Biss said something to Shir in the vampire tongue. Even though Nissa did not understand the language, the female vampire s facial expression told Nissa that she was not convinced the null could find what they were looking for.
Nissa stood and began scanning the soil a body span away from the vampires and their nulls. Her elf eyes were good at finding patterns, and instead of looking at the soil, she looked at the patches of grass that blew sideways in the wind. Soon she was able to see a rough line where the grasses did not grow.
She saw the sign that had given her such hope again near the seam footprints, and recently. Footprints she thought she recognized.
The seam you seek is here, I believe, Nissa said.
Biss looked up and sneered. Shir walked over to where Nissa had slumped back onto the ground, then to where Nissa pointed.
Yes, he said. It is here. Nulls, to me.
The nulls scrambled over and began feeling for the seam.
Thank you, elf, Shir said turning to Nissa.
For this your death will be quick. I will not leave you to Biss. I shall do it myself.
Why not kill me back at the tower? Nissa backed up as the null got their fingers in the seam.
We would have liked to, but your party escaped. We plan to use you as bait.
Who are you? Nissa said.
We are charged with fighting the Eldrazi brood lineage. When we came upon your band we saw an opportunity to kill or capture the Mortifier, who is perhaps the greatest Eldrazi sympathizer of all time.
How do you know this Mortifier?
We know. Vampire legend talks about him frequently, Shir said. He lives in infamy in our stories about slavery. He sold us into slavery to the Eldrazi, who utilized us as a food source, and when that was not diverting enough for them, as labor. They enjoyed greatly seeing how hard we could be worked until our bodies failed. The Eldrazi put us in chains all our lives.
I would have put you in chains as well, Nissa thought. But instead of speaking Nissa backed up, as the nulls heaved, and the outline of a stone became apparent in the loose soil. Soon they had the stone high enough that they could slide the heels of their hands under and push. The grasses that grew on the stone were planted in such a way that they did not slide off.
Biss smiled as the stone was raised. But the smile faded on his lips when the stone flew back and Anowon and Sorin burst out of the hole. Sorin had his sword out, and he and the vampire charged the stunned nulls, cutting down the remaining creatures in a matter of moments. Anowon swung hands with their sharp, claw-like fingers in savage arcs, tearing chunks out of the nulls, his mouth set in an ugly sneer. He spun his body around pivoting first on one foot and then jumping onto another to generate the inertia for his sweeping attacks. He even used his slashing feet.
Finished with the nulls, Sorin and Anowon turned to the vampires. Anowon bent and yanked a bampha from one of the null s hands. Biss was searching the ground, looking desperately for her own bampha, as Anowon lunged, driving the obsidian blade of his weapon firmly into her chest. The impact of his thrust knocked Biss off balance, and she took a series of steps backwards before falling still into the dust.
Shir sneered and made a grab for Nissa. But she had been expecting such a move and spun easily away. Anowon stepped forward. Shir hissed.
This is all your doing, Mortifier, Shir said to one of them, Nissa could not be sure which. We were driven from our land because of you, and we have been fighting the Eldrazi fiends because of you. And you will die before this moon s cycle has moved beyond the mountains.
Shir took a deep breath and closed his eyes. In a moment the air around them turned cold, and with a shock of revulsion Nissa noticed the grass around Shir s feet wither and die. Why do they have to be so creepy? Nissa thought as the vampire raised his arms. His skin began to hang off his body in patches, then without warning, the vampire s body fell to pieces before Nissa s eyes. First the arms hung so low that the attaching skin tore, and the arms fell. Then the legs buckled, and the corpse of Shir fell. When it hit the ground, its head bounced off the pebbles and rolled a short distance before stopping.
Nissa watched as the headless corpse withered to a bloodless husk. Sorin was not smiling for once. Anowon was already looking away to the west at the tallest mountains. Their peaks were so sharp that they truly looked like an upheaval of red fangs.
Did you do that? Nissa asked Sorin.
Sorin shook his head.
Nissa did not look at the loose pile of bones and skin. Instead she looked down at the square hole in the ground and the stone that had covered it for so long. What was this place? she asked.
A hiding place, Anowon said. I knew of this barrow. We have them in all areas of Zendikar. Many are joined with tunnels, as this one is. We entered at a location over there. He pointed.
Just then Mudheel came clambering out of the hole. He bent over and pulled Smara out. The kor did not notice Shir s body. In fact, she almost stepped on the vampire s now gelatinous thigh as she made her bumbling way to a small mostly buried hedron. Mudheel tilted his head as he stared at Shir s body, as though he was having trouble figuring out what exactly it was.
It is called a body, you turnip. Sorin said to Mudheel.
A turnip? Mudheel said, looking from Sorin to the pile of body.
Nissa let her eyes linger on the goblin.
Sorin handed Nissa her staff. Ghet was the one who insisted on tracking you, Sorin said. I would have left you, you know. You must know that?
I know that, Nissa said. You have a mission.
Yes, Sorin said. A mission. He took out a comb and began brushing his hair. Has that comb been with Sorin the whole time? Nissa wondered.
I know those mountains, Anowon continued, still staring at the extremely jagged red peaks. The Eye of Ugin lies there in that part of the Teeth.
That is true, Mudheel said. The goblin had received a cut across his forehead in the battle, and the tip of his ear hung at an angle. Both wounds he had dressed with a mud poultice.
Affa lies at the base.
Before he died, the vampire Shir Nissa began.
He is not dead, Anowon interrupted. He spoke with his back turned, as he looked out at the high mountains.
I know of this vampire Shir. He unincorporated. He dropped his body. He is from an old family. His line was made of a famous Bloodchief and has the funds to hire dementia summoners to dream him back into blood.
Nissa shook her head. She was rarely pleased to learn anything new about vampires. Such knowledge tended to keep her up at night.
Before the autumn of his flesh, this creature Shir spoke of the Mortifier, Nissa said.
Anowon turned. Sorin raised an eyebrow.
Mortifier? Sorin said. What did they want with this Mortifier?
Nissa shrugged. They did not say why they were looking for him. But I had the feeling that their main purpose was to find and destroy brood lineage, and finding this Mortifier was a coincidence.
They were attacking brood? Anowon said.
That is what I think, Nissa said. But neither vampire spoke much, except to taunt.
So they were not specifically tracking the Mortifier? asked Anowon.
It seemed they stumbled upon us. Nissa said. She watched Anowon s face for a tell something that would show her that he was the Mortifier, as she suspected him to be. The Mortifier was a vampire, after all. A vampire.
But Anowon s facial features did not vary or appear agitated. He simply nodded when Nissa told him about the vampires. Then he turned back to the mountains.