Authors: Sebastien Blue
“
So, what? When? Anastasia, how did you know?” asked Natalia.
“
The same way every good mother knows. We just know when our kids are in trouble,” replied Anastasia, looking at Catalyst.
Grabbing Anastasia in a huge hug, Natalia hung on for dear life as Catalyst sat puzzled by what his Mother had said.
“
Intuition, it's a woman thing. You wouldn't understand,” said Natalia smiling at Catalyst as though she did.
“
Okay, enough of the mushy stuff. We don't want to make Catalyst jealous, now do we?” asked Anastasia pulling out of a hug that seemed it would never end.
“
Now let's get the two of you fed. What's in your fitsall, Catalyst?” asked Anastasia.
“
All we have left are those twig things, as Natalia likes to call them. After I fell into the water yesterday everything we had was soaked by the swamp water so I threw most things away,” replied Catalyst.
“
Catalyst...how could you? You let me eat that Cockatrice jerky last night,” said Natalia in disgust.
“
Well, by the time I realized what you were doing it was too late and it didn't seem to bother you and you were hungry and you were angry...so,” replied Catalyst.
Rolling her eyes back in her head Anastasia looked at Natalia as though she agreed with whatever Natalia was thinking.
“
Well that's a man for you. If it tastes good eat it. You wait here and I'll be back in a short while,” said Anastasia as she turned and disappeared into the sky.
She returned with enough food for a few days and when Natalia and Catalyst were fed, Anastasia gave Natalia a spoonful of herb juice that tasted no better than stink itself for the sore stomach she was bound to get from eating the swamp-watered jerky.
“
Well you two, I'm off now and you can get back to your task,” said Anastasia as she turned and flew off.
“
Wow! That was one horrifying night,” said Catalyst.
“
I wouldn't know. I slept right through it,” replied Natalia, not wanting to embarrass herself by admitting she fainted.
Catalyst didn’t want to pick up the fight from where they left off the night before. He thought Natalia was right, she had slept right through it, so he chose to shut his mouth.
“
Speaking of sleeping, Catalyst, if you got everything inside the fitsall wet when you fell in the water yesterday, how come our blankets were dry?” asked Natalia curiously.
“
Dry? Oh no, they were soaked. I just wrung all the water from them and if there was any left it dried itself,” replied Catalyst.
“
It wasn't enough that you let me eat that swamp water, you let me wrap myself in it as well! Why?” asked Natalia, feeling betrayed.
“
You were cold, angry, hungry and tired. The food didn't hurt you, the blankets didn't smell and they were not dirty. I was only doing for you what I would do for me. It was all okay, you’re fine,” replied Catalyst hoping his good intentions would be enough.
“
I understand. I don't like it, but I understand,” said Natalia.
“
Come on Natalia, we still have along way to go,” said Catalyst as he held his hand out to her.
“
How much further is this mountain anyway?” asked Natalia as she gave him the fitsall.
“
I can't be sure. I've never travelled like this before
–
walking, I mean. I usually move a lot faster than this, but since we we're doing this together and we have to walk...I'm thinking a few days at the very least. But not to worry, Natalia, just up ahead we can trade for supplies. You'll like it, it'll be just like shopping and it's only a few hours from here,” replied Catalyst with a smile, not realizing what he had said.
With a look of “How dare you!” on her face Natalia started in on him.
“
On Earth or here, you boys are all the same! You think just because I'm a girl that I must love shopping. You probably think all that I care about is my hair and make up as well, is that it? Is that what you think about me, Catalyst?” demanded Natalia.
“
No,” replied Catalyst stunned, not seeing that one coming.
“
Well then you’re wrong again, because I love to shop and look nice,” laughed Natalia as she enjoyed getting him back for the swamp-water jerky.
“
Yep, here or Earth, you boys are all the same. A little bit of trouble with a girl and you shut up like you've run and ducked for cover,” continued Natalia.
“
You know, Catalyst, after last night I really needed a good laugh. Thank you,” said Natalia sincerely.
Time passed as they walked and talked about nothing special so neither Natalia nor Catalyst felt the hours pass. There was one steep hill separating them from their destination and Natalia wondered how they were ever going to climb it.
“
Look at that, Catalyst,” said Natalia pointing up the hill.
“
It's easy, just walk like this,” said Catalyst as he led the way, walking a few feet up and to the right and then up and to the left.
“
See, Natalia, just keep criss-crossing, it's easy,” he said.
#
Pushing through the caved-in mud hut came the hand of the Elf, holding the stone axe he used to dig himself out with. Pulling himself from the dirt the Elf started limping after his prey, Natalia and Catalyst, and with only one way to get to Ghost Mountain after leaving the swamp, the Elf was right on track.
#
At the top of the hill Catalyst took Natalia by the hand and pulled her up as she reached the top.
“
Well, there you go, Natalia, just a few more minutes and we'll be at the front door,” said Catalyst pointing to the long curved wall that lay in front of them.
“
Hmm, so here we are and it only took six hours and not three as you said it would,” snapped Natalia. “Catalyst, I'm sorry. I'm just getting really hungry that's all. Anyway, what is this place?” asked Natalia before Catalyst could say anything.
“
This place is a centre, a lot of things happen here, people live here, a few traders sell their wares, some people work here as well, but mostly it's a...a...”
“
A what, Catalyst? Come on, I'm tired of the surprises. Just tell me,” said Natalia.
“
It's the Gallows, a jail,” replied Catalyst, pulling back in case he got slapped.
“
Gallows? You’re taking me to an executioner’s?” demanded Natalia.
“
It's not that bad,” said Catalyst lying right to her face. “Come on, you'll see,” continued Catalyst.
Feeling uneasy and thinking she should know better, Natalia went anyway.
CHAPTER FIVE
THE GALLOWS
As they approached the Gallows, Natalia looked at it in wonder.
“
It's just one big wall – that's not so bad,” said Natalia.
“
Nope, not so bad at all,” replied Catalyst, knowing full well what waited them on the inside.
“
You know, Natalia, although I've never seen it myself because I don't fly, my Mom says that from above, this place looks like a snail shell. She says it circles in on itself until it gets to the centre.”
“
So how do we get in or out, for that matter?” asked Natalia as she looked for a door.
“
That's easy – there are two doors – the one we'll go in that's just over there and the one we'll leave from and that's in the centre, but it's more of a hatch than a door,” replied Catalyst.
“
So it's like one long hallway then,” said Natalia, having thought about how one wall circling in on itself would make a hallway.
“
Yes, that's exactly what it is,” replied Catalyst.
“
Then why don't we go in, get what we need and come back out here and walk around this place instead of walking around in circles? That would be faster, right?” asked Natalia.
“
It would be if all we wanted to do was get to the other side of this place, but you see that sheer cliff over there?” asked Catalyst.
“
Yes,” replied Natalia, as she looked at the cliff at least a mile away.
“
That's what we would have to climb if we just went around this place, and I can't carry you up something like that. But at the centre of the Gallows there's a ladder that runs to the hatch I told you about. Then that leads to a bridge that we can use to cross over to that cliff. Up there is the way we need to go to get to Ghost Mountain,” said Catalyst.
“
So we have to go through here then? Well let's just get it over and done with,” said Natalia not liking the idea of crossing a bridge that had to be at least a mile long and slope to two miles high at the far end.
Walking up to the wall and standing in front of nothing but a few chiselled carvings, Catalyst smiled at Natalia, took his finger and set in motion the mechanism that would unlock and open the gateway.
He dropped a pebble into a small cup and the cup pulled on a string that lifted a pin that let go of a gear that started spinning, turning a whole series of gears and belts to open the gateway.
As Natalia walked to the gate ready to go in, Catalyst stood back as a huge gust of wind came rushing out and smacked Natalia right in the face.
“
Ah! That stinks and it's burning my eyes. You could have warned me, Catalyst,” said Natalia, spitting out the taste of foulness.
“
That happens to everyone that comes here but don't feel bad, Natalia, it happened to me as well,” laughed Catalyst.
“
Fresh air! Fresh air! Someone's coming, new arrivals!” shouted out a faceless voice from somewhere down the hallway.
“
It seems they know we're here,” said Catalyst looking at Natalia as he waited for a few seconds for the smell to go away.
Stepping inside and having heard everything that it took to open the gateway, Natalia just had to watch the gateway re-lock it-self.
With the gears spinning and belts turning all over its face, one gear bigger than the next, Natalia watched until the pebble was thrown back to where it fell from.
“
Wow, I've never seen anything like that before,” said Natalia smiling at Catalyst.
“
I've seen it a few times,” boasted Catalyst feeling good that Natalia was impressed, not understanding it was the way the door locked that impressed her, not his bringing her there.
“
Look, Natalia, see the crystals on the wall? They’re charged by the sun then brought in here to light the hallway,” said Catalyst as he pointed to their glow, hoping Natalia would stay impressed.
“
I wish we had some of these at home. They'd make things easier,” replied Natalia.
“
Now for the part you’re not going to like – the rooms in this section and a few sections ahead are cells for the prisoners, so try and stay in the middle of the hall while we walk through here. I'll show you what I mean,” said Catalyst, pulling Natalia over to a cell he hoped was still empty.
With a quick look inside just to make sure, Catalyst stepped out of her way.
“
They had a prisoner held in this cell at one time and he thought he could escape through the ceiling so he climbed up inside, but he never got any further than that,” said Catalyst.
“
Why not?” asked Natalia, knowing she was not going to like the answer.
“
Well they have guards here, but they are really only here to stop anyone from trying to use the hallways for an escape. They have to feed them and basically they just babysit. With the doors three inches thick and as hard as rock, no one has ever got through one to escape. But the ceilings are another story. They can't make them too thick and heavy or they'd just cave in, so between the ceilings and the roof it's hollow,” said Catalyst.
“
Like an attic, I understand, but why did he not get any further?” interrupted Natalia.
“
The guards put safeguards in place to stop the prisoners from trying to use it as an escape,” replied Catalyst not wanting to worry Natalia, but also waiting for her to question it further. That way it would be easier for her to take the news about what it was that surrounded them and what to watch for.
“
So what's up there?” asked Natalia knowing exactly what Catalyst was doing by making her ask.
“
Well, remember those spark bugs we've been seeing at night? They’re up there and when they see anyone, they surround them, because they’re bugs and that's what they do. But they also show the Acquittals where to find you,” replied Catalyst.
“
What are those?” asked Natalia, who was tired of playing games.
“
Acquittals are one of the four ways out of here. You either die by execution, old age, finish your sentence or by Acquittal,” replied Catalyst still holding back the answer.
“
The answer, Catalyst, please!” said Natalia, clearly annoyed.