the leveler to keep her from crumpling to the ground. Looking over at the injured beast, she muttered, “Does nothing wake these creatures from their slumber?”
Slobad came up beside Glissa and stuck his clawlike hand out to her. The flame tube in the goblin’s other hand spread enough light around them to show the three closest levelers. “They not sleeping, huh? They turn off in here. They not beasts. You think they’re beasts, huh? Crazy elf.”
“They’re not alive?” asked Glissa, leaning against the goblin for support.
“You see their metal blades and legs? Their glass domes? Do you see any flesh, huh? Any?” asked Slobad, pointing to the leveler.
“Well, I’m alive and I have metal arms and legs. You have a metallic … uh … nose.”
“Levelers are all metal,” said Slobad, “inside and out. I know, huh? I open them up and look.”
“They’re constructs?” asked Glissa, realizing what that meant. “Somebody made these … things … and sends them out to kill?” She pushed off the goblin and raised her sword.
“Whoa, crazy elf lady,” said Slobad. “We’re safe in here, huh?This is safest place on Mirrodin. Blades turn off as soon as they enter. They only hunt outside cavern. That’s why Slobad live here. It safest place I know.”
Glissa ignored him. The rage over her family’s death had returned. Someone had created these killing machines! Well, she was going to put a stop to it.
“Out of the way, Slobad.”
She balanced on her good foot and swung her blade at the leveler that had held her captive. Sparks flew from the sword as it tore through the metallic body. Her first swing lopped off the construct’s front end, sending the rest of its broken blades clattering to the floor. She swept the sword underneath the creature, slicing off the legs. As the leveler flopped to the floor in front of her, Glissa brought the sword down, cutting a huge gash in its side.
She struck again and again until all that was left in front of her was a pile of ragged metal. At last she stopped, breathing heavily.
“You done now?” asked Slobad. “Feel better, huh?”
“They killed my family,” snarled the elf. “This one slaughtered my sister. I won’t feel better until I destroy them all.”
“Then what?” asked Slobad. “More will come. They always do, huh? Broken ones get fixed, missing ones are replaced. It’s better to hide and live than seek revenge and die, huh?”
Glissa nodded. Inwardly she resolved to find the true master of these beasts and exact her revenge where it would matter. Meanwhile …
She grabbed Slobad’s shoulder and hobbled along beside the goblin. Her ankle was swollen so much it ached constantly inside her boot. Even the slight pressure from limping shot searing pain up her leg. Perhaps the goblin was right, after all. She needed to hide and rest before seeking her revenge.
On their way through the cavern, Glissa saw something glint in the goblin’s firelight. She glanced over at the shiny object, then stopped and stared in horror.
“What’s the matter now, huh?” asked Slobad. “You want to destroy that one, too? It won’t bring back your family. It will just make more trouble for us. Come on, huh?”
“I’m not going to destroy anything,” said Glissa, her voice low and measured as she fought to remain calm in the light of her discovery. “Give me a moment, will you?”
She left the goblin’s side and hopped over to a leveler nearby. She leaned on its side and reached out toward the blades arrayed across its front. The object was still out of her reach, so she leaned even farther. Just before losing her balance, she grabbed the object, then pushed herself away from the leveler to regain her balance.
“What did you find, huh?” asked Slobad when she hopped back over to him.
Glissa showed him. It was a severed hand. An elf hand with long, delicate fingers tipped with sharp claws. The wrist was red and moist, though the blood had
Slobad came up beside Glissa and stuck his clawlike hand out to her. The flame tube in the goblin’s other hand spread enough light around them to show the three closest levelers. “They not sleeping, huh? They turn off in here. They not beasts. You think they’re beasts, huh? Crazy elf.”
“They’re not alive?” asked Glissa, leaning against the goblin for support.
“You see their metal blades and legs? Their glass domes? Do you see any flesh, huh? Any?” asked Slobad, pointing to the leveler.
“Well, I’m alive and I have metal arms and legs. You have a metallic … uh … nose.”
“Levelers are all metal,” said Slobad, “inside and out. I know, huh? I open them up and look.”
“They’re constructs?” asked Glissa, realizing what that meant. “Somebody made these … things … and sends them out to kill?” She pushed off the goblin and raised her sword.
“Whoa, crazy elf lady,” said Slobad. “We’re safe in here, huh?This is safest place on Mirrodin. Blades turn off as soon as they enter. They only hunt outside cavern. That’s why Slobad live here. It safest place I know.”
Glissa ignored him. The rage over her family’s death had returned. Someone had created these killing machines! Well, she was going to put a stop to it.
“Out of the way, Slobad.”
She balanced on her good foot and swung her blade at the leveler that had held her captive. Sparks flew from the sword as it tore through the metallic body. Her first swing lopped off the construct’s front end, sending the rest of its broken blades clattering to the floor. She swept the sword underneath the creature, slicing off the legs. As the leveler flopped to the floor in front of her, Glissa brought the sword down, cutting a huge gash in its side.
She struck again and again until all that was left in front of her was a pile of ragged metal. At last she stopped, breathing heavily.
“You done now?” asked Slobad. “Feel better, huh?”
“They killed my family,” snarled the elf. “This one slaughtered my sister. I won’t feel better until I destroy them all.”
“Then what?” asked Slobad. “More will come. They always do, huh? Broken ones get fixed, missing ones are replaced. It’s better to hide and live than seek revenge and die, huh?”
Glissa nodded. Inwardly she resolved to find the true master of these beasts and exact her revenge where it would matter. Meanwhile …
She grabbed Slobad’s shoulder and hobbled along beside the goblin. Her ankle was swollen so much it ached constantly inside her boot. Even the slight pressure from limping shot searing pain up her leg. Perhaps the goblin was right, after all. She needed to hide and rest before seeking her revenge.
On their way through the cavern, Glissa saw something glint in the goblin’s firelight. She glanced over at the shiny object, then stopped and stared in horror.
“What’s the matter now, huh?” asked Slobad. “You want to destroy that one, too? It won’t bring back your family. It will just make more trouble for us. Come on, huh?”
“I’m not going to destroy anything,” said Glissa, her voice low and measured as she fought to remain calm in the light of her discovery. “Give me a moment, will you?”
She left the goblin’s side and hopped over to a leveler nearby. She leaned on its side and reached out toward the blades arrayed across its front. The object was still out of her reach, so she leaned even farther. Just before losing her balance, she grabbed the object, then pushed herself away from the leveler to regain her balance.
“What did you find, huh?” asked Slobad when she hopped back over to him.
Glissa showed him. It was a severed hand. An elf hand with long, delicate fingers tipped with sharp claws. The wrist was red and moist, though the blood had
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