Glissa. “What you talking about, crazy elf?” he asked. “We left Bosh back in the cult caves.” Glissa could see tears streaming down the goblin’s face. When she didn’t respond, he continued. “Cult was attacked, huh? Remember? Flying silver men with blue heads. Goblins die. We run. Bosh stay behind so we can escape. Remember? Any of it? Bosh save Glissa’s life—again.”
“Bosh is the golem?” asked Glissa, more to herself than to Slobad. “And he speaks now.…” Bits and pieces of the last few days swirled around inside her head. Kane’s death. Her descent into the abyss. Bosh’s voice pulling her back. The attack. The dead goblins. Bosh taking a lightning bolt in the back that was meant for her.
“You left him there?” she demanded.
Slobad wiped the tears from his eyes and nodded.
Glissa backed away from the goblin and drew her sword. “The vedalken got to you, too, didn’t they?” she demanded.
“What?” said Slobad. “No! Bosh my friend, huh?”
“Just like the cultists were your friends,” sneered Glissa. “You left them to die with Bosh. All this time you told me you were cursed, but you’re the one who always lives when everyone around you dies. How does that happen, Slobad? Hmmm? You’re good at getting away, at leaving your friends to die. You left the cultists to die once before. You told me yourself.”
“Stop it, huh?” snapped Slobad. “You talking crazy. You don’t know what you say.”
“Don’t I? My life has been a disaster since I met you.”
“Slobad didn’t kill your family, Glissa,” said the goblin gently. “Didn’t
kill trolls or elf friend. Didn’t attack Taj Nar.”
“Then who did?” screamed Glissa. “I have to blame somebody. If not you, then who? Me? Is that what you’re saying? It’s all my fault?” Glissa’s face flushed as she continued. “I have a destiny, Slobad. A destiny. Do you hear that? And that destiny is to watch everyone I love die one by one.” Her breathing came in gasps. “Is that my fault? I say it’s your fault. It’s your flaring curse that has caused all of this!”
Glissa stopped suddenly. She was clawing for breath. Then she was crying. She tried to wipe the tears from her eyes and cheeks with her palms, but they kept flowing. She balled her hands into fists and jammed them into both eyes, as if to cork the flow of tears.
“It is my fault, isn’t it?” she whispered after a time.
“Attacks not your fault,” said Slobad, dropping down beside her. “Not Slobad’s fault. Not curse’s fault. Not destiny’s fault. It was globe-headed mage, huh? Memnarch. Vedalkens. Someone trying to kill you. Stop your destiny.”
“But look what I’ve done to your only family. It’s dangerous to be around me.”
“You my family, now, huh?” said Slobad. “Listen. I live alone for long time. Not happy, just surviving, huh? Then crazy elf drag Slobad from hole and into danger. Show Slobad how to fight for life, not hide from it. Give Slobad purpose, huh? Make me feel part of family.”
“Get Slobad killed,” sighed Glissa.
“Maybe.” The goblin shrugged. “But die for cause, huh? Die fighting evil. Die fighting beside friend. Better than living in hole, safe and alone. I leave cult first time to save Slobad, huh? I leave this time to save friend. Come. We find vedalken mage. Or Memnarch. Whoever behind attacks. We find, huh? Make him pay for Glissa’s family, friends, Slobad’s cult family, Bosh.”
Glissa nodded her head. The little goblin had a way of cutting through to the truth. She saw plots and deceit everywhere. He saw life and truth. The truth was that someone really was trying to kill her, and it wouldn’t stop until she made it stop. She owed it to Slobad to save his friend and his family. Glissa reached out and hugged her companion, squeezing until he pushed her away.
“Crazy elf.”
“Come on, we have work to do.” She jumped to her feet and headed back toward the tunnel.
“Where you going, huh?” asked Slobad. “Quicksilver Sea that way.” Slobad pointed across the craggy hills that surrounded them toward the open lands of the Glimmervoid.
“The vedalken can wait,” said Glissa. “Our friends cannot. First we save Bosh and Dwugget, then we make Memnarch pay.”
* * * * *
Glissa and Slobad made their way back through the ductwork to the Krark cult lair. Slobad led the way with the fire tube doused. Glissa followed blindly, holding onto Slobad’s satchel so she didn’t lose him in the winding tunnels. After crawling through the dark for some time, Glissa nudged Slobad.
“Did it take this long on the way out?”
“No,” said the goblin. “Taking us to secret part of cult lair, huh? So secret, even they don’t know about it.”
“Another one of your personal improvements?” asked Glissa.
“Yes. Hiding spot, huh? See most of lair. Hide there when shaman’s warriors attack long ago. No time to get others to safety. We go there now. Check for danger, huh?”
“Good plan,” said Glissa. “That should bypass any guards they may have left at our escape tunnel.”
“That, too,” said Slobad. “Now, be quiet, crazy elf. We under lair right now.”
The two crawled on in silence for a while. After a few more turns, the goblin stopped. Glissa could hear him grunting. A moment later, she heard metal scraping. Then Slobad began moving again. His satchel pulled her upward until she grabbed the lip of a hole.
The elf pulled herself up into a large room. She could barely see anything, but light seeped from small openings near the floor all around her.
“Slobad,” she hissed. “Where are you?”
“Over here, huh?”
Glissa felt her way through the dark toward the goblin’s voice, bumping into what felt like a table, then a chair, along the way.
“We spy on lair from here, huh?” said Slobad. “Kneel down. Look through hole. Hole shows hall where attack start, huh? Look.”
Glissa knelt and looked through the opening. It was the same size and shape as the cover Slobad had to remove to get into the tunnels, which she suspected were air ducts. Ingenious little goblin. Through the hole Glissa saw an intersection of two corridors. The hallway across from her was dark. That must have been where we slept, she thought. To the right was where the goblins were attacked. Glissa could see the scorch marks on the floor and the blood, but otherwise the corridor was empty.
“Where are the bodies?” she whispered. “At least five goblins were killed there. Where’d they go?”
“Good question. Maybe silver beasts take them.”
“Maybe,” said Glissa, “but why? Dead goblins wouldn’t help them find me. That has to be the right corridor, though. I saw the blood.”
“Check other holes, huh?” said Slobad.
Glissa and Slobad circled the large room, checking each peephole in turn. There were several on each wall. Through each, they saw the same thing. Deserted corridors, scorch marks, and some blood. There were no sign of goblins, hover beasts, or Bosh.
“Where in the flare is everybody?” asked Glissa
“I think I know,” said Slobad, “and it not good. Not good at all. Very bad, in fact.”
“What do you mean?”
“Look at this, huh?” said the goblin.
Glissa followed the walls around the room until she bumped into Slobad, then bent and looked through the hole. The corridor outside looked much like the others. Scorch marks on the walls and some blood on the floor. “What am I looking at?” she asked.
“See symbol?” asked Slobad.
“No. What symbol?”
“Look at black mark on wall, huh?” said Slobad. “Something drawn there. Symbol. See? Huh?”
Glissa looked at the scorch mark again. Sure enough, there was an odd symbol scratched into the wall. The black soot from the lighting bolt almost obscured it. Even after Slobad pointed it out to her she could barely make out the image. It looked like an eye above a mountain.
“What does that mean?”
“It means goblin shaman here again,” said Slobad. “Come and clean out lair. That Eye of Doom mark. Shaman carve to mark unclean lairs.”
“That can’t be a coincidence, Slobad,” said Glissa. “You said the cult had stayed hidden for fifty cycles. There’s no way those vedalken beasts and the goblin shaman found this place at the same time. The shaman must have sold out to the vedalken just like Geth and Strang. But why did the goblin shaman take the dead bodies?”
“Take everyone to Great Furnace. All metal must be returned to clan.”
“They’re going to burn them in the furnace?” asked Glissa, a note of panic in her voice as the realization sunk in. “Oh, flare! Bosh!”
“We hurry,” said Slobad. “No time for sneaky elf.” The goblin lit his fire tube and ran back to the hole in the middle of the floor. He dropped into the tunnel before Glissa could even move. The sudden light had blinded her. Through the dots floating in her vision, Glissa stumbled to the hole, which glowed with the light of the torch below.
She followed Slobad back into the ductwork tunnels but could barely keep up with the little goblin. She might be able to outrun him on land, but her long legs were not made for this environment. They traveled for over an hour through the twisting tunnels. With the fire tube lit, Glissa could tell that even the straight passages weren’t all that straight or smooth. It looked as if the rusty metal had been banged into shape by hammers.
The two passed many openings. Most of the time, Glissa could see nothing in them but darkness. Sometimes a fire tube beyond the duct would illuminate an open cavern or a small room filled with metal and tools. She saw goblins hard
at work heating and banging metal or cutting away walls and floors of caverns. It looked as if they were mining metal from the mountains, then fashioning it into whatever they needed.
After more than two hours, Glissa had to stop. A cramp shot up her calf into the knee, and she dropped to the floor of the tunnel. Hearing her groan, Slobad stopped several feet on. Glissa straightened out her leg, but in the small tunnel she could not reach down to massage the muscle. Worse, the passage was getting warmer.
“Not much farther,” said Slobad. He came back and sat in front of her. His head was jammed up against the top of the tunnel, and he looked at her from an odd angle.
At least he can turn around and sit, thought Glissa. “I’ll just be a moment,” she said. “Why is it getting so hot?”
We close to furnace, huh?” replied Slobad. “Ducts take hot air to goblins. Cool furnace and heat homes. Smart. Goblins good with machines.”
“Will the ducts take us all the way to the furnace?”
“No,” said Slobad. “We can’t get to furnace by duct. Air too hot at Furnace, huh? Goblins replace ducts above furnace every cycle. Melt away. Furnace very hot.”
“Then where are we headed?”
“Holding pens,” said Slobad. “We find Dwugget, maybe. Cultists. Pens close to furnace. If not there, we too late.”
Glissa’s leg was still sore, but she could move. “Lead on,” she said.
Soon after, Slobad stopped at an opening on the floor of the tunnel. He pushed the cover out, then pulled it through the opening, placed it in front of him, and shut off the fire tube. Glissa could just see the silhouette of his head as he leaned over and stuck it through the opening.
“Nobody here,” he said. “Safe. Come on, huh? Hurry.”
Glissa followed him through and landed in a corridor lined with rusty cages. Fire tubes at the end of the corridor provided dim light. Most of the cages were empty, but one held about a dozen goblins cramped together. The companions crept to the packed cell.
“Dwugget,” called Slobad. “You in there, Dwugget?”
“Here,” came a hoarse reply. “All here, my son. Is that you, Slobad?”
The Moons of Mirrodin Page 18