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

CHAPTER 39-The Forest of Lug

Destroying the creation of men is a tragedy. Destroying the creation of nature is an ethical imperative because nature is perverted. It creates with destruction. 

So why are they surprised that I am not so different?

LoG, 35

Nalina's mind reconsidered the word she had used. "Creature" actually sounded offensive in her head. After all, they could talk and express themselves very well, from what she had seen.

They have the cutest voices ever! And they look cuddly, too! She squealed.

She counted three such beings in total. They now surrounded her and Grogmog, gawking at them with heightened curiosity. From what she could gather, they were not very tall. None of the members of the trio reached Nalina's waist. The closest words she had to describe their appearance were "stocky" and "robust."

Their head was well defined, yet there was no neck to be seen. The arms and legs of these individuals were quite short in comparison to their torso. What made Nalina's hair stand on end was the fact that they had no skin whatsoever. Their bodies and their faces were completely covered in a hardened shell-like surface, similar to the one that might have been found on nuts or dried fruit. 

The colours of their ... Bark? Shell? Husk? Hull? Pod? Umm ... Carapace? Stop it. Nalina reprimanded herself. But it's so varied!  They were different shades of brown. They ranged anywhere from beige through burnt umber to chocolate.

They had eyes, nose and a mouth, but they were nothing like humans. The eyes were insectoid in their nature. The nostrils were just two rudimentary holes. The mouths seemed permanently agape and simply too wide for their head. They had strands of hair of diverse lengths, featuring various lively nuances of blonde and hazel.

The triplets, as Nalina called them in her mind, sported huge leaf-shaped wings on their backs, in mismatched shadings of orange, golden and auburn. They looked like a criss-cross between a human and a plant. And studying plants was something Nalina did. All she did, really.

She took one glance at Grogmog, who was now curled on the ground under her feet. It was enough for Nalina to conclude they were not a threat. The water snake seemed to eye them curiously, yet he didn't hiss or ready himself to begin any kind of assault.

Nalina felt a bit ashamed that they had to see her in such sorry state. After all, she was snivelling and whimpering, with her clothes torn. "Who ... Who are you?" she inquired, dropping a curtsy and hoping that was the proper etiquette while addressing them. Nalina was pleased that for once, that was the one thing she asked for first.

The three individuals giggled, holding their tiny palms up to their huge mouth. Then they simultaneously clapped their hands, in a light-hearted, high-spirited manner and started chanting: We heard the singing of the bellflower!

                                                            Stating anger at manpower.

                                                           He found it hard to see the grass,

                                                          Overshadowed by the big impasse.

                                                         Who is that skulking near the forest?

                                                         We Acorns hope she's not a florist!

                                                        Our Queen is but a yellow tree,