Will McDermott - The Moons of Mirrodin

Glissa stepped outside and halted, amazed by the land around her. The ground gleamed. It was made of a silvery metal, not the moldered copper of the Tangle. The ground rolled up and down around her, making hills and valleys running as far as she could see. The cave behind her did not come from a hill, though. Rather, the structure was shaped like a mushroom. Rust-colored intertwined tubes ran up from the silver ground to a large, conical top. There were several of these outcroppings around them, and in the distance behind her, Glissa could see a large mountain with similar features jutting into the sky.

“Is that where your people live?” she asked Slobad.

“I told you, huh?” said Slobad, who was already moving down the slope. “Slobad has no people. Slobad is his own people. Goblins live in mountains leonin live in Razor Fields. Mountains up there. Razor Fields down there. We go this way, huh?”

Glissa hobbled up beside the goblin and looked at him. His eyes were narrowed, and he looked straight at the ground. He might just have been concentrating on the path, but Glissa guessed she had hit on a touchy subject.

“Why do you live alone, Slobad?” she asked.

“Long story,” said Slobad.

It was an uncharacteristically short answer. “We have three days,” she replied. “Surely that will be enough time.”

“Leave me alone, crazy elf,” said Slobad in a gruff and final tone.

“You could have left me alone back there and been perfectly happy in your little room,” said Glissa. She poked him in the shoulder with the tip of her claws. This was getting fun. For some reason she was reminded of Kane.

“Come on,” she continued. “You brought this on yourself. You helped me and abandoned your home to take me to the leonin. You owe me.”

Slobad walked on in silence, apparently trying to wait her out.

“I’m not going to stop asking until we get to the leonin city,” she said, poking him again, “so you might as well just tell me now. Look, I never had many friends, either. There’s no shame in being alone. I find it more comforting. You don’t have to worry about anyone else and what they might do to you.”

“Elf talks too much,” grunted Slobad. Glissa thought he was going to fall silent again, but he continued after a few more steps. “You don’t know what you talk about, huh? You choose to be alone. Slobad outcast. Have no family, no friends. Slobad is cursed. That what you want to know, huh?”

“I’m sorry,” said Glissa. “Sometimes I think I’m cursed, too. I’ve always been different. I’m sort of an outcast as well. Maybe that’s why I like you, Slobad. Maybe that’s why I’m willing to trust you.”

For the rest of the day, the pair walked away from the mountains in silence, through the hills of the Glimmervoid. Glissa watched with awe as the yellow moon passed almost right over her. She could see the red, black, and blue moons as well. The red one stayed behind them all day while the blue passed off to their right. The black was farther away ahead of them, but it was still closer than she had ever seen it before.

That night, seated around a small fire, Slobad began to talk again.

“Slobad alone a long time,” he said as they chewed on some foul-smelling rodents the goblin had caught. “Too long, huh? That real curse-to live alone, apart from world.”

“Why?” asked Glissa. The meat was tough and stringy. She was glad the goblin had finally started his story. It gave her a reason to stop eating.

“I told, you, huh?” said Slobad. “Slobad cursed. Born under Eye of Doom-the blue sun. It ghost sun. The day Slobad born, Eye of Doom hover above Great Furnace. Sign of bad luck, huh? Mother should sacrifice Slobad to Furnace. That law of the goblins, huh? All born under Eye of Doom are cursed and must be returned to Furnace. Instead she drop me into air duct, right down in air duct. She couldn’t bother killing me herself. Better to die and have metal used for good, huh? At least life would have meaning.…”

Slobad’s voice trailed off. Glissa didn’t prod him this time but went back to eating her long-tailed rodent. She took a bite, then stuck her fingers in her mouth to pull a stringy piece of metal from between her teeth. Whisker. After a time, Slobad continued.

“Slobad found by goblin named Dwugget,” said Slobad. “He outcast, too. Leader of rogue cult, huh? Leader of Krark cult. Live in secret lair at end of ducts. Dwugget found Slobad on way home, huh? Took me in. Gave me home. I work for cult, listen to stories, huh? But Slobad never fit in. We all outcasts, but they choose to live apart, all for stupid story nobody believes.”

“What story was that?” asked Glissa.

“Not important,” said Slobad. “Goblin named Krark claim to find other world inside Mirrodin. All craziness. Slobad never fit in. They okay to me, but never get too close. They religious. Still believe in curse. One day, priests find cult and attack. Slobad decides to leave, huh? Leave family and wander world. Live near Tangle for a time, but elves don’t trust anyone. Slobad run from there and wander Glimmervoid.”

“That’s when you met the healers?” asked Glissa. She finished her meal and tossed the bones away from their camp.

Slobad nodded. “And Raksha, young leonin warrior, Kha. Slobad given to Raksha as toy, huh? Training dummy. We fight all the time. Raksha always win. Slobad always hurt. But healers fix me up, huh? So Raksha train again.”

“That sounds horrible,” said Glissa. “You really want to go back to these people?”

“Raksha good to Slobad. He always make sure I healed properly, huh? Then nim begin attacking more. Raksha sent into real battles. Fighting always follow Slobad, huh? Part of curse. Other leonin not so good to Slobad. Not welcome when Raksha out of city. I leave again before healers kick me out, huh? I find leveler cave and decide to live alone. Battles can’t come to me there. Nobody dare come close.”

Except me, thought Glissa. But I don’t believe in destiny, no matter what Chunth said. Bad things happen because people make them happen. To Slobad, she said, “You’ve lived alone ever since, eating these … what do you call them?”

“Glimmer rats,” said Slobad through a full mouth. He hadn’t eaten during his story and seemed to be trying to catch up now.

Glissa watched Slobad stuff another rat into his mouth and chomp down. She could hear the creature’s bones breaking as he chewed. The goblin didn’t even bother to spit out the metal bits. Were his eating habits the result of living alone? Or perhaps all goblins ate that way.

“I’m sorry I’ve upset your life, Slobad, but I appreciate all you’ve done for me. Maybe you can go back to the leveler cave after my leg is healed.”

“Maybe,” said Slobad, his mouth still full. After he swallowed, he continued, “Nothing there for me, huh? Just place to be. Not home. No one to talk to. Slobad start talking to himself. Very bad. Long time since I go to Taj Nar, huh?”

“Taj Nar?” asked Glissa.

Slobad offered her the last rat, but Glissa waved it off. He stuck the rat’s head into his mouth and bit it off. “Taj Nar is great leonin city. Where Raksha rule. He is leader now, huh? Kha.”

“Are you sure he’ll help me?” asked Glissa.

Slobad nodded, chewing the rest of the rat. “Raksha owe Slobad. Most leonin not like outsiders much, huh? A lot like elves that way. Raksha different. He like Slobad. Slobad work for him many times. Fix city walls. Make sacred torch. Raksha owe Slobad. He will help.”

“Well, I’m not like other elves,” said Glissa with a smile, the first smile she had given since the trolls kidnapped her. “And I like you, too, Slobad.”

“I know,” said Slobad. “That why I help you. Slobad not have many friends but always helps the ones he finds.”