Liquid Diamond (13 page)

“
It’s safe. There’s no one or nothing in there to worry about,” said Catalyst.

“
Thank you!” replied Natalia. She closed the door behind her with a small slam.

“
Natalia, I’m sorry. I was only trying to be funny. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings,” said Catalyst through the door.

“
Okay, it’s fine. Now go and climb your tree. I’ll make lunch,” replied Natalia, having made her point.

“
I will after we eat,” said Catalyst, making sure to put her first as he went back into the shack.

After lunch was finished Catalyst climbed a tree, making sure they were where he wanted them to be, and looking for an easier route.

His eyes almost popped out of his head. He let go of the tree and dropped at Natalia’s feet.

“
Guess what I’ve just seen, Natalia?” asked Catalyst excitedly. “I saw the old trader! The one that set us up,” said Catalyst before Natalia could answer him.

“
Where?” asked Natalia, looking around fearfully.

“
He’s not far from here, so come on, get on, let’s go,” said Catalyst with his back to her.

Climbing on Catalyst’s back once more, Natalia held fast as Catalyst almost ran through the water.

He slowed down and stopped behind a large bush to watch the old trader for a moment before approaching him.

“
Okay, let’s go,” said Catalyst.

“
Well, well, well, who do we have here?” asked Catalyst as the old trader looked up. His jaw dropped down to his plate, which smashed as it hit the rock he was standing on.

“
Oh no! Why have you come here? It’s not safe. Why didn’t you just let me go? That vile wretched old Elf – he’s sure to have followed me since you didn’t go out,” said the old trader, begging them not to be there.

“
First of all, we did not come here to find you,” said Natalia.

“
That just happened on our way to where we’re going, and that’s just fine with me,” chipped in Catalyst.

“
Now can you tell me why you set me up like that?” asked Catalyst.

“
That crazy Elf came to me and said the two of you were coming. He offered me a deal to wipe out my debt to him. Ah what was I thinking?” said the old Basajaunak trader with his weary head in his hands.

“
A deal, what kind of deal?” asked Natalia before Catalyst could.

“
Once a long time ago, I was a warrior. I was so sure of myself I never questioned who I was attacking and I always went at night to do what I needed to do. One night I believed I had the right cave and I was so sure my enemies were holed up inside…”

“
Just get to the point, what kind of deal?” demanded Catalyst.

“
If I sent you out into the night he said he would never tell anyone that I killed a cave full of children and my debt to him for keeping the secret would be paid in full. I never knew they were in there. I believed it was full of warriors just like myself,” said the old trader, looking for forgiveness.“

“
If I didn’t do as he asked, everyone would know and he promised to burn down the village while everyone was sleeping, making it look as though I had done it, since that’s how I killed all those poor children. I’m sorry but if you’re here then the village is in great danger. I must go back and warn them,” continued the old trader as he grabbed his things.

“
But please believe me, I had no choice,” wept the old trader.

“
There’s always a choice – you either choose to do something or you choose not to and it’s the outcome that dictates whether you were right or wrong,” said Natalia.

“
Don’t worry about the Elf though. We chose to go after him and we left him on the riverbank with the Riverfray. Domnyar and Miss Turr both know about him and you,” said Catalyst.

“
There was a time when I had your bravery and I would have taken on a whole army to protect those that needed it, but those days of being a hero have been beaten out of me after all I’ve done. Now I’m just a tired old Basajaunak, not good for much of anything any more,” said the old trader, feeling ashamed.

“
Well I guess I can try and understand why you did what you did now that I know you were only trying to save your people’s lives,” said Catalyst who was beginning to understand that no matter what he said, the pain of his history was punishment enough for the old Basajaunak.

“
Tell us, what do you know about the locking crystals and a key?” asked Natalia.

“
Only that the Clique had Miss Turr make the key. I don’t know anything more than that,” replied the old trader.

“
Well that and they rewarded the Elf for getting rid of the two of you before you could retrieve the crystal being held here in Kyopelivuori, but that’s it,” continued the old trader.

“
I believe him, Catalyst. Now let’s get going. We still have to cross as much of this swamp as we can and we need to find a place to sleep tonight,” said Natalia, pulling Catalyst away.

“
Wait, before you go take this. It’s a map of the swamp. It’s the least I can do,” said the old trader.

Natalia and Catalyst took the map and headed back off into the swamp.

A scream reverberated through the air, sending shivers down their back.

“
The old trader!” yelled Natalia and Catalyst at the same time. They ran back as fast as they could but they weren’t fast enough. They found the old trader lying there with half his face ripped off and bleeding massively. Natalia gagged as she rested his head in her lap.

“
What could have done this, Catalyst?” asked Natalia as she cried for the old trader.

“
I don’t know,“ replied Catalyst as he strained to listen for even the smallest of sound and watched the water for movement.

Natalia brushed the hair from the eyes of the old trader as she wiped away the tears.

“
Catalyst,” whispered the old trader.

“
Catalyst, come over here. He wants to say something to you,” said Natalia.

“
All right, whatever it was that did this, it looks as though it’s gone now,” said Catalyst softly.

“
Catalyst…I’m…I’m sorry...for what I...I did...to you...I had...no...choice,” whispered the dying Basajaunak.

“
Yes you did. As Natalia said, you had a choice. You could have told anyone
–
the villagers, me, the King, anyone at all. So yes you did have a choice and by making the one you did, you may have killed more people than just those in your village. If we don’t find a way to stop the Clique, you can bet more will die,” said Catalyst.

The Basajaunak breathed his last and his body went limp.

“
Catalyst, how could you say that to him? He was dying,” said Natalia, tears running down her cheeks.

“
I can understand him wanting to save his village and turning me over to the Elf or even the Clique to save them, but he needed to know the choice he made was the wrong one. That’s why he died out here instead of at home,” replied Catalyst.

“
Come on, Natalia, we need to get moving before whatever it was that did this to him comes back for us,” said Catalyst, looking over the water that was as still as glass.

#

Reaching into his fitsall, Catalyst passed Natalia the Atropos Styx.

“
Just in case we get separated, you’ll still have some protection,” said Catalyst.

“
Mmm,” replied Natalia.

Catalyst reached back into his bag and pulled out the waterproof boots he had packed before they left. He stood there with a worried look on his face as he waited to be yelled at for Natalia’s wet feet.

“
Well it’s not like I remembered,” said Natalia, taking a pair from him.

Natalia couldn’t help but look back at the old trader as he lay there.

“
Catalyst, don’t you think we could at least bury him?” asked Natalia.

“
I don’t want to worry you, Natalia, but I think I can hear Blemmyes coming. The scent of his blood has already carried through the swamp. We just don’t have time, so let’s just keep moving before we need to be put to rest,” replied Catalyst and pulled Natalia behind him.

They made their way through the swamp as quietly as possible using the old trader’s map and hardly saying a word to one another.

“
Catalyst, surely by now we’ve walked far enough away from those things. Can’t we just find a place to stay for the night? I’m so tired and I really need to rest,” said Natalia.

Catalyst took another look at the map and pointed off to some bushes.

“
There’s a shack on the other side of those,” said Catalyst, taking Natalia by the hand.

When they got to the other side of the bushes there was no shack to be seen.

“
How far did you say, Catalyst?” asked Natalia as she began to sound fed up once again.

“
The map said just on the other side of these bushes, but from the looks of it, thirty minutes maybe,” replied Catalyst.

“
Here, why not get on my back? I’ll carry you,” offered Catalyst.

“
You don’t have to ask me twice,” said Natalia with her jar in one hand. Before he knew it, she was on his back.

They finally arrived at the rundown old house and Catalyst took one look at Natalia.

“
I know, wait here. I’ll go and check and make sure it’s safe,” said Catalyst leaving Natalia and his fitsall outside. Running as fast as he could, checking every little space, closet, drawer, upstairs, downstairs, and basement, Catalyst found nothing that you wouldn’t find in an abandoned old house sitting in the middle of a swamp. In only two minutes he was back at Natalia’s side.

“
All rooms, closets, drawers checked. There’s nothing here – you’re safe,” said Catalyst and he held the door open for her.

“
Natalia, you’re really quiet. I don’t want you to be angry with me for what I said to the trader,” said Catalyst as they laid out their blankets for the night.

“
I’m not angry with you, Catalyst, I’m hurt. The words you spoke to him were the last words he heard. I don’t think anyone should have to die like that regardless of what they’ve done,” replied Natalia.

“
I know, I know,” said Catalyst as he reached into his fitsall for their leftover jerky and some twig things.

“
Exactly what are these, Catalyst?” asked Natalia.

“
They’re a root, full of vitamins and minerals. You can’t eat just meat,” replied Catalyst.

At that, the door flew open and the room was filled with a moan so sorrowful that death would have been an act of mercy for whomever it was that cried out. Jumping with fear, her nerves shot, Natalia’s plate shattered as it hit the wall at the sight of the evil darkness floating in the doorway with a void where it’s face should be. Natalia and Catalyst knew they were looking at fear itself. Dripping wet with the swamp water and a smell so awful that the Elf’s stench faded from memory, Natalia and Catalyst wanted to run but couldn’t find the strength to move a muscle.

“
Who are you? What are you doing in my master’s hoooome?” shrieked the creature, horribly. Natalia’s ear started to bleed.

Grabbing Natalia by the face, the creature almost loosened her tooth as it squeezed Natalia’s cheeks into a pucker and peered into her eyes.

Natalia’s heart was pumping harder than ever before but all she could do was stand there as the creature moved on to Catalyst. It grabbed him by the face and threw him against the wall.

“
We didn’t know this was your place. We didn’t know anyone lived here. All we wanted was shelter for the night. We’ll leave,” cried Natalia through her tears.

“
What makes you think I’m going to allow you to leave at all?” shrieked the creature as it spun around and raced to within an inch of Natalia’s face.

“
I know what you are…I know you know of my Mother…the Krusnik. She’s dealt with your kind before, Crone, Witch, Harridan, Baba Jage or whatever it is you’re calling yourself this time,” said Catalyst, hoping the fear of Anastasia would be enough to stop the evil spirit.

The spirit stepped back, allowing her real self to be seen.

Standing there in place of the horrible void of evil was a tired old woman with a withered face, pure white sunken eyes and long grey-black hair. She was so bony it was as though skin had been painted on her bones.

“
Your mother’s the Krusnik. Yes we have met,” said the old woman, remembering the beating she took from the Krusnik over tormenting some Human male.

“
Who are you?” demanded the old woman, looking at Natalia.

“
Natalia Cherkasskaya,” replied Natalia, her voice trembling.

“
I would offer a name, but it’s been so long, I can’t remember what they called me,” said the old woman in a voice so dead it sent shivers up Natalia’s and Catalyst’s back.