I did not see anything like an eye pop out of that hole, Sorin said.
It would not have, Nissa said.
Why?
Because the slug was dead, Nissa said. Had been for days.
Sorin shook his head and swallowed hard. Anowon looked away from the half-eaten slug.
Nobody except the goblins ate any more of the slug. Then they sat against the rocks and watched the flies ply the gelatinous corpse, waiting for the mountain to hurtle down.
I think we should run through now, Nissa said.
Anowon stirred in his torn cloak.
If we wait here any longer Nissa said. She did not need to finish. Even in her cold sleep she could feel the brood closing in on them from behind, and the others felt it too, she knew.
Sorin groaned and sat up. He blinked at the gap. Then he patted the pommel of his great sword. But I love the shape it is in right now, he said. It would not have the same charm if flattened.
Walk around if you have fear in your heart, Nissa said.
Fear in my heart, Sorin repeated. I like that. He stood and yawned. Then he walked over to the gap, ducked calmly, and disappeared. Anowon hopped up and followed, and so did Nissa.
Nobody said a word while they walked under the mountain. Even Smara, who was last through, was absolutely quiet. Nissa put her palms on the damp rock above her head as she walked. Rough hewn, but split with the grain. No tool had done the work on the mountain. But what had, then?
Their foot falls echoed on the wet stone. The echoes that returned to their ears were affected by a strange chirping, so for a moment Nissa thought the brood must have entered the cleft from another part of the mountain. The more she listened, the more she detected the scurry of mice in the odd echo. But it was hard to tell.
Soon the line of sunlight opposite became wider, and Nissa could see rock through the gap and something else. She stopped and squinted. Sorin had seen it too. He was in the process of very slowly drawing his great sword from its sheath.
They could only see the bottom half of it, but what they saw was large easily as large as a forest troll, but not quite as tall as the trench giants. It had thick arms, hands, and torso, but its legs were stunted and tiny. Its tail was long and thick like that of a rat. It was sitting with its body against the rock and its tiny legs sticking straight out. Its overall appearance was almost comical. But judging by the keen way Sorin had his sword at the ready, Nissa guessed he was not in the joking mood.
They neared the gap and could see the whole creature its massive shoulders and large-jawed, reptilian head and its closed eyes. Nissa watched as its chest rose and fell rhythmically.
Asleep, Nissa whispered. She stepped out of the gap on tiptoe. The sun had grown bright and seemed to be shining directly into her eyes. Still, she could see clearly enough the rusted, flattened remnants of armor and splintered bone strewn around the creature, and she could guess why the thing waited at the edge of the cleft. The meat must already be well tenderized by the time he pulls it out.
Nissa motioned to the others and crept around the creature and through a cut in the rock. The huge thing smelled like rotting death lying in the sun the way it was, snoring softly. Soon Nissa saw why it stunk so badly she passed the pile of cast off parts. Bright red flies buzzed off the rotting pile as the intruders passed.
But then one of the creature s eyes popped open.
Anowon noticed the open eye too late. The thing was up on its knuckles in a moment. The speed and quickness with which it swept its stunted legs forward and landed a kick on Anowon s chest shocked Nissa, and then he was tumbling through the dust.
Sorin drew his great sword with its blade as black as night.
Anowon was up on his feet the moment after he stopped rolling. His teeth were bared, and his long-nailed hands were up and ready for attack. Small trails of blood were falling from around Anowon s red eyes. A deep growl that Nissa did not like at all came from the vampire s throat. Then he charged at the creature.
Nissa drew her stem sword and swung, hoping to catch the creature before it reached Anowon, but it caterwauled forward and swung in on its knuckles for another kick. Just then Sorin s blade slashed through the creature s back.
As soon as the blade bit into its flesh, the creature s body began to shrivel. In two breaths it was no more than a dry shell. In three breaths it fell to a large pile of gray dust. Soon the wind was blowing it away.
Nissa exhaled and leaned against a rock.
I thank you, Anowon said.
Yes, you do, Sorin said, sheathing his blade.
And the Parasite Blade.
Anowon felt for his metal cylinders before smoothing his hair.
It is called that? Nissa asked, making a face as though she d bitten into an unripe nectarpith fruit.
Quite, Sorin said, patting the weapon s pommel. It draws the mana from whatever it cuts. It can drain creatures to their doom, as you saw.
Where was such a thing created?
You would like to know.
Nissa looked away. No, I really would not like to know, she said. It smacks of vampires.
Rather, Sorin said. Then he said no more.
They left the pile of dust and continued walking. Nissa thought they were still on the trail, but it was impossible to tell for sure. There were no tracks to follow, and the rocky gravel they walked on looked pristine and untouched.
Nissa took out the map and sat down on a rock. Even with the map, she could not be absolutely sure they were in the right place. Clearly the trail was descending, as the map said it would.
What was that thing? Sorin said.
Anowon said nothing, but stared at Smara and the goblins. The kor was in an advanced state of excitement, blathering more than usual so that two of her goblins were stroking her hair and singing to her. Nissa could tell Anowon was listening to the kor.
I think it was a hurda, Nissa said, without looking up from the map. They re not evil creatures, but they do throw tantrums that can be dangerous. I would have expected him on the plains more than here. They are shameless scavengers, so I guess it makes sense, really.
What does?
To see a hurda scavenging a meal where best it can, Nissa said, rolling the map up and sliding it carefully back into the leather tube. It is the natural way of things.
Sorin shook his head. Elves.
Nissa stood. We should be coming out of the mountains soon enough. If we push we might be able to make the Fields of Agadeem by nightfall.
Smara talked, and Anowon took out a piece of parchment and jotted something down with a bit of charcoal.
They descended into the foothills by late afternoon. The sun was bright, and the air was cool. The wind that had plagued them on the ascent was blocked by the mountain itself, and the path was clear and easy going. Yet Nissa worried. Catastrophe was surely waiting in the Fields of Agadeem. There was no reason to think such a thing; she just felt it to be true.
Anowon stopped and put his arm up in a fist. Nissa halted. The vampire had been walking ahead and to the left. He brought his finger to his nose, tapped it, and made an exaggerated motion of sniffing. Nissa understood and took a deep breath herself. There was a sweet smoke in the air. She sniffed again and pointed left. They followed the scent down a side canyon until they spied a small force of kor with a fire burning on the ground next to them.
As they watched, a kor dressed in a robe of beads threw a bough on the fire. It burst into flames, sending thick blue smoke into the air. His barbells were so long that he had tucked them into his belt. The other kor stood, gaunt, off to the side as the kor in robes went to a bundle wrapped in leathers and hanging from a rope anchored in the canyon wall. He began to spin the bundle, wafting handfuls of the smoke against the spinning bundle.