Katrina

Chapter 6- The Silver Potion

"Yes." Replied the horse, swallowing as well.

"This place gives me the creeps, Muuqe." Katrina said in a scared tone.

"The creeps? What it gives me is fear and chills on my spine!"

"Well... That too..." Katrina answered. She also felt the same, but didn't want to seem like a coward.

"Where's Aerdnah?"

The two looked for the panther by scanning with their eyes without taking a single step from where they were. They were very focused trying to find her when suddenly...

"Buhh!"

Muuqe and Katrina gave a jump so high that she even got up to Muuqe's neck. When they turned around, there was the panther.

"Aerdnah!" Cried Muuqe. "For God's sake, you scared us to death!"

Katrina was still clenching her heart in fright that the panther had given them and wasn't able to say anything.

"I'm sorry! It's just that you looked so scared that I couldn't help it!" She laughed.

Muuqe mimicked her laugh to mock her. "Yeah... Very funny Aerdnah. Very funny, indeed." Said the horse, a little annoyed. "Well, we're going for the potion now. Weren't you in a hurry?"

"Come on, come on... Don't get mad, man. It's just a joke." She answered, still laughing. "Let's go."

The pond inspired some distrust. The lake was in the middle of the brush, covered with a kind of mist and was full of insects. The three began to approach. The panther walked like it was nothing, but Katrina and Muuqe were going slowly, since they didn't feel safe in that place. Katrina was cold and the exhaustion she endured was so much that she felt her legs were going to fail at any moment, letting her fall. When the two of them still had a few meters to get to where the panther was, they saw her throwing into the water what looked like colored balls the size of pin-balls. Katrina hurried, curious to know what the panther was doing. She was taking the balls from next to a rock buried under the mud but not too deep.

"I'll tell you later." Said Aerdnah looking at Katrina before she was able to say anything.

"Is that where Eanar lives?" She whispered to Muuqe impatiently.

The horse nodded but didn't say a word, since he looked really uncomfortable in that place.

Suddenly, they saw bubbles appear. Something was emerging from the water. Katrina was trembling and she moved closer to Muuqe, and Muuqe was just petrified. In the blink of an eye they saw a disgusting creature emerge from the water. It was big and slimy. Muuqe was right when he told her the story of Eanar, as it was the kind of most unpleasant frog.

"Aerdnah... How long it's been." Said the creature. His voice was so deep, it made her hair stand on end.

"Eanar." Aerdnah replied politely.

"Why did you come?"

"I need a favor, Eanar."

The creature had not noticed the presence of Muuqe and Katrina, when the panther nodded in the direction of both of them to beckon them nearer. Eanar stared at them and suddenly, he began to approach them. The earth seemed to rumble as he passed.

"Mmm..." He said, as his huge head approached.

He sniffed and observed them very closely. They didn't move a muscle and gulped at the same time. Katrina felt her legs trembling like never before.

"I suppose that favor you're talking about has to do with the silver potion, right?" He asked, turning to Aerdnah.

She nodded.

"And what do I get in return?" He answered.

"What do you want?"

"Oh come on! We come to save our world and get asked for something in return! Well, you'll not be so keen that we can live in peace!" Muuqe suddenly exclaimed.

Katrina thought the horse regretted the comment he'd made when Eanar turned back to them, however, Muuqe didn't flinch and remained in the same position.

The frog looked surprised and revealed an evil smile. Aerdnah rolled her eyes.

"Aren't you able to be silent, Muuge?" Commented the panther, quite annoyed.

He didn't know what she meant.

"So." Eanar said, addressing the panther. "You come here, to ask me for a favor, with nothing to offer me in return? And on top of that, you lie to me? Are you trying to get me to do a favor without even telling me that she's the one?"

"I haven't lied to you." She answered authoritatively. "You haven't even asked. Anyway, what do you know about that? How far do the rumors go?"

He frowned and then smiled the same way. "Oh dear... The rumors are as swift as the wind and are brought to the depths of the jungle. I'll only give you the potion in exchange for something, and I know what I want. I want Elcaro to give me back my original form."

Aerdnah and Muuqe looked at each other.

"But, that's impossible! Elcaro will never do that! It's a punishment from nature for trying to challenge her!" Muuqe shouted.

"Then we're finished." The creature replied, and made the gesture of returning to the water again.

"Wait." Said the panther suddenly. "I'll get Elcaro to return your original form, but first give us the potion."

Eanar laughed aloud.

"Do you think I'm going to give you the potion just like that and trust that you'll do it?"

"What do you want me to do then, Eanar?"

"I want us to sign a contract." He replied. "I want us to sign a contract that says Elcaro will give me my original form in exchange for the potion. Also, if you don't get it, you Aerdnah, will become the same being as me and live with me under the waters of this pond for all eternity."

"No!" Muuqe shouted again. "Aerdnah, I won't allow it!"

Eanar didn't look away from her.

"Okay." She replied.

"Aerdnah, are you crazy!?" Muuqe was very nervous. "I said no!"

"Shut up, Muuqe." She said in the same, authoritative tone. "I accept Eanar's deal."

"Then let's go down." The creature replied, still smiling.

Eanar took three of the colored balls and brought them one by one to his mouth and blew. The balls were transformed into what looked like soap balls that existed in Katrina's dimension, as a game for children, but these were much larger.

"Go ahead." He said. "Get inside."

That they did. Each of them entered one of the balls and as Eanar jumped into the water, the balls followed him to the bottom of the pond.