The mountain loomed in the regular background of Ishval's geography - Riza remembered it well even from the war. It was an imposing part of the land, one of the few areas where snow regularly fell even in the warmer months. It looked much different up close though. Deep cracks ran along the base of it, and the southeast section looked to have a few pools of water - bright azure even in this early morning light. It was a sacred part of the land, Samir had explained before the military had even set an outpost out here - long associated with the religious order of Ishvalla, and the subject to many of their creation myths. The old stories talked about a vengeful woman who lay in waiting in the heart of the mountain. The Malkha river, which partly flowed from underground reserves, was said to be a manifestation of her suffering for the lover she had lost.