Nissa felt her pulse skip What do you mean? she said. Is he going to talk about other planes? she wondered. How can he know about planeswalking?
The vampire looked up at the sky. From my reading, I know they are not from this place, he said. Which means they must have come from somewhere else, and they should go back to that place. I have read accounts of beings that claimed to have traveled from other places they said, not on Zendikar. There have been writings.
And you believe them?
Anowon shrugged.
Sorin stirred. After a moment he lifted his head and regarded them through slit eyes. What are you discussing? he asked, pushing his white hair out of his eyes.
What indeed? Anowon replied. What indeed.
Robert B. Wintermute
Zendikar: In the Teeth of Akoum
The day progressed. Nissa knew they were in the mountains proper when she felt the ground under her feet shake. Most of the mountain tops in the range had had their tops sheared off and put back by with some magical process that allowed the tops to rise and fall, which they did without pattern. Every time the mountain crashed down upon itself, the rock dust and pebbles were rearranged, hiding the path further. It made keeping to the trail almost impossible.
They walked on, following the creases in the mountain upward until they were at the very top of the crest. The cap was up when they arrived, leaving a space between it and the mountain just large enough for any of them to pass through. Nissa bent down. The seam of light on the other side was not too far away, no further than a bow could shoot its arrow.
We could skirt this, Sorin said, looking uneasily at the seam of light on the other side. And not risk it.
Nissa had already consulted the map. It is a low mountain, but very long, she said as she looked over her shoulder. Going around would mean two extra days of travel at least. And they would surely fall on us in the meantime.
Why are you whispering? Sorin said.
Nissa did not know she had been whispering. But all day as they walked she d been thinking of the huge knuckle prints in the mud in the foothills. Where would such a large creature hide? she thought. No rocks were large enough to hide behind.
Whatever had separated the top from the base of the mountain had not done it cleanly. Both the top and bottom lips of rock had long jags hanging down. The effect was that the gap appeared to have fangs and a dark maw. She peered deeper.
I see metal hooks and swords smashed flat, she said, her voice echoing in the darkness.
They all knew what that meant, and nobody said anything until Sorin spoke. Well, if we leave our steel out here it will not be crushed flat, he said.
Nissa turned and looked blankly at him. We wait until it falls again and rises, and then we run through.
The goblins looked at each other.
Nissa waited, but not even Sorin had anything to say. So they waited all the rest of the day. Night fell, and they kept waiting. They spent the night huddled against rocks waiting for the mountaintop to fall. As the sun rose, Nissa was already at the cut, peering in.
The dry tack was gone, and all the goblins were accounted for. She suddenly threw down the dry twig she was chewing and stood.
Where are you going? Anowon said.
Nissa had been watching a small flock of birds bob from rock to rock. She ignored Anowon s question and approached the rock the birds had massed on. At her approach the flock flew off and to another rock, where they complained noisily. Nissa peered carefully at the base of the large boulder. Then she dropped down onto her knees and put her face within a foot of the seam where the sandy soil met the boulder.
Sorin looked over casually and raised one eyebrow as Nissa sniffed tentatively at the dry soil. Unsatisfied, she moved an arm s length to the right and sniffed the ground again. She moved six more times before she found what she was looking for: a small hole in the dirt. A small patch of bright green lichen grew in a spiral pattern above the tiny hole, Sorin noticed. Even Smara watched Nissa quietly.
Then the elf began digging. She dug with her hand, carefully piling the sandy dust next to the rock as she worked. After a good time at it, Nissa began to hum. The hole deepened. It was not morning anymore when Nissa began to heave. She pulled three times before looking over at Sorin and Anowon. They approached the hole.
It s soft, so you have to grip hard, Nissa said.
What little gift have you found here in the loam? Sorin said, glancing over at Smara as he bent and took a handful of what felt like a wine skin filled with jelly. It had not rained in weeks, yet the soil was damp at the bottom of the hole.
Smara cocked her head at Sorin. She gave no indication she had understood his taunt.
Now pull, Nissa said.
It took six heaves before it came free. A large, bright red blob of material popped out of the hole.
Sorin jumped back despite himself. Anowon bent for a closer look.
A grit slug, Nissa said. She collected dead limbs from the low and gnarled evergreen shrubs clinging to the cracks between the rocks, and built a small fire.
What will you do with that? Sorin said of the fire.
Cook the slug, Nissa said.
With that?
Just so.
Nissa lit the fire with a flint and steel and constructed a small shelf of rocks around the fire.
That fire will never heat that thing, Sorin said.
I only have to boil one area, and the slug will cook in its own skin, Nissa said.
It took hours to cook the thing, nonetheless. And the whole time the mountain did not fall.
When Nissa poked the slug and pronounced it cooked, Smara and the goblins flocked around. Even Anowon seemed interested and drew near.
I thought you only ate blood, Nissa said to the vampire.
Anowon shrugged. I prefer blood, he said.
Nissa used the eating knife stowed up her right sleeve to cut jiggling wedges out of the slug. The color was a dull red. The goblins threw their pieces down their gullets and put rough hands out for more.
It tastes like raw human fat, Anowon said.
Sorin scoffed from where he stood at the periphery.
Nissa made a sour face hearing Anowon s words. She cut the goblins more slug, and then ate three wedges of her own as fast as she could, with the viscous juices running down her knuckles and dripping off her forearms.
Smara held her piece up to the sun to watch the light diffuse through it before eating.
How did you know the slug was there? Anowon asked, licking the juice off his thin fingers.