Friends you say Light! Suddenly light from many tiny points filled the room. What was amazing to Nissa was not that Khalled had hundreds of light beetles tethered with string in the corner of the tent. What amazed her was that he d been able, with an enchantment of his devising, to have the beetles light at his command.
The sides of Khalled s tent were bookshelves, and each and every space on the shelves was crammed with books, scrolls, and reed papers bound with string. Nissa even recognized writings from her people: flat pieces of pale nadi wood graven with pictographs. Nissa noticed that Anowon s eyes were on the books, and for the first time since she had allowed him to travel with them, his eyes were fully open. As he stared, he brought his bound hands up and scratched the side of his nose. She turned.
Khalled was looking at each of them carefully. Half of his face had been torn to the bone by a kraken, and he wore no adornment except a cloak thrown over his right shoulder and a loin cloth. Nissa noticed that the merfolk had started unbinding his wrist and ankle fins, and their translucent blue shone in the tent.
I dreamed of an angel with a halo running across its eye line, he said, his eyes moving between Anowon and Sorin.
With a pulsing, tentacled heart in its hand.
Sorin smiled uncertainly.
Ahhh, Khalled said. He reached out and touched the vial of water he had given Nissa, which she kept on a lanyard around her neck. You still possess this. Wonderful.
It is always my companion, Nissa said.
That one, Khalled said, pointing at Anowon, is a vampire.
He is bound, Khalled.
The ancient merfolk shuffled closer. What do you have hanging from your belt? he asked Anowon.
Anowon moved his eyes from the books to the merfolk. He looked down at the metal cylinders hanging from his belt.
Are those text imprinters? Khalled asked.
For clay?
Anowon nodded. The merfolk leaned over and took one of the cylinders in his hand and looked closely at it. After a minute, he let the cylinder go, and it bounced against Anowon s thigh.
Khalled straightened and looked at Anowon. An archaeophile? Khalled asked with an inflection to his voice that said he approved. How do you come here?
He was Sorin started.
I was not speaking to you, friend, Khalled said.
Sorin s smile disappeared.
Khalled put his iridescent green eyes back on Anowon.
I was enslaved by the Eldrazi brood lineage, Anowon replied, and brought on their forage raids into the Turntimber Forest.
Nissa spoke. MossCrack is no more. The Tajuru home tree was attacked, and Speaker Sutina is buried.
Khalled blinked like he d been slapped. He looked up at the ceiling of the tent where the bugs buzzed and tittered.
They attacked here some days ago, he said.
Many have fled. Some were killed.
Yet you stay?
The Turntimber is not yet mapped, Khalled said.
And with the increasing Roil, it becomes ever more difficult.
But surely, my friend, you would rather travel back to Tazeem, Nissa pressed. To your lighthouse?
Yes, I can see where you might think that. But no. Khalled said, sighing. Speaker Sutina. She was an unusual elf. I ve told you what I knew about her and that kraken?
Yes, Nissa said. But Khalled, these two need to get to the Teeth of Akoum. It is found on
I know where the Teeth of Akoum are, dear child.
Would you have a map?
I might, Khalled said. He looked at Sorin for a while. What is it worth to you, and why do you want to go to that place? It is dangerous, and these creatures, these brood as you call them, are everywhere. I have received a speaking hawk from The Lighthouse at Sea Gate telling news of great hordes in the lands to the west.
The news seemed to trouble Sorin. He pursed his lips. I have my own reasons, old map maker, he said. But maybe I can make it worth your time. He put his hand into his jerkin, and it came out holding something.
Nissa watched him open his hand. A small black ball, the size of an acorn, rolled in his palm.
How? Nissa thought, leaning closer for a better look. That wasn t in his pockets when I went through them this morning. There was nothing in those pockets. Where did he get it?
What is that? Khalled asked. One of the beetles landed on his hand. He stroked it gently, and it glowed brighter.
It is magic from far away.
How far away?
Far.
The Jah-creed merfolk eyed the ball in Sorin s palm.
Sorin pushed it toward him. It sees. Would you like to see what it sees?
No, Khalled said, after a long pause. This smells dark to me. And as much as I love the dark, it tends to have too large an allure for me.
Sorin s hand closed over the ball. His faced showed no emotion, but Nissa could smell his metallic embarrassment in the air.
Perhaps Khalled could too, for he shuffled forward. These two will have their map, Nissa. But why do you help them?
Sorin saved my life, she said.
Twice, Sorin said.
Twice, Nissa said.