Read Online The Moons of Mirrodin by Will McDermott - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Will McDermott
Ads: Link
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 theshoulder 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. Shewas 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
“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 theshoulder 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. Shewas 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
Similar Books
