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

CHAPTER 24-The Punishment

I am not lonely. I am in a good company. Me, myself and I.

LoG, 149

Squinty had just landed on her feet when the slap she received brought her back to the ground. The pain made the entire left side of her body tingle. Her cheeks were burning with shame. Squinty wished she could perform her vanishing trick, but she knew she shouldn't Camouflage. Her eyebrows raised, but she continued to stare downward stubbornly.

I won't give Wolfgrik that pleasure. If I know something, it's how to take a punch.nShe didn't even look up when a muscly hand smashed the tunic in her face.

"Get dressed!" Wolfgrik roared. "And you, what are y'all looking at? There's nothing to see here! Everyone, march to The Dining Room!"

The group of The Vigils broke away. The only three who remained before Wolfgrik were Squinty, Orla and Odon. Their dogs lay underneath their legs. Jewel was still snarling.

"You!" cried The Weapon Trainer, pointing his finger at Squinty. "Look at me when I'm talking to you!" The spit from his one-toothed lips spurted all over her face. His braids whipped her shoulders.

She grumpily met his white, invisible eye with her defiant pale blue glance.

"Whenever there is trouble somewhere, you show up too! Miss Received-before-time-and-through-connections-with-a-War-Dog-no-one-knows-from-where! Instead of ..." he almost choked, coughing from excitement ..."Instead of behaving as you should ... You're riding on another Vigil's dog! And for no reason too, I'm sure!"

"We ..." Orla addressed him in a weak voice. "The other Vigils went to find you or The Dog Trainer Radan because there was a problem." she swallowed. "Squinty didn't do it for no reason."

Odon scornfully snorted, engaging in conversation. "Bah! The dog is mine! I connected with her. I still haven't got to ride her. Why would she climb on top of my pup? If Acorn were here, he surely would've said the same thing," Odon scoffed.

Wolfgrik smiled in a wicked agreement.

"After all," Odon removed his hair from the face, "this cow dog with a stupid name ... "

"You're the one to talk. Your dog's name is Onyx," Squinty muttered.

"I didn't address you, freak," Odon spat at her. "Her War Dog attacked me," his voice changed to mournful. "He could have seriously hurt me. Onyx defended me."

"Why?" Wolfgrik's scars on his cheeks wrinkled.

Orla approached, whispering and wringing her hands. "I ... I took a long time to get into the swimming pool at The Bathhouse and Odon ... He removed the upper part of my uniform." she blushed, recalling what had happened.

Wolfgrik just laughed heartily. "Well, he did good, kid, to make you move faster. You aren't always going to be so slow, damn it!" Wolfgrik elbowed Odon in a sign of approval.

"She didn't want that." Squinty hissed through clenched teeth.

"What did you say?" The Weapon Trainer's eyes narrowed at her.

Squinty stepped out, emboldened. "I said: she did not want that," she emphasised every sentence, staring The Trainer down.

"She has to learn a little, to adapt," Wolfgrik said in a slightly milder tone. "And this beast," he waved his head towards Jewel. The dog's gums rose a fraction but didn't reveal completely.

"This beast needs a solid hand. Even I know that, and I am the man who thinks The War Dogs are worthless around here."

"Ah, I believe we will never agree on this issue," they heard a calm, quiet voice.