Liquid Diamond (10 page)

The Elf was just as fast as Catalyst and not knowing how long he had been lying on the ground, Catalyst knew Natalia could very well be dinner by now.

The lifeless body of a Blemmye fell with a huge thud in front of him, followed by Miss Turr.

“
What happened? You and Domyar were supposed to be right there watching us and now the Elf has Natalia,” said Catalyst wiping the tears of frustration from his eyes.

“
I don’t know what happened to Domnyar but like me I think he was attacked just after entering the woods,” replied Miss Turr. “One minute everything was fine and going to plan and the next thing I know this Blemmye and two of its friends were all over me. But we can discuss this later. Right now let’s get after Natalia,” continued Miss Turr.

“
What about Domnyar? We’ll need him if that Elf has more Blemmyes out here,” said Catalyst.

“
Domnyar is capable of taking care of himself and you and I don’t need him to save Natalia. We can do that by ourselves. Now let’s get moving,” replied Miss Turr.

“
Blemmyes,” said Catalyst in a smart mouth tone of voice.

“
Blemmyes,” replied Miss Turr, pointing to the corpse at his feet. Running as fast as she could with Catalyst in tow, it only took a few minutes for them to reach the Elf’s lair.

“
I don’t hear anything, Catalyst,” said Miss Turr as she held Catalyst back at the entrance.

“
She may not even be here,” continued Miss Turr, straining to listen and hearing only a small fire coming from inside.

“
I have to know for sure,” said Catalyst and he started sneaking inside the tunnel, listening for any sound at all.

“
I can hear breathing, but I can’t tell where it’s coming from,” said Catalyst.

“
Sh! If we can hear them, they can hear us,” said Miss Turr quietly while putting a finger over Catalyst’s lips.

Approaching the room where Natalia and Catalyst had been held the last time they were in the Elf’s lair, Catalyst slowly put his head around the corner. Sitting there with one leg over the side of his self-made throne and drinking ale, sat the Elf with a big smile on his face, licking the ale from his lips.

“
Where’s Natalia? If you’ve hurt her I’m going to kill you myself,” demanded Catalyst.

“
Boy, I’m going to have you for dinner and the Human for dessert. And after I make jerky out of that Basajaunak you brought with you, I will use her hide for a throw rug,” said the Elf, looking down his nose at Catalyst.

“
You see, boy, I saw you coming and I’m well prepared for the two of you. Now where’s the other beast you brought with you?” demanded the Elf.

“
Ah! But perhaps my Blemmyes took him down. Well, won’t that keep them fed for a day or two, wouldn’t you say, boy!?” said the Elf, spilling his ale down his chin.

At that, Miss Turr burst into the room.

“
You want my hide? Well you can have it over my dead body!” screamed Miss Turr at the thought of Domnyar becoming food for those filthy little Blemmyes.

“
You don’t know just how right you are!” hissed the vile little elf right back at her.

“
Smell that, boy? Can’t you just smell her cooking?” questioned the dirty little Elf trying to antagonize Catalyst into recklessness. As Catalyst and Miss Turr both smelled the air all they could smell was wood burning and the stench of one unbathed Elf.

“
Where is she?” demanded Catalyst once again.

“
She’s down here somewhere, boy, but you’re never going to find her, not before she’s on my plate – but you’ll already be well digested by then!” laughed the Elf as he spat at them both.

“
Can you tell where that scent is coming from?” asked Catalyst, looking at Miss Turr.

“
All I can smell is the wood burning,” replied Miss Turr as she sniffed the air.

“
Then stay here and keep this filthy thing busy while I go and find her,” said Catalyst, having caught the scent of Natalia’s ten-year-old little girl perfume.

Miss Turr started walking in circles round the Elf as Catalyst ran into the tunnels searching for Natalia.

“
If anything happens to Domnyar, your life is over,” said Miss Turr as she grabbed the Elf and threw him against the wall.

Scrambling to his feet, the Elf pulled out his rope dart and started swinging it round and round, faster and faster until the dart had enough speed and power. With careful aim, the Elf kicked the dart right through Miss Turr’s left shoulder. Grabbing the rope with her right hand, Miss Turr pulled hard, bringing the Elf straight into her enormously large left fist, knocking him flat on his back harder than anything he had ever felt before.

“
From what I hear, you spend a lot of time on the ground and getting hit in the head, but it’s usually trees and rocks that get that done, not fists,” laughed Miss Turr as she jumped into the air to land on the Elf’s chest. She narrowly missed him as he rolled out of the way.

Grabbing the rope and jumping back to his feet with one huge yank the Elf pulled the dart from Miss Turr’s shoulder, forcing her to howl a howl never heard before by any creature.

Spinning and shooting the dart at Miss Turr one more time, the Elf missed piercing her body but ripped and tore her flesh in the pass back as he yanked the dart in mid flight.

“
You know, beast, I’m very skilled with this toy of mine, so don’t expect to live long enough to insult me again!” spat the Elf as he wound up for another shot at Miss Turr. He span the dart with all his strength then suddenly dropped to his knees and passed out at the feet of Domnyar and his macuahuitl.

Ignoring her wounds, Miss Turr ran and jumped into the arms of Domnyar.

“
You’re okay, thank God! Now hurry, we don’t have much time. Catalyst is somewhere down these tunnels searching for Natalia. From what the Elf has said, this place is filled with Blemmyes and who knows what he’s done,” said Miss Turr, dragging Domnyar into the tunnels.

“
Give me a minute, Miss Turr. I want this vile creature tied up first,” said Domnyar as he quickly tied the Elf’s wrists to his ankles behind his back. With just one more smack to the Elf’s head for good measure, making sure he was out, Domnyar turned his attention back to Miss Turr.

“
Now I’m ready. Let’s go find those two and get out of here. We’ll pick this thing up on the way back,” said Domnyar.

Having found Natalia tied to a chair in some back room, Natalia and Catalyst were back with Miss Turr and Domnyar before they could even step into the hall that Catalyst had set off from.

“
There they are now Miss Turr, safe and sound,” said Domnyar as he ran and hugged the stuffing out of them.

“
Let’s go,” said Domnyar, picking up Natalia in one hand and Catalyst in the other.

As they ran from the Elf’s lair, Miss Turr grabbed the rope that held the Elf, taking him with them.

Out of the lair and through the dead wood, running right by the Blemmye, Miss Turr grabbed that as well and headed to the shoreline with Domnyar and the children right behind her. With the smell of rotting flesh seeping from the mouth of the Blemmye, all Natalia could do was throw up as the stink slammed into her face. Reaching the field that lay between the shore and the dead wood and with the safety of being able to see all around them, their run turned became a walk, while Natalia made sure she was far from the stench.

“
Miss Turr, why are you bringing that thing with us?” asked Natalia.

“
Bait…just bait, Natalia,“ replied Miss Turr.

“
Bait, for what?” asked Catalyst, almost happy about the sound of that.

“
The Riverfray of course,” replied Domnyar for Miss Turr.

Natalia remembered what Domnyar had said: they love stink, mmm...as good as pie.

“
Tie me up and beat me, Natalia?” laughed Catalyst, remembering the song she sang on the path.

“
Don’t even ask,” said Natalia, returning the looks from Miss Turr and Domnyar.

“
No, this is funny. She was singing a song about being tied up and beaten and when I found her she was tied to a chair. Careful what you sing for, Natalia, you just might get it!” laughed Catalyst even harder.

Having not been there to see what had gone on, the joke went right over the heads of Miss Turr and Domnyar.

“
Where are you taking me?” hissed the Elf, struggling with his rope.

“
Be still, you vile thing, or I’ll drag you instead of carrying you,” growled Miss Turr. With that thought, the Elf hit the ground and found himself being dragged over the loose gravel as Catalyst walked behind him smiling. Then the Elf spat on his face and earned himself a kick to the ribs from Natalia.

“
See that, it’s just like I heard you do spend a lot of time on the ground and it seems face down isn’t the only position you enjoy,” said Miss Turr with everyone now laughing at the Elf as he seethed in rage and humiliation as they reached the shore. Grabbing what was left of the Elf’s hair, Domnyar dragged him closer to the river’s edge, leaving him there to feel the fear of the Riverfray.

“
Domnyar, what happened to you?” asked Natalia still shaking just a little.

“
I was watching the two of you when these three Blemmyes dropped in on me, and it some time for me to put a stop to them, so to speak,” replied Domnyar.

Looking at the Blemmye lying there dead, Natalia could see its back had been ripped apart and chewed on.

“
You two ate these things?” asked Natalia looking at Miss Turr and Domnyar.

“
No, we didn’t,” replied Miss Turr.

“
Hunting tomorrow, Miss Turr?” asked Domnyar.

“
Or the day after, but yes, hunting,” replied Miss Turr.

“
What happened to them?” asked Natalia, weary from all the craziness.

“
Trust me, Natalia, you don’t want to know. Just leave it,” said Catalyst.

“
From what he’s said, it would seem our Elf here has been quite busy. Why?” said Miss Turr.

“
To capture these two of course,” replied Domnyar.

“
You really think he went through all this trouble, putting all this together just for a meal or two?” asked Miss Turr, pointing to Natalia and Catalyst.

“
He knew the children were in the village. I mean he would need help now, wouldn’t he?” replied Domnyar.

“
Domnyar, think about it. We were out in the woods when he attacked, and if he were going to do this in the village he would need an army ten times this size. I’m thinking there’s more to this,” said Miss Turr.
“Don’t strain yourself, Domnyar, we’ll soon have some answers from this wretched creature,” continued Miss Turr.

“
If you think I’m going to tell you anything you’re out of your minds,” said the Elf, having heard most of what was said.

“
Now?” asked Domnyar as he looked at Miss Turr.

“
Yes, now,” replied Miss Turr.

Picking up the Blemmye and giving it a good shake, Domnyar made sure the filth in its mouth was now covering its legs. With one good spin Domnyar threw the corpse into the river. As Natalia and Catalyst watched the corpse bobbing in the water, it suddenly dropped from sight, leaving only the slightest ripple behind.

“
One, two, three, four, five…twenty-eight, twenty-nine,” counted Domnyar until the body of the Blemmye shot from the water and into the sky at least thirty feet high before crashing back down.

Watching in amazement, Natalia and Catalyst stood fast as the Riverfray emerged from the depths showing its massive size. At thirty feet high and one bus-length wide and from what they could see two buses long, not including its four fins, the Riverfray was huge. It opened its mouth filled with razor sharp teeth, snapped the Blemmye from the water and with just a few crunches, the Blemmye corpse was no more.

“
See, Natalia? Just bait,” said Miss Turr.

“
Here’s your choice, tell us what we want to know or I throw you in as well,” said Domnyar looking the Elf right in the eye.

“
Now you’re the one on the menu,” said Miss Turr borrowing the phrase from Natalia.

“
Ah!” yelled the Elf as he raged for having been beaten. “What do you want to know?” he snarled.

“
You had better start using some manners or I’ll drag you to the water’s edge myself,” demanded Natalia, tired of the rudeness from the grimy old Elf.

“
Let’s see, you’ve tried to capture these children three times now. Why?” asked Domnyar.

“
I was hungry and they would make a fine meal and I have to feed my pet as well,” replied the Elf with a cracked smile of superiority.

“
That’s all?” asked Domnyar.