The Prophecy of Water | ✔️ 🎖 [2018 Wattys Shortlister]

CHAPTER 21-The Trial Day

That little prick questioned my intentions! He says I do what I do to feed my ego!

How dare he!

LoG, 84

The Trial Day arrived. The Light appeared and filled in the hideout, just when the Squinty and Grizzly returned from a nightly "food shopping."

"Well," she said to the huge brown dog, as they both yawned, "no sleep for us. The Trials start very soon."

She looked at The Viewstone. She had nicked it a long time ago from a poor unsuspecting merchant.

It was one of The Etchers' inventions Squinty liked. At first sight, it looked rather ordinary. A plain, rounded grey stone. But The Etchers engraved it with a unique Etching, which would make it change colour. When The Light was about to break, The Viewstone would become yellow. Around The First Meal, it would turn orange, then red, and around The Second Meal, this little trinket would become green. As The Dark was nearing, The Viewstone would go from green to light blue, then to dark blue and suddenly, to black–that's when The Dark would appear.

It's a handy way to tell the time.

"If we're lucky ... we won't come back to the hideout again," she said, satisfied.

Grizzly squealed, and Squinty hurried to reassure him. "It's not that I don't like to live here. This place is ... The closest to home I've ever had, " she said with a hint of melancholy staring down the length of the little underground room.

Grizzly wagged his tail.

"Come on, let's get ready," Squinty said in a trembling voice, walking over towards the dusty mirror that hung on the wall.

First, she scrubbed her face, furiously rubbing her skin. Only then did Squinty look at the reflective silver glass.

An oval pallid face gazed back at her defiantly. Her pale blue eyes seemed spooky, giving the contrast to long soft black hair. The obscure rings nested under her eyelids: a visible sign she didn't sleep during The Dark.

She sighed. "Oh well, I can't do anything about that right now".

Then Squinty seized the wooden comb, attacking her shaggy mane. When she finished combing, she scratched her left eye and tried to rub a dirty stain in the form of a teardrop. It had appeared out of nowhere, and she had no success in removing it. After several attempts, she gave up and walked towards the dog.

Grizzly sat on his back paws and inclined his head in a question mark. His big brown eyes were saying, "Hm? Why are you approaching me with that comb?"

He didn't have to wait long for an answer. Squinty jumped at him, tackled him and pinned him to the floor. Then she brushed him with brisk movements. He first snorted in displeasure and tried to move away, then sighed, reconciling with his fate.

It made Squinty smile. "Today you have to look nice, Grizzly. You are my most important asset. Instructor Ilena told us about the special relationship between a Vigil and a War Dog. Who knows how much time and practice The Vigils need for that bond to work well? With you, I will have an advantage in comparison with the other Apprentices."

When she finished arranging his dark brown fur, she put on a long, white tunic. Squinty had recently stolen it while it had been drying on someone's window.

"It doesn't look half as bad," she announced, turning around critically.

Squinty next ferreted out Mr Big Ears from a pile of rags, placed him in her bosom, and then put on leather shoes.

"Well, it's better than it was," she concluded, satisfied with her appearance. "This will have to do."

Then she concentrated on the memory that terrified her but was necessary for The Camouflage to succeed.  It was the name she gave to her new power. She saw Roko again lying on the ground and Enoka beating him up ruthlessly.