Liquid Diamond (6 page)

“
By smacking this thing against the wall, I was only trying to knock the crust off that has grown over the metal. See, the metal that this key is made from is called plastite and it needs to be soaked in trillium oil. This metal has been soaked and until it is soaked once more, it will always crust over like this,” said Gobstank.

“
You mean rust over, don’t you?” asked Natalia.

“
No, I mean crust over. Rust is what happens to normal metals; crust is what happens to plastite. It’s as though this metal is alive. You can use it for a day or so once you shape it, even without the oil, but it will always crust back over,” replied Gobstank, handing back the key.

“
That’s why it was left in the portal cave. Whoever opened it must have known that, and thought the key was now useless,” said Anastasia.

“
Yes and if they believed that to be true, why not just leave it behind?” said Krimpet in agreement with Anastasia.

“
Who made it, Gobstank?” asked Anastasia.

“
The work on this metal is very detailed. There could be only one Basajaunak capable of such work. You need to find Miss Turr,” replied Gobstank as he handed back the key.

“
Okay, where do we find him?” asked Natalia.

“
Miss Turr is a woman Basajaunak,” replied Gobstank with a smile.

“
Mister is a woman?” giggled Natalia.

“
What’s so funny?” asked Catalyst.

“
At home we call men mister and here you call women mister. It’s funny,” replied Natalia still smiling.

“
Little one, her name isn’t mister, but Miss Turr,” explained Anastasia, knowing exactly what Natalia was talking about.

“
From the sound of that laugh, someone’s tired,” said Krimpet and Anastasia nodded in agreement.

“
Okay Gobstank, lock them up. Anastasia, children, you’re welcome to stay for a late dinner,” offered Gobstank.

“
Not me but thanks anyway. You two stay here in the village. You can carry on from here tomorrow,” said Anastasia, looking at Natalia and Catalyst.

“
In the village? Nonsense! They can stay here with me tonight,” said Krimpet to ease Anastasia’s tension with him.

“
That’ll be just fine,” said Anastasia accepting the peace offered by Krimpet.

“
Okay you two, I’ll be on my way now.” With that, Anastasia stepped outside and drifted off into the night sky.

“
Where do we find Miss Turr?” asked Natalia as the three of them sat down for dinner.

“
You just can’t help yourself can you?” said Catalyst, shaking his head and smiling as he gestured in resignation.

“
Well because of Miss Turr’s skills as a blacksmith, she often travels from village to village as requested. But don’t worry about that for tonight, children. Just get some sleep and in the morning I will make some inquiries as to her whereabouts. Someone around here should know,” replied Krimpet.

After showing Catalyst and Natalia their rooms, Krimpet called for his servant to find Ompst and bring him back.

#

“
You wished to see me, Krimpet?” said Ompst sneaking up on him.

“
Ah, Ompst, you’ll give me a heart attack one day! Yes I wish to see you. I have a job for you. I want you to find and bring back an Atropos Styx and, Ompst, make it a strong one,” said Krimpet.

“
At this time of night? Just so you know, I won’t be back until the morning then,” replied Ompst as he walked out of the door.

As the sun rose the next morning, Natalia lay sleeping. After the day before no one could blame her so no one woke her.

When she finally woke, Natalia found lunch on the table. She joined Catalyst and Krimpet and ate more than her fair share, which again bothered no one.

A knock on Krimpet’s door made them look up as Ompst walked in.

“
The item you requested,” said Ompst to Krimpet as he handed him a black jar. He turned his face away from the Human, leaving as quickly as he came.

“
It’s good to be in charge,” said Krimpet, smiling smugly.

After they had finished lunch, Krimpet picked up the jar, took a quick peek inside and sat back down.

“
Natalia, Catalyst, I have something very rare and very valuable for you, something I hope makes your journey a little safer,” said Krimpet as he handed the jar to Natalia.

“
But don’t open it now, for in that jar is an Atropos Styx, and I would hate to have my home destroyed,” said Krimpet.

“
What’s an Atropos Styx?” asked Natalia.

“
The Atropos Styx is a Death Head Moth. Its screams are so loud they can make someone go deaf very quickly. They can cause dizziness and if left long enough, death itself. Just shake the jar hard, take off the lid and point, and since the two of you have to cross the plain to get to the next village I thought this would come in handy,” replied Krimpet.

“
Yeah, but if we go through the woods, we have the protection of the trees,” said Catalyst.

“
Catalyst, use the plain. If you take the right path, you’ll cut one full day off your walk,” said Krimpet.
“Now after speaking with the Basajaunak around here, I’ve found out that Miss Turr’s first stop is the next village, so the information you seek will be found there,” continued Krimpet.

“
What are we supposed to do with this moth?” asked Natalia.

Whichever way you decide to go, those vile little Cockatrice are sure to be about, so shake and point and, Catalyst, make sure your mother knows I gave that to you, that’s a good boy,” said Krimpet trying to sound like a hero.

Catalyst knew right away that Krimpet was only trying to suck up to his mother, most likely out of fear. Seeing Gobstank on his knees like that yesterday and feeling the smack of the wall on his back must have had Krimpet thinking about future dealings with her
.

“
Well, Krimpet, thanks for letting us stay the night,” said Catalyst as he tucked the key and black jar into his fitsall.

“
Yes, Krimpet, thank you,” said Natalia as they headed out to search for Miss Turr.

“
Ah, children, do you even know which path to take to find her?” asked Krimpet, because he knew he hadn’t told them.

Feeling silly for just wanting to get away from him so quickly, neither of them realized they had no idea they were going.

“
No, we’re just in such a hurry to find her that knowing which way to go never crossed my mind,” replied Catalyst.

“
An adventurer – good for you, my boy. Head out of the gate and straight over the hill until you come to the split, take the path that runs alongside the woods on the edge of the plain,” said Krimpet.

“
Okay, thanks again,” said Catalyst, taking Natalia by the hand and walking her out of there as fast as he could.

They went up and over the hill and took the right split. Natalia needed answers about what the Basajaunak had said about the history between their worlds.

“
Catalyst, my people
–
did they really do all those things those two Basajaunak said they did?” asked Natalia.

“
As I understand it, yes they did. Things between our worlds were never the same after they created something called a musket. At least that’s what my Mom tells me,” replied Catalyst.

“
Well, your mother wouldn’t lie, so it must be true,” said Natalia.

“
But all this happened before I was born by at least ninety-seven years,” said Catalyst.

“
When were you born?” asked Natalia.

“
July 4
th
, 1797,” replied Catalyst.

“
How is it that you use a calendar just like the one my world uses?” asked Natalia.

Not everything the Humans brought here or did here was bad, Natalia. Some of it was good,” replied Catalyst.

“
But we did have something to do with the warring between our worlds though. After all it was us that gave Humankind the design for the arquebus and from what I’m told this musket thing was the next step taken to improve it and after its improvement, that’s when invasions become commonplace. That’s when the decision was made to lock down the portal from our world to yours,” said Catalyst.

“
Why would your people choose to open it back up?” asked Natalia.

“
I don’t know, but let’s hope that we find that out when we find the crystals and stop whatever’s going to happen and stop the portal from ever being opened again,” replied Catalyst.

“
How long was the portal open for? I mean this time,” asked Natalia.

“
Only a few days, I think. When we met, I was there because I wanted to see what the portal looked like. It was sealed forty-one years before I was born,” replied Catalyst.

“
But you told me you had orders to take me to the King,” said Natalia.

“
The order was to take
anyone
that came through the portal to the King and everyone here in Kyopelivuori had that order, so you could have been anyone really. If it hadn’t been for the guard needing to do whatever it was that he needed to do, then you would have been in front of the King by his hand not mine. It just happened to be me standing there when you came through,” said Catalyst.

With her eyes on the sky watching the Cockatrice above and ready to put on her glasses at a second’s notice, Natalia left the trees for Catalyst to watch as they walked in silence for a while.

“
Hey, Natalia, eyes down here,” said Catalyst with a small nudge as they approached the woods.

“
Ah! Those things are just so vile,” said Natalia cringing.

“
Well, being Krusnik, they’ve never really bothered me. They must not like the taste,” giggled Catalyst, trying to annoy Natalia.

“
Not to worry though, Natalia. If they come, I’m here,” said Catalyst as he took Natalia by the hand and led her into the woods. From the sweat on her hand Catalyst could tell Natalia was a bit nervous, but at the same time
“Oh so brave
,
”
thought Catalyst. Not once did she squeeze harder than she had to. Catalyst was impressed by her strength of character.

“
Sh! Do you hear that, Catalyst?” whispered Natalia.

“
About one minute ago, but I’m not sure what it is,” whispered Catalyst as Natalia squeezed his hand just a bit harder. As they stopped to listen, Natalia looked behind them.

Stepping out from behind a tree blocking their path stood a tired, wrinkled, dirty old Elf with a long sharp nose and a half-bald head with wisps of loose hair across the top. His odour was almost enough to make them throw up.

There, standing by the Elf, was a creature four feet tall with no head, its eyes in its chest where its pecks should be and a mouth that ran lengthways where its stomach should be with its smell worse than that of the Elf. Watching it breathe, Natalia and Catalyst could see the pouches lining the inside of its cheeks were filled with rotting flesh and the stench filled the air with every exhale.

Knowing they had to run, Catalyst looked for a direction as the Elf approached Natalia, wiping the drool from his chin and sniffing the air around her.

“
What do you want?” asked Catalyst, looking at the creepy old Elf and moving Natalia out of the way as the Elf tried to grab her wrist.

“
Dinner is what I want,” cackled the Elf, licking his lips. “Now why don’t the two of you come with me and my pet like good little children,” he said, grabbing Natalia by the arm.

“
Why? What are you going to do with us?” asked Natalia, now very afraid.

“
Like I said, child, I want dinner and the two of you will do just fine to feed my pet and me. See, we haven’t had fresh meat in quite some time,” replied the Elf enjoying the fear in their eyes.

Hoping he could outrun the Elf and his pet, Catalyst grabbed Natalia by the hand and pulled her free of the Elf’s grip. With Natalia in tow, Catalyst bolted for the freedom of the trees as he tried zigzagging his way to the other side of the woods.

The Elf and his pet were right on their heels. Catalyst knew they would not give up fresh meat so easily.

“
Run, Natalia, run!” screamed Catalyst.

“
I am!” cried Natalia, doing her best to keep up to Catalyst and save her life.

Looking for a way out, Catalyst could only see one tree after another. He knew Natalia couldn’t keep this pace up so they needed a place to hide. As the trees grew thicker, Catalyst could hear the footsteps of the Elf and his pet dropping further and further behind. Pulling Natalia behind him as hard as he could, Catalyst turned to the right and ducked behind a huge tree in hopes that they would now be out of sight of the Elf and his pet.